While writing the last post about what your agents are for, I realized that I referred to something we haven't talked about before... establishing a quote.
Long story short, an actor's quote is akin to any other quote for professional services... it's what someone has to pay to hire you, based on how much you got paid last time.
In the early stages of your career, you'll likely work for scale (or scale plus ten, which means the production includes an extra ten percent to cover your agent's commission.) But once your agent is able to negotiate your pay above that level, you'll have a quote.
You'll actually probably have more than one quote. You may, for example, have one quote for one-day co star roles, another for multi-day co stars, another for one-day guest stars, etc. You may have different quotes for network vs. cable or comedy vs. drama, especially if you have more experience in one than the other. (For example, if you've got lots of network comedy credits but no premium cable dramas, you may work on an HBO drama for less than you would an ABC sitcom.)
But having a quote isn't a guarantee. Very often, you'll be offered a role, but production will tell your agent they can't meet your quote. Then you get to decide whether or not you want to accept the role for what they're offering. If you say yes, the production will usually offer a "no quote," which means they won't tell anyone that you agreed to work for less than your established quote. (That negotiation falls under the 'What Agents Are For' umbrella.) A good example of this is when big celebrities sign on to small, artistically fulfilling projects with tiny budgets.
Sometimes, you get the good news that your quote has gone up. Whether you've built up more credits, booked a more substantive role than in the past, gotten a bump for being brought back to a previous project, or had the good fortune of booking a project with a generous talent budget, finding our your quote has gone up is a good feeling. (It's also a good opportunity to thank you agent for hustling for you.)
Any questions about quotes? Ask them in a comment, or shoot me an email!