AND ON LOCATION

WHO MAKES WHAT ON THE LOT

First AD

First assistant directors

get paid about

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CFO

The top bean

counters earn a lot
of beans: Sonys
financial chief
makes
year, not including
bonuses.

Studio Chief

shoot, for a total of

Producer

On-the-lot overhead
deals have been squeezed,
but for a studio release,
seasoned producers can
make
million to
million upfront and often
much more in backend
(though first-dollar-gross
deals are nearly extinct.)

per film.

DP

The director of
photography
makes
few, like Roger Deakins,
earn much more
(

Running a studio pays

a base salary of million to
million (what Jeff
Robinov reportedly got at
Warner Bros.), but bonuses
can bring the amount
to the mid-eight figures.

Film Actor

A-list stars still can make

between million (Meryl
Streeps pay for Ricki
and the Flash) and
million
(what Denzel Washington
got upfront for The Equalizer)
to much more with backend
(Robert Downey Jr. made
million for The Avengers).
Supporting actors dont
fare as well (Kevin Kline made
Ricki).

Gaffer

They make

Extras

Stunt Person

These unsung actors

earn about
if theyre wearing a
hairpiece or working
in rain or smoke.

and work

Most get paid

a day, or about
Stunt Horse

They earn up to
day (
horse) but can cost
studios much more in transport
fees (the farm in upstate
New York that provided horses
for The Patriot and
Winters Tale says theyve even
FedExed horses to sets).

work every day of

dont break a leg).
But they pay for their
own insurance.

TV Studio Chief

per film.

Sonys Steve Mosko

earned
million (plus
bonuses) as president,
with execs that oversee
both a studio and a network
potentially making more.

Film Director

Studio paychecks range from

(what newcomer J Blakeson got for The
) to million (what Sony offered
Danny Boyle for Steve Jobs) to much more
(Michael Bay reportedly earns
million
from backend on Transformers movies).

Head of Distribution

Typical base pay is

nearly
with this title at Sony, for
instance, makes

Tour Guide

Yukking it up with
tourists around the
lot pays
but only after a
training period during
which compensation
is

Boom Operator

Making sure the

mic stays out
of the shot pays
about
week, or
on a typical

General Counsel

The top attorney at a studio

can expect to earn in the
high-six figures. Sonys top
lawyer earns a base salary
of

Head of Marketing

The job usually pays about

Josh Greenstein, recruited
from Paramount, earns
a base of
million and
oversees both marketing
and distribution.

Production Chief

Second Unit Director

He or she usually
earns about
million a year,
though Michael
De Luca was making
more than his
Sony co-worker with
the same title,
Hannah Minghella
(
vs.

The director responsible

for shooting stunts and other
supplementary footage,
usually on location, earns
about

Wig Maker

The craftsman
who gives
Bruce Willis
and Nicolas
Cage full heads
of hair
gets paid about

Makeup Artist

They earn about

Craft Services

Script Supervisor

They get paid about

on an hourlong TV
drama, taking home

TV Actor

Dispensing celery
sticks and Twizzlers to
the cast and crew
earns these workers
about

Film Writer

Established movie scribes

can make million a
script, plus a bonus if they
get final credit. Selling a
spec screenplay can range
from the low-six figures
to
James Vanderbilt for
White House Down) or more.

work about
Publicist

A unit publicist hired by a studio earns

about
per film. Personal publicists employed
by stars earn much more, with
some making

TV Director

Directors of hourlong
dramas make about
sitcom directors
earn
a pilot and youll get
paid for every future
episode, even if you never
set foot on set again. Joe
Carnahan, who directed
the pilot for The Blacklist,
got a
for every episode of the
latest season.

TV Cameraman

Lead camera operators

make
or about
hourlong drama
episode (which takes
eight days to shoot;
sitcoms are about five
days and pay less).

Experienced actors
take home
to
episode, and bigger
stars can earn
a series. Raises come
each season
(James Spader made
for season two
of The Blacklist; Jeff
Garlin made
on season two
of The Goldbergs),
and renegotiations
can earn a star
a cool
episode (The
Big Bang Theorys
Johnny Galecki and
Jim Parsons).

Prop Master

Show Creator

Warm-Up Comedian

two of The Goldbergs.

work many more

weeks than most of
the crew and
cast as many as

Supporting Actor

Costume Designer

Those super-pumped comics

who keep studio audiences
entertained before TV tapings get
paid

They make about

Sidekicks, next-door
neighbors and other
nonstarring TV roles pay
in the mid-five figures
per episode. Jonathan
Banks got
per episode on Better Call
Sauls first season, and
the kids on season two of
The Goldbergs earned

Pay rates range from

They make most of their money

in producing fees. Vince Gilligan
got
Better Call Saul, Jon Bokenkamp
earned
for season two of The Blacklist,
and Adam Goldberg got

Location Manager

TV Writer

Staff writers can start at WGA scale

for an hourlong script,
hour or earn
weekly fees. Seasoned scribes also get
episodic producing fees of
even for episodes they dont write.

or more, depending on
the size of the film and the
experience of the designer.
Renee Kalfus earned
a week for Annie, while
David Robinson got
week for The Equalizer.

The person in charge

of the fake swords and alien
artifacts makes
weeks on a film (including
preproduction).

Driver

Piloting a StarWagon pays

between