Hollywood and the money game

[xAgonyxScenex]

It kills me that so many of the super rich in Hollywood are so tightly wound about money. As if only making $5 million on "this" movie as opposed to the $15 million they made on their "last" movie, is going to hurt them financially. As if they're going to starve and not be able to make ends meet. Or provide for their family.

I understand the reasoning for all this....to a point. I get that certain actors/producers/directors....are draws for audiences. And these big companies who provide money to make these movies are going to probably make a shit ton of cash. And understandably they're going to want a piece of that pie.

But seriously....come on. Didn't every single one of these actors/directors/producers get into making movies because they had a passion and a love for it, not because they wanted to get super rich.

I always love hearing stories when already extremely wealthy people in the movie business put aside the whole money bullshit because they believe in the movie they are making. I've read numerous times that Michael Bay has put up some of his pay check to shoot certain scenes for movies he's done. Also, if I recall correctly..Stephen Spielberg asked not to be paid so that Shindlers List could be made.

Look at James Cameron. He just made something like $325 million from Avatar. If he ever bitches about money and not getting paid enough in the future, he needs to be tied up and beaten. As do any of these famous Hollywood people who bitch and moan about money when they already have enough for them and 100 other people to retire the rest of their lives.

I get that some of these people are the cream of the crop and super good at what they do, and want to get paid accordingly. But there comes a point where now you just look like a greedy fucking asshole. At least Bill Gates donates mountain loads of money to charities every year.

Anyways....quit crying Hollywood...you all look fools.

[xAgonyxScenex]

another case in point:

http://www.superherohype.com/news/ar...r-the-avengers

probably dealing with money.

[taybrian1]

I wish they would someday understand that money doesn't make the entire world go round. Yeah, it does help with paying the bills, but it can't make you truely happy

[Bot Girl]

On the other hand, a lot of these folks do give tons of money to charity. Look at Bay and Haiti earlier this year. And I am a big fan of Ellen Degeneres, and she does a lot of good with her fortune.

[redqueenar]

It kills me that so many of the super rich in Hollywood are so tightly wound about money. As if only making $5 million on "this" movie as opposed to the $15 million they made on their "last" movie, is going to hurt them financially. As if they're going to starve and not be able to make ends meet. Or provide for their family.

I understand the reasoning for all this....to a point. I get that certain actors/producers/directors....are draws for audiences. And these big companies who provide money to make these movies are going to probably make a shit ton of cash. And understandably they're going to want a piece of that pie.

But seriously....come on. Didn't every single one of these actors/directors/producers get into making movies because they had a passion and a love for it, not because they wanted to get super rich.

I always love hearing stories when already extremely wealthy people in the movie business put aside the whole money bullshit because they believe in the movie they are making. I've read numerous times that Michael Bay has put up some of his pay check to shoot certain scenes for movies he's done. Also, if I recall correctly..Stephen Spielberg asked not to be paid so that Shindlers List could be made.

Look at James Cameron. He just made something like $325 million from Avatar. If he ever bitches about money and not getting paid enough in the future, he needs to be tied up and beaten. As do any of these famous Hollywood people who bitch and moan about money when they already have enough for them and 100 other people to retire the rest of their lives.

I get that some of these people are the cream of the crop and super good at what they do, and want to get paid accordingly. But there comes a point where now you just look like a greedy fucking asshole. At least Bill Gates donates mountain loads of money to charities every year.

Anyways....quit crying Hollywood...you all look fools.

Do me a favor.

Get a pen and paper.

Go to your DVD/Blu ray player.

Put Transformers in.

Skip to the end credits.

Make a hatchmark on the paper for every name that appears on the screen.

Count them up.

They need medical insurance.

And dental/optical

The state charges the employee and employer its indivudal tax.

The Federal government charges both employer and employee Social Security, Medicare and Federal Tax.

Realize they have spouses.

And children.

and cars

and rent/mortgages.

And you have to take care of all of those people.

For a year and a half.

And that's just the labor.

[xAgonyxScenex]

Do me a favor.

Get a pen and paper.

Go to your DVD/Blu ray player.

Put Transformers in.

Skip to the end credits.

Make a hatchmark on the paper for every name that appears on the screen.

Count them up.

They need medical insurance.

And dental/optical

The state charges the employee and employer its indivudal tax.

The Federal government charges both employer and employee Social Security, Medicare and Federal Tax.

Realize they have spouses.

And children.

and cars

and rent/mortgages.

And you have to take care of all of those people.

For a year and a half.

And that's just the labor.

maybe my knowledge of the business is a little off...but that's all pretty much covered by the studio in the budget for the film. It's one thing if it's a personal crew that Bay is paying personally out of his own pocket. Then I understand the fight for the pay check.

But if its someone like say a hypothetical Will Smith who walks away from a project because the studio is only offering him $10 million when he is asking for $20 million.

That's what I'm talking about. I thought i made that really clear......I'm talking about people who walk away from projects because their incredibly large paycheck isn't incredibly large enough. Not the grip who's making $30 thousand a year and would like a raise because he/she just had a another kid.

[redqueenar]

maybe my knowledge of the business is a little off...but that's all pretty much covered by the studio in the budget for the film. It's one thing if it's a personal crew that Bay is paying personally out of his own pocket. Then I understand the fight for the pay check.

But if its someone like say a hypothetical Will Smith who walks away from a project because the studio is only offering him $10 million when he is asking for $20 million.

That's what I'm talking about. I thought i made that really clear......

Michael is part-owner of Bay Films/Platinum Dunes, Digital Domain, and The Institute. From a business perspective, he's not just one person. It's the same with Will Smith. He's a got a lot going on, too.

[xAgonyxScenex]

Michael is part-owner of Bay Films/Platinum Dunes, Digital Domain, and The Institute. From a business perspective, he's not just one person. It's the same with Will Smith. He's a got a lot going on, too.

Well then..when is it a calculated business move and when is it for the love of your craft. Personally I'd prefer to watch movies where everybody involved fully believes in the movie, not just because someone got offered a huge paycheck to further their empire. I think both studios and the individuals who make the movies should both lighten up a bit.

[alexsm]

Cameron earned 300+ Million not due salary, but due his box office percentage.

He is producer+writter+director+tech developer of a movie which earned 3 Billion$ (Box office+DVD+Blue Ray sales).

10% for the man who spent years developing the technology, writing it and filming it sounds fair to me.

A real problem comes in movies like the Lost of the Rings; 3 billion $ worldwide, 300 million budget, and official New Line didn't have a single $ of profits (more or less the same as the last Harry Potter movie, officially it lost 160 Million). What happened? Peter Jackson sued and, in an amazing twist, the profits appeared. And New Line had to pay more than 100 Million due to the percentage signed by contract.

If I where now signed to make a movie with all this guys, I'll be happy even with an average salary. But once you start to develop and pay (as Will Smith does) your own projects or spent years of your life making them (as James Cameron does), I think is fair to choose the ones where you are well paid, specially if the studio is not willing to pay the percentages signed.

I think it was Nicole Kidman, some years ago (when she was like "nº1 actress in the world"), who said the she was used to be in two kind of movies:

-The ones the studios offers her; where her agents negotiates everything and everything is about the salary.

-The ones she wants to do; where she takes the the negotiation personally and her wage gets adjusted to movie needs.