WHO MAKES WHAT ON THE LOTF R O M T H E C - S U I T E T O T H E C AT E R E R S O N T H E I R F E E T: I N F O R M AT I O N G L E A N E D

F R O M T H E S O N Y H A C K , A N D R E P O R T I N G F R O M C O M PA R A B L E S T U D I O S , G I V E A G L I M P S E I N T O T H E PAY DAY S AT H O L LY W O O D ’S B E H E M O T H S

Film DirectorStudio 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).

TV DirectorDirectors of hourlong dramas make about

sitcom directors earn

a pilot and you’ll 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.

Boom OperatorMaking sure the

mic stays out of the shot pays about

week, or on a typical

Warm-Up ComedianThose super-pumped comics who keep studio audiences

entertained before TV tapings get paid

General CounselThe top attorney at a studio

can expect to earn in the high-six figures. Sony’s top lawyer earns a base salary

of

Craft ServicesDispensing celery

sticks and Twizzlers to the cast and crew

earns these workers about

TV WriterStaff 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 don’t write.

ProducerOn-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.)

First ADFirst assistant directors

get paid about

shoot, for a total of

per film.

DPThe director of photography

makes

few, like Roger Deakins,

earn much more (

Film ActorA-list stars still can make

between million (Meryl Streep’s 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 don’t fare as well (Kevin Kline made

Ricki).

Show CreatorThey 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

two of The Goldbergs.

CFOThe top bean

counters earn a lot of beans: Sony’s financial chief

makes year, not including

bonuses.

TV CameramanLead camera operators

make or about

hourlong drama episode (which takes

eight days to shoot; sitcoms are about five

days and pay less).

GafferThey make

and work

per film.

Production ChiefHe 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.

Makeup ArtistThey earn about

work about

TV ActorExperienced 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 Theory’s

Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons).

PublicistA unit publicist hired by a studio earns

about per film. Personal publicists employed

by stars earn much more, with some making

Supporting ActorSidekicks, next-door neighbors and other

nonstarring TV roles pay in the mid-five figures

per episode. Jonathan Banks got

per episode on Better Call Saul’s first season, and

the kids on season two of The Goldbergs earned

Head of MarketingThe job usually pays about

Josh Greenstein, recruited from Paramount, earns

a base of million and oversees both marketing

and distribution.

Head of DistributionTypical base pay is

nearly with this title at Sony, for

instance, makes

TV Studio ChiefSony’s Steve Mosko

earned million (plus bonuses) as president, with execs that oversee

both a studio and a network potentially making more.

Studio ChiefRunning 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.

Tour GuideYukking it up with

tourists around the lot pays

but only after a training period during which compensation

is

Script SupervisorThey get paid about

on an hourlong TV drama, taking home

Film WriterEstablished 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.

… AND ON LOCATION

DriverPiloting a StarWagon pays

between

ExtrasThese unsung actors

earn about

if they’re wearing a hairpiece or working

in rain or smoke.

Wig MakerThe craftsman

who gives Bruce Willis and Nicolas

Cage full heads of hair

gets paid about

Second Unit DirectorThe director responsible

for shooting stunts and other supplementary footage,

usually on location, earns about

Location ManagerThey make about

work many more weeks than most of

the crew and cast — as many as

Costume DesignerPay rates range from

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.

Stunt HorseThey 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

Winter’s Tale says they’ve even “FedExed” horses to sets).

Stunt PersonMost get paid

a day, or about

work every day of

don’t break a leg). But they pay for their

own insurance.

Prop MasterThe person in charge

of the fake swords and alien artifacts makes

weeks on a film (including preproduction).