EDV
Well-known member
Does Brad Pitt get a bill if the movie flops?
District 9 costs 30 mill to make. Elysium cost 100 mil to make. Why?
- Thread starter Gillvane
- Start date
Does Brad Pitt get a bill if the movie flops?
G
Guest
Guest
In a way, I was agreeing with what you wrote earlier. EDV stated that "filmmaking is an art form, not a business... the fact that Hollywood turned it into a business...". Photography and cinema both have roots in business before they did "art". It always had the potential for art, but it was not, at least in concept.
While the 'distinction IS fairly meaningless', ... well actually, I do not know where you were going with that. Haha, I will just say I agree. =)
We know that it is both now, and we are lucky it is so readily accepted as art.
Anyway, didn't mean to side track this thread, just think it odd when people complain about what Hollywood did. As they really didn't change anything, artists did.
No. But as an actor, his fee is not part of the profits, which is what you asked to split. Ok, I know that's not what you meant.
As I understand it, you despise that celebrity actors make so much money for 'just being an actor'. Maybe you don't really despise that, but rather, that you or the crew don't get a share of the big money; each member of the crew being a key contributor to the success of the film.
Several people have given explanations and provided scenarios to exemplify why things are the way they are. You haven't proposed anything in regards to why the crew should share (other than they were part of the crew) nor what sort of sharing you think would be appropriate.
G
Guest
Guest
How many films that he has been in not turned a profit?
Just curious, as it would strengthen your argument if he had a few flops, but conversely does not hurt your sentimetns if he has a perfect track record, as your ideals seem outside the scope of a 'business' argument alone.
Please know, that in essence I absolutely agree that it is crazy that anyone makes so much money, but given the structure we live in, it is not all bad.
Last edited:
EDV
Well-known member
Lets get off Brad Pitt for a minute. He's not the only celebrity actor making millions. There's at least 2 dozen other big names making millions. I don't bother to name them because frankly I don't watch their movies very much.( I much rather watch foreign films or films where the subject matter is really fascinating to me )
Now lets turn out attention to Animated movies. Who's taking home the million dollar paychecks here? Again, celebrity voice actors!! For reading lines!! Thank God they didn't spend 10 years honing their computer animation and design skills for 12 hours a day!
Now lets turn out attention to Animated movies. Who's taking home the million dollar paychecks here? Again, celebrity voice actors!! For reading lines!! Thank God they didn't spend 10 years honing their computer animation and design skills for 12 hours a day!
Jawa Ex Machina
Veteran
Lets get off Brad Pitt for a minute. He's not the only celebrity actor making millions. There's at least 2 dozen other big names making millions. I don't bother to name them because frankly I don't watch their movies very much.( I much rather watch foreign films or films where the subject matter is really fascinating to me )
Now lets turn out attention to Animated movies. Who's taking home the million dollar paychecks here? Again, celebrity voice actors!! For reading lines!! Thank God they didn't spend 10 years honing their computer animation and design skills for 12 hours a day!
Let me ask you this, and I'd like an answer not just another change of subject.
If voice acting is so easy, and computer animation is so hard, but you know voice acting pays more, they why don't you just do voice acting instead of computer animation?
If you don't like the work involved to learn computer animation for the amount of pay you get, then why are you learning computer animation?
Are you simply saying, I should be able to learn whatever job I like to do, and then just decide what it pays? For example, I don't like acting as a Movie Star, but I like making hamburgers, so I'll do that and tell the company to pay me Brad Pitt's salary to flip hamburgers?
Or are you saying, everyone should be equal? Brad Pitt should make as much as the hamburger flipper, or vice a versa? Let's just pay everyone the same, no matter what job they do?
Or are you going to decide what each person should make? Do you have some formula for that, or you're just going to make an arbitrary decision based on what you think is "fair"?
Or is it basically you have no idea what you want, you just know that you're upset that Brat Pitt is making more money than you do?
hscully
Veteran
Yeah, I saw it. I thought it was pretty good. I think the production exceeded District 9 with regard to VFX. I'm sure the stars made a difference regarding cost. However, I kind of wish they spend more money on Jody Foster's dialog coach. I thought they were going for a French national who learned English in the British dialect. That was all messed up.
I don't know what will follow, but I'm sort of getting over the extreme CU shakey hand-held for fight sequences. I kind of wished I could see more of the action and those shots are so disorienting. I wonder how well they tell the story anymore.
Really? REALLY?
Do you think any "celebrity actor" got off the bus in LA and was just handed huge salaries? Do you think they didn't work, slave, sacrifice, give up every dignity, and dedicate themselves to their craft just as much? Really? You think they just decided one day "hey, I'll act," and then get awarded a $10 million contract?
And while you're honing your skills, what are you doing? You're sitting in front of a computer or at a drawing board. Sure, you're working hard, but consider this -- when they're trying to learn and ply their craft, what are they doing? They're going out into the world facing rejection after rejection after rejection after rejection on a personal level that you'll never experience in the design/animation world. No one will ever take a glance at your face and say "no. Next." It certainly will not happen day after day after day.
This contempt for actors that you have is really bordering on disturbing. In many, many ways, acting is the hardest, highest-pressure thing to do on set. It is certainly the most personally vulnerable and exposing job. And with the highest exposure, if they do a poor job (or sometimes even if they don't), they're the ones who are savaged, publicly, by name.
If the animation in a movie isn't up to par, you might see a sentence about it, and no one gets named. You, personally, will never be gored by a review. No Steadi-Cam op will ever get mocked on a morning TV show. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks will.
And you know what? Like it or not, you can switch out an animator. You can switch out a Steadi-Cam op. Doing either, you will not affect the marketability of the film one bit. But if you switch your lead actors? Oh, you do. Hugely.
So let's not pretend that actors are throwaway vanities who don't work for a living. And let me tell you, if you ever treat them that way on a set, you will end up with a terrible movie.
Once again you are complaining about a point without saying why you are making the complaint nor proposing a recommendation. You don't like these big movies, yet you complain about how the business is run. I don't understand what you are trying to achieve but complain. Complaining is pointless without providing reasons and solutions to your complaint. You also have not explained why you object to the big fees. Is there something wrong with success/achievement?
Anyone can complain, but I'd like to hear some well thought out discussion why you are taking this position and what you would do to resolve your complaint. There doesn't seem to be any basis for your complaint.
Jaime Valles
Veteran
THANK YOU for bringing some sanity into this thread!
awelgraven
Well-known member
This. 1000x, this.
awelgraven
Well-known member
EDV
Well-known member
Seriously guys, did you think I had a thing against actors? I have the utmost admiration for what they do! I've met countless talented actors that NEVER MADE IT past theatre level. Some of them, maybe as good OR BETTER than these highly paid celebrities. I just think it's ridiculous than Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or any other single actor routinely takes home a multi-million dollar paycheck when there are hundreds of other equally good actors out there that could do the job just as well
It's like having a Steadicam Operator make 5 million dollars for his work in a film, when we know many other Steadicam Operators are just as talented an making much less.
I don't believe celebrity actors deserve THAT much, even if they do make the film more popular. Children for one, are not gonna stop watching an animated movie because some celebrity actor didn't do the voice over.
It's like having a Steadicam Operator make 5 million dollars for his work in a film, when we know many other Steadicam Operators are just as talented an making much less.
I don't believe celebrity actors deserve THAT much, even if they do make the film more popular. Children for one, are not gonna stop watching an animated movie because some celebrity actor didn't do the voice over.
Barry_Green
Moderator
EDV, I have to ask -- do you think producers ENJOY paying millions of dollars to actors? Or tens of millions of dollars?
Why would producers pay actors that much money?
Because, simply put, they ARE worth it. That is the fact of the matter. It is the simple law of supply and demand. Distributors know what people will pay for. Producers have to sell tickets, and have to pre-sell to distributors. If the audience won't pay to see it, the distributor won't pay for the rights, and the producer won't get to make the film.
Why are athletes paid so highly? Because the fans demand them, and will pay for them. Why are actors paid so highly? Because the fans will pay to see them. And will not pay to see films that don't have them. So producers know they need top actors in their films, and with so many producers competing for the few actors that can show a measurable return, the competition is stiff and the salaries represent their true market value.
That is the way things are. That may not be the way you WISH things were, but it is the economic reality. Actors are worth their salaries; if they weren't, then producers wouldn't pay those salaries. Producers are not idiots, they are businessmen -- they make calculated decisions and allocate the budget in such a way as to provide themselves the best possible economic return.
Why would producers pay actors that much money?
Because, simply put, they ARE worth it. That is the fact of the matter. It is the simple law of supply and demand. Distributors know what people will pay for. Producers have to sell tickets, and have to pre-sell to distributors. If the audience won't pay to see it, the distributor won't pay for the rights, and the producer won't get to make the film.
Why are athletes paid so highly? Because the fans demand them, and will pay for them. Why are actors paid so highly? Because the fans will pay to see them. And will not pay to see films that don't have them. So producers know they need top actors in their films, and with so many producers competing for the few actors that can show a measurable return, the competition is stiff and the salaries represent their true market value.
That is the way things are. That may not be the way you WISH things were, but it is the economic reality. Actors are worth their salaries; if they weren't, then producers wouldn't pay those salaries. Producers are not idiots, they are businessmen -- they make calculated decisions and allocate the budget in such a way as to provide themselves the best possible economic return.
awelgraven
Well-known member
Again... you give no mention of a solution. Just saying "actors are overpaid" is not a solution. It's complaining.
And AGAIN, no soccer mom says "hey, lets go check out that movie, I hear they got Bob Smith, the most amazing Steadicam op ever!" What they do say, is "Hey, let's go see Brad Pitt's new movie!" Period. Take World War Z, remove Brad Pitt and put in one of your overlooked theatre actor friends, and you know what happens? NOTHING. Because the movie wouldn't have been made.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Then you don't understand the business.
The business of filmmaking is in selling tickets. It's not about who's the "best" actor, it's about which actor people will pay to see. Period, end stop. Those multi-million-dollar paycheck actors are worth their paychecks.
No, it's exactly the opposite of that. Because nobody knows your 5-million-dollar steadicam operator, and nobody is paying a single penny to see that steadicam operator's work.
Then, again, you do not understand the business. Making the film more popular is specifically and exactly WHY they are worth exactly what they're worth.