What are the top line Cinematographers paid?

David G. Smith

David G. Smith

Steak Knife Member
I am curious, what do the top dog cinematographers get paid? Does anyone know? What do you think, for example, did Roger Deakins ASC, BSC get paid for "Skyfall" or what did Dion Beebe, A.C.S., ASC make shooting the upcoming "Gangster Squad"?


Besides the top dogs, what is the Local 600 standard day rate for Cinematographers within the L.A. Studio area? I can't find it on their site.

Like I said, I was just curious.
 
I don't know, but it must depend a lot on the complexity of the film. The filming of a James Bond film like Skyfall must have been an enormous headache to manage. By comparison, filming a lower budget film like Biutiful (still a great artistic achievement) couldn't have taken as much work. (BTW, actor Javier Bardem does a wonderful job in both films.) I suspect that the payment is often a combination of an upfront payment plus a percentage of the box office.

-- Ken
 
The Basic Agreement Feature/Half Hour Episodic DP scale is around $96/hr, so roughly $1050 for 10. A top DP on a studio feature might average $12K a week. Same caliber DP commercial rate are in the $3500 to $5000 per day range.

Percentage of box office: if only. Below-the-line positions don't get back end. It may have happened but under very hush-hush circumstances.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
I thought everyone got paid with copy, credit and meals?! What is this money you speak of?
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Ain't that the truth!!!

CharlesPapert said:
The Basic Agreement Feature/Half Hour Episodic DP scale is around $96/hr, so roughly $1050 for 10. A top DP on a studio feature might average $12K a week. Same caliber DP commercial rate are in the $3500 to $5000 per day range.

Percentage of box office: if only. Below-the-line positions don't get back end. It may have happened but under very hush-hush circumstances.
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Thanks. Pretty good paychecks, if ya can come buy it.... and they don't have to send 10% of the pizza to their agents, do they?! (Just 10% of the money!!!).
 
Pretty good, sure...but everything is relative, and when placed next to producers and directors salaries (especially when back-end is figured in) with one considering the pressure and responsibility, those numbers may start to look a little less fair.

And as a reminder: those are the high-end figures. Any working DP can tell you about competing with surprisingly big-name (yes, ASC) DP's on lower tier union shows, where a DP might make between $3 and $6K a week. It's been nearly 2 years since I last made my full commercial quote.
 
CharlesPapert said:
Pretty good, sure...but everything is relative, and when placed next to producers and directors salaries (especially when back-end is figured in) with one considering the pressure and responsibility, those numbers may start to look a little less fair.

And as a reminder: those are the high-end figures. Any working DP can tell you about competing with surprisingly big-name (yes, ASC) DP's on lower tier union shows, where a DP might make between $3 and $6K a week. It's been nearly 2 years since I last made my full commercial quote.
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Shoot man, down here in the shallow end of the puddle, every client you meet has a nephew with a 7D and who says, "...You can shoot movies with that thing"!
 
jax_rox said:
I believe I read somewhere that Deakins earned $350,000 for his work on The Village.
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http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/71682975-village-movie-budget?page=29

$4,500 per day x 6 for consulting
$22,500 per week x 4 for prep
$22,500 per week x 10 for shoot
$22,500 per week x 0.4 for travel
$6,750 per day x 5 for post / digital timing

Total $384,750.

A bargain, in my opinion, considering the awesomeness he brought.

Funny thing is that he is such a nice guy and his web forum a fount of information.

That reminds me - I need to sign up for his forum...

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
Good coin, but there's only a handful of DP's making that, as opposed to a a great deal more actors, producers, writers, directors who will end up (thanks to back end) earning many times that amount.

You don't become a DP for the money--especially these days.
 
When looking for money - I found it very beneficial for sanity and good feelings to others to work out what you would like and negotiate for it. Once you have it, NEVER find out what others get, because it causes bad feeling to one side or the other. On my current production, two people who work for me, get paid more than I do - and I'm now old enough not to care!
 
bruceallen said:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/71682975-village-movie-budget?page=29

$4,500 per day x 6 for consulting
$22,500 per week x 4 for prep
$22,500 per week x 10 for shoot
$22,500 per week x 0.4 for travel
$6,750 per day x 5 for post / digital timing

Total $384,750.

A bargain, in my opinion, considering the awesomeness he brought.

Funny thing is that he is such a nice guy and his web forum a fount of information.

That reminds me - I need to sign up for his forum...

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
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Thanks. That is very interesting. $22,500 a week for Roger Deakins to shoot your film is definitely a bargain. I really dig the guy. His forum is one of my favs.

CharlesPapert said:
Good coin, but there's only a handful of DP's making that, as opposed to a a great deal more actors, producers, writers, directors who will end up (thanks to back end) earning many times that amount.

You don't become a DP for the money--especially these days.
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You are absolutely right. At $384,750, on a $72, 000,000 budget, that is still only 0.5% of the budget.

paulears said:
When looking for money - I found it very beneficial for sanity and good feelings to others to work out what you would like and negotiate for it. Once you have it, NEVER find out what others get, because it causes bad feeling to one side or the other. On my current production, two people who work for me, get paid more than I do - and I'm now old enough not to care!
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Yeah, I have paid crew more than I have made. I get credit for what they do, so I figured it was well worth it.
 
sonofaresiii said:
Crap, now you tell me?
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Well, maybe what I wrote was obvious and didn't need to be said. But here's where I'm coming from:

There was a period about 10 years ago back when I was working as a Steadicam and camera operator where the perception of Steadicam was that it was a road to riches. A number of people took out loans or borrowed money from their parents or whatever, bought rigs, and apparently waited for the big paychecks to roll in. A large percentage of these folks ended up selling their rigs a few years later when, surprise surprise, it didn't happen. The problem was that, more often than not, they didn't have the interest in putting in the years of practice and networking that it takes to get to that point.

So this conversation makes me a little nervous, because I'd hate for anyone to think along the same lines, "hey, you can make some serious money as a DP, I'm in". I try to keep a more level-headed approach to it, much along the lines that paulears describes. I've made the kind of day rate were are discussing here, and the next job I might be making literally 1/10th or *shudder* 1/20th of that, or even working for free (I did just that this Saturday). It all evens out in the end, which allows me the freedom to not have to think about the money on any one given job--which is something of a luxury and one that I am grateful for.
 
CharlesPapert said:
Well, maybe what I wrote was obvious and didn't need to be said. But here's where I'm coming from:

There was a period about 10 years ago back when I was working as a Steadicam and camera operator where the perception of Steadicam was that it was a road to riches. A number of people took out loans or borrowed money from their parents or whatever, bought rigs, and apparently waited for the big paychecks to roll in. A large percentage of these folks ended up selling their rigs a few years later when, surprise surprise, it didn't happen. The problem was that, more often than not, they didn't have the interest in putting in the years of practice and networking that it takes to get to that point.

So this conversation makes me a little nervous, because I'd hate for anyone to think along the same lines, "hey, you can make some serious money as a DP, I'm in". I try to keep a more level-headed approach to it, much along the lines that paulears describes. I've made the kind of day rate were are discussing here, and the next job I might be making literally 1/10th or *shudder* 1/20th of that, or even working for free (I did just that this Saturday). It all evens out in the end, which allows me the freedom to not have to think about the money on any one given job--which is something of a luxury and one that I am grateful for.
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Charles, I understand you trepidations, 100%. I did not ask the OP question as a bright eyed new comer making a career choice based upon a desire to find the best paying job. I have spent the greater part of 20 years swimming in the shallow end of the filmmaking pond so I do know the drill. I have a basic understanding of the economics of wages and I understand the tremendous effect that modern technology, and a more than good bit of misconception about those effects, has had in driving down the wages for filmmaking crafts. The thing is the technological advances has led to many, many more people taking up the filmmaking crafts. You can now find bada** ACs, Grips, Gaffers and almost the complete host of filmmaking craftsmen in Des Moines, Knoxville, Peoria, Jacksonville and every region around the US. Anyone contemplating a career in the filmmaking crafts had better realized the real world market for their skills. In asking about what the Top Dog DPs make, I was trying to set up a reference for their level of skill, and its relative market value, it takes to be a Top Dog DP. I may be alone in this, but I will shoot something and am very pleased. I think that I is the bestest Camera Dude in forever! Then, I watch a movie shot by one of the Top Dogs and I am overwhelmed. I see something like "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" or "Memoirs of a Geisha" and I think, WTF!!! The individuals who make the great movie images that we adore are at a level of achievement in their craft that is almost incomprehensible. I was just curious if they were paid commiserate with their great artistry.
 
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I remember a few years ago Dean Semler was listed as one of the top Australian 'entertainment' earners with $1.5 million in the financial year.

So there's certainly money in it at the top!
 
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