How Much Does Each Job on a $200M Hollywood Blockbuster Pay?
Ever watch the end credits of a blockbuster Hollywood movie float by and wonder what all those people listed get paid? If so, a fascinating new video from Vanity Fair (watch it above) is for you.
“The Hypothetical Blockbuster Budget” takes a $200 million studio project and attempts to figure out the salaries for all the on-camera and behind-the-scenes roles required to make the magic happen. Pay heed to the disclaimer, though: “Please note not every budget breakdown is the same, and some roles are subject to wider fluctuations than others. This is here to serve as approximations based on a hypothetical film which has never been made.”
Related: Hollywood Salaries Revealed: Who Makes What on the Lot and on Location
Even given this caveat, the approximations are illuminating:
Director: $4 million
Executive Producer: $1.1 million
Writers: A range from $3.25 million to $250,000
Original Score: $800,000
Lead Actor No. 1: $12 million
Second Unit Director: $1.08 million (!!!)
Best Friend: $75,000
Supporting Actor No. 7: $300,000
Had a Scene With the Female Lead But It Was Cut: $1,920
VFX Producer: $604,598
Visual Effects Supervisor: $948,560
CG Artists: $1.298 million
Related: Harrison Ford Was Paid Over 50X More Than ‘Star Wars’ Co-Stars
Vanity Fair’s breakdown indicates that simply getting hired to work on a $200 million film is likely to net you some decent cash. However, it also makes clear most of the money flows to the most coveted jobs on a tentpole (say, lead actor, director, producer, composer, or production designer). Meanwhile, aspiring actors with big Tinseltown dreams also may want to be realistic about snagging that bit part as “Intimidating Bouncer at Nightclub”: The paycheck is estimated to be $1,920. If you’re waiting to be “discovered,” the best place to hang out might be in a computer class: seems there’s a lot of money to be made in the effects industry—and you don’t even need to look like Brad Pitt.
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