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How to Get Paid Like a Pro in the Entertainment Industry (with money, not lunches)
Getting paid for being a filmmaker is an art form and rarely taken to heart, so artists starve for their craft. This image of the “starving artist” must not and should not be perpetuated. Most people believe that the work of a writer, a producer, a filmmaker is based on passion alone, and as a result it is assumed that all artists are meant to work for free, or to get paid later, because their passion for the craft will make them accept work under any condition, including the freebies or the infamous “defer”.
Of course, the compensation for your talent and skill should be directly proportional to your experience, but I have seen it one time too many when a seasoned and experienced writer or filmmaker or producer or actor is asked to join a project with promises of riches that are broken one time too many, leaving the artist spirit shattered and bank account depleted.
I am here to give you some advice on how to start giving yourself more value and how to value your peers as well: you get paid if they need your art and your talent and you pay them as well if you need theirs. Becoming more resolute in this will make you feel empowered and will also avoid one too many misunderstandings or backstabbings within your Team as you embark on putting together or selling your next movie or show.
