
If you think most actors make a ton of money, think again. They inhabit the minds and bodies of their characters completely.

The most successful actors, however, look like they're not acting at all. Being an actor requires an awareness and control of one's movements and expressions that can take years of formal training. Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesĪctors form the link between the director's vision, the screenwriter's words and the audience. Like producers, directors often negotiate for a cut of the film's earnings, so the top salaries can be considerably higher, in the millions.ĭonnie Wahlberg and Marisa Ramirez (of the TV show "Blue Bloods") act out a scene in New York City. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lumps producers and directors together, so the average annual salary of film directors in 2020 was also $113,860. Directors usually start with small, independent projects, sometimes as part of film school programs. They also need to have a deep understanding of film history and technique. To succeed as a director requires a persistence of vision and the ability to collaborate with an extensive team to bring that vision to life. And finally, after months or years of work, the director has a finished film. He or she works with a composer and music director to create a score and soundtrack that supports the story. In post-production, the director sits with the editor to assemble the finished film. And the director decides how many takes are necessary before the crew can move on to the next shot. He or she works with the cinematographer to make sure that the action is being faithfully and artistically recorded. And those earnings move quickly into the millions.ĭuring filming, the director coaches actors on the best way to read their lines and express emotions.
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Most take a cut of the film's earnings at the domestic and foreign box offices, plus from DVD sales, streaming video contracts and more. Remember, though, that producers seldom work on salary. For the 23,680 producers and directors working in the Los Angeles area, that number jumps to $135,160.
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Or you can just leap right in and learn by trial and error, making small, low-budget films and working up to bigger ones.Īccording to May 2020 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for a film producer is $113,860.
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You might start as a production assistant or a script reader, learning how to spot a good idea and how to bring it to fruition.

Like most jobs in the film industry, producers work their way up. A good producer not only makes good films, but makes money for the investors. It's the producer's job to make sure that the project stays within budget throughout production and post-production. Now the producer has to hire a screenwriter, a director, production staff, casting directors, art directors, camera and lighting crews, and editors.
