Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Thursday, October 17, 2019
#PayUpHollywood Sheds Light on Low Assistant Pay
Variety: It’s no secret that many assistants in Hollywood bear heavy workloads for low pay. But the entertainment industry’s labor practices when it comes to those workers have now become the subject of intense social-media scrutiny.
Reading this article was really enlightening. I never knew how low assistants are payed in Hollywood, however, it does not surprise me. I know that Hollywood is very time consuming and have long hours, especially for writers and editors. But I did not know that they do not get paid as much as top billing managers. Assistants to me, seem like they do more and work longer than the bosses they work for. They also are working harder so that they can progress up the food chain in Hollywood to get their name first on the list. Now it is also to make more money and be able to make a living wage. I have heard of Los Angeles housing hikes and its crazy that those who support Hollywood the most with their work should not be paid enough to live in the town they work in. Assistants and workers should not have to pay to be in a movie; they should be paid by the company to help produce the film. I agree with the notion that having lower wages makes it harder for people with not a lot of money in the first place to live and thrive in Hollywood. It's just amazing to me that this issue hasn't gotten more traction, especially with the MeToo movement being so large now.
I think it's been a running joke on TV and in movies for a long time how little assistants are paid. And, it might be funny if it weren't so painfully accurate. Hollywood could not function without these assistants that work super hard to help these millionaires. MILLIONAIRES! That's who we have to beg people to pay a living wage for hard work. It's actually outrageous. The film industry rakes in so much money that it's impossible to avoid the ethical issues here. Its ridiculous that we even have to talk about this. I mean, they have SO much money. The least they can do is pay a living wage. And the theatre industry isn't off the hook here. You know those unpaid or underpaid interns who do all of the drafting for big designers? Yeah, that's ridiculous. You can't just decide you're paying people enough through "work experience" and pretend it's ok. Work experience doesn't pay bills. Pay your interns, people!
As a student, who is about take a step into the very bottom of the food chain, this article of the real world means a lot. “Passion-pay” is a term used in Japanese, when companies and associations escape from paying workers sufficient wages by insisting that they are paying them “the sense of accomplishment” instead. The entertainment industry is well known for having long working hours with enormous amount of miscellaneous works. However, there are still many people seeking for employment in the industry, because the effect of entertainments is clear, visual, and obviously, entertaining. I believe “passion-pay” is more likely to happen to people, whose life interests, dreams and goals, are in alignment with their jobs. This is a sad reality. Since speaking out from the bottom of the food chain requires preparation for the worst-case scenario, such as losing the job, I think it is very important for the people at the higher status to indicate the problem.
“It’s a class privilege to be able to work in this industry nowadays.” Oof, I mean, it kind of always has been? That’s the joke of the starving artist, right? I’m hopeful that this gains traction, and also maybe shines some light on exactly how many people are needed to produce the entertainment people love so much. It’s so much more than the few movie stars and directors you hear about. It’s a bunch of Assistants and teams, and coordinators, and they all deserve a piece of that pie. I’d love to see some of the big names standing up for those assistants. I think of stars like Keanu Reeves who apparently always made sure to learn names and check in with the crew and make sure everyone got to take a lunch. Apparently he is incredible to work with. And I wonder if what would make him even more incredible is to go “actually, I can make a million less dollars on this show (and still make over a million anyway) so you can pay the assistants a living wage.”
Not to be a cynic but I am so unsurprised by this article. Pay in the entertainment and arts industries are always a problem. The day I read an article about how everyone in our industry is paid equally will be more shocking than all the gross underpayment of arts practitioners combined. Look at equity fees - stage managers aren’t assistants and still they aren’t paid minimum wage (I understand compared to a PA who is paid hourly where there is a minimum wage is different from a salaried stage manager but I think my point is that even being above an assistant doesn’t guarantee being paid more than or at minimum wage.) This article did have a lot of concrete facts that I didn’t know but from my friends and colleagues who have been film PAs I’ve heard of the low benefits and therefore wasn’t surprised by the article. Also, the idea that working in the arts is for wealthy people due to the pay barriers is sadly another unsurprising idea as this is an idea existing since the ancient Greeks when only rich scholars were exposed to the arts. Overall, a sadly unsurprising article.
I’ve always heard that assistants make less money. The way it always seems to be presented is that unpaid or underpaid internships, assistantships, co-ops, etc. are just the way of the world. You are young, you have energy, you have the drive, so you almost deserve not to be paid as much. Not only is this problem prevalent in the film industry, but also in theatre; summer stock theatre such as Williamstown Theatre Festival often reason that because a young technician or designer is less experienced than others or because there might be a certain amount of exposure for the individual, that their time shouldn’t need to be compensated appropriately. But exposure does not pay the bills, especially due to the housing hikes in Los Angeles. It is absolutely impossible that executives truly believe that employees who are being payed less can afford to live in one of the most expensive cities in the United States.
There was another article posted this week with the actual Twitter posts from Alper, which I recommend checking out! However, I wanted to comment on this article because it delves deeper into the story and brings up a few specific points that are so pertinent to this discussion. I only worked in LA for a little while as an Intern, and even in that short amount of time I heard horror stories about friends who were being paid pitifully for their multiple jobs and Internships. Hollywood especially, but the entertainment industry as a whole, has been for a very long time now a business for the privileged. If you don't have a safety net or a solid support system, either emotionally or financially or both, committing to a job in the entertainment industry is ridiculously difficult. And correct, if theatre and filmmaking claim to be inclusive industries, they need to take a hard look at the full definition of that word, and revamp their system to include the possibility of success for people of all financial backgrounds. The jobs that PA's and assistants are asked to do, often when they are overtired and overworked, are strenuous, monotonous, and even sometimes dangerous. There is absolutely no reason why principals actors or company managers should make astronomical and unnecessary amounts of money, when their base level employees and staff cannot make a living wage.
“Many people at the top aren’t aware of what it’s like being at the bottom”. I encountered a similar situation over summerstock, when casually talking to the director of education, I mentioned my wages, and she was perplexed. “Interns only get paid 150 a week?” Then she followed with “but why don’t you negotiate for more? Or why do you take the job?” To which my logic reply was, “because it’s one of the better paying jobs.” One of the best lines I’ve ever heard at school was “Keeping your wages a secret only benefits the employer.” And this is true in the entertainment industry, not talking about wages promotes inequality accross many lines. Most of the time, People do not know how much are assistants/interns/PA’s making, because it’s all hushed information, and it’s damaging and soul crushing for the people trying to make it out there. I hope this topic gains enough traction so it makes changes in Hollywood, and spreads into other parts of the entertainment industry.
It is so frustrating to learn just how much assistants in Hollywood are mistreated and paid. Assistants are probably the most hardworking people on a production. Assistants are paid very little and yet they work 40 or 60 hours running around for other people. Apparently the higher ups in Hollywood think this mistreatment is okay because they’re saying that everyone has to start at the bottom and pay their dues, but that is ridiculous. The hashtag #PayUpHollywood has become popular in order to shed light on this horrible behavior that Hollywood is trying to hide. Also, the cost of rent in Los Angeles just keeps getting more and more exorbitant so these starving assistants are sharing a one bedroom with three other people to survive, but they scrapped and starved so that they could have the career they have today which is just stupid. People should not have to go through that in order to have a career.
9 comments:
Reading this article was really enlightening. I never knew how low assistants are payed in Hollywood, however, it does not surprise me. I know that Hollywood is very time consuming and have long hours, especially for writers and editors. But I did not know that they do not get paid as much as top billing managers. Assistants to me, seem like they do more and work longer than the bosses they work for. They also are working harder so that they can progress up the food chain in Hollywood to get their name first on the list. Now it is also to make more money and be able to make a living wage. I have heard of Los Angeles housing hikes and its crazy that those who support Hollywood the most with their work should not be paid enough to live in the town they work in. Assistants and workers should not have to pay to be in a movie; they should be paid by the company to help produce the film. I agree with the notion that having lower wages makes it harder for people with not a lot of money in the first place to live and thrive in Hollywood. It's just amazing to me that this issue hasn't gotten more traction, especially with the MeToo movement being so large now.
I think it's been a running joke on TV and in movies for a long time how little assistants are paid. And, it might be funny if it weren't so painfully accurate. Hollywood could not function without these assistants that work super hard to help these millionaires. MILLIONAIRES! That's who we have to beg people to pay a living wage for hard work. It's actually outrageous. The film industry rakes in so much money that it's impossible to avoid the ethical issues here. Its ridiculous that we even have to talk about this. I mean, they have SO much money. The least they can do is pay a living wage. And the theatre industry isn't off the hook here. You know those unpaid or underpaid interns who do all of the drafting for big designers? Yeah, that's ridiculous. You can't just decide you're paying people enough through "work experience" and pretend it's ok. Work experience doesn't pay bills. Pay your interns, people!
As a student, who is about take a step into the very bottom of the food chain, this article of the real world means a lot. “Passion-pay” is a term used in Japanese, when companies and associations escape from paying workers sufficient wages by insisting that they are paying them “the sense of accomplishment” instead. The entertainment industry is well known for having long working hours with enormous amount of miscellaneous works. However, there are still many people seeking for employment in the industry, because the effect of entertainments is clear, visual, and obviously, entertaining. I believe “passion-pay” is more likely to happen to people, whose life interests, dreams and goals, are in alignment with their jobs. This is a sad reality. Since speaking out from the bottom of the food chain requires preparation for the worst-case scenario, such as losing the job, I think it is very important for the people at the higher status to indicate the problem.
“It’s a class privilege to be able to work in this industry nowadays.” Oof, I mean, it kind of always has been? That’s the joke of the starving artist, right? I’m hopeful that this gains traction, and also maybe shines some light on exactly how many people are needed to produce the entertainment people love so much. It’s so much more than the few movie stars and directors you hear about. It’s a bunch of Assistants and teams, and coordinators, and they all deserve a piece of that pie. I’d love to see some of the big names standing up for those assistants. I think of stars like Keanu Reeves who apparently always made sure to learn names and check in with the crew and make sure everyone got to take a lunch. Apparently he is incredible to work with. And I wonder if what would make him even more incredible is to go “actually, I can make a million less dollars on this show (and still make over a million anyway) so you can pay the assistants a living wage.”
Not to be a cynic but I am so unsurprised by this article. Pay in the entertainment and arts industries are always a problem. The day I read an article about how everyone in our industry is paid equally will be more shocking than all the gross underpayment of arts practitioners combined. Look at equity fees - stage managers aren’t assistants and still they aren’t paid minimum wage (I understand compared to a PA who is paid hourly where there is a minimum wage is different from a salaried stage manager but I think my point is that even being above an assistant doesn’t guarantee being paid more than or at minimum wage.) This article did have a lot of concrete facts that I didn’t know but from my friends and colleagues who have been film PAs I’ve heard of the low benefits and therefore wasn’t surprised by the article. Also, the idea that working in the arts is for wealthy people due to the pay barriers is sadly another unsurprising idea as this is an idea existing since the ancient Greeks when only rich scholars were exposed to the arts. Overall, a sadly unsurprising article.
I’ve always heard that assistants make less money. The way it always seems to be presented is that unpaid or underpaid internships, assistantships, co-ops, etc. are just the way of the world. You are young, you have energy, you have the drive, so you almost deserve not to be paid as much. Not only is this problem prevalent in the film industry, but also in theatre; summer stock theatre such as Williamstown Theatre Festival often reason that because a young technician or designer is less experienced than others or because there might be a certain amount of exposure for the individual, that their time shouldn’t need to be compensated appropriately. But exposure does not pay the bills, especially due to the housing hikes in Los Angeles. It is absolutely impossible that executives truly believe that employees who are being payed less can afford to live in one of the most expensive cities in the United States.
There was another article posted this week with the actual Twitter posts from Alper, which I recommend checking out! However, I wanted to comment on this article because it delves deeper into the story and brings up a few specific points that are so pertinent to this discussion. I only worked in LA for a little while as an Intern, and even in that short amount of time I heard horror stories about friends who were being paid pitifully for their multiple jobs and Internships. Hollywood especially, but the entertainment industry as a whole, has been for a very long time now a business for the privileged. If you don't have a safety net or a solid support system, either emotionally or financially or both, committing to a job in the entertainment industry is ridiculously difficult. And correct, if theatre and filmmaking claim to be inclusive industries, they need to take a hard look at the full definition of that word, and revamp their system to include the possibility of success for people of all financial backgrounds. The jobs that PA's and assistants are asked to do, often when they are overtired and overworked, are strenuous, monotonous, and even sometimes dangerous. There is absolutely no reason why principals actors or company managers should make astronomical and unnecessary amounts of money, when their base level employees and staff cannot make a living wage.
“Many people at the top aren’t aware of what it’s like being at the bottom”. I encountered a similar situation over summerstock, when casually talking to the director of education, I mentioned my wages, and she was perplexed. “Interns only get paid 150 a week?” Then she followed with “but why don’t you negotiate for more? Or why do you take the job?” To which my logic reply was, “because it’s one of the better paying jobs.” One of the best lines I’ve ever heard at school was “Keeping your wages a secret only benefits the employer.” And this is true in the entertainment industry, not talking about wages promotes inequality accross many lines. Most of the time, People do not know how much are assistants/interns/PA’s making, because it’s all hushed information, and it’s damaging and soul crushing for the people trying to make it out there. I hope this topic gains enough traction so it makes changes in Hollywood, and spreads into other parts of the entertainment industry.
It is so frustrating to learn just how much assistants in Hollywood are mistreated and paid. Assistants are probably the most hardworking people on a production. Assistants are paid very little and yet they work 40 or 60 hours running around for other people. Apparently the higher ups in Hollywood think this mistreatment is okay because they’re saying that everyone has to start at the bottom and pay their dues, but that is ridiculous. The hashtag #PayUpHollywood has become popular in order to shed light on this horrible behavior that Hollywood is trying to hide. Also, the cost of rent in Los Angeles just keeps getting more and more exorbitant so these starving assistants are sharing a one bedroom with three other people to survive, but they scrapped and starved so that they could have the career they have today which is just stupid. People should not have to go through that in order to have a career.
Post a Comment