Atlanta Movie Salary (rental, health insurance, movies)

[Moosehd]

Does anyone know the average or starting salary for any of these positions in the movie industry for the ATL area?

Set construction and Scenic Painting

Lighting and Electric

Grip and Rigging

Post Production

Special Makeup Effects

Production Accounting

[A-Town Down]

Originally Posted by Moosehd

Does anyone know the average or starting salary for any of these positions in the movie industry for the ATL area?

Set construction and Scenic Painting

Lighting and Electric

Grip and Rigging

Post Production

Special Makeup Effects

Production Accounting

The Department of Labor should have some info... Also you could try reaching out to someone from the Georgia Film Academy, and see what numbers and figures they have.

A movie studio reached out to me last year for a production accounting interview and I was happy when I learned it was paying $75,000 a year. Then my happiness left as I realized the interview and job would be in LA where $75,000 won't stretch as far lol. I'd imagine in Atlanta, you'd at least make 55-60K doing the same job.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Moosehd

Does anyone know the average or starting salary for any of these positions in the movie industry for the ATL area?

Set construction and Scenic Painting

Lighting and Electric

Grip and Rigging

Post Production

Special Makeup Effects

Production Accounting

In any larger union-based production, starting wages for most positions are determined by the Area Standards Agreement, which is a document which covers all of the rules and regulations for union crews, including wages, overtime, breaks, holidays, benefits, working conditions, etc. Each individual can also negotiate their own wages above that if they want. Most people I know do not make that base wage. You can find the Area Standards Agreement online.

The base wage for standard ASA contract productions are high $20s per hour for regular crew, low $30s per hour for supervisory-type positions, and mid $30s per hour for lead/key positions. Almost no one works on a salary. There are also generous benefits added, with retirements accounts and health insurance. Other non-economic benefits include an almost endless supply of food and drink, and multiple catered meals per day.

There are also different contracts for smaller shows, in which wages will be less, and conditions not as favorable.

To give you an idea, I am in a mid-to-high paying position (lighting programmer). I worked on film and TV projects on 170 days in 2017. I made close to six figures before rental income, and will hopefully see the same again this year. BUT...the industry is swamped with people right now. The membership of the union has swelled massively in the past few years as people flocked to try to get their piece of the pie. Now that huge productions like Black Panther and The Avengers have wrapped, which each employed many hundreds if not thousands of people, there are tons of people looking for work, and not enough work for all of them.

[Moosehd]

Thanks for the info!

[ATLTJL]

So it's not like LA where most people seem to move from project to project rather effortlessly? Would you say the down time between projects in ATL is greater than LA, or has it grown there as well? I was always under the impression that once you build a good name, the work kind of just flows in. Is that incorrect?

[Otakumaster]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

So it's not like LA where most people seem to move from project to project rather effortlessly? Would you say the down time between projects in ATL is greater than LA, or has it grown there as well? I was always under the impression that once you build a good name, the work kind of just flows in. Is that incorrect?

I've never heard of anyone seriously choosing/moving to Atlanta over LA to work on movies. It aint like that here.

[A-Town Down]

Georgia probably dethrones California when it comes to film production, but California still leads when it comes to the creative side of the industry like screenwriting, and perhaps film score as well.

I'm hoping Georgia is able to expand and have more of a creative footprint in the industry. I think having more of the creative jobs located in Georgia will be what keeps the state's film industry stable in the long run. Otherwise, any other state could offer an incentive deal like we currently do.

[ATLTJL]

I think it's a tough proposition because the industry is so saturated there. Just like every city, Atlanta included, wants to be the next Silicon Valley with tech startups. Why not? People hate the cost of living there and constantly complain. But the bottom line is....Silicon Valley is where the money is and where the industry is. That ain't gonna change, at least not overnight. I suspect the same is true of film and tv. We can have some of the industry, but the creatives aren't trying to move here any time soon. Certainly not the studio money.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

So it's not like LA where most people seem to move from project to project rather effortlessly? Would you say the down time between projects in ATL is greater than LA, or has it grown there as well? I was always under the impression that once you build a good name, the work kind of just flows in. Is that incorrect?

If you have built up a good name and know enough people, you will move from project to project if you have a varied skill set. I have only had scheduled hiatuses between July of last year and just two weeks ago when my last production wrapped. My next one starts in July and should go through March. That's pretty great, and I've been lucky.

But, thousands of people have moved here and joined the film union in the last couple of years. And without any blockbuster movies filming currently, there just isn't enough work to employ all those people. This is mostly in the various construction fields.

Originally Posted by Otakumaster

I've never heard of anyone seriously choosing/moving to Atlanta over LA to work on movies. It aint like that here.

Uh, well that's not true. I work in the industry, and know numerous people who have moved here from New Orleans, North Carolina, Michigan, and others. Even know a few who have relocated from LA.

[Otakumaster]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Uh, well that's not true. I work in the industry, and know numerous people who have moved here from New Orleans, North Carolina, Michigan, and others. Even know a few who have relocated from LA.

Is it because they couldn't get jobs in LA or because they willingly chose to come here? That is what I am saying.