SAHARA.... Ouch....

[hemloc]

SAHARA

The Numbers behind a -$105,000,000 flop.

Matthew McConaughey:
Salary: $8 million
Perks: $833,923
Entourage travel: $179,262
Makeup artist: $150,223
Stunt double: $124,740
Colorist: $72,800
Trainer: $67,977
Personal chef: $48,893

Penelope Cruz:
Salary: $1.6 million
Perks: $835,561
Entourage travel: $227,515
Hairstylist: $135,550
Makeup artist: $135,550
Dialogue coaches: $125,804

Steve Zahn:
Salary: $2.2 million
Perks: $264,153

Miscellaneous fun:
Story and rights:$14.1 million
- Clive Cussler: $10 million
- Writers: $3.8 million

Composer Clint Mansell: $800,000
Director Breck Eisner: $750,000


*****

Just thought some people might be interested in the amount a composer makes for a flop, lol....

[Dannthr]

That's awesome.

[Nathan Allen Pinard]

That's a good cut actually. I mean most of those other people were working quite a few months when clint probably worked at most a month (if he was lucky)

Most composers get more screwed than that.

EDIT: LOL, I just noticed clint got more than the director.

[Jamtheguitarman]

LOL, how is that fair?

[Jeff Hayat]

Hey - thanks for posting that. Mind if I ask where you came upon this info?

Of course composers get paid well, even for flops. We all know they are not given points; their salary does not reflect how the film does. Hey - I'll take 800 g's for a few flops as opposed to 8 g's for the next hit! ;)

[hemloc]

Mind if I ask where you came upon this info?


I came across it on Livejournal somewhere. I will have to go back and find the source. There is an interesting article that goes with it. It talks about 'local bribes' being listed on the actual budget, hehe:eek:..

And, it is interesting that Clint was paid more than the director, lol...

[chocothrax]

You'd think after hearing Sahara that 90% of the composer fee would've gone to his orchestrator Nicholas Dodd. :)

[nft]

You'd think after hearing Sahara that 90% of the composer fee would've gone to his orchestrator Nicholas Dodd. :)

oh yes...

[Randall Flagg]

Good find!¨

[fongi]

Sounds like Clint Mansell needs a better agent ! :rolleyes:

[Jeff Hayat]

Sounds like Clint Mansell needs a better agent ! :rolleyes:

Umm - any composer that can make that kind of money for movies that completely flop, needs to KEEP that agent!

[chocothrax]

You guys do realize that that 800k could be a package deal meaning the costs of the orchestra etc are included in that 800k.

[Nathan Allen Pinard]

That's still quite a bit compared to the director even with the costs in there.

[Randall Flagg]

You guys do realize that that 800k could be a package deal meaning the costs of the orchestra etc are included in that 800k.

$800k a package deal on a blockbuster like Sahara ? I don't think so...

[nikolas]

$800k a package deal on a blockbuster like Sahara ? I don't think so...
*ahem*

how do you know? do you have 1st hand experience or info you could share? I personally have no idea really, and I'm not trying to be a smartass. Just asking.

[Nanto Warrior]

Many composers take package deals and handle the costs of recording, mixing, producing the music, hiring a conductor (If you dont do it yourself) and all else involving the music. Just because you see 800 thousand dollars, dont expect that to be the amount you will keep! The relevant parties must be paid for their input into the work, the composer is left with the remaining fee-and that fee all depends on how smoothly the project ran! If time was wasted, so was money!

[Jeff Hayat]

Could be either or. Sometimes when you read about how much "a composer was paid", it is the entire budget - including the composer's salary, music editor salary, recording time, conductor, orchestrator, copyist, musicians, etc. Sometimes, it is the composer's salary only, and all the rest is seperate. It depends on the contract. Remember JNH and "The Village"? His salary was 1.3 mil, but the entire music budget was 3.2 mil. This is always specified in the contract; whenever you see xyz composer was paid "$xyz" - it is usually the salary you are looking at, and not the budget.

Cheers.

[Randall Flagg]

*ahem*

how do you know? do you have 1st hand experience or info you could share? I personally have no idea really, and I'm not trying to be a smartass. Just asking.

I don't know, but I don't think so :D

Sahara was somewhere around $130mil according to IMDB.And as far as I know most big budget film scores are not package deals.And when you look at how many executives and producers are involved in such music task, I bet they give out the money which gives them the chance to say :" I really don't like what you have done here Clint, you should put some violins in it" - a better chance to control the composer and be sure he's not doing anything crazy that could ruin the movie.

[Jeff Hayat]

Ok, just googled:

"Composer Clint Mansell: $800,000"


And I got:

Matthew McConaughey:
Salary: $8 million
Perks: $833,923
Entourage travel: $179,262
Makeup artist: $150,223
Stunt double: $124,740
Colorist: $72,800
Trainer: $67,977
Personal chef: $48,893

Penelope Cruz:
Salary: $1.6 million
Perks: $835,561
Entourage travel: $227,515
Hairstylist: $135,550
Makeup artist: $135,550
Dialogue coaches: $125,804

Steve Zahn:
Salary: $2.2 million
Perks: $264,153

Miscellaneous fun:
Story and rights:$14.1 million
- Clive Cussler: $10 million
- Writers: $3.8 million

Composer Clint Mansell: $800,000
Director Breck Eisner: $750,000

Which seems to be the identical thing to what hemloc posted above. In this case, I'd say 800k was Clint's salary, and the budget was probably aroud 2 mil - meaning Clint received a check made out to him for 800k, and he got to keep all of it.

Cheers.

[Randall Flagg]

Ok, just googled:

"Composer Clint Mansell: $800,000"


And I got:

Matthew McConaughey:
Salary: $8 million
Perks: $833,923
Entourage travel: $179,262
Makeup artist: $150,223
Stunt double: $124,740
Colorist: $72,800
Trainer: $67,977
Personal chef: $48,893

Penelope Cruz:
Salary: $1.6 million
Perks: $835,561
Entourage travel: $227,515
Hairstylist: $135,550
Makeup artist: $135,550
Dialogue coaches: $125,804

Steve Zahn:
Salary: $2.2 million
Perks: $264,153

Miscellaneous fun:
Story and rights:$14.1 million
- Clive Cussler: $10 million
- Writers: $3.8 million

Composer Clint Mansell: $800,000
Director Breck Eisner: $750,000

Which seems to be the identical thing to what hemloc posted above. In this case, I'd say 800k was Clint's salary, and the budget was probably aroud 2 mil - meaning Clint received a check made out to him for 800k, and he got to keep all of it.

Cheers.

Yup, that's what I think too.... But I doubt he got to keep all of it, his agent/s probably took a few %. ;)

[Jeff Hayat]

Yup, that's what I think too.... But I doubt he got to keep all of it, his agent/s probably took a few %. ;)

Well, yeah, minus the agents % of course. Fekkin' agents! LOL

[Nathan Allen Pinard]

For all of us that do things here, think about how easy the composers job is.

You sequence, that' it. No mixing, no mastering, no recording instruments your self. No notation to worry about. We however, do everything because we are the one man show.

Everything else is handled by diff people. Ultimately of course everything is on your shoulders.

It's a possibiility that clint did more than compose maybe?

[chocothrax]

Highly doubt clint did more than just compose LOL. Ford Thaxton seems to think the 800k might be a package deal and he's pretty knowledgeable about these things.

[Randall Flagg]

For all of us that do things here, think about how easy the composers job is.

You sequence, that' it. No mixing, no mastering, no recording instruments your self. No notation to worry about. We however, do everything because we are the one man show.

Everything else is handled by diff people. Ultimately of course everything is on your shoulders.

It's a possibiility that clint did more than compose maybe?

Yes, but imagine the huge pressure of being responsible for the entire movie.The actor can make a mistake, the sound effect guys can make a mistake, visual effects can make mistake, but the composer can't make a single mistake.

Bad music can ruin the entire movie.A wrong chord can ruin the whole score.Wrong orchestration can ruin the movie.And the whole time pressure.In a month or two you need to write 100 minutes of good music :eek: .I would be fu*cking scared as shit! It's no wonder Hans has milion little helpers.

[hemloc]

My big question is.... Is Sahara even worth seeing?? Has anyone seen it? Now I am all curious about it. I am sure it is nowhere near as grandiose as Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, though!:rolleyes:

[nickysnd]

Sahara was somewhere around $130mil according to IMDB.
$800,000 for the composer of a $130,000,000 budget film looks like a small salary. And $750,000 for the director?? 10 times less than Matthew McConaughey's salary??? That does not seem fair at all. Isn't the director's the most important job? Isn't he/she the one who gives directions to everybody? Even the actors, the "stars" - they would move and look like monkeys if the director would not tell them how to move. I think the leading actor should get the tenth part of the director's salary, and not ten times more, that's outrageous.

[Crossingsound]

It seems like perhpas the 800k was the composers take, or they should of worded it differently, like music budget - 800k. Though that certainly could be the package deal as well, as mentioned, paying for orchestra, recording etc, and it is all in how the contract was setup. If it is a package deal, then that salary listed is rather misleading, cause the expenses can be grand when it comes to full on recording and orchestra cha know.


I can't realy remember the movie, which is either a good or bad thing. Not a big Mathew M fan, but perhaps if there is nothing else to watch, give it a rent. Too bad Mathew got the biggest take, If I remember corretly I think Steve Zahn was the one who actually made the movie funny.

[auptown]

$800,000 for the composer of a $130,000,000 budget film looks like a small salary. And $750,000 for the director?? 10 times less than Matthew McConaughey's salary??? That does not seem fair at all. Isn't the director's the most important job? Isn't he/she the one who gives directions to everybody? Even the actors, the "stars" - they would move and look like monkeys if the director would not tell them how to move. I think the leading actor should get the tenth part of the director's salary, and not ten times more, that's outrageous.

I really have no way of knowing this, but isn't it common for directors to get "points" on a movie? So in theory then he would get $750k + some points of a potential blockbuster - which of course ended up flopping.

[hemloc]

I really have no way of knowing this, but isn't it common for directors to get "points" on a movie?

If he got points, he probably owes them money now, lol!! :eek:

[johncarter]

It's not surprising Clint Mansell got 800 K$ for scoring Sahara, he's the man behind "requiem for a dream" , which was a big public success. So he was probably highly rated at the time( and i'm sure he's still now with "The Fountain" , that was a very good score )

[nickysnd]

It's not surprising Clint Mansell got 800 K$ for scoring Sahara, he's the man behind "requiem for a dream" , which was a big public success. So he was probably highly rated at the time( and i'm sure he's still now with "The Fountain" , that was a very good score )
I think your argument goes against itself... Or are you implying that $800,000 is a good payment for scoring a $130,000,000 film? Would you be happy with $800 for scoring a $130,000 budget film?

[Jeff Hayat]

$800,000 is 0.61% of $130,000,000

$800 is 0.61% of $130,000

Fair? I think so.

Besides, if anyone doesn't think $800,000 is a good fee (assuming it is the composer's fee) for scoring a film - regardless of the budget - I feel sorry for them.

[nickysnd]

$800,000 is 0.61% of $130,000,000

$800 is 0.61% of $130,000

Fair? I think so.

Besides, if anyone doesn't think $800,000 is a good fee (assuming it is the composer's fee) for scoring a film - regardless of the budget - I feel sorry for them.
I have just cut three zeros, so I know that the first (real) case is as fair as the second (imaginary) case.

You may feel sorry for whatever you may feel sorry, but when considering things outside their context we can lose the sense of proportion. Do you think that 0.61% of the budget is a good salary for a class A Hollywood composer? I know Clint Mansell does not have the credits of a Horner, Williams or Zimmer, but a $130,000,000 budget is still a 130,000,000 budget...

To make it clear - my position is about how much the producers are ready to spend on various other things, compared with how much they are paying the composer, that's all I want to say, I am not arguing about the sum in itself, which would seem fair to me in other context (like a smaller budget).

[Randall Flagg]

I totally agree with you nickysnd!

[Jamtheguitarman]

well yes, but then look at the directors fee. how is that EVER fair?


Do you think he has some stake in the box office takings?

[nickysnd]

well yes, but then look at the directors fee. how is that EVER fair?


Do you think he has some stake in the box office takings?
As I said, the director salary is outrageous, totally miserable! As about the "box office", I don't know what you are talking about...

[johncarter]

I have just cut three zeros, so I know that the first (real) case is as fair as the second (imaginary) case.

You may feel sorry for whatever you may feel sorry, but when considering things outside their context we can lose the sense of proportion. Do you think that 0.61% of the budget is a good salary for a class A Hollywood composer? I know Clint Mansell does not have the credits of a Horner, Williams or Zimmer, but a $130,000,000 budget is still a 130,000,000 budget...

.


800 K $ for a Class A hollywood composer is very good ! ( we don't take into account the money they get for royalties and album sellings )

Penelope cruz salary was 1,2 M $ , and we all know the actors are always paid much more than the rest of the crew. Moreover they're always the most famous people in a movie ( yeah i'm jealous ;) ) . When you talk about a movie to someone, his first question will be "who's the main actor ?"

800 K $ is very good. I don't think Zimmer ever got a salary higher than 2 M $ for a movie, and he's THE most in-demand film composer in the world

[Jamtheguitarman]

As I said, the director salary is outrageous, totally miserable! As about the "box office", I don't know what you are talking about...


i mean, like a small percentage stake in the films earnings. I thinks it was mentioned earlier in the thread actually, so im just repeating what someone else said.:)

[Randall Flagg]

800 K $ for a Class A hollywood composer is very good ! ( we don't take into account the money they get for royalties and album sellings )

Penelope cruz salary was 1,2 M $ , and we all know the actors are always paid much more than the rest of the crew. Moreover they're always the most famous people in a movie ( yeah i'm jealous ;) ) . When you talk about a movie to someone, his first question will be "who's the main actor ?"

800 K $ is very good. I don't think Zimmer ever got a salary higher than 2 M $ for a movie, and he's THE most in-demand film composer in the world

Except John Williams. Everybody wants John ,but only Spielberg gets him :D