How Does PTA Pay The Bills?

[Tdog]

Is there any rumours out there of PTA  doing any ghost writing gigs?

[csage97]

I worked on Lynne Ramsay's new movie You Were Never Really Here summer before last, and from what I could tell she leads a fairly hooked-up lifestyle. She has a young child too, for whom I had to assemble an unreasonably complex bassinet in a hot, sticky, poorly-ventilated apartment in Brooklyn on a 90 degree day - but I digress. Anyway, I think she and her husband make the bulk of their living through various writing jobs...

It's really cool that you worked on that movie. I'm really, really excited for it. I constantly check for updates and release dates. I'm disappointed it couldn't have a wide release sooner. What did you do on the movie, if you don't mind sharing? Makes sense that they'd write for others.

[ono]

Is there any rumours out there of PTA  doing any ghost writing gigs?

Let's create one.  It's bound to get picked up by Twitter eventually.

[Tdog]

He's secretly back on Pinnochio!

[Ravi]

He did punch-up on "Ferdinand."

[Drenk]

Ted 2? That was all on him.

[eward]

I worked on Lynne Ramsay's new movie You Were Never Really Here summer before last, and from what I could tell she leads a fairly hooked-up lifestyle. She has a young child too, for whom I had to assemble an unreasonably complex bassinet in a hot, sticky, poorly-ventilated apartment in Brooklyn on a 90 degree day - but I digress. Anyway, I think she and her husband make the bulk of their living through various writing jobs...

It's really cool that you worked on that movie. I'm really, really excited for it. I constantly check for updates and release dates. I'm disappointed it couldn't have a wide release sooner. What did you do on the movie, if you don't mind sharing? Makes sense that they'd write for others.

Technically worked as a PA in the office, but I got to spend a lot of time on set, which was great. It was my first production job (got into it a little later than many), met a lot of great people, made some hopefully lasting connections. It's been educational. And exhausting. It'll be fascinating to see the finished film because that script went through seemingly endless rewrites during production. Making sides was a daily nightmare.

[Punch Drunk Hate]

How well do PTA films perform on home video and streaming services? Anderson has a passionate and loyal fanbase, even with low box office resume. Not sure how Amazon or. Netflix keeps track of a film performs on their platform.

[BB]

I don't think the $70 million net worth is necessarily that high. Folks have made good money off much less popular or enduring work. A couple hit movies, lots of prestige, some solid investments ...

[KJ]

Ted 2? That was all on him.

I met Paul at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. He told me that this was very true, and that he even got the chance to be the voice of Ted in some of the scenes (one of his biggest dreams, he told me). He seemed really happy about it.

[Drenk]

Ted is the father of at least two of his kids.

[csage97]

I worked on Lynne Ramsay's new movie You Were Never Really Here summer before last, and from what I could tell she leads a fairly hooked-up lifestyle. She has a young child too, for whom I had to assemble an unreasonably complex bassinet in a hot, sticky, poorly-ventilated apartment in Brooklyn on a 90 degree day - but I digress. Anyway, I think she and her husband make the bulk of their living through various writing jobs...

It's really cool that you worked on that movie. I'm really, really excited for it. I constantly check for updates and release dates. I'm disappointed it couldn't have a wide release sooner. What did you do on the movie, if you don't mind sharing? Makes sense that they'd write for others.

Technically worked as a PA in the office, but I got to spend a lot of time on set, which was great. It was my first production job (got into it a little later than many), met a lot of great people, made some hopefully lasting connections. It's been educational. And exhausting. It'll be fascinating to see the finished film because that script went through seemingly endless rewrites during production. Making sides was a daily nightmare.

Really cool. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, Lynne Ramsay's stuff is great. This one is particularly exciting for me because of the story and plot, and of course Joaquin. Plus there's the score from Jonny, which isn't his first with Ramsay of course, but still always something to look forward to. I liked the music in the very first teaser. Come to think of it, did you meet Jonny? He seems very reserved, but we like a lot of the same authors and music, so there'd be that if I were ever stuck in a room with him. Ha.

Anyway, I'm glad it was a fruitful experience. That's a good production to be around. Was it filmed in NYC?

[wilberfan]

What would PTA have earned working in the Hard Eight/Boogie Nights era (mid 90s)? 

Our other thread on his Lucky Brown Directing Shirt got me thinking about his early days.  I heard him say on a podcast that he was living in an apartment at Tujunga & Moorpark back then and I started ruminating on what he would have been paid to direct Sydney/Boogie Nights.

I suppose there would have been a ton of variables--based on the deal he signed--but does anyone have an idea of what a ballpark figure would have been for a not-huge-budgeted feature like Boogie Nights?  Are there guild minimums and such that are adhered to?  Does a Producer credit get you more dough?   Would an assignment like Boogie Nights mean your money worries would be over for awhile? 

[polkablues]

DGA does have minimum salaries for union directors, which for a feature film is currently in the neighborhood of $19,000 per week, which would equate to roughly $12,000 in 1995 dollars, assuming the rates have tracked with inflation over that time span. Production seems to have been around 12 weeks, from what I can determine (no idea if or how that DGA wage factors in pre- and post-production), so I would calculate the absolute minimum he might have made for directing the film was around $144,000. He also separately would have gotten a script acquisition fee, which would have netted him at minimum another $30,000 (almost certainly higher than that, though).

He would additionally have had a separate agreement on top of that as a producer, though that may or may not have included any upfront money. If it was strictly back-end, I'd be surprised if he ever saw any money from that. Studio accounting departments are masters at making even wildly successful movies end up in the books as not technically turning a profit, much less a mildly successful cult film.

So anyway, I'm pegging his take-home at a minimum of $175,000, but I would bet the $40 in my wallet it was actually more than that, probably in the 250-300 range. Personally, I could live off that for a while, especially after taking in a little extra doing music videos for his friends.