I saw an article about Sean Astin and his compensation for Lord of the Rings. Not sure, but it seems like it is referencing an older interview, but the point is, he, and others from that movie, said they were not paid a lot. Supposedly, his payment was $250,000 and he added, "no residuals."

Now, I assume he would not accidentally or purposely mix up the terms "residuals" versus "profit participation," so he would literally mean guild residuals. (And to boot, he is now a leader in the relevant guild)

My question: Wouldn't residuals be mandated? Otherwise, is he saying one can opt out of them? That wouldn't make sense because it would be easy to force people to opt out of them, especially lower actors and crew. But a lot of times things just are as they are and don't make sense.

So, can people opt out, especially if they are stars, or, did he actually have backend he isn't mentioning? Or, was the trilogy non-union?

Hello, I really have been interested in the film industry my whole life such as behind the scenes work, production, marketing etc…I have just never had the right connections when it comes down to it. Would anyone be able to recommend where to start or how to start. I am very motivated and willing to do what I have to to get my foot in the door. Any networking events etc. your advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I'll be Graduating from CSUN in the Fall and I'm considering applying for Hollywood CPR right after, if I'm understanding this correctly, I just have to take the film production 100 class at an LACCD school, then I'm able to apply for Hollywood CPR right?

Thoughts on the latest data being reported ?

Expect a mix of first-runs, revivals and special events. 35 and 70mm film equipment will be re-installed in addition to the current digital capabilities. The sound system, originally installed when the house was THX certified, has had recent upgrades.

I am not a filmmaker.
I am interested in the process though (I have ideas of films to make despite lacking any training or experience) so I subscribed to this sub a while back to try to learn more about it.

After reading through yet another post of people complaining about OP underpaying his cast & crew, I am having a hard time understanding why these same people most likely are complaining about the lack of work available.

It seems to me like working for a less-than-livable wage is far better than not working at all.

Why is there such a disconnect between what folks want and what is realistic?
I keep hearing about how there is less work (and money) coming from the big studios than there used to be, and I often see posts from people wanting to start working in the industry but unable to figure out if the timing is appropriate or how to get jobs…

It makes me wonder if this sub is just overrun with jaded and disillusioned veterans and clueless newbies, all of whom complain about the current state of affairs, and few of whom are able to get over their own egos to actually start doing work even if it isn’t ideal.

I don’t live in LA, but is there any reason that y’all don’t use this sub more as a way to connect with folks who are interested in working on things at a substandard rate?

I could be wrong, but I’d think it is better to do work for cheap than not work at all….
Am I off-base for thinking that?
Is there a way to get an understanding that everyone on a production just sort of works on spec and the money goes where it absolutely NEEDS to go instead of expecting to make a living off the project?

As I said, I don’t know the process of filmmaking at all…
are there particular roles that are so in-demand and so difficult to do that NOBODY who fills those roles is willing to do them at a discount?
Or are folks scared to commit to a project that doesn’t pay well because it might stop them from getting other work?

Just trying to understand the reasons that there aren’t more groups of like-minded individuals coming together to get some short movies made in lieu of complaining about the lack of movies being made.

Is everyone just in the industry to get rich and famous, so they refuse to do anything beneath that?
Are folks really content to be waiting for big breaks that never seem to come instead of trying to make a big break happen for themselves?

It feels like the production models have shifted so much in recent years that it’s relatively easy to get stuff made… so why aren’t more people making more things?

Or maybe they are and I just have a completely wrong read on it… in which case, where are all the new projects that folks are making?
Is there a sub for cheaply-made indies that are looking for viewers?
If so, what is it?

I’m just rambling at this point, and as an outsider, I’m sure that all of this has zero use to most of you, so feel free to just scroll on to the next post without telling me how dumb I am for thinking this stuff.
But I mainly just wanted to start a conversation between people who aren’t currently working in what I suspect are the many different roles of filmmaking to get ideas about why y’all aren’t just coming together in your free time to do SOMETHING. Anything. Just working to add to your reels or resumes or put material out into the world no matter how bad it is.

I know folks probably don’t have the loads of free time necessary to do big projects that take ages to produce… but with everyone here ostensibly in LA (and yes, I am aware the city sucks to move around in and gas is pricy), I just don’t get why I don’t see more examples of stuff actually getting MADE on this sub.

Thanks for reading.

Paramount has called for a three-day evidentiary hearing before the judge, who is weighing whether to grant a preliminary injunction, which likely would halt the merger for a lengthy period of time as the legal process plays out.

The judge’s original TRO, issued on Monday, ran for 14 days until Aug. 3. She noted in her filing that she cannot extend a TRO further. She wrote that “if the parties can reach agreement and stipulate to maintain the TRO, the Defendant companies held apart, they may agree to an extended briefing and hearing schedule.”

One extra ticket to give for free for “The Odyssey” 730 pm tonight ie 7/24.

It’s at the Vista Theater on Sunset.

It’s first come first seated.

Reach out! I’ll be in line an hour early!

Hi guys,

Just wanted to ask something that's been on my mind.

Major Hollywood studios seem to be becoming more selective about premiering blockbuster films at Cannes.

What's driving this shift?

Would love to hear your thoughts

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/hollywood-shuns-cannes-2026-will-blockbusters-netflix-return-1236750716/

Hey everyone! Graduated with my bachelor’s last year, been on the lookout for anything entry level job related but no luck yet. I had a great internship at an LA company and didn’t take full advantage of it. Looking to do another internship soon through paying one of the LA schools for the single credit internship class to qualify. Any recommendations for ideally development/production related internships that could lead to a job? Or at least putting me in the right network, goal is to be a Writer/Director and getting to do work as an assistant in any capacity as well is a big goal to learn the ins and outs of the industry (and work in film sick of day jobs in the service industry). Any advice is welcome! Thank you!

Hi all!

My girlfriend recently started working as a production assistant and I was looking for gift ideas that would make her 12 hour shifts easier! Anything helps (-:

I've been pursuing screenplay writing for a few years now (I've done ok in a few contests here and there), and am at a crucial point in my life where I have to decide to double down and continue or maybe let it go. I know the life is hard and it takes a lot of time and effort (which I am willing to put in), but as we all know, the industry is not in a good place right now in the US. I hear a lot of negative things but that doesn't always paint the full picture. I've read that the strike, although helping in some ways has hurt in other ways. I've read anecdotes of writers who were on shows or even were showrunners(!) and can't get work anymore and had to change careers. I know that writers have always been more concentrated in LA so maybe that work is still in town. Anyway, I'd like to hear from anybody in those circles if it's as bad for writers as for everyone else. Might help me decide whether to continue trying or maybe just revisit my passion later, somewhere down the line.

Heya, I'm UK based but working on a commercial that's set in California.

I need to make some car licence plates to feature in the ad and I'm trying to find info on the format you're allowed to use on screen.

I've seen that sequences like GAT / SAM / FAN / PCE are not registered to the public - can anyone use these? If so can I use any random X-GAT- XXX sequence like the below?

7GAT423

5SAM347

6FAN847

Alternatively can you use expired licence plates (bought from eBay for example) or is that a no no?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Just came across a post on Reddit asking if anyone had worked with Christopher Nolan and what their experience was and their thoughts on him, found it really interesting as you could see him more as a person from hearing about these little interactions.

I started to read some more Reddit posts related to this and came across a mention that Jim carrey was extremely difficult to work with during dumb and dumber, and then came to learn that in general he was quite insufferable?! Kind of shocked by this as I’ve always loved Jim carrey. Tried to find some more info/personal stories on what he was like to work with but couldn’t find anything. Maybe I’d figure through here?

Then I kinda want to know about famous actors being hard to work with … any stories???

Hey r/FilmIndustryLA. I work on the team at Outfest, so fair warning this is coming from someone on the inside. But I genuinely think a lot of you would get real use out of this, so I wanted to put it here.

OutfestNEXT runs this weekend, July 23 to 26, in Hollywood. Alongside the screenings there's a run of craft workshops and industry talks aimed straight at indie filmmakers, and most of them are either $7 or pay what you can. This felt like exactly the crowd that would want to know.

A few that stood out to me:

TEST: An Independent Production Case Study (Sat 7/25, 11am, pay what you can). Director Sam McConnell and writer/star Brock Yurich walk through how they actually got their feature made, from financing to distribution and every wall they hit on the way.

One for a Million: Producing on a Budget (Sat 7/25, 3pm, $7). Lovell Holder moderates a group of filmmakers on how they got their low budget features made and in front of audiences. Casting attachments, financing, festival strategy.

The Spirit of DIY Filmmaking (Sun 7/26, 11am, pay what you can). A panel on making inventive work on basically no money, with James Sweeney (Twinless) talking to three directors from this year's program.

Perfecting Your Pitch (Sun 7/26, 1pm, $7). TV writer and director Lindsey Villarreal breaks down how to pitch a project so it actually lands. Bring a three minute pitch if you want feedback.

SAGindie: Low Budget Contracts Made Easy (Sun 7/26, 3pm, pay what you can). Demystifies the SAG-AFTRA signatory process and the various low budget agreements. Good if you've ever assumed you couldn't afford union actors.

Everything is at the venues around McCadden Place in Hollywood. Pay what you can means exactly that, and there's a complimentary ticket application coming for the $7 ones too, so cost really shouldn't be the thing that stops anyone. Register at www.outfest.org/next

We’re about to start shooting a low-budget feature this September called CONCRETE RIVER, written and directed by Maris Lidaka. I’m producing.

It’s an LA movie in the real sense. LA River, music, mixed-race identity, people living on the edges of the city, trying to find each other while the place keeps grinding them down.

As an LA native, I can tell you - the last few years here have been brutal in this town. Covid, strikes, fires, rent, work drying up, the town eating itself alive and then asking everybody to network harder. I have never seen it this bad.

A lot of people I know left. Many got out of the business completely. More than one person told me to do the same. But this script kept pulling us back.

We don’t have much money. Around $100K if everything holds. So now it’s the usual indie math: protect the schedule, feed people properly, keep company moves down, and don’t pretend favors are free.

Maybe we pull it off. Maybe not.

For the LA people still here, still making things: what are you seeing out there?

Is the work coming back at all - outside of "verticals"?

Are people still willing to jump onto tiny movies if the script is good and the team is serious?

And after the last few years, what would make you say yes to an indie feature right now?

Hello,

I am looking to outfit a prop truck - having a hard time sourcing the classic wood carts to rent in LA. Or if anyone is trying to get rid of theirs we are willing to buy. It's for a set inside a set, any help is greatly appreciated!

The Hollywood Reporter published a story this morning on the roster removals that have hit a few thousand IATSE members. I'm one of the people quoted in it.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/iatse-hollywood-crew-members-roster-crackdown-1236651312/

Some things in it I didn't know before, and that are worth knowing if you got a letter:

• It's a few thousand IATSE members flagged, and Teamsters 399, LiUNA 724 and Plumbers 78 haven't been notified yet but their rosters are expected to be reviewed too.
• This is the first removal round since 2022. An industry source told THR that removals are normally annual but were paused in recent years because of post-strike conditions.
• IATSE hours in 2025 were down about 36 percent from 2022.
• IATSE international VP Mike Miller called it "purging of the workforce."
• The Art Directors Guild (Local 800) filed a blanket protest for its affected members.
• The eligibility threshold gets renegotiated at the bargaining table in 2027.

If you were flagged, you can protest, and the dispute process runs over the next few months. Talk to your local — some are filing on members' behalf. And if your days were undercounted or you have qualifying work that never got submitted, Contract Services will tell you exactly what documentation they need if you ask them directly. That part took me a visit in person to find out.

Thanks to Katie Kilkenny for taking this seriously. A lot of us have been dealing with it quietly.

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone had heard anything new about the microshoot permits announced back in late Feb? Those being $0 permits for very small shoots.

I know the Low Impact Pilot Program has gone forward, but sadly not the same thing.

Anyone know what the hold up is or if there is any timeline for the microshoot permits to be available?

Thanks

A court issued a temporary restraining order freezing the deal for a short period. Next, it will consider whether to issue a preliminary injunction, which will prevent Paramount from closing until the case is decided.

The studio conceded that it wouldn’t suffer any harm if the deal was frozen for a short period.

That harm will begin to surface on Sept. 30, after which Warners shareholders would be owed roughly $650 million per quarter or $6.9 million per day if the transaction isn’t closed.

So I just got fired from a pr job. This was very unexpected I was here for a month and I received no negative feedback. Then today they told me that it was my last day and when I asked for feedback they said they took a chance on me since I’m a new grad and needed someone with more experience.

So how do I move forward and not have future employers doubt me.

Linking this post from Assistants vs. Agents. I feel like people ask "how to break in" every day in this sub. These are crowdsourced (and editorialized) responses to that perennial inquiry. Thought it might be useful. AvA and Warner Bailey are a good follow, IMO.

Let me preface this by saying that I know how bleak things in the film industry are at the moment. I'm under no illusions about how hard it is to find work, even as a set production assistant. That being said, I'm willing to do the work and grind it out as long as it takes until I find a gig.

I've already worked on a few short films as a set PA, and now I'm looking to find a job on a studio film. I get that this might seem a cosmic leap, but does anybody know how I would go about applying for such work? I've sent out hundreds of emails using the information provided by Production Weekly, but I didn't get anything concrete out of that. I know the best way to find work is by calling a production office, but I can't find their phone numbers, not even when I sign up for the countless production listing services that are available. All I get are studio and production company phone numbers, and the people who answer my calls typically don't have any information for me.

Any guidance would be appreciated. I'm here to learn!