Sally Choi, the art director of the recent Focus Features horror indie breakout hit “Obsession,” did a post on Instagram on Thursday that has ignited something of a firestorm.
The Curry Barker-directed film was famously made for around $750,000, a tiny amount, but has become a surprise runaway critical and commercial success story – taking in $175 million at the worldwide box office.
In her posting, Choi says she made $300 per day as an art director on the film, a grand total of $6741.36 after taxes. She adds that other crew members were volunteers who were paid in gas and mileage”. She goes on to say:
“I did know the rate beforehand and agreed to it, but atp I was living paycheck to paycheck. This is the reality of most filmmakers, especially those who work below the line. We become a line in the budget sheet to keep as low as possible… I kick myself every single day for not flipping this production. I was encouraged not to and I naively listened.
As is the case for most low-budget productions, everyone has to wear many, many hats. Though my official title is art director, I was also a PA, set dresser, graphic designer, background actor, driver, swing, and buyer. I was doing runs for the art dept (again, no mileage). I was shopping, loading, and returning while the rest of the crew were on set. If you were a crew member on Obsession and feel called to share your rate, maybe we can turn a tide in the film industry.”
The post has amassed over 3000 comments, but much of the reaction has been anything but sympathetic; many roasting her, saying she’s the art director on one of the most talked about films of the year and should use that credit to get better-paying jobs immediately.
