4 ms·

Why? The model gave her time and got paid just like countless other workers. Does a bricklayer continue to receive payment for every year the house is lived in?

probably_wrong 3y ago
Perhaps not a bricklayer, but many of the actors in those same films keep getting paid long after the film is done. And I bet "the Columbia logo lady" is more popular than most of them.
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  That's because of competition. Royalties are negotiated up front, like any other compensation.
- globular-toast 3y ago
  Those actors usually exchange some of their up-front payment for a percentage of the film's profit. In other words, they are taking on some of the risk associated with film production and betting on their own appeal being enough to turn a profit and generate income. It would be like a bricklayer not taking any payment until the house was sold and therefore taking on the risks associated with the housing market. Most probably wouldn't want that. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
- bazoom42 3y ago
  It is not a question of popularity, it is a question of negotiating power. Actors have a strong union and the “name” actors are important enough for the success of movies that the studios are willing to accept these conditions.
  - ksherlock 3y ago
    A leading actor might negotiate a percentage of revenue (profit rarely exists due to Hollywood accounting) but union actors, directors, writers, stunt people, etc receive residuals for reruns, syndication, DVDs, streaming, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual_(entertainment_industry) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual_(entertainment_indust...
viraptor 3y ago
The bricklayer knows what the end result will be, how it's going to be used, and sets the rates accordingly. After a photo shoot you can end up in the bin, or shown probably close to a million times a day to people around the world for decades.
- echoangle 3y ago
  If the people selling photographs don’t like that, they should license them accordingly, right?
  - viraptor 3y ago
    In some imagined utopia, sure. Currently the bar to clear is "stop the production companies from eliminating most actors and destroying the the cinema as it exists" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SAG-AFTRA_strike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SAG-AFTRA_strike I'm not sure who will want to discuss licensing rather than getting another person who needs money immediately and won't ask so many questions. Assuming they'll even bother with a model rather than an AI setup fixed up by a contracted graphics person.
    - echoangle 3y ago
      Correct, that should tell you everything you need to know about the market value, and why they don’t get constant royalties for images. There’s a lot of competition because many people are willing to do it for little money. I do not understand why people think this is bad though, that’s just how the market value of services is determined.
- account42 3y ago
  So you think the brick layer should be paid different amounts if the building ends up being used as a soup kitchen or office building?
  - viraptor 3y ago
    You know the comparison is flawed and the two kinds of work are very different in almost every way. I expect some kinds of work to be measured in different ways than other, in the same way I don't think programmers should be paid per keypress.

probably_wrong 3y ago

Perhaps not a bricklayer, but many of the actors in those same films keep getting paid long after the film is done. And I bet "the Columbia logo lady" is more popular than most of them.

robertlagrant 3y ago
That's because of competition. Royalties are negotiated up front, like any other compensation.
globular-toast 3y ago
Those actors usually exchange some of their up-front payment for a percentage of the film's profit. In other words, they are taking on some of the risk associated with film production and betting on their own appeal being enough to turn a profit and generate income. It would be like a bricklayer not taking any payment until the house was sold and therefore taking on the risks associated with the housing market. Most probably wouldn't want that. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
bazoom42 3y ago
It is not a question of popularity, it is a question of negotiating power. Actors have a strong union and the “name” actors are important enough for the success of movies that the studios are willing to accept these conditions.
- ksherlock 3y ago
  A leading actor might negotiate a percentage of revenue (profit rarely exists due to Hollywood accounting) but union actors, directors, writers, stunt people, etc receive residuals for reruns, syndication, DVDs, streaming, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual_(entertainment_industry) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual_(entertainment_indust...

viraptor 3y ago

The bricklayer knows what the end result will be, how it's going to be used, and sets the rates accordingly. After a photo shoot you can end up in the bin, or shown probably close to a million times a day to people around the world for decades.

echoangle 3y ago
If the people selling photographs don’t like that, they should license them accordingly, right?
- viraptor 3y ago
  In some imagined utopia, sure. Currently the bar to clear is "stop the production companies from eliminating most actors and destroying the the cinema as it exists" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SAG-AFTRA_strike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_SAG-AFTRA_strike I'm not sure who will want to discuss licensing rather than getting another person who needs money immediately and won't ask so many questions. Assuming they'll even bother with a model rather than an AI setup fixed up by a contracted graphics person.
  - echoangle 3y ago
    Correct, that should tell you everything you need to know about the market value, and why they don’t get constant royalties for images. There’s a lot of competition because many people are willing to do it for little money. I do not understand why people think this is bad though, that’s just how the market value of services is determined.
account42 3y ago
So you think the brick layer should be paid different amounts if the building ends up being used as a soup kitchen or office building?
- viraptor 3y ago
  You know the comparison is flawed and the two kinds of work are very different in almost every way. I expect some kinds of work to be measured in different ways than other, in the same way I don't think programmers should be paid per keypress.