You're missing the point. It's not the directors that get Union rates, it's the person that moves the flaps on the lighting unit, the person that saws wood, the

You're missing the point. It's not the directors that get Union rates, it's the person that moves the flaps on the lighting unit, the person that saws wood, the person that runs errands, the person that holds a microphone boom. When planning a movie, the producers work out what staff are needed, get out the rate card and calculate a wages budget. SOURCE: I have been assistant producer on a feature film. Most of the staff are fungible. Only the heads of department make much of a difference to the quality of your movie (anyone else that doesn't come up to snuff simply doesn't get called back the next day).