Say it Isn't So Arnold (1 Viewer)

[TheoGB]

Interesting, I'd never have assumed that commentary participants didn't get paid to do the commentary. It's actually quite a lot of work I would think. They don't just sit down for two hours and watch the movie - they appear to have watched it several times making notes that they want to say.
Overall I'd have thought they get paid a reasonable amount of money and by that I mean a couple of 1000. 75,000 sounds a hell of a lot. Is Arnold doing this on his own or something? Paul Verhoven directed, didn't he, and I thought he liked to do them. So it sounds more to me like Arnie didn't want to do it and had his arm twisted. Off-hand I'd say it would suck if this was the case.:frowning:

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

I wish Artisan had put that $75k into making better DVDs of most of its fall slate, including Extreme Prejudice, The Sicilian and the completely egregious full-frame/bare-bones Ginger Snaps and Sleepless.

If it's not an A-list title and it's on Artisan, it's bound to suck anymore. I'm glad Twin Peaks is good; frankly, based on their track record, I wasn't counting on much.

 

[Stu Kobak]

Perhaps on some more studied individual commentary tracks more than one viewing and recording takes place, but my overall impression after listening to many audio commentaries is that principals sit down, watch the flick, and schmooze.

Stu

 

[Tim Bernot]

To Arnold, 75K is nothing. Keep in mind that he is a billionaire. (yes, with a 'B'). This man owns jumbo jets that he leases(last I heard that included a Boeing 747 and he had a 777 on order)and is a very large real estate holder/ developer. He probably makes more money just sitting at home.

 

[Anthony Navaja]

It might not be much for Arnold but here is the problem...

Say 'Hasta La Vista, Baby' To DVD Extras

According to a report in a recent Video Business publication, the DVD extras we've come to know and love may become a thing of the past. Features like audio commentaries and documentaries could very well be axed by studios due to rising production and talent costs.

Case in point, Artisan Entertainment paid Arnold Schwarzenegger an enormous $75,000 for his audio commentary on the recently released Total Recall special edition disc. That amount is far more than the total budget allowed by most studios for DVD production, says Video Business.

With the record-breaking sales of DVDs, everyone it seems wants a piece of the cake. And some studios would rather drop the additional content rather than pay exhorbent fees to talent. "Pretty soon we'll just stop doing them," said one studio executive.

Directors and actors who used to volunteer for audio commentary and involvement in the DVD production simply for personal reasons or as part of the necessary promotion are now demanding payment. In fact, the new Writer's Guild of America agreement with studios sets an additional $5,000 salary to be paid to the writer for every movie produced on the digital format.

Since DVD extras have become such a major selling point in the minds of consumers, here's betting (and hoping) that studios will ante up for actors and directors' involvement in the DVD process.

 

[Chad R]

I don't think you can entirely blame Arnold and callhim greedy. He doesn't get the full amount. He has agents and managers who take a percentage, and incidentally are the same people negotiating the fee. So in reality, they negotiated themselves more money.

And this may become a problem for older films such as 'Total Recall,' but not for newer films. If stars ask for money for commentaries they might be lost on older films. But I'd look for things like this being written into the initial contracts for films being made now.

Finally, is losing stars' comentaries that big of a loss? I've yet to listen to one actor's commentary that was worth a hill of beans. Honestly, lately most commentaries have been uninteresting. Rarely do we hear more insight into a film than if that day was raining or they ran out of donuts at the crafts services table on this day.

 

[Kevin M]

My feelings about that article (if it's theories turn out to be true....greed in the Entertainment Industry? Who'd a thunk it.) and the outcome to us SE DVD fans can be summed up in one word ...Fuck!
Having said that, I find it no big surprise nor is it a new idea that doing commentary tracks might be written into a actors or (more so than actors IMO) a directors contract before filming even begins on a new film. I would be surprised if it hadn't been done already, & I'm very sure it has for a few years now. It's the nature of the beast that is Hollywood/Mass Entertainment.

 

[Mike_G]

Do people get upset that the cast of high-profile shows like Friends and Seinfeld get $100k per episode? I don't have a problem with it since if it were ME, I'd want a slice of the pie that the execs are making money on.

However, $75k to sit and talk? Hmmm....that seems WAY too high. Maybe if we had sales figures to check against, it won't seem that much. However, it does seem rather high to stick a michrophone in front of someone and have him talk, and then pay him $75k.

I'm in the wrong friggin' business.

Mike

 

[Stu Kobak]

Yes, 75k is a lot of money, but why not 500k? You know the old story about the definition of a prostitute---it's not what you charge.

I have often felt that commentary tracks are a very personal experience. It's almost like sitting together with a movie guru and listening to them expound upon a film, directly to you. Perhaps, even at an advanced age, I am too nieve, but I prefer to think there is a some element of purity of spirit left in the special edition.

Flagellators, line up orderly please!

Stu

 

[Brian Perry]

Whether it's 75k or 500k is dependent on how much "added value" the studio believes that commentary will mean in additional and/or lost sales. In other words, it should be thought of as a separate transaction to be judged on its own merit. If Artisan believes only 250,000 people will buy the DVD without the commentary but 350,000 will buy it if it has an Arnold commentary, it makes sense to purchase Arnold's services.

 

[Stu Kobak]

Hi Brian:

From a purely business standpoint, you are of course correct. But greed often changes the order of things. If paying Arnold increases the Artisan pocket book a bit and lines the actors pockets at the expense of future special editions, it's sad.

Stu

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Stu, would you refuse it if they offered you money to do a commentary?

Obviously, Artisan thought it was worth the money to have Ahnuld do a commentary.

 

[Stu Kobak]

Perhaps the question is "Would I ask for money?" No, I would not ask for money. Fortunately, I am in a much better fianncial position than Arnold and don't have to ask. Did Arnold refuse at first? Was he induced by the offer of bucks? Those are valid questions.
Stu

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Perhaps the question is "Would I ask for money?" No, I would not ask for money. Fortunately, I am in a much better fianncial position than Arnold and don't have to ask. Did Arnold refuse at first? Was he induced by the offer of bucks? Those are valid questions.

Is your time worth nothing?

 

[Patrick McCart]

"I'm a cop, you idiot!"
Check out www.teamnattyice.com in the GALLERY section to hear Arnold calling up people and asking them "Who is your daddy and what does he do?"
Hey, I'm a police officer...

 

[Stu Kobak]

Bhagi:

I'll leave the time/worth equation hanging. What I do with my time is the question. When I sit at dinner with friends, I do not charge them for my time. When I talk movies with friends, perhaps professionals in the the film industry, I don't charge them for my time; they don't charge me. Every minute of every hour is no accounted in terms of dollars and sense, for me at least.

Stu

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I'll leave the time/worth equation hanging. What I do with my time is the question. When I sit at dinner with friends, I do not charge them for my time. When I talk movies with friends, perhaps professionals in the the film industry, I don't charge them for my time; they don't charge me. Every minute of every hour is no accounted in terms of dollars and sense, for me at least.

Maybe Arnold classifies this as a professional activity and wants to be paid for it. Artisan feels that his time is valuable enough and agrees with him. I don't understand why people have a problem with that. If you don't agree with it, don't buy the disc, that money is not coming out of Artisan but the end-user.

 

[AdrianJ]

I'll leave the time/worth equation hanging. What I do with my time is the question. When I sit at dinner with friends, I do not charge them for my time. When I talk movies with friends, perhaps professionals in the the film industry, I don't charge them for my time; they don't charge me. Every minute of every hour is no accounted in terms of dollars and sense, for me at least.

Then again, you aren't a major holliwood star and people won't pay you for this time, even if you asked!
Exactly why does it matter if Arnold gets paid for the commentary or not? After all, this is a business. If the DVD production house is going to make extra money for the content that is being recorded, why should the artist do it for free?

 

[HenrikTull]

I find it quite surprising that people here are naive enough to think all people who participate in commentaries are all doing it for free. I mean honestly, do you think Arnold is the only one who wants to get paid for his time? Do you think for example Robert De Niro did the commentary for Meet The Parents for free? I would love to be proven otherwise.

 

[Stu Kobak]

If you knew that DeNiro did it because he had fun on the production and wanted to share some of his joy with his co-workers, would you look at Arnold's choice of "pay for say" differently?

Stu