ABSTRACT
1 Write a research question and title
The movie industry is considered one of the fastest growing industries in the entertainment world. However, it is surprising to note that the pays that the actors get vary across film companies and agencies. This paper focuses on the pay levels and scales of the actors. Precisely, it is a comparative study on the pays for the movie actors and the renderers. My research question is ‘What accounts for the differences in pay between a motion capture (mo cap) renderers and the mo cap actors?’ Thus, my topic is ‘Motion capture and the discrepancy in pay from the live action actor vs the rendering artist.’
2 Methodology
This question will involve comparative analysis of various salaries and stipends for the actors and the video renderers (artists). As well, it will explore the different situations of payment in the movie industry. I hope that this information will help in making suitable choices in the future as a performer. To this end, this paper will adopt the Stanislavski System matrix to analyze the results. Mainly, this will provide serve as the theoretical tool for the study. Precisely, it will consider the eight areas of analysis; namely, the Given Circumstances, Imagination, Concentration and Attention, Truth and Belief, Communion, Adaptation, Tempo-Rhythm, and Emotional memory (Stanislavski 237).
Texts, artifacts, and research samples
This study will consider actual film actors as the main research samples. Precisely, it will involve the actors of the 2001 movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The movie was about an ancient ring that was lost for many years. Interestingly, the ring is given to a small hobbit in a twist of fate. Apparently, the Hobbit is called Frodo. The study will involve interviews with actor Carrie Thiel. Thiel is part of the Weta Digital effects group that won two Baftas and three Oscars and for their production and contribution to 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy (Carrie Thiel Biography par. 3). The study will also consider academic articles, newspaper articles, surveys, and people in relation to the subject.
Expected results
As a result, I hope to get a clearer picture of the state of affairs in the modern movie industry. I hope to develop an understanding of the factors that determine the amount of pay that the film industry provides for its workers. Most importantly, it is my hope that these sources will enable better understanding of the situation of most movie actors and renderers.
Usefulness of the study
This study will assist in understanding the underlying perceptions and stereotypes concerning the actors and artists in the movie industry. In addition, it will prepare prospective actors to develop important negotiation strategies to achieve better pay in their engagement with the movie agencies. Moreover, this research will provide an explicit picture of the best paying movie companies versus the lowest paying ones. In addition. This study will provide information for policy makers in the film industry on measures and steps they can take to provide commensurate and fair pay to their workers.
Precisely, this is an expository research paper that summarizes the major facts about the topic. In principle, it seeks to show the state of payments in the film industry as well as the underlying consideration and factors that influence these payments.
In close view, this paper intends to employ the mixed research approach. According to Östlund, the mixed method approach is a productive approach in studying complex phenomenon. In practice, the mixed approaches use particular analytical approaches, thus, the concurrent, parallel and the sequential approaches. As well, mixed method approach utilizes the triangulation as a methodological metaphor in drawing the inferences. Granted, quantitative and qualitative findings arising for the methodological analyses in the mixed method provide concise results (Östlund 369).
The quantitative method will provide relevant figures of payments by focusing on the past records. As well, the quantitative studies will assist in projecting the future payment situations. On the other hand, the qualitative techniques will look into the ascriptions of value, meaning, and definitions about actors in the film industry, based on the pay structures. In a way, this ethnographic study describes the culture of payment in the movie industry. As well, it contains some element of phenomenological research as it looks into the various experiences of particular performers.
PERSONAL REFLECTION OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Lessons from the research process
The research process was exciting though had instances of frustrations and setbacks. I discovered several things in the film sector, thus making it a unique experience for me. For instance, I expected that the payments for the artists and actors would be similar across the board. However, I realized that this was not the case, the figures were way off. Some companies would pay the mo cap actor comparable to the regular actor then another would pay way below the normal accepted amount.
Currently, there is an uncertainty concerning the appropriate pay scale for the actors in view of the modern costs of living in various countries and cities. The prevailing pay in some of the companies demeans the actors. According to Paulson, some agencies pay there actors as low as $7 per performance. Shockingly, that figure is way below the California standards minimum wage of $9 per hour. There have been debates on whether filmmakers should pay a compulsory minimum wage for their work in the smaller theaters (Paulson 23).
Studios are paying the renderer (artist) a set amount but a friend of mine at a recent convention on motion capture spoke out about this matter. He said, “You wouldn't send an actor out to do a fire stunt, and you would send a stunt actor." By this, he meant that, sometimes people do not realize the real physical nature of this line of acting and so you get people hired to do a job that really they have not prepared enough. This misconception could be a reason for the difference in pay. Performers are still learning about the industry and what special considerations they need to make them to get the best from the industry. I was able to interview Carrie Thiel on the pay issue. Practically, I have worked with her on various assignments and was thrilled to include her as one of the sources in my paper.
Works Cited
Carrie Thiel Biography. 1990-2015. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).IMDb. Web. 29 April 2015
Östlund, Ulrika, et al. "Combining qualitative and quantitative research within mixed method research designs: a methodological review." International journal of nursing studies 48.3 (2011): 369-383.
Paulson, Michael. “Actors’ Equity Pushes for Minimum Wage, but Not All Members Want It.” The New York Times. 19 Apr. 2015. The New York Times Company. Web. 29 Apr 2015
Stanislavski, Constantin. Building a character. Edinburgh, UK: A&C Black, 2013. Print
