Assistants all over Hollywood work so hard for so little pay. (Which is why there’ve been so many California government crackdowns on what is tantamount to showbiz slave labor.) Ergo, it’s hard to imagine any company trying to get away with paying them less. But tipsters tell me that’s what WME is doing. The new agency is “recalculating” the pay for previous WMA assistants (about $13.50 an hour) to be more on a par with former Endeavor assistants (about $9.50 an hour). As one WMA assistant complained to me, “It’s depressing to think that my already abysmal pay might go down. That would honestly make the wages unliveable. And infinitely more disgusting knowing the millions of dollars certain agents are making.”
Not to mention, our new hours are 9-7 – MANDATORY. That’s fine, but don’t cut my pay, assholes. As we were told yesterday, we’re all very fortunate, because endeavor used to work 11 hours a day, all to service ‘The Prince’. Oh, and we’re all very happy about the merger. Right. Thanks Jim, Thanks Irv. Again, Ari shows WHY HE WAS IN TROUBLE at Endeavor. No people management skills. You know what, Ari? I can’t wait for the day you’re broke and destitute.
Llyod is that you?
Yes its true. Assistant pay at WMA or going down to match Endeavor. Also some agents will be told that they need to start sharing assistants so more layoffs coming in the assistant pool. What’s behind this, well thats easy money money money and some greed. The deal to take over WMA was amazing but no guarantee’s in terms of money. The are at least two more rounds of layoffs coming up. One very soon. We hear that the labor commision has been called by some of the fired assistants and agents to look at the unfair labor practice’s. For years WMA held back money on agents pay checks. Well when they terminated the agents the hold back money was not paid and by the way can anyone explain how they decided what was taken out of the hold back money. Thats all a big no no. Ari, and Patrick hold on for a rough ride with lawyers and state commisions. Many are banding together to get what’s there’s
Hey kids – it’s only for a year – if you stay longer than that you are asking for trouble. Make your contacts and move on. Unless you want to be an agent. If that is the case, hustle and get promoted. The whole idea is to be an assistant for as small amount of time as possible…
It sort of strikes me as something akin to the old apprenticeship system. Like the Dickensian blacksmith who feels he has to beat his apprentice harder than his mentor beat him to make up for their own sense of inadequacy.
So you get those who graduated the old assistant-agent system getting the attitude that being paid shit, and worked like rented mules is the only thing that builds the character necessary needed to be an agent. The problem is that it tends to escalate, or to be more exact, degenerate, into worse and worse treatment.
The hours of the NY have been changed. We now work from 9-7. The office used to open at 930 because we stayed so late. From LA we heard that Irv tried to walk into WMA and right into his office but guess what…he was denied entry. Irv what were you looking for, Jimmy, food or KN???? It’s hard to believe that morale could get any lower but it has. The clients are not getting serviced well because agents are worrying about there own jobs. The Miami office has no clue what to expect. They have been told that the evaluation process is in full swing and to cut expenses. More support staff at WMA has been let go. Men and woman who have been with the company for more then 25 years were told bye bye. Ari get his way and his people. Dave’s office wife, Jjill Smoller is in on life support in terms of job security.The boys at Endeavor don’t play that game. Is Jim Griiffin still being be served his breakfast and lunch on a silver platter. Yes this has really happening for many many years. Live Nation Live Nation Ari what’s happening. major confllct of interest. Oh but I’m sure the music clients already no that
More love from the inside coming soon
I was a production assistant at a large, well-known studio in Los Angeles and I was only paid $10 an hour, from which I could barely live off of. I had two roommates, and all of my excess income went to gas for driving around town on studio errands (you’re only reimbursed up to 30% of your gas, if at all, and this was when gas was $4.77 a gallon) and ramen. Thank goodness I managed to get promoted into a technical director-esque position, now I can afford more luxurious food items like Hamburger Helper!
To go from $13.50 an hour to $9.50 an hour is not only ridiculous, but it would most likely cause all of the assistants to have to relocate since they would suddenly no longer be able to afford their current living arrangements. I couldn’t imagine being put in such a position, my heart really goes out to them.
Starting out, I was appalled that CAA offered me only $250/wk (before taxes)to start in the mail room. I got paid twice as much at a smaller agency.
Hello I read your comment and I’m curious to know what life is like as an assistant at a film studio or one of the BIG talent agencies. What can I expect to be paid monthly?…I’m on pace to graduate with my BA soon.
The production assistant on a movie I’m working on now are making $8 and hour (and this is a major movie, by the way; biggest in town,) and this sleazy company even had the balls to factor in the one $8 meal penalty into the rate that they quoted. $9.50 would be a god send.
Oh no, 9-7?!?! What a terrible misfortune for you to suffer. I’ll guess you’ll have to work an average asst day.
At least you still have a job.
What’s funny is that for such a liberal bunch, when push comes to shove you are just like Wal-Mart Ari! You can take advantage of workers who have no place to go, just like box stores can do to lower class people. So when you look Obama in the eye next time, know deep down in your heart that YOU also represent everything that is bad in our country and the greed that has taken down our economy. I hope the extra few dollars an hr you get helps pay for your ten million dollar house or your stupid trips to Newport.
oh boo hoo, the people who do tasks a monkey could do aren’t making enough money. Shut up and work hard and you’ll make more money when you deserve it. I was an assistant in hollywood and worked my ass off for shit money and now I make great money. that’s the way of the world, not just hollywood. these assistants today think that after being on a desk for months they should be making 6 figures. Sorry kiddies, it doesn’t work that way so either stop your whining and bust ass or go back to your hometown and get some lame ass job that all your friends from high school have. Im sure you’ll be the hit of your 5 year reunion because you answered a phone in hollywood.
I just did the math. WME Assistants are being paid 25.00 less per week than I did twenty years ago, when I came to LA to begin my career.
wah. wah. wah. shut the fuck up and get me some coffee.
Where are the CLIENTS in this equation? I don’t do business with companies that I feel are unfair to their own. Totally indefensible to lower the assistant’s salaries. THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY. How about some pressure put on by the clients. You don’t think a few calls to the agents with a little “gosh, I don’t feel comfortable with you because you’re screwing the help” wouldn’t make a difference? Hello….of course it would. Step up people. And boo hoo…put your therapist on speed dial, darlin’.
Not an assistant; don’t even work in film. But, I have to say, I’m working temp as a receptionist for a non profit and I’m making $12 and hour for a 9 to 5 job. And, since it’s a temp job, I know my temp agency is charging the company more than that. Admittedly, this is in Dallas, but I’m struggling to see how any company could see paying it’s lower level employees such wages as a good business model, even if you are treating assistant positions like training positions for greater lucre down the line.
Well, you can always become movie background. That pays $135 for eight hours of work. That’s $16.75 pr/hour. not including paid lunch usually and overtime.
I think McDonald’s pays about that or better right?
average wal-mart greeter gets paid $10 an hour
i was an agent trainee in 1998 at another big Hollywood agency… at that time, we made $350 a week (before taxes) and I usually worked 7:30 AM – 10:30 PM and had to tackle coverage for at least 3 scripts a week at night. No overtime. Pretty standard agency stuff…
Looking back on it, I have realized that the only people that actually succeeded in this environment were the people that were not actually supporting themselves… their parents were and for most, still are! That is the tricky part about this industry – it is not a real career thus you should never expect your paycheck to actually ever cover your living expenses. The industry does not care if you can live on a low wage, it is all considered to be part of a glorious weeding out process. And yes, agencies love to break labor laws. That said, I am thrilled I got out of Hollywood when I did but news like this makes me sad. Good luck to the WME assistants, this has got to be rough…
Oh and do not even get me started on what it was like to be a female trainee at a talent agency – unreal…
I just don’t think it’s right, they’ve fired all these people and had so much payroll come off the books, adding so many clients that will bring in so much more income, to put the squeeze on people who they hope will become the future of the company is wrong and can’t be necessary.
I have always believed that the pay scale for agency assistants is deliberately lower due to the fact that they want to weed out those who do not have the means to survive on just that salary alone.
ari fan, are you really lloyd from entourage? i mean the way you speak bears an uncanny resemblance that i got chills.
Boo Hoo:
Just because you got fucked back in the day, doesn’t mean that’s the way it should be. Your mindset is exactly what perpetuates any broken system… You wouldn’t happen to be in politics would you?
Anyway, if you want to treat your assistant like shit to toughen them up? Fine. You want to make them work overtime 8 days a week? Fine. You want to throw staplers at them because it’s fun to watch them duck? Fine. But for fucks sake, at least pay them enough so they don’t have to live in the ghetto and eat noodles every night before they pass out and do it all over again.
Boo Hoo — you sound like some CAA dickbag. “and now I make great money.” They paying coordinators that much nowadays, huh? I bet you wear an Armani suit, love America Psycho, and wear paste/mold/sculpt in your hair. Prolly drive a 3 series on lease to fit in with the prototypical dickbags.
Unfortunately, I fear you are not the hit of any reunion, much less party.
Yo, Ed Hardy is having a sale this weekend! Get your assistant on that. With your great pay you can buy tons of rhine-stoned shirts to wear at Boulevard 3 while hitting on assistants.
I thought I’d never post on DHD, and man, Boo Hoo, you just rubbed my the wrong way.