Does anyone know how much a big time screen writer makes?

Question

I am considering a career in screen writing, but I am curious to know how much they get paid. Are they salary, or do they get paid per movie? Do they make a percentage of the profit, or a flat amount?

Answer 1

It varies. Anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions.
To quote the source below, "There is no 'salary range' for a screenwriter. You get paid a sum of money if you sell (or option) a script. And, the few writers you hear about - who 'ring up' six or eight figure deals - are in the minority (and, a very small minority)."

M. Night Shyamalan is the highest paid for a script. Again, quoting the 2nd source below, "With only the credit of writing and directing the little-known Wide Awake to his name, Shyamalan received $3 million for his spec script The Sixth Sense, which he of course directed."

Answer 2

I'd say that it probably depends on how well you write and how much of your creativity people can use. Im interested in filmmaking, and i just looked it up on the net. salary and everything is what i found. But in all honesty, I think you'd have to be a pretty damn good screenwriter to make the big bucks. try shooting for originality because lord knows, theres a lot of screenwriter's out there making good pay for lowsy entertainment. I hope you can be better than that!

Answer 3

you dont really decide to get a job as a screen writer, either you are good at writing screenplays or telling a story or you are not, I have written short stories and registered with the screen writers and writers guild of america and have been approached to turn one story into a script, on completion it may be considered for 'further consideration' for a movie.

but then you need an agent, people you trust, most movie studios wont even talk to you without an agent talking on your behalf, you need money upfront to 'retain' the agent just as you would retain a lawyer if you needed.

I was lucky as based on my conversations with independant movie studios an agent has agreed to represent me based on future payments, but trust me not all agents are like that.

but good luck.