‘Obsession’ art director lambasts film industry after poor pay
Sally Choi, the art director behind the surprising box office horror hit Obsession, has called for industry reform after receiving less than $7,000 in pay despite the film nearing $175million.
The film, directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, follows the awkward music store clerk Bear, who makes a magical wish that his co-worker Nikki, played by breakout star Indie Navarrette, would love him more than anyone else in the world. Chaos and horror ensue.
The gory film has become one of the most profitable movies of the year, nearing $175m despite its humble production budget of around $750,000.
Choi shared a lengthy statement on social media regarding the film’s success, which began, “I’ve debated this for a long time. I’ve been holding a lot of weight over the past two years since the production of Obsession, so I’m going to say it as it is.”
She explained, in startling stats, the economics behind the operation: “Obsession was made for $750K and is projected to make $250M. How much I made: $300/day as Art Director. This came out to $6741.36 after taxes. No mileage.”
She added, “I did know the rate beforehand and agreed to it, but at the time, I was living paycheck to paycheck. This is the reality of most filmmakers, especially those who work below the line. We become a line in the budget sheet to keep as low as possible.”
She also added that some of the crew were volunteers and were only “paid in gas and mileage”, which “wasn’t even paid on time, so to make a $250M grossing film, some of these amazing people had to come out of pocket to work on set.”
Choi harbours many regrets over her time on set, adding, “I kick myself every single day for not flipping this production. I was encouraged not to, and I naively listened.”
She revealed that, despite her job title, she also worked as “a PA, set dresser, graphic designer, background actor, driver, swing, and buyer”, embellishing the effort that went into each of these duties.
Choi clarified that the statement was not about Curry and his team; instead, the conversation is “even bigger than the film industry“.
The artist ended with a call to others in the crew to come forward and “share your rate, maybe we can turn a tide in the film industry”.
Far Out gave Obsession a glowing four-and-a-half-star review, deeming the film “compulsively entertaining, with scenes or prolonged suspense that rank as minor masterpieces in their own right, and while not every much-hyped festival horror film can live up to expectations, this one is a burst of originality that feels sorely desired.”
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