UPDATE: Many thanks to everyone who has kindly offered advice on my silly little internal debate. After discussion it has been jointly decided that the budget just won’t stand for one performer to be paid so highly.

We are now actively looking for another performer to fill the role, and who will be paid the same as everyone else. Which makes me much happier.

Sablesword hit the nail on the head for me by pointing out that it was not in fact a moral dilemma: there’s nothing immoral about paying the market rate for something. It’s not a moral issue at all. So it would have been perfectly OK to go ahead.

Nonetheless I’m happier to be able to continue the idyllic, idealistic, utopian nonsense we’ve built with RE over the years for just a little longer. I LIKE working in a collegiate, partnership-of-equals way. And that’s fine, it’s just my personal preference.

In case you hadn’t guessed, yes, I am naive and a bit of a dreamer as well as being a scientist, photographer and dominant. I like it that way.

Original Post:

Now there’s a thing.

I’m on the verge of turning down a project because of moral scruples.

Without wishing to go into details, the project involves casting multiple actors who will all be on set all the time for the duration of the film. The thing is, one person is likely to be paid much more than the others.

I realise there are legitimate reasons why this is so- that person is a bit higher profile.

This situation has pertained in previous projects, for sure.

But I was never the producer- I was never responsible for organising a shoot under those conditions, and for paying out the money to people knowing that one person was going to be getting significantly more cash for doing almost exactly the same job.

Furthermore, this is my “me” work- it’s fetish-related, not a mainstream film, which shouldn’t make a difference but somehow does. I don’t feel like the hired hand, even though technically speaking I totally am, I’m not paying the bills but it still feels too personal for me to be comfortable with this.

I know stars are paid more money. I know a skilled carpenter can charge more per hour than an apprentice, and think it is right that they should do so.

And yet- I just don’t know if I want to put myself in the position of knowingly paying people radically different amounts for doing the same job on set with me.

The pragmatic side of me says “Oh for the love of God, Hywel, it’s a paying job, it is the customer’s call anyway as they are paying for it all, get over yourself”.

But this little voice inside is screaming at me that this is wrong, and I don’t want to do it. Maybe I’d rather retain the “Fair Trade” stamp in my head and pass up the opportunity.

I know it is naive and stupid. But I’m really struggling.

What should I do?