Tony Stark may be the richest man in the Avengers, but the man who plays him is doing pretty well too, sitting pretty once again atop the Forbes’ list of the Top 25 Earning Actors. 

Robert Downey Jr.matched his $75 million take from the previous year to earn the top spot for the period from June 2013 to June 2014.

Amazingly, Downey accomplished his back-to-back victories without releasing a film during the period accounted for. It was the staying power of “Iron Man 3,” and his back-end deal, that earned him the $75 million for the most recent year. “Iron Man 3” first hit theaters in May 2013, but continued making money for months afterward, amassing more than $1.2 billion in the global box office.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe star was joined by fellow Avenger Chris Hemsworth, with $37 million, thanks to “Thor: The Dark World” surpassing earnings from the previous film in the franchise. Upcoming Marvel star Bradley Cooper came in third with $46 million, with star turns in “The Hangover Part 3” and “American Hustle.” He's sure to score again when “Guardians of the Galaxy” hits theaters in August.

Also read: Robert Downey Jr. Rehab Drama in the Works at Showtime

Dwayne Johnson came in second for the earning period with $52 million, thanks to the continuing strength of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, while Leonardo DiCaprio ranked fourth with $39 million. He did it with more sophisticated adult fare like “The Great Gatsby” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

The Top 10 is rounded out by Liam Neeson ($36 million), Ben Affleck ($35 million), Christian Bale ($35 million), Will Smith ($32 million), and Mark Wahlberg ($32 million).

SEE ALSO: Here's What Marvel's Next 7 Mystery Movies Could Be

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Though female participation in the overall labor force has increased over the past two decades, Hollywood is still the boys' club it has always been.

In fact, there are actually fewer women working on major motion pictures today than there were in 1994, according to a new report compiled by the writer and film producer Stephen Follows.

Follows looked at the crews behind the top 100 grossing films in each of the past 20 years and found that female participation dropped from 22.7% in 1994 to 21.8% in 2013, without showing much fluctuation in either direction.

Another troubling fact from the report is that the major creative roles — writer, producer, and director — continue to be dominated by men. In 2013, women accounted for just 18% of producers, 7% of writers, and 2% of directors.

Neither of those numbers are much changed from what they were in 1994 — a sad commentary on how little control women have over a medium that is vital to our cultural discourse.

Female representation in technical jobs like editor and cinematographer was similarly dismal, at 11% and 2% in 2013, respectively.

The lone bright spot, if you can even call it that, came in the historically gendered fields of costume design and casting, where women made up the majority for 2013's highest-grossing films.

SEE ALSO: If Only 9% Of Jobs In Hollywood Go To Women, What Is The Future Of Women In Film?

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Digital filmmaking has overtaken analog, but there are some directors who refuse to let film stock die out. And so Hollywood studios are stepping in to lend support to Kodak in its time of crisis. 

Following Fujifilm's shutting down its film stock production last year, Kodak is the only company left that still makes the nearly obsolete medium. However, powerful directors like J.J. Abrams, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino and Judd Apatow have joined forces to save Kodak from the brink of extinction. Together--with the help of some unnamed allies--they pushed Hollywood studios to step in and financially support Kodak so that film stock can continue to be made and processed. This will include keeping open Fotokem, the last film processing lab in Hollywood. 

THR reports that Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke declared in a statement: 

After extensive discussions with filmmakers, leading studios and others who recognize the unique artistic and archival qualities of film, we intend to continue production. Kodak thanks these industry leaders for their support and ingenuity in finding a way to extend the life of film."

Nolan has long been a vocal defender of analog film, and spoke about his and his dedicated director of photography Wally Pfister's passion for shooting on film in the documentary Side by Side. For a pretty comprehensive understanding of how analog film differs from digital film, I recommend watching that doc, as it speaks to a wide array of directors, editors, cinematographers, and colorists. It's now streaming on Netflix. 

So the directors behind Star Trek Into Darkness, The Dark Knight, Django Unchained and The 40-Year-Old Virgin have used their considerable Hollywood pull to extend the life of analog film. But it's unknown how long this reprieve will last. Kodak's profits have fallen 96% over the last ten years, and could continue to decline as more and more movie theaters convert to digital projectors to keep up with the times. Despite filing for bankruptcy last fall, Kodak is dedicated to keeping their film stock production going as long as possible. But this may only extend a few more years. 

In the meantime, enthusiasts of film will be glad to know that Christopher Nolan's Interstellar was shot on film. Quentin Tarantino is promising The Hateful Eight will be shot in 70mm. And now in-production Star Wars: Episode VII is also shooting on traditional film stock. Could J.J. Abrams' choice for Star Wars' seventh installment suggest that its sequels will follow suit? Only time will tell. 

To see a trailer for the informative and fascinating Side by Side, click to the next page: 

SEE ALSO: How An Oil Engineer Discovered Auto-Tune And Changed The Music Industry Forever

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Actor Chris Pratt shows off a slimmed down, buff body in "Guardians of the Galaxy," which opened Friday.

But it's been a long road to losing 60 pounds in six months.

Last July, Pratt posted a photo to his Instagram account showing off his dramatic weight loss and newfound six-pack.

How did he do it? "Six months no beer. #GOTG Kinda douchey to post this but my brother made me," Pratt wrote alongside the below photo.

In reality, the process of losing pounds was a bit tougher.

"Three or four hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work," the 35-year-old actor told Men's Fitness.

Pratt's workouts included P90X , running, swimming, boxing, and kickboxing, and he even completed a triathlon.

With the help of a personal trainer and nutritionist, the actor increased his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day and drank tons of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare," Pratt told the magazine.

But the actor was happy to learn he could still eat on the intense weight-loss program.

"I actually lost weight by eating more food, but eating the right food, eating healthy foods, and so when I was done with the movie my body hadn't been in starvation mode," Pratt told People magazine. "It wasn't like I was triggered to just gorge myself and get really fat again." 

Now, he says: "It's something that I think I can maintain because I don't spend four hours in the gym each day. I do maybe one hour in the gym maybe four days a week, and that's it." 

Pratt joked to Vulture of his weight loss and gain for roles: "I just like to gain weight and lose weight. It’s a rollercoaster. I just want to do this. I want to touch God."

Before beefing up, Pratt was most well known for playing the bumbling Andy on NBC's "Parks and Recreation."

Pratt says he packed on 60 pounds for his role as a lawyer in 2013's "Delivery Man," in which he costarred alongside Vince Vaughn.

"The first 20 pounds was sympathy weight because my wife was pregnant," Pratt told SheKnows. "I was gaining weight as she was gaining weight ... The other 35 pounds I did just by declaring that I was going to do it. And then my rule of thumb became: 'If it's there, eat it.' And then I would order two entrees at every meal. I would always have dessert, and I would drink the darkest beer on the menu."

But before that, in 2012, he got into tip-top shape for the Oscar-winning film, "Zero Dark Thirty." 

To play a Navy Seal, Pratt told People he "was doing 500 push-ups a day, working out at the gym, running five miles a day, but with no food, and I tore my body apart ... I felt terrible afterwards, had to get shoulder surgery, and I wore myself down doing that because I didn't have the proper coaching." 

At the film's premiere months later, Pratt told E! Online: "I was about 50 pounds or 40 pounds lighter than I am now. I worked out really hard and I cut out everything bad for me for a long time and I just focused on trying to become a believable Navy SEAL." 

The actor shared the below photo of his physique while filming during an appearance on "Conan."

In 2011, Pratt played real-life Oakland A’s baseball player, Scott Hatteberg, opposite Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in “Moneyball.”

Before that, Pratt appeared as Anne Hathaway’s ill-fated fiancé in the 2009 comedy, “Bride Wars."

That same year, he married his real-life love, actress Anna Faris. 

The comedy couple, who welcomed their first child in 2012, are currently promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Next up, Pratt stars in the "Jurassic Park" sequel, "Jurassic World."Despite his A-list looks these days, let's not forget a lighter-haired Pratt starred as Bright Abbott on the WB's "Everwood" way back in 2002.

SEE ALSO: 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Is Easily One Of The Summer's Best Movies

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In May, 33-year-old actor Jake Gyllenhaal was back to his beefy leading man looks as he sat courtside during the NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center.

But for the majority of this year, Gyllenhaal was sporting a much leaner look while he shot his new movie "Nightcrawler," due in theaters October 31.

"Nightcrawler," in which Gyllenhaal both stars and is a producer, is the story of a career-hungry young man who stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime photojournalism.

Gyllenhaal spent three months in pre-production brainstorming with screenwriter and first-time director Dan Gilroy on the appearance of his character, Lou.

“I knew that [Lou] was literally and figuratively hungry,” Gyllenhaal told Us Weekly, adding that he got into character by transitioning into a "mode where I was always a bit hungry." 

In order to drop 30 pounds from his 180-pound frame, Gyllenhaal told Variety: “I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.”

"He'd have a bowl of luxury chewing (gum) and they were, like, really elaborately flavored, to trick his brain into thinking he was having a meal,"Gyllenhaal's co-star Riz Ahmed told The Canadian Press at the Toronto Film Festival this week. "So he was on his exercise bike having chewing gum and, like, almond tea with one calorie."

He also said Gyllenhaal was aware and apologetic about his sometimes-sour demeanor, "So he was like: 'Sorry I'm grumpy, I haven't eaten."'

On some nights during shooting, Gyllenhaal told Variety he wouldn’t eat at all, or he’d only take small bites of meat, crackers, or kale salad. To stay lean and fit, he would run 15 miles from his house to the film's set.

“There was a general sense that he was a coyote,” Gyllenhaal says. “I just wanted to live that way.”

Gilroy adds: “When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent — it’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.”

Gyllenhaal's co-star and Gilroy's wife, Rene Russo, told E! Online, "It's incredible what he put his body through. I actually was worried."

But this isn't Gyllenhaal's first physical transformation for a film.

In 2010, the Oscar nominee added major muscle to his physique for "Prince of Persia." The actor told UsWeekly at the time that he would eat six small meals loaded with protein, carbs, and fats.

Gyllenhaal, however, says there was no special diet to shed pounds for "Nightcrawler." 

"I just love this movie," he said. "That’s how I did it. There really was no technique."

Watch the "Nightcrawler" trailer below. Gyllenhaal's performance is already being called "stunning":

SEE ALSO: Here's How Chris Pratt Got Ripped For Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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Bill Murray is a notoriously quirky actor who refuses to play by Hollywood's rules.

One of the most interesting things about the 64-year-old actor is how he is pitched, and chooses, his projects.

According to a 2013 Vanity Fair article, Murray "relies on a mythical 1-800 phone number to screen projects. On the off chance that a filmmaker does manage to track down said number, convince Murray to take part in his/her project, and lure him to his/her set, the unpredictable comedian-actor can apparently be extremely supportive, even taking substantial pay cuts and offering up his own funds if he believes enough in a project."

Writer/director Theodore Melfi experienced a similar situation recently while trying to pitch Murray a script.

The actor would eventually agree to star in Melfi's directorial debut "St. Vincent," which recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival — but Melfi first had a wild ride finding Murray.

Melfi told USA Today's Andrea Mandell that "The nuts and bolts is (Murray) has no agent and manager, as everyone knows. You just call the 1-800 number. And I left, I don't know, a dozen messages. It's not his voice on there. It's a Skytel voicemail with a menu. You have to record the message and send the message. It's so confusing. I think if you can get through that and believe in it, he might call you back."

With no response to his messages, Melfi began calling Murray every week. When that didn't work, Melfi wrote a handwritten note to the actor and sent it through the post office to a New York address provided by Murray's lawyer.

Two weeks later, Melfi finally got a response from Murray through his lawyer, asking that the filmmaker snail mail a script to another post office box on Martha's Vineyard.

Melfi tells USA Today the chain of events that happened next:

"Two or three weeks after that, my phone rings and he goes, 'Ted? It's Bill Murray. Is this a good time?'

I pull over and he goes, 'Listen, I got this script of yours and I don't know who you are. I don't Google people. I don't know who you are, what you do. Tell me about yourself.' So that was 20 minutes of me stammering around trying to tell Bill Murray who I am."

Murray then suggested the two meet for coffee the following day, despite being on different coasts. When Melfi's work commitments didn't allow him to fly to New York from Los Angeles the next day, Murray invited the filmmaker to accompany him to the Cannes Film Festival later that week.

When that didn't work, Melfi asked for a "better number" to reach the actor when he returned from Cannes. Murray responded, "No no, you've got the number."

Three weeks later, Melfi received a text: "Ted it's Bill. Can you meet me at LAX in an hour?"

No longer bogged down with work commitments, Melfi jumped at the opportunity. "I go to baggage claim and there's a guy in a black rumpled suit holding a card that says 'B. Murray' on it. Bill Murray comes walking down the hall with his golf bag and goes, 'Ted? You want to talk about the script? Let's go for a drive.'"

What happened next was unlike any other Hollywood casting:

"So we get in this town car with this driver and we stop and get four In and Out grilled cheeses and two orders of fries. And he pulls out the script from his attaché case; it's got dog-ears on it, some scratches here and there. And we drive from L.A. to three hours south at the Pechanga Indian reservation. I have no idea where I am or where I'm going. We drive and drive and drive. We end up at the back of this reservation on a golf course. He has a house there. We talk about the script the entire way.

We pull into this house and he tours me around. He's got tangelo trees and avocado growing next door. I used the bathroom. I go back outside and he goes, 'Alright, this is great. Do you think we should do it?' (Melfi says he'd love to.) He goes, 'OK, we're gonna do it. We'll make the movie.' I said, 'That's so great Bill, just one thing, if you could do one thing for me. Could you tell someone other than me that this happened? No one is going to believe this story. I can't possibly go to the studio and say Bill Murray said yes on the way to the Indian reservation in the back of a town car. Murray said, 'I'll call someone, don't worry about it.' "

While Melfi's story may sound like a once-in-a-lifetime wild goose chase, the filmmaker assured USA Today, "You might think so but if you talk to any director who's cast Bill Murray, they all have a similar story."

"St. Vincent" opens in theaters October 10th. Naomi Watts, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O'Dowd also star. Watch the funny trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Here's The Measly Amount Bill Murray Made For 'Rushmore' Because He's Awesome

MORE: Bill Murray Voiced 'Garfield' Because He Confusedly Thought The Screenwriter Was Someone Else

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Los Angeles famously calls itself the Entertainment Capital of the World. But the reality is, many filmmakers have long since fled to cheaper locations in London, New York, Canada and elsewhere.

Now Hollywood is battling to win back its title.

"Film audiences often think of California as the home of the film and television industry," said a recent report by Film LA, which hands out filming permits in the West Coast city which is home to Tinseltown.

But, it added: "Today this belief is rooted more in history than in fact with respect to feature films."

"We outsourced one of our most beloved commodities," added Tom Nunan, who teaches at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television and is the founder of Bull's Eye Entertainment, a production company.

Over the last 15 years, film production has slumped by nearly 50 percent in California, once the cradle of the world's biggest film industry.

Last year, the vast western US state played host to only eight percent of the biggest 25 film productions of the year, excluding animated movies.

The new "Star Wars" movie is being shot in London, Pierce Brosnan's latest crime thriller "November Man" was filmed in Zagreb, while French director Luc Besson went to Taiwan to make "Lucy" with Scarlett Johansson.

The productions are huge money-spinners for the cities and countries which host them: last year the 108 biggest films generated some $7.6 billion in local spending and tens of thousands of well-paid jobs, according to Film LA.

- Canadian offensive -

And that goes without counting thousands of hours of TV programming: last year 21 of 23 major TV shows were made outside of California.

Canada has led the way in attracting film and program makers, throwing down the gauntlet by offering tax credits worth some 40 percent of a movie's budget.

"We started to get used to the idea that if you want to get it done, you have to do it in Canada," said Nunan.

The Canadian example was rapidly followed and imitated by some 40 US states and a dozen or so countries, even if in reality most major film shoots are shared between about 10 or so key locations or countries around the world.

Tax breaks are not enough: you also have to offer costume designers, set makers, make-up artists and all the other craftspeople trained to the high standards demanded by a Hollywood production.

The United States remains the country with the biggest major productions (70 out of 108 in a survey last year), ahead of Canada (15) and the United Kingdom (12). France hosted one.

In terms of cities, London is at the top of the global league table, currently hosting eight of the 10 biggest movies at its state-of-the-art studios like Pinewood. It is followed by Vancouver, New York and Paris.

Even within the US, California lags behind Louisiana, which played host to 18 of the 108 biggest films last year. New York and Georgia are also snapping at the Golden State's heels.

The Big Apple notably attracted 29 major TV shows last year, against only seven a decade previously, highlighting the effectiveness of its tax breaks strategy.

In a bid to regain the initiative California tripled its tax credits this year for filmmakers, to $330 million per year compared to $100 million per year previously.

The strategy has immediately borne fruit: in the third quarter of 2014 TV production in the City of Angels surged by 31 percent year-on-year.

"While we are still trying to reclaim our share of television production, we're encouraged," said the head of Film LA, Paul Audley, announcing the new figures.

"With the new tax credit taking effect next July, we see strong potential for growth in local TV work ahead," he added.

Nunan underlined that, despite the gloomy figures, Hollywood remains at the heart of the global show business industry.

"Hollywood is still the entertainment capital of the world, because the ideas of consequence, decision makers of consequence are located here," he said.

"Production doesn't equal dominance in this industry. Ideas equal dominance," he said. "At the end of the day there is still an enormous global influence generated out of Los Angeles."

"It's going to be the entertainment capital indefinitely," he added.

SEE ALSO: 17 movies to see this fall

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Jake Gyllenhaal's creepy new indie movie "Nightcrawler" just hit theaters on Friday and has already raked in over $11 million at the box office.

In the film, Gyllenhaal appears gaunt and as a much slimmer version of his usually more buff self.

For the majority of this year, Gyllenhaal was sporting a much leaner look while he shot "Nightcrawler."

"Nightcrawler," in which Gyllenhaal both stars and is a producer, is the story of a career-hungry young man who stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime photojournalism.

Gyllenhaal spent three months in pre-production brainstorming with screenwriter and first-time director Dan Gilroy on the appearance of his character, Lou.

“I knew that [Lou] was literally and figuratively hungry,” Gyllenhaal told Us Weekly, adding that he got into character by transitioning into a "mode where I was always a bit hungry." 

In order to drop 30 pounds from his 180-pound frame, Gyllenhaal told Variety: “I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.”

"He'd have a bowl of luxury chewing (gum) and they were, like, really elaborately flavored, to trick his brain into thinking he was having a meal,"Gyllenhaal's co-star Riz Ahmed told The Canadian Press at the Toronto Film Festival this week. "So he was on his exercise bike having chewing gum and, like, almond tea with one calorie."

He also said Gyllenhaal was aware and apologetic about his sometimes-sour demeanor, "So he was like: 'Sorry I'm grumpy, I haven't eaten."'

On some nights during shooting, Gyllenhaal told Variety he wouldn’t eat at all, or he’d only take small bites of meat, crackers, or kale salad. To stay lean and fit, he would run 15 miles from his house to the film's set.

“There was a general sense that he was a coyote,” Gyllenhaal says. “I just wanted to live that way.”

Gilroy adds: “When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent — it’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.”

Gyllenhaal's co-star and Gilroy's wife, Rene Russo, told E! Online, "It's incredible what he put his body through. I actually was worried."

But this isn't Gyllenhaal's first physical transformation for a film.

In 2010, the Oscar nominee added major muscle to his physique for "Prince of Persia." The actor told UsWeekly at the time that he would eat six small meals loaded with protein, carbs, and fats.

Gyllenhaal, however, says there was no special diet to shed pounds for "Nightcrawler." 

"I just love this movie," he said. "That’s how I did it. There really was no technique."

Watch the "Nightcrawler" trailer below. Gyllenhaal's performance is already being called "stunning":

SEE ALSO: Jake Gyllenhaal Goes Psycho In His Dark New Movie 'Nightcrawler'

MORE: Here's How Chris Pratt Got Ripped For Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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Japan's Sony Corp said it is aiming to garner up to $11 billion in revenue from its movie business in three years time, a 36 percent increase over levels forecast for the current financial year.

Sony Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai also told an investors conference that he plans to set mid-term growth targets for the whole company this business year.

Sony said in a statement it was aiming for revenue of $10 billion to $11 billion in the financial year ending in March 2018, compared with $8.1 billion forecast for this business year.

It also said that it is targeting revenue of $4.8 billion to $5.2 billion from its music division in three years time, which compares with a forecast of $4.8 billion for the current financial year.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Ritsuko Ando; Writing by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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Sony suffered a major hack this week, leading to the online leaks of four of the studio's coming movies and a cyberattack that knocked out the studio's computer network.

The latest attack is a spreadsheet listing the alleged salaries of 17 top paid executives of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Fusion’s Kevin Roose published the spreadsheet, explaining: "I received a link to a public Pastebin file containing the documents from an anonymous e-mailer ... one interesting tidbit caught my eye: a spreadsheet containing the salaries of more than 6,000 Sony Pictures employees, including the company’s top executives."

The below spreadsheet of the 17 highest-paid execs reveals the $3 million salaries of both CEO Michael Lynton and co-chairman Amy Pascal (pictured above). 

Roose also noted that the list of top salaried executives was 88% white and 94% male.

Of the 17 listed above, only one — Amy Pascal, the co-chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment and chair of SPE's Motion Picture Group — is a woman. 

The initial attack on Sony occurred a month before the studio is set to release the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy "The Interview," about two journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The Pyongyang government denounced the film as "undisguised sponsoring of terrorism, as well as an act of war" in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June.

Sony and security consultants were investigating the possibility that someone acting on behalf of North Korea, possibly from China, was responsible, according to Reuters. A link to North Korea had not been confirmed but also had not been ruled out.

In the initial hack last week, an image of a skeleton appeared on company computers with a message that said, "Hacked by #GOP," with the group behind it calling itself "Guardians of Peace." The message threatened to release "secrets and top secrets" of the company, according to Variety.

The latest attack listing salaries also includes Sony employees' names, job titles, home addresses, bonus plans, and salaries.

TheWrap previously reported the hackers threatened to release private information from the studio if their demands were not met, but those demands were never made clear. They also did not specify a deadline and had not released information before now.

While Sony has no comment on the latest attack, the FBI has launched an investigation with the studio's support.

"The FBI is working with our interagency partners to investigate the recently reported cyber-intrusion at Sony Pictures Entertainment," the FBI said in an emailed statement. "The targeting of public and private sector computer networks remains a significant threat, and the FBI will continue to identify, pursue and defeat individuals and groups who pose a threat in cyberspace."

NOW WATCH: Watch These Daredevil Dancers Leap From A 22-Foot Spinning Ladder

SEE ALSO: 4 Coming Sony Movies Leak Online Amid Giant Cyberattack

MORE: Sony Thinks North Korea Could Be Linked To A Cyberattack Just Weeks Before 'The Interview' Hits Theaters

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In the latest leaked Sony emails, it is revealed that Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams were paid less than their male costars in 2013's "American Hustle,"which was co-financed by Sony arm Columbia Pictures.  

Although both actresses were nominated for Oscars for their roles in the film, director David O'Russell and actors Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Jeremy Renner all earned more on the movie's back-end compensation.

In a Sony email unearthed by The Daily Beast from December 2013, Andrew Gumpert, president of business affairs for Columbia Pictures, wrote to Sony cochair Amy Pascal and Doug Belgrad, president of SPE Motion Picture Group, about the back-end compensation — known as "points"— that each actor would receive after the movie's release:

Got a steve warren/gretchen rush call that it's unfair the male actors get 9% in the pool and jennifer is only at 7pts. You may recall Jennifer was at 5 (amy was and is at 7) and WE anted in 2 extra points for Jennifer to get her up to 7. If anyone needs to top jennifer up it’s megan [producer Megan Ellison]. BUT I think amy and Jennifer are tied so upping JL, ups AA.

Gumpert added: "The current talent deals are: O'Russell: 9%; Cooper: 9%; Bale: 9%; Renner: 9%; Lawrence: 7%; Adams: 7%."

Pascal's email response to the news of Lawrence's making less than her male colleagues was "there is truth here." This despite the fact that "Hustle" was approved after "The Hunger Games," which starred Lawrence, became a hit, The Daily Beast points out.

"American Hustle" went on to earn over $251 million worldwide, but "The Hunger Games" is a billion-dollar franchise with Lawrence at the center. While it's unknown what Lawrence earned up front for "Hustle," the 24-year-old took home $10 million for the second "Hunger Games" installment, "Catching Fire." The Hollywood Reporter notes that the figure "is a combination of salary, bonuses, and escalators."

The recent leaks have also revealed the bigger issue of a major pay gap between male and female Sony staffers.

According to a spreadsheet listing top exec salaries, Hannah Minghella, who serves as co-president of production at Columbia Pictures, makes about $1 million less per year ($1.5 million) than her male counterpart with the same job, Columbia Pictures co-president of production Michael De Luca ($2.4 million).

According to the spreadsheet, which lists the salaries of 6,000 employees, 17 of the employees were making $1 million or more, but only one of those was a woman.

The spreadsheet also showed that the top salaried Sony executives were 88% white and 94% male.

The leaks are the latest in a series by a mysterious group calling itself the "Guardians of Peace." The group has been demanding Sony not release the coming comedy "The Interview," which has also been denounced by North Korea.

SEE ALSO: 2 Sony Execs' Entire Email Boxes Got Leaked By Hackers And Now All Hell Is Breaking Loose

MORE: LEAKED: Hacked Sony Docs Reveal Top 17 Executives' Multimillion-Dollar Salaries

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Angelina Jolie sat down with Tom Brokaw on the "Today" show in February to discuss "Unbroken," the upcoming Christmas Day movie she directed about the incredible life of former Olympic runner and legendary World War II hero, Louis Zamperini.

"This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done," Jolie revealed.

So how did the actress, with just one director credit under her belt, land the directing gig of the film adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name? 

"I had all the hours of phone calls and things and made all these boards, I took my glue and tape and pictures off the internet — and I put all my boards in a garbage bag and I carried them to Universal myself and put them out and I pitched my butt off!"

"I felt such a huge responsibility to get it right," Jolie said. "I love him [Zamperini] so much and he’s helped me so much in my life."

Ironically, the 39-year-old Hollywood starlet and the late Zamperini were closer to each other before filming than they even realized. Zamperini’s home overlooked Jolie’s in the Hollywood Hills.

"I imagine that for the last 10-something years, he’s been sitting there having a coffee in the morning and wondering who’s going to make this movie!" Jolie exclaimed. "And I’ve been sitting in my room laying there thinking, 'What am I supposed to be doing with my life? I wanna do something important. I need some help. I need some guidance. Where is it?' And it was right outside my window."

Watch Tom Brokaw interview Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini below.

SEE ALSO: Sony Hack: Producer Called Angelina Jolie A 'Minimally Talented Spoiled Brat'

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Actor Channing Tatum is already receiving Oscar buzz for his role as Olympic wrestling champion, Mark Schultz.

While Schultz previously praised the film via social media saying its stars should receive Oscars, the 54-year-old recently changed his tune.

In a New Year's Eve Facebook and Twitter rant, Schultz slammed "Foxcatcher" director Bennett Miller and star Channing Tatum.

Many of the tweets have since been deleted, but Variety managed to grab them before they disappeared:

YOU CROSSED THE LINE MILLER. WE'RE DONE. YOU'RE CAREER IS OVER. YOU THINK I CAN'T DO IT. WATCH ME.  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014

YOU THINK I'M GOING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH YOU DESTROY MY NAME AND REPUTATION I SWEAT BLOOD FOR. YOU AINT' SEEN NOTHING YET DUDE.  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014  

I BUILT THIS HOUSE AND I'LL TEAR IT DOWN. YOU THINK I CAN'T TAKE YOU DOWN COZ UR A DIRECTOR. WATCH ME BENNETT… http://t.co/wQSKgq9Pwz  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014  

I CAN TOLERATE A LOT OF THINGS BUT I DON'T TOLERATE DISRESPECT. WE'RE DONE BENNETT.  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014  

Everything I've ever said positive about the movie I take back. I hate it. i hate it. i hate it. I hate it. i hate it. i hate it. I hate it  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014  

I HATE EVERYTHING THAT SCUM TOUCHES. EVERYTHING!!!  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014  

I HATE BENNETT MILLER.  — Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 31, 2014

A few tweets remain on Schultz's feed:

I love Foxcatcher is about me, stars @channingtatum and immortalized Dave. I hate the way I'm portrayed. Read Foxcatcher the book for truth

— Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 29, 2014

Foxcatcher's scenes are mostly straight out of my book (except a few). But the relationships and personalities are complete fiction.

— Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 29, 2014

Now that the movie's been out a while I want to ask my friends a question. In one word, how should I feel about the way I was portrayed?

— Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 30, 2014

Schultz explained more on Facebook, saying he was upset that it was implied in the film that he and his former coach John du Pont (played by Steve Carell) had a sexual relationship, which he called "insulting."

He continued to assure "the integrity and truth of my story":

Schultz ended his criticism of the movie with a plug for his book:

The Truth behind #Foxcatcher is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. http://t.co/JxeuNuV5a7

— Mark Schultz (@MarkSchultzy) December 21, 2014

In November, Schultz released "Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother’s Murder, John du Pont’s Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold," which he says is the real version of what happened.

The film, which was also released in November, has earned over $6 million at the  box office and has received tons of critical acclaim.

SEE ALSO: Steve Carell And Channing Tatum Give Their Best Performances Yet In Thought-Provoking 'Foxcatcher'

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In 2008, Liam Neeson earned a reported $1 million for his action-packed role as retired-but-still kicking CIA agent Bryan Mills in the surprise hit "Taken."

In 2012, Neeson was reluctant to return to the role for "Taken 2," but finally agreed after pocketing a reported $10 million paycheck. A small fee for a film that has since gone on to gross $376,141,306 worldwide on a $45 million production budget.

And now, the 62-year-old actor will once again reprise his role for "Taken 3," hitting theaters today.

In 2013, Deadline reported that Neeson was "closing a deal in the vicinity of $20 million to reprise his role as Bryan Mills." While the figure hasn't been confirmed, it is likely based on the franchise's success.

"Given the muscular box office of 'Taken 2,' agency sources think Neeson could command $20 million-plus if he wanted to reprise the role — a mark once considered standard for big franchise roles but now reserved for the likes of Johnny Depp and Will Smith in the right projects," noted The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2014, Neeson landed the No.7 spot on Forbes' list of Highest Paid Actors — which is still small compared to Robert Downey Jr.'s $50 million "Avengers" paycheck. Downey Jr.'s "Avengers" co-stars didn't make quite as much, with Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo all reportedly earning between $2-3 million with bonuses, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

In addition to Neeson, "Taken 2" director Olivier Megaton also returns for the latest installment.

Megaton is the man partially responsible for the huge box office grosses of "Taken 2," earning $50 million more than the orginal.

"When the sequel does better than the original at the box office, and doesn’t cost that much more, of course they will try for the trifecta," noted Deadline.

Now Neeson just needs to "take" down the negative reviews of the latest movie.

SEE ALSO: The 'Taken 3' Reviews Are Pretty Brutal

MORE: Charlize Theron Reportedly Negotiated A $10 Million Paycheck After Sony Hack Revealed Unequal Pay

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There's an unforgettable scene in "Birdman" where Michael Keaton is forced to walk through New York's Times Square in his underwear after getting locked out of his dressing room mid-performance at a nearby Broadway theater.

But what many don't realize about the key scene is that Keaton really had to dodge unsuspecting, gawking fans in New York's busiest area — all in one continuous shot with no cuts.

Here's what the scene ended up looking like in the film:

But the shoot wasn't easy.

The film's director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, explained the logistical nightmare to Variety:

There were four takes, starting at 8:30 p.m. If the shot was too early, the lighting wouldn’t work; too late, the crowd would thin. Crew was kept to a minimum, to draw as little attention as possible. Keaton’s movements were accompanied by only four people: Lubezki [cinematographer]; the focus puller; the boom operator; and the digital imaging technician. Eight production assistants worked on crowd control. Inarritu was close by; for two of the four takes, he shot Keaton with his smartphone for footage used in a subsequent scene in which Emma Stone watches the incident on YouTube...

Because production couldn't afford to shut down Times Square or fill it with paid extras, real fans and onlookers became part of the shot.

"We worried about security," Inarritu told Variety, adding that there was a fear someone would stare at the camera or walk into the scene. "There was no possibility to cut away if that happened" since it was one long take, the director notes. "If any scene in the film failed, I could not remove it or manipulate it. It had to be perfect."

Here's what the shoot looked like in reality as a passerby in Times Square:

In order to divert people's attention from the camera, Variety reports that Inarritu hired a group of street drummers who danced and performed nearby. "All the tourists wanted to look at these drummers. A half-naked man in Times Square? They’ve seen that before," said the director.

"Birdman" production designer, Kevin Thompson, explained further to Yahoo Movies:

"Having the drummers there really assisted in gathering and holding the crowd, and then also holding space along one side of them. It created an energy that helped, I think."

Now watch the shoot from the drummers' point of view:

"Even though it does look like chaos, we did have to control the crowd and extras," added Thompson. "For the most part we just had a ton of film crew dressed as pedestrians that we’d guide, and then all these extras taking pictures. It was very complicated."

Another challenge that production faced was all of the prominent brand advertising in the background of the Times Square shoot.

The "Birdman" legal team had to get permission from each brand to be used onscreen, reports Variety.

But it wasn't just the Times Square scene that was tough to shoot. The entire film was made to look like one continuous, two-hour shot.

In order to achieve the look, the cast underwent shots that took anywhere from seven to 10 minutes to film, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"Everybody showed up every morning frightened," Keaton told EW. "The crew too. I think we were all thinking, I don't want to be the guy who lets everybody down."

The cast, crew, and camera team had to be in sync at all times on the very fast 30-day shoot.

Here's how EW describes what one mistake would cost them on set:

"Anything—a misremembered line, an extra step taken, a camera operator stumbling on a stair or veering off course or out of focus—could blow a take, rendering the first several minutes unusable even if they had been perfect."

"You had to be word-perfect, you had to be off script, and you literally had to count your paces down to the number of steps you needed to take before turning a corner," Keaton told EW. 

But the challenging shoot was worth it.

"Birdman" recently led the Oscar nominations with nine nods, including best picture, best actor for Michael Keaton, best director for Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and achievement in cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, the Oscar-winning cinematographer who worked on "Gravity."

On a production budget of just $18 million, the film has raked in nearly $42 million since its late October limited release.

Check out the "Birdman" trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Here's How Ridiculously Difficult It Was To Film 'Birdman' In 30 Days

MORE:  'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

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"American Sniper" is currently breaking box-office records and garnering critical acclaim with six Oscar nominations, while at the same time igniting a lot of controversy.

The latest issue that has filmgoers up in arms is the use of a fake baby in the Clint Eastwood-directed war biopic.

During what is supposed to be an emotional scene, the doll's stiffness is evident as Bradley Cooper and his onscreen wife, played by Sienna Miller, pass the partially mechanized baby back and forth as they discuss Cooper's character leaving for another tour.

You can even see Cooper moving the doll's arm:

Critics were quick to take notice:

• "I have never seen so many terrible fake babies in one film."—The Sunday Times
• "Laughably fake."—Film School Rejects
• "They’re conspicuously wobbling rather than moving, which makes the crying sound effects seem a bit eerily detached."—The Telegraph
• "Jarringly fake ... There's just no excuse for that kind of bush-league nonsense."—NewsOK
• "It's so obvious, and neither one of them looks like they are comfortable holding it. The weight's all wrong, and it shows from the way they have to try to liven it up with their own body language. Cooper in particular looks like he's just plain never held a baby." —Hitfix

It didn't get past viewers, either:

Halloween '15 idea: the obviously fake baby in American Sniper. pic.twitter.com/mWIhKeDBRF

— Ryan (@rjhugs) January 19, 2015

I don't get all the American Sniper love. But I do understand Bradley Cooper's nom.He had to hold that fake baby and not laugh.That's skill!

— Ruth (@BabyRuthCT) January 15, 2015

If that fake baby from American Sniper doesn't get a Best Supporting Fake Baby nom, I will be outraged.

— CutPrintFilm (@cutprintfilm) January 15, 2015

I know everyone is down on the fake "American Sniper" baby but I'm just glad it was able to get some work after "Trainspotting".

— Leonard Pierce (@leonardpierce) January 20, 2015

The fake baby in American Sniper still looks more realistic than old man Armie Hammer in J. Edgar. pic.twitter.com/QvpLZQJpCL

— Adam Batty (@adamhopelies) January 19, 2015

But it was journalist Mark Harris' tweet that finally prompted a response from production.

Harris tweeted:

"That plastic baby in American Sniper is going to be rationalized by Eastwood auteur cultists until the end of days."

"American Sniper" screenwriter and executive producer Jason Hall replied via Twitter (and later deleted):

"hate to ruin the fun but real baby #1 showed up with a fever. Real baby #2 was no show. (Clint voice) Gimme the doll, kid."

Many have hypothesized that Eastwood's fast-paced shooting style didn't allow production enough time to find another real baby.

The Hollywood Reporter explained the difficulty of having a real baby on a film set:

Shooting in California poses some challenges when employing a real baby given the state's strict laws (part of the movie was shot in Los Angeles). Infants must be at least 15 days old, and babies from that age up to six months can be employed for only one period of two consecutive hours in any given day. Moreover, that time frame has to be between 9:30-11:30 a.m. or from 2:30-4:30 p.m., and one studio teacher along with one nurse must be on set during filming.

Doesn't sound ideal for Eastwood's directing style.

NOW WATCH: Why 'MythBusters' Adam Savage Is Way In To Cosplay

SEE ALSO: There's A Bitter Debate Forming Around 'American Sniper'

MORE: Here's How 'Birdman' Shot That Crazy Scene Of Michael Keaton Running In Times Square In His Underwear

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The Producers Guild of America held their annual award show Saturday, January 24, honoring the best producers in Hollywood. Those on the red carpet reflect on the oddest requests they have recieved on a project.

Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" is breaking box-office records and garnering critical acclaim with six Oscar nominations, but many are questioning the accuracy of the film, which is based on former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's best-selling memoir of the same title.

While some argue that Kyle, who was shot and killed in 2013 by a Marine veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, may have embellished battle scenes, his widow says their relationship was just as special and loving in real life as it appeared on screen.

Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller played Chris and Taya Kyle in "American Sniper":

The real Chris and Taya Kyle:

Taya Kyle told People magazine in early January: "I was madly in love with him and still am."

Taya, now 40, adds: "I miss him so much. I loved being in his arms. I loved holding his hand. But what I miss most about Chris is the feeling when he was in the room. He just changed the feeling whenever he walked in. I missed him even when he was just gone from the room."

But as seen in the film, the couple's relationship went through a few rough patches as Chris spent long stretches away from his wife and two young children while serving four tours in Iraq.

In 2009, to save his marriage, Chris quit the military to make his wife and children his priority.

"My relationship with him, from the beginning, was just very real. Very real, deep, passionate love. We went through some really hard times, but we found our way back to each other every time," a choked up Taya told Fox News in December. "I'll never have anything like that again, and I'm OK with that because it was special and it deserves to be set in a different category."

Taya clarified the truth behind a few key scenes between her and Kyle in the film.

WARNING: SPOILERS

1. In the movie, Taya and Kyle meet in a bar. The two take shots, and Taya becomes so drunk that she ends up getting sick. Kyle holds her hair back as she vomits.

Taya tells Fox News the story is, unfortunately pretty, close to the truth: "Yes, although I will say it wasn't shots; I think I was drinking scotch on the rocks. And then yes I did vomit, and then yes he did hold my hair back."

2. In the movie, Kyle's wedding was interrupted by news that the US would go to war following 9/11.

In reality, the couple decided to get married because Chris was about to be deployed and had only a few days of leave amid military training.

 3. In one scene, Taya calls Chris, who is in Iraq, to tell him the sex of their unborn child. When a firefight breaks out, Chris drops his phone to shoot and Taya is left on the line to hear the entire ordeal, not knowing whether her husband is dead or alive.

According to Slate: "Kyle once dropped his phone during a firefight and she was forced to hear the whole thing — but not when she was revealing the sex of her baby, as in the film."

4. In the movie, Chris eventually decides to quit the military essentially because he is depressed after seeing so much death.

According to his memoir, Chris told Taya he would not reenlist because their marriage was nearing divorce.

5. At the end of the movie, Taya pulls Chris aside on the morning before his unexpected death (Chris was shot by a veteran he was trying to help) and has a long chat with him about how grateful she is that he returned home and what an amazing father he had become.

According to Slate: "This is not in Kyle's memoir, for obvious reasons, but screenwriter Jason Hall writes in an addendum to the new edition of the book that Taya told him she had this conversation with Kyle a month before his death."

When Chris was killed, he had been in the process of adapting his best-selling memoir into the film that it became. At the time, Bradley Cooper was attached to produce and star as Chris, who wished to have Eastwood direct the movie.

When Eastwood eventually signed on, after Chris' death, Taya tells People magazine the 84-year-old director "was a little choked up. He said, 'I just want you to know that your story has my heart.'"

"I feel like they all have this huge heart for Chris," Taya added. "I really feel like they truly love him and understand him."

When Taya first met actress Sienna Miller — who would be playing her in the film — she says that after just a few sentences, "I was like, 'This is good.' We just connected. It's been a tremendous blessing."

"They spent a lot of time absorbing the details and getting them right in the movie," Taya told Fox News. "Chris would be far too humble to say any of his good qualities, he was very self-deprecating in his humor, and for me to have the ability to tell them what I loved was a beautiful thing."

Through tears, Taya told Fox that she still felt her husband's presence every day:

I do in a lot of ways feel like I still have that relationship, and it still grows because of what I learn and what I experience, and how I can more deeply appreciate what he was going through and I wish that had know more at the time, as people often do. But I also know that he knows the best I could and he was doing the best he could.

We started our lives and we went through war, child birth, happiness, joking through the hard times, and he really changed me into somebody much, much better, and I'm so grateful to him. I carry him with me, I feel him with me all the time and that's a pretty special thing.

Watch Taya's full interview on Fox News below:

"American Sniper" is nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, adapted screenplay, and best actor for Cooper.

Taya, meanwhile, has founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation to help enrich the relationships of military and first responders' families.

Even though Chris was killed almost two years ago, Taya told People: "He had so much energy in life. There are some people who probably go to heaven and chill and just check in once in a while, but Chris is probably like, 'I'm watching my people!'

"I will miss him every single day of my life."

SEE ALSO: The incredible and tragic story of the real-life 'American Sniper'

MORE: Here's the intense training Bradley Cooper went through to gain 40 pounds of muscle for 'American Sniper'

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On Sunday, "Birdman" star Michael Keaton lost the best actor Oscar to "The Theory of Everything" leading man, Eddie Redmayne.

But "Birdman" won the big award of the night — best picture — and also took home best director, best original screenplay, and best achievement in cinematography.

During the awards show, Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris spoofed one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, in which Micheal Keaton is forced to jog through Times Square in his underwear.

The scene occurs after Keaton's character is locked out of his dressing room mid-performance at a nearby Broadway theater.

It's one of the most memorable points in the film.

But what many don't realize about the key scene is that Keaton really had to dodge unsuspecting, gawking fans in New York's busiest area — all in one continuous shot with no cuts.

Here's what the scene ended up looking like in the film:

But the shoot wasn't easy.

The film's director, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, explained the logistical nightmare to Variety:

There were four takes, starting at 8:30 p.m. If the shot was too early, the lighting wouldn’t work; too late, the crowd would thin. Crew was kept to a minimum, to draw as little attention as possible. Keaton’s movements were accompanied by only four people: Lubezki [cinematographer]; the focus puller; the boom operator; and the digital imaging technician. Eight production assistants worked on crowd control. Inarritu was close by; for two of the four takes, he shot Keaton with his smartphone for footage used in a subsequent scene in which Emma Stone watches the incident on YouTube...

Because production couldn't afford to shut down Times Square or fill it with paid extras, real fans and onlookers became part of the shot.

"We worried about security," Inarritu told Variety, adding that there was a fear someone would stare at the camera or walk into the scene. "There was no possibility to cut away if that happened" since it was one long take, the director notes. "If any scene in the film failed, I could not remove it or manipulate it. It had to be perfect."

Here's what the shoot looked like in reality as a passerby in Times Square:

In order to divert people's attention from the camera, Variety reports Inarritu hired a group of street drummers who danced and performed nearby. "All the tourists wanted to look at these drummers. A half-naked man in Times Square? They’ve seen that before," said the director.

"Birdman" production designer, Kevin Thompson, explained further to Yahoo Movies:

"Having the drummers there really assisted in gathering and holding the crowd, and then also holding space along one side of them. It created an energy that helped, I think."

Now watch the shoot from the drummers' point of view:

"Even though it does look like chaos, we did have to control the crowd and extras," added Thompson. "For the most part we just had a ton of film crew dressed as pedestrians that we’d guide, and then all these extras taking pictures. It was very complicated."

Another challenge that production faced was all of the prominent brand advertising in the background of the Times Square shoot.

The "Birdman" legal team had to get permission from each brand to be used onscreen, reports Variety.

But it wasn't just the Times Square scene that was tough to shoot. The entire film was made to look like one continuous, two-hour shot.

In order to achieve the look, the cast underwent shots that took anywhere from seven to 10 minutes to film, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"Everybody showed up every morning frightened," Keaton told EW. "The crew too. I think we were all thinking, I don't want to be the guy who lets everybody down."

The cast, crew, and camera team had to be in sync at all times on the very fast 30-day shoot.

Here's how EW describes what one mistake would cost them on set:

"Anything—a misremembered line, an extra step taken, a camera operator stumbling on a stair or veering off course or out of focus—could blow a take, rendering the first several minutes unusable even if they had been perfect."

"You had to be word-perfect, you had to be off script, and you literally had to count your paces down to the number of steps you needed to take before turning a corner," Keaton told EW. 

But with four Oscar wins, the challenging shoot was clearly worth it.

The small film has been profitable, too. On a production budget of just $18 million, "Birdman" has raked in over $76 million worldwide since its late October release.

Check out the "Birdman" trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Here's How Ridiculously Difficult It Was To Film 'Birdman' In 30 Days

MORE: 'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This guy went from homeless to making $25,000 per Vine

The film and video industry will never look the same, thanks to drones. Commercial use of drones is now prohibited, but there are signs that regulatory changes may be coming soon. The FAA has just granted exemptions to six filmmaking companies to use drones equipped with cameras.

Drone videos are already changing the way we see things.

"I think that drones are the most amazing innovation that cinema has seen since probably the Steadicam," director and photographer Randy Scott Slavin tells Business Insider.

While many people look at drones as a loud and expensive hobby, professional filmmakers like Slavin are using their drones to capture video from a unique perspective. After his aerial footage of New York City went viral, Slavin was inspired to launch the New York City Drone Film Festival, to celebrate the stunning works of countless other drone videographers.

"This is not a hobby anymore. This is a profession," Parker Gyokeres of Propellerheads Aerial Photography tells us. "This is a professional skill set that has taken us years to develop."

Produced by Will Wei. Additional camera by Alana Kakoyiannis and Justin Gmoser. 

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