|
|
All the news now and in your digital future
how much to pay actors
Posted by spunkmeyer
|
Re: how much to pay actors January 20, 2007 12:53PM |
I'd say you're jumping ahead. You don't even have a budget yet. Until you break down your script and figure out how much money you have to spend, total, you can't decide how much is high or low for your actors. SAG actors would have their rates already predetermined, but without a budget, you can't even decide whether you can use SAG actors.
Come up with a script breakdown and a budget first, then find somebody to help you produce this thing. If you don't collaborate with an experienced producer, at least consult with one.
> Also - where is a good place to find actors - I was just going to post on Craigslist.
Post an ad in Backstage. You'll probably get 200 headshots in a week. Or go to lots of small plays -- there's amazing acting talent in theatre, and you won't have as much trouble approaching them if the plays are small. Whether they're good for your film or not has to come from the interviews and auditions. When I did casting for my thesis film years ago, one of the leads was for a race-non-specific actress in her early to mid 20s, and we got about a three-foot stack of headshots just from one weekly ad. The actress I ended up casting had a pretty bad headshot shot by her grandfather; I called her in anyway, fairly randomly. But her audition stood out from the dozens of actresses we called in, and I knew she was the right one even at the first meeting. On the other hand, my two favourite choices for the male lead both froze right up when I paired them up with actresses for the callbacks, and the male actor who was my last choice out of the callbacks (originally, I thought he was too good-looking) ended up as the top choice at the very end.
You can never tell with actors.
www.derekmok.com
Come up with a script breakdown and a budget first, then find somebody to help you produce this thing. If you don't collaborate with an experienced producer, at least consult with one.
> Also - where is a good place to find actors - I was just going to post on Craigslist.
Post an ad in Backstage. You'll probably get 200 headshots in a week. Or go to lots of small plays -- there's amazing acting talent in theatre, and you won't have as much trouble approaching them if the plays are small. Whether they're good for your film or not has to come from the interviews and auditions. When I did casting for my thesis film years ago, one of the leads was for a race-non-specific actress in her early to mid 20s, and we got about a three-foot stack of headshots just from one weekly ad. The actress I ended up casting had a pretty bad headshot shot by her grandfather; I called her in anyway, fairly randomly. But her audition stood out from the dozens of actresses we called in, and I knew she was the right one even at the first meeting. On the other hand, my two favourite choices for the male lead both froze right up when I paired them up with actresses for the callbacks, and the male actor who was my last choice out of the callbacks (originally, I thought he was too good-looking) ended up as the top choice at the very end.
You can never tell with actors.
www.derekmok.com
|
Re: how much to pay actors January 20, 2007 05:39PM |
> Actually you CAN tell with actors.
Oh, I meant that it's a lot less predictable. Hire a good DP, a good editor, and chances are your end results will look professional (though different creative talent would also have different takes on things). With actors, you can have an absolutely amazing actor, but he may not be right for the film (comedies, especially -- good actors that aren't naturally funny often won't do), while a complete novice can sometimes carry a visual or human/emotional quality that makes the character sing. For example, Keisha Castle-Hughes was absolutely phenomenal in Whale Rider when she had zero film experience, but a grown-up Castle-Hughes sucked badly in The Nativity Story.
Even with a great casting director, you won't know until you meet and audition them.
If you have film contacts that aren't casting directors, there are also sometimes people who are willing to work for free for a small project if they think the project is worthy. Or you are worthy as a networking opportunity. One place to try is to go to a reputable film school and look for producing partners/other collaborators. That may also get you access to their casting files, filmmakers who know actors/casting people/producers, and in the case of my old school, it also allowed access to our theatre department, which was filled with good actors who would love a tangible acting reel and would act for free.
www.derekmok.com
Oh, I meant that it's a lot less predictable. Hire a good DP, a good editor, and chances are your end results will look professional (though different creative talent would also have different takes on things). With actors, you can have an absolutely amazing actor, but he may not be right for the film (comedies, especially -- good actors that aren't naturally funny often won't do), while a complete novice can sometimes carry a visual or human/emotional quality that makes the character sing. For example, Keisha Castle-Hughes was absolutely phenomenal in Whale Rider when she had zero film experience, but a grown-up Castle-Hughes sucked badly in The Nativity Story.
Even with a great casting director, you won't know until you meet and audition them.
If you have film contacts that aren't casting directors, there are also sometimes people who are willing to work for free for a small project if they think the project is worthy. Or you are worthy as a networking opportunity. One place to try is to go to a reputable film school and look for producing partners/other collaborators. That may also get you access to their casting files, filmmakers who know actors/casting people/producers, and in the case of my old school, it also allowed access to our theatre department, which was filled with good actors who would love a tangible acting reel and would act for free.
www.derekmok.com
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
