Don't Lose Your Keys!

You know how it goes on the set of a project that has a budget that wouldn't buy a decent meal in L.A.  Everyone is running around doing multiple jobs and eventually that must-have-now item is locked in somebody's car. (Or worse, somebody's car has to be moved) and that somebody is completely indisposed at the moment. 

So the car owner hands over the keys to a very busy PA and by wrap time they have not made it back to the owner. Somewhere there's a PA walking around with several sets of keys in his pocket and with any luck he hasn't already left for the day.

This isn't fool-proof, but investing in a key fob with your name clearly marked on it can save you a lot of headaches.

When that flustered PA realizes that he's jingling around like Christmas and pulls out his new key collection, you'll be among the first people he looks for.

Another keychain trick is to get a bunch of cheap plastic tags from a hardware store and write your name and crew position on them. This is really handy if you  change positions from one production to the next.

In a world where a lot of people drive cars that look the same at a glance, another time-saving tip is to put something visible on your car to identify it as yours.

Just telling the PA that "it's the white Honda" could have him out for quite some time trying your keys in the half-dozen white cars scattered around the location.  There are many people who aren't savvy to make and models too, so saying "It's the white Honda Accord." might not be as helpful as you'd think.

You can get a custom bumper stickers made for around $8.00 (or less) at any number of online print-on-demand shops.  Just attach it to a magnetic strip and slap it on the back of your car when you're working on location.

You can use just your name or get creative with a slogan. Anything that stands out so all you have to tell the PA is the color of the car and what the bumper sticker says.

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Casting a No-Budget Production

 Producers with a minuscule budget will often cast their projects using friends and family because they believe that experienced actors would cost too much money. While this usually does hold true for SAG actors, there are thousands of unaffiliated trained actors out there who are dying to work for a different type of currency.

Yes, we're talking about film footage that showcases their talent and is used to build up an actor's sizzle reel. It's worth its weight in gold to a novice actor who is serious about pursuing a career in the movie-making business.

One way to weed out the seriously ambitious from the sorta-interested in acting is by utilizing casting sites that charge actors to view or submit to projects. These sites will allow productions to post their casting calls for free, and some even have filters to make sure that only those that fit the criteria for the role can submit. Candidates will send you their resumes, headshots, and whatever demo videos they have. You can choose which ones you'd like to contact with information about sending in a video audition.

When using a casting site, keep in mind that they are used by both unrepresented actors and talent agencies. Be very clear about being a strictly voluntary project and list any type of non-monetary compensation that you are offering such as meals, credit, and that all-important sizzle reel footage.

While it seems to be a standard pitch, don't just say "credit and copy". Many films never make it out of post-production (or even through filming) and more actors are getting keen to this. Offer footage, even if it ends up just being raw.

Don't think that you can attract "better" actors by promising things like deferred pay or back-end points upon the film turning a profit. These are sometimes called "monkey points" because most films never turn a profit able to accommodate this.

You are just as likely to find very talented people who have been through a lot of training just by simply being honest about your budget and offering footage.

Most importantly, deliver on this promise to your actors as soon as possible, even if the film gets stuck in post or the project derails altogether after the scenes are shot. Remember, a minute or two of footage is all it cost you to cast your production.

Craft Services: Don't Skimp on the Grub!

 

It can't be stressed enough how important providing good meals on a set is. It doesn't matter if it's a multi-million dollar picture or a micro-budget short, feeding the cast and crew a nutritious meal is an investment that pays off even long after the project has wrapped.

When planning out your budget, allow ample funds for craft services and/or catering. You don't need to hire a fancy service to cater. With a little planning ahead and talking to managers, you can get some great discounts from local restaurants while arranging to have a PA pick up a feast to deliver to the set.

Pizza and fast food are common standbys. However, with the wide variety of special diets and allergies that people have the chances are good that you'll have at least one person who can't eat it. Always provide a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy on the menu so your crew can choose what's right for them.

Finding out about allergies or special dietary needs ahead of time is always a good idea, and it makes the job of planning the menu a lot easier. Add a diet and medical info sheet to your paperwork when signing on cast and crew. That way you'll know exactly what type of diets you'll have to accommodate. 

For very low budgets, consider having someone cook meals and deliver them to the set.  A few bags of groceries can be a lot cheaper than restaurant catering and there are hundreds of simple dishes that can be prepared quickly and set out as a buffet for meal times. 

And don't forget the beverages! Asides from the bottled water, it's always a good idea to provide coffee, iced tea, and maybe even lemonade or a fruit punch. You can get large beverage dispensers pretty cheap at discount stores and keep a cooler full of ice nearby.  If you shoot frequently, a commercial chilled drink dispenser might be a worthwhile investment.

Providing good meals does a lot more than just feed people. It boosts morale, makes the crew look forward to working with you, and can even boost up your reputation in the long run. It is not uncommon for Green Room chatter to include discussions about who offers great meals and who just serves cold pizza every day.

Film-Making During Lockdown

 With the current pandemic forcing people to stay apart and shelter-in-place, film productions of all budgets and sizes have come to a screeching halt. However, necessity being the mother of invention has brought forth a trend of stay-at-home films either made entirely by people living at the same location or by editing together scenes films in separate locations with each being taped by the occupants of that location.

Stay-at-home videos can be tricky and a lot depends on the script. While traditionally the writer doesn't concern him/herself with how a scene will be filmed, for this type of project it is imperative for the writer to know exactly what type of props and costumes each cast member has access to, what their location looks like, and if there is someone around to hold the camera for them.

It is possible to film a scene with two actors in it while the actors are in two separate locations. To do this, make sure that both actors have access to a room with similar painted walls. (This is usually, but not always, easy with many folks having at least one room with basic white walls in their homes.)  Arrange for the actors to talk while facing opposite directions and being placed in different areas of the room, and you will be able to cut it together in editing to make them appear to be in the same place.

Using off-screen dialogue is also a tool that comes in handy to make characters appear to be in close proximity of each other even if they are miles apart in actuality.  Having one character call out to another from a different room gives the illusion that they are both in the same house.

Another easy technique to use is to create found-footage or documentary-style film, where it would be expected to only see one or two people on camera at a time and in the case of documentary-style, all characters at different locations.

 

 

 Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Or a question? Or even a criticism? Feel free to let us know by commenting below!

August 2020 - Taking a Break!

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed some plans that we would have been announcing this month, so we have to take a short break while we do a bit of reorganizing!

We'll be resuming our monthly newsletter soon!

In the meantime, Siren by the Sea just opened for submissions for its third season. They are accepting film, screenplay, trailer, and poster submissions  until the end of the year.

https://filmfreeway.com/SirenbytheSea