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

Avoiding Fly-By-Night Film Festivals

Unsure if an impressive-looking festival is really worth the fee? This month we're talking about how to spot film events that aren't quite what they seem.


 

Browsing through festival services like Withoutabox and FilmFreeway can be as overwhelming as selecting a wine at a fancy restaurant. How do you be sure that it's a good one?

It's an unpleasant fact that dozens of new festivals pop up every year and some of them exist only to prey upon film-makers. There really isn't a sure-fire method for weeding out these scoundrels, but there are some things you can look for to make a determination if a festival is worth the price of the submission fee.

Although many online contests seem to be created solely for the fleecing of film-makers, don't make the mistake of thinking that you are safe by just sticking to live events. There are quite a few bare-minimum festivals out there that count on the idea that you'll spend a lot of money for the chance to see your work on a big screen... and many of them won't even deliver on that.

You can usually get an idea of what you're in for by looking at the venue. Festivals held in cinema houses or large event halls will probably have everything one imagines a film festival should have.

Smaller festivals that don't have the thousands of dollars needed to rent a big theatre for a day may take place in a more social-friendly setting like a community center or even a bar. (Tavern festivals can actually be a lot of fun!)
 
And then there are the least expensive alternatives, which are usually rented warehouses, temporary office spaces, or library meeting rooms. The very bottom of the barrel is a festival held in a residential home, or worse, the backyard.

Most festivals will include the address of the event on their listing with film submission services. Thanks to the magic of Google Maps, it is fairly easy to determine what type of location is hosting the event. If they only list a general area or state that the location will be announced at a later time, it may be a warning sign that a live event may not actually be planned.

While it is entirely possible that a festival with a small venue may be worth its weight in gold with the networking opportunities, there are a few things that may indicate that a festival is either out to drain the wallets of its participants or that attendance by the film-makers is actually being discouraged.

Be wary of festivals that charge the selected film-makers for tickets to the event. Unless there was no submission fee and ticket sales are the only way that the event covers its expenses, this is a very unusual practice. Most reputable festivals will offer at least two free tickets to each of the selected films and screenplays.

Some predatory festivals will offer free “basic” admission to selected film-makers but then strongly encourage them to upgrade by purchasing a V.I.P. ticket with a pitch that is designed to prey on one’s fear of missing out on great opportunities.

These expensive upgrades usually involve access to exclusive parties where unnamed but super-important special guests have been invited. The operative word here is invited, which doesn’t mean that the invitation was accepted.

So how do you avoid these vampire festivals that were designed to bleed your wallet dry? It’s not always easy because some of them put out some really impressive bait.

Ask questions first.

If a festival boasts about special VIP parties, ask the fest if entry is complimentary for selected film-makers. Ask who the “special guests” are. A reputable festival that has confirmed the attendance of celebrities will usually advertise them.

If at all possible, reach out to someone who has attended the festival in the past. Google the festival and look for anyone who may have let loose with the criticism on a blog, forum, or social media. When people get burned they do tend to talk about it.

Of course, this may be impossible if the festival is listed as being in its first year. So the best thing you can do if you suspect that a festival might be a fly-by-night scam is simply not to submit to it.

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