ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

9 years, 7 months ago - Marlom Tander

"We work with a lightweight production style. Deliberately using minimal kit, lighting and found locations to create a feeling of gritty realism"

Seriously, if you are crossing their palms with silver, you should get plenty of takers. Your real problem will be to cast actors who can act.

If you're really worried, shoot a little video showing just how bare bones you are, ("this is the crew, hi, hi, this is the camera, and look, two, count them, one, two lights and here is our cell, I mean set", but then what the final result looks like. That way you know that they know that you know what you're doing.

9 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich

If I were an actor, I'd have serious issues with a 2 person crew. Seriously, 2 people? You need a good production mixer and boom for sure. That's 4 right there. Good actors are very savvy at seeing red flags. You've got a bunch. No script super? No costume designer? No makeup? No craft service? Come on, man. Find 8 people. You can find 8 people.

There's no reason you can't get really good actors, but you'll be getting actors with no screen experience. They need to know how to hit a mark, where their light is, how to give a physical reaction for a cut, etc., so you'll have to teach them that, probably, which means rehearsal. Which means time. You can do this, but actors need to know they'll be taken care of. That they have a chance to be their best.

9 years, 7 months ago - Gary Braun

I really like the way you express Yourself.You are honest and straighforward.
There is absolutely no disadvantage the way you describe yourself.
I have a few friends who are not too sphisticated with a 200£ camera,very basic sound,led lights,simple monopod
And making the editing with moviemaker.
They love what they do,with lots of enthousiasm and mainly they do it since many years.
They make a living filming for small events and survive from that.
I started to learn serious film making at School and understand the enormisity of great sound,crew,lighting,high digital camera.premiere and post production colour grading.I am stuck...my primitive ..friends continue doiing what they
Love most which is Filming.I am educated,what rules are and am stuck.
If you live in London will be happy to meet you.
Good luck.
Pro editing,

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Two people can make a movie but it's going to take a lot longer than a team doing it, and that's where the economics breaks down. Your sound department applying makeup or your camera department cooking pasta or your director moving furniture and lamps - it all means fewer minutes of material shot in a day, and considering how glacially film production moves at the best of times, any cast will get quite bored and frustrated hanging around.

I think the choice of project will be absolutely key - a tiny unit is fine, even ideal for some scenes - but they're going to be very small/intimate ones in very tight spaces. Have you thought about changing tack, though, and shooting stop-frame animation. You can set that up in a corner and make films with very little input required from anyone else. You can make films every day that way. Start with Lego, even.

Alternatively, how about shooting all your scenes on a green screen lock-off, so you can set up the camera and lights then concentrate on the live sound, do the rest in post. Not ideal, but may be a step towards a smaller unit working.

9 years, 7 months ago - Jane Sanger

Hi, I suggest getting a bigger crew, who will also work for free or at least expenses. Try and get the interest of a lighting person who may then have their own lights or can borrow them from uni if they are there. Ditto a sound person specially form film school who will also be able to borrow the sound equipment.
Next spread your wings re the front room. Maybe then one of the crew has a house or parents or friends house you can use that is a bit more interesting. There are tons of outdoor places you can use surely in your area. Now you look a little more professional. Don't make excuses to anyone that you are a beginner or unprofessional you have to pull it off and not put them off!
Re the actors, again put up a notice in a local film school to you or in a sixform centre that has a strong drama department. List your cast carefully and with detail. State on there that you will pay expenses, so that is why you only advertsie locally. This means bus or train fare. So you have to provide that, but cap it in your head £2 -£5 each maximum and then only use local people. BUT you must give refreshments , not just tea and coffe but sopme delicious cakes or biscuits, sandwiches etc. If its an all day shoot a hot lunch. Go to local pubs places and try to strike a deal in exchange for a thankyou in the film and mention if you then go to the local paper and try to get an article about yourself. Chris Purdie, from ...... budding film maker has just completed a music video for "The Band"
an up and coming garage band based in .......... Supported by The Duke's Head in Main Road, ....... this is the 5th Music Video that Chris has completed.
etc etc.
Older actors????? Specify your locality and advertise on Star Now, state from the beginning that you will be giving expenses only and see what happens, you may be suprosed. You can look at their reels to see if tyhey can act and you may finfd local people will be willing to act/dance in your videos.

9 years, 7 months ago - Ben Blaine

Don't start by apologising. Nothing sets alarm bells ringing more than someone setting off an alarm. "Oh hi, sorry, yeah this is just my house, but don't worry I'm not a psychopath and I'm not going to lock you in and film my girlfriend torturing you and burying your body in our garden or anything"...

I'm a fan of the micro crew (my brother and I got our first BIFA nomination with short that was just us and two actors in my front room) as it can often be a quicker and more responsive way of working. I've seen inexperienced actors hit something magical then lose it waiting for the big unit to finish prepping the next take. When it's just you it can be much easier to stay in the moment.

Of course a two person crew has to be two people who really know what they're doing and what they're trying to achieve. If that's the case then finding cast should be easy because all actors are inspired by a team who know what they want and how they're going to get it.

Crucially though actors cannot have faith in your work if you don't. It's the same with your crew. Are you and your girlfriend a great team, or is she the only one who believes in you? Do you believe in you?

It's sad that your mates have fallen by the wayside but you're still here and clearly have ambition and something to say. If you think your film is worth making then actors (and other crew) will too. Apologising for it before you've shot a frame gives no one else any reason to get involved - then you will have to continue relying solely on the person who does have faith in you...

Be brave. If you know what you want then getting it is always possible. Good luck.

9 years, 7 months ago - Yen Rickeard

Be Brave, Be bold, be Truthful - oh you already are! Get a new perspective..
Being honest about the situation doesn't mean looking at it in the worst possible light..

You are an experienced film-maker, with a wide range of projects successfully completed. Now you want to set out on a larger adventure. All you need is some people ready to step out and join the adventure. And you will pay them, though not as much as either of you would like.
You are the director, you have the cameraguy. If the front room is your only location you should be able to set up and monitor the sound without much trouble. You do need a gopher or dogsbody, sorry runner. This is an essential for any shoot, and cuts time per shot amazingly. It needs to be someone who you can work with really well, who can see what needs doing next and prepare for it, to bring the coffee, to answer the front door when the neighbours call, To make sure the props are in the proper place, and and remind you that you all need a break sometime, and to have got the food in ready for it.
There are talented actors who will work for low pay, to keep their hand in in lean times, to act something different that challenges their skills or because they love the script.. Shooters is one way to find some of them, finding an actors group can be another.
They should be pleased to work with an honest, experienced film maker such as yourself, someone who appreciates their talent will help them gain experience and skill, and give them some good show reel moments.
And, of course, if this project is going to make any money, their contract will ensure that they get a fair share.
(The contracts are important. Don't skimp. See resources here, and keep the wording clear.)

.

9 years, 7 months ago - Chris Purdie

Hi everybody, thank you for your responses.
There are some great idea's here about how to move forward, I especially liked Marlom's suggestion of showing a little of what I've shot already, or making a separate video to explain my set-up. It's so simple I really should have thought of it myself.

I've had a bad experience working with what was, essentially, an anonymous crew in the past (a friends film, not mine). It didn't end well and it's has made me apprehensive about going down that route. I feel that hiring a full crew simply to legitimize the project would be a mistake. Besides, I can't afford a full crew and no way am I asking people to work for free - I try to be one of the good guys. I prefer to innovate while I have the capacity to overcome obstacles. Saying that, the points made about freeing up hands to ensure the day runs smoothly are solid and I'm taking them on board.

I actually put out a casting call for the role last month and the response was quite good. The 'Red Flags' that have been mentioned earlier put me off going ahead with the call backs but I think with the advice I've received here today I have a better idea of how to present myself in a more professional way.

Thank you everybody.

9 years, 7 months ago - Gary Braun

I know someone who is retired who could invest in a film of yours if it can bring some eventual small profit.

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Gary, please exercise extreme caution with offering money sometime needs back for film. Big, commercial investors hedge their bets massively in film, the chances of losing the lot are very high for very little reward. It is safer to think of any small film investment as a donation as costs are so high and the market is so limited for low budget films.

If you are determined, look at seedrs where you at least get an equity stake in the project, so if you accidentally back a winner, you may get something back, but are at least involved in making films vicariously ;-)

This is no comment on Chris or anybody else here, I don't know them out their work or their track record or anything. This is just the reality of actual hard costs with getting a film made to the standard that can be sold and distributed.

9 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Gary, I'm with Paddy. Your retired investor needs to know that 99% of films made, never get a distribution deal. That's not an exaggeration. Then, of those one percent, how many break even, much less show a profit?

Chris, I with you on asking people to work for free on a feature. I can't do it. But on a short? Perhaps you should look for people wanting a "bump up". For example, a boom operator that wants to move up to production mixer, but doesn't have enough experience yet. Or an assistant editor that needs editing credits? Experience can be worth money. I did a short with some friends of mine. But my friends are all working professionals (40 years plus in the industry) that were doing me a solid. What happened was that people came out of the woodwork just to work with these people. They wanted the connection or to learn from Hollywood heavy hitters. I actually had to turn people away because I couldn't afford to feed them all. They really wanted to work for free.

9 years, 7 months ago - Chris Smith

Hi there Chris,
As someone who has made and been in 20-plus shorts and a few feature films, all in the low to no budget bracket, I can relate to your experiences here. Crews have been as low as two or three, but it never put me off if a) the script/role is good and interesting, and b) you can see the passion in the film-makers' eyes. Yes there have been some really amateurish people, but mostly I've been lucky to work with some really professional, dedicated people. So if I was to encounter you and your circumstances myself, it wouldn't put me off. Just be honest with people up front.
As for crew, etc I'd advise you go to your local college and get kids doing a media course to help operate some of the equipment, etc. On my first short (as writer, actor, director and co-producer), I did this and got students to man the camera, lights, boom, do our make-up and hair, and also be extras. It's free labour, provided you give them a DVD and a credit. I also held the casting session in the college, for free, and got two fantastic real locations - a town hall and a theatre - for nothing.
So as long as you're up front, people shouldn't mind because they'd get on-set experience, a DVD and a credit out of it.
And by the way, speaking now as an actor, if you're based in London, I'm very interested in helping out. Why not check out my profile on here and my website lonelynightsproductions.co.uk and, if you're interested, drop us a line or give me a bell on 07745 662507.
Good luck with everything mate, hope to hear from you soon. All the best and Happy New Year!

9 years, 7 months ago - Richard Connew

Size of the crew shouldn't really matter too much, if actors are more concerned with that then chances are they have no idea. Same goes for what camera you use "Oh aren't you using a RED" was what I heard one very low talent actor say one day - answer was, sure when your acting is good enough which we can say but only because we are training them. You can and I have done many times shoot as a one man crew managing the lot your self BUT as with everything to do that, you can't move the boom and the camera at the same time non the less you can still film a short scene with some careful planning and perhaps most importantly the actors rehearsed repeatedly well BEFORE you film. Our bread and butter work is corporate and training films for Citizens Advice and similar organisations (generally a cast of 2 -3) for which there is a reasonable budget and we generally for that sort of work use a four man crew - Camera - Sound - Light - Director but three of those could be combined only sound really NEEDS to be one person IMHO. If you have a small cast you don't need many other people, if you have say four or more then the support crew so to speak needs to increase in proportion and so you can effectively manage things.
For our actor training side we often work with a two man crew (ultra low budget) only going to a bigger crew when the cast increases. There are advantages at times to just having a small crew but the smaller the crew the less chance you have for varied shots which means more static locked of on the tripod. Like most things it's a trade off see some of our actor training work here to get an idea of what can be done with small crews or not as the case may be http://www.platform2c.com/Video.htm our earlier work where much was a one man crew is at the bottom of the page. We film in 3D as well; so if you have the drive and the ambition it is possible just takes longer I guess with quite a number of trade offs!

9 years, 7 months ago - Martin W. Payne

Chris

I've not been put off by size of crew. As an actor, for me, it is the story / character and any physical or mental challenges to my acting skills that would get me on board. Fine if it is a crew of two and a limited location. Camera and lighting can be run by the director, sound and continuity (and everything else) can be run the by second crew member. And I'd understand the humour behind "don't worry, we are filming a horror where my girlfriend attacks you but we promo use not to really kill you and bury you in the back garden"!

Money? Yeah, expenses should be covered but also IMDb credit is good and copy of the final film and my sections of it. Great to get NMW and wonderful to get BECTU etc rates - but then acting, for me, is secondary to my day job. I've been acting 20 years in a live environment, and 18 months on screen with about 50 screen credits (on starnow and casting call pro). So if you did advertise something 'meaty' that piqued my interest and I fitted the age range, then I'd apply. Size of crew at that point wouldn't matter.

Safety does matter though, don't get me wrong. I turned up on set one to be greeted by two huge air soft rifles and an air soft hand gun with no prior warning that I would need to use them and have them used against me. That was a straight "no". Compared to last week when I was advised before hand that I would be being shot at and that "our armourer" will be on set at all times. That was the difference - a professional armourer with real weapons was acceptable to me rather than a crew of two 'amateurs' with air soft weapons. Had I known beforehand, I would have investigated and researched how to tell if the amateurs knew what they were doing. And had I known and met them before hand to discuss then I would have accepted what they wanted to do. Last weeks shoot? Yes, I put my trust in a professional and let myself be shot at, with real guns (blank bullets) and just got on with the acting scared, fall, and dead position.

Regards

Martin

9 years, 7 months ago - Rick Antonsson

Hi Chris. It looks as though you've got some good advice already. I'd say that there will always be people willing to get involved if they see how passionate you are about doing your own thing. I'm doing something similar myself - a feature film in some extraordinary found and semi-built locations with a crew of four or five and cast of 3. I know exactly where you're coming from.

If you ever need any help with any of your projects then give me a shout.

Rick.

9 years, 6 months ago - Richard Woodburn

Hey Chris

I've just come across your post. Firstly if you believe in what you do then go ahead. There's plenty of big budget, massive productions and A class actors who produce absolute Shite. Badman & Robin!!!
I normally have 3 or 4 people around me but we all know what are roles are and we approach the project same as we were doing a large scale project. Most of this stuff is about perception and how you come across. Don't worry about your set up or what you believe what people may think. If it's a good script and the talent is on board then you can do anything. Don't use your situation as a negative, in my eyes you have less people to shout at!!!!":)
Most of all just carry on, if people don't want to work with you because of the size of your crew then your better off without them. The cream will always rise to the top.

9 years, 6 months ago - Janet 'Spike' Fullerlove

As an older actor I just thought you might like to hear my tuppence-worth .... Agree with what others have said re size of crew...just completed a shoot which essentially was made good by fab script, good lighting cameraman (DOP) and sound guy. The script writer was passionate and talented and more than good enough to direct. Actors were paid minimum wage and for me that is a matter of respect....many film makers have day jobs and whilst many actors do other work between acting jobs there are way too many folks who expect actors to work for expenses only and a copy of the film. A pro actor should be paid even if only minimum of £50/day. There are many unpaid and expenses only projects out there which try to get actors on the basis of it being something wonderful for show reel purposes. The three short films I was just involved in I did for my showreel but I chose carefully and for me although it is not about the money (minimum wage on a couple of days shoot doesn't pay the bills) on principle I would very very rarely bother with expenses only films. If you offers minimum pay you can also get recognised as giving a fair deal for actors ...can't remember the term exactly but it is credible and frankly any decent actors worth their salt WILL notice that. It is some kind of shield thing...google it. Many good actors will work on good projects for low wages, just because we like to do decent projects, work on a good script. Aim somewhere there and don't worry too much about how big the size of your crew is. Good luck.

9 years, 6 months ago - Janet 'Spike' Fullerlove

http://www.protectingactors.org/index.php
Here is where you can sign up to agreements to protect cast AND crew with a promise to treat them fairly, safely, adhere to promises of final footage and minimum pay.

9 years, 6 months ago - Louise Templeton

I agree with Janet's comment above: have a look at the Equity website and look at their guidelines on low pay/no pay.....if you want decent actors you should do them the courtesy of treating them like professionals and offering at least NMW rate for a day's work. If you can afford more than that, you could try offering £150- £200 for a day, I expect you would get plenty of interest! I would also advise that you advertise for actors on Casting Call Pro ( I believe it is free for employers to post jobs): Shooting People is a site for film-makers, really, not actors, and CCP has a vast membership. Lastly, do your best to appear professional in every way - that includes writing your casting brief carefully: nothing puts me off more than poor spelling & grammar in a post (if you can't be bothered to get that right what else are you slacking on?!).....and there's at least one spelling mistake in your original post....Good luck!