ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

6 years, 3 months ago - Marlom Tander

If you can pay people, you can get more people committed.

Main options :-

a) Pay no one. BUT make it a good experience - good food, nice wrap party, a hotel for those who need it.
b) Pay some people. If you do this, be up front with everyone that, e.g "the writer and the editor are being paid because I need the most time from them. They don't just turn up for the weekend". It'd very hard to justify paying some but not others on any other grounds other than "I need more of their time".
c) Pay everyone. If you do, pay them minimum wage.

The above applies to weekend projects. Once they get more serious than that you could be sued for minimum wage anyway. IANAL but I think that while "it is clearly a hobby for all" you're OK. Once it looks like you are in any way commercial, you should be paying.

6 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins

I stopped doing unpaid jobs because: they can be badly run by people who think they know what they are doing. You tend to be given inexperienced crew who do not know what they are doing. Crew walk halfway through the shoot (happens a lot). Catering can be bad. Also, I don't feel comfortable asking any of my regular assistants to work for free. Also, there can be a lot of ego problems.

If you pay, you get more experienced crew, they will stay the course as you are paying them, you can work faster as everyone knows what they are doing. Less ego problems.

Everyone starts working on jobs for free so that they can gain skills and experience. But once they have those skills and experience, they should be paid for them (I'm not saying full rate). After all, they have all suffered on the no-budget stuff for free in order to gain those skills and experience; they should be rewarded.

6 years, 3 months ago - Richard Anthony Dunford

If you have the money available you should pay people without question.

But if you don't any money but still want to try and make something you just need to lower your expectations and hope people show up really and like Marlom said make it a good experience for everyone.

6 years, 3 months ago - Allan (Mac) McKenna

Two points Richard: I agree that if you pay something even a nominal amount people will more likely than not feel obliged to at least give it a go. However as one (now retired) who acts mainly as a hobby (who does it for a living anyway?) I always try to give it the biz whether paid or not. You're personal communication with tbe actor is the key to this.

6 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins

I remember many years ago, in the distant past, I was working as a young inexperienced (and unpaid) runner on a low budget Short. The director had written the script, visulising a certain famous British actor in the lead role. The director thought, what the hell, he can only say no, and so approached the actor's agent. "Oh no," the agent replied, "he does not do things like that." It just so happened that somebody in the family of the person who was the Production Designer on the Short, knew somebody in the family of the famous actor and was, therefore, able to approach the actor directly. The actor said: "I'd be delighted! No one has ever asked me to work on a short film before!" And he did. And he did it for nothing. First really famous person I ever met. Just goes to show, even famous actors will work on Shorts for nothing (providing you can get passed their agents).

6 years, 3 months ago - Mark Jepson

To pay or not to pay....well, I find it depends on what stage you are at with your filmmaking, your existing working relationships and how ambitious (or cheeky) you are. You have to consider what value you are giving to people if they come and work for you. This might not necessarily be a cash payment.

Over the past several years I've done a lot of amateur filming purely for fun and made shorts with a tiny crew and local actors who knew there was no payment involved. More recently I've upped my game. For my last project I completely bypassed my pool of amateur resources and went to a casting director and held auditions in Central London. I also engaged a DP, MUA etc.

What did I learn? If you pay people they definitely take you more seriously. Heck, I felt more serious about my own work once I staked my hard-earned cash on it. With a few exceptions, everyone was on minimum wage (roughly £60 a day for a 5 day shoot). But there are many ways to give value to your cast and crew. I provided great food, travel expenses and accommodation for everyone. For my DP I spent £600 of the budget so that he could have some decent lenses to play with. These things matter.

Actors will tell you that the biggest gripe they have is not so much lack of payment, but lack of promised footage. I made sure my actors got showreel material long before the final cut. Also you need to see your work as an investment for future projects. It is critical that the project gets seen through to the end (that includes online promotion before and after release).

Now that I've seen a film through to completion and festival submission I've noticed a definite change in the ether. I've had talented people approach me to work for free, which is an ideal outcome for any filmmaker working in a non-commercial format.

6 years, 3 months ago - Geraldine Brennan

As an actor I’ve done dozens of unpaid film projects for footage and received usable footage (eventually) only in a few cases. Once you’re off the set any offers that were made drop off the list. Unpaid is often a sign that communication will be poor, the call sheet and the script will arrive late, the conditions on set might be dangerous — and of course the heartsinking realisation that your training and experience is valued at zero. These days I only do unpaid projects for people whom I know will respect my time and minimise avoidable hassles. Although many low budget films are shot at the weekend, it’s not a hobby. If it’s your passion project, wait a bit longer to make it and raise the extra money you need to pay everyone. You don’t need THAT much to pay actors, it’s not like paying brain surgeons. Of course you’ll find someone to put in front of the camera for free but why not do the decent thing and get the actor you want you won’t be diverted by a paid job?

6 years, 3 months ago - Victor De Almeida

Oh dear, I feel some of the commentary is unjust on those of us who have a passion for film but a) can't afford to pay because our daytime jobs dont pay high enough b) can't afford to pay because our network of potential donours isn't large enough and c) actually produce work of good standard with an entirely unpaid crew.

I've never been accused of being unprofessional for not paying or had difficulty attracting the right team. I think it all boils down to a good script, good manner and hard work and passion.

I think its incredibly unfair to generalise all unpaid work as unprofessional, lacking quality and the team involved in these completely clueless.

You pay if you can and if you cant but still want to make your short then you offer unpaid work, of course the quality of candidates will be potentially less high but you do the best with what you have. That is what I have done on super low budgets and its worked out well for me.