Ya pretty much. But it sounds like you are planning a short film and not a 'movie project' (only Hollywood makes movies, we all make films). So always call it just that - a short film, even when posting crew and casting calls, and this way you'll avoid people confusing it for a feature. If your casting call posting mentioned amateur actors, you need not worry since the professional actor pretty much knows what he is getting into. You should however, look for good actors, it will cut down your directing effort by half. Not all 'professional actors' are good (remember Joey) and many of the actors in training at theatre courses in schools etc are pretty good and more than willing to work with starter projects as long as you can give them a copy of their film. So taking a trip down to watch plays staged by local theater groups and colleges will surely find you the actor you want. And remember it always pays to be honest with yourself and the people you intend to work with. Good luck.

dennis - always tell the truth. If you attempt to show this professional you are something you are not, he will know, and feel lied to. Your plan to tell this actor the truth is the right one. Ask for help. For the most part, professionals love to help.

You have a great opportunity to direct a professional in your very first movie. How cool is that?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

I agree with the above. Tell the actor the truth. That you're nervous and this is your first time. Then tell them about the project. Its your characters and energy that will sell or not sell. The first time will become obvious at times no matter what you do.

You might consider offering the actor Production credit in addition. Get them to help you with additional casting. They will certainly enjoy the prestige on the set, and other actors will take the whole affair more seriously if they are auditioning against someone they recognize. It certainly helped my audition process to have an actor in the room, he wasn't a 'name' but he knew the ins and the outs and asked good questions I wouldn't have thought of and also wasn't shy about reading lines with the actor (my producer and I tried and generally probably made things harder for the actors with our lame readings).

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Thank you for your comments.

Yes, better be upfront with the actors. That will save me embarrassment and them time.

But I probably shouldn't overdo it either. I told one of the actors that it's my first production and I can fumble through some parts. Just telling them that it's my first production was probably enough.

I thought of asking actors for help, but wasn't quite sure what to ask. I can ask them to be more patient as I'm fairly new to filmmaking or perhaps help me with directing. Other than that what else can they help with ?

And yes, having professional actors is cool ! I don't know what to expect, but I'm pretty sure I won't be disappointed 🙂

Just make sure you know what you want before you go on any set/location. Do enough pre prod. Walking out to the set not knowing what you gonna do is the worst feeling, and knowing exactly what you want is the greatest.

It can put others off especially actors if they suspect your confusion or nervousness. So never give out that impression and the only way to avoid that is to go well prepared. That will keep everyone around you in high spirits, even the actors.

Asking them for patience or any help in directing is not a good idea. It may work against you.

hmmm ... one by one the actors that responded stopped replying. That's 4 people now. I think they got turned off either by the small production, by the script or by the pay. Or by something entirely different.

Well, pay was stated upfront so while it may be a reason, I don't think it was it. Small production probably had more to do with it, but number one reason was probably the script.

Well, not everyone will get interested in all my script. I have some that are better than others and some that are not so better. Perhaps to film they anyway I need to pay actors more or pretend that I'm not such a small production -- perhaps hook up with another filmmaker or a video club. Just sharing my observations.

quote:

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Originally posted by dennismv
Perhaps to film they anyway I need to pay actors more or pretend that I'm not such a small production

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This may be your problem. If your casting notice suggests you are an experienced director and it's a big production, they will soon find out this isn't the case. That give the impression you aren't very up front about things - even if you are.

Also the casting process shouldn't be a long period of time. You are in it for the long haul - if you have to push things back for any reason it doesn't matter. Other people want to do the work and move on.

You should have set, unchangeable shooting days. Your audition should happen no more then two weeks before the shoot and you should make your final decision no less than one week before the shoot. Have one (maybe two) read throughs and then start shooting.

Many first timers tend to drag the process on - sometime several weeks without a firm start date. You may not be doing this, but if you are - if you don't have a firm start date in the next 10 or so days, that might be another reason why people are dropping out.

As an actor, here are some tips for auditioning and working with actors, professional or otherwise:

- In general, be respectful of the actors' time (and by default, your own). Actors and crew don't want to sit around forever waiting for the director to "figure something out" that could have been done in pre-production (shot lists, locations, dialogue, props, special effects, etc...)

- Auditioning: Again, don't waste your or the actor's time. Don't hold cattle calls that keep actors waiting around for hours on end. It is easy enough to go through their headshots and schedule the actors you want to see in 5 or 10 minute appointment slots. You're going to know whether an actor fits your vision of the role in the first 30 seconds anyway.

- Be on top of your administration: Keep actors in your film informed of shoot schedules, locations and contact information. There's nothing more amateurish than having actors and crew show up at the wrong location or time because half your email contact list didn't get your email. If you don't hear back from your cast/crew, follow up on the miraculous invention called the TELEPHONE.

- Keep the actors fed. Actors are nothing more than pretty, well-spoken animals who just need to be watered and grazed, so make sure you take care of that.

On the flip side of things, you don't need to be hiring excessively needy actors who need hand holding or a motivation for every single line, breath or pause in the script. Low maintenance actors are key. You'll get a sense of who is worth working with and who isn't as you gain experience.

Casting is 80% of your job. Do it well, you're set.

P.S. A pet peeve of mine is when actors aren't getting paid while other production staff are. That's lame. If you can afford to pay your cameraman, you can afford to pay your leads.