I have a new rule for all of my more ambitious projects: always try and do at least one thing you're pretty sure is out of your league or otherwise impossible. On my feature I did a few things like that as far as securing locations and getting people involved and was surprisingly successful. Now, on my next project (a short I'm co-directing with a friend), I'm taking it a step further and trying to get a smallish "name" actor involved in a single-scene role. He's been in a few films and wrote and directed a short a few years ago, he seems like kind of person who isn't in it for the fame or money and might theoretically be interested in the script. I'm not sure whether or not he's SAG (I would imagine he is), but either way we're pursuing SAG signatory status as an independent short ($100/day deferred, plus expenses, for union actors), as we know of another (local) SAG member who is interested in working with us.
The thing is... I'm not quite sure the best route to go about attempting getting his attention. I'm planning on sending the script (along with an extremely polite cover letter) to his talent agency, so the primary question is whether talent agents generally accept unsolicited scripts, but also how I make this sound at all palatable to him (it's essentially no pay, and if he were to agree we would barely be able to cover his travel expenses). Any ideas?
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my vodcast on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=96931870
and my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
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Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com
Talent agencies don't generally accept unsolicited projects. But since you're interested in trying something new, this seems like a good thing to try. No pay will make the project less interesting than a few hundred dollars, but one thing that is most likely to be a deal breaker is travel and lodging expenses. It's one thing to not get paid for a job - it's another to have to pay out of pocket to help out someone.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
I agree-- pay travel expenses. Always pay travel expenses, including transportation, food and lodging. It adds a level of professionalism to your project / company, particularly if unions are involved. Then you're not really so much in the position where the actor feels like they're doing you a favour, which can be big trouble down the road if they feel like they're not being treated well for what they're contributing to your film.
In terms of approaching talent agents, I know that it's a lot different in Canada than it is in the States, and I'm speaking as a Canadian. I have found it much easier and I get a better response when I make a phone call to an actor's agent rather than sending an unsolicited script. That way, I get a feel for the agent's interest in pursuing small, indie projects on behalf of their clients; I can find out right away whether or not the actor would be available in the time period I'm looking to shoot; and I can turn that unsolicited script into a solicited script. It also gives you a better leg to stand on when it comes to following up once you've sent the script. If you call, make sure you know the name of the actor's particular agent, and not just the name of the agency itself. Ask for that person with confidence and increase your chances of sounding like you already have a relationship with the agent.
Best of luck.
