I have a question

[MarieThegreat]

Hey I am Marie and I am new to the site. I love film and my dream is to share my love with the world. I am embarking on a great journey this summer before I go off to college. I want to know how do I go about getting actors (who won't mind working for free), a crew, and things to that nature. I would love anyone's advice. Thanx !!!!

 

[Guest]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/ats/27231546.html

 

[MarkG]

Getting actors will depend on where in the world you are, but I've never found it a problem. In the UK, for example, there are a number of newsletters that many actors subscribe to which cater for everything from no-budget to big-budget productions, and last time I put an ad in there for an unpaid 16mm short I got so many hundreds of resumes that my post-person was complaining by the end of the week.

Finding actors who know what they're doing is a little harder, but even then many of the people who replied to me had worked with 'name' directors in the past and most had at least done odd roles in TV shows.

 

[Boone]

Mandy.com

Mandy.com

Mandy.com is the best site in the world for finding actors, crew, well anything that has to do with production.

 

[Digigenic]

Here's another production resource...

http://www.productionhub.com/

 

[Aparna]

For crew, I suggest getting your friends to help you out in whatever ways they can.

Equipment will be a little harder if you don't have any money. If you have a camera (or access to one) that's a lot of the problem solved, because everything else you can make up as you go along. Need strong lighting? Use desklamps with a very bright light in it. Need filters? Make your own (they can be made with just about anything you put your mind to.)

I don't know the scale of your production, so I can't really be more specific than that. Read about filmmaking online, talk to people. For your first film, the important thing is to keep it simple. It's better to have a really good script which is watchable than to have a special-effects-laden film (I know, I've made the mistake of thinking that a lot of CGI will make a bad film good; I was wrong) which has a weak narrative.

Good luck.

 

[elton_lytle]

This may or may not help but I read this book called How to shoot a feature film for under $10,000 : and not go to jail by Bret Stern. In it he brings about some ways (some great, some not so great but they've worked) to hire actors on the cheap. Obviously you can get your friends on a Saturday and do stuff. Or when you're using real actors, a legal technique you can use is the word "deferred". Like say to your actor: "This is a low budget film and for payment you'll get a deferred "X" amount after production and distribution costs."

What's 10% of 0? Exactly.
I don't condone it. Its wrong. (depends on who you're dealing with.) But it has worked. But It usually works with that person once.

There's more about the subject in it. And its a good read.

Later.

 

[MarkG]

Personally I'd be honest with people up front and tell them they're never going to get a penny: since it's a rare low-budget movie where they do. Deferred payment is a pain in the ass if, say, you get $1000 for a TV sale three years after you made the movie and then have to track everyone down to give them $10 each, and if people are working on your low/no-budget movie because they expect to get paid a decent amount of cash in the near future from deferred payments, they're probably the wrong people to have working for you.

Alternatively, raise a few thousand dollars more, and pay everyone minimum wage if it makes you feel better.

 

[MarkG]

If you have a camera (or access to one) that's a lot of the problem solved, because everything else you can make up as you go along.

Actually, I'd take a good sound recording system over a good camera, unless making a silent movie... though obviously it's better to have both. I'd rather shoot VHS and record sound on DAT from a good mike than shoot IMAX with a $5 mike strapped to the camera recording to a $10 cassette recorder.

It's better to have a really good script which is watchable than to have a special-effects-laden film

Agreed. With very few exceptions, successful low-budget movies are successful because of the story, not the technology. '405' was one kind of borderline example (being almost entirely a CG movie), but, even then, it was decently written.

 

[Digigenic]

Another borderline example of a visually stunning, low budget work of art that was really well written is "Waking Life", I actually met the producer Tommy Pallotta, really smart guy, great artist, with a strong grasp on philosophy. He'll be coming back into town soon. He and Richard Linklater both grew up here in Houston.
Anyhow, he's been working with Linklater on A Scanner Darkly, which is currently filming, and when he comes back into town, he'll be giving us an inside look at some of the work that went into it.

 

[MarkG]

Yeah, I was watching 'Waking Life' a few days ago: I'm not a big fan of Linklater (though I did kind of like 'Slacker'), but it was certainly an interesting alternative way to make a decent movie on a low budget.

 

[Digigenic]

Yeah, A Scanner Darkly is expected to apply the same rotoscoping technique used in Waking Life, but with a little bit more of an advanced feel to it.

 

[Tyler Emerson]

Go to your state or city's film commission. They will always have lists of actors, crew people in your area. For example, I live in Wichita, Kansas. When I need to go to somebody for actors or crew, I know I have several sources to go to. Again, just an example, but here's my list:

Kansas Film Commission
Kansas Connection - A group of filmmakers and actors working in LA and NYC with connections to Kansas
Kansas Arts Commission
Wichita Center for the Arts
Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts
Music Theatre of Wichita
Children's Theatre of Wichita
Music Theatre for Young People (which reminds me. If you want actors, go to all of the local theatre companies in town)
High School Drama Departments
Wichita State University
Friends University
CityArts
And try other local film companies and tv news stations:
Harmy Films
Films on Consignment
KWCH News
KSN News
KAKE News

Hopefully these will help get the ball rolling.