Contacting actors

dlevanchuk

dlevanchuk

I''m slowly trying to transitioning from using friends and craigslist creepo's and want to contact a few actors via IMDB pro account. The issue is I'm not really familiar how does the whole thing.. well.. work lol

Once I find an actor that I am interested in, do I email an agent and say "Hi, I'm so and so, working on this project, our budget for the actor is this much. Would he be interested?" Or should I ask actor's day rate?
I know, it would be easier to hire somebody who knows all the legal BS but i just want to get a big picture, so I don't sound like a complete idiot :weird:

so yea. How do you get actors via imdb pro?
 
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dlevanchuk said:
I''m slowly trying to transitioning from using friends and craigslist creepo's and want to contact a few actors via IMDB pro account. The issue is I'm not really familiar how does the whole thing.. well.. work lol

Once I find an actor that I am interested in, do I email an agent and say "Hi, I'm so and so, working on this project, our budget for the actor is this much. Would he be interested?" Or should I ask actor's day rate?
I know, it would be easier to hire somebody who knows all the legal BS but i just want to get a big picture, so I don't sound like a complete idiot :weird:

so yea. How do you get actors via imdb pro?
Click to expand...

Their agent's contact info should be there. Either email or call his/her agent, and tell them a bit about the project. I wouldn't immediately begin talking about rates and payment, that is usually negotiated later between the actor, agent, producer, and director.
 
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dlevanchuk said:
Once I find an actor that I am interested in, do I email an agent and say "Hi, I'm so and so, working on this project, our budget for the actor is this much. Would he be interested?" Or should I ask actor's day rate?
I know, it would be easier to hire somebody who knows all the legal BS but i just want to get a big picture, so I don't sound like a complete idiot :weird:
Click to expand...
You've pretty much got it.

I'll assume you're contacting Guild actors. You will need to be a
signatory to SAG-AFTRA at some point. The minimum day rates
are set and cannot be lowered. You should spend some time looking
over the various agreements on their website. They have various
low budget agreements with different minimums.

Remember you are an employer offering a job. This is not going
to be about "your" project as much as it will be about the actor.
If you are paying less than their quote you need to offer an amazing
role. But the agent will not be thinking of the part; they will be
thinking of the money. Time spent on a $100/day job is time
unavailable for a $650/day job. So go in thinking along those lines.

Be ready to answer questions on travel expenses. if the actor will be
traveling more than 50 miles from their home be ready to discuss lodging
and per diem. The agent is going to want to know who else is involved.

Or...

Are you prepared to pay an actors quote which is usually above the
Guild minimum? In that case there are different answers.
 
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Sorry, CPF, but it’s essential to talk about rates and payments
up front; not after you find out if the actor is interested. If the
actors rate is more than the budget can handle then it doesn't
matter if the actor is interested or not.

If the producer is a SAG signatory and has the budget to offer
the actors quote then the "how to get actors" answer is much
easier. You offer the part and agree to pay the actors quote. The
agent then looks at the script and either accepts the job offer
or rejects it. For a beginning producer the agent will have questions;
who else is involved, is there distribution in place.
 
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directorik said:
Sorry, CPF, but it’s essential to talk about rates and payments
up front; not after you find out if the actor is interested. If the
actors rate is more than the budget can handle then it doesn't
matter if the actor is interested or not.

If the producer is a SAG signatory and has the budget to offer
the actors quote then the "how to get actors" answer is much
easier. You offer the part and agree to pay the actors quote. The
agent then looks at the script and either accepts the job offer
or rejects it. For a beginning producer the agent will have questions;
who else is involved, is there distribution in place.
Click to expand...

If I could tap into your experience for a moment Rik:

If I'm a British production, can I sign up SAG actors without necessarily worrying about SAG rules? We don't have the same regulations here in the UK, as our actor's union (Equity) is pretty much redundant and doesn't have much power. But, presumably, British producers aren't going to be SAG signatories, so how do we approach American actors?
 
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That’s out of my personal experience, Nick.

I am making an assumption here, but I think the agreement is between
the producer and the Guild no matter where the producer is based or
where the shoot is taking place. On the other hand since SAG has no
jurisdiction in the UK they may not enforce their agreement there.

The “how to approach” is the same - you contact the actor with a job
offer. If you are paying standard rates or the actors quote it's an easy
process.
 
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SAG-AFTRA Global Rule One says:
Specifically, Global Rule One applies to all members who are engaged by a producer that is a foreign entity to work outside of the United States on a theatrical motion picture, TV production, or commercial/industrial film that is shot entirely in a foreign country. It states that in order for a member to be in compliance with Global Rule One, and thereby cleared by the Guild to perform services, such producer must become signatory to a Screen Actors Guild Global Rule One agreement, providing for minimum wages, working conditions and protections for each such member.
Click to expand...

You can find the link here:
http://www.sagaftra.org/production-center/globalruleone
 
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