Finding the Right Actress

ussinners

ussinners

Getting the proper actress to replace the one I fired is going to be difficult. This is not an easy role. There are some topless moments, and some find the material questionable and too intense to do. Many love it, but won't do it for the above reasons, and some think it's a piece of absolute garbage.

It's all good.

One actress answered the ad. She looks exactly the way the lead should. Her reel is excellent. So, I started e-mailing her with all the relevant details. Intense material that some find objectionable, nudity, no up-front pay (a biggie), points on sale... She was not frightened away. On the contrary she was looking forward to reading the script.

It took a few days, but here's some excerpts from her response.

I am an artist. As an artist I have an understanding that a person's ideal in creating art is to elict a reaction from their viewer... be it good or bad.

Having said that please do not consider the following as any kind of reaction. Consider it a plea.

I have read the script and I can honestly say any young woman who will do this for free is not only shaming herself but anyone who supports her as an artist.

The entire thing reads as your own bizarre porno fantasy.

I beg you to please reconsider asking any young woman to do this for free because you will be hurting someone too dumb to know the difference. NO person should be asked to do this for free.

Think what you will about me but I would not be able to live with myself if I didn't ask you to please reconsider the role you will be playing as the real life George.

Do not contact me again.

What I find amazing is that she believes that anyone willing to do this role is too dumb to know what they're getting into. How arrogant is that? If someone enjoys this script, they're morons.

The fact that I can bring the best out in my actors doesn't mean anything. I guess it's okay if I paid them for doing this trash.

In other sentences she accuses me of being a criminal.

But, it's not a reaction it's a plea.

I could make a movie on the making of this movie.
 
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How about you let soem of us read it. Reason being, you seem to be getting the same reaction from many different actresses, so maybe..........




Let me give you an example. In the movie U-Turn, a woman plays the part of a woman who
is

having sex with her dad, and blames him for driving her other crazy
And there are a couple

quick quasi-graphic scenes. You could say this part might be demeaning to women. But then you must

consider that the director is Oliver Stone, the principles are Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez(pre-famous), Billy

Bob Thorton. Stone's curriculum vitae shows that he has a certain artistic vision and is not merely playing to

his whims, Penn has been involved in many indepentdent films where the content is very polarizing. And

Billy Bob....well:)


My point is all these guy/gals have skins on the wall. When you take into consideration that we haven't

heard of your work, you haven't "made it big" yet, you want these women to do soemthing they aren't

comfortable with(for free) and if I remember correct, you are participating in the scene as well, it seems

fishy. I'm not saying fame is a cure for this, but it helps give credibility??


I want to believe you have an artistic vision you're trying to get out there and you're not some pervert

trying to make his own home-snuff film,:) but its difficult when YOU are telling us over and over how

uncomfortable all these women are. Why not come up with some money (if nothing else) for them, if it is

that important???


Here's a suggestion: Contract a Pro, not for sex but as a body double of the woman, and use clever

editing???
 
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I'm not entirely sure why you keep posting these threads given that they're all saying the same things about you/your production and given that all the responses on here have been sympathetic to your actresses.

That said: I couldn't be more curious to read this twisted vision. I agree with the people above who say that you should post it and then we can see whether they really are overreacting.
 
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Murdock: At this point the script isn't going to change. If I was still looking for critiques I'd give the script to a few people (I think at one point I did here. So some of you have read it). It's not that I think anyone is going to steal my grand ideas, because they won't.

But, this script has such a twist that I hate to just put it out there. I have to let the actresses who possibly want to audition read it, for all the reasons I won't let others. But, that's a distinct necessity.

This script just contains a lot of things that some people feel cross the line of good taste and art. The twist is the biggest, because it's completely unforeseeable.

Plus what seems to freak people out is the Director in the movie's name is George as is mine. I did that as a joke because he's a director trying to get his movie made. As am I. He lives in my house in my town in Jersey. He is me. But, he's not. He's a fictional character.

While I'm not famous (or even a blip on a map)Every actress and actor were directed to scenes from Us Sinners. While it's a love it or hate it movie, most agree that the acting (especially the leads) is exceptional for a micro-budget movie. Plus my vetting process, leaves no doubt to how we work. That's what attracts the brave. They believe we're making something special. They don't get that feeling from most anything else they've done. My ex-lead actress shot a movie last year that will absolutely get major distribution, and she feels it's crap compared to what we were doing. She wasn't happy with much of what she saw from that picture. Yet she loved every second of what she's seen from us.

If I could afford to pay my actors I would. But, I can't, so I won't. When the actors come to audition they know in advance it's points on sale. And I make perfectly clear that means they'll probably never see a dime. They don't care. Actors want to act. They don't get to do it every day. It's 90% rejection. While some will say I'm taking advantage, I'm not. I can't afford it. I can't afford food and transportation, but I have to do that.

Also, it's not every actress that's uncomfortable, it was the one. And I fired her. So, she's quite comfortable now. The others just wouldn't audition. But for every one that wouldn't, there were two that would.

Below's a link to our terrible sex scene, a very rough edit. I call it "Torturing the Actress" as I took advantage of such a young dumb starlet. She was working for free.

Set-Up: The opening of Leading Lady is a man (George) in VO describing "My Melissa". While he's speaking we're seeing a young woman (Nancy). This is just a small part of the monologue.

There are a few shots missing, one of her working a second job, and when the camera pans to the painting we'd next see her room mate Shari in bed with a girlfriend.

Prepare to be shocked and disgusted at the old director taking advantage of the young actress. But, my hairy ass back is perfect for the role.

One last thing: From the waist down, we're both fully dressed, and not even touching. Her movement was all done by my slamming my pelvis against the bed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3P_TdLqCU

This will only be up for a little while. Music stolen by the immortal Mick Ronson. Lousy VO by me.

Nick: I keep posting, because those are some great sentences. Plus she rails against the twist, which is pretty cool. But, of course I can't put that up.

If you agree with any of that, then there isn't much I can say. Money doesn't make a script art. Either you think it's good or bad. If someone is willing to do it for free, it doesn't make them dumb or shameful. They either like the material or really want to work. There's nothing disgraceful in that. To call anyone willing to do it for free dumb is disgraceful and arrogant. If you feel the material is that awful, then all the money in the world shouldn't be enough to do it.
 
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Wow. It's a good thing you shot that scene at a friends' house. That looks like a really distinct location, what with it's bed and walls. There's no way you could've shot that anywhere else. Some people might say that you could shoot that scene practically anywhere, but they don't see the nuances of the cinematography. That slow pan/tilt to the painting on the wall -- brilliant!

So it makes perfect sense that you simply had to shoot that scene at your friends' house. And it's been well-established that you don't trust anyone, so you don't want to bring in an actor, for risk that the actor might steal something from your friends' house. Therefore, the part must be played by you. Plain and simple logic.
 
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Send me the F'ing script! Must read!!!!!

Btw, nudity is not always easy for actors. I auditioned about 60 actresses for a role that has a brief nude scene, no sex, just simulated nudity when a character passes through a dimension. The script even says "Nudity simulated". But still, red flags all over the place, a lot of assurances were necessary that the only thing I'd show naked were ankles and shoulders. And these were LA actresses that are presumably open minded.

Btw, I don't think it's at all arrogant what that actress said to you. However, the actress in question enters an interesting moral valley when she suggest that a script she finds repugnant and exploitative is somehow made tolerable if you offered payment to the performer. That I don't get. Can someone esplain dat to me? How does money sanitize something pornographic and repulsive? Doesn't this actress have it backwards?
 
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Cracker Funk said:
Wow. It's a good thing you shot that scene at a friends' house. That looks like a really distinct location, what with it's bed and walls. There's no way you could've shot that anywhere else. Some people might say that you could shoot that scene practically anywhere, but they don't see the nuances of the cinematography. That slow pan/tilt to the painting on the wall -- brilliant!

So it makes perfect sense that you simply had to shoot that scene at your friends' house. And it's been well-established that you don't trust anyone, so you don't want to bring in an actor, for risk that the actor might steal something from your friends' house. Therefore, the part must be played by you. Plain and simple logic.
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Whose house should I have shot it in? The actresses? They said no to shooting at their place. DP, nope. Cameraman, no. My house already being used.

How about we come to your place? You pay all our airfares etc... Do you have any idea of what you're talking about? They all knew how we were working, etc. If they had a problem, they should have bowed out. They didn't. No one did. I fired her.

I don't trust anyone that I don't know. These are people that I'm working with, not hanging out with. We're all strangers to each other.

Yeah that is pretty simple logic. Get the job done as best as possible.
 
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What Cracker and pretty much everyone else's saying that if you want an actress to be professional, you yourself need to be professional.

I understand that budget is an issue, but it just doesn't excuse some of the things you've been talking about. You don't want to shoot or can't shoot in any of your houses... Rent one. Build a set, do something a pro would do.

Sure that costs money, but some things you have to pay for. Work an extra job or eat ramen for every meal and save, or take a loan or find an investor. If it's a personal project/dream then a lack of money isn't an excuse, you make it happen.
 
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I'm so lucky.
I have an actress, drop dead gorgeous fetish model I used in my first film (where she had to get totally, full frontal, shaved pubes naked). She literally showed up at every screening of the film ("You think I'm going to miss a chance to see my tits on a 30' screen!"). ANYTIME I need nudity from a secondary female character in my film I just call her. Everytime I cast ANYTHING she is always at the audition. I wrote a part for her (no nudity, heh) in the new film just to throw her a bone because she's such a trooper.
 
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PaulGriffith said:
What Cracker and pretty much everyone else's saying that if you want an actress to be professional, you yourself need to be professional.

I understand that budget is an issue, but it just doesn't excuse some of the things you've been talking about. You don't want to shoot or can't shoot in any of your houses... Rent one. Build a set, do something a pro would do.

Sure that costs money, but some things you have to pay for. Work an extra job or eat ramen for every meal and save, or take a loan or find an investor. If it's a personal project/dream then a lack of money isn't an excuse, you make it happen.
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I should work an extra job, eat cheaply or take a loan to make this movie, when I don't have to? I had an apartment, I used it. I'm going to use it again. Only this time with someone who isn't a princess. I guarantee I won't have any of the problems I had with this one. Everyone has been doing a terrific job, and most everyone is coming back to reshoot. So, it's not a matter of will it get done. It's a matter of when. The new lead actor isn't coming back to NY till January. So, I have plenty of time to recast this role. Nancy's room mate has to leave the US for a while. If she can't make it back, I've already got two actresses waiting in the wings. So, I'm pretty set.

Brain: To call a large segment of the acting population dumb for working any role for free is pretty arrogant. She believes she knows better then anyone else. She doesn't. It's up to each individual to decide what they're willing to do and not do. But, if you agree to do something, you do it.
 
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The whole point of my post wasn't to live cheap, it was to be professional (if you want professional people to work with you). I suggested those things if you needed money to make the movie in a professional way.
 
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ussinners said:
Brain: To call a large segment of the acting population dumb for working any role for free is pretty arrogant. She believes she knows better then anyone else. She doesn't. It's up to each individual to decide what they're willing to do and not do. But, if you agree to do something, you do it.
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That's not what she said though.

And frankly, after viewing the clip and the comments I think a lot of people might identify with her position.
 
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My first public announced audition on craigslist for a female landed a bit of porn in my in box. Surprise surprise... I did thank those respondents, each were kind enough to state "not safe for work" in the email header.. lol...
 
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PaulGriffith said:
The whole point of my post wasn't to live cheap, it was to be professional (if you want professional people to work with you). I suggested those things if you needed money to make the movie in a professional way.
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But, then you're saying that no one working with me is professional. These are all outstanding actors and crew. Even the flake is absolutely incredible. But, she's a flake. Everything that a person can do off screen to make life harder, she did. It was like a quest. Never did she just show up without something negative attached to her. But, her ability was so outstanding that I put up with it. But, the last weekend just put it over the edge.
 
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brianluce said:
That's not what she said though.

And frankly, after viewing the clip and the comments I think a lot of people might identify with her position.
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That's exactly what she said. Anyone who is willing do this for free is DUMB and SHAMEFUL. I have a new ad out and there's over 20 applicants (in less then 8 hours). If I sent the script to them all, and explained all the details more then half would audition. According to this girl they're all dumb and shameful. Are they really? Who made her God?

You can hate the script, I'm sure many will. But, even people that hate the script and still want to do it have their reasons. The biggest being, just because you're an actor doesn't mean you always get to act. The majority of time you don't. When you do, it's usually for free. The girl I fired worked on a bunch of other things while I knew her. She never made a dime. She can have a fabulous career, because she is that talented. She has everything that it takes to be a star, except the attitude. She's completely irresponsible. If she manages to make it, it's going to be dumb luck or she's going to have a major attitude change. I go with dumb luck. How often does that happen?

That clip is about as tame a sex scene as you'll ever see. It's so nothing. The first shot we had no problems with. It was the second one, where I wasn't even touching her, that the problems arose.
 
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