How do I get a Hollywood film actor in my indie?

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Boxing Filmmaker

I know this is a far fetched question, but w/e.

I'm currently writing my first feature and everyone I have spoken with has told me it is a great script.

I know that having even a decent-popular actor in your film will help boost with the marketing of your feature by a lot. I just wanted to know, how hard is it to get a recognizable name in my film?

Vague question, but thank you for any contributions.
 
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i think the old adage "it's not what you know, but who you know" applies here.

if your best friends brother was going out with and actors sister... well you see where its going.

you need to meet more people.
 
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Boxing Filmmaker said:
So I guess having a good script isn't enough?
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No. It isn’t.

Professional actors act for a living. They don’t act in movies as
a favor to someone they don’t know or just because they love the
script. As you say, having a decent. popular actor in your film
will help boost the marketing. And sales.

So you need to pay them.

The question isn’t far fetched at all. Getting a a decent, popular
actor in your film is as easy (and difficult) as having the right
project, the right schedule, the right talent and the right money.

If you can meet their “quote”, you have a good chance of getting
an actor to be in your film. If you can offer more than their
quote you have an excellent chance of getting an actor to be in
your film.
 
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Agents by law, I think, are suppose to give all scripts they receive to their talent to read and decide on...but trust me...they don't. If, however, your script does make it into the hands of the actor in question, they may like it and want to be attached to the project...and you'll get hit with a quote pretty quickly as to the expenses all around needed to hire the actor.

Of course, who you know is the best way. If a friend of yours can hand his actor buddy a script with a personal referral, then you've got a much higher chance of success (unless they don't like the script).

It's sad, but it's all about the names in films...I've seen several indie filmmakers spend far too much money on a name or two, instead of putting that money into the production side of the film, and the film suffers. It's sad, but true.
 
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Boxing Filmmaker said:
So I guess having a good script isn't enough?
Click to expand...

no, never.

The two ways of getting a name actor in your movie are

#1. Money. if you have investment money in a bank account, not theoretical, and not "if" money, but real cash in a bank account that can write a check, you can contact casting agencies who will get you in contact with actors in that price range. You will have to make a movie under SAG contracts and everything in the production will need to follow their guidelines, but that is the best way to secure a name actor.

#2. Letter of Intent. If you don't know the actor or have an "in" with them, this will not be very do-able. Getting a letter of intent is a contract saying that if you raise enough money they will appear in your film and then you can "attach" their name to the project and raise money from investors touting who your name star is.
 
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Wouldn't it be more interesting to find a great actor from a local theater or film school?
To be frank, I don't think there is anyone in Hollywood that would contribute that much to any film. Look at Tom Cruise, great actor but that doesn't mean he brings in the bucks anymore.
People don't really associate great actors in great movies. Today, a big name just means a lot of money was spent but none of it equals great movies.

Think of all the flops that were made recently ... movies with big names like George Clooney and Cruise, Pitt. All those producers who lost...scratching their heads wondering if they'd have been better off without them.

Then think of the next Johnny Depp out there that you might discover.
 
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Okay, I’m not talking about a “great movie”. Boxing filmmaker has
asked about a name actor being more marketable.

Tom Cruise; 8 of the last ten films he starred in made over
$100,000,000. 7 of those made over $200,000,000. Only 2 lost
money. Those happen to be his most recent, so you may have a point
there, Libby.

George Clooney; 4 of the last 10 films he starred in made over
$100,000,000. 2 of those made over $300,000,000. 2 lost money.

Brad Pitt; 9 of the last 10 films he starred in made over
$100,000,000. 7 of them over $300,000,000. 2 lost money.

The three names you mentioned all bring in amazing returns. It can
be argued that many of the 30 movies mentioned (10 from each
actor) weren’t great films. It can be argued that the producers
were left scratching their heads, wondering if they would have
been better off without them. But the movies made money - at least
in part - because of their name.

Of course it’s always interesting to find a great local actor, to
discover the next big thing. But in the marketplace having a name
actor in your movie can mean people paying to see it who otherwise
wouldn’t.
 
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It's not that unrealistic

1. Great scripts are rare.

2. Smaller indie films have become trendy for celebrities.

If the script is great and the role is great, send it to a few agents and producers.

BUT.... you're script seriously needs to be AMAZING. This needs to be your ultimate focus at this point. and get professional feedback on your writing.

The money will most likely come after the talent and producers are signed on. GOOD luck!
 
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It's also who you know (and/or meet) and if they will accept your script to read. I know a company that recently scored 5 'name' actors...several of which were passed the script through multiple channels starting at a convention...they really liked the script when they read it, and boom, they were in.

Very little pay...but still name actors (William Forsythe, Tony Todd, Michael Madsen, Tony Moran)...all of them in on a little project with a solid (yet oddball) script, which reached the actors through people at conventions. OK so they are also good friends with Tony Moran (the original Mike Myers), which helped a little.

Here is a link to the movie press, showing some of the cast and crew (my wife is in the production, and we know the crew): http://www.shallowgraves.org/node/18
 
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Libby said:
Wouldn't it be more interesting to find a great actor from a local theater or film school?
To be frank, I don't think there is anyone in Hollywood that would contribute that much to any film. Look at Tom Cruise, great actor but that doesn't mean he brings in the bucks anymore.
People don't really associate great actors in great movies. Today, a big name just means a lot of money was spent but none of it equals great movies.

Think of all the flops that were made recently ... movies with big names like George Clooney and Cruise, Pitt. All those producers who lost...scratching their heads wondering if they'd have been better off without them.

Then think of the next Johnny Depp out there that you might discover.
Click to expand...

Having a name attached isn't about the quality of the movie; it's about getting interest from 1) investors and 2) distributors. A name makes it much easier on both fronts. So...it's a business decision rather than an artistic one. There are plenty of wonderful actors around who will work for free, but they wont get anyone's attention before they see the movie, and that's why you think genre and name actors when you're planning a feature.
 
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Just What Exactly Do Names Actually Cost?

I was just looking at folks who have some connection to my home state, and it appears as though after her appearance in XMen1stClass, Jennifer Lawrence was cast in Hunger Games for $500,000.

sonnyboo said:
you can contact casting agencies who will get you in contact with actors in that price range
Click to expand...

Okay, since I have neither the most amazing script in the world, nor a bank account flush with cash-- my question is probably pointless curiosity--

but...

Should I presume by the nature of this discussion that anyone with a face I would actually recognize can't be had for Ultra-Low rates ($175/12) or even Low Budget Modified ($268/10)? And, should I also assume it is not likely for an individual with no contacts to land someone whose face I would recognize for Low Budget scale ($504/day)? [Is it even possible to entice a single actor with higher scale pay, but still use an Ultra-Low Budget Agreement (with its more flexible requirements)?]

But since one main purpose of getting a name is to, in so doing, also secure distribution... I suppose this means you must forget about anything less than full SAG rates? If this is so, who might be several examples of names that one might expect at a rate of $3,000/week?
 
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SAG Minimums aren't there to protect actors with a name. It's there to protect those without a name.

That basically means that offering SAG minimums for a star for their movie, would probably get a laugh the first time around. After that, it'd be an insult, thus not really likely to be accepted.
 
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If you had an amazing script and they had a production company, they might be willing to do a co production. It would have to be something that interest them or would help to expand their career.
 
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Has your script gotten feedback from a professional script consultant to verify by a professional that it is great?

What can be considered great on an Indie level may be substandard at a studio level, which is what a Hollywood actor is use to working with.
 
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I would probably try and film them secretly in a compromising position and then use it to blackmail them into both funding and acting in my terrible movie.

Mmm... now there's a movie idea in and of itself!
 
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