Name Actors - How much $?

F

finderskeepers

Hello,
I'm doing post production on my no-budget feature now. I have a unique aspect of the plot - the story opens in the year 2000 and then the rest of the story take place in 2010 with one flashback. This means I can ad a scene with a Name Actor filmed at a different time and place than the rest of the story.

Does anyone know about how much money is needed to put a lower level B-movie actor in your film? I'm looking to get someone who can help us get at least some type of distribution. (Even if we don't get our money back) Anyone done this before?
Thank you in advance,
Joe
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I guess could spend the next several hours researching all the
actors who would be willing to work for SAG scale in a short film
under the SAG agreement. The better approach for an aspiring
mogul would be to come up with a list of actors that you feel are
perfect for the part. Or even actor who you want to work with.

How about Summer Glau?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I've worked on features where the name stars went for SAG low budget minimum of around $650/day. I shot a film with a Ron Jeremy cameo many years ago and he was fun to work with and I'd guess he was in that same range.

The problem you run into is dealing with SAG. For the one star, it's not bad, but SAG wants your whole cast to be SAG or be treated to the same wages and/or Taft Hartled into the union. That will blow your cast budget through the roof. Somebody mentioned SAG financial actors, but again the list of names is limited. I know some people shoot their name talent last so that they are the only actor your have to deal with for SAG. Kind of like shooting a short film that is added into the feature. Kind of weaselly, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

I've also heard stories who got handed a briefcase with $20,000 and said they worked SAG minimum for tax purposes.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks a bunch for the info ScottSpears. Just to clarify…If you film the name actor LAST after filming EVERYTHING else, do you have to pay the finished (already filmed) non-name actors the SAG low budget minimum? Does SAG enforce that when getting your name SAG actor? Like ask for a deposit or something?

scottspears said:
I've worked on features where the name stars went for SAG low budget minimum of around $650/day. I shot a film with a Ron Jeremy cameo many years ago and he was fun to work with and I'd guess he was in that same range.

The problem you run into is dealing with SAG. For the one star, it's not bad, but SAG wants your whole cast to be SAG or be treated to the same wages and/or Taft Hartled into the union. That will blow your cast budget through the roof. Somebody mentioned SAG financial actors, but again the list of names is limited. I know some people shoot their name talent last so that they are the only actor your have to deal with for SAG. Kind of like shooting a short film that is added into the feature. Kind of weaselly, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

I've also heard stories who got handed a briefcase with $20,000 and said they worked SAG minimum for tax purposes.
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
finderskeepers said:
Thanks a bunch for the info ScottSpears. Just to clarify…If you film the name actor LAST after filming EVERYTHING else, do you have to pay the finished (already filmed) non-name actors the SAG low budget minimum? Does SAG enforce that when getting your name SAG actor? Like ask for a deposit or something?
Click to expand...

Let me get this in first before the SAG Fans get here! :)

If your film is done and all you have left is the BIG NAME part, see if BIG NAME will do it outside of SAG first. Any problems that arises from that will be between SAG and the actor, not you.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Interesting, In 2004 Robert Vaughn did a $75,000 movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396849/

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Don't be scare by the maximum money people are paying name actors. Some name actors are willing to work for much less with a SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement, if they like the script and the people they will be working with.

I really doubt that Robert Vaughn got paid $20,000, $10,000 or even $675 to work in Witch Academy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108576/
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Aspiring Mogul said:
I'd LOVE to get a name actor for my first film.
Click to expand...

Easy to do.

Have the right script and the right director and be willing to
pay them. Actors, even "name" actors love to work. The
better the script and director the less an actor will work for.
A great script with a great part and a new director will also
keep the fee down. A producer who can negotiate and can
shoot at just the right time in the right place can get a name
actor for less. And there are quite a few actors - Robert Vaughn
for example - who will do any project for the right fee.


finderskeepers said:
Just to clarify…If you film the name actor LAST after filming EVERYTHING else, do you have to pay the finished (already filmed) non-name actors the SAG low budget minimum? Does SAG enforce that when getting your name SAG actor? Like ask for a deposit or something?
Click to expand...
SAG might require a deposit but they will not require you to pay
the other actors. They can't. They only negotiate on behalf of actors
who are part of their collective bargaining agreement. In you specific
situation you can hire a name actor for a one or two day shoot easily.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
+1 Great Info to know. Thanks :)
directorik said:
Easy to do.

Have the right script and the right director and be willing to
pay them. Actors, even "name" actors love to work. The
better the script and director the less an actor will work for.
A great script with a great part and a new director will also
keep the fee down. A producer who can negotiate and can
shoot at just the right time in the right place can get a name
actor for less. And there are quite a few actors - Robert Vaughn
for example - who will do any project for the right fee.



SAG might require a deposit but they will not require you to pay
the other actors. They can't. They only negotiate on behalf of actors
who are part of their collective bargaining agreement. In you specific
situation you can hire a name actor for a one or two day shoot easily.
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
directorik said:
Easy to do.

Have the right script and the right director and be willing to
pay them. Actors, even "name" actors love to work. The
better the script and director the less an actor will work for.
A great script with a great part and a new director will also
keep the fee down. A producer who can negotiate and can
shoot at just the right time in the right place can get a name
actor for less. And there are quite a few actors - Robert Vaughn
for example - who will do any project for the right fee.

SAG might require a deposit but they will not require you to pay
the other actors. They can't. They only negotiate on behalf of actors
who are part of their collective bargaining agreement. In you specific
situation you can hire a name actor for a one or two day shoot easily.
Click to expand...

I agree with finderskeepers. Good post.

My question is, how do you know who is open to working on low budget projects? Is there a list somewhere?

And second, how do you approach them? My past experience has been to query the actor's agent, but all I've ever gotten back is some variation of "show me the money".
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
GuerrillaAngel said:
Let me get this in first before the SAG Fans get here! :)

If your film is done and all you have left is the BIG NAME part, see if BIG NAME will do it outside of SAG first. Any problems that arises from that will be between SAG and the actor, not you.
Click to expand...

Wow...seriously? Its not about being a SAG fan. If you're the kind of person that doesn't have a problem with throwing people under the bus....you've got issues.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
+1 bez

Since I personally know studio actors, we talked about Robert Rodreguez helping Frank Miller on Sin City. That has them scared. They donn't want to end their careers. They don't mind working in SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement productions. They benefit Indie producers with a name and a higher caliber of actors. Even no name SAG actors bring a lot of value to a production. They know what time of the day it is. They are on time all of the time and ready to work. They also go above and beyond the call of duty to help out anyway possible. They bring a level of experience that is a good influence to help non-unioon actors as well.

You can get SAG actors to work for $100 a day with a SAG ultra low budget agreement. That is affordable for people on this board. Forget the $675 a day. That is for the studios.

It is not cool to even think about throwing them under the bus.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am sorry I don't know what you are referring to -> "we talked about Robert Rodreguez helping Frank Miller on Sin City. That has them scared." What's the story about "Sin City"? I missed that somehow.

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
+1 bez

Since I personally know studio actors, we talked about Robert Rodreguez helping Frank Miller on Sin City. That has them scared. They donn't want to end their careers. They don't mind working in SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement productions. They benefit Indie producers with a name and a higher caliber of actors. Even no name SAG actors bring a lot of value to a production. They know what time of the day it is. They are on time all of the time and ready to work. They also go above and beyond the call of duty to help out anyway possible. They bring a level of experience that is a good influence to help non-unioon actors as well.

You can get SAG actors to work for $100 a day with a SAG ultra low budget agreement. That is affordable for people on this board. Forget the $675 a day. That is for the studios.

It is not cool to even think about throwing them under the bus.
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
bez said:
Wow...seriously? Its not about being a SAG fan. If you're the kind of person that doesn't have a problem with throwing people under the bus....you've got issues.
Click to expand...

SAG isn't much of a union. The parity between the haves and the have nots is as wide as the Grand Canyon. The vast majority of SAG members don't earn a living wage. In other words, they're harnessing the power of many to provide security for few. That, my friend, is an issue worth standing up for. Commenting about "throwing people under the bus" is a means of distracting everyone from the elephant in the room.

If I land a big budget film project with OPM, I'll hire a lawyer to deal with SAG, however with low budget projects involving my own personal funds, I'm keeping them out of my bank account.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
What you're failing to realize in your little scenario is that you're not going to get one of the have's in your film. Even when getting a name..you're not going to get an A lister in your film. You'll get WORKING actors who do survive off of acting....and they are still the have nots. You're right about one thing. A small percentage actually makes a living as an actor and while unfortunate the system is set up secure us residuals so we don't get hit with small flat payments with no future earnings. And when actors go off and work non union (even if its knowingly) they are hurting the strength of that very union.

I rely on residuals to help me make it throughout the year. I wouldn't have those without the union.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
This line of discussion about SAG should be in its own thread. SAG may or may not be considered a necessary evil, but as a pro-union person, I know a farce when I see one. The people at the top should spread some of the wealth down to the bottom to make this "union" more legit.

We can agree to disagree.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
GuerrillaAngel said:
This line of discussion about SAG should be in its own thread. SAG may or may not be considered a necessary evil, but as a pro-union person, I know a farce when I see one. The people at the top should spread some of the wealth down to the bottom to make this "union" more legit.

We can agree to disagree.
Click to expand...

You're digging again. I thought we talked about this...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top