when doing an independent movie, micro budget movie how much can you get good actors for? can you get good ones to volunteer that would have skills. can you find any of these actors on the actor directory sites.
question about actors and their pay
- Thread starter thedude4242
- Start date
I have gotten good actors for free.
I have paid $50/day and $600/week.
Yes, you can good actors to volunteer.
I have paid $50/day and $600/week.
Yes, you can good actors to volunteer.
probably none of them actors on site were actors are hired work for free do they? what is you opinion on where to find them.
I am not qualified to answer that. Where I live there are
tens of thousands of actors willing to work for free. Many
of them very good. When I put out a casting notice for a
project for no pay I get between 150 and 600 resumes for
each role.
tens of thousands of actors willing to work for free. Many
of them very good. When I put out a casting notice for a
project for no pay I get between 150 and 600 resumes for
each role.
There are actors' sites, and there is Craigslist, where you can look for and find actors.
You can find actors willing to work for no pay, just for the experience and the footage for their reel (please be sure you get them their footage, if it is something you offer as compensation), but I can tell you that you will increase the number and level of actors applying if you offer a small daily stipend - $50 a day will get you an exponentially better quality of performer.
I, personally, do not submit for any non-paying roles anymore. I will work for friends who have projects who approach me, but if an ad on L.A. Casting or Actor's Access says unpaid, I click past it. It's probably partially an ego thing, but at some point while I was starting in stand-up comedy, I had to say, "I'm not doing any more unpaid gigs, unless I'm testing material for something specific - unless I benefit from it." Same with acting - at some point, you have to make yourself a professional to separate yourself from the amateurs.
gelder
You can find actors willing to work for no pay, just for the experience and the footage for their reel (please be sure you get them their footage, if it is something you offer as compensation), but I can tell you that you will increase the number and level of actors applying if you offer a small daily stipend - $50 a day will get you an exponentially better quality of performer.
I, personally, do not submit for any non-paying roles anymore. I will work for friends who have projects who approach me, but if an ad on L.A. Casting or Actor's Access says unpaid, I click past it. It's probably partially an ego thing, but at some point while I was starting in stand-up comedy, I had to say, "I'm not doing any more unpaid gigs, unless I'm testing material for something specific - unless I benefit from it." Same with acting - at some point, you have to make yourself a professional to separate yourself from the amateurs.
gelder
thanks again guys.
As already said, you can get a solid actor for free. If you don't have the money to pay, be upfront about this, and of course just because you're budget is micro doesn't mean you should skimp on casting--remember, 90% of directing is casting.
If you have a budget to pay an actor, I would say start with 100 a day...especially if they have experience and chops. This is right around the range SAG feels they deserve (at least) and I agree.
Also, be sure to feed your cast and crew every day. Some kind of breakfast for early shoots...lunch or snacks midday, and dinner if it's a long shoot into the night. And always have snacks, water, and coffee around.
Good luck.
If you have a budget to pay an actor, I would say start with 100 a day...especially if they have experience and chops. This is right around the range SAG feels they deserve (at least) and I agree.
Also, be sure to feed your cast and crew every day. Some kind of breakfast for early shoots...lunch or snacks midday, and dinner if it's a long shoot into the night. And always have snacks, water, and coffee around.
Good luck.
In LA there are lots of capable actors willing to work free. I'm new to narrative film so I'm just now finishing the casting of a short, and it's only two roles. I had no trouble getting resumes as a freebie. Then, my great business mind kicked in, and I thought, "Why get them for free when you can pay them!" Jeez. What's wrong with me. I had actors that were willing to work free, and after they fact, I announced that I'd be paying them. I decided to pay for two reasons: I thought it was insulting to them, looking over these resumes, with all the theater degrees, workshops, the debts they must have accumulated. I felt bad for them. This was a month or so ago, when gas prices were spiking, that added to it. I also decided that paying them at least something, would decrease on the flake factor, that if they're getting a little something, they'll be more likely to show up.
I'm not paying much btw, just $100/day.
I agree that even a token amount of money ($50 a day) will get you many more, and generally higher quality actors to choose from.