pre-production why do cast and crew back out of projects?

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James Rogers said:
I was working on a micro-budget film a long time ago that had an up and coming actress in the staring roll. She was to play a youn character and also later in life when she was old. I was well into the prosthetic make-up process when the director called me and told me she quit. Said she left to take a part in another film.. Bummer..

What the director didn't now is that most of his crew was talking about him behind his back. I was the new guy in the group so they filled me in on how lazy and irresponsible the director was. They hired a new actress to fill the roll. I started the make up process over, then a few weeks later, the production collapsed. So, was the original actress wrong in leaving?

By the way, the original actress went on to have a supporting roll in Punch Drunk Love.
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No way! was the original actress Emily Watson if I may ask?
 
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James Rogers said:
I was working on a micro-budget film a long time ago that had an up and coming actress in the staring roll. She was to play a youn character and also later in life when she was old. I was well into the prosthetic make-up process when the director called me and told me she quit. Said she left to take a part in another film.. Bummer..

What the director didn't now is that most of his crew was talking about him behind his back. I was the new guy in the group so they filled me in on how lazy and irresponsible the director was. They hired a new actress to fill the roll. I started the make up process over, then a few weeks later, the production collapsed. So, was the original actress wrong in leaving?

By the way, the original actress went on to have a supporting roll in Punch Drunk Love.
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Why did she take on another role in another film?
 
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It's just the nature of filmmaking. Doesn't matter what level you're working at, cast and crew change all the time. I had people drop out the first day of my first low budget feature. I got on Craigslist and recast half the film overnight. On my third feature, which was a direct sequel to my second, I had an actress that was gone on vacation while we were shooting the scenes I needed her for. So I recast, much like the Rachel character in the Dark Knight saga. The cool part was that I ended up casting someone I had originally written the part for in the first movie, but she was unavailable at that time.

Basically, I don't overthink casting and recasting. You see it on Hollywood films, you see it on no-budget Indies. Don't take it personally unless it's happening consistently.
 
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I've had people back out of projects for many different reasons.

"My boyfriend doesn't want me to spend so much time each day"
"I didn't think it was going to this hard"
"I thought making a movie would be fun. This one isn't."
"Sorry, but I just can't take another day off work."
"When you said every weekend for six weeks I didn't think I'd have no free time. I work five days a week and need my days off."
"My car broke down."

I've had people just not show up and give no reason.

Oh and my all time favorite: "I graduated from Full Sail. You're doing it all wrong."
 
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