Diary Of An Indie Filmmaker: Part IX

Chapter IX: It's Alive! Alive! And All The Cliche's Are True

Last time I left you was with the story of the actress interested in playing my lead. Not a name actress, but an actress you'd recognize but probably not know from where. Well, I met with her and she liked me. And she liked The Hot Little Number (natch) and she wants to make the movie. Now, she's worried about a couple of things and we're working on them and we'll see. Mainly she's worried about the quality of the other actors. She has everything to lose taking on this project and I don't.

So, the next day I sent her a detailed biography of her character. It was three pages long and said specifically how I felt the role should be played. Now this was a calculated risk for me and I knew it was when I did it. But I know exactly what I want and what I want is no actress hijacking the movie that took me three years to write. She called me and loved it. She said that she always believed in the script and now she believes in me. The next day I got a call from that very low-level production company that expressed some interest earlier and now they're eager to meet and talking about casting help and money. The actors they're talking about are exciting. No Big Stars. But talent.

Now I don't want to pump this up in any way. I don't want to exaggerate this at all. This company that's interested has never made a movie for more than a million dollars. This is what used to be called Poverty Row. But it's a big deal for me and even a few thousand bucks will make a difference. And all this appears to have woken my producers up. Suddenly they want to do something. Yeah... THEY WANT TO GO TO THE MEETING! Unbelievable. We're meeting in 10 days. I'm going alone.

I ran a State Senate campaign once. And it was grassroot; the candidate had no money; so the key to success was volunteers. And I remember that all the volunteers wanted to strategize. I'd call them and ask for help and what they might like to do and they all wanted to be in on the strategy meetings. And of course they did, that's the fun stuff. But it's not how you win a campaign. A campaign is won with phone calls and leaflet drops and envelope stuffing and tough tedious boring work. Same with a movie. Of course everyone wants to go to the meetings. That's the fun stuff. How about FINDING ME A LOCATION! Well, you get what you pay for.

What is killing me is that the actress has a problem with a key part of my crew. I have a deal with this person and now I may have to fire them. I've had people come along after I hired this person who wanted the job and offered more for the movie but I wouldn't bite. A deal is a deal. But a creative issue strikes me as fair game, and I'm going to have to do it. And in that respect this project is alive and taking on a life of it's own. Because everything has to be for the good of the movie. Because if it's not, what's the point of making it?

There's a saying on the stage: "For the good of the show." And what that means is that the show comes first because if the show's good that's what's best for everyone. And when you hear that saying it usually means you're going back to the chorus line because the solo you've worked on for months and wrapped your hopes and dreams into is slowing the pace. It sounds like a cute and show-bizzy saying but it's a velvet hammer.

But the movie has to come first. We'll all be putting in long hours for no money and if we let personal issues get in the way of the quality of the film we're just wasting our time. And as the director I have to be the bastard. This is something I didn't count on. As Jack Marino warned me in one of his sage comments; the movie will own me eventually. And I can feel it already happening. But it makes sense. I don't see any way around it.

Casting is ready and scheduled. We're seeing 80 people over one weekend. In and out, in and out.

Yes, of course I'm still casting. And I'm auditioning people for the role that actress wants. You think I'm crazy? B-Game, baby. B-Game. And they all know it too. They've all heard the B-Game plan. They all know I'm rolling on with or without them. Because these types of deals fall apart everyday. People change their minds on a dime. I could still get burned if they come on board and bail at the last minute but that's the only way. I refuse to count on anyone to make this movie. My efforts and energies are all directed on the worse-case scenario. If this actress drops out, I'll have another ready. If I can't find a replacement for her that means I never would've found a suitable person for that role anyway.

I won't make the movie with marginal actors. That too is a waste of time. I've always been prepared to pull the plug if the actors didn't materialize. In that respect this company could save the project. But if the project dies it will be on my terms, not because I got stars in my eyes and took them off the ball.

Another thing I'm learning is that every cliche about Hollywood is hard earned and too true to not be funny. Yeah, everyone wants their girlfriend in the movie. EVERYONE. I had someone who agreed to help a little bit -- who never mentioned wanting a part -- completely flip out on me when I didn't just hand his girlfriend a role. It was unbelievable. He said I owed him because he helped. Yes, I do owe him, but not a role for his girlfriend! I said, I'd audition her. What part did she want? The lead? Okay, how old is your girlfriend? She's 15 years older than the lead! I didn't even know what to say.

And now that this companies interested EVERYBODY has someone who can act or can suddenly act themselves. It's like there's something in the water and I'm the only one immune. The Acting Bug has infested all these once-normal human beings. But I'm getting better at dealing with them. I tell them if they want to act they should make their own movie. And I'll help them too: I'll go to any meeting they set up.

Comments

[Dianne]

Best of luck to you. Sounds really exciting. BTW - Can I have a part? :)

[Gracie]

Good Lord, Harry. Now I'm tired and getting dispirited over your plight. By the way, I played Mrs. McAffee in Bye Bye Birdie in college ... I'm only 53 but I could pass for 52. Also, you could use one of those foggy lenses...

[Jack Marino]

Harry, remember all actors are like zombies from the 'Dawn of the Dead', they come out of nowhere and they all want the starring role. Some will want a huge RV trailer, and be treated like they are a major box office draw. All of them combined can only draw only boos from the audience.

You'll find them writing more lines for their parts to give their 'character' more dimension. What they are really doing is fighting for more screen time. You will see them all fight to upstage each other and at night they will all hang out as some sort of brotherhood of artist.

Its your job as a director to control all this as it pops up. Actors are like spoiled children, its like a kindergarden class and YOU have to be a Marine D.I. and make them do what they are paid to do or what they "agreed" to do.

Never take shit from actors or your crew. This is YOUR baby, they will all leave when you call wrap, you on the other hand will live with the fact you didn't get the coverage you wanted, you will have to fudge things in editorial and in the end you are the only person that has to deal with the bills and the investment.

Remember you're dealing with ingrates that deep down really don't care if you get your investment back, what they want is to see the video on a shelf in some store in North Hollywood, so they can tell their family and friends.

You, on the other hand are in a world of shit until you sell your baby and recoup the 'precious money' . Money for filmmakers like us, is blood for our veins and air for our lungs, actors & crews have no idea.

This is why I laugh at people, that believe that filmmaking is a 'collaborative' art form, - BULLSHIT! You mention, to them we all share in the liability and watch them run like rats on a sinking ship.

Also, keep in mind this project is about YOU and your career. So do as many of the top jobs as you can, cover your bases. Distributors only see the director as the main person in the film.

Now, if I were you, in order to control the entire project, you should PRODUCE, DIRECT and WRITE the script and even do a cameo!

Actors will go to the person they think is above you, actors love to divide and conquer.

You should cast the film yourself its a lot of work, why pay precious money for a casting outfit that only weeds out the real bad actors with the biggest egos. It will take you longer to cast, but remember, you are not on a time table, take your time so things won't slipped through your fingers. Have your producers act as line producers, but you have a producing credit too.

Once you have the cast locked down, you have your first reading. You as the owner, producer, writer and director must lay the law down.

No improvising, stick to the script as it is written. Its the actor's job to act and make your words come alive. They are not there to be writers, co-directors nor are you paying them for their opinions. Remember you don't have the funds to buy the time, for everyone to be a creative 'artist'

You need to have a few of these readings/meetings, listen to their ideas, use what you really like and dump the stuff that is BS. You set the pace. Rehearse them as if its a play. Have your shot list there and tell them this is your close up, this is a wide shot, a two shot, let them get an image of YOUR vision. Make them fall in love with YOUR vision. It will make your job enjoyable.

If you do have a actor that becomes an asshole and they pop up after a week into the shoot thinking you can't re-shoot or recast. This is just a power grab.

What you do to nip this in the bud is to shoot all their specific entrance in the film, then you shoot their death scene or their individual last scene. This way you have them covered and you can shoot the rest of a specific actor's role with a stand -in or over the shoulder, they're a lot of tricks if you have a huge problem. Let them know you are shooting this way if this problem pops up and it may. If it doesn't don't say a thing, just shoot their opening and endings.

Get as much coverage as you can since you are shooting in digital. Try to have an editor on the set cutting as you shoot so he can catch stuff you may miss, inserts, cut-always, transitions etc.

I would shoot in a classical style like John Ford, its easier, looks simple and your camera becomes the third eye. It makes your actors do pages of the script as a play and it gives you control over the editor. John Ford would edit in the camera. Stay away from panning it will make your film look like a student film. You want to be taken as a real pro. Dolly all the time when you want to move the camera. Use a wheel chair if you have too. Get a steady cam and don't use hand held that is amateurish.

Use your sticks as much as you can. Keep the camera at eye level and forget video playback. SHOOT, SHOOT SHOOT, never stop to show the shot to actors they will change it every time. As the director make sure your eye level is the same as the camera lens. Your eyes are better then video playback.

Look at as many John Ford films as you can, look how he made his actors use their eyes and facial expression over dialogue. Stay longer on emotion, don't be so quick to call CUT, let the film go on for 5 to ten seconds, if not longer depending on the moment. Remember every shot has to have an enter and exit. Keep your background full of things or people, stay away from empty shot after shot, when these empty shots are strung together the film looks low budget.

You will notice in my film FORGOTTEN HEROES my camera composition was full of action. In the jungle I keep up the pace as if has a sense of movement, even when they are sitting and resting, I dolly.

This is something only a few people will do in their life, I want YOU to do all of this. I want you to become one of us, then you will fully understand what it is to be a warrior-filmmaker. Never use the other term, you are a warrior poet making a film, so YOU can move on to make bigger and better films. This will be your baptism of fire. You will come out of this with a different eye on the world and of your fellow artists.

When I made all my films, I had no one to tell me the things. I am telling you and I have told other filmmakers, I enjoy helping other warrior filmmakers and giving them the corrections of the mistakes I made.

In time you will become one hell of an artist, but remember you are the 'capi de tu ti capi" "the boss of all the bosses" and you must demand respect, they will tell you, you must earn it.

By giving these actors an opportunity to put their mugs up on a 50ft screen, is way beyond earning their respect. Their other alternative is they can go back to waiting on tables.

Once you do this, you will begin to live alone and be alone. People around you and your friends will never see you the way you are now. The price we pay at this level of filmmaking is that we end up alone and the people we gather around us, we will never know if they are there because they want to be or because you can give them a job.

In-between films you will experience this try not to become bitter, just become determined and you will write better.

As I mentioned before, its a splendid misery!

You're joining the Brotherhood of Warrior Filmmakers... and I'm your Uncle Argyle Wallace