Diary of an Indie Filmmaker: Part X

Part Ten: Actors & Producers

Well, the film is casted (or is it cast?), whatever... We have talented, wonderful, dedicated actors to fill the roles. It happened as all things seem to happen with this project: Just when I was sure it wouldn't. It's an extraordinary moment when an actor comes in and takes the role. And that's what they have to do: Take. The Role. Walking into auditions yesterday, I was sure of two things: That we hadn't found the female lead and that we had seen everyone possible. And then it happened. She was so good, she knocked us all out. The funny thing is, we had seen her last week, almost didn't call her back, but she had this little something and our options were pitiful, so we gave her some advice, pumped up her confidence, and she came in and just was that character. It was truly unbelievable.

I really liked the actors and loved working with them. A lot of them were bad but I admired their guts and their laying it on the line to drive all the way there, find parking, show up and accept rejection. That took more grit than I have and I went out of my way to make sure no one walked out feeling they hadn't at least done a good job. I couldn't laugh at them no matter how bad. And didn't. And won't here.

The actors we did choose are not only too talented to be believed, but seem like genuinely nice people. I can't wait to work with them. To hear the words I've been tinkering with come to life and in most cases come to life in a fashion superior to what I heard in my head was thrilling. What a great group. What an exhilerating experience. But that's still the ether. We're a long way from that. And reality soon came crashing in...

In my continuing battle to get my producers to do some real work one of them defined the problem I'm having with them by saying, "I just knew it would happen. I knew it would work out and we'd find the actors."

I told him it didn't "just work out." It worked out because the Hot Little Number and I spent countless hours setting up auditions over two weekends that produced 200 people to read. So, it most certainly "didn't just work out..." Our success was a product of relentlessness. A relentless pursuit to make it work. A relentless pursuit and refusal to give up so that if it didn't work out we could say we gave it our all and not rationalize after the project fell apart by saying, "Well, it just didn't work out."

Nothing's going to just "work out" on this film. And I know that because nothing has.Every success has been a result of dogged hard work and a refusal to let luck or fate or serendipity or Hollywood tell us we can't do it. Setting up these auditions was like setting up a dinner party for 200 plus people. It was an enormous undertaking. It's one thing (and appreciated) to show up at the dinner party to help. It's another to take on the responsibility and effort to set it up. And therein is the difference between what I have and what I need. I need someone with the drive to do the following to set up auditions:

1. Find the space to hold them. You don't want a shit space and even those cost money. We needed a nice space for at least 45 hours over two weekends and could've easily spent $2,000 or 10% of our budget on it. I believed we could find a nice space and find it for free. It took days and dozens of phone calls, but I did.

2. The ad: You have to send out invitations to audition. That means placing ads in casting sites. That means pitching your product, coming up with character descriptions for each role, and doing it all in as few words as possible. It's a whole new writing project.

3. Perusing the invitations: We had over 400 people apply for just one role. We went through thousands of head shots and resumes. With 12 character roles to fill and only 200 slots open, we had to be discriminating as to who we chose to invite to come in. This took days.

4. The Invites: We created audition forms for the slots. Then we wrote the email to ask the actor to audition. Then we called the actor to ask them the RSVP. Then we called the actors who didn't RSVP to ask them again to RSVP. Then after some didn't RSVP we started the process all over again to fill those slots. Then we called and reminded them to come in a few days before the audition.

5. The Party: We had to buy food and water and make sure we knew where to get lunch. The other Producers were a great help at this point. They spent two entire weekends reading and video-taping, and waiting, and driving, and it was all appreciated. I couldn't have done it without them and hopefully now with a look at the actors we have and the reality of it settling in this will motivate them more.

Coming to an audition to help is "show-biz." Setting up an audition is "work." I need people willing to do the work; willing to accept a responsibility; not just show up and work. And until I find these people, or the people I have found come around, there will be no movie. It's impossible for me to do everything that comes next, because were still in the easy part. Actual production will be overwhelming.

I need someone who can make sure the cast and crew are fed. This is a huge job on a small budget. I need someone to get extras there; as many as we need and just do what it takes to make that happen. I need people to handle the paperwork, the scrounging for locations, making sure who needs to be on set is there even if it requires going to get them, and I need people to handle the dozen other things I'm forgetting.

I asked one of my producers what he wants to do when shooting started. He said, "You know, walk around, make sure the actors are happy, keep an eye on things, see who needs a Coke or a bagel." In other words he wants to play producer. I told him he wouldn't be allowed on the set.

Comments

[BJ]

DH -- As a music director for various theatrical productions I have read your film posts with great interest, frequently nodding my head in agreement. This one especially rings true, from the people-who-want-to-be-in-charge-but-do-nothing, to the real movers and shakers like yourself, to the actors (kudos for your efforts to spare auditioners; it ain't easy, especially when you're seeing a ton of people at varying levels of talent/badness), including the "2nd-chancers" (they've saved all our butts at one time or another).

Audiences *never* know how much work has to go on to produce a show or movie, even a bad one. I nearly fell out of my chair at the "it'll just work out" guy -- they seem to infest every production!

Good luck and keep reporting on the progress. Please feel free to email if you are seeking assistance in the soundtrack area.

[Jenny]

Hey - where's that part you promised ME? j/k :)

Action brings about results is one of those truisms that seems so simple - yet you'd be amazed at hard it is for some people to grasp. I struggled for a long time to figure out what I was doing wrong before it finally hit me like a brick. If you want something - you have to work toward/take action to achieve it.

[Gracie]

When good things come someone's way financially, most people comment on how 'lucky' they are. My dad always says, "Isn't it funny how the harder you work, the luckier you get".

[Jack Marino]

Remember Harry, in the end... as JFK once said, "success has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan".

In this business its all about taking a risk and being in the arena. Its about the 100 million dollar brass ring, there is a price we all have to pay to grab that ring. Each of us has to pay a different, yet specific price.

I have always lived, as if this will all end tomorrow. We are filmmakers, struggling for years and leaning to make love to rejection. We are a special breed of people, we are not like those successful Hollywood types we see on Access Hollywood. What do they really know of real life, what real life experiences do they have. We are warriors, dealing with the unknown, we're willing to risk our futures, our families, to have no social security, no pension, just for that James Dean moment in Giant, when he strikes oil.

Its like that moment at the end of THE WIND AND THE LION, when the Razuli says, isn't there one thing in your life that is worth losing, everything for"?

Since wine is the blood of the earth, you must drink life like wine, spill it all over you! Its all about being in this unique adventure. You'll be part of a group of people that have made a film and sold it. Forget if its good or bad, forget that it made millions or you never saw a dime. As Kipling says, treat your success and failures as strangers.

This is about living a love of life, risk adventure. Its about living outside the everyday system, not being a wage slave, not knowing how you're going to pay the bills, the rent, its about laughing at bad credit. These things will keep you in your home with the shades down, afraid to go outside and see a wide wonderful world of living a life to the fullest and not caring if fame or fortune lay beyong the borne.

So in the sunset of your life, many years from now lying in your bed, whether you're living alone in a flat in North Hollywood or on some estate in Santa Barbara overlooking the ocean and your grandson comes to you and say's "grampa what did you do with your life'? You won't have to look him in the eye and quote Patton, " well, I shoveled shit in Louisiana"