Edison's 1910 FRANKENSTEIN on-line...

Follow the link below to witness the screen's first portrayal of Shelley's Frankenstein. It's an astonishing piece of work that's exhilirating to watch.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-93618221704457473&q=frankenstein

DEAD DUDES

I'm taking a short break from the VertiBlog film school for some breaking news.

My buddy Karl Konopka just cut the first trailer for his zombie opus, DEAD DUDES. He's just about through with principal photgraphy and he's got a nice start toward his first feature film.

Check out the trailer here.

And rate it high.

VERTIBLOG Film School XII - THE $1,000 MOVIE, Part 11

PRE PRODUCTION (continued)

Step 2: Gear
II. Audio Gear

Back in the "Find Your Crew" section when we were looking for our Sound Mixer, I suggested you may have to spend some money here. I haven't changed my mind. Go through the steps I outlined to try and track down a proper sound mixer, but I suspect you're going to end up purchasing a cheap-o audio package from some on-line source.

Again, look back in the "Find Your Crew" section.

Step 2: Gear
III. Lighting Kit / Grip Kit

Most well-budgeted productions have a dedicated grip truck which contains an ungodly number of lights, clamps, fixtures, cabling, stands, flags, scrims, snoots, diffusion, gels, sandbags, apple crates, and every other thing that's usually desired to make a well-budgeted movie.

You'll have no such thing.

Perhaps you landed a pro DP with his own truck... or at least his own lighting kit and grip equipment.

But you probably didn't. And now, you're going to have to punt.

Below find a list of the neccesities, and how to get them:

LIGHTS.

For our purposes, there are pretty much two kinds of artificial lights -- flourescent and incandescent (also referred to as tungsten). The camera sees these different lights differently --they have different color temperatures. The color temperature of floursecent fixtures, those long tube-y lights we have in our office buildings and schools looks much whiter/bluer to a video camera than traditional lights bulbs -- the kind we have in our living rooms and kitchens --which are much more orange-y looking.

You're going to want to stay in the land of tungsten. And luckily, it's a pretty cheap trip.

Work Lights

What you're going to be looking for are portable, versatile and cheap light sources to use indoors. First stop: Home Depot (Lowe's will do, I guess), to pick up some work lights.

Work lights like these will run you anywhere from $15-$30 for a single 500k fixture, $25-$40 for a double fixture 1000k (pictured).

Real production lights are designed to be a lot more controllable -- they'll have barn doors, which allow you to block light from leaking to where you don't want it; flood/spot controls to give a wider/more narrow swath of light; and scrims, which are little screens that go in front of the lamp to cut down its intensity. With these worklights, you have none of that. But, you will have illumination. And you'll have it cheap.

Clamp Light

Clamp lights are handy for tighter spaces or awkward positioning. You will also be able to mount them higher, off of a ceiling for a hair/back light perhaps, and you can easily swap out the bulb for a lower/higher intensity source (40w, 60w, 100w). Incredibly cheap, too -- $7-$9.

China Lantern

Go to Pier One Imports and pick up a cheap china lantern. They are simply light fixtures with a round, spherical paper shade surrounding it. They're great for illuminating close-ups on actors with a nice soft light.

Gels

Gels are little pieces of transparent/translucent plastic that are put in front of lights for various reasons. Hopefully your DP will know all about them.

There are typically three uses for gels: to change the color of the light, to color correct the light, and to diffuse the light.

To change the color of the light, you're going to want "theatrical" gels. Dario Argento uses the hell out of the these. So do most old school horror movies. Theatrical gels can give you vibrant blues, red, greens... whatever. Be careful though. You can very easily end up looking tacky.

To color correct, you're going to want CTB (Color Tempertaure Blue). You can get CTB in 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 or full opacities. CTB will make your indoor tungsten lights match daylight. So if you have scenes that take place near windows and you want to give the illusion of all your light coming from outside, this is what you'd use. The opposite of CTB is CTO (Color Temperatire Orgaange). CTO also comes in 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and full, and is used to correct daylight into tungsten balanced light. If you were carefully lighting an interior, but wanted an open window, you would use CTO to cover the window.

To diffuse light, you're going to want a couple of sheets of tough spun (a white fabric-y material) and perhaps a sheet of opal (a milky frost gel). These two types of diffusion will help boatloads if you're lighting a person's face with a strong wattage light, and need to cut down its intensity.

Single sheets (usually 20x24 or 12x12) of these different material will run between $5.00-$6.00 each. Some companies sell variety packs of the different types of gels for $18-$25 each.


GRIP EQUIPMENT

C-Stand

You should really have a C-Stand. I just checked eBay and saw a handful of them selling for under $60.00. A C-Stand is an invaluable piece of equipment that serves many purposes: holding flags and reflectors, rigging lights, holding a fishpole. It's an extra set of hands that are more stable, stronger and can reach much further than the human kind.

Reflector

A reflector is simply a large card or piece of fabric that is usually white on one side and reflective silver on the other. They're used to reflect available light toward a subject/object when other means of lighting are not desired or impracticle. Professionals use what's called a FlexFill, which is way too fancy for us. We can go to the art supply store and buy a large piece of foam core /poster board. On one side simply glue down wrinkly tin foil and keep the other side white.

********************************************

Hey, this is where I conclude the on-line portion of the manuscript. I refer to it as a manuscript now, because that's how it exists. I've ported over all of the blog entries, re-wrote them, and have been feverishly adding to it. Right now, I stand at just over 100 pages, and I'm going to try in earnest at getting it published.

Back to regular blogging.

VERTIBLOG Film School XI - THE $1,000 MOVIE, Part 10

PRE PRODUCTION (continued)

Step 2: Gear

One of things we've really got working against us in this whole endeavor is the fact that everything costs money. People, places and things; goods and services -- they all come with a price tag. But only for normal people.

We're independent filmmakers.

Step 2: Gear
I. The camera

You're shooting this thing standard def DV. No doubt about it. The only way you're not is if you know someone with an HighDef rig. And chances are you don't.

And to be honest, shooting DV is not going to hurt you. High Def is still an unfriendly format in terms of post and delivery. In post, file sizes are enormous, drives have to be super-fast, and you need HD peripherals -- a deck, video cards, and media. All expensive.

And in the end, you may end with an HD master, but nobody will be watching it that way. We're still a year or two away from a proliferation of HD players/monitors. Plus authoring and compression is prohibitively expensive for independent filmmakers like us.

This chapter will need some revisiting in the year to come. But right now, in the Spring of '06...

You're shooting this thing in standard def.

The next obvious question is, where are you going to get the camera. And not only the camera, but the package that goes with it, including the tripod and a monitor.

New models of camera are coming out all the time. A couple of years ago, the Canon XL-1 was the rig everybody wanted. Until they got one. The viewfinder stinks, focus is a nightmare, and the "cine frame rate" was just a weird-ass shutter effect that gave me a headache. It is 16:9, which is cool, and if it's the only camera you can get your hands on, it'll certainly do, but there are much better cameras in the same price range out there.

But we're not exactly going to buy a camera. We don't have the money for that. Maybe you already own one. If so, move on to the next chapter. If not, what to do?

Well, the problem may solve itself depending on our DP situation. If you got a pro, he's probably got a nice DV cam. If he doesn't, he'll have a friend who does have one. He'll most likely track down a rig he's happy with. Not your problem anymore!

If you got a wannabe/newbie DP, he too may have invested in a camera. If so, not a problem. Move on to next chapter.

But what if your DP has no leads?

Your first step should be a flyer at the local college/university. You should probably post it when you're looking for a DP:

"Do you have a video camera package? How would you like to be a credited producer on a feature film?" We're looking for a good DV prosumer video camera to rent (on deferment) for a local movie. We'd prefer a 16:9, 24p package but will entertain all offers. We also prefer a complete package with tripod, monitor, batteries and cabling.

Be a part of the local independent movie scene. Please contact us at www.glowingscreen.com"

The Producer credit is an easy enough gesture. Make them Executive Producer if you like. And the fact that you're offering it as a deferred rental at least suggests that future monies may be possible. If you get a taker, write up a contract promising them $75 per day, about half of the going rate (much more on contracts later). If they flinch at that, offer them more. Getting the camera now is the important thing. We'll worry about all the money we owe people in deferments later.

If all else fails, you have two options: one much more ethical than the other. And bear in mind I certainly don't condone the unethical one -- and probably wouldn't do it myself -- I just bring it up to bring it up.

Option One: Use your own camcorder. You've got one. If your mom or dad or neighbor or friend has a better one, use theirs. If there is no 16:9 option on it, frame your shot as if there were. Put black tape in the viewfinder to matte out the top and bottom and the frame, and in post put black bars over the image. It ain't 16:9, but it looks more like a movie than the alternative. Also, there are very cool post-production applications to run your media through to get that "film look". Adobe AfterEffects has a cool plug in that will allow you to create a faux "pull-down" option which takes your traditional 30 frame/second sequence and converts it to 24p. Again, none of these post production "fixes" are native to the source footage, so the quality will be lacking. But there are tricks to sweeten that footage to look more like a movie.

Option Two: Buy a prosumer camcorder, shoot your movie while taking sparkling care of it. Then return it within 30 days. The excuse you give is on your conscience.

OK.

I've mentioned the terms 24p and 16:9 a few times, and though it's not that important that you're intimately familiar with the technology, you should at least know what they mean.

This is a great section to skip if in fact you do know what they mean.

Step 2: Gear
I. The camera
a. 16:9 vs. 4:3

All you really need to know is that shooting 16:9 gives you a full resolution image when displayed on widescreen monitors, and a letterboxed image on regular TVs. Its aspect ratio is 1.78:1, giving you more latitude in creating a cinematic, widescreen look.

4:3 cameras give you a less rectangular, more squarey image that fits neatly in our traditional television sets. We're accustomed to this aspect ratio, which is approximately 1.33:1, when watching broadcast TV -- though this is changing, more often we're seeing letterboxed dramas (Desperate Houswives, Lost, CSI, 24.. et al) with the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.

The bottom line is that 16:9 productions look more like movies.

The one minor drawback to shooting 16:9, is that when you look at it through the viewfinder, or on a monitor not 16:9 supported, it will look "stretched", as it will if spin you off footage to tape. But if you output to DVD, you're cool... DVD authoring tools are smart enough to encode the footage to display properly on either widescreen monitor or regular TVs. On widescreen monitors, it will fill the frame, on regular 4:3 TVs, it will letterbox it.

Step 2: Gear

I. The camera

a. 16:9 vs. 4:3

Video is recorded to tape at a certain frame rate. The norm has always been 30fps (frames per second). And these 30 frames were recorded in what is referred to as an interlaced signal. Interlacing means that the video camera captures 2 snapshots for each frame, separating each snapshot into a series of horizontal lines. It then combines the odd lines from the first snapshot, and the even lines of the second snapshot, and combines them to make a single frame. An interlaced frame.

You don't have to understand why.

Film on the other hand uses a completely different method of capturing images (including the fact that it's a photochemical process, not electronic). It doesn't screw around with fields at all, but rather takes 24 snapshots per second, ultimately creating the illusion of movement when we project them in sequence... like a flipbook.

A video camera capable of recording at 24p uses the same principles as a film camera, recording 24 (not 30) frames per second -- the "p" stands for progressive, as opposed to interlaced -- without first separating them into fields. The result is a quality similar to film, and thus looks more like a movie.

(continued)

© 2006 by Marty Langford

VERTIBLOG Film School X - THE $1,000 MOVIE, Part 9

PRE PRODUCTION (continued)

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
III. Assitant Director

You're going to have a lot of friends offering to help you. But you won't be able to count on all of them. I'm not saying they're fair-weather friends, only that the level of dedication you're going to require may too much for some. The key is to have that one friend, that one guy that you can count on for the duration, that one guy you can sit down and say, 'listen... you know this is my passion, you know it's something I've wanted to do my entire life. And I need you to help me."

If you're like me, and if you've been reading this you most assuredly are, then over the years you've developed relationships with like-minded friends who have similar aspirations, similar dreams, similar ambitions. This is the time to take one of them aside and say, 'if you do this for me, then I'll be there for you when it's your turn.'

Let's call this guy Frank.

Frank is going to be fill many roles in the production. He's going to call for pizza as the afternoon nears, he's going to run down to the Mini-Mart when you run our of water, he's going to track down your lead actor when he doesn't show for call time, he's going to hold the boom when your little brother gets the flu. He's the guy that the cast and crew will go to with their myriad questions, and then he'll filter out what's important and come to you only then. He's going to do everything that, without him, you'd have to do yourself.

Frank's job will be thankless and offers very little reward. He has to be without ego.

And when it's his turn, so will you.

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
IV. Script Supervisor

This may end up being Frank's job, but if possible, try and find one more warm body to occupy it. In all honesty, a dedicated script supervisor is probably a luxury you won't have. And if you have that friend who could fill either the role of a script supervisor or assistant director... you're going to need an assistant director more.

I've mentioned Maria Escribano earlier. She was our script supervisor on MAGDALENA'S BRAIN. Maria was there for every take of every scene on every day. As a matter of fact, if you live in New England and you're looking for a damned good script supervisor, drop me an e-mail and I'll hook you up with her. Though, for your $1,000 movie, she's probably not for you.

What Maria excels at, and what you're going to be looking for, is a person with insanely high organizational skills. This doesn't necessarily have to be a movie person, though if they are they will be exponetially more useful to you.

The IMDB defines a Script Supervisor as "A person who tracks which parts have been filmed, how the filmed scenes deviated from the script; they also make continuity notes, creating a lined script."

So, what your need is someone with a copy of the script in a three-ringed binder who will watch every take of every scene and makes sure you're following along as you should be. They make sure the dialogue spoken is what's written... or if it's changed that you approve of it. They make sure things like close-ups and cutaways are shot, so you won't have headaches in the edit. And when each scene is complete, they draw a vertical line through it, giving you a visual cue that that part of the script is completed.

As you move through production, there is no greater feeling than seeing more and more of the script supervisor's script lined out. On that final day of shooting, when each and every page has a vertical line bisecting it... allis right in the world.

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
V. Key Grip ( & Grips / Production Assistants)

(Hopefully, this isn't Frank, too.)

You've seen the term in the end scroll of movies for years -- key grip. Right there next to gaffer and best boy. A grip is a camera assistant -- a guy who does what the director of photography asks him to do. He lays cables, then wraps them back up again. He adjusts lights according to the DP's instructions. When doing nothing, he stands next to the DP and anticipates what will have to be done next. That's a good grip's biggest strength -- anticipating needs. A good grip instinctively knows how long the camera has been rolling, and is ready with a new tape when the one in the camera runs out. He always seems to have a fresh battery handy when the old one dies. A good grip watches the DP's eye line, trying to ascertain what he is looking at to anticipate his next demand.

That being said. You're probably not going to have a very good key grip.

But's here's what you going to have: about 5-8 young hungry film guys who will bust their asses for you, but not always be available when you need them. Chances are they'll be students (since you'll put up a flyer at all the colleges and universities saying there's cool production work available), and college students aren't the most reliable folk around. You'll get 5-8 of them because you'll need 2-3 of them per shoot. And I can almost guarantee that you'll find one guy who'll be your rock -- he'll be there every time, will be able to talk for hours on Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, and will probably end up being credited as your key grip. It always seems to happen that way. The others guys will be somewhat interchangeable. As long as there are 2-3 per shoot, your DPs life will be much easier.


STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
VI. Wrap Up

And there's your crew:

-Director of Photography
-Sound Mixer
-Assitant Director
-Script Supervisor
-Key Grip
-Production Assistants / Grips

That's in a perfect world. In your world, it may look a little closer to this:

-Director of Photography
-Sound Mixer /Key Grip
-Assitant Director / Script Supervisor
-Production Assitants

Either way, you've got you have some faith in these guys because you're going to be putting a lot of trust into them. Don't hire people because it's convenient. Sure, your roommate could shoot for you, and since you're shooting primarily in your apartment, you know he'll always be there.

Don't.

Take yourself seriously. Take your project seriously.

You're about to start what is going to be a an extraordinarily painful process. You will lose weight. You will get sick. You will feel like sticking a dagger in your heart after about two or days of this. Everything will go wrong.

Do everything you can beforehand to make the experience worth it. Surround yourself with the very best people you can find. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and ask total strangers for insane favors. Most will turn you down. But some may say yes.

Especially if your script is as good as you hope it is.

(continued)
© 2006 by Marty Langford

VERTIBLOG Film School IX - THE $1,000 MOVIE, Part 8

PRE PRODUCTION (continued)

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew

OK. Up until this point, the differences in approach to a $1,000 as opposed to a $30,000 movie have been pretty small. In fact, with the exception of the casting protocol, everything I've spoken about applies to pretty much any budget movie. But the way you recruit your crew in the $1,000 world... that's quite a bit different than with the $15,000 or $30,000 picture.

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
I. Director of Photography

First off... your DP. Arguably, after you, the most important person on the crew. You're going to want to somebody with some chops. And you don't want it to be you. You want to be looking at a monitor during takes, studying composition, studying takes. Or perhaps you want to be closer to your actors. Either way, with a camera on your shoulder, is pretty impossible.

The first thing you should do is aim high. That video production company you contacted regarding actors? Ask them about DPs, too. Many of the guys that work corporate/industrial gigs are similar to the actors they shoot -- they want to make movies. The problem they face in realizing their dreams, though, is the cash they make on these corporate/industrial gigs. A good DP gets between $400-$600 a day in a small-medium sized market. That's without a camera. That's just them showing up. It must be tough for them to turn that down for a stinky little independent film.

But try to convince them.

These guys are usually pretty cool. You don't get to be a regularly-used corporate DP by being an asshole.

And if find a guy having a slow summer, and with a relatively fat bank account, and a desire to make art? Your chances are certainly in the double digits.

Here's the rub, though. You only have a $1,000 total budget.

************BUDGET UPDATE***************

So far, all we've spent is $15.00 for the Filmmaker's Software. So we have $985 remaining. Looking ahead to our shoot, we're going to have to feed our crew. That's gonna cost us about $30.00 a day (details later on some tricks, but you're going to have to pony up for something). We're talking a 9 day shoot, so that's $270.00, leaving us with $715. We certainly don't want to completely shoot our wad on the DP, but if you can find a willing pro, you don't want to let him go. Offer him $50 a day, a deferment of half of his day rate, and some points in the movie. That's $450 to your DP, leaving you with $265.

definition: deferment/points - A deferment is a binding promise (make it in writing) to pay a cast/crew member an agreed upon rate, at some time in the future, if the movie ever makes a profit. Now, turning a profit IS a possibility; things like public screening and small run DVD sales ARE in your future, if you choose. And you WILL see a return if your pursue it enough. A deferment simply says... I won't forget you. It's a good faith gesture.

Now... points are something completely different. Points are a guaranteed interest in the movie, in the form of a percentage. Here you're saying, if this movie ever sees any money, you're guaranteed a cut of it. You're a partner. This way, if your film becomes the next BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, they are in a position to make a LOT of money.

So... call that production company and get some names. Each company probably has the names of five or six guys in the area that they use regularly. And I can't imagine why they wouldn't give you their contact info. Also... each of these five or six guys, if not interested or if unavailable, will probably have several other names to offer you, as well.

The first thing your should tell your DP is that you'll shoot around their schedule. And let them give you a start a start date. Also, offer up your script immediately, and ask them not to make a decision until they read it. If they agree to that, you're in pretty good shape (considering your script is as good as you hope it is).

Another strong point to finding a 'real' DP is that many of them have pretty good cameras. Maybe not big boy HD cams, but they may have a very nice 16:9, 24p prosumer camcorder -- which is exactly what you looking for (much more on cameras later).

Let's say you strike out. No professional DP will touch you.

Remember the Mass Film Bureau and New England Film? Put a listing up there for a DP. Lots of people browse and lurk these sites, including wannabe/newbie DPs who may be green, but may also have some chops you can exploit.

At the same time, head back to the local college and university scene, and track down a faculty member in the Film/Television/Broadcasting department. Tell them who you're looking for: that young, hungry, talented camera operator who has impressed them in their video production classes. Somebody who just needs a shot.

The thing you want to make sure you do, with any DP is get a look at their reel. The pros will have one, but the wannabees and students most likely won't. From them, you at least want to see something that they've shot -- a school project or a short film.


STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2b: Finding your crew
II. Sound Mixer

The second most important crew member you'll be looking for will be your sound mixer. This is a guy who has some experience gathering audio on field shoots from a boom pole/fishpole using a shotgun microphone. Preferably, this person will own all of his/her own gear. But, while pro/semi-pro DPs may be willing to take a cut in pay on an independent film to expand their experience/reels, sound guys may be less willing. While good DPs tend to be "artists", sound mixers tend to be craftsmen or technicians.

At the very least, you're going to need the gear below to get what you need aurally:

-Fishpole w/ shock mount
-Shotgun microphone
-Audio (XLR cables)
-Headphones

In all honesty, this is where you're going to have to spend some more cash. The chances of you finding an audio guy,with this gear, who is willing to work for pretty much free, is close to nil.

Now, you could easily spend $3,000.00 on the microphone alone. But of course, you won't. There are several low-priced solutions that will give you passable sound.

Here's what I suggest you do... spend a hour or so surfing through Google Groups using key words like "affordable", or "cheap" "shotgun microphones", and "boom pole", and "independent film". You'll find plenty of links, reviews, opinions...etc on various solutions. Go into it expecting to spend about $250 for the whole package. This is a case of "you get what you pay for", and as soon as you graduate to higher budgeted features, you'll throw all of this stuff out.

Regarding the sound mixer himself, again... first aim high. Seek out pros and see if you get a bite. Offer them the $250 and a deferment, and points. Maybe you'll get lucky. Check out the colleges and maybe you'll find that young student that has some experience and can "borrow" the gear from the school. It would certainly be better than you get for $250.

If you have no luck with any of that, then maybe your sound guy ends up being your little brother. In all honesty, it's not rocket science to get competent sound. It'll cause you headaches in post, but it'll be there, on tape. It is nearly rocket science to get great sound... but that's why pro sound mixers make the big bucks.

Have your little brother spend some time in the library and on-line, researching location sound techniques. There's plenty of info out there to learn.

(continued)
© 2006 by Marty Langford

VERTIBLOG Film School VIII - THE $1,000 MOVIE, Part 7

PRE PRODUCTION (continued)

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW

So. Now, you need to find a talented cast and a competent crew. One that has a flexible schedule.

That will work for free.

On nights.

And weekends.

Yeah, this is going to be a tall order, but not as hard as you may think. Since it seems the obvious thing to do... let's break it down into two tasks: finding your cast, and finding your crew.

Before you do anything though, you should realize that from this point on, you're going to be a man/woman in demand. There are going to be a lot of people who are going to try and reach you, and you've got to be available. The best way to do this?

Get online.

Create a MySpace account, create a blog, create a website. Create some kind of on-line, correspondence-based identity that will allow interested parties to e-mail you, IM you, post on a forum, or leave comments.

This is where you're going to point people who are going to be interested in getting on-board your train.


******************PRODUCTION HINT*******************

Update frequently, and post as much or as little as you like about your project. For example, if you're making a schlocky horror comedy called ATTACK OF THE SPACE CHICKENS, it may be prudent to keep the title out of the initial contact you'll have with actors/crew. It's very important at this stage to have people take you seriously. You want to attract talented people, and talented people may not, or just think they don't, want to be associated with ATTACK OF SPACE CHICKENS. Hopefully, after the initial contact, your charm and the quality of the script with convince them.

*******************************

STEP 2. FIND YOUR CAST/CREW
Step 2a: Finding your cast

As filmmakers, we can't live without actors. But that doesn't mean we have to understand them. I certainly don't. They traipse around in an imaginary world, surrounded by technicians and crew, while trying to find some inherent "truth" in the characters they're inhabiting. Crazy, huh?

But oftentimes I'm astounded at what you can get out of good, prepared actors. You'll write some dialogue with something in mind -- some tone or delivery -- and then an actor will surprise you, giving you something you hadn't thought about. Something better. It doesn't happen all the time, and it rarely happens with amateurs, but it's those moments where you scratch your head, tell them 'great job', and wonder how the hell they did it.

So, as much I don't get the actor's craft, there's one thing I DO understand about them:

They're desperate, insecure people who will work for table scraps.

Not all of them maybe, but as soon as you announce that you've got a feature film in the works, watch them come begging. You'll discover that finding actors will be extraordinarily easy.

Finding good ones, however... that's the tough part.


-CAST
--Sides

When casting for MAGDALENA'S BRAIN, I'll admit that when that first actor responded and asked for 'sides', I had no idea what they were talking about. After I kept them busy for a moment, and rushed to do a Google Search, I quickly discovered that sides are simply script pages that are to be read by potential actors for a specific role.

So what you do is this: you go through your script and find scenes that really represent your character-- maybe a typical scene that shows the character as they are through most of the movie, but perhaps with a moment that displays anger, or fear, or introspection, or whatever -- then you cut and paste these scenes into a new document, and you have a side. When you schedule a casting call, make sure that the actors have sides beforehand, or at the very least, bring extra copies to the session to give them well before they go before the camera.

-CAST
--Casting Call

Pick a date. Preferably a weekend. And find someplace to take over for a few hours. It's important to note here that you should make every effort to secure a location that has a good-sized waiting area, and a rather private performance area. It's NOT a good idea to have actors read in front of other actors.

******************MONEY / TIME SAVING HINT*******************

Go through the phonebook and use your Google know-how to locate a local community theater organization. Call them and explain your plight: you're an independent filmmaker casting a new feature film. You're beginning the casting process and would like to use their facility for the cattle call. Most local groups use high schools or middle schools for their performances -- try to find one that doesn't, that has it's own private facility. If you can't find one wit their own space, get contact info for their venue and ask if you can use their name to schmooze the facilities manager.

Also, ask if they'd mind posting a casting notice within their organization. They'll bend over backwards for you, believe me.

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Once you've nailed down a date and a location, there are a couple of things you should do before getting the word out.

Update your MySpace account/Blog. List the hours / location / directions to your call. Also, very important, list the roles you are trying to fill:

Hector (male lead) - late 20s/early 30s. Hispanic. A drug dealer who is trying to get out of the business. His pregnant wife has become sick, and he's beginning to recognize that if he's not careful, he may become just like his father.

Juliana (female lead) - Hector's wife, white, 20s. She thinks Hector had left the drug trade when they married 1 year ago. But she's starting to become suspicious. Should she confront him and risk losing him, especially when she needs him the most?

Ralph (supporting) - Hector's father, white, late 50s. Hardcore drug dealer and unapologetic about it. He thinks his son is weak for wanting out of the family business. But he'll soon learn that the responsibilities of a father to a son are too great to hide from.

... and so on.

Also, if you're comfortable, list sides on the site as downloadable documents. Or have people request sides if they like. Remember to bring lots of extras to the call, though. People will forget theirs.

Now that all of the important info is listed on your site, you've got three potential avenues to get people there.

-Flyers
-On-line Sources
-Phone Calls/E-mails

Flyers:

Keep it simple. Use those layouts skills you have (if you don't, you know someone who does), and create an 8x10 flyer. Include pertinent information about the production and be up-front about payment. Mention that there may be payment for principal roles, and perhaps you'll attract a higher level of performer. If you do find that unbelievably perfect actor that absolutely will not work for free, deal with that after you've at least auditioned them. And remember, you DO have SOME money to play with. You just gotta spend it smartly.

On the flyer, be somewhat general. Something like:

"FEATURE FILM CASTING CALL

Professional local filmmakers are looking for local talent to join us on our ambitious feature film production. To be shot in late June/early July. Speaking parts, principal roles and extras needed. All ages, all races (no children until 16, please).

We hope to hit the national film festival circuit this fall. Mostly deferred payments, but we have a budget to work with!

Please visit: www.glowingscreen.com for more details."

Don't be close-minded about race for any particular role -- some characters could be made vastly more interesting with a different ethnic skew. Age, too... we had originally written Magdalena as a 40+ year old woman, however when we found our perfect actress, she was 29 years old! Even keep an open mind about gender. If you have no principal female roles, and you find an incredibly talented woman... maybe you could re-write your protagonist.

Go to colleges and universities and have a look around, talk to students and determine where would be a good location for posting flyers. Go to the Communications Department and ask around. Some colleges have Theater Arts in the English Departments, or the Humanities Divisions. Figure it out. And then plaster your flyers on the walls.

-On-line Sources

Every state and region has on-line sources for independent filmmakers. When you start looking around, you'll be amazed at the community of like-minded folks out there. Here in Massachusetts, two great resources are the Mass Film Bureau and New England Film. Both of them have casting call classifieds which actors visit very often. Direct them to your contact page.

Also, Google your way through the groups and forums out there:
alt.movies.independent
rec.arts.movies.production
rec.video.professional
rec.arts.movies.production

-Phone Calls/E-mails

Go through the phone book and search through Google to find local community theaters, acting troupes, casting agencies, and video production companies. The theater/acting groups are easy enough; they'd be happy to talk to you and pass along any and all info you give them. The casting agencies and video production companies may give you a little resistance, but have a much bigger potential payoff.

Casting agencies make their living by charging both their clients and the companies with which they set up their clients. An independent filmmaker with no money to offer is not going to be on the top of their call-back list. But it's worth trying. Chances are you don't live in L.A., and chances are the casting agency you see in your local area is going to be pretty rinky-dink. That's good. Call them and lay on some of that charm, and suggest that the exposure you may be able to give their clients could certainly benefit them as well.

Video production companies are another potential source for actors. I've worked at a production company for 10 years now and we hire actors all the time. Mostly for corporate-type videos where we ask them to be insurance agents or doctors or narrators for programs about insurance agents and doctors. But these actors, the one we pay very well to do these boring, unpleasant programs... they want to be in movies. And they'll take a drastic pay cut to do so. Maybe even work for free. And me, as a producer at the production company, would be more than happy to facilitate a meeting with some of these actors. They're all really good guys who know what they're doing in front the camera.

Speaking of which...

You know who doesn't really know what they're doing in front of a camera?

Theater folk.

The flyers you give to community theater members? The calls you make to acting troupes? Expect a lot of interest... but don't expect too much experience... in front of a camera, that is. Actors who work on the stage can be amazing. On the stage. They can pull off a mean Mercutio to the people in the seats before them, but place them in front of a camera and ask for some subtlety... well, it's just a completely different form of acting.

This is not to diss theater folk.

Only to point out that you can be fooled into thinking an actor can pull of one of your characters based on seeing him on the stage. Maybe he can. But camera test him. Get him a side, get him to the casting call, and see if he has any movie chops.

Back to the casting call.

Expect a long day. With all of the hustling you've been doing, there's going to be substantial interest. Install a hit counter/tracker on your blog/site and keep an eye on it. It'll give you some indication on the interest you're stirring.

Don't do it alone.

Chances are you have some close friends who are thinking of helping you out with your project. Use them. You'll need at least three people.

First friend: the wrangler. This person will be in charge of crowd control. They'll assign numbers to people as they stream in, like in a deli, and collect some personal info. They'll also regularly hand you sheets with the people to expect next-- how old they are, what experience they have, what part they want. It's a thankless job; and requires excellent organization. It's also the wrangler's responsibility to keep the flow moving. As one person leaves, another is waiting to go in.

Second friend: the camera operator. Oh yeah, bring a camera. This friend will make sure that each actor, before they start their scene, will hold up their number (simply written on a piece of paper), and that each audition is in focus. The picture doesn't need to be pretty. In fact, the video will be more of a reference than anything else. You'll already be making decisions as you see them live.

Third friend: the reader. This friend will actually read with the actor. Don't worry about gender, and don't even worry about talent. Just make sure they're somewhat familiar with the sides beforehand. Don't let this friend screw around during the audition, so get someone responsible.

As you go through the process, something miraculous will happen within you:

You'll know almost immediately when someone is wrong for the part.

Sometimes before they even open their mouth. But give them a chance to prove you wrong. If a huge, overweight African-American guy is walking up to read for your lead (you know, the skinny white guy)... listen to him.

Also, have a prepared opening for all of the actors; "Hi there, my name's Marty Langford, I'm the director for the project. This is Jan and she's going to read with you. It says here you'd like to read for Juliana. Did you have any questions? Good, let's get started."

And tell everyone the same thing after they read; "Thanks so much for coming, we're seeing a lot of people tonight, and we'll be making our decisions in the next couple of weeks. Keep checking the web site for updates."

As you're watching auditions, feel free to give direction after a take. In casting, it's usually called giving an "adjustment". And be prepared to answer questions about the story/character. Giving some adjustment can really help determine what it may be like working with this person. Do they accept suggestions gracefully? Are they unable to adjust... having only one "note"? Don't waste your time giving adjustments to the people you know are wrong, only those with promise.

Finally, know that you probably won't be leaving that night with a full cast -- you may have lots of people you want to see again, but that's what call backs are for. In fact, I'd recommend NOT officially casting anyone at your first call -- you may think, "oh my God. It's her! She's perfect!". But at least sleep on it and watch the tape in the morning.

And call-backs can be a much smaller affair, with individual appointments... so don't worry about having to stage a big cattle call again.


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© 2006 by Marty Langford