Hey, I have an issue that I'm sure isn't new. Forgive me for the long-winded response; it's just that I am at my wits end.
I started a web series last summer; it was my first time as a director. I've been writing screenplays for a little over 10 years and I decided that the only way to try and break into the industry was to do a small web series and hopefully have people see it. I had been working on the script for the web series for 4-5 years; I was writing the whole first season. I was convinced that I wanted to actually produce it one day.
I wore numerous hats besides the writer/director (producer, casting, etc). I had cast close to 10 actors for different roles with the idea that they would come back for future episodes. No one was paid; I could only afford to offer credit and meals/gas.
I had a very specific idea on what I wanted for the main character. When it came time to audition, hardly anyone came out to read for the part. One guy read for the role and was nowhere near what I envisioned for the main character. Another guy sent in a video audition from out of town. I ended up deciding on him because he came the closest to what I envisioned. The lead role was the last role cast.
Keep in mind, the only thing that he was cast in was a Verizon commercial.
Scheduling wasn't really a problem because he wasn't in school and he had a job which he took time out from. Everyone else's schedule worked out fine. If anyone had something else already scheduled, they would let me know.
Of course, the lead actor is perfect in the role. Yeah, it was kind of bumpy, with it being the first episode, but he really fit the character. I can't envision anyone else as that character. We finished shooting the first episode in October of last year and I put it up a month later. We also managed to shoot footage for upcoming episodes. The first episode did okay; not a lot of people saw it, but those who did see it didn't have anything negative to say about it.
Because we were so close to the holidays, when everyone's schedule would get really fudgy, the plan was to take a production hiatus before coming back in late winter/spring to start on the next episodes. I'm trying to set everything up in December with scheduling and locking down locations, etc. I hear from everyone accept my lead actor, whom I haven't heard from since I premiered the first episode. When the first week in January rolls around, he tells me that he's going to school for the semester and that his schedule would be tight.
I was blown away at first because it seemed like something he should've clued me in on back in November, when I decided on the production hiatus. But I thought we could work around it and I devised a schedule in which we would film on certain weekends (he lives 2-3 hours away). The first weekend we were due to start shooting with other actors and in a location it took me some time to lock down, he emails at the last possible second to tell me he can't make it.
This became a recurring theme throughout the winter. I finally said, "You know what, we'll wait till you finish the semester." Meanwhile, I had already lost a cast member because he had moved. We did manage to shoot some scenes without him, but since the show was geared around him, it was going to be impossible. I had no other back-up plan.
It's April now, I check in on him to let him know that I wanted to start production again in late June and asked him flat out would he be available. He said he would be on certain days and gave me his work schedule. I said okay. With that knowledge, I began crafting a schedule to work around that. When I finish and email everyone in the cast at the beginning of June, he tells me that not only did he add another shift to his work schedule, but he'll be starting a radio internship in which I'd be left with 1-2 days to shoot.
I was devastated because my goal was to have new episodes ready to go by August. 1-2 days was not going to cut it, especially when there are other people in the cast to consider. Just because he can shoot on a specific day, doesn't mean someone else can. I emailed him about a week ago to tell him that I appreciate all the hard work that he put into the project and everything, but I think he needs to concentrate on the radio internship, especially since he went to school for radio anyway.
I didn't tell him straight out that I would recast the role because at that point, I wasn't sure yet. But I spent 4-5 years working on the script for the first season. I was very fortunate and blessed to land a full-time job which helped me get some of the equipment I needed. A lot of time and energy went into the project and I'm not quite ready to pull the plug.
My dilemma: do I re-cast the role and if I do, do I re-shoot the pilot? Since not a lot of people saw the first episode, I don't think it would be totally out of the question. But I'm thinking that even if I do find someone else to play the role, he'll never match up to what the first actor did with the character. There was a certain kind of magic, if you will.
The cast didn't really get a chance to bond since we didn't spend a lot time shooting and due to scheduling, but the cast did like him. I'm wondering how they'll react to the news.
Like I said, I'm not ready to give up on the project since so much went into it, but should I continue it? Would it be right?
I started a web series last summer; it was my first time as a director. I've been writing screenplays for a little over 10 years and I decided that the only way to try and break into the industry was to do a small web series and hopefully have people see it. I had been working on the script for the web series for 4-5 years; I was writing the whole first season. I was convinced that I wanted to actually produce it one day.
I wore numerous hats besides the writer/director (producer, casting, etc). I had cast close to 10 actors for different roles with the idea that they would come back for future episodes. No one was paid; I could only afford to offer credit and meals/gas.
I had a very specific idea on what I wanted for the main character. When it came time to audition, hardly anyone came out to read for the part. One guy read for the role and was nowhere near what I envisioned for the main character. Another guy sent in a video audition from out of town. I ended up deciding on him because he came the closest to what I envisioned. The lead role was the last role cast.
Keep in mind, the only thing that he was cast in was a Verizon commercial.
Scheduling wasn't really a problem because he wasn't in school and he had a job which he took time out from. Everyone else's schedule worked out fine. If anyone had something else already scheduled, they would let me know.
Of course, the lead actor is perfect in the role. Yeah, it was kind of bumpy, with it being the first episode, but he really fit the character. I can't envision anyone else as that character. We finished shooting the first episode in October of last year and I put it up a month later. We also managed to shoot footage for upcoming episodes. The first episode did okay; not a lot of people saw it, but those who did see it didn't have anything negative to say about it.
Because we were so close to the holidays, when everyone's schedule would get really fudgy, the plan was to take a production hiatus before coming back in late winter/spring to start on the next episodes. I'm trying to set everything up in December with scheduling and locking down locations, etc. I hear from everyone accept my lead actor, whom I haven't heard from since I premiered the first episode. When the first week in January rolls around, he tells me that he's going to school for the semester and that his schedule would be tight.
I was blown away at first because it seemed like something he should've clued me in on back in November, when I decided on the production hiatus. But I thought we could work around it and I devised a schedule in which we would film on certain weekends (he lives 2-3 hours away). The first weekend we were due to start shooting with other actors and in a location it took me some time to lock down, he emails at the last possible second to tell me he can't make it.
This became a recurring theme throughout the winter. I finally said, "You know what, we'll wait till you finish the semester." Meanwhile, I had already lost a cast member because he had moved. We did manage to shoot some scenes without him, but since the show was geared around him, it was going to be impossible. I had no other back-up plan.
It's April now, I check in on him to let him know that I wanted to start production again in late June and asked him flat out would he be available. He said he would be on certain days and gave me his work schedule. I said okay. With that knowledge, I began crafting a schedule to work around that. When I finish and email everyone in the cast at the beginning of June, he tells me that not only did he add another shift to his work schedule, but he'll be starting a radio internship in which I'd be left with 1-2 days to shoot.
I was devastated because my goal was to have new episodes ready to go by August. 1-2 days was not going to cut it, especially when there are other people in the cast to consider. Just because he can shoot on a specific day, doesn't mean someone else can. I emailed him about a week ago to tell him that I appreciate all the hard work that he put into the project and everything, but I think he needs to concentrate on the radio internship, especially since he went to school for radio anyway.
I didn't tell him straight out that I would recast the role because at that point, I wasn't sure yet. But I spent 4-5 years working on the script for the first season. I was very fortunate and blessed to land a full-time job which helped me get some of the equipment I needed. A lot of time and energy went into the project and I'm not quite ready to pull the plug.
My dilemma: do I re-cast the role and if I do, do I re-shoot the pilot? Since not a lot of people saw the first episode, I don't think it would be totally out of the question. But I'm thinking that even if I do find someone else to play the role, he'll never match up to what the first actor did with the character. There was a certain kind of magic, if you will.
The cast didn't really get a chance to bond since we didn't spend a lot time shooting and due to scheduling, but the cast did like him. I'm wondering how they'll react to the news.
Like I said, I'm not ready to give up on the project since so much went into it, but should I continue it? Would it be right?
