Name Actors - How much $?

F

finderskeepers

Hello,
I'm doing post production on my no-budget feature now. I have a unique aspect of the plot - the story opens in the year 2000 and then the rest of the story take place in 2010 with one flashback. This means I can ad a scene with a Name Actor filmed at a different time and place than the rest of the story.

Does anyone know about how much money is needed to put a lower level B-movie actor in your film? I'm looking to get someone who can help us get at least some type of distribution. (Even if we don't get our money back) Anyone done this before?
Thank you in advance,
Joe
 
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Aspiring Mogul said:
What about film crew? How much would they cost?
Click to expand...
Now we get into the analogy; "How long is string?"

People here have gotten crew for free. People here have paid their
crew members $50 per day. People here have paid their crew their
standard day rate. What YOU pay is up to you and your budget.

The answer is, "How much string to you need and what do you
need it to do?"

The crew for short film - shooting a long three day weekend - will
charge less per day (or work for free).

The crew for a feature - shooting three, six day weeks - will charge
more per day.

On most projects the crew will be paid at different rates. The DP will
charge more than the PA. The recordist will charge more than the
boom op. In many cases you can get gaffer less to get their first DP
credit than if you were to hire that person as a gaffer. Sometimes I
pay the first, the scripty and the recordist more than anyone when
I'm shooting ULB.

When you are ready to put together a line item budget - using my
analogy, when you know what you are using the string for - I'd be
glad to help out with some numbers. Before that point there is no
usable answer to how much crew will cost. Because they will cost
anywhere from nothing to $100/$200/$300/$400/$500 per day each.
 
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directorik said:
Now we get into the analogy; "How long is string?"

People here have gotten crew for free. People here have paid their
crew members $50 per day. People here have paid their crew their
standard day rate. What YOU pay is up to you and your budget.

The answer is, "How much string to you need and what do you
need it to do?"

The crew for short film - shooting a long three day weekend - will
charge less per day (or work for free).

The crew for a feature - shooting three, six day weeks - will charge
more per day.

On most projects the crew will be paid at different rates. The DP will
charge more than the PA. The recordist will charge more than the
boom op. In many cases you can get gaffer less to get their first DP
credit than if you were to hire that person as a gaffer. Sometimes I
pay the first, the scripty and the recordist more than anyone when
I'm shooting ULB.

When you are ready to put together a line item budget - using my
analogy, when you know what you are using the string for - I'd be
glad to help out with some numbers. Before that point there is no
usable answer to how much crew will cost. Because they will cost
anywhere from nothing to $100/$200/$300/$400/$500 per day each.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm looking for - ball park figures. OK, I'm getting some numbers now.

I know why fans and film students would work for free, but why would pros work for free?
 
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Aspiring Mogul said:
That's what I'm looking for - ball park figures. OK, I'm getting some numbers now.
Click to expand...
DP - $100/day to $800/day
1st AC - $100/day to $400/day
1st AD - $100/day to $400/day
script supervisor - $100/day to $300/day
gaffer - $100/day to $400/day
dolly grip/key grip - $100/day to $300/day
grip/electric - $100/day to $200/day
makeup - $100/day to $300/day
costumer - $100/day to $300/day
set dresser - $100/day to $300/day
props - $100/day to $300/day
mixer - $100/day to $800/day
boom op - $100/day to $300/day
craft services/caterer - $100/day to $200/day


Aspiring Mogul said:
I know why fans and film students would work for free, but why would pros work for free?
Click to expand...
If they believe in the project.
To support a friend.
To move up to a better position - for the credit.
 
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I agree that people who believe in the project will work for free - the owner of one of the local makeup shops offered to do so for free, but she said she couldn't ask her employees to do that. That said, when I advertised for a fan film, lots of fans, including some computer geeks, volunteered.

The trick is to keep them motivated, and that's where leadership skills - and money - comes in, because lots of projects run into the ground when people get bored and drift away. So, in the long run, money has to come in somewhere, somehow.

Anyway, using your list, I don't think I need an assistant director for my first film, which should be short, though I may need an assistant camera, for multi shots. But I'll be conservative and, say, hire them at the mid-rates you mentioned. That will mean $3,000 per day for staff costs alone. So I would presume $10,000 a day for a mid-quality shoot (less if they believe in their mogul) and $30,000 for a three-day short?

I presume if they agree to do it for less, then that would give me some leeway.
 
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Aspiring, IMO you should not spend more than a couple thousand bucks on a short film, no matter what anyone says here.

Lets do some math:

Your short cost $30,000 for crew alone -- end result: No saleable product.

My feature cost $0.00 for cast and crew -- end result: A saleable product.

----------------

After your expensive short is shown at a couple festivals, (even then, maybe) you'll put it online for free where it'll eventually just die because there will be no financial reward to keep it alive in the public eye (marketing).

You SHOULD make cheap shorts to learn the craft, hone your skills and for your own amusement.

There are only a FEW (very very few) good reasons for paying big bucks on making a short.

That's my 2 cents to save you from spending $30,000!
 
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