How much to do a test film?

Like my previous thread on miniatures, I'm trying to do it cheap - I'd like to get pro's and amateurs, but I don't want to take advantage of anyone, because I've been burned before, so I know how it feels. The fan projects have amateurs and professionals, but I don't think they get paid. Perhaps I should give an honorarium of $100, to show I appreciate their work. I mean, it's the thought, as opposed to the salary. That said, a few actors have said they'll do a film for minimum wage, because they love their craft.

OK, forget the test. I'll have to jump in with a real film.
 
Aspiring Mogul said:
Like my previous thread on miniatures, I'm trying to do it cheap - I'd like to get pro's and amateurs, but I don't want to take advantage of anyone, because I've been burned before, so I know how it feels. The fan projects have amateurs and professionals, but I don't think they get paid. Perhaps I should give an honorarium of $100, to show I appreciate their work. I mean, it's the thought, as opposed to the salary. That said, a few actors have said they'll do a film for minimum wage, because they love their craft.

OK, forget the test. I'll have to jump in with a real film.
Click to expand...

If you want to be a producer and not a director, and if you have money to spend, let's say 10k, without pinching your wallet, which is the way it sounds from the way you're talking about spending, why not just hire a director. Hire a director and tell him, "this is what I want you to shoot. One day I'm going to shoot this on an even bigger budget and bigger scale, but now I want to shoot something similar, and we'll call it a test run. What do you need to make this test run thing happen. You've got $10K. What can I buy for you?"

Your director will give you all the answers you need. Put up an ad like that. Talk to the directors that apply. Form a proper impression of what the test run entails, and then hire the director you think has the vision, and the confidence and knowledge to implement that vision and make the "hearts of green screen test runs."

;)
cheers
 
I'd give you an answer. But I truly have a few things going right now.

But do what I asked you to do. Put an ad up on craigslist. You'll hear back from directors. Put up the budget to 20K. You'll hear back from more directors. Have interviews with them. They'll tell you what you'll get for 10 or 20k. But you have to think about it a little more and then tell them what you want. They'll get back to you with what you'll get.

gotta run
 
I spoke to a soundstage manager today about renting his space, and he said I can build a space bridge, shoot the scene, and take it down to put in storage. I'm surprised to hear that, but he said the same thing everyone has. So I presume a bridge set like the Enterprise would be done so it can put up within a day, and, later, put in storage somewhere???

Is that how sets work? Done so you can put them up and take them down?
 
Aspiring Mogul said:
Is that how sets work? Done so you can put them up and take them down?
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Yes. that's how a set can work.

Aspiring Mogul said:
So what do I get for $10 grand?
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Okay, you are a producer and you want to do a test film. I say
a producer doesn't need to do a test film - trueindie backs me
up; as the producer you hire the team to make a movie and
you hare people who have already done several "test" films.

However as the producer what you can do is do several test
budgets. What you can do with ten large depends on how you
spend the money. I'm going to point you in the right direction
- you need to do several test budgets.

Start with how many actors you MUST have and how much
you are going to pay them.

Figure you minimum crew and how much you are going to pay
them.

Then you set the preproduction days, the shooting days and the
post production days and see if your pay scale matches you final
budget.

Include all the items needed in your production and then work
from there until you get to ten large.

You're going to have to do a lot of work. This is your test budget.

Good luck.
 
Duckforceone said:
if i were to run a test film, which i am actually going to do, i'm going to do it like this.

Grab a hand held tiny video camera.
Invite a few friends to spend the weekend with me and the script.
Shoot the film, with whomever people i got, reading from the script.
Doing mostly master shots.

Voila, a fun weekend, trying it out...

If you are to do it any other way than this, expect to pay people, as it would start being work and not fun.
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+1!

This is exactly the approach I would take.
 
directorik said:
Called a “rehearsal” the director and the actors often do a table
read - they all sit around a table and read directly from the
script. No crew, no set, no locations. Also under the “rehearsal”
banner some directors will work one on one with each actor during
the preproduction period. Then on set there will be a rehearsal -
the director works with the actors, blocking them and running
lines before the lights are set.
Click to expand...

You mean something like this? :D
 
I have been reading this thread among others, so I can learn the business, and I have begun writing various scripts, as well as a bible detailing the world of my characters. The essence of writing is re-writing, and scripts have to go through many versions before the right one comes out.

I am wondering if table readings would be good for working out my scripts - I understand table reads are used when the film is read for pre-production, but I don't know if they are useful in going through various drafts. If table reads are good, I'm also wondering if there is another step above this but below pre-production, so, instead of the actors sitting around a table, would they perhaps act out the scene without props or special effects?

Thanks to everyone for their help.
 
Aspiring Mogul said:
I am wondering if table readings would be good for working out my scripts - I understand table reads are used when the film is read for pre-production, but I don't know if they are useful in going through various drafts. If table reads are good, I'm also wondering if there is another step above this but below pre-production, so, instead of the actors sitting around a table, would they perhaps act out the scene without props or special effects?
Click to expand...


Since I know a lot actors I very often do a read with a late draft of
my scripts. I rent a little theater and provide a nice meal so it's very
informal. And it's all done as a personal favor. It really help me with
the final drafts.

I'm thinking that someone who can't pull in personal favors from
friends may have to pay a little something. If you want to hire a
director to block out scenes I see no reason why you can't. Rent
a space three days, have two days of blocking rehearsals and then
on day where you sit and watch it. The actors would be on book
but there is no reason to not do it other than the expense.
 
directorik said:
Since I know a lot actors I very often do a read with a late draft of
my scripts. I rent a little theater and provide a nice meal so it's very
informal. And it's all done as a personal favor. It really help me with
the final drafts.

I'm thinking that someone who can't pull in personal favors from
friends may have to pay a little something. If you want to hire a
director to block out scenes I see no reason why you can't. Rent
a space three days, have two days of blocking rehearsals and then
on day where you sit and watch it. The actors would be on book
but there is no reason to not do it other than the expense.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Rik.

But why rent a theatre as opposed to your basement or the backyard? Because it provides a better environment?

Can you show me a Youtube example of that? :)
 
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