Where can I hire cast and crew that have no full time jobs that get in the way?

H

harmonica44

I have been trying to make a short film for about a year now, but everytime I try to cast and crew it, it keeps never been made. They always get called into work and have to go. Their day jobs are almost always what gets in the way, especially if they have two or more. Either that or it's their kids.

I would like to hire cast and crew, where that is their job. They don't have any job accept being hired to make movies. That way, I can get a short film shot within a reasonable amount of time, and it will get finished before an actor decides to change his/her hair, or loose a noticeable amount of weight, or something, that will cause a mismatch in continuity.

I mean it's understandable why professional movie industries and Hollywood hire actors who have no other jobs they have to put first. It's because they wouldn't get movies made therefore. So I would like to do the same thing, so I can actually get something made and finished.

I am also willing to pay more money as well for that type of professionalism. However, when I put out adds for casting, no one is responding who doesn't have other jobs. Plus if you put on the casting call, that you will only hire actors who have no day jobs and acting is all they do, that can kill morale on a casting call, right there. So where exactly could I find these types of actors, DPs, PSMs, etc?
 
You don't. Someone else may well do, but you? A return to troll school is in order methinks. You're slipping up H44!

harmonica44 said:
Okay thanks. Well even if I got the footage back I still plan on doing something with it.
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So, did you get the footage back or not?

harmonica44 said:
I now have sent all the video footage to a colorist, but the movie came back with the color looking very much the same.
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Show us the footage, or come up with something funnier for your next thread please, H44.
 
I didn't get it back yet, he has only shown me samples in a low resolution. But once he is done making corrections, I will get it back. He is now more interested in making the corrections and finishing it, it seems.

If you do not get actors, like that, how do you filmmakers get movies finished, without actors having to keep going to their jobs all the time?
 
H44 - YOU dont. Others that spend more time working with filmakers than they do trolling them, might do however.

But they've yet to post in this thread. ;)

Edit: Oops, spoke too late :D
 
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Okay thanks. I have a bigger project I want to do in Vancouver, next year. I estimate it will take at least two weeks to shoot. However, I cannot afford to keep going back there, and will have to do it all in one trip. Is this possible with everyone having regular day jobs, or will I literally have to raise more money to make several trips? Is it possible to get it shot with one trip, without having to raise that much more money, just on travel, alone?

Have any of you been in similar situations where you could not afford to make several trips and had to shoot the whole movie all in a couple of weeks?
 
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demotivational-posters-kill-it_1_.jpg
 
It's not impossible though, cause a while back I gired a sound designer, and that's all he did was design sound for clients, had no other jobs that got in the way. Because of that, he was able to do it quickly for me, and he even said he had no other jobs. So it seems there are people out there where filmmaking is their only job, I just need to find more like that, if possible.
 
So where exactly could I find these types of actors, DPs, PSMs, etc?
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Tried the unemployment line? I hear those people don't have jobs to go to ;)

If you do not get actors, like that, how do you filmmakers get movies finished, without actors having to keep going to their jobs all the time?
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They're out there. I'd suspect the problem may be you. You're a train wreck. Anyone with an ounce of professionalism will either charge you full rates or will run for the hills (that's even if they'll accept you on a project at full rates anyway).

Your reputation precedes you. Either that or they meet you, work with you for a little bit of time and then say to themselves "Fuck this guy, he's a moron. I'm out of here. Whatever excuse gets him away from me."

The end all of it is you're going to have to A). Be Professional yourself. B). Be organized. C). Use the right people to get the right people. D). Pay them proper rates. You don't have the capabilities to trade on favors to get stuff done. It's just not in you.

What budget are you working with?
 
I don't know if I am well known enough to have a reputation that preceeds me, but perhaps, if word really got around, and it was that bad.

If I throw all the money I can in the can to hire pros, I can maybe come up with $30,000, but I would want to make it really really good, for that price. So good that it either it would get me future projects from others, and make money, or it would otherwise be the last thing I ever shoot, and could not afford to shoot anything of that good of quality again for years or decades even. If they are out there, what if I put on the casting calls, that it will be shot in two weeks, consecutively? Will this hopefully weed out the people who respond, with other jobs? In the past people would tell me they do not have other jobs and were free, but then they would then later tell me that they got other jobs, before shooting started, and would not be available now.

I don't think people I have worked with thought of me as a moron, but they did say that I take too long to do scene shoots. Before, shooting a scene could take up to 8 hours, but I have learned not to do that. In other shoots I have been on directors will get a scene shoot done in 2-3 and everyone was happy. So I will definitely try to do that for my future projects. Even if the people in the past thought I took long, I need to rebuild my reputation if it's that bad, but in order to get a movie done, I have to get it done in a reasonable and affordable amount of time. Do you think if I worked really fast with cast and crew, that I could do an average length scene shoot in only one hour? If I can do that, I can get it shot a lot faster, and having to work around other people's schedules will not be as much of a problem therefore. It seems an hour may be too short, and I do not want anyone to feel that their craft is not being taken seriously, cause I am rushing them so much. But at the same time, I do not want them to feel like too much of their time is being taken up either.
 
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I can maybe come up with $30,000
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You + making a feature film for $30k = A Really BAD idea.

it would otherwise be the last thing I ever shoot
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In that case, go for it. It'll end up in disaster.

I don't think people I have worked with thought of me as a moron
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This can only be true if you are different in real life to how you are on this forum.

Do you think if I worked really fast with cast and crew, that I could do an average length scene shoot in only one hour?
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Another how long is a piece of string question. When exactly will you learn that these questions are the exact (on top of your inability to learn from your mistakes and the inability to listen to others) reason(s) I'm this harsh on you.

Tell you what, I'll give you an offer. Take that $30k. Put $5k aside for transport and accommodation for yourself. Come here (Brisbane, Australia). I'll take the remaining $25k and shoot a 2 week film here using my contacts. This all assumes the script is doable in that price range and is decent enough to warrant people's time. You won't get any named actors but it'll get completed with something for a DVD release. We'll shoot at the end of December, early January.

I'm sure there are others here on the site that would also be happy to do that deal. Take your pick of those who are willing to do this. Sit back and watch it happen and learn. Don't get under foot.
 
I think you're on to something there Sweetie.

It looks like H44's calling could well be that of the exec producer... :hmm: :D
 
harmonica44 said:
They always get called into work and have to go. Their day jobs are almost always what gets in the way, especially if they have two or more. Either that or it's their kids.

I would like to hire cast and crew, where that is their job.
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Believe it or not, there's actually a name for these types of people, they're called "Professionals". Duh, are you joking?

harmonica44 said:
If I throw all the money I can in the can to hire pros, I can maybe come up with $30,000, but I would want to make it really really good, for that price.
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Are you "really, really good" at writing/choosing/adapting screenplays and at hiring and directing professionals? If your answer is "no" to any of these, then you've answered your own question!

Ask yourself why people always seem to get called into work and leave your projects?! If you and your projects were in some way inspirational, made your cast/crew feel like they were involved in something or doing/achieving something which was valuable, then I'm certain you would have far fewer problems. Hiring professionals isn't the answer! Sure, they're a little more likely to stick around until they get paid but if you don't know how to organise and direct them, then there's still a high probability of your project falling to pieces and even if you do manage to finish, it's almost certainly going to be a steaming pile or at the least, not worth anything near what you paid for it!!

G
 
People with no full time jobs? Heh...
It depends on what city you live in.
I live in Israel, in an industrial city of Ashkelon. Many times I come to Tel Aviv, the biggest city in Israel. You know what is the difference between those two? When you come to Tel Aviv in the middle of the day, you see many cafe and restaurants crowded. In day time. Why? Simple - those people don't need to work. So, if you're looking for people who don't have full time jobs, you should go to major cities in your country, where the film industry is well established, and where the people are bored enough, that they will try to get out of their boring routines by any means. Yes, search for people who have money (or whose parents have money).
 
AudioPostExpert said:
Believe it or not, there's actually a name for these types of people, they're called "Professionals". Duh, are you joking?



Are you "really, really good" at writing/choosing/adapting screenplays and at hiring and directing professionals? If your answer is "no" to any of these, then you've answered your own question!

Ask yourself why people always seem to get called into work and leave your projects?! If you and your projects were in some way inspirational, made your cast/crew feel like they were involved in something or doing/achieving something which was valuable, then I'm certain you would have far fewer problems. Hiring professionals isn't the answer! Sure, they're a little more likely to stick around until they get paid but if you don't know how to organise and direct them, then there's still a high probability of your project falling to pieces and even if you do manage to finish, it's almost certainly going to be a steaming pile or at the least, not worth anything near what you paid for it!!

G
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Okay thanks. My first short film went much better, cause more people showed up. It was more ambitious and I in the end, I felt I was perhaps too ambitious for it's budget and the experience of the people involved, as a result. However, people probably showed up for that one cause it was more ambitious. Only five people auditioned though, where I could have used more for other roles, but it was still better than no one coming. Perhaps I just need to write a much more ambitious script to get people attracted to it.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Perhaps I just need to write a much more ambitious script to get people attracted to it.
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it seems to me like this is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. if you're incapable of finishing a simple project, why would starting a more ambitious one be more likely to succeed?
 
Because it was probably the ambition of it, that got more people interested. If it was not that, what is it that I should put into a script that would attract people? Perhaps people would feel it is worth their time if it was a bigger more ambitious project. Or whatever is, I need to write a script people will say yes to, if the script is the problem.
 
H44, you can fly in actors from other cities. Therefor their jobs and families are less likely to get in the way. Put the shoot dates in their contract so there is no arguing. If the actors are from the same city then sometimes stuff comes up where they can say, "Oh I have to run and do this errand, I'll be back at ____". Flying actors in or transporting them in from another location has really helped us and I know other filmmakers that do it. So again, put the shoot dates in their contracts and try to get talent from some place other than where you are shooting. It may cost more; however it's likely to be more reliable in the long run.
 
Okay thanks. However, that will jack the price up quite a bit, with the flights and all. Is this really necessary and has to be done this way, or can it be avoided? If not, does anyone have any advice for raising extra money for the flights?
 
Sweetie said:
Tell you what, I'll give you an offer. Take that $30k. Put $5k aside for transport and accommodation for yourself. Come here (Brisbane, Australia). I'll take the remaining $25k and shoot a 2 week film here using my contacts. This all assumes the script is doable in that price range and is decent enough to warrant people's time. You won't get any named actors but it'll get completed with something for a DVD release. We'll shoot at the end of December, early January.
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Hmmmm, I think if I was H44, I'd take that deal no questions asked. I wouldn't even care what kind of script it was, mine or a random one that Sweetie pulls out of nowhere. With the amount of times you post simple questions H44 this would be the most beneficial learning experience you could possible have. Plus, you might just get something out of it that will recover some of the investment? XD
 
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