Holy Harry
Well-known member
www.jamescarveronline.com ... great website!
How do you deal with a DIVA?
- Thread starter FilmBoy77
- Start date
stan harrington
Well-known member
It's always difficult to get your head around a re-shoot but, invariably, I have found that re-casting or re-shooting is always better...if this person has truly caused heart-ache then what's to say that it won't happen again...starting from scratch with the right energy is worth the extra time and money...don't let anyone ruin your dream and make it anything less than a wonderful experience for you...this is what we live for, right???
Stan Harrington
www.xristosproductions.com
www.igfdb.com
Stan Harrington
www.xristosproductions.com
www.igfdb.com
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
Why work with anyone who is abusive in anyway ? A Diva, a Director, the Craft Services biiaattchhh ....
Forget that; you could be the 1st A.D. and have no control over the problem. I say excercise your divine power and axe her
Forget that; you could be the 1st A.D. and have no control over the problem. I say excercise your divine power and axe her
Hairy Lime
Well-known member
I'm going to offer a different suggestion. Finish the film with her and afterward tell her how much you enjoyed working with her. Then cast her in your next "project" and make sure the scenes she's in are absolutely humiliating and she doesn't see the "script" until she arrives on set. Your crew will get a kick out of it and so will we.
chromeboy007
Well-known member
I like Hairy Lime's idea...
but..
did you give her ****? makeup is one thing, fake eyelash is another. You should've let her have it right there.. "Does the script say anything about fake eyelashes? Does it? DOES IT? Did I say anything about fake eyelashes? what da **** are you planning to do with that ****? Put your ****ing wardrobe on and get infront of the camera! You have 10 minutes! GO!"
and if she starts crying start apologizing to her like an asshole boyfriend they often date. tell her how talented and beautiful she is and sweet talk her over. theoretically she would respect you for the rest of her life... theoretically.
but..
did you give her ****? makeup is one thing, fake eyelash is another. You should've let her have it right there.. "Does the script say anything about fake eyelashes? Does it? DOES IT? Did I say anything about fake eyelashes? what da **** are you planning to do with that ****? Put your ****ing wardrobe on and get infront of the camera! You have 10 minutes! GO!"
and if she starts crying start apologizing to her like an asshole boyfriend they often date. tell her how talented and beautiful she is and sweet talk her over. theoretically she would respect you for the rest of her life... theoretically.
dougspice
Veteran
I agree with Bus No. 8 here. If you're happy with the footage you got, and you only have one more shot to go, just suffer through it and keep her around. But man, you gotta get firm. Talk to her before the next shoot, and make it clear that the crew is unhappy and you're thinking about replacing her. If you work through that and get on-set, have your AD on her ass, reminding her "to set in 10 minutes". That's what ADs are good for. If she needs to be coddled to get a good performance, that's one thing. But what you're talking about is just some dumb ***** showing off. Don't let her bring any more "friends" to set. It's your set. Remember that.
This is why Jennifer Lopez has one good movie on her resume. Because good directors realized they don't want to work with her. There are SO MANY talented, beautiful actors out there. Find a casting agency and find them. Although, I will admit I have had nothing but bad experiences with Atlanta casting, maybe you'll have better luck.
Be professional, and people will start treating you like you are.
This is why Jennifer Lopez has one good movie on her resume. Because good directors realized they don't want to work with her. There are SO MANY talented, beautiful actors out there. Find a casting agency and find them. Although, I will admit I have had nothing but bad experiences with Atlanta casting, maybe you'll have better luck.
Be professional, and people will start treating you like you are.
There's no shortage of hot out there. Nor, probably, of hot that's willing to work on your project, for the exposure.
She doesn't sound to me like a diva, so much as an inept, immature, irresponsible, self-absorbed amateur who may find herself in real trouble when her looks start to fade. After all, part of what defines a diva, is actually being good at what she's there to do, no matter how nightmarish she makes it for everyone else.
Avoid her like the plague; recast and reshoot if at all possible. Gods only know what horrors she'll inflict upon your nerves and your schedule, next time.
She doesn't sound to me like a diva, so much as an inept, immature, irresponsible, self-absorbed amateur who may find herself in real trouble when her looks start to fade. After all, part of what defines a diva, is actually being good at what she's there to do, no matter how nightmarish she makes it for everyone else.
Avoid her like the plague; recast and reshoot if at all possible. Gods only know what horrors she'll inflict upon your nerves and your schedule, next time.
seandelgado
Member
You probably finished your shoot by now, but I just want to point out that some of your problems were by your own doing. You should treat a DIVA like a DIVA. If you want her to be beautiful and sexy, and feel that way, then you must treat her that way. I’ve been on several shoots where most of the day was spent in makeup.
1: Wardrobe and makeup should be schedule din advance, you need to get a make up artist, her friend should not be doing it.
2: you need a PA to go to the store, your girl, your DIVA is too important. Again, if you want her to radiate, you need to treat her like a princess and a delicate flower.
3: cut ahead in a pizza line??? Your DIVA should not be on any ine, she should be waited on. Never never never will an actor wait behind the crew, and the crew will understand this as your DIVA is what everyone is going to see, not your caveman boom operator!
When you put out for your talent, they will put out for you! When you make yout talent feel like they are the most important, beautiful, delicate think in the world, then they will come in early and stay late and sign the schedule G at a straight 8. For you! Because then they know that you are looking out for them and that you are going to make them look fantastic. After the shoot don’t call them back and never work with them again if you want, but as long as you got what you need then all is well.
1: Wardrobe and makeup should be schedule din advance, you need to get a make up artist, her friend should not be doing it.
2: you need a PA to go to the store, your girl, your DIVA is too important. Again, if you want her to radiate, you need to treat her like a princess and a delicate flower.
3: cut ahead in a pizza line??? Your DIVA should not be on any ine, she should be waited on. Never never never will an actor wait behind the crew, and the crew will understand this as your DIVA is what everyone is going to see, not your caveman boom operator!
When you put out for your talent, they will put out for you! When you make yout talent feel like they are the most important, beautiful, delicate think in the world, then they will come in early and stay late and sign the schedule G at a straight 8. For you! Because then they know that you are looking out for them and that you are going to make them look fantastic. After the shoot don’t call them back and never work with them again if you want, but as long as you got what you need then all is well.
DorkmanScott
Active member
Treating a Diva like a queen will only make the problems WORSE. Then she gets the idea that she deserves all that stuff and it will only make her LESS likely to actually do the job she came there to do.
If you're dealing with an Oscar-winning actress who wants to act like a Diva, okay, it'll probably be worth putting up with it because you'll get good stuff and the movie will benefit from it.
But for some inexperienced, no-name little tramp to hold up your film and bring down the entire set, thereby making everyone less likely to do their best -- and then to REWARD her for that inexcusable behavior -- is just insanity.
If you're dealing with an Oscar-winning actress who wants to act like a Diva, okay, it'll probably be worth putting up with it because you'll get good stuff and the movie will benefit from it.
But for some inexperienced, no-name little tramp to hold up your film and bring down the entire set, thereby making everyone less likely to do their best -- and then to REWARD her for that inexcusable behavior -- is just insanity.
Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
tramp?
seandelgado
Member
Disagreed. If you have this girl standing around in lingerie looking `hot’, as in, you’re objectifying her body, then you should treat her with respect.
You don’t schedule her makeup, you make her go to the store and wait in line with the crew, etc, then you wonder why its not working out? Name or no name, your talent must be treated with respect or you get out of it what you put into it.
You don’t schedule her makeup, you make her go to the store and wait in line with the crew, etc, then you wonder why its not working out? Name or no name, your talent must be treated with respect or you get out of it what you put into it.
Everyone involved in a production contributes to the film and deserves to be treated with respect, talent AND crew. This diva that we're discussing not only have an extremely minor part, she actually INTERFERES with the film by her attitude. Why would anyone wants to wait on her hand and foot at the expense of the other actors and the crew?
I don't understand your point at all but you seemed to be implying that she was casted only for her looks and because of this the filmmaker "owns" her something. That's BS. She was hired to do a job, and being pretty is part of that job description (there's an actual career based on this, it's called modeling); if she can't do it then she needs to be fired, not pampered.
I don't understand your point at all but you seemed to be implying that she was casted only for her looks and because of this the filmmaker "owns" her something. That's BS. She was hired to do a job, and being pretty is part of that job description (there's an actual career based on this, it's called modeling); if she can't do it then she needs to be fired, not pampered.
Bus No. 8
Well-known member
Well, somewhere in the middle of all of this is the balance that is needed. It's true that many directors don't respect the particular talents that an actor brings to a shoot, and how what they do is a bit more delicate and in need of a bit more consideration than the person holding the hose on the window to create the rain.
But the behavior of this particular actor was completely uncalled for and, more importantly, entirely unearned. Someone earlier made the distinction that a Diva is a performer who is exceptionally good at what she does, and that title is one that is earned, not by one decent performance or by simply being beautiful, but by consistent and sustained excellence. My Own Private Lopez clearly does not fall into this category and has no right to claim any special treatment without first showing that she's professional, prepared, is there for the project and is part of the team.
If you did keep her on for the last shot, great - no need to waste any more time with re-casting and re-shooting if the footage you already got will work for you. But never, ever re-hire this actor, and let the word get out to the rest of the filmmaking community in your area that this person is poison. If she really wants to be an actor, she'll get her s#*t together and will do everything she can to regain the trust and respect she frittered away on this project. But it sounds like she just thought it was time for her 15 minutes, and actually acting and making any kind of meaningful impact were never what she had in mind.
Hmm, maybe you should print out or email a link to this thread for her. After you've got her shot, of course.
But the behavior of this particular actor was completely uncalled for and, more importantly, entirely unearned. Someone earlier made the distinction that a Diva is a performer who is exceptionally good at what she does, and that title is one that is earned, not by one decent performance or by simply being beautiful, but by consistent and sustained excellence. My Own Private Lopez clearly does not fall into this category and has no right to claim any special treatment without first showing that she's professional, prepared, is there for the project and is part of the team.
If you did keep her on for the last shot, great - no need to waste any more time with re-casting and re-shooting if the footage you already got will work for you. But never, ever re-hire this actor, and let the word get out to the rest of the filmmaking community in your area that this person is poison. If she really wants to be an actor, she'll get her s#*t together and will do everything she can to regain the trust and respect she frittered away on this project. But it sounds like she just thought it was time for her 15 minutes, and actually acting and making any kind of meaningful impact were never what she had in mind.
Hmm, maybe you should print out or email a link to this thread for her. After you've got her shot, of course.
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yea, i got another girl who's attractive and got 4 years acting experience and we re-did the same scene a coupla weeks ago in a few hours. big difference. i havent heard from the DIVA since. everybody kept saying the whole time 'wow i cant believe we finished this quick after what happened last time' and they all remincised on how it took the DIVA 37 takes to say a 10 word line.
the new girl has her act together and is very professional. two more scenes to film and we're done. :beer:
the new girl has her act together and is very professional. two more scenes to film and we're done. :beer: