Charging actors to audition? Is this a common practice?

lhmaloney

lhmaloney

Well-known member
I am gearing up for my first independent feature. Recently we have got alot of promotion for our open auditions and we are expecting possibly over 300 people to audition. Some of my producers suggested that do to the magnitude of auditions we would experience that day, that we charge people I guess a fee to audition, to cover the new expenses we are about to experience for the audition. Before you guess its not alot, they're suggesting a price under $10 dollars. I do not agree with this, primarily because I have never heard of anyone do this except for under shady pretenses, so does anyone have any experience or thoughts on people charging for auditions.
 
Please don't do it. Actors already do so much for you by simply showing up to an audition, with very little chance of getting the role (because only one person is cast for the part, and everyone else just showed up out of a passion to continue their art). Do NOT exploit that generosity. As a filmmaker, you're an artist. You should respect the time another artist donates to you by coming to the audition. Charging actors is not something a legitimate film would ever do. In fact it's downright sleazy. If anything, we filmmakers should pay the actors for showing up. I wish I could. I really do.
 
charging to audition is an automatic red flag at least in my book, its like paying to get interviewed for a new job, it just does not happen
 
charging is taking advantage, and is just plain wrong. If u have to, do less auditions to save money.
 
yea it's a job interview...you ever paid to go to a job interview..not to mention, no one with ANY talent/experience would show up to your audition and your project would probably suck ass lol
 
Ditto to all the above. And it seriously calls into question the experience and/or integrity of your "producers". Actors already "pay" to audition by taking time away from their other activities, paying for transportation to and from, etc. Charging them a fee would be a great way to smack them right in the face for their generosity, and ensure that the best of them will definitely not show up.

So don't do it.

And you should take a long, hard look at your producers. Unless they themselves are making massive contributions, especially in cash, I'd probably fire them and find others who know what the heck they're doing.
 
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Thank you all for re assuring my initial thoughts. As I said I already believed this because for me its all about perception. To me you look like you're strapped for cash, which we're not, when u charge people an admission basically. Like I said I never heard of this, but morally it seemed wrong, I thought maybe some of my producers knew more than me. But how could they i'm a film director. :Drogar-Dum(DBG)::Drogar-Dum(DBG)::Drogar-Dum(DBG)::dankk2::dankk2:
 
No, no, no, no, no. From the one person that gets the role, they would be paying for that but from the other 299 people that's a Goddamn donation! Don't do it. You will push actors away and possibly miss the perfect one.
 
If the general concensus is Not to charge them to audition, I guess you probably shouldn't charge them to get cast and act either? It could be the start of a new way to finance the movie. "How bad do you want the role? What is it worth to you?"
 
yep agreed, I would take a second look at my producers if I were in your shoes, charging them is a slap in the face, I admire actors, and they do enough by showing up and giving you performance plus I always try to pay for their transportation to the audition and once they are there I want to make them feel as good as posible, refreshments, food whatever
shows character from the producing side plus if you want to make a career and stay in this business well eventually word is gonna go around that there are some "producers charging for auditions"
bottom line is that charging them is not showing character it's showing your a$$
 
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Capt Quirk said:
If the general concensus is Not to charge them to audition, I guess you probably shouldn't charge them to get cast and act either? It could be the start of a new way to finance the movie. "How bad do you want the role? What is it worth to you?"
Click to expand...

I can see it now...

Hey, congratulations! You got the part! That'll be 100 dollars. Let me give you my Paypal ID.
 
This isn't a Mexican production is it? I worked on three of them here in D/FW and they will bring in a name actor or two from Mexico (they are name to the Mexican audiance) then they charge the locals to be in the movie with these name actors.
 
Definately not a good idea. Actors are already taking time out of their schedule to audition with no guarantee of a part. Many of them already have full time jobs and miss work to come audition for you.
 
Cryogenic Filmworks said:
This isn't a Mexican production is it? I worked on three of them here in D/FW and they will bring in a name actor or two from Mexico (they are name to the Mexican audiance) then they charge the locals to be in the movie with these name actors.
Click to expand...

This is the basic thought process around it, because this music is guaranteed to be distributed. On top of that, we're going to pay the actors, so I guess these "producers" are thinking it's like a job application fee. WTF. I don't know and the fact about firing them, basically they're private investors who know nothing about the intricacies of a movie, they basically funded, wanted their name out it, i'm not going to argue with them for that title for that funding. However thinking like this, is why they need to do they're part, make and invest money, and I do my part, create and live dreams.:dankk2:
 
CandyKisses said:
Definately not a good idea. Actors are already taking time out of their schedule to audition with no guarantee of a part. Many of them already have full time jobs and miss work to come audition for you.
Click to expand...

Not only that, but serious actors spend a LOT of money at it. Headshots, different classes, workshops, etc. all cost money. The last thing we need is to spend money just to audition.
 
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