Are actors willing to work only on weekends over a few months time for $0?

[polfilmblog]

Three hour film?

Where's your thirty second trailer?

It boggles me how people invest so much in making something, and then neglect to tell people how they can see more / buy it.

 

[bertzie]

The great thing about not paying your actors is that even if they're bad, you still get the satisfaction of knowing you got them for free.

 

[Belief Pictures]

Hey everyone, I'm gearing up to shoot an hour long short and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience casting actors/actresses to work on an ultra low budget indie film where the shooting was only done on weekends over a few months time and the actors could only be paid in food/copy/credit? That's the situation I'll be getting into as the director and I'm trying to decide if I should even try casting professional actors or use friends I know I can count on to stick it out for 6 months of filming for $0. I spent all my money on buying professional equipment so I don't have any money to pay the cast/crew and I still work full time as a courier during the week so, I can only shoot on weekends. I'm just afraid of casting actual actors who can act and then 3 months into filming they quit because they're not getting paid and they're giving up their weekends. Has anyone shot a movie this way and if you had professional actors, where is a good place to cast them? Thanks. I live in the Los Angeles area, by the way. Santa Clarita, CA to be exact.

I worked on a low budget film back in 2007 on few resources but nothing like you suggested or are suggesting. It certainly is possible. I like to think anything is possible but keeping the production going over a six month duration concerns me a little. In fact it worries me quite a bit. I'm not going to go as far as saying it can't work. Anything can work. Hopefully you have a good team of people who believe in this project. That's what allows a project to succeed.

Good luck!

 

[RockmanX3]

The great thing about not paying your actors is that even if they're bad, you still get the satisfaction of knowing you got them for free.

Or the disappointment of knowing you got them for free.

 

[JonathanLB]

"I have just finished a three hour feature which I have spent three years making"

Do i need to say more? If you spent half that time raising money, you would not only be done with that film long ago if it was any good you would be already on your second one.

Honestly without even seeing your film. If it was film made WITH money there is %99 chance that is sucks. And since you admit it was done WITHOUT money there is %9999 chance that is sucks. Yes, maybe you are the %0001 and your film is actually good, but really?

LOL, it may be mean, and it may be too brutally honest, but it's also probably sadly true.

 

[Belief Pictures]

It's kind of ridiculous to expect anyone to work for free, much less to expect them to commit every weekend of their lives for six months, and then on top of that try to get them to sign a contract to that effect?

Beggars can't be choosers. If you're asking for favors from people you can only ask so much.

Barry that might be true but it does happen and is necessary when on a "low budget". It's part of the game.