Is it professional to have a family member(s) in your film?

Well like they say, if it works, it works.

But I've seen many a 'real person' who is 'just like' the character in real life get in front of the camera (or mic in a voice-only situation) and turn into a towering hunk of cardboard. I've also been in enough acting classes to see that many who take the craft seriously enough to spend some serious cash on it couldn't play a role convincingly if their lives depended on it.

On the other hand, there's 'the natural'. They probably amount to about .001% of the population, but they do exist. Good luck finding 'em.
 
My step father's uncle was a long time actor, played bit roles, did theater....and after long since being retired, his uncle came upon the realization that during his entire career, he had been doing it wrong. He said the key was NOT to act..........easier said than done. But I'm with some of the others here- if you know a family member or friend and they fit the role to a tee, meaning they are just a character with a big personality in real life, it might work out well....BUT they also have to be aware enough to NOT act- so do a little test first :happy:
 
The ability to be 'natural' in a scripted role, i.e. 'not act' is extraordinarily difficult for most people. Just knowing that that's the objective (or at least one way of describing it) doesn't make it any easier, unfortunately. I know - I've been acting for quite some time now, and the 'buying in', as it were, to the 'pretended reality' (as Jack Nicholson calls it) in a full and convincing way, is NOT easy. It takes a LOT of skill and experience to, as they say, 'stay in the moment' consistently. Easier for some than others for sure, but HARD for most folks, even talented ones. Try it sometime - videotape yourself playing a scene from a script exactly as written. Do it several times. Would a typical movie audience be easily able to 'suspend their disbelief' that you aren't actually the real person that the fictional character represents? If you can, and others agree, congratulations; you might well have a successful career as an actor. But, if like almost all the rest of us, you fail initially, probably quite badly, then you've got two possibilities: 1) further efforts and study will get eventually you there, or 2) no amount of time and effort ever will. History teaches us that the percentage of the population who will achieve outcome #1 (let alone the miniscule number of 'naturals' who get it almost immediately) will be very very low. It's the main reason why really really good actors make so much money. They are exceedingly rare birds...
 
I would suggest, when possible, to use as many 'real' actors as you can.
But always keep in mind that you are a film maker, so if time/resources/other isn't in place by the time you are ready to roll camera, use whoever will show up!

Keep making movies!

-Lee
 
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