Paying for actors???

T

TFilipiak

Well-known member
I am ramping up preproduction on a short film and about to put out a casting call. My question is: do I pay for actors? In anyone's experience, does this garner you better actors? The budget will be modest but not "micro". I am willing to spend some money to make sure the film doesn't feel small. The film will most likely have a 2-3 day shooting schedule and I could possibly afford $150-200 per actor. Am I just wasting money? I would be grateful for advice based on personal experience . Thanks!
 
A good script gets good actors. Pay for your script or have it edited by a pro. Put on amazing catering instead of pizzas. Cover everyones travel expenses if you can. If there's anything left on top of that then token pay is still a nice gesture. A good script, good food and a positive work environment and odds are they'll want to work with you again. No one spends three days on a project they don't want to be involved in for $150. That kind of money doesn't buy effort or get people through a rough day. They will be involved because they want to be or because they get something out of it (exposure/experience/credit). Make it a great experience and those that participate will be glad to have been involved.
 
pay for actors! don't be crazy! are you paying for crew? why?

why are you making a film? - could it be that you have a faint hope that you might get some recognition and maybe even earn something being a writer / director / DOP ?

Well actors are in it for the same reasons. if you want quality you have to pay - people who think they'll get great actors & performances just because they put on good food are full of ****.

Egg Born Son is right in one respect - it all starts with the script, if you have a great script you'll get people willing to be involved but at least offer the main players something.

by not paying your actors you are clearly telling them what you think they're worth.
 
Actor to Hitchcock: "What's my motivation?"

Hitchcock: "Your paycheck."

This story may be apocryphal, but it points up one thing actors like even better than being paid. That is, that you as a director respect them as fellow artists and welcome them to be a part of the process as a creative partner with you. (Hitchcock didn't. He had other, sneakier ways to get good performances.) Do this, ask for their insights and input on your characters and good actors won't give a damn if they get paid. Plus, you'll likely be amazed by what they'll know about the character that you yourself don't.

That said, yes, you should pay them. Even if it's just a little something -- let them know they're valued. They'll bring it for you.
 
Thanks everyone for the great replies! I sorta share the same mindset as "tired". The script is solid and a lot of effort is going into the production, but no one else is getting paid, tho'. That's the dilemma. We're doing it for the 'love' and experience. My fear is: If I don't offer compensation, I may not attract good acting talent without token pay. And that will be the film's weak link.
 
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My usual rule is that money makes people accountable. Unless your working with good trusted friends its easy to cut corners after a 10-12hr day of not being paid.
 
Yes, paying them might ensure they'll be there. If you're broke it's hard to say no to a paying gig if one comes along. Even if that means cancelling a free shoot in the last minute....
 
If you have friends who are actors, perhaps you can enlist them along with the rest of your unpaid crew. Sometimes beginning actors will work for credit and for reel footage. Just make sure you finish it, submit it to a festival for IMDB credit, and get them that reel footage. That's on you. And you mus realize that these are beginning actors so they won't know how to work on camera, necessarily.

If you're using professional actors you must, at least, prepare and submit as a signatory on a SAG short film agreement, so that they can appear in your short without repercussion.

I'm an actor. I know a lot of actors so if I have a great script, sometimes I can just get them to join me, but we're friends, perhaps like your crew are your friends. Do you count any actors among your friends? The title of this thread with the three ??? gives the impression that you find the prospect of paying for actors abhorrent at most or a joke at least, from that I'd have to guess not.

If I pay for crew, then I pay for actors - most favored nation, at least $100 a day, plus expenses. If you want a name or a face, then you will pay much more.
 
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hscully, please read threads a bit more carefully before replying. ( Hold on while I wipe off your spray of venom...) I don't "find the prospect of paying for actors abhorrent" as you so nicely put it. This is not about being a cheap-ass. The crew and I are not getting paid. This is not a commercial venture. It's a short film and I'm putting up a few G's of my own money , without any promise of some payoff in the future. We're doing it cuz we love filmmaking and the project and want to gain experience. I just wondered that if by offering a token compensation; would I attract a bigger and better pool of actors? ( hopefully just not the 'frustrated' ones... )
 
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I didn't mean to offend you, my offense at your ??? notwithstanding.

To answer your pointed question, I would say no. Offering token compensation will not help you find better actors. Either you have friends who are actors, like your crew, willing to join you without remuneration or you need another strategy. Let's say that you didn't know any production sound engineers, yet you needed one. Would you be asking if token compensation would attract a bigger and better pool of soundies? Would you be worried about finding only "frustrated" soundies? Your tone is condescending to actors, whether you recognize it or not.

Let me ask you a question: how do you plan on posting your breakdowns and finding actors now?

To reconcile with you a bit, I don't think you're being a "cheap-ass." I have laid out a few Gs to make shorts too. I make short films for the love of it too as there is no real viable market for a short. However, I recommend, as a fellow filmmaker that you put actors into the same boat as everyone else. Obviously you can't get the caterer to "volunteer" food, so you pay them. Likewise wherever else you'll be putting your few Gs consider that the actor has no reason to join you on your quest, like the caterer, or hair and makeup, or wardrobe, or anyone else you need for your film that is not your friend or film loving colleague willing to work for free.

I offered helpful advice on finding actors that will work for reel footage, and hard won advice on how to successfully use SAG actors on a short film. So you see, I meant you no harm.

all good luck to you on your project.
 
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dmitrizigany said:
Yes, paying them might ensure they'll be there. If you're broke it's hard to say no to a paying gig if one comes along. Even if that means cancelling a free shoot in the last minute....
Click to expand...

This is an important issue to remember, both for actors and crew (although a crew member is usually easier to replace at the last moment than an actor). Some people think that working for free entitles them to cancel at the last moment, turn up late or not at all, and not bother to even tell anyone.
 
There's also deferred payment. You do have some idea of your projected income? But even Andy Warhol paid his actors $20 per day.
 
Again, thanks all for your advice and replies. And you hscully as well! (I probably mis-titled the thread. My bad!) I didn't want to infer that actors don't warrant payment. I want everybody to get paid!!! I respect everyone in this business/craft/art! Unfortunately, zero to low budget films always command a bigger commitment from everybody involved. Now that the dust has settled, I decided it will best to offer compensation for the actors. With payment on completion of principle photography. If nothing else, it will give me peace of mind...
 
I admit to being a sensitive actor. That's my bad. I do hope you have a good shoot and a successful project. Kumbayah!
 
$150 is not really 'payment' (aka a wage)

Any professional will be used to being paid a lot more.

If you say "I cant afford to pay you but can give you $150 a day to cover your costs" I think you will flip from being 'stingy' to being a 'great guy'

Personally (camera dept) I prefer to work for free than be paid a crappy rate which is insulting, and Im really happy to have my costs covered when working for free.

S
 
If you aren't paying your actors being professional, very efficient, and having a complete script for the actors to read before they audition is key. A pretty good estimation of when each part will shoot will go a long way. Small cast for a ten minute or less film and an interesting part most actors aren't going to mind not being paid. Waste their time, feed them crud and abandon that's another story. If actors can watch past films you've made (linking work to audition notice) will hopefully show them the kind of work you're capable of. If you don't have money, you don't have it, but for goodness sake feed them some good food or don"t work them more than a couple of hours at a time.
 
Ya gotta give them something or there is no contract - you need 'consideration' or there is no binding agreement.
 
well that's an unasnswerable question, it depends on the specific people and your specific film. Acting is a talent and experience/training. Sometimes you'll find talent among your friends that are perfect for the job and you will not pay them, and some other times you'll not find anyone suitable unless you start offering pay for real actors. There's no answer. When I was starting out with no budget on small projects I always looked at friends/acquaintances first as I had no budget and it worked great a lot of the times, if this fails, then I started looking for someone who will do it for pay...

Just make sure you offer something to the actors whatever way you go, for friends it will be good time/experience/credit/fame, and for professional actors it will be adequate pay.
 
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