Soliciting Star Interest

shutterspeedfilms

shutterspeedfilms

Well-known member
I've been developing a screenplay that has been attracting some quality industry workers over the past few months. However, the budget projections are continually running higher than I would have imagined--more than I feel comfortable raising without anyone of name merit attached (approx. $200k).

So I'm thinking at this point it may be worth it to go ahead and invest a little more into a name actor or two. I have several minor roles that probably would only comprise a day or two of shooting. Seems like it would be a good idea to get a big name or two attached to the project to attract a larger investment.

1. What is the proper etiquette/process for sending a name actor an unsolicited screenplay? Simply sending the screenplay along with a letter? Or querying the actor's agent first?

2. How do I protect myself (create an official paper trail) that documents that the agent/actor has agreed to read the script? I suppose if I were to simply send the script to the agent, sans query letter, via certifed mail, that might be an option.

3. What are the chances of an actor delivering a letter of attachment/interest if he/she is interested in the project but funding is not in place as yet (basically, you'd be using the actor's name as some investment motivation)?

4. Would subscribing to imdbpro be a good investment for tracking down agent contact information of stars?

Thanks for the help!
 
I'm afraid I don't know the answers to your questions, but I'll throw in a few bits of advice, for what they're worth.

Generally, it's best to avoid the temptation to cast TV actors. By and large, movies with TV actors don't do as well as movies with film actors. The exception would be, of course, made-for-TV movies. Yes, some TV actors do pretty well on the big screen -- Helen Hunt, Jennifer Aniston, etc. But they're usually paired with high caliber film actors -- like Jack Nicholson, Mel Gibson, and people like that.

If you're going to go for a popular actor, you probably want to go through their agent. On the other hand, if you're going for a waning talent -- someone who is past their peak, but still recognizable -- you might get away with contacting them directly. I had success directly contacting Virginia Hey ("Farscape") and Lana Wood ("Mad Max 2", "Peyton Place"). I also got a positive response from Victoria Jackson and Missy Crider.

Some great advice I heard once came from a successful screenwriter. She suggested that when you're writing the script, it's a good idea to try and develop characters around specific 'name' actors -- but to tailor the roles for several actors who are all represented by the same agent. If you pitch that agent, he might sniff the potential for multiple commissions (rather than just one), and he might be more inclined to champion your project to his talent, as well as to others in the industry. Don't know if that will help you at this point or not.

Best of luck to you. Let us know how you fare.
 
Celebrity actors don't cost as much as you might think.

I've gotten James Earl Jones, Mark Hamill, Curtis Armstrong, Dwight Schultz, Malcolm MacDowell and John Delancey to all work for scale.

The keys are:

1.) The script must be TRULY great. It can be a short or a feature, it can be arthouse or mainstream, but if the script is anything short of exceptional then major actors won't be interested.

2.) You must know how to talk to agents. Agents want to know if the project will pay extremely well (otherwise they make no money, and therefore lose interest) or if the project will be high quality and require little time from their client (which means they don't have to worry about the project interfering with proper, paying work...and hey, if its good then maybe it will hit a few film festivals!) I'd stress that the project pays scale, will require only a couple days to shoot and that you're willing to schedule the project around the actor. The code your speaking to the agent is "No, you won't make much of a commission, but my project won't interfere with any paying work your actor gets and this project is so well organized and of such high quality that it might generate some heat for your client. At the least it will get their face out there."

How do you communicate that the project is high quality and well organized? First off, you don't EVER say that. Every crappy, disorganized project says that. If they're talking to you on the phone then they've probably read your short script and already know its well written. Emphasize the attention to detail that will be placed on the project. Talk about your pre-production process. Stress how infrequently you go over schedule and how you can't stand projects that shoot 16 hours a day. Make it clear that this is not the first project you've ever done. And, be prepared to cram all of that in a few sentences, because agents make hundreds of calls a day...they really don't have time to talk to us minor players.

Don't use back channels to actors. It freaks out many actors. Their agent is their gate keeper. Call twice a week...no more and no less. Expect any agent at a major agency to take about one month to reach you...they're crazy busy and when their assistant says your name they don't know who you are. Calling in the early morning is best...many agents are at work by 7:30 AM PST.

By the way, once you have your first celebrity it is easier to get others. By signing the first celebrity you can name drop to the next actor's agent.

3.) Its best to have a casting agent do this for you. They already have a relationship with the agent, therefore the agent will immediately take the project seriously. And you'll be amazed how many casting agents spread throughout the country have worked in LA, thereby having the relationships you need. Just call up your local casting director and ask them which LA agencies they have relationships with. Be suspicious if they rattle off UTA, ICM & William Morris...anyone can say those names. If they mention Vox, CESD and other smaller but highly respected agencies AND they can mention the projects they've cast through those agencies then their probably being honest.

4.) The first thing your casting agent will do is submit your project through Breakdown Services. You'd be amazed at how many "cold" celebrities' agents are perusing Breakdown Services.

Is this all there is to it? Yes and no...these two tips are the most important elements. However, there are more nuanced tricks to this part of the trade...and if I wrote them on the board they wouldn't work anymore!

I've debated sharing this information on the board for quite some time. We all contribute what we know and thereby help each other improve the quality of our projects...however, the nuanced tactics to this particular subject are quite fragile. If I wrote it down it wouldn't work anymore.

However, if a great project needed my advice I'd talk to them on the phone about some of the other tactics I've used to great effect. It's quite a thrill working on a low budget project directing James Earl Jones...for the right project, I'd be happy to help someone else do the same.
 
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Thanks for the help, Prodigi.

I don't have funding in place as yet, so I wouldn't be able to "hire" a casting director to do this for me.

I'm actually hoping to hire 1-3 "cold" names for $25k or less each to do a day or two of shooting. I figure money allocated for marketing is best spent on these names rather than attending extra film festivals or other advertising areas.

Is it considered crass to send an agent a .pdf of the script rather than an actual paper copy?
 
Shutter Speed Films -

You're working under a tremendous number of assumptions.

COST OF CASTING AGENTS:
A casting agent in a small market will cost you between 1K and 2.5K to cast a project for you.

COST OF COLD NAMES:
Cold names work for scale. Their agents talk in terms of scale, double scale, triple scale, day rates and week rates. Specific numbers are rarely discussed...I've never had an agent say "I want $3,000.00 a day." They've all said "My actor wants a week rate, even if he's only working for 2 days" or "My actor works for double scale all the time and can't work on your project for less." This is the same type of lingo you want to use.

And, almost ALL actors are cool! Look up 10 actors who headlined major feature films 10 years ago...how many are headlining today? If they aren't, then they're available at scale or double scale.

Young directors/producers overpay ALL the time. And by offering such grandiose pay (25K a day is CRAZY!) you'll be signalling to the agent that you're young, inexperienced but have lots of money...and they'll demand even more than your 25K. This is a negotiation! Whatever you offer is not what you'll actually agree to.

The most typical expense of a "cold celebrity actor" is a double scale week rate. And if they agree to that, that means they'll work for 5 consecutive days for you. Depending on the type of SAG contract you have in place, a double scale week rate is about 6K (including pension, etc.)

An ANECDOTE THAT PROVES MY POINT:
I was rehearsing Malcolm MacDowell and Curtis Armstrong for an animated TV pilot I was developing. After rehearsals we went to lunch at an Italian restaurant near Malcolm's home. As we sat down to eat the two actors began talking about their various TV offers...both were cool names but still getting steady work. I estimated that they both work about 60 days a year, which is a lot for a cold celebrity.

Malcolm begins talking about how he was offered a role on Frasier...that they wrote the guest spot FOR HIM, and that they were "only offering scale for the week." He says this with disdain. They both commiserate about the terrible pay in Hollywood, but both agree that there isn't much you can do about it. "West Wing is paying scale" Curtis confirms. Malcolm states he turned the Frasier role down, and a week later Derek Jacobi took it AT SCALE.

I asked a lot of questions during that lunch. With each question it became clearer that most actors want to work, they don't work enough, the thing they care most about is that the project is a great project...and almost all of them can be secured for scale or double scale.

NEGOTATIONS ARE PART OF THE GAME:
Whatever you offer is the floor. Whatever the agent counters with is the ceiling. Reality will be in the middle. If you offer 25K a day you'll be paying 35K when your done negotiating...and the agent will be jumping up and down because you just overpaid his client by 1000%.

Always start at scale. Remember that agents are excellent negotiators, and part of negotiation is ACTING...they'll act pissed, they'll act insulted, they'll act like they aren't interested and they'll act like they walked away. None of this is true. If an agent says "Scale?!? My actor can't work for scale!" remind them that their client is currently not getting work which means the agent isn't getting paid and that you're money in his pocket TODAY. Then, tell them you have another phone call and have offers out to other actors, politely say goodbye and let the agent SWEAT.

If the agent doesn't call you back within 2 days, call them back and ask if they've had time to think about the offer. Many times, you'll get a yes. Sometimes you'll have to give a little ground...but you won't have to offer much ground at all.

Everything I've said is Negotiation 101. There are TONS of additional tips I can give in private.

The last thing to note is this. Remember that actors and agents think in Day Rates and Week Rates. If you offer 25K a day then you're offering the equivalent of $1,000,000.00 for a 40 day shoot. That's an incredibly high pay rate. That's not a cold actor...that's a hot actor.

There are only a handful of actors on the planet earth that make 20 million a film. The vast majority of HOT actors make between 1-3 million a film. Cold actors work for scale, which is why scale is there. It prevents us from negotiating them LOWER.

PS - This advice only works if your script is excellent...however, that's true with everything in film. So, make sure your script is AMAZING before you begin submitting it to agencies.
 
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Wow.

I think you just saved me a bundle on casting costs!

Funny enough, I don't even have 1k - 2k to spend on a casting director. Do some typically work on spec? I've already spent quite a bit of my money on just legal fees during the development process. So I really don't want to be spending more out of pocket if I can help it.

Would an agent be offended if I were to send a script via email rather than snail mail?
 
If you want celebrity actors then spending money on a casting agent is going to save you money on the cost of the actors.

You claimed you were willing to spend 25K a day on an actor. How can you not have 2K to spend on a casting agent who will save you 23K per actor per day?
 
Prodigi Pictures said:
You claimed you were willing to spend 25K a day on an actor. How can you not have 2K to spend on a casting agent who will save you 23K per actor per day?
Click to expand...

Well, I was speaking about rolling the cost into the film's budget and lessening the expected "marketing" costs.

I've already spent my own money on location scouts, legal opinions, etc. 1k-2k may be chump change for some, but not for this school teacher who has already shelled out enough at this juncture. That's why I'm hoping to do it myself if I can save the dough.
 
In my opinion, you are seriously injuring your movie by not hiring a casting director. Forgive me for saying this, but you're being penny wise and pound foolish.

I've already given you the "killer secret" which is to use a casting agent in a smaller market who used to work in Los Angeles and therefore has established relationships with major Los Angeles agencies but costs you a fraction of a Hollywood casting agent.

If you don't know 20-30 agents in Hollywood personally then one of two options will occur as you attempt to cold call the most insular, backwards, clique-ish network on the planet:

1.) They'll never call you back
2.) They'll extract a mighty high fee for their actor

And don't tell them your a cash-strapped teacher. It may be true, but it won't matter to them. I understand your position...we're all in the same position with you! None of us are wealthy enough to finance a major feature film. :undecided

However, there is a difference between what we want and what is. In this case, you're battling against what is. :kali:

I've already outlined dozens of ways around the system...but, if you don't understand that Hollywood is a social system incapable of evaluating talent properly and therefore relies upon existing relationships in order to validate projects then you aren't ready for Hollywood. I wish you could hear my vocal tone as I read that last sentence allowed. I'm not trying to be rude nor hurt your feelings...I'm trying to help a fellow filmmaker from making a major mistake.

There are MANY things a smart independent can change...this ain't one of 'em.
 
"I've already outlined dozens of ways around the system...but, if you don't understand that Hollywood is a social system incapable of evaluating talent properly and therefore relies upon existing relationships in order to validate projects then you aren't ready for Hollywood. I wish you could hear my vocal tone as I read that last sentence allowed. I'm not trying to be rude nor hurt your feelings...I'm trying to help a fellow filmmaker from making a major mistake.

There are MANY things a smart independent can change...this ain't one of 'em."

Hear Him! Hear Him! It's the truth....
 
Prodigi Pictures- Great info! I feel like I should pay more attention to the "biz" aspect after reading your enlightening comments.
 
I'm concerned that this thread suddenly became very negative. That wasn't my goal.

The central message is that an independent CAN get access to celebrity actors and that they aren't expensive.

Go through the proper channels, know the lingo, submit a quality screenplay and you can get stars for your low budget project. I've done it and so can you.
 
I am not seeing the negativity. I see some great info which should be of great help to anyone here that happens to see it.

Thanks for the info.

:thumbsup:
 
I'd like to stress that anyone with a great project should contact me privately about this. There is additional guidance I can provide, but it can't be posted on the board because it is far too public.

Some tactics are particularly useful but will lose their effectiveness if the agent or actor can read about them on a message board.
 
The only thing I'd add is the definition of "Scale". You must have an idea of your film's budget to determine this. Scale varies by budget and is obviously different for a 20 million pic than a $100K ultra low budget. Check out SAGIndie's site for details.

Usually, novice producers have no idea what the budget for their film really is. So do your homework before calling someone and offering scale - find out what scale you are speaking of.
 
Fair point...and Scale is defined in each contract available through SAG Indie.

I'll be using the Micro-Budget Feature Film Contract, which allows me to pay SAG Actors $100.00 a day (no week rates, because the day rate is already crazy low).

The celebrities we'll be pursuing will want "standard scale." So, we'll be paying them based on the standard motion picture agreement, which is about 4K a week.
 
Thanks a lot for posting on this topic. That a known actor could be cast for scale is very surprising to me.

How do you know if an actor is considered hot or cold? There are some cases that seem pretty obvious, sombody like Erik Estrada could presumably be gotten cheaply with the right script, but what about somebody like Liam Neeson or Gabriel Byrne?

How much would you expect to pay for that level of actor, assuming they're on a similar level, for a week?
 
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