Student film transportation?

M

MeAgain

Carbonite Member
Hey, I'm directing a student film at my college. I'm trying to be very accommodating (even though I have no money). At auditions I always bring food and pick up my actors and drop them off.

I have two shooting days coming up in March, and we're shooting in my room (which I'm turning into a set). The dilemma, however, is that one of my main actors lives in a town 40 minutes to my west and the other actor, along with 2 crew members, all live in a town 30 minutes east.

Now, if I try and accommodate everyone, it means I have to pick my one actor up, go nearly an hour to the other town, then drive all the way back to my house. I feel like this wastes a lot of time and energy, plus it would be a tight and maybe impossible fit for everyone in my car. Not only that, but we're shooting using available daylight, so it's not a huge time frame.

I'm actually friends with the 2 crew members and actor from the town to my east, and one of them has helped me edit and make movies tons of times.

So I'm thinking, have them all carpool 25-30 minutes to my house while I pick up my other actor, then reimburse the driver for gas (say, 5-10 bucks each day). Does that seem fair? This is all free student work, and they all want to do it, but I still feel like I should have to provide them with everything. In this instance, it would hurt the production if I tried that.

Of course, I'm still providing meals and snacks every time we meet. But this seems fair, no? To request they carpool and drive to my house (in exchange for gas money)?


PS> Sorry if this sounds very very confusing.
 
Sounds like you are being very gracious and can't imagine them having to much of a problem with that arrangement. If they want to be part of the project, it will work.


While I haven't done a whole lot of filmmaking, I am a photography student and the only time I have ever driven a model anywhere was when we were driving more than 3 hours for a particular location. The biggest production for photography I have ever done included 12 people on set and no one got paid except for the makeup and hair. I of course provided drinks and lunch for them all.

Good luck with the project, hope it all goes well.
 
It's not normal to provide transportation. Maybe reimbursement. The only exception is when they don't have any other choice. I used to drive twenty minutes either way every week to pick up an associate due to his not having a car and the buses running on a bad schedule... but everyone else made their own way to where they needed to be whenever possible. Usually it meant a few carpools for those who were in the same direction. The point is it isn't your responsibility, and these aren't little children who can't take care of themselves.
 
Since you direct and it's a student film I assume you are also the production crew, so you are responsible for all these things.

You are on the right path, being supportive to anyone that contributes. The plan sounds right. You are dealing with small things in this case, but that's the kind of attitude that you will need in the future and that's what will keep people wanting to work for you.
 
Cassius said:
It's not normal to provide transportation.
Click to expand...


It IS normal on feature film and union projects but not on indie and student films.

I do agree with you...they are not children. For goodness sake I know actors that will drive from Wilmington NC to Atlanta Ga if it means good screen time to build their reel and resume. And that is 7 hours...not 30-40 minutes.

Meagain....you are trying to be very cool but you could burn out trying to do it all. Be careful not to burn out....
 
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