Actors

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Ok, this is a little different and probably doesn't belong here but, here it goes. In my movie that I am filing right now my actors are having a very hard time staying motivated. a lot of them are flakin out. What is a good way to keep them motivated? Anyone got any ideas?

[maj_barnes]

Money...

Bring food and drink for them, or let them give ideas about how a scene should look (just so they feel important, but you don't have to use the ideas).

[Mr.Anderson]

maj barnes is definitely right in the fact that you gotta let them put their 2 cents in. Don't compromise your vision, but just be willing to at least listen to all of their comments and ideas. And even ask them what they like and don't like, and depending on what it is you could tweek it a little bit as long as, like i said before, it doesnt ruin your vision for your movie. Compromise is how you keep a group of people happy. And a tray of brownies is always nice, i mean, what kind of bastard doesn't like brownies?

[ctbullet]

woo, food would get me to a set

[Grant]

they also have to have confidence in the project and other associated stakeholders. There has to be a pace or timeline of definite events etc

[DEDFX]

lots of ppl have a hard time to stay motivated, give them money or bring a 12 pack to the set.

[NPMAX]

Actors, heres how I deal with them,

" You are replaceable. Now then do as you are told, or you'll never be in a movie again."

Then remind them of whatever contract they signed with you. If all of the above fails try booze, food may work as well but free booze usually seals the deal.

[NPMAX]

lots of ppl have a hard time to stay motivated, give them money or bring a 12 pack to the set.

A twelve pack? You must be too young to drink anyones thats been around knows the minimum to bring is at least 2, 30 packs. One 12 pack will barely tie one person over.

[maj_barnes]

Have a bunch of drunks trying to act, that'd be a good movie, lol.

[angusware]

in my movies, we had a script, i told the actors ( volunteers) exactly what my vision for the shot was, and then i left them to improvise and plan. Then we came back and shot, and if i didn't like something they said, i changed it on the set, or in post-production.

[NPMAX]

Have a bunch of drunks trying to act, that'd be a good movie, lol.

60 beers between 15-20 people averages out to about 3 beers a piece not near enough to get drunk on.

[maj_barnes]

15-20? You doing a war movie?

[NPMAX]

Nope thats one genre I haven't touched, the stuff I have written thusfar, are mostly horror comedy, I addressed that in another thread, I have also written some dramas. Now my producer gets crew etc together for a shoot. I haven't actually filmed a movie yet, I have filmed an adult movie for a now defunct website and a few music videos one was aired on BET after dark. I also did a documentary interviewing guys who came back from Iraq that was a college project. But everything I have worked on there were up to 20 people counting actors and crew. I have a few drinks when ever I shoot anyways, be it weddings local commercials ( I done a few of them as well when i was back in MO) or music videos, I don't see how when I direct film it will be different.

[DEDFX]

"A twelve pack? You must be too young to drink anyones thats been around knows the minimum to bring is at least 2, 30 packs. One 12 pack will barely tie one person over."

I don't have a lot of actors in my movies and I don't like dealing with drunk people...

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Yeah, one of my lead actors isn't giving me the chance to show him the vision or even get him to set to guve hm anything. He says and swears he will be there but then says something came up, (usually with other friends) so I don't know how to get him there. I promise him food and drink (his favorite.) and he is a no show. I can't really replace him to easy because the part was written with him in mind. It his part. All my other actors are really helpful. They give me there schedules and we work out together when we will film next, and they supply ideas. Some of which are really good and I have used, but that one actor is causing many problems. What then?

[NPMAX]

One actor causing all the problems? Kick him to the curb. Change the role just enough to have someone else fill it.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

I am working on that right now. It was a complicated role to play. Here is another question. Are on the spot scene changes a good idea? I don't mean just minor changes but, for example, I made up an entire scene on location. I think it will work but I was wondering if doing that a lot was safe or a good idea.

[UFProductions]

I usually employ a finely tuned mix of threats, bribery and (on occasion) kidnapping. As far as the on the spot scenes goes; how much does videotape cost? Practically nothing, why not shoot tapes full of footage, you don't need to use it, and some of the best takes are improv or "practice runs" where the actors didn't know you were filming them.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Threats din't work but haveing a fellow filmaker that eh respects saying that the part was amazing where he would hear it did. Pride ruled all. So I guess you guys can add that to your arsen.

[DarkElastic]

With our film Trepidation we used three young actors - between 14-16 - and a female adult, who had all done theatre but no films. We warned them all well before hand that they would be stood around twiddling thumbs quite a lot on set. But, to make filming quicker we did some rehearsals before hand. When we finally got on set some of the boys brought with them their I-pods to listen to some music and food & drink was supplied for them. It was boring for them sometimes but they kept showing up and enjoyed the whole experience. They have told me that they would do it again.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

When you have your actors on set, and they are just twiddleing their thumbs, I found that getting them to help with stage equipment works really well. Just having them hold the boom or having them carry a set piece on and off and be in charge of checking continuity for certain people while off really keeps them going.

[crossfire]

It also depends on who it is, I got friends who would help out in movies no matter and other who are soo bloody backstabbing, they'll swear to be there then use excuses like "I had to buy fish"

[Epsilon]

When you have your actors on set, and they are just twiddleing their thumbs, I found that getting them to help with stage equipment works really well. Just having them hold the boom or having them carry a set piece on and off and be in charge of checking continuity for certain people while off really keeps them going.

Lol You are a trusty person! I wouldn't let any of my actors touch my expensive equipment. Actor's job is to act, crew work with the toys. Everyone has a job for a reason. Keeps everything under control, and you don't have an actor manipulating something that could be misheld or poorly treated.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Well most of the actors I use also make their own movies. We all share equipment and such. Plus I don't know enough people who are willing to always be behind the camera never seen working equipment. They start out saying they will then about a day into the shoot they are asking for a part in the movie.

[FabianJansen]

I've got a shot coming up in 3 months with 40 people battering eachother with sword replicas, try and keep something like that motivated...

... poor little me with a megaphone is just about all i've got to work with!