Acting in Student and Low Budget Films - Do’s and Don’ts.
I've been out of training for almost a year now and in this time I have met some amazing people and worked on some brilliant productions. I’m learning new things everyday and becoming that bit wiser as time goes by. One thing that I have learnt over the past twelve months is that the work is never done. There is always something more you can do to make sure you are one step ahead of the competition. In an attempt to build a show reel, I volunteered my services to low budget and no budget films, in the hope that I would be able to collect the footage I needed to bag me that close up with Mr Spielberg.
On graduating I would do anything and everything to get my foot in the door, I would spend silly amounts of money and get up at the crack of dawn in order to get to shoots that were unpaid, unprofessional and frankly a waste of time. On several occasions I wasn't even given the footage at the end of it all! To anyone starting out, looking to gain experience or attempting to gather show reel material, here are a few helpful hints and tips to make sure you’re not taken for a ride.
1. Don’t be out of pocket.
The very least a production company can do is offer to cover your expenses. I have spent ridiculous amounts of money getting to filming locations via trains and taxis and to cut a long story short... it’s not on. I have known student and low budget films to tell actors that they don’t have the funding to cover expenses but they can offer ‘experience’ as a form of payment. Imagine this...
Eva: Hello Mr Chef of lovely food establishment, I would like this fancy posh meal from your menu.
Chef: Of course Miss McKenna...and can I just say you look fantastic this evening!
Eva: Oh Pierre (yes, that’s right...Pierre) you’re making me blush! Could I also have a side order of *Insert something more up market than onion rings*? Oh and I won’t be able to pay for my food this evening, I don’t have enough money. You love being a chef though don’t you Pierre? It will be a great experience for you to cook for me tonight seeing as you’re just starting out in the business.
I’m more than sure that Pierre would have told me to do one, despite how ‘fantastic’ I looked. It’s bad enough working for nothing, but please don’t make yourself financially worse off from the experience.
This is vital! I can’t stress enough the importance of requesting to see the previous work of a production company before auditioning for them. If their footage isn't to a high standard you won’t be able to use it for your show reel and (assuming that’s why you did the filming in the first place) it will have been a pointless expedition. I learnt this the hard way when I decided to have a ‘quick watch’ of footage ten minutes before leaving the house. I spent the next few days working on a film that was of ‘home video’ quality...from the 90’s.
It may seem a bit extreme when working on a student film but by signing a contract it makes things feel that little bit more professional. You can also go running to your agent when contract agreements aren't going to plan...agents can be hardcore and it’s good to have them on side.
Things that should be agreed in student/low budget film contracts:
- Expenses will be covered within one week of the shoot.
- Food and drink will be provided if shooting for over six hours.
- The footage will belong to the production company and you give your permission for them to distribute it as they please.
- As it is an ‘expenses only’ shoot, actors will not be required to work for more than ten hours a day.
- A copy of the footage will be emailed to the actor as soon as possible.
- Costume will be provided on the day.
4. Read the script before you accept.
The amount of spelling mistakes I see on scripts is ridiculous; there is nothing worse than carelessness and bad grammar. Actually, there is...bad writing. Make sure you read the script in its entirety before accepting a role; you don’t want to end up on the set of a film that has been poorly written with no real plot. You also need to make sure you are comfortable with the characters journey, imagine if you accidentally forgot to read scene four ‘everyone gets naked and dances’.
5. It’s not your job to pay for costume.
Things every actor (and human) should own.
· Smart Trousers or Skirt.
If you are asked to bring these to the shoot, fair enough, however, if there are any special costume requirements, it is not your responsibility to bring them to set. The production company will have spent months planning the shoot and in this time they should have sourced the correct props and costumes. An unpaid or expenses only job should not require you to go out and spend your own money.
If you are shooting for a period of six hours or more, food should be provided. Refreshments should be provided regardless to the length of the shoot in my opinion, but if you are filming all day you should be given subs to buy your own lunch or food should be brought onto set. I am a real food lover and thankfully I have never been left to go hungry whilst filming, it takes absolutely nothing to buy sandwich making equipment and a few bottles of water.
7. Don’t be afraid to put your foot down.
Still waiting on your train fare? STILL waiting on that footage? Don’t be scared to release your inner ‘scary person’. By volunteering for this student or low budget film you have done the production company a huge favour. You have given up your time for free. So it is your absolute right to have your expenses paid back within a week of wrapping and for you to get a copy of the footage as soon as it is available. I've worked on student projects where I have hounded and hounded for the footage for months after. Please release your inner diva if you are not getting what you were promised. If they can’t follow through on a student project, imagine what they will be like in the real world.
So there you have it, a few things to think about before jumping aboard. Don’t get me wrong, I have worked on some brilliant student and low budget films. I worked on a shoot with a group of boys from Preston, I was made to feel very welcome on set and the footage was given to me as soon as it was ready. I recently worked on a short film where my food, hotel and expenses were all provided, the shoot was a lovely experience and so professional.
It is definitely a great way to get material for your show reel and an even better way to make connections with people who will be going in to the film industry, just make sure you are careful!
Here are a few behind the scene stills from ‘Puzzles’ a short film by the beautiful Annette Evans!
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