Filmmaker's Dream Blog

Casting for your own film is tough, even when you do find actors, they may bail or become unreliable. Here are some tips to help with finding actors for your film.

• Passion! Be sure your actors aren't just your friends or neighbors(unless they're actors), find someone that is an aspiring actor that could use the experience.
• Show previous works or create a quick reel to show the quality of your work. Many actors may be interested in your story, but once they realize you may be a student, they may think the quality of your work may not be good and not even contact you back from their assumptions. Actors may become more excited once they know you produce good quality work.
• Casting websites. Check out Mandy.com, Backstage.com, Actorsequity.org, and in last resort, Craigslist.
• Be cautious! Let's be real, as needy as we are for actors, you may encounter a few delusional crazies that could in turn ruin your film and cause a problem. Interview your actors, really check out their backgrounds, and if you can afford it, run background checks.

*When using Craigslist, there are many people that may be inexperienced so use extra caution with using this resource.
Casting is pretty tough from finding the right look, to being sure they will show up on time and ready to shoot. Use a personal release form when dealing with actors and to protect yourself in some legal situations. Stay consistent with your agreements. If you promised a type of compensation be sure to follow through with it. Be honest. If you aren't a big movie director, they'll only find out when it comes to shooting and that will make them want to  bail as well. Realize that the sky is the limit, let your actors know your plans after you're done with the film. Distribute it. If aspiring actors know the film will be seen more than just on Youtube or Vimeo they will be more excited in learning there may be some recognition after they give their all into it.


These tips can really help when casting your film and make planning go smoother.

     When it comes to putting a film together, many filmmakers are eager to get started on the film itself and may avoid some important and thorough planning. There are tons of software to help aspiring filmmakers with budgeting costs for your film. Check out Gorilla Film Production Software which can help you with putting together a budget for documentation and for other producers to see as well as staying within your own means to make sure you don't exceed costs. Project management is key when it comes to building a film. Pre-production is when all of the planning needs to take place. Many new filmmakers are low on cash and need actors and a crew. Although you may not have the money to pay them, food and drinks make great compensation. It is best to buy in bulk for drinks. Here is a quick example outline of how to keep food under $100 for 1 week of shooting and a crew of 15 people.

• Drinks: Water bottles  2 packs of 24 water bottles -$7 ( entire week)
• Food: Sandwiches are a best way to feed many people for a low cost averaging about $20 (3 days)(buying your own ingredients to make sandwiches will make it cheaper)  2 Large Pizzas- $25 *search for coupons to save more money ( 1 day) Snack tray $20 (3 days) *many people love to snack on foods in between shooting so be sure to include fruits, vegetables, meats ( wings or other meat), and other snack foods. Alternate between days with these foods. Have snacks on monday, pizza on Tuesday, snacks on Weds, sandwiches on Thursday, snacks on Friday, sandwiches on Saturday and sandwiches or snacks or pizza on Sunday *your choice or whatever your crew would like depending on your culture. Use your creativity to stay resourceful.  This averages out to about $72.00 which may leave room for incidentals out of a $100 food budget. 

    Equipment is something to also take note when budgeting. Buy extra light bulbs and backup equipment before shooting just in case something breaks to avoid running out in a hurry and buying either the wrong thing or something more expensive. Buy as many batteries, extension cords, electrical tape, and power surges  as you can. While shooting you don't want to lose the momentum due to the loss of power. *This has happened to me many times and it never turns out good. For DSLR filmmakers purchase a 1 or 2 battery grips to shoot all day without stopping the production to charge your battery for thirty minutes to get the last shot.
     Monitor and control your plan while shooting, when you see a change from your plan occur try your best to get it back to where it was to avoid future problems. Putting a film together can be very expensive especially if this is your very first film and you don't have all of the equipment, makeup, actors, and crew you need. I spent approximately $2000 on everything for my first film after everything was bought and paid for after shooting. Don't be frightened to get started just be sure to take a few of these tips to avoid pulling your hair out and throwing your camera out of the window due to frustrations. Your film may not always go as planned, but staying as organized as possible will keep your film on track.

 Also, Checkout our sponsor - HalloweenMart to get great deals on makeup, special fx, costumes, accessories, props, and more! These make a film even more real!!