So I booked a student film...but for some reason I am not that excited. I learned when I booked it that it wouldn't be filmed at the school or nearby, but a couple hours away, and also that i would have to stay overnight somewhere. I am kind of a beginning actor, and I worry about safety. I feel like staying over night and traveling is a lot to ask for a student film with no pay. Besides the pay, I don't really feel safe doing that because, well I don't know them, you know besides meeting them at the audition. I also didn't know there is a kissing scene which I didn't know before because I didn't get the full script until now. I mean maybe I just worry too much, but still. I was all excited to be getting more experience, but now I'm worried. Is this typical? Besides me being worried I know that my parents will FLIP out and not like the idea at all. Any Advice?

Always go with your gut. It is aways right.

quote:

Originally posted by AustenCA:
So I booked a student film.... I learned when I booked it that ...i would have to stay overnight somewhere. I am kind of a beginning actor, and I worry about safety. I feel like staying over night and traveling is a lot to ask for a student film with no pay.... I also didn't know there is a kissing scene which I didn't know before because I didn't get the full script until now. I mean maybe I just worry too much, but still....Is this typical? ...Any Advice?

You should always be concerned about safety, whether you're a beginning actor or not. Student films are, with rare exception, always without pay. A) What school are they students of?? B) In EVERY instance, they should have informed the actors auditioning (or submitting) that it will not be shot nearby. C) If there's ever anything about a film you're cast in that you're not comfortable with, express it to the parties involved, and not only to a group of anonymous people on a Message Board. D) Your acceptance of any role should always be contingent on your approval of the final script (at least your part in it.) If you discover an element of the script you don't like, you bow out. (What if every part of your one scene was fine, but it was a movie advocating something you abhor?) E) Overnight?? and... (what the) FFFFF) WHAT SCHOOL are they students of??!

NOT typical. I've never heard of a student film that requires an overnight anywhere, and if some film student has that kind of idea for a film, all that stuff needs to be spelled out to the actors submitting. And they would need to provide transportation, travel expenses (per diem), housing. The whole thing sounds like a mess.

I'd say you tell them 'thank you for your interest in me for your film, but there are too many factors involved that I'm not comfortable with, so I won't be able to accept the role."

I agree with both posts here. While all of issues are not totally unusual, they should have been discussed with you before final acceptance, especially the staying over night. Besides the safety issue, which is very real, there is the issue of who pays, they should pay for the stay. They also should have mentioned the kissing scene at the audition.

At the very least talk to them about your concerns and see how they react. If you still feel unsure, tell them thanks, but no thanks.

Thanks for all of the helpful advice! I really appreciate it. I liked the idea of the film, but I know I am not comfortable with staying over night somewhere with people I don't know. I think they are paying for the expenses, but still. I'll def be talking to them...

I've done student films that are quite far away... and twice I even stayed overnight. Some of these students have a surpassing amount of money (just not for the actors). I would hope that they would offer to pay both gas and hotel costs.

But if you are not comfortable with a film, especially a student film, don't do it. There will be another.

Sounds kind of scary...

That's the thing about student films- I've always wondered how "safe" they are. Even if they aren't paying, I'd have them put everything down in writing that I'd be required to do, such as kissing/ nudity/ traveling, etc.

They are not paying you, and you are not bound to a SAG contract- so even if you do go, feel free to walk away if it gets weird.

Yea I ended up turning it down. They said I could bring someone along to stay in my room with me. I'm sure it would have been fine. But since I am fairly new to acting I just thought it was a little much, and they never told me those details to begin with. I just wasn't comfortable staying over night. Maybe when I am more experienced i will do overnight stays for projects, and hopefully get paid for them!

i auditioned for and was cast in a student film (well, the girl was a student, and it was auditioned at school and the equipment was school and crew was school, but it was not a school project).

we were told upfront we would be traveling to film. we all met up one day very early at the girl's dorm, and traveled a couple of hours away (to CT) to the girls' mother's home.

everyone stayed there in the house. i'm pretty sure i had a room to myself (i can't remember now), we were always fed and taken care of. i was given copy within weeks of filming finishing, and a new final edited version several months later.

they drove us in vans and cars (i believe one of the student's fathers drove one of the vans), so they paid for gas and tolls, and since we stayed in their huge house, housing was taken care of as well.

granted, i probably took some risks, but it ended up being completely fine and very professional. some of the lighting was questionable, and the script couldve been a bit better, but i use about 25 seconds of the film on my reel.

i would just ask questions. if you're being expected to pay your own travel and own housing. or if their idea of housing is a sleeping bag on the floor. or something else questionable... back out.

but ask questions.

neve rmind. just saw you backed out.

I'm submitting for student/short films as well and will not consider a project that doesn't give enough information up front....if there are no names listed, no film dates or too many "TBDs" on the breakdown, I pass. I'm not comfortable with that many variables.

"Student" films and other pro bono short films are a funny thing.

USC film students (especially grad students) and for the most part UCLA film students and Chapman film students should be okay for the most part.

I've personally worked with students from those three schools, both as students, and professionally after they graduated - and those three schools cater to serious filmmakers.

AFI also is fairly respected (and for SAG members, there is the SAG conservatory for actors, and first years students are required to cast from the conservatory).

OCC, LACC, and Northridge are a bit more "sketchy", so more caution is advised (by caution, I mean in terms of quality of project. Do you want to spend a lot of your energy on a project that overall is not going to look good on your reel? This is a principal consideration).

"Los Angels Film School" is an utter joke - I've seen nothing of merit come out of that school.


Some notes on working on no pay student projects:

1) MAKE SURE they have an insurance policy. UCLA, USC and Chapman require that official student projects be insured.

If you get injured on set when a 200 pound 5K HMI light falls on your head and nearly electrocutes you because the inexperienced grip (also working for free) was too stoned to remember to tie it down correctly - who's going to pay for your hospital bill?

Thanks to George Bush, in 2003, unpaid medical bills became reportable to your credit record, and if you don't pay them your credit rating will be screwed for 7 years, not to mention potential lawsuits and future wage garnishments.

Movie sets are fairly dangerous places to be. There is banded lying all over the place (banded is a set of thick electrical cables for lighting). the voltage between the two hot leads on banded is 220 volts. POW, easy to get electrocuted. Lighting and grip gear is heavy and 'for professional use only" meaning it requires skill and training to operate safely. On a student film, who knows how much experience and skill the crew has?


2) If you are SAG, make sure the student actually filed their SAG paperwork - call SAG to make sure you don't fall foul of rule one. No student film should be non union - it is free to file the agreement with SAG (fee is 100% deferred), and they can use both union and non union actors.


3) Ask who their faculty advisor is, and call that advisor to inquire about the student(s) history if you have any qualms about them at all.


4) The student should be willing (actually excited) to show you other work of theirs. Even if this is their first film "with actors" they will have been required to do a number of other types of film first (an art piece, a sample edit of a scene from an old TV show, etc).


5) "Real" student films are part of a course curriculum, and sanctioned by the school, with various requirements like insurance. If it's not a sanctioned, then it's just a "short", but this could be just fine. There are a number of filmmaking groups, like Filmmakers Alliance and Group101, that promote short filmmaking as an art form. There are plenty of short filmmakers that do very nice work - though like everything I already mentioned, do some basic research into what the project is going to be, particularly from a quality perspective.



And... I'll leave it at that for now.


Andy

quote:

Originally posted by AustenCA:
So I booked a student film... Besides me being worried I know that my parents will FLIP out