"The best way to convince people that you know what you're doing is by not talking." This is probably one of the smartest things I have ever heard. I wish someone said it to me years ago... I guess most people who know it probably don't speak up much.
Thanks bro! I just casted Saleh Bakri (famous for his role in “The Blue Caftan”, by Maryam Touzani) for my first feature film. He did well and I chosen him for the role. He was so impressed by the plot that he agreed to play the role for free. He said, he feels called supporting new talents! 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
This is gold man. I was thinking of starting a channel sharing these steps but you beat me to it. And thankfully. I’m learning some new things along the way. Thank you!
Casting is the most important part of a movie. To me, it seems irrational to stick to a particular shooting schedule, if the perfect actor may be just not available at that time.
Or, you read the Idaho Statesman one Sunday Morning and find out Lee Majors and Terry Kiser are in town shooting a feature. You tell your filmmaking son who was also making a feature at the time, that Mom and Dad used to park cars for Terry in his Hollywood Hills home while they (parents) were in College. Son, goes to IMDB pro and finds the info in which you speak, talks to the agent and with 24 hours gets him on his set. *Terry is a great guy and when Spoilers played in Austin he invited us to stay with him. **The letter Is so helpful for a project that is in the works. ***Your channel is great!
This is gold..love your delivery..down to earth..lots of real world tips...Fear of rejection cripples a lot of would be deals too! THANKS WILL awesome stuff.
Good stuff. Thank you. He said, “The agent wants to make sure he isn’t sending his Client to sit on an apple box in the hot Sun all day with no water.” Scary image, but funny statement.
Great videos man, quality is incredible, can't believe you don't have more subscribers! Going through a bunch of them back to back. Any tips/ explanations on The ultra low budget SAG stuff? particularly for Canadians.
Great info, Will! Thank you. Have you run into a "pay or play" situation where agents want a financial commitment just to have their clients read the script?
Ha..hits home..my wife went to high school with one of the top fx/makeup people, Walking dead, Hunger Games are 2 he did..and she knows one of Mickey Rooneys daughters..also I did a gig in LA, wasn't sure what it was when I auditioned, got the gig and ended up working with a Name you all know..so get out and meet people..But hiring a Name actor isn't difficult if you have the money and the story ..
Hey Will, thanks for all you do here. In order to make 'an offer' as you suggest, you obviously have to have financing in place. What about a scenario where financing is not yet 'in place' BUT securing your targeted actor may lead to this financing? Obviously agents will take you less seriously if you're looking at their client's commitment to help secure your financing, but can you speak at all to this approach?
If financing is not yet in place then sometimes you can offer a "Pay to Play" agreement--stating that even if the film is never financed or made, the actor will still be paid. It is risky, but usually the only way to secure big talent prior to being funded if you are an unknown filmmaker.
I'm a sound op working in indie movies. I'm also a freelance sound editor. Whether you cast a known actor or not the number one rule is always cast REAL actors. These are actors who have been to drama school, they are somewhat journeymen actors, but they are trained, have usually done theatre and commercials and bit parts in TV and movies. Make sure your cast can act! I've seen low/no budget films utterly ruined by non actors who cannot act. Never cast friends or family members. Having said that it is very attainable to cast notable actors in low budget projects, it's about approaching them the right way, through their agent. This year I've worked with Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Carribbean) although we did have a contact outside of his agent. Therica Wilson Reed who plays Sabrina in The Witcher and recently Edward Hogg. Let's be real, you're never gonna get A-listers like Tom Hanks or Harrison Ford, but don't be intimidated by approaching actors with big credits. I've heard some notable actors complain they stopped getting offers for short films because they appeared in a big TV show or movie. Finally if you're easily star struck that's something you need to get over, they won't like it, they are working, you are working. They'll expect you to be professional. I've seen this with crew and they struggled to do their job because they were 'a fan'
Love this. Thank you. I have a slightly different challenge where I have a big idea that 100% relies on the actor. There’s no point even writing a script of this person wouldn’t even entertain doing it. My thought process is that if I could get the one person to at least mod their head and say … “If it’s good call me back” then I could get a kickstarter going and start the writing process. Would it even be possible to go down that path or is it a total pipe dream?
4 ปีที่แล้ว +4
Very structured and valuable content, here ! Keep up the good work !
Excellent presentation. Thanks very much Will. It's ironic in a way that my producing partner and I watched this tonight. We are in fact trying to get Rob Lowe in our next movie (we've done three in that $250K range). We'll work on our brief email and our offer letter tomorrow.
Amazing video Will, thanku. I have 2 questions that I am hoping you can answer: 1. Should I use SAG as a template if I want to fly the actor to my country, or should I use my own. (I am in Australia, so we have MEAA here) and if so, is it wise to start at the basic level as per tier, and then bump it up a bit to entice them? 2. If the investors have not put the money in the bank & not 100 per cent secure, is it still ok to send an offer letter? Thanks Will. Subscribed!!
Great video. I noticed you attached a draft of the screenplay to the offer letter to Lee Majors. Was this requested by his representation or did you learn from this experience not to send the screenplay? Keep up the great videos.
It was requested at that point. As I mentioned, this was the "updated" offer letter after his agent had already read the first one and called me to amend it to reflect his requests. :)
I'm glad you made this video. You're the only one I've ever heard explain this process. Question... how do you Decide what to offer a Hollywood name? Question 2... For a lower budget movie with no-name actors; how do you determine if you need to pay the actor a per diem and how do you determine what that amount is? Thanks.
I'm pretty sure you don't need imdb pro to add your projects, it does give you more features though. Free IMDB account will allow you to add your projects/films
Yes, you should always cover the travel. Especially in this case when you are already asking them for a „favor.“ Hotel stay, meals and transportation to and from set should also be covered at a minimum. After tax and agency fee the talent may see less than half the money you are actually paying them. If they then have to also cover their travel and expenses then it is not worth their time to be on set with you.
Hey Will, rewatching this as I prepare production for my first feature. My question is, from your experience does this work before the film is fully financed. My producer and I are trying to get a letter of intent to secure investment. Would love to hear your thoughts.
This is great! Is there a legitimate way to structure the offer letter even before having fully funded the movie? I have a good working relationship with a number of distributors, but do not have all the financing for the project. Is there a way to break the cycle of needing an actor to raise money but needing money to hire an actor?
Thanks for making these videos, I find them really helpful. Whats a big name actor more likely to accept? something small that's only a couple of days work or a bigger project that takes more time like a couple of weeks or months even.
So sorry for the very late response. They would be more likely to do a couple of days--but in a part that carries actual weight. Ideally the scenes could be spaced out through the film, so we see them often, but the final screen time might only be 5-10 minutes.
@@WillvonTagen Something else I wanted to ask you was, when do you try and make contact with a big name actors representation? A month in advance of your start date for filming or more like six months?
Hey Will, thanks very much for this terrifically informative video. I just had one question about the rate for the named actor, how do you go about finding the rate of the actor you want?
if we want them to play the protagonist, would it be normal to shoot somewhat around their schedule? like, "we aim to shoot in June, and would be happy to work around Actor's Name's schedule to find exact dates for their number of days."
You definitely could. It is easy to get creative with scheduling, and remember the value they bring to your project. It makes it worth the extra accommodation :)
Hi Will. What's your approach when still seeking funding and you want that name actor attached to secure the funding? Do you advise Pay or Play or some other version of that?
Thank you for this Will. I have been scouring the internet for this information. I do have one question though when it comes to the Offer Letter. I'm in a situation where it's hard for me to put in a date of when we're shooting because we're not fully funded yet to lock in these locations. We're not fully funded because we need our investors to see that we have well-known attached talent. And we can't let the investors know who's in it because we're trying to get an Offer Letter out to these actors. So, I'm in a catch-22 situation. So what do I do? How do I for this letter to get these actors, to get these investors, to get this fully funded, to get these locations, to lock in these dates?
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. Question, would you want to reach out to A list talent if the film isn't funded in knowing you can probably get funding with that talent attached? Like going to a distribution company once Lee Majors (example) is attached and getting them to fund the film?
@@WillvonTagen great lighting. I was trying to create the same effect with the background dark. Do video on lighting techniques if you can. I currently use two LEDs and a backlight.
Do what you need to do, but I would advise taking your time and first chasing the actors you really want. In a pinch you can start sending it out in bulk.
I'm an indie writer/director trying to package my project in order to get it picked up by a good producer. When approaching a big name actor to get people interested, how do I tell the agent that I have no producer or money or shooting dates yet? Can you say that you are in the early packaging stage? I tried that recently and the agent told me to come back when the project is picked up and we have shooting dates. But that's the whole problem: I need the talent to get the project picked up. What do you advise?
Use the response you have as a means to raise the money. Tell the financiers that XYZ is attached CONTINGENT on the funding coming through. Get the money in line, but have back ups in mind incase XYZ suddenly becomes unavailable. Then go to your other choices--but this time you can tell their agent the money is secure--contingent on their client agreeing to the project.
@@gaberini202 In a pinch, maybe, but be careful--people talk and you never know. If you do, be transparent about it but your odds are better if you are saying "this is exclusive to your client, I really want them for this role."
It will probably come up through the negotiation but I don't think it can be simply found any where--people don't want to advertise their minimums because then it becomes impossible to ever get paid above that. A good place to start though is the SAG minimum for your budget level--no matter what it will never go below that.
Besides using IMDB for looking up an actor for your film and using Wrapbook for the budget of your film, how would you pay your a list actor is it through Wrapbook or does it depends on their agent, or publicist?
Hi! Are you asking about rates or physically paying the actor? Usually the Agent will instruct you on that. Most will want payment upfront, but to make sure the actor doesn't quit, you can suggest using an Escrow account, and the funds will be released once the job is done. The agent can then see the money exists and is safe, and you can feel safe knowing the actor must still follow through with the job. Many times you will need to use a bank wire to put the money into the accounts--I suggest using a platform like Transferwise to avoid the fees sometimes charged by banks themselves.
That's what I was asking about the payroll. I was speaking wrapbook and they suggested having someone do it for you. Thank you for the advice because my film I'm hoping to have Dee Wallace and Dove Cameron in the picture. I took notes on this video and did a version of a letter to their agents.
Hi thanks for this valuable advice. Just a question. If I'm planning my shooting schedule according to the actore how should I put "when" in my offer letter? Thanks I subscribed and liked
Incredible. I liked and subscribed, and if you'd like i'll send a Starbucks coffee card. Dude, you're a God! Thanks so much for this. And i'm serious about the coffee. Let me know where to send it! Again, thanks so much! Cheers!
Start with what you can afford, but for a well known actor it will probably start around $1,000/day. If it is an actor you need to recite a resume for to know who they are--$500/day can be expected. These are rough estimates though--ideally you can get a conversation going with their agent and have a negotiation.
See my dream is to be a very famous director and screenwriter for Hollywood and I want to make my movies with most popular celebs in the industry from my choosing.
Hey Lewis, definitely send the whole script--but identify which pages the actor appears. For them and their agent to make a decision they will want to know the entire film so they know if it is a good decision/movie to appear in.
This is one of the most helpful videos I've ever seen. I'm a director and writer based on Mexico City, Mexico. I'm working with a local and very talented film crew here in Mexico. A team of producers that have been involved in Mexican FIlms such as "Netflix´s "Fuego Negro" amongst others. We have a very ambitious film set in the future 2035 with a budget of lees than 1 Million USD DOLLAR. The film has not been funded yet. I would love to talk to you, or pay for consulting/advice. We will need a production company in the US. I would love to learn more about how the indurstry works in your country. Our film will be in English language. We would want to involve some A-list actors to our production. Is there a way we can make this work? Thanks for all and good luck.
Hey Enrique. Thanks for the kind message and congratulations on getting so far with your project. As you can maybe tell by my late reply--I am actually pretty caught up with a lot of other work tasks at the moment so I don't think I would have the time to give your project the attention it deserves. But I am sure you will find someone eager and able to help :) If there are any specifics you want to know, drop a line here--maybe I can get to it in a future video :) Good luck!
"The best way to convince people that you know what you're doing is by not talking." This is probably one of the smartest things I have ever heard. I wish someone said it to me years ago...
I guess most people who know it probably don't speak up much.
instructions not clear, now rob lowe is playing every part in my film
You're like finding a treasure. I have no clue how you only have 2,000 subscribers. This is pure GOLD.
Hahaha, thanks man! Working on building the numbers ;)
Thanks bro! I just casted Saleh Bakri (famous for his role in “The Blue Caftan”, by Maryam Touzani) for my first feature film. He did well and I chosen him for the role. He was so impressed by the plot that he agreed to play the role for free. He said, he feels called supporting new talents! 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
Amazing! Nice work man!
This is gold man. I was thinking of starting a channel sharing these steps but you beat me to it. And thankfully. I’m learning some new things along the way. Thank you!
Thanks man, I appreciate that! :)
Still open to your take :)
Casting is the most important part of a movie. To me, it seems irrational to stick to a particular shooting schedule, if the perfect actor may be just not available at that time.
Amazing Content! I subscribed 2 videos ago... You are what’s needed on TH-cam for indie film makers....
Wow, thanks man! I appreciate it :)
Will von Tagen my pleasure
Great info! Thanks so much. Would love to see a video on how to find people to finance your film once you get a start attached!
Thanks! I plan to begin working on a few of those ;)
Or, you read the Idaho Statesman one Sunday Morning and find out Lee Majors and Terry Kiser are in town shooting a feature. You tell your filmmaking son who was also making a feature at the time, that Mom and Dad used to park cars for Terry in his Hollywood Hills home while they (parents) were in College. Son, goes to IMDB pro and finds the info in which you speak, talks to the agent and with 24 hours gets him on his set. *Terry is a great guy and when Spoilers played in Austin he invited us to stay with him. **The letter Is so helpful for a project that is in the works. ***Your channel is great!
I watched 5 seconds and I knew right away, I must subscribe
Haha, thanks man. Trying to get more created but time has been a bit tight lately with another project. Thanks for watching!
This is gold..love your delivery..down to earth..lots of real world tips...Fear of rejection cripples a lot of would be deals too! THANKS WILL awesome stuff.
I really like how you speak and explain. It's well structured as well! And I find it very generous how you share your experience, thanks Will!
No problem! I'm glad you found it useful :)
Thanks Will! Very helpful info. I was going to use social media to reach talent but now i know to craft my messages.
This is perfect,I see that you have an ID number on your letter, what does that mean and should we all have one before sending letter
Haha, no, that is part of my address. "ID" is Idaho. 83702 is the zip code ;)
Great video, this is exactly how i have hired known names and it works.
Thanks! Glad to hear it :)
Good stuff. Thank you. He said, “The agent wants to make sure he isn’t sending his Client to sit on an apple box in the hot Sun all day with no water.” Scary image, but funny statement.
Great videos man, quality is incredible, can't believe you don't have more subscribers! Going through a bunch of them back to back. Any tips/ explanations on The ultra low budget SAG stuff? particularly for Canadians.
Why do you have so little subscribers? This content is great!
Haha, thanks Ethan! My channel is very new so I am hoping it increases soon 😀 Feel free to share the word! 😉
This actually worked for me (nearly).
Glad to hear! 👍🏻
Great info, Will! Thank you. Have you run into a "pay or play" situation where agents want a financial commitment just to have their clients read the script?
Ha..hits home..my wife went to high school with one of the top fx/makeup people, Walking dead, Hunger Games are 2 he did..and she knows one of Mickey Rooneys daughters..also I did a gig in LA, wasn't sure what it was when I auditioned, got the gig and ended up working with a Name you all know..so get out and meet people..But hiring a Name actor isn't difficult if you have the money and the story ..
Hey Will, thanks for all you do here. In order to make 'an offer' as you suggest, you obviously have to have financing in place. What about a scenario where financing is not yet 'in place' BUT securing your targeted actor may lead to this financing? Obviously agents will take you less seriously if you're looking at their client's commitment to help secure your financing, but can you speak at all to this approach?
If financing is not yet in place then sometimes you can offer a "Pay to Play" agreement--stating that even if the film is never financed or made, the actor will still be paid. It is risky, but usually the only way to secure big talent prior to being funded if you are an unknown filmmaker.
I'm a sound op working in indie movies. I'm also a freelance sound editor. Whether you cast a known actor or not the number one rule is always cast REAL actors. These are actors who have been to drama school, they are somewhat journeymen actors, but they are trained, have usually done theatre and commercials and bit parts in TV and movies. Make sure your cast can act! I've seen low/no budget films utterly ruined by non actors who cannot act. Never cast friends or family members. Having said that it is very attainable to cast notable actors in low budget projects, it's about approaching them the right way, through their agent. This year I've worked with Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Carribbean) although we did have a contact outside of his agent. Therica Wilson Reed who plays Sabrina in The Witcher and recently Edward Hogg. Let's be real, you're never gonna get A-listers like Tom Hanks or Harrison Ford, but don't be intimidated by approaching actors with big credits. I've heard some notable actors complain they stopped getting offers for short films because they appeared in a big TV show or movie. Finally if you're easily star struck that's something you need to get over, they won't like it, they are working, you are working. They'll expect you to be professional. I've seen this with crew and they struggled to do their job because they were 'a fan'
Very very true and good advice. Thank you :)
Thanks. This info is very informative. Now just need to know where to find investors
Thanks Ted! I'm going to definitely get into financing in future videos :)
Love this. Thank you. I have a slightly different challenge where I have a big idea that 100% relies on the actor. There’s no point even writing a script of this person wouldn’t even entertain doing it. My thought process is that if I could get the one person to at least mod their head and say … “If it’s good call me back” then I could get a kickstarter going and start the writing process. Would it even be possible to go down that path or is it a total pipe dream?
Very structured and valuable content, here ! Keep up the good work !
Thanks, will do! :)
This is Golden. Thanks
Please how do you send a story/script to Agency for a sale or for production?
Excellent presentation. Thanks very much Will. It's ironic in a way that my producing partner and I watched this tonight. We are in fact trying to get Rob Lowe in our next movie (we've done three in that $250K range). We'll work on our brief email and our offer letter tomorrow.
This is amazing Will! Thanks so much! Hope you are planning on doing one on the nitty gritty of distribution
Haha, thanks buddy! And you know it ;)
Thank you! Great information and very well organized.
Thanks Chuck! :)
This channel is amazing. You are a gift.
Thank you!
It's true and the variables.will the AI affect this 😊
This is valuable info, worthy of a lot more views. Might have to shoot this over to the film business instructor at my old film school.
Wow, thank you, I'm glad you found it useful! And by all means, feel free to share! I would appreciate it very much :)
Amazing video Will, thanku. I have 2 questions that I am hoping you can answer:
1. Should I use SAG as a template if I want to fly the actor to my country, or should I use my own. (I am in Australia, so we have MEAA here) and if so, is it wise to start at the basic level as per tier, and then bump it up a bit to entice them?
2. If the investors have not put the money in the bank & not 100 per cent secure, is it still ok to send an offer letter?
Thanks Will. Subscribed!!
Terrific info, thank you for this! Coincidentally our team is filming (In part) our new feature in the Boise area in the near future.
Fantastic! Boise is a great place to film. Very friendly people :)
Let me know when you need local crew. Even sound
@@KodyNewton Copy that!
Do u have a download of this letter? You just earned my subscription great info
Great video. I noticed you attached a draft of the screenplay to the offer letter to Lee Majors. Was this requested by his representation or did you learn from this experience not to send the screenplay? Keep up the great videos.
It was requested at that point. As I mentioned, this was the "updated" offer letter after his agent had already read the first one and called me to amend it to reflect his requests. :)
I'm glad you made this video. You're the only one I've ever heard explain this process. Question... how do you Decide what to offer a Hollywood name? Question 2...
For a lower budget movie with no-name actors; how do you determine if you need to pay the actor a per diem and how do you determine what that amount is? Thanks.
I'm pretty sure you don't need imdb pro to add your projects, it does give you more features though. Free IMDB account will allow you to add your projects/films
Are there any other ways to contact your actor when the talent agency doesn't take unsolicited manuscripts?
Thank you so much for this great info!
Thanks for watching!
Super helpful. Thank you ‼️
You’re welcome!
I am so thankful for you and this video thank you !!!!
Subscribed because of your willingness to share your own examples. Very nice!
Thank you! :)
@@WillvonTagen Hey Will. This is the best and most realistic video out of hundreds ive watched. Thank you! Fantastic!
Also, do you have a video or template for writing a great introduction letter for potential film investors?
Thank you for the info!
Glad it was helpful!
Would you recommend doing a SAGIndie agreement for low budget films? Will this make it easier to get talent?
Good video, Will. I was hoping you would address making financial offers, as these are common.
Thanks.
Thanks ash! Yes, I definitely plan to do quite a few videos on financing :)
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity 😆
Hi is offering to fly them out out part of every budget. What are things that should always be offered besides the base pay
Yes, you should always cover the travel. Especially in this case when you are already asking them for a „favor.“ Hotel stay, meals and transportation to and from set should also be covered at a minimum. After tax and agency fee the talent may see less than half the money you are actually paying them. If they then have to also cover their travel and expenses then it is not worth their time to be on set with you.
Threw you a sub! This is awesome information for low level filmmakers like myself. Thanks for all this useful info
Hey thanks man! I appreciate it :)
Hey Will, rewatching this as I prepare production for my first feature. My question is, from your experience does this work before the film is fully financed. My producer and I are trying to get a letter of intent to secure investment. Would love to hear your thoughts.
This is great! Is there a legitimate way to structure the offer letter even before having fully funded the movie? I have a good working relationship with a number of distributors, but do not have all the financing for the project. Is there a way to break the cycle of needing an actor to raise money but needing money to hire an actor?
Thanks for making these videos, I find them really helpful. Whats a big name actor more likely to accept? something small that's only a couple of days work or a bigger project that takes more time like a couple of weeks or months even.
So sorry for the very late response. They would be more likely to do a couple of days--but in a part that carries actual weight. Ideally the scenes could be spaced out through the film, so we see them often, but the final screen time might only be 5-10 minutes.
@@WillvonTagen Thanks for the response, it was very helpful
@@WillvonTagen Something else I wanted to ask you was, when do you try and make contact with a big name actors representation? A month in advance of your start date for filming or more like six months?
Hey Will, thanks very much for this terrifically informative video. I just had one question about the rate for the named actor, how do you go about finding the rate of the actor you want?
Thank you very much!! Great info!
if we want them to play the protagonist, would it be normal to shoot somewhat around their schedule? like, "we aim to shoot in June, and would be happy to work around Actor's Name's schedule to find exact dates for their number of days."
You definitely could. It is easy to get creative with scheduling, and remember the value they bring to your project. It makes it worth the extra accommodation :)
@@WillvonTagen thanks !
Great advice. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Most valuable video ive watched in a while thanks so much
Glad it was helpful!
Subscribed!
So helpful, thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Great video! What do you put in the subject line of the email?
Solid info. Subscribed!
I want to discuss adding your content to GreenLitGo in order to reach our growing indie film makers
Hi! Feel free to DM me on IG and we can talk/exchange emails :) My IG handle is listed in the description.
@@WillvonTagen messaged. Check out
GreenLitGo.com
Larry Thomas “the soup nazi” is actually a pretty great actor and a genuinely cool guy. FYI.
Hi Will. What's your approach when still seeking funding and you want that name actor attached to secure the funding? Do you advise Pay or Play or some other version of that?
Thank you for this Will. I have been scouring the internet for this information. I do have one question though when it comes to the Offer Letter. I'm in a situation where it's hard for me to put in a date of when we're shooting because we're not fully funded yet to lock in these locations. We're not fully funded because we need our investors to see that we have well-known attached talent. And we can't let the investors know who's in it because we're trying to get an Offer Letter out to these actors. So, I'm in a catch-22 situation. So what do I do? How do I for this letter to get these actors, to get these investors, to get this fully funded, to get these locations, to lock in these dates?
Very helpful. Thanks
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. Question, would you want to reach out to A list talent if the film isn't funded in knowing you can probably get funding with that talent attached? Like going to a distribution company once Lee Majors (example) is attached and getting them to fund the film?
Will, what camera do you use to film your TH-cam videos?
BMPCC 4K 👍🏻
@@WillvonTagen great lighting. I was trying to create the same effect with the background dark. Do video on lighting techniques if you can. I currently use two LEDs and a backlight.
Is it cool to send the same script to agents of several different actors at the same time?
Do what you need to do, but I would advise taking your time and first chasing the actors you really want. In a pinch you can start sending it out in bulk.
Thank you, Sir!
I'm an indie writer/director trying to package my project in order to get it picked up by a good producer. When approaching a big name actor to get people interested, how do I tell the agent that I have no producer or money or shooting dates yet? Can you say that you are in the early packaging stage? I tried that recently and the agent told me to come back when the project is picked up and we have shooting dates. But that's the whole problem: I need the talent to get the project picked up. What do you advise?
Use the response you have as a means to raise the money. Tell the financiers that XYZ is attached CONTINGENT on the funding coming through. Get the money in line, but have back ups in mind incase XYZ suddenly becomes unavailable. Then go to your other choices--but this time you can tell their agent the money is secure--contingent on their client agreeing to the project.
@@WillvonTagen Thanks, Will. Is it cool to pursue several different actors for the same role at the same time?
@@gaberini202 In a pinch, maybe, but be careful--people talk and you never know. If you do, be transparent about it but your odds are better if you are saying "this is exclusive to your client, I really want them for this role."
Would you say that casting a voice actor would be more difficult, or the opposite?
It is probably easier as a lot of voice actors have home studios so they could work for you from the comfort of their homes.
Is there anywhere you can go to find out the “get out of bed rates” of actors?
It will probably come up through the negotiation but I don't think it can be simply found any where--people don't want to advertise their minimums because then it becomes impossible to ever get paid above that. A good place to start though is the SAG minimum for your budget level--no matter what it will never go below that.
This is gold. Bless you.
subbed
Thank you :)
Also wondering how much would you have to pay an actor for them to be interested?
It is difficult to say. Look at the SAG guidelines for a good "ballpark" figure based on your budget and start from there :)
Great information
Thank you! :)
This video is gold
Besides using IMDB for looking up an actor for your film and using Wrapbook for the budget of your film, how would you pay your a list actor is it through Wrapbook or does it depends on their agent, or publicist?
Hi! Are you asking about rates or physically paying the actor? Usually the Agent will instruct you on that. Most will want payment upfront, but to make sure the actor doesn't quit, you can suggest using an Escrow account, and the funds will be released once the job is done. The agent can then see the money exists and is safe, and you can feel safe knowing the actor must still follow through with the job. Many times you will need to use a bank wire to put the money into the accounts--I suggest using a platform like Transferwise to avoid the fees sometimes charged by banks themselves.
That's what I was asking about the payroll. I was speaking wrapbook and they suggested having someone do it for you. Thank you for the advice because my film I'm hoping to have Dee Wallace and Dove Cameron in the picture. I took notes on this video and did a version of a letter to their agents.
Hi thanks for this valuable advice. Just a question. If I'm planning my shooting schedule according to the actore how should I put "when" in my offer letter?
Thanks I subscribed and liked
You just replied to my question in your video I feel dumb now hahaha. Thxx a lot
Haha, glad you got it figured out!
Thanks for everything you are the best subscribed!!!!
Thanks for subbing!
You can use the free 30 day trial to get contact info initially.
Do u have a download of this letter ?
this is the best video thanks
Wow, thank you! :)
Incredible. I liked and subscribed, and if you'd like i'll send a Starbucks coffee card. Dude, you're a God! Thanks so much for this. And i'm serious about the coffee. Let me know where to send it! Again, thanks so much! Cheers!
I think Ben Davies had a hell of a year in 2020... :)
What if the actor asks what is the budget?
It depends a little on their clout. But you could just tell them the SAG budget category you fall in to (low budget/ultra low budget etc.).
Fantastic info :)
Thanks Michael! :)
How do you figure out how much money to offer a big name actor on an indie film?
Start with what you can afford, but for a well known actor it will probably start around $1,000/day. If it is an actor you need to recite a resume for to know who they are--$500/day can be expected. These are rough estimates though--ideally you can get a conversation going with their agent and have a negotiation.
How to convince a famous actors purchase extra née pads with matching helmets and be prepared to use mouth muscles with a side of cream pies lol 😂
Can you share a template to your offer? as a docx or pdf?
I will make them available soon on my website :)
@@WillvonTagen I could use this today. But it all good. Ill get it done! Remember my name.
Brilliant thanks
:) :)
Had to rewatch this… finally getting ready to fire missiles… I’ll let you know how it goes..
If you could cast ANYONE in your film, who would it be??
Rob Lowe
@@Tad8135 Call up his agent, Ben Davis :)
Ben Mendelsohn
Laura Dern
@@weirdman5215 My first celebrity crush!! (as Dr. Sattler) ;)
See my dream is to be a very famous director and screenwriter for Hollywood and I want to make my movies with most popular celebs in the industry from my choosing.
Hey Will. Do you send the whole script or just the section that they are in?
Hey Lewis, definitely send the whole script--but identify which pages the actor appears. For them and their agent to make a decision they will want to know the entire film so they know if it is a good decision/movie to appear in.
Nice!
Thanks! :)
This is one of the most helpful videos I've ever seen. I'm a director and writer based on Mexico City, Mexico. I'm working with a local and very talented film crew here in Mexico. A team of producers that have been involved in Mexican FIlms such as "Netflix´s "Fuego Negro" amongst others. We have a very ambitious film set in the future 2035 with a budget of lees than 1 Million USD DOLLAR. The film has not been funded yet. I would love to talk to you, or pay for consulting/advice. We will need a production company in the US. I would love to learn more about how the indurstry works in your country. Our film will be in English language. We would want to involve some A-list actors to our production. Is there a way we can make this work? Thanks for all and good luck.
Hey Enrique. Thanks for the kind message and congratulations on getting so far with your project. As you can maybe tell by my late reply--I am actually pretty caught up with a lot of other work tasks at the moment so I don't think I would have the time to give your project the attention it deserves. But I am sure you will find someone eager and able to help :) If there are any specifics you want to know, drop a line here--maybe I can get to it in a future video :) Good luck!
So a Craigslist barter offer doesn’t work 🤷♂️
Cool videos, would recommend adding some music in the background to bring some energy