Auditions and My Shoot

A lot has happened in the last three weeks! For starters, I was in India for 10 days getting married for the second time to the same man. (It was an absolutely incredible experience.) Also, I selected my actors for my short film, held rehearsals (on either side of the India trip) and then, today, had my film shoot.

Overall, I don't think the short film is going to be all that spectacular when completed. I'm sure that's bad for me to say, but I'm being realistic - it was my first film shoot, and I have a lot to learn. I'm taking this particular shoot as just a major learning experience, so that I can move onto my next shoot with more confidence and better organization.

To give you a brief overview of everything, the auditions were great. Having invited about 16 actors and actresses, I had a final turnout of 11, which I was told was good. This surprised me, since I envisioned New York actors to be somewhat desperate for parts and auditions. What I learned is that serious actors often have so many auditions lined up in a day, in addition to a 'day job,' that some auditions may go by the wayside - and I'm sure auditions for unpaid student films would be more likely to get cut from their schedule than others.

Overall, the talent was good. Yes, I had one goofy moment where I realized one actor, who forgot what he was auditioning for, had actually applied to audition twice, using two different names and two different headshots in order to get two timeslots - but for the most part, everyone was professional and enthusiastic. I taped the auditions, to review later, but pretty much knew who my picks were by the end of the day.

My rehearsals felt awkward to say the least. Again, as a first-time director, I was a bit unsure of myself, which I think hurt things. The first rehearsal, a basic read-through just a few hours before my flight to India, in order to give some emotional notes, was fine. But once I returned from India, the rehearsals unraveled. Jet-lagged and frazzled with two days before my shoot, I think my instructions were unclear. To add to my angst, my actress, though super-talented, was reluctant to rehearse fully and wanted to save her juice for the actual shoot. Being a bit unsure of myself, I didn't know what to say to coax her into a more thorough rehearsal, which would have put my mind at ease. She said to trust her, and I did - and it actually all worked out because, at today's shoot, she was brilliant.

I barely slept last night due to my nerves over the shoot, and struggled to come up with a clear shot list. Of course, once the camera's set up at a certain angle, it's best to shoot all the necessary dialogue from that angle - even if it means jumping around in the script. (For instance, one camera set-up was the same on page 2 as on page 5, and it would have been good just to film both those pieces together.) While I tried to plan for this in my shot list, it didn't really pan out, and we basically wound up doing the entire script in order, which I'm sure wasted some time and energy.

Happily, though, we completed everything involving the actors today, even though I'd also scheduled for tomorrow. Now, all I need to worry about tomorrow is getting some basic shots around Grand Central to include in the film. This is a huge relief, since I'd worried about going over-schedule. Instead, I'm a day early.

Now, exhaustion is completely taking over, and I'm getting ready to crash. I'm proud of my actors and my crew, which consisted of two of my classmates and an assistant from the DFA, and think we probably all pulled together the best footage we could under the circumstances. My next adventures are going to come in post-production, when I try to correct for both the horrible light and sound in Grand Central - hopefully with decent results!

Screenwriters World Conference = Best Thing Ever

In a word: awesome. This was completely worth the time and the money, and I strongly recommend anyone with an interest in screenwriting do something like this ASAP.

The day started with the pitch fest. Of course, there was a snowstorm, so a few execs were late or had to cancel, but the turnout was still good. The way it was set up was that each company (management companies, production companies, and agencies) had a line in the main room. You waited in line for who you wanted to see. When you got into the meeting room, you had 90 seconds to pitch your script idea, and then they had three and a half minutes to respond. Then, it was back to the waiting room.

The pitch fest part of the day was four hours long and, given the lines, people were lucky if they averaged one meeting per hour. Some companies, particularly Pearl Street Productions, had super-long lines, so if you waited for them, chances were you only had two or three meetings within the four hours.

I was thrilled to fit in four meetings: two production companies (World Film Services and Gigantic Pictures) and two management companies (WV Management and One Entertainment). I started with the production companies, then figured it was a smarter bet to go for management companies, since with them, I could build a long-term relationship, rather than just hope to have one script picked up. My meetings went very well: out of four, three of them asked to read my scripts, which, given what I heard from other writers, was very promising. (The fourth company, a production company, took my one-sheet and said they’d be in touch if they were interested in reading the first ten pages.) In addition to the thrill of being in front of executives with my writing, it was also good to get feedback on my pitching, since I really had no idea what to expect. Overall, the feedback was good, and I’ll do another post soon that goes into more depth on how to pitch.

One thing I was incredibly grateful for was that I had prepared to pitch more than one script. Originally, I had only planned to pitch the horror script that I wrote last spring. At the last minute, though, I also brushed up on my pitch for a dramatic script I wrote a few years ago. Thank God I did, because WAY more companies were interested in drama than horror, even if they claimed to be interested in all genres. That surprised me, given that horror is way more commercial. Two companies didn’t want to hear about horror at all, but they both took copies of my dramatic script. Only one company was excited about the horror, and stressed that it would be seriously considered.

In the afternoon, there were seminars and panel discussions. I learned the difference between agents and managers (there’s a lot more hand-holding with managers, who help get your scripts, queries, treatments, and pitches into ideal shape, in addition to helping get the material placed, vs. agents, who really just go straight for the deal and don’t have as much of a personal relationship with their clients). I was also happy to hear that, in this digital age, all writers should put together websites to upload short films that they scripted – which is what I’m working on with my filmmaking class! Finally, I picked up other valuable info on getting work as a writer, made connections with other writers, and feel greatly encouraged to take the big step of actually going out to L.A. for the Great American Pitchfest, which offers some incredible opportunities.

All in all, money well spent, and I strongly recommend this to all screenwriters!

Screenwriters World Conference and Other Adventures

I feel like things are now really rolling, my friends. I said a long time ago that I wanted to do a pitch fest as a part of my No MFA Project… well, it’s happening on Jan. 21^st. I’ll be attending the Screenwriter’s World Conference in NYC.

Half of the day will be spent pitching my script to agents and producers. Each meeting is 5 minutes total – with the first 90 seconds for my pitch, the remaining 3 and a half minutes for their feedback. In a worse case scenario, they give advice on how to improve the pitch. Pitching isn’t my strong suit, so it’s advice that will be very welcome. In a best case scenario, writers may find representation or even option their scripts.

The other half of the day is spent sitting in on seminars on topics like finding an agent, selling your script, etc.

It is a little pricey - $299 – but for this kind of thing, that really isn’t so bad. The education gained off of even making failed pitches would be, I think, worth it. Besides, even with another $299 added to my current No MFA bill, I’m still $96,700 better off than I would have been getting my dramatic writing MFA at Tisch.

Check out the conference if you’re interested. Maybe I’ll see you there. ;)

http://www.writersstore.com/screenwriters-world-conference

Also, to add to the excitement of finally moving into the script-pitching stage of things, I learned about Specbank today. If TV commercial scripts are your thing, this is a completely free website for writers to upload their scripts. The site is a resource for directors looking for scripts to shoot to help grow their reel. While they grow their reel, you can grow your writing resume.

www.specbank.com

Final update of the day, I’m holding my auditions for my short film at the DFA tomorrow. I have 16 actors and actresses scheduled from 2 to 7. Sure to be an exhausting but amazing day!

And one more note to actors....

Now that I've just finished going through all my applications (finally coming in at about 300) I have one more note to add - put your resumes into the body of the email if possible! Opening attachments sucks up time and some attachments don't always open. (For example, I have an older version of word, so a .doc opens, but the newer .docx does not. Since I don't have time to email all the .docxs senders and ask them to resend as a doc or pdf, they just get cut out of the running by default.)

Out of about 300 applications, I wound up with 42 in my "Group A," best of the best file.... Now to trim that number down to somewhere between 10-20.

A Note to Actors!

Not being an actor myself, the rumors about how difficult it is have always been just that: rumors. Now having posted an actual casting call, both to craigslist and on the professional industry site Mandy.com, I see just what it is actors are up against.

I posted my casting call about a week ago. I have received approximately 250 interested applicants. That’s 250 people vying for 2 roles – in an unpaid student film! And many of them have incredibly impressive experience.

I’ve begun the arduous task of sorting through all these hopefuls, and figured that I should share some of what I’m figuring out about what makes an actor’s request for an audition great. This is not just for those of you looking to cast your own projects in the future, but also for the benefit of all you actors out there, so that you may better “apply” yourselves, so to speak.

1. This is obvious, but reply to the actual casting call that was posted. I don’t just mean hit reply and apply for the job – but actually reply to what you see in the post. I’m looking for dramatic actors in their 20s who are non-union, and am surprised to have received several applications from dancers (who only write about their dancing experience), folks way beyond their 20s, and stand-up comedians. Also, actors who are in unions. It’s a pain in the butt for me, and a waste of their time to apply. The moral: only apply for what actually fits you.
2. Along those same lines, I’m more drawn to people who have submitted a photo or reel that show the same emotion I’m looking for in my character. For instance, my female character, Jenna, is pretty but insecure, longing for approval. I was more likely to move applicants with somewhat shy expressions on their headshots into my “Audition” file. The moral: as actors, it’s a good idea to have a few headshots, showing different emotions, available, so you can submit the best one for the job at hand. I gave character descriptions on my post.
3. Reels! I loved anyone who sent a reel since I could just watch and get a sense of whether or not they’d work in my project without even really needing to look at anything else. It’s way harder to judge someone from a headshot and resume. The moral: put together a reel!
4. Resumes. Just to give you an idea how I read these: first, I quickly scan to see if you’ve acted for any company that is “known.” Unpaid student film notwithstanding, I still got actors who had worked for NBC, CBS, Discover Channel, and more. If there was nothing like that, then I looked to see if they at least worked for real companies, as opposed to only working in high school plays. The company didn’t need to be famous – I’m sure a lot of these ‘production companies’ are little film school operations, like me – but it still looks better than school plays (unless it’s a famous acting school or you’re earning an advanced acting degree). Finally, what roles were they given? I searched for plays I was familiar with to judge what they’d done. The moral: highlight any impressive companies you worked for. If you can, leave the high school plays off, since they’re not impressive. (Listing good acting schools is ok.) If worse comes to worse and you don’t have any experience with legit companies, put together a reel so we can see you’re not a flake.
5. Write me something! I don’t want anything huge, because it would be a pain to read it all – but a few lines, at least, preferably about why my project interests you. I was waaaaay less likely to be interested in anyone who emailed me a resume and headshot alone, leaving the body of the email blank. The moral: write a personal message pertaining to the project.

There are my thoughts on applying for acting jobs, although I might come up with more as I continue this process. I’m back to sorting through my many applicants (and in the time it took to write this post, I got 5 more.) Hopefully by next week, I’ll be ready to call in my top picks – I’m aiming to pick just 20 to audition out of 250 and counting.

Happy auditioning!

My Backup Plan and My Casting Post

Now that I’ve raved about the DFA, I do have one other admission… part of why I’ve been so busy this past month is that I am also applying for Ph.D programs in Literature, and Film. Before the horror sinks in that, despite my blog, I’m considering going back to school, I’ll explain my reasoning…

First of all, and in keeping with the No MFA philosophy, I decided a long time ago never to pay another dime for a degree. The vast majority of Ph.D. programs are fully funded, and I’m not applying to any programs that wouldn’t give me a free ride if accepted. Furthermore, I'm not applying to any Ph.D. programs that don't in some way tie into my goals. All the programs I've looked at, while they focus primarily on literature and writing, also give the option of a concentration in film/drama.

Second, my reasons for wanting a Ph.D., even though I’m trying to make it with my writing. Writing is still my dream and my goal, and I’m incredibly lucky in that I have this next half year or so to focus just on my writing and my dreams. But, as you all know, it’s a risky business. I’m going to be giving it my all and, hopefully, through the DFA, may even get freelance film work that could sustain me for however long I choose to go that route. However, if September rolls around and I still haven’t seen a lot of progress, I’d like to create other options for myself which could still give me a lifestyle that would allow me to pursue writing, while also offering more stability. My publishing job made it impossible to pursue anything else. A professor job, however, would make it fully possible to spend at least summers writing. You know the old saying, shoot for the moon because even if you miss you land among the stars? I’m shooting for a screenwriting career, but if I miss, I want a backup plan that, unlike my disastrous turn in publishing, gives me close proximity to the things I love and the flexibility to never stop pursuing the dream. For creative careers especially, I think it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Now that you're all up-to-date on that, I want you to know that, as of this morning, I have put out my casting call for my short DFA film. I posted both on mandy.com, a good for-free site for all you student directors/producers out there, and also craigslist, even though the results from there are sometimes hit or miss. The Mandy post will be visible once approved, but in the meantime, here's the craigslist ad:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/tlg/2770783294.html

Feel free to send any amazing actors you know my way. :)

Living and Loving the DFA

You’d think that since leaving my job, I’d have more time to be posting, wouldn’t you? Well, my classes at the DFA are only part of why I’ve been pretty short on time… the other part of the equation I’ll get to in a future post.

First, the DFA. Classes started on November 21^st and typically take up 9-12 hours per week. What can I say about this program except that I absolutely love it? The school is unlike any other I’ve experienced.

For starters, I’m one in a class of 4, which means a lot of participation and hands-on learning. We learn literally all aspects of the film business, rotating between screenwriting, producing, directing, camera equipment, and lighting. Also, we’ll soon be getting to sound and editing. The professors are absolutely packed with knowledge and load us up with industry tips and advice. What’s also a huge, huge bonus - my other classmates.

Everyone in the class is serious about learning all there is to know about filmmaking. Another student, like me, started out as a writer, and has a feature script he’s determined to shoot this summer. Being a small group, we’ve really bonded, and all plan to partner together on one project after the next. Soon, we’ll be into our ‘finals’ – and each one of us will need to complete a short film with our class as our crew. I think that, already, we all trust each other to help us all achieve great results.

Another great thing about the DFA is that, once enrolled, you have a year-long membership to use all their equipment, and they try to hook you up with freelance jobs you can complete on their premises. This is just icing on the cake.

One last note, to any of you considering taking courses like these, another student in the class had taken a similar program at the New York Film Academy, and warned that their classes are so stuffed with students that he didn't always even get into classes (which, even with being enrolled, might fill up before you get there.) It's also more money than the DFA. I strongly recommend the DFA!

Right now, I’m finalizing my script for my short film project and will be putting out a casting call within the next few days… can’t wait to keep you posted!