i have seen a great many short films on this site by student filmmakers.

students that i hope would want to rise out of making shorts to making features or commercials, am i right?

but the majority of the films here do not show that potential because some have not taken seriously the need for real actors, older actors, more experienced actors, or even professional actors. there are some of you out there who still use your friends, and cast your films with actors that are too young.

i will tell you, this will hurt you if you ever present your film to anyone who really wants to invest money in you, or someone who you want to take you seriously, and the problem is that most student films I see, the myth is true: the principal actors are usually your friends.

you want to give your production a boost in value? hire real actors that fit the age of the characters. there are ways of using even SAG actors for as little as $50, just as long it is a student project, and not for commercial use.

Make an effort to hire professionals, who will see your vision come to life and will add authenticity to the film you are making.

Just a bit of advice on my part.

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Alejandro Lalinde
grey.street.films

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."
-Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)

Kubrick77 wrote, "Make an effort to hire professionals, who will see your vision come to life and will add authenticity to the film you are making."

This is absolutely true, and it applies to every aspect of film making, including the music. Using other soundtracks will only get you so far. Hire a composer. It's part of stepping up to the next level.

If you're content just making films for fun, then good for you. Use whomever you want for actors and music and such. But, if you plan on making a career of filmmaking, start using professionals for the things you don't know how to (or can't) do.

Jeremy

- www.jeremydelamarter.com -

brilliant music for brilliant films

I hear you kubrick. I would love to have pro actors in my films, and 50 bucks is a great deal, but sometimes we don't have any money to work with in the first place. So to save money we are forced to work with only our friends. A real sacrifice.

find those actors out in your community. there are actors, usually ones who beg for film work in all towns in america, they want to work.

i have never hired an actor for money (except for Tim Halpin on War Letter, he was SAG, and had to pay $50 for workers comp as part of the SAG agreement), but all i have ever offered my actors is credit, meals, and a copy of film, usually on DVD or VHS.

They are out there. One only has to look.

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Alejandro Lalinde
grey.street.films

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."
-Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)

Focus on good direction and good story telling first... then the actors - but DON'T FORGET the actors. Anyone can act... (Ben Affleck) it just takes a good director/acting coach to get it out of you.

But I do agree, we students need to get "realistic" looking actors or change our scripts.

A 15-year-old detective is so unbelievable that the audience goes in with the attitude that "this is fake and gonna suck"... so to speak.

- C. Davis
YELLOW HAMMER PRODUCTIONS

just write storys that involve younger charicters in the first place......if you make enough movies and your a good enough director your friends will become good actors.....find what they are naturally good at.........etc

Kubrick, i couldn't agree with you more. What a true statement.

Does anyone know any sites where i can advertise for actors? I have a producer that is willing to pay the leads $15/hour but i dont know where i can advertis. The other thing is that we are filming in maryland, so we dont really want to advertis for actors in l.a.....cause...well...thats a long plane trip...haha

I tried www.actorscenter.org but they didnt allow me to post an ad because it was for a studentfilm...i dont see why they shud care...we're paying the actors!! Any suggestions would be helpfull, Thanks

-Gaelan Connell
Optimal Entertainment/Blue Martini Films

Optimal:

Try contacting your local film commision (just search for "maryland film commission") and ask them for suggestions on where to find actors. If nothing else they can give you info for contacting the local SAG office which im sure wouldnt mind working out a deal. Best of luck.
R. Michael

"Luck, is when opportunity, meets preperation." "There are 3 sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth, and none of us are lying" -Robert Evans
Tizzy Entertainment "Redemption" Hi-Def trailer

Students of film are at different levels of development and although Kubrick is absolutly right in his statement let's not forget about where we all started.

I personally feel that a persons first few films should absolutly involve freinds and family so the director can realize sooner than later that WORKING WITH FREINDS AND FAMILY IS A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS! It's hard to get them to make time for ya nevermind take you seriously often times they just sort of humor you.

But with that said using family is a great way to break yourself into dealing with personalities on the set, not to mention the fine art of scheduling and time management without losing money on the learning process.

Speaking for myself I definatly think I'm ready to start using professional actors but I look back on the 4 shorts I have done with freinds and family and I think I learned alot without losing any substantial money plus it was always a good time.

yo optimal... were in maryland are you filming?

i live in md, but im no actor

I agree, but I disagree.

Right now at my age I'm not making AWESOME films that I'd show to professionals. I'm making movies for fun cause I like it. And an easy way to have fun is to work with your friends. I would like to work with REAL actors but not now. How can I be taken seriously in the first place when I don't even have a microphone or lighting kit? Guess what, most films on this site were made like that, no budget or anything. I'd plan on using "REAL" actors someday, maybe when I'm older and in college years, but now, in Highschool, I don't see a point. I use my friends in my movies not just cause they're all I have, it's because they're my friends and we enjoy doing it. I'm not TRYING to impress anyone with my work right now. I'll do that when I'm older and can be taken more seriously rather than just a kid and his video camera.

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TacoWagonProductions
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The real trick is to be friends with all the good actors in your school. Then they'll work for you just for the hell of it and you'll have real actors too. Ah, the beauty of symbiosis.

Aren't any of you actors at all? The best way to find other actors is to be an actor.

Typing "actor" so many times in a row made me realize what a silly word it is.

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| To be is to do - Socrates |
| To do is to be - Jean-Paul Sartre |
| Do be do be do - Frank Sinatra |
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Thanks tizz,

i think the commision can help me out alot...

and for who ever asked...im from around silver spring, MD

also, the reason i think im ready for real actors is cause i just upgraded to the sony vx-2000, which is amazing...over the years ive collect some nice film equipment (jib arm, shotgun mic, fancy tripod) ive just finish a feature-lenght script, and this dude wants to produce the movie. So i figure, i got the stuff, i got the money, i got the script...but this is my chance and i dont wanna blow it on acting. Anyways im super excited about this project (titled "EXIST", and has to do alot with existentialism) and ill be sure to keep u dudes posted.

Probably rambled on more than i wanted too. O well

-Gaelan Connell
Optimal Entertainment/Blue Martini Films

i find it hard to even get my friends to commit. they dont take it as seriously as i do. and as for professional actors, let me tell ya something, when you live in atown witht the population of about 7,000 good luck finding them.

I do know alot of good actors as I started wanting to be one, but then broke into making films when I got turned down alot. I still consider myself good, but I've got some nice hookups with some of the best 16 year old actors. In my previous films, which were all comedies, where I made fun of my friends(one at a time) with others, we didn't care much. Just having fun, but once I got really interested, I immediately built up the stuff I needed to become good. I still have the same actors, and one of them(the best) thinks he can play most anything, as it is called acting. In plays, 15 year olds play 55 year olds all the time, it's wierd but sometimes convincing to a point. Now I have that kid playing as a clown in my movie. Is he convincing? Can a clown be 16? Can he fight against an adult and the audience still be convinced? I would'n make all the adult parts for teens, but we'll have to see after his performance!

Kyle, that made little sense to me? you don't want actors because you don't have a mic and a lighting kit? Trust me that actors are artist too, and are very seldom overly critical of other artists. And you don't care about making films that impress people? Why not?

I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but I have never seen a 15 year old believably play a 55 year old. I understand that highschools will cast 13-17 year olds for up to three generations of charachters. But c'mon, if they had a 55 year old student actor, s/he would get all the older parts automatically--even if s/he was a poor actor.

Go to local community thearers and colleges. You'll find a huge range of actors that will work for nil. Go to your local "john robert powers" pseudo modeling agency (ya know, the kind that charges for headshots and modeling lessons). They will have a whole binder of actor's headshots just looking for exposure and will work for free.

Yeah, thats right. I don't want to use "real" actors because I don't want my films now to be taken too seriously. I think the people I use now are JUST fine. PLus I find it more enjoyable to use my friends. IT's easier to talk to them than people I just meet. I hate meeting people. I hate people. I plan on using "real" actors someday, but I don't think what I can do now is worth using "real" actors. I'm simply experimenting around. When I have better equipment and money I'll use these "real" actors. But right now I'm not worried about good actors, I'm worried about having fun and making a good movie.

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TacoWagonProductions
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I agree. This is in fact studentfilms and not Independent Films correct? I wonder what percentage of the films on this site are actually student films to begin with.

About using real actors. Most STUDENTS don't have budgets for that.

Dangerous Minds make the most sense

That's why I try to write my stories focused on teenagerI do use my friends when I'm just fooling around though.

To all but one.
To one but all.
you know what's funny?
Watching Brent fall!