From December 2000...
*****
When Your Friends Stink as Actors
by Pete Bauer
This is a problem we've all faced. You have a great idea for a project. The story is unique and cool and everything, but the only people you can get in your movie for free are your friends. They have many tremendous talents, however, acting isn't one of them. What can you do? Well, here's a couple of suggestions:
1) Do It Anyway - The premise here is you don't give a crap that your friends can't act and you go with what you got. This often happens because, in the real world, sometimes we don't have a choice. It's either use your friends or don't make the film. So, you make the film and pray for the best. The plus side is that you're shooting the flick. The down side is that you'll either have a crappy short, you'll delete most of the dialogue before shooting, or you'll have to do your best to save it in editing. This is the best approach if you're looking at your project as an experiment in film making (writing, directing, style, etc.).
2) Rehearse Until You Puke - Rehearsal, for the most part, is a good thing. Every shoot ends up rehearsing in some fashion, even if it's right before you start recording. But, if you can afford it, setting aside some time specifically for rehearsal can help. For people with semi-talent, this is a good way for them to hone their skills. However, this takes time, which, like money, is usually in short supply. Plus, some people are better NOT rehearsing, because the more they rehearse the more they sound... well, rehearsed... and less believable, less spontaneous. And if you're using real actors (see below), you should hold at least one read-through (where everyone sits around the table and reads the script out loud) and one rehearsal (where you walk them through what's gonna happen and how you're going to stage it). You have to know your actors and their limitations before determining how deep your rehearsals should go.
3) Make an Action Flick - This works because most of the film is action anyway, so you don't have to suffer from your friends trying to act. Because the real problem with non-actors acting isn't their face, but their voice. It's how they sound that makes you buy it or not. Even the slightest hint of "Look, I've memorized this line and I sound like I memorized it instead of just thought of it" pulls the audience right out of the film and makes them wince uncontrollably. So, action films work because your friends just have to run, jump, shoot, blow-up, etc.
Also, try to keep what I call "Arnold Lines" out of your films. These are stupid little lines Arnold S. says that replaces supposed wit with stupidity. Example: Arnold sets a guy on fire with his ass. Arnold Line - "He looks a little hot under the collar." Roger Moore did a lot of these during his stint as James Bond and the series hasn't recovered yet. Only Arnold can pull it off... sometimes. More than likely your friends won't be able to pull it off either.
And it doesn't have to be an action flick. It can be any flick, actually, as long as you structure it with minimal dialogue. Visuals are always better in movies anyway. Which goes to the next option...
4) Mute It - This is my favorite option. Don't have any dialogue at all. This was almost mandatory when shooting in Super 8 and it shouldn't change much if you're shooting in Hi-8 or Digital 8. Granted, it depends on what you're trying to accomplish, but film is supposed to be a visual medium anyway. You can tell ANY story visually. But, it's a lot harder. It's easier to have the girl say, "I love you." It's much harder to show it visually without being corny. But, that's the reason to take out as much dialogue as possible. It forces you to think visually. Plus, you can yell at your friends while you're shooting, telling them what they're thinking at the time. That way they look like they just thought of it because you just mentioned it to them... you walk them through their thoughts so they don't have to. We did this exclusively on JUSTICE. It made shooting a lot quicker because I didn't have to worry about sound interrupting the scene (car horn, airplane, drive-by shooting, etc.). Just act like you're going to have to shoot your movie in a library and then figure out how to tell the story the way you wanted.
5) Echo It - This is something you should only do if you have no other choice. And, you really have to shoot your project correctly in order for this to work. But, you say all the lines for your actors before they say it. In the acting world, this is called giving a Line Reading and real actors hate it. For example, your actor keeps saying the line "But what about how I feel?" and you want them to say "But what about how I feel?", stressing the action instead of the pronoun (which is ALWAYS a stronger choice). So, what you do is set up the shot, have them look at the other actor, then you say the line as YOU want it to be said and have the actor echo it back to you, saying it over and over again until they get it right. This is much more time consuming, but you can get a vastly stronger performance out of novices if they, and you, have the patience for the process.
6) Go Pro and Pro Bono - This last option is the most obvious. Get real actors. As long as their not affliated with SAG, you'd be surprised how little you have to pay a real actor to act. Many times, you can get them for free. Real actors love to act. Just like any other skilled professional, they'd rather be working on their craft than sitting around doing nothing. So, ask real actors. The easiest way to "audition" local actors is to see their work. If you want to get real actors for little to no money, you have to support their profession, or appear to support their profession. So, go out and see some local plays. Those actors with talent, make sure you stop backstage after the show to tell them how you liked their performance. This is common practice and actors love positive feedback... that's part of why they do the job. Introduce yourself as a director who's throwing together a project. If they show interest (which MOST actors will), tell them about it, tell them the story line, see how they react. But, the most important thing is to tell the truth. If they ask how much it pays, tell them "nothing", but you'll feed them, give them a copy of the finished product and they'll have something that will stand out on their resume.
7) You can also hold auditions. This costs you nothing but an afternoon. When you publicize your audition make sure you state that you're NOT going to pay them anything, but they'll get a copy of the finished product. Actors currently not acting usually have flexible jobs, in case a gig comes up (that's why so many of them are waiters or temps). Working actors usually work everyday but Monday, so, if you can, schedule the audition from Monday afternoon through the evening. Actors are not morning people, so never schedule it in the morning. The worst that can happen is no one shows up to audition. More than likely, however, someone will. And they may be perfect.
As Jason Santo mentioned in one of his articles, in the real world image is everything, so be professional and act professional. Don't hold the auditions in your house, but find a location that looks like you have something to offer. Most auditions happen in empty theater stages or offices, so get access to an office or even use a warehouse or garage. Anything is better than auditioning in someone's living room while you're little brother plays Play Station in the background.
And, remember, whatever promises you make to actors, deliver on them. The acting community is a close knit group. You don't want your name or company given a bad rep or you'll never get any good actors. However, if the experience is positive and they enjoy the process, they'll be back and they'll bring their real actor friends with them.
We all have friends. Unfortunately, we all don't have real actors as friends. So do the best you can. Set yourself up to succeed by recognizing the limitations of your resources (time, money, talent) and utilize them correctly. Remember, it's not about settling for less, but making something out of nothing.
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