Donna in Hollywoodland

Rules for Being in Indie Productions

I learned some valuable lessons about acting in independent productions this week. And I mean, the really independent ones, the kind that don't pay but you act in for "meals, credit and copy".

The lessons I learned:
1. Don't agree to be in a production unless you have been properly interviewed or auditioned in person.
2. Be careful if no one is giving you telephone contact numbers. A legit production is going to want you to be able to contact them if you have questions or if there is a problem. Email is not good enough, because they can just delete it without responding.
3. If you get emails that the Casting Director was fired, or of some other turmoil that really isn't about you as the actor - figure this is really going to be
a bumpy road, and there are some serious issues going on. Even if someone else got fired, there really isn't a need to involve the actors in it.
4. Always be respectful of people and their time. If you aren't going to use them after all, tell them. Don't let them think they are being held to a commitment while you are making other plans. Treat them how you would want to be treated. Who knows, maybe sometime in the future I might cross paths with these people again, and they will be the ones who are embarrassed.

I had decided to do more of these indie things, because I haven't been getting alot of the "paying" gigs, and what I really want to do is film or television, not stage.
So I figured doing some more freebies just might be the way to go. But I forgot about how unprofessional and disorganized some of these teensy weensy production
companies can be.

Over one month ago, a Casting Director had emailed me right from my picture and resume on LA Casting . She wanted to cast me in a role for a rock video. She said since there were no lines, she didn't need to audition me, or even meet me. Well, right away that should have been a huge red flag. I mean, even if there are no lines they should still want to meet with you. I happen to look like my 8x10 headshot - but many actors don't.
But I still agreed to do it, because I was just antsy to get back in front of the camera - even though this was a glaring red alert about how unprofessional this was
going to be.

Over the next few weeks, I got a few emails about my sizes for the wardrobe people. I responded, but I also emailed them about the actual dates of filming. I didn't want to take a day off from work for something I wasn't getting paid for. When the wardrobe person emailed me again, I sent them another question about my filming dates and let them know this was my third time asking the question. The wardrobe person emailed my back and said yes, I would only be needed on Sunday 3/13.

A few more weeks went by, and I was starting to wonder. Finally I got a few email from the director giving me ideas for the character he wanted me to play and the background for my scene. Then in one email he sent us his biography, and said since he didn't have time to meet the actors before the shoot to please send him our information. I really thought this was strange, but ignored the red flags and responded with links to my website and my LA Casting page.

Still no major information, and I was starting to get alittle worried.
Less than a week before the filming, I get an email from the director. They fired the Casting Director. She was doing a terrible job, they had problems with her, she was incompetent. Oh, dear... this is really weird, I thought. He assured the actors that an Assistant Director would be contacting us with our call times. Then he gave us the phone number of the Wardrobe person, so we could go over what we needed to bring to wear. To wear ? Why did they ask for our measurements and sizes to begin with ? They had lead me to believe that they were providing the wardrobe, thats why they wanted our measurements.

Well, at least now I had somebody's phone number. Usually a contact phone number is the first thing they will give you because they want you to be able to get a hold of
them in case something comes up. In everything else I have done, I've always had the Director's or Producer's Phone number. Oh, well, at least now I had the Wardrobe Lady's.

So I called the Wardrobe lady and she said she wanted me in a suit for the filming. I said all I has was a black suit, she said fine.

Two more emails from the Director. One with a list of the days we need to be available to shoot. On it he said an Assistant Director would be contacting us with
the exact call-times and locations. Now, its only a few days until filming, and I have been "cast" for a month in this, and I'm getting worried. All of my worries were
valid when I noticed they were expecting me to film on Sunday and Monday. I quickly emailed the Director back and also sent him a copy of the email from 3 weeks ago saying that I was only available on weekends, and the response had been that was fine.

Now, another email from The Director. They "forgot" that they needed us to film the following week as well. And this time they wanted us to lay in a tub of water for
an artsy effect. In same clothes we wore on the first day of filming. Okay, now I was getting ticked off. Get my business suit wet, and you aren't even paying me ? Not to
mention they were requiring an extra day which I never agreed to. I got the impression that they "forgot" to tell us about this day of laying in water because they didn't think anyone would want to do it and they were trying to sneak it up on us. I for one thought the water thing sounded kind of fun - if I had known about it, and didn't feel like I was tricked into doing it.
At this point, I decided to be alittle more difficult. I emailed the director back, and said on this extra day of filming, I was not available until after 1pm, which was true, and I wasn't going to change my plans for them. I said I would film the shot anytime after 1pm. And that I had a question about the costume if I was going to be laying in water all day.
Well, since the only phone call I had was the Wardrobe Lady's, I called her back. She said she understood if I did not want to lay in the water in my business suit and would work out
something else.

Just a couple days before the shoot, and still no call from the Assistant Director. And no one has given me any contact phone numbers except for the Wardrobe Lady's. I call her again.
She assures me the Assistant Director will call me. And said that she talked to the Director, and they would go with a "Suburban Mom" look for me. I agreed that would be easy, and could come up with some polyester material things to wear which would be fine on the day I had to lay in water. This time she said, no Black.
I ended my conversation with her trying to verify my filming location, trying to get a commitment on the area of the city it was in. I was like, "We are filming in the Los Angeles area, correct?" (The way it was going, I was not driving a long distance for this thing.) She swore we were....

No phone calls, no phone calls, no call sheet, no location times, no location.
Saturday morning at 10 am, I call this poor Wardrobe Lady again. I was starting to feel sorry for her because she got stuck with the sucky job. I leave a polite message, "It Saturday at 10 am, and I still have not received a phone call from the Assistant Director with my location and time for tomorrow. I'm getting the feeling maybe since I couldn't film on a Monday, that you looked for another actress. If thats whats happening, thats cool. But I would appreciate just knowing if you are going to need me tomorrow, so I can plan my day". I sent the Director an email with the same message. I knew from one of the emails they sent to me that they were filming on Saturday, but I figured maybe I would get a call on their lunch-break.

No one responded. Not with an email. Not with a voice mail. (I checked my emails a bunch of times while I was out seeing The Pacifier.) I never heard from them again. I was never "fired" straight to my face. Well, heck, they didn't hire me face to face - so what can I expect.
I am sure part of it is that probably the Wardrobe Lady and the Assistant Director, aren't getting paid either. And no one wanted to take the responsibility for hurting the actresses feelings. Especially if the Director wouldn't do it, and he's the one in charge.
But just an email saying "We won't be needing you for this after all" would have been polite. For all I know, something happened and they weren't even going
to be filming. But if this is the way they are, it is a good thing that I didn't waste my time filming with them.

To think, its usually the Actors who flake out and don't show up. And here I am trying to hunt these people down on Saturday morning to get my location and call time for Sunday.

Well.. all in all, after getting over my feelings of rejection and anger ... my Sunday ended up being absolutely Wonderful. I am glad I wasn't filming. I will post more about that later because it turned into a Wonderful and Exciting Day.

posted by Donna Grayson # 12:49 AM

Donna in Hollywoodland

Thursday, March 17, 2005

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