Dedicated to Indie Producers Ralph Winter imdb/name/nm0003515/?ref_=sr_1 and I were chatting at some event. He expressed that he would like to be an Indie Producer. I said to Ralph, “Don’t give you your day job.” What does it take if one is an actor and indie producer? Everything, but let’s break this down, not to the minutia but a broad picture. The script comes first. It helps if one is also a writer. It helps also to be able to write structure and new dialogue if an actor becomes available. It’s necessary to keep the same story line intact or your film becomes scattered. I’m assuming that like me you’re Warner Brother’s primary competition but with no budget and no presumed distribution. Like me, your competition is a high school freshman with an HD camera and a laptop for editing one’s film. This is truly the level playing field. God help SAG/AFTRA because this is what is becoming apparent to more on a global playing field. A distributer may not ask if it was produced union or not but rather look at the story, quality and if he or she can sell it. Everything, having the script in hand you may first call your crew. You’re directing. Without a crew, nothing happens, unless you’re off camera for less complicated scenes and shooting. Your simple question will be if they are available on a specific date, usually with at least a week’s notice. You’ve already have done casting, chosen several, having emailed them a script to have enticed them. You have given them a role, now you call them one by one, meet with them to see if they are available on a specific date. Again with at least a week’s notice. Then you do the math, that is: Are crew and actors available for the specific date? Yes? Good. No? Go back to reading one’s own script and see what actors are available to shoot a different scene. Repeat process of calling/texting/emailing actors to see who is available. If you are a bit devious as I am you may substitute one actor for another, as you are a writer, n’est pas? (Is it not so?) This all presupposes that you have locations lined up. Ah! Indie producer – are any specific props necessary for the scene? Have you checked the camera? Are extra good batteries available for the mic? Have you charged the batteries for the camera? Will you be using lights for the scene? Let’s assume that you don’t have a production assistant because you really are an indie producer. You will be loading the car up with equipment, likely at a very early hour by yourself. Did you remember to fill up your car with gasoline, petrol, electricity? You’re not finished yet. Did you remember to have extra blank releases with you for the actors and any new crew? Now you go to the location, praying along the way that the actors get there safely on time, knowing their lines, shalom with crew and actors. Now it looks possibly like the easy part. You show up. Give the camera to the camera guy. Give the microphone to the boom guy. Say to the actors: “When you’re ready.” That’s the new buzz term that is credited to Clint Eastwood who doesn’t like drama or a circus atmosphere on the set, nor do you. You’re part probably looks very easy to everyone else. You just showed up and said to the actors: “When you’re ready.” Not yelling “Action!” As I told a young friend, Christina, I said, “I’m the director. I get to say, “Action. And I get to say “Cut.” That’s what I do, sort of. © John McCormick, 2013 7JEM
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 03:20:17 +0000
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