An Open Letter to Student Filmmakers

Dear Film Students,

You are all so beautiful and eager. You can’t wait to get out of the classroom and start making your films. You’re excited to find actors to bring your vision to life. You can already picture the thunderous applause at your Academy Award qualification screening.

As an actor who has auditioned for and worked on many student films, I applaud your enthusiasm. You are the next generation of filmmakers and yes, many of you will go on to be Oscar nominees.

But right now, there are things my fellow actors and I experience over and over that need to be addressed. Because frankly, we know more about the business than most of you – especially if you were in junior high school when we started our acting careers.

So with all due respect, here are a few things you really need to hear --


1) Don’t make us drive out of town to audition.

Actors are juggling day jobs, auditions for paid roles, and our everyday lives. If you ask us to drive to Thousand Oaks or Long Beach for a student film audition, we probably won’t go. Especially with gas prices being so high right now.

Ensure the largest talent pool for your auditions by holding them in town. In Los Angeles, CAZT is free for producers and Space Station is affordable as well. You can also hold auditions via Skype or invite actors to put themselves on tape. Come to us and we’ll come to you.


2) Tell us where we’re going.

“Auditions will be held in Butler 22A” may mean something to you, but we’re not familiar with your campus. Send us directions, send us a campus map, tell us where we can park. Post signs along the way to help us find you.

And for goodness sake, put a sign on the door that says “Auditions Are Here!”


3) Be clear about what you want to see in the audition.

Don’t just send us the script. Tell us which pages you want to see so we can prepare in advance. That’s how it works in the big leagues. If you’ll be taking us through improv or movement exercises, let us know up front. We’re game for anything but we don’t like surprises. We just want to show you our best work.

Oh, and if the role is for a non-dialogue film, don’t give us five pages of dialogue from Sleepless in Seattle for the audition because you think it’s a similar character. You’ll just get a Meg Ryan impression that is unlikely to help you cast your role. Plus we think it’s weird. And monologues? Nooooo...


4) Respect the relationship between actor and student filmmaker.

My friend Christopher describes it as a symbiotic relationship. We need each other. I know you think your short film will be the next THX 1138, but you’re not doing us a favor by allowing us to be in your masterpiece. Understand and appreciate that we’re taking time and energy out of our lives to work on your project for free. Respect us and you’ll earn our respect.


And perhaps the most important thing student filmmakers need to learn about working with professional actors --


5) Say “thank you” as often as possible.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. We’re doing fight choreography and falling down stairs without stunt pay, crying on cue for twenty takes, and doing our best to hit every mark. It’s all in a day’s work for us. We’re happy to help you realize your vision. Pay us back by saying “thank you” and meaning it.


Thanks for listening. We’ll see you at the audition for your next film!

Sincerely,

Your Actors