If you made a film in the past, this has probably happened to you. All excited about your upcoming adventure, you announce to your social media followers that you’re starting pre-production on your new project. Like moths to a flame, you’re suddenly inundated with messages from friends and family begging to be included in your film. “I did two years of drama club in high school.” “I took a radio class in college as a free elective.” “I stood in the background of a news segment for three minutes.” And the eyeball roll inducing, “IT’S ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO BE A IN A MOVIE!” I get it. It’s hard to tell your family and friends that you’re not interested in their participation, especially when they’re people whom you care about more than likes and memes on Facebook. However, you must keep in mind that you’re more than a film-maker, more than a director, you’re an artist. A visual creator. And saying no when your masterpiece is in its infantile stages is how you’re going to paint something beautiful.
You dreamed a story in your head, and now it’s time to bring it to life. What’s great about working in independent film is you don’t have Hollywood executives digging into your brain and axing pieces of your script. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and if your final product fails to reach a distributor who understands its quality, than you can self-release it through various platforms online. You’re your own executive, and that means it’s all on you to make the hard decisions. One of the first difficult decisions you’re going to make is whether or not you include people in your cast/crew who have no business taking up space in your production. Will you allow your friendship with others to dictate how your final product comes across after numerous production errors and retakes? The answer should always be “No.” You will kick yourself for it later if you allow personal friendships to clutter your film set.
I’ve seen it happen before. A film-maker will write in a character (or characters) just so their roommate from college/neighbor’s kid/girlfriend’s sister can have their face pop up on screen. Is it necessary? Does it add any depth to your story? Are they capable of showcasing star quality that spruces up the overall cast? The answer is almost always “No.” So, why allow them to take up a spot that could have been given to a much more accomplished actor or crew member? There are dozens of qualified men and women in your area who will work for free and have the knowledge and talent to stand with you on set. You only need to have the courage to say no to your friends and go find the strangers who will bump up your film from a C to an A. Don’t be lazy here. It’s easy to fill your cast/crew line-up after a simple Facebook post. It’s harder to crowd search, research, find references, audition and watch reels. However, this hard work will pay for itself later down the line.
This doesn’t mean, though, that you should turn down a colleague or relative who is truly talented. If your brother in law has edited several short films, they look good and he’s fairly priced, there’s no problem in bringing him on board. If your co-worker has won awards for her acting performances and she pulls off a great audition, then give her the role. But, whether it’s cast or crew, they need to fit the part. Don’t give someone a pity opportunity if they’re not exactly what you’re looking for or close to it. The first three aspects of film people look at are – 1. Is the story good? 2. Is the picture quality average or above? 3. Are the actors eliciting any emotions from the audience? If the addition of your friend or family member doesn’t add a positive check mark to any of those three aspects, politely decline their offer to work on your movie. Give them the old “Maybe the next one!” excuse.
