I’m a member of various online groups where local filmmakers post urgent, last-minute crew vacancies or casting calls. In the more casual groups, it\u2019s not uncommon to see a post from a filmmaker or film student urgently looking for a camera operator with their own kit, or for an actor to fill an uncast role . . . and, at the bottom of the listing, to find unpaid but travel and food included.<\/em><\/p>\n These posts often get angry emotes, and honestly, my reaction is instinctively negative, too. But why? I\u2019ve been in this position many times. And even when working on my own passion projects, I often pay my friends \u2014 who are actors \u2014 with a set “thank you” fee because, without financial backing, that\u2019s all I can give.<\/p>\n Filmmaking isn’t cheap. Let\u2019s assume you\u2019re a lone wolf and will initially be acquiring all of the gear yourself. That means the camera, the lenses, audio, lighting, and perhaps a hardware upgrade on your desktop computer \u2014 and the required peripherals. Even when purchasing low-grade, used equipment, it\u2019s still likely to cost $5,000. In short, it’s quite an investment. (Alternatively, you may have access to this equipment from your school or university, but you still lack the finances to hire professional actors.)<\/p>\n A popular route for first-time filmmakers is to use friends and family as actors. However, it won\u2019t be long before your viewing audience realizes that the actors on screen aren\u2019t actors at all, and a bad performance is the quickest way to disengage your audience. This skit from SNL is reminiscent of how my films \u2014 at age 17 \u2014 must have appeared.<\/p>\n
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