OT: Hiring an actor to do promo work for reels?

craftech wrote on 3/12/2009, 10:48 AM
I have an actor who is looking to work for me.

She comes in contact with lots of Broadway actors, but mostly struggling actors who are now competing with experienced actors taht are getting the work they used to get in the many small regional theaters because of all the Broadway shows that have closed. The regional theaters are getting picky about who they hire now. Many won't hire anyone without a Broadway credit.

With so many actors out of work and looking to promote themselves she told me that she wants to work for me doing promo and arrangements for actors to have reels done.

Then she asked me what I specifically wanted her to do?

I told her I would get back to her. That's why I am posting this.

Do any of you have ideas besides giving her cards or fliers to hand out to her friends?

Thanks,

John

Comments

kkolbo wrote on 3/12/2009, 2:18 PM

The first step is to do a reel/promo for her as a sample. In exchange she grants you the rights to use the work for your promotional purposes. Then have her distribute samples of it and send people to your website with the sample on it. I have been down this road before. Unfortunately, struggling actors are generally broke and not able to pay enough to make it worth your while. You would be better off having her do a wedding promo and selling weddings as much as I hate doing them.
Serena wrote on 3/12/2009, 4:58 PM
The obvious thing is to use all that talent to make short films. You do something satisfying and everyone gets showreels. The disadvantage for you, as for the talent, is there is no direct income for the time expended. If you're not into directing, there may be a budding director in your pool. You could end up with a no-budget feature that makes a profit. Great things have started this way.
craftech wrote on 3/12/2009, 5:23 PM
The first step is to do a reel/promo for her as a sample. In exchange she grants you the rights to use the work for your promotional purposes.

This was done. In fact she has the reel on her own website in addition to VHS and DVDs of it.

Unfortunately, struggling actors are generally broke and not able to pay enough to make it worth your while. You would be better off having her do a wedding promo and selling weddings as much as I hate doing them.

Yikes!
Weddings? I would rather work at McDonalds. God Bless the stout hearted who do weddings.

The actors seem to find the money for acting and dance classes in addition to private instruction particularly the Equity and SAG actors. So I think they will go for it particularly since I am looking to charge them a "reasonable" amount (when I find out what a reasonable amount is. I really like actors.

Thanks for the suggestions Keith. I really appreciate them. The extra samples will be first on my list of things to give her.

Do you think "word of mouth" is the way to go?

John

craftech wrote on 3/12/2009, 5:30 PM
The obvious thing is to use all that talent to make short films. You do something satisfying and everyone gets showreels. The disadvantage for you, as for the talent, is there is no direct income for the time expended. If you're not into directing, there may be a budding director in your pool. You could end up with a no-budget feature that makes a profit. Great things have started this way.

Thanks for the suggestion Serena.

It sounds like a big undertaking although I must admit it sounds like fun.

I do know that the norm for such things is to advertise for actors in publications with casting notices such as Backstage and that the typical casting notice includes:

"No pay. Copy plus food for the day" or something similar.

This actor that wants to work for me wouldn't be interested in that. She wants a steady job and I am ready to hire her if she can drum up actors looking for Reels or Performance Videos or Demos.

John
JackW wrote on 3/12/2009, 11:22 PM
John, my suggestion is to hire her on a contingency basis: X number of dollars for each job she brings in. I've been burned too many times by people who take a salary for marketing and then produce very little results to do it any other way myself.

Marketing is a skill. Having worked in the professional theatre for many years I can tell you that very few actors I've ever worked with, however good their intentions, possess that skill. That's one reason professional actors hire agents -- to market them.

Your actress may well be able to bring in a few jobs from among her acquaintances; whether or not that's sufficient to pay her a steady salary remains to be seen.

Jack
craftech wrote on 3/13/2009, 5:51 AM
Your actress may well be able to bring in a few jobs from among her acquaintances; whether or not that's sufficient to pay her a steady salary remains to be seen.

Thanks for that advice Jack. I'll tell her that it will be by commission only.

John