Day 226: No internship today. Stayed home with Jayden since he had a stomach bug and submitted on Actors Access and CAZT {Yep they have a submission site now. I'll write about it in a later post}.
Day 227: Rehearsed a few hours before class with my beautiful classmate Yvonne Truong. We've decided to do scene together for our reel- something in the vein of Law & Order/Criminal Minds/CSI, you get the picture. At some point in the next 2 weeks I have to write it. It'll only be a page so it shouldn't take too long.
Love your blog as always. Have questions for you. I'm paying a guy (director/writer) a million bucks to write and shoot a customized scene for me that I can use in a reel!! I always here you speak about writing and filming your own scenes. I write a lot and would love to do the same however, how do you I go about shooting the scene at a cheaper rate? Do I buy the camera myself, or seek someone Craigslist? What would you suggest? Thanks
The fact that you can write your own scene can definitely save you money. Instead of paying him to write one for you, why not just write your own, get the location and just pay him to shoot & edit. This is what I usually do and I split the cost with the other actor since I write scenes that showcase the both of us.
I would only go to Craigslist as a final option. The best thing to do is to put it out to your group of friends on twitter/facebook/email that you're looking for someone to shoot & edit your scene. Usually somebody knows somebody and you'll have a handful of referrals. If that doesn't pan out then I'd post on Mandy.com first followed by Craigslist as a last resort.
Let me know what you decide.
Thanks for getting back to Brandi. Well, I'm gonna shoot with the guys in NYC that cost a million bucks, only be because I've already put down a deposit! However, I actually headed to Craigslist right after I commented and found someone that seems very reputable at a great price. I have another actor that is going to shoot the scene with and I'm going to write it. I came up with he concept and location for the scene. Any other advice or tips? How long does a 1-2min scene usually take to shoot?
Well make the most of your shoot in NYC so that you get your money's worth!
As for shooting your own next time, it can take anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours to shoot a 1-2 min scene depending on how long it takes you to setup, whether or not you're using lighting, how simple/complicated the blocking is and how much coverage you want (i.e. close-ups on you & her/him, wide shot of you both, etc.). I'd block out 3 hours just to be safe. Other than that, just have fun and be very prepared so you don't waste each other's time. Oh and also, remember to wear makeup- the camera freaking catches it all!