Producing : How to Make a Movie that Sells (Part 2) by Stacey Bradford Schaller

Last week, I posted some thoughts on making a movie that sells. If you missed it, check it out here: http://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing/How-to-Make-a-Movie-that-Sells So, now I've got a few minutes to continue the narrative. And, as I mentioned before, you can take what you find useful and leave the rest. No hard feelings. But maybe — just maybe — this series will help some aspiring producers get on the right track from the get-go. :) Before I launch into the next set of tips, I want to reiterate the importance of the Script. NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SCRIPT. Start with an awesome story and go from there. :) That said, here are a few more pointers on making a movie that sells. Cast the film astutely. I will be going against the grain here, to some degree, because many people will tell you the opposite -- and as they are experienced producers, their advice should not be dismissed lightly. So, here goes— Don’t cast Star talent. Cast an Ensemble. Producers and film buyers often stress that, unless you cast at least one recognizable star, you don’t have a serious movie. If you’re going to to theater, that’s probably a valid point. But stars don’t improve the movie just because they are stars. They simply bring a fan base to the table. They make the marketing a bit easier. But if your name talent does not bring “the right stuff” to your film, it will be a flop. An expensive one. Don’t get me wrong. It’s OK to cast stars. But the audience will resonate with a film because they buy the characters within the story. Stars or no stars, the screen chemistry must be there. Unless you are an experienced producer with recognizable credits and a studio/distribution deal in place, you are likely not going to get a name star. (There are exceptions, of course — like if you are the best friend of the best friend of Emma Watson.) But you CAN still make a movie — a real movie that people will love. Until the Titanic sunk, the highest grossing film at the Box Office was Star Wars. Today, the stars are recognized anywhere they go. Harrison Ford even became one of the hottest stars of all time. We forget, thought, that just a couple of the leads—Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi), James Earl Jones (Darth Vader) and Frank Oz (Yoda)—had significant name recognition prior to the film’s release. Yet, despite a long roster of “no-name” talent, the film quickly moved into our hearts and stayed (quirky transitions and all). Why? Because we fell in love with the characters. They fit together. Mark Hamill WAS Luke Skywalker. Harrison Ford HAD TO BE the cocky, independent Han Solo. Carrie Fischer DRIPPED royalty as Leia. We had never seen them in anything else. We had no preconceived notions. We did not recognize their quirks and mannerisms. They simply were who we believed they were. OK. So Star Wars was backed by Universal Pictures, had a couple stars and a $10MM budget. Doesn’t really make my point, does it? Alright. Let’s take a look at another film. Not rife with recognizable mugs, the film, Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising, quickly grew to be a solid genre hit. Set around a quirky quintet of RPG fans, Gamers drew in the film fans that lived and breathed gaming (particularly Dungeons & Dragons) and saw that the film was a new spin on a life they understood. The cast delivered excellent off-beat performances. When they portrayed their “real selves,” they were very believable and sympathetic. When they portrayed their “game characters,” they were quirky and comical to just the right degree. This no-name ensemble captured the imaginations of gamers globally — and built a cult base so large that they funded Gamers 3 to the tune of $300K through a Kickstarter campaign. Numbers aren’t published about the box office (not released to theaters) or sales, but with a fan response like this, I’m guessing the picture sold — a lot! Maybe that’s not enough to go on. ;) Let’s give El Mariachi a gander. Filmed (and I mean filmed) on a budget of just $7000, this fast action feature produced by Robert Rodriguez spun a yarn of a simple hero. And that yarn wove into a huge Hollywood success. Columbia Pictures dropped $1MM to pick up the film and doubled their money at the box office. El Mariachi not only featured no name talent—no one in the film had ever acted before! But aside from dandy writing (see above ;), Robert cast the roles with players who fit. They may not have been able to act, but they could be themselves. Put them together, and they made the movie enjoyable. The only one who got famous out of the deal was Rodriguez—and he put his Million to work in the work he loves. He launched a franchise you might have heard of — Spy Kids. Shortly after releasing El Mariachi and a couple other “real” films, Rodriguez was invited to join a panel of Hollywood insiders. When asked how he would cast a movie, he suggested that he’d kill off the name stars in the first five minutes, shoot the rest of the film with the no-name talent, cut the budget to below Two Million and keep the difference. ;) He probably hasn’t done that, but his comments go to show how little “stardom” brings to the table. So, how do you cast an ensemble? They’ve got to perform the project together. If you can get your star, audition the star. Make sure he/she fits the role. And have the courage to say “No.” It’s extremely difficult to turn away a star when you discover they are not right for the part, but the audience (and your pocket book) will thank you later. Once you have cast the star (ie. signed your deal and they’re locked in), audition all of the other roles “against” your lead. That means that Johnny Depp will need to read against Sally Suewater and Polly Podunkville. If there is no magic with Sally, Sally goes home. But make sure that Sally has the right magic with Dan Diddley as well. ;) If Dan has to play Sue’s dad, the audience must believe that he really could be her dad. That magic must be there, too. With your budget, however (given that you’re reading this on Stage32), you’re probably not signing Johnny Depp. But you still have to land your lead and cast “against” him/her. Get your potential cast together in a living room or in the back room at Pizza Hut — different ensembles on different nights. Read through the script. Talk about the roles and the scenes. Address the motivations. And feed them! ;) (a little plug for my acting friends) Tape it. And take notes. Then watch it back. Did each person look good on tape? Were they believable? Did each add subtleties to their delivery that “sold” their performance as real? How did they interact with the other cast? Can you really see them working together? Arguing? Kissing? Your actors take your story and bring it to screen. To sell the audience, they must bring it to life. You can make a star of a no-name who delivers an Oscar-worthy performance, but you can’t make an Oscar-worthy film with the wrong cast — even if you have stars. Cast carefully. Cast for the role, and you’ll be on your way to Making a Movie that Sells… Thoughts or questions? I’d love to hear them. Post below. :)