Carola Caris's Lounge Discussions

Four (4) year old zombie thread guys......

So let me get this straight. Your Dad can deal with you killing someone but making love to someone on screen he can't? I understand as a father that would be a bitter pill to swallow but damn! I notice folks have no problems with violence but if you do a movie with sex and nudity it's like you started World War III. Sigh.

So...in a professional shoot, you should know from the breakdown that there's nudity and/or a sex scene. If that's not for you, then you shouldn't submit or audition, and your agent should make sure she knows your comfort level. You are required to be told before your first audition if you're union. If you're not, it's still the professional thing, and no director should ever be like "So today, it's your nude scene!" when you show up to the set, without your far prior knowledge. I always put it in the breakdown, actors know before they even submit to be considered, we talk about it in the first interview, there's a nudity rider for their deal memo, etc. There's no question about the specifics, and they know pretty much what's going on before I even meet them the first time.

There are tons of roles that have nudity, there are tons of roles that don't. Do what you're comfortable with, and don't worry about it.

and wow this post is freakin' old... ;)

Exactly! No one is forcing the actors to be nude. If there's nudity it's usually listed in the casting call. If you don't want to do nude, don't audition for the role.

Instead of asking the question " should I do nudity scenes?" Ask you're self this question "what roles am I unsuitable for and what roles would I be suitable for? Now as you list them out you will see that there may be many roles you are not suited for, and of course you will see there are also many that you are not suited for. My list might touch on my fear of heights, snakes, and my inability to pronounce certain words. Now when considering a part I would consider how much into my uncomfortable zone would I have to go, and whether there was any room for negotiation. I guess what I'm saying is that we all have places where we do not want to go. If nudity is yours, and you are not comfortable with it, and you can't negotiate changes, move on, there are plenty of roles to apply for that don't involve taking your clothes off.

You're a casting director. Isn't casting for a music video the same as any other type of casting?

Depends on the type of music video, but Modelmayhem.com is a place to find talented models etc that also have other skills than just modeling; just like I was. I was part of the local "The New F-O's" music video in Oct 2011 and was casted from MM.com.

Terrific points, Todd. There are many very good actors just starting out who will work for free just to have material for their reel. Show them you're the real deal, that your intentions are more than just a hobby, and they'll come running.

See if Michigan has an indie film group - like Film Independent or Filmmaker's Alliance out here in LA. Check with your film commission. I'm sure there are outlets where people bind together to help one another with their projects - kind of quid pro quo - you help me on mine, I'll help you on yours. GOOD LUCK! ;-)

Ah, the ever knowledgeable and selfless, Ms. Hale :)

If the idea is interesting to me I would generally work for free and or food and a floor to sleep on as Heather said you help me I help you, Also for reference if I like the look of bigger projects in some case's I would waver at least 60% of the fees so that the project would have a bigger budget to work with. As a good friend of mine once said to me "you need experience to gain work and work to gain experience, but to truly be a successful storyteller you need to think audience first money much much later" and I stand by those principals even if it goes against everything the "Hollywood system of film making" goes by but that is just me

You have to give them something of value. Pay is not that important when it comes to getting experience as an actor. Here's some things you can give them ... 1. IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) credits 2. Follow the SAG New Media Contract (Google this), so you can give them speaking parts and waivers. Once they get 3 waivers, they are SAG-eligible, which means they get paid 2x - 4x the pay that non-union actors are paid. 3. Food 4. Lodging 5. Experience (looks great on resume) 6. Tell them you will personally recommend them and they can use you as a reference on their resume, that their next employer can call, text, or email you. 7. A metro card (to pay for subway rides and bus rides) 8. A train ticket (to pay for train ride, if they need to take the train) 9. Money for gas and tolls if they are driving. Ask them to provide receipts. With these expenses, save the receipts and make copies of them, so you can get a credit when you pay taxes at the end of the year, as these are considered expenses.