Hi all,
Right now I’m looking for the rest of the main production team. So, here’s the ad: https://www.stage32.com/jobs/21717/Director-Financier-Line-Producer-Producer I know that a great deal of people, especially here want money up front and won’t start at the ground floor. Somehow anyone who makes a film is supposed to magically have money up front. I had two useless phone calls with two industry experts who told me to get business collateral before I even begin funding. But they had no advice on how to get it except for crowdfunding development funds. I’ll wait for the official film budget to be finished before I set the amount for crowdfunding. My trouble is that I have a tough time getting people on-board to give me money or anything. I will give my best try to get the word out before I launch the funding campaign. Maybe fliers in comic book shops or other marketing jaunts. I’ll just have to review my crowdfunding notes and use my resources from Film Independent.
I had a great time volunteering at the LA Film Festival! I mostly spent my time at the information booth helping attendees find what they needed. We got vouchers for movie tickets after each shift. I got to see Like Cotton Twines from Ghana, Opening Night starring Topher Grace, and the documentaries of Denial and Life, Animated. They were all very excellent. The film festival is a qualifier for the Academy Awards. Many of the films sell out in advance so I didn’t get to see everything I had wanted to see. I was going to be in a play but it didn’t work out; and that’s about all I’m allowed to say. I did, however, get to see my friend, Sokrates, in a play at the Hollywood Fringe Festival called The Wheel of Invention, a dark satire of theme parks like Disneyland.
One thing about being in LA is that a number of people are not willing to reach beyond themselves to be helpful. I have seen postings from successful actors saying to not contact their Agent/Manager about representation as you should do that work yourself. And certain hiring people saying that they won’t accept auditions from non-union people, or even people with SAG-Eligibility, or talking about a casting that’s agent submission only and expecting people to not ask about being considered. We are all hungry for work and deserve more respect and openness. Making things limited and impossible doesn’t make companies and hiring individuals look better; it just makes them look closed-minded and discriminatory. Most of us actors are really talented and dedicated people, not little flies to be swatted off. And hiring individuals or really successful actors need to remember that success or power doesn’t make you superior. I went to two EPAs and had no chance of being seen because the Equity actors get to go first and no one wanted to (or was permitted) to squeeze anyone else in. This isn’t New York so I was surprised. I got really hurt and angry after waiting six hours one day and a few the next with the lady making the announcement that non-union people wouldn’t get seen for a long time. She then told me that being number 13 on the non-union list meant I was never getting seen. I wasn’t available the second day of auditions. She also told me that the company has resident artists so it would be very difficult for me to get in in the first place. I saw so many people younger than me who were already union, including one really entitled and snotty brat who went to both auditions. I know not all hiring entities or successful actors behave this way. But the entertainment industry needs more community, not divisions, entitlement, or more closed doors. We are all important and have a great deal to offer. So, please support your fellow artists and creators and be nice and make opportunities for others. Maybe donate an hour or two of your precious professional time to help someone create a funding promo, or maybe make some footage or a SAG-AFTRA New Media project to help your friends get SAG Eligibility. Helping others is no assault to your dignity or street cred.
Anna Sahlstrom.com 