Mark Gantt, Vanessa Claire Stewart, and Blayne Weaver are three actors who decided not to wait for permission to act. They created their own content and engineered major tier jumps for themselves in the process. In this episode of Your Actor MBA, you’ll learn how to cast yourself, get your story told, know your audience, and live happily as a hyphenate. From permits to distribution, the details will inspire you!
Self-Producing: Introduction of Mark and Vanessa and a bit about how they went from actors to hyphenates.
The Spark: How Mark and Vanessa decided to create their own content. As Mark was told, “Build a door and walk through it,” and, “Get into the party somehow.” Vanessa’s bottom line: “I got tired of waiting around for permission to create art.”
Casting Yourself: As Bonnie says, “Rule number one: Know who you are!” Milton Katselas advised Mark about “the first circle of casting.” This is where you make things look effortless. This isn’t about casting yourself the way you want to be seen. “One of the reasons our show succeeded was because it wasn’t a vanity project,” Vanessa says.
Focus on the Art, Not the Result: Don’t be motivated by results. They will come, but if your primary reason for self-producing is to “go viral,” you can count on that not happening, for sure. Results come organically, as a byproduct of being so inspired and inspiring in your work.
Getting It Made: Surround yourself with a team that supports any flaws you have, always be challenged in your work, make a list of relationships you have and resources that you may not even consider are at your fingertips.
Tips for Self-Producing: Assemble the right team of people, read everything (and have others read over things too, if you’re not contract-minded), don’t believe ’em when they tell you it can’t be done.
Just Do It: Introduction of Blayne and what drove him to create his own content.
The Rules: Gather information and then just do it! “You have to figure it out. No choice,” Blayne says.
Know Your Audience: People who have a fanbase already established are seen as a lower risk to their potential buyers at agencies, studios, production companies, studios, etc. To cultivate a fanbase quickly and powerfully, you must be both an actor and a businessperson. “This has to self-perpetuate,” Blayne advises.
Favors: Be willing to ask for help. Be ready to work hard when you get the help you’ve asked for. As Mark says, “Starting out, realize that this is a very collaborative art and be willing to ask for help.”
Business Details: Blayne notes, “The details will kill you.” But that doesn’t mean you can ignore them. As Keith Johnson says, “Amateur filmmakers study filmmaking. Professional filmmakers study logistics.” Sure, you need to understand the nuts and bolts of the art you’re undertaking, but your heaviest lifting will come with the attention to issues of minutia that go with producing.
Distribution: There are film festivals, film markets, websites galore. Do your research to know the niche that is the best fit for your baby. Are you hoping for international distribution or an appearance at an Academy-qualifying festival? Theatrical release or just something folks can Netflix someday? There’s no one recipe for every project!
Being a Hyphenate: Actors have never been more empowered as hyphenates as they are right now. Being a producer gives you perspective as an actor and really shifts the “I need to be cast” paradigm many actors carry around with them, daily.
Inspiration: “You can do this,” Blayne says. “We are evidence of that.” Mark advises, “Listen to yourself. Surround yourself with people who know what they’re doing.”
Create work for yourself after you’ve gotten very clear on your type and your strengths so that you are working on something that will be a showcase piece for your most castable capabilities, surrounded by a team that helps you showcase yourself at your best.
If you’re certain that self-producing is not for you, that’s okay! Remember that you’re probably already a member of a community that has hyphenates in its mix and you just need to stay connected with folks who will use you in supporting roles when they create content for themselves. They can’t play every role, so they’ll need you!
There are dozens of small theatres in Los Angeles that operate under the AEA 99-Seat Agreement. Before investing time (or membership dues) in a theatre company in LA, attend shows and be sure you like the level of work going on at the mainstage and in the development labs. Read reviews. Talk with current members of the companies and ask them about their experiences.
As Vanessa explains, “The higher the stakes, the more people want the sure thing. It’s always a battle.” Mark agrees: “We realized this could be a TV series, but realized that I probably couldn’t be the lead and my partner probably couldn’t direct, so we decided to go the web route. Now we’re pitching to TV and, well, I’m auditioning for myself for the TV pilot.” “The work never stops,” Bonnie summarizes. “I have to get into the real nitty-gritty of the business, otherwise the vehicle will leave without me,” Vanessa says, adding: “I wish I could go back and take a couple of business classes!”
Entertainment Partners will cover your Workman’s Comp needs if you hire them as your payroll company for an indie production. In fact, Entertainment Partners can be your SAG Signatory producer of record, if you’d prefer not to go through the steps to become a SAG Signatory producer on your own. You’ll still need to secure your own permits and insurance, but EP can get you well on the way.
It is potentially more expensive to lose a day of shooting than to secure permits and insurance for your shoot. So, don’t be “penny wise, pound foolish.” Hire a great line producer and make sure all those “annoying details” are covered. It’ll make for a much more pleasant shoot.
Blayne explains that the producing process is “full of obstacles that make it almost impossible for a small company to make a movie.” So, he’s looking for low-risk actors. “Actors, be cool!” he begs. Mark chimes in, “Yes! Someone who’s been there before. That’s what we want.”
Don’t be overprotective of your ideas or treat your “baby” as if it is too precious. Production is a machine and you’ll find yourself feeding a beast of narcissism that begets loneliness if you don’t share your ideas, create from a place of loving storytelling, and surround yourself with a team you enjoy. As Mitchell says, “When I first moved here, I thought I couldn’t share ideas with anybody. It’s hard to find people who you can trust and conspire to help, but finding good people to put your ideas together is huge.” Bonnie agrees, “As soon as you protect your ideas, they start to shrivel. Don’t worry about losing ownership of an idea. No one brings your spirit, your heart to it.” Mark gives an amen with, “We get precious with ideas. Forget it. Just talk to somebody about it, get excited, and move forward!”
Much of web-based content is “post and pray” (for hits), as Mark explains. Really research the distribution venues — and read the Terms of Service for your submissions—to be sure you’re granting rights you don’t mind losing and retaining rights that are important to you. While YouTube is a great site, it’s filled with a lot of “noise” and buyers are growing impatient and looking for niche distributors to get a better sense of custom-fit content finding its audience.
Film festivals such as Sundance, Slamdance, Berlin, Montreal, Toronto, SXSW, Cannes, TriBeCa, Venice, even LAFF lately are great places for having your film seen and bought. Shopping properties around at AFM and the Independent Spirit Awards is also popular — especially if you’ve researched the buyers and know what’s hot to whom. Check the IMDb-Pro Festival Calendar for a comprehensive list of major (and minor) festivals worldwide.
Be patient. Our guests for this episode worked for years on what would be just days of shooting, in some cases. Again, if you’re not results-oriented, you’ll be okay with this long-haul approach. Enjoy the journey! It’s an amazingly empowering process.
Mark says, “It’s completely different walking into casting now that I have six projects going. My desperation is gone. I can still get nervous, but my life has totally shifted. I know they mean it when they say, ‘It’s not you!’ when I don’t get cast.”
Oh, and when you start to “make it,” don’t read the reviews. Everyone with a computer will register an opinion of what you’re doing — usually based in their distress over what they’re not doing in their lives — and it’s not going to help you remember the love you feel for creating your own content and taking your career into your own hands.
This episode of Your Actor MBA with your hosts Mitchell Fink, Bonnie Gillespie, and Marci Liroff was recorded on August 7, 2010.