See, I can do it too…
On Sunday I spoke at the annual SAG Conservatory Summer Session. The SAG Conservatory presents courses and other services for SAG members throughout the year, but he Summer Session is an intensive three days of workshops, classes, and discussions about the art and business of acting.
My session was for actors who are considering making their own films.
This is a photograph of several of the attendees (Note the nifty SAGIndie notebooks and Film Contract Digests… I’m a firm believer in bribing audience members with swag.).
Despite the heatwave we’re having in Los Angeles (and the lack of air-conditioning at the venue), it really was a great session and the group responded really well to the changes in the low budget agreements. They confirmed what I already knew: Actors recognize the challenges that indie filmmakers face and want to be part of the solution.
Acting is a tough gig. More than any other job in the entertainment industry, actors depend on the opinions of others just to get a little work. So I applaud actors, like these folk, who have made a decision to take their careers into their own hands and make their own films.
Some of the best filmmakers we have either started as, or still are, actors.
I told this group the same thing I’ll tell you; whether you’re an actor or not:
Don’t wait for Hollywood to give you a job.
Make your own movie… and hire yourself.