Recently, as there seems to be almost every week, another conglomerate gets into the game of monetizing or investing in the ability and future reality of content creation. So now Amazon, not so long ago, dumped a bunch of money into the commitment of 6 Comedy Pilot orders. And while this is GREAT news in so many ways it is also causing quite a bit Continue reading
Yes, phobia, that weird thing that we have in our language that is listed as such: pho·bi·a (pho·bi·as), strong fear or dislike; an irrational or very powerful fear and dislike of something such as spiders or confined spaces (a phobia about traveling in elevators). Since the day I FOUNDED what became, The Actors’ Network, it was and always has Continue reading
Do it again! Do it again. Again, again and again. Allow me to remind you that Coca-Cola is the most successful soft drink in the world, and they don’t change their logo every 2 years, 5 years or 10 years and what they do is still advertise. They advertise everywhere, all the time, so as to ensure that repetition and reminding the consumer, keeps them on top. Continue reading
I’m going to write this with the mildly certain presumption that “most” folks reading this have not even been to the American Film Market, annually hosted by the Loews Hotel, down by the ocean. So with that premise in mind, I do highly recommend that at some point in your career, you take the time to attend…at least for a day. I also recommend the same thing in regards to Sundance, but with a STRONG warning. Continue reading
Vocational training. Yes, you heard me…vocational training. Here is another one: apprenticeship. There are lots of ways to say, or discuss, education…but at the end of the day when it comes to ALL forms of knowledge you are either an intellectual who simply discusses things…or you have UNDERSTANDING…which means you’ve experienced them. One of the hardest, and most painful elements of our careers as performers in Hollywood is trying to UNDERSTAND…casting. Continue reading
I have touched on this topic before, but just the other day in a casting I heard all the excuses and apologies I have heard in the past. So, just to recap because it is a new year…
I know it is polite to apologize, that is the right thing to do when you may have offended or harmed someone, but apologies are NEVER appropriate in an audition. LET ME REPEAT – Continue reading
I was thinking about a lot of misconceptions that other actors have about session runners who also act and that they have a perceived “unfair advantage” when it comes to booking jobs over other actors. Here are a few of the myths about working in casting as an actor.
Myth #1 – The session runner can just put him or herself on camera for the job they are working.
FACT #1 – Not all casting directors will let you audition for the job that you are working and if they do, they usually have you be one of the first ones to audition so you don’t have the advantage of watching people audition all day.
Myth #2 – Session runners can just “book the job” by getting on tape.
FACT #2 – As explained above, even when the session runner gets to audition, there is no guarantee that he/she will get a call back or have a better chance at booking the job.
Myth #3 – even if the session runner never auditioned for the job, by just working the call back they could book the job.
FACT #3 – Yes, this could happen, but it is more the exception than the rule. Out of the 10 years I have run casting sessions and callbacks, I have never booked a job, just because I was in the room. I do know of 1 person who booked the job because he ran the callback.
Myth #4 – When you audition with a session runner at a callback (and he/she is not running camera and just auditioning) and you walk in the room, for a group explanation, or are paired with him/her and the director knows them and talks only to him/her, they will probably book the job.
FACT #4 – When a director talks to an actor who happens to run casting sessions or even talks to an actor he or she knows and no other actor in the room, all it means is the director is talking to them. It does not mean they have a better chance of booking the job than you do, the director is just being friendly. That is it, nothing more.
In part II I will continue with more myth vs. fact …
Brandon Martinez is the head of the New Media Department at Abrams Artists Agency, a top 10 bi-coastal talent & literary agency.
AND he happens to be my New Media agent and he kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for me… and you… Continue reading
Box Office Bonuses: While back end points are based on a percentage of the profits, box office bonuses are usually a flat rate, based upon Daily Variety’s weekly box office chart. They work as follows: If your film earns $1 million dollars in the box office as per Daily Variety, then you will get a $10,000. Then, for every additional $1 million the film earns, you will get an additional $10,000. These bumps are negotiable, and vary in how much the bonuses are and how often, and often the producers will try to put a cap, so that the actor stops earning any bonuses after $50 million. The reason why box office bonuses are attractive for talent are that they are easily verifiable. There are no auditing statements to look at, no accounting to do, you can simply open the trade and see when you should start bugging your agent to get you your check.
Back End Compensation v. Box Office Bonuses: Depending upon the success of the film, the size of the budget and the drafting of the profit definitions, sometimes it is better to have profit participation over box offices bonuses or vice versa. You can imagine that even when a film does very well, if the film had a high promotional budget, or if a star was taking a big chunk up front, it would take longer for the film to earn profits, as the investors get paid in full before anyone can earn their profit participation revenues. It is not uncommon for a film to do very in the box office but barely break even because it was so expensive to make. Not to say this is all guesswork, and an experienced attorney and/or producer would be able to advise you regarding the likelihood of what the film can make. Sometimes, an actor will get both back end and box office bonuses, and then they don’t have to predict, they are covered on both aspects.
Please note: The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice and is intended for educational and information purposes only.
Interchangable Terms: When negotiating a profit provision in a contract, the definition of profits must be well worded, clearly defined and negotiated very carefully. Net profits, gross profits, gross revenue, gross points, adjusted gross profits, adjusted net profits, producer net profits—these terms can necessitate extremely different calculations or very similar accountings, depending how they’re worded, when they are calculated (i.e., before or after certain other profit participants) and what deductions are or are not acceptable.
Percentages: Many indie films will offer their actors a percentage of the producer’s net profits, and usually that is defined as 50% of 100% of the total profits. This isn’t always stated clearly, and it obviously makes a big difference if you’re getting 2% of 50% or 2% of 100%. These nuances become significant when and if the film earns a profit, and that is why a considerable amount of time is spent negotiating these definitions.
MFN in Profit Definition: If there isn’t time to come to an agreement on the definition before a client agrees to take the role and signs a deal memo, I will push to have the deal memo add a phrase that obligates the producers to give Most Favored Nations (MFN, further discussed in a previous posting) on the definition, i.e., “2% of Producer’s Net Profits, to be defined no less favorably than any other profit participant, including all cast members and producers.” This way, no matter how they define ‘Producer’s Net Profits,’ as in this example, I know that the actor will be participating in the same pool as all the participants, including the producers. There is no doubt the producer’s will negotiate the most favorable definition they can draft for themselves.
Please note: The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice and is intended for educational and information purposes only.
