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Jessica Alba v Angelina Jolie v No Name Actress
By Frey | April 16, 2007
Okay, I decided to cave in and do a little contemplating. Do you think it’s really all that important to have a name actor for a brief shot in your film? Or is it just an old independent film lie?
Which one:
How many people go to see a major motion picture JUST because it has a name actress? How about because it has a name actor?
How about this, would you rather see a film because it has a really good movie trailer, it got good reviews, or because it has a name actress/actor? How about if that actor only has a few brief shots? In a few brief shots, there’s no way any actor can carry an entire movie (a short film maybe, but definitely not a feature film).
Case in point:
In Children of Men, Julianne Moore does not have a very big part, yet she pretty much shares top billing with Clive Owen. The other, much lesser known actress, Claire-Hope Ashitey, was barely mentioned in the trailers and other propaganda for the movie, yet was in a good portion of the film. Mark one up for the name actress right? Or should we?
How many people actually went to see it because it had Julianne Moore? Come on, honestly now. How many people went to see the movie because it had a really good trailer? I certainly went because of the latter. The critics raved over the movie, but I felt the story itself, although good, had a few holes that could have been filled. I think the writers ended up taking the easy way out (but that’s just my opinion).
I must admit, I also went because it had Clive Owen. He is quite an exceptional actor (Did anyone see him in the BMW films? He was the BMW films!). I think he does a great job and gives a great performance. I’m glad he’s getting a household name and top billing in the big Hollywood films now. But I digress…
As independent film makers, we often can’t afford the really big names, so we have to settle for the “B List”. How many people go to see a movie because of a B actor? I’m assuming there are a few good souls out there that do follow B movie stars around, but is that B name going to get your film distribution? Is that B name really worth the extra $10,000 you’ll need in your budget for one day’s/week’s worth of shooting? Those B List actors don’t come cheap either, they do get enough recognition to be worth something. But are they good actors? Are they good enough to carry your film? If you can barely afford them, the answer is probably not.
Now, if you are a good producer and/or director, with good production team, that means you know to do your homework. A small budget film can’t afford those big name actresses and actors, so what’s a low-budget film maker to do? First - you get the best script that money can buy. The script is your movie - not the actor or actress! Then, you get the best no name actress/actor you can find. More importantly - you work with them. You start out by reading the script together, and understanding the direction of the script. Then focus on the direction of her character. Then develop an understanding of your relationships together as a team. You are all bringing the viewing public the best performance they’ve ever seen.
So, it comes down to this for independent films:
Is an A list actor worth it? Answer: Probably no.
Is B List actor worth it? Answer: Probably no.
Is your no name actress worth it: Answer: Definitely yes.
If your budget is under $1 million, don’t fret it over - go with the no name actors (it worked for George Lucas in Star Wars). Maybe even try to focus some of those funds into some forms of advertising to get your film a perk or two for distributors, but this is very much dependent on how much of a budget you truly have.
If your budget is over $2 million, then maybe a B actor can help you, but then again he or she may not (name three independent films you saw because they had a “B” movie actor. Now just try to name three “B” actors - chances are, you don’t actually know them by name…). Might be best to get a few up and coming actors and pray for one of them to get cast in a big hollywood feature over the next year or so.
If your budget is over $10 million, then you can probably afford a Hollywood “A List”. Use him or her wisely…
Food for thought:
As a non-hollywood director, who would you rather work with for your first few films, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, or a beautiful and talented actress without a household name?
Okay, I’ve said enough, what do you guys think?
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Topics: acting, pre-production |
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