on with the show!!!

All I need now is Dr. Teeth and the Electric Machine to play the theme music with a bunch of dancing muppets. To get on with the news of Rusted Sun Films, we had another production meeting last night. It took us a week to schedule a time to look over the audition tapes for our next project. Some of the auditions gave us a feel for who might be able to carry a part and some of them brought about some very fearful questions of paperwork and unions. There are more than likely quite a few SAG members that are running auditions for independent films. The more work that they can get under their belt and the quantity of quality feature films (indie or not) that they can put on the resume will help them out somewhere along the road.
However, the whole SAG thing is a bit of a problem when it comes to people wanting to make a feature film with little to NO BUDGET.
Sure payment deferrals can be organized and if any sales or money ever comes out of the picture then they have to be paid first... then they pay their agents... then the union... blah blah blah... Unfortunately it causes a lot of paperwork and headache for those of us that are trying to keep the filmmaking process simple and very NON-HOLLYWOOD.
How are we supposed to keep fighting the good fight against all of the Hollywood bullshit if we in turn have to play Hollywood's game? Sure, if I had a chance to be part of the Screen Actor's Guild I would most likely jump at the chance. However, the union doesn't really do anything for you. They don't pay your bills. They don't win you auditions. Most people that I know don't really give a shit if you're a SAG member or not. They only care if you can act and if you will work with them.
There are a great number of people (that are my personal friends) that have been lucky enough to become SAG eligible... then pay the thousands for Union dues... then never really go on to do anything else. More than likely they became SAG eligible because they were hired for cheap to do a film that came to town. Then they were given a line (or a great part in a mini-series) to help them out along the way of the Hollywood game. Some pay the fee to become a part of the Union. Some don't. Unfortunately I've seen situations where people won't go through the paperwork or stress of dealing with the SAG bullshit in order to have someone act in their movie. It's a double-edged sword... and being SAG doesn't guarantee you shit.
I couldn't be part of the Director's Guild of America. Here's why: They don't allow two directors to be credited as the director of a feature film. Robert Rodriguez quit the Director's Guild because he insisted that Frank Miller (the creator of Sin City) be given a director's credit on Sin City. The Guild wouldn't go for it... he said, "That's bullshit" and let them eat their stupid f-ing rules. Did it hurt him any? No. It probably never will. He makes his own films. Now, he was using SAG actors. If they had all quit SAG and decided to work on Sin City would there have been problems? Who knows? But doesn't that small fight against the system still give you hope that there are actually filmmakers left out there that actually give a damn about the craft and not about all of the politics and moneymen?
Someday, if I'm ever given a chance to play "The Hollywood Game" I'll probably have to bend to make things easier and get the people I want to act or work production. Unions had a good idea at one point... but they tell you that you can't work for free? Or if you do work, you have to pay us? Tennessee is a right to work state. Maybe there are some loop holes. I certainly hope so... because I don't like some paperpushing shitheel telling me how I'm going to make my movie... actor or not. Of course, I'm just mad right now. It's another holiday and I have to work. I'm sure there is some Union irony in there somewhere.
Anyway, we watched tapes and made some decisions on some roles rather easily. The hard ones are coming. We're getting closer to hooking up the propeller, tossing this dingy in the raging waters, and throwing the lever full-throttle. Still some prep work... and a dance routine to figure out... Thriller baby, Thriller.

-B