INDIE FILMMAKERS PAY PEOPLE ON YOUR PRODUCTIONS

You may not have a large budget and you may not have a budget at all sometimes, but if you’re almost NEVER paying people (who are experienced btw because I know y’all don’t want people who don’t know what they’re doing on your set), you’re a predator!

You’re fueling the very system that some are working to dismantle in Hollywood. The system that says since you don’t have a recognizable name, you’re a nobody, you have no value/worth, and you need to work for free. SAG-AFTRA created Ultra Low Budget rates for people like you.

If you can’t adhere to SAG/AFTRA’s low budget offerings including a $125/day rate to actors, AT LEAST offer $25.00 gas/mileage stipend to everyone involved in your production. If you can’t offer at least $25.00 here and there, save until you get there. 10 ppl on your set = $250.

A 4-page script could take up to 8 hours or longer to shoot. Ok, that’s not too bad. But y’all scripts be 10-20 pages expecting people to work 2 and 3 days on your “set” for food and fellowship in return every single production...

I only have 7 indie productions under my belt where I served as writer/director/producer and out of those 7 I have either paid every single person involved or (on 2 productions) I paid mostly everyone and asked those I couldn’t pay if a gas/mileage stipend was ok in exchange.

“I never pay anyone.” “It’s an indie film, they’ll work for free.” Ask yourself, besides you, have your projects truly benefited everyone working on them? If not, and in every post you make, it’s “My” “Me” “I”... you’re a user!

What’s unfortunate is that you’ll always meet someone new. Someone eager, who hasn’t exhausted their “work for free” energy running around on indie/guerrilla style sets. FILMMAKING is hard work. Regardless of how your film comes out. Pay the ones who bring your vision to life.

If you don’t have money to offer up, consider other ways of filmmaking. A few actors, practical stories, 1 day shoot, shooting on an iPhone etc. The goal is to start/ just do it. To move past fear + produce your first or next film! It’s not to constantly use people for free work.