Hello all, I was wondering if you could advise me. I was supposed to be at a shoot on Sunday but the producer would give me the final location for the shoot as I needed to make travel arrangements. I tried to get the location for 4 days and was ignored. It got to the night before the shoot and I still didnt know where or what was happening. I didnt want to but I had to email and withdraw from the production. I honestly tried so hard to get all the details for the shoot but I couldnt get anywhere. Even the call sheet that I was sent was wrong . Now Im worried I have damaged my chances of being cast again.
Acting : Problems with student films by Tony Fisher
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I think you did the right thing, I've done it before too. It's a student set so their learning experience includes being a good communicator with your cast. If you can, give constructive feedback to their supervisor/professor. I hate to cancel on a film but they need to understand that travel plans need to be made in advance for some.
Sadly I have no details of their tutors other wise I probably would have. Things didn't start well from the outset as the student didn't contact me to let me know I had the part, I just suddenly got an email telling me about the shoot on Sunday. I tried to be optimistic about and give the benefit of the doubt but things just went further down hill. trying to travel anywhere in the UK on a Sunday is problematic as much of the train network shuts for maintenance. Which is why I needed to make careful travel plans.
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Same as here in Australia - public transport isn't great on Sundays. Your conscience is clear, and you know what? If they don't treat their film with respect like this, I doubt they'll be in a position to cast people at all in the future as they'll not last long with that attitude.
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Hi Tony, I agree with Rebecca, in my opinion you did the right thing. As one who teaches at a film academy, I can assure you that students are often so overwhelmed with the amount of technical information they are receiving and processing, the emotions of production and the denial of the values of preproduction... so that often doing is learning. Practicum instead of theory- becomes a great teaching tool. In other words, students learn by default often, learn by making mistakes. The tragedy is when students come in contact with the world outside of their school, and the gap between what the student applies from their knowledge, and what slips between the cracks, and evidently needs more attention/teaching/guidance/experience, becomes glaringly clear. I say THANK YOU to you for being available to work with students. And also I'm sorry you weren't treated professionally with respect for your time. You did the right thing Tony. You (perhaps unwillingly) are an important part of that student's development, you gave them a great gift that I hope they benefit from. Or not. But YOU are the gem in this story, and I wish you the best of everything.
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Tony it certainly will not have damaged your chances of being cast for paid work. There are of course some very professional students who are mature beyond their age and work hard to make things run smoothly, and then there are others like the ones you found. Of course being a student is about learning, and I'm sure that they will have learnt their lesson...
Hello Jennifer, I fully agree with you and in many ways I felt sorry for the student. I fully intend to keep working with students if I can as here are some very good ones trying really hard to put a good quality film together. Indeed as unpleasant as it was I think there is always a lesson that can be learnt from these sorts of incidents, although much of that learning depends on the individual. I thank you for your kinds words.
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Hi Michael, yes there are some good students out there. In fact I've already had one student asking me if my bad experience will tarnish my working relationship with them. I've tried to assure them it won't.
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You've got an awesome attitude Tony. And you too, Michael. I will share your story Tony, with my next batch of young filmmakers arriving at the end of June. Thank you for helping me be a better instructor through your real and sincere feedback.