Andrea Dover's Lounge Discussions

When handling any type of firearm on a set--or anywhere else, for that matter--always keep your finger off the trigger and resting on the trigger guard until you are absolutely ready and are cleared to fire the weapon at an intended target. Too often in publicity photos and posters, I see these poses by actors with guns that make me cringe, and I have to wonder how many accidental discharges happen because of people picking up guns with their fingers on triggers, rather than handling them properly. An actor friend of mine recently posted a pic of himself with a gun publicizing an action thriller in which he's one of the stars, and it prompted me to bring this up here, while it's fresh on my mind.

Hello! I'm an actress in Kansas City. My acting experience is in short films, commercials, some theatre, and now a couple music videos. Before I began acting, my performing experience was in violin, figure skating, and dance. This is a recent music video in which I played a drug addict: http://youtu.be/5OskxRPMUek My reel is uploaded on my profile. On a side note, my boyfriend (also an actor and filmmaker who is on Stage 32 - Jason Turner) and I will be traveling to London to look at acting schools (we both want to dig in deeper). If there happens to be a Stage 32 connection event in London during March, that would be cool! Hope everyone has had a fantastic weekend. Cheers!

Paragraph 1 of the Ultra Low Budget agreement says, in part: “It, is not intended for pictures produced for television broadcast, cable use, video/DVD markets or otherwise produced primarily for commercial exploitation.” Does this mean, after you make your movie you’re not supposed to sell it? http://www.microfilmmaker.com/Editorials/edit65.html

While I am a writer, producer and director, I was & am an actor 1st. If you’re a “filmmaker”, stop reading this. It’s not meant for you. If you’re an actor, let’s wax lyrical about getting paid for your work. As an actor, you may have studied your craft and have amassed a sea of dept. You may have done theater; sacrificing your valuable time for months at a time to be a part of something that only a theater actor can fully appreciate. You may have acted in short films, feature films, teasers, trailers, pilots and webisodes. As an actor you may have put years in to working on your craft. Why do you keep acting for free? Please allow me to clarify a point. Short films, feature films, teasers, trailers, pilots and webisodes should pay you. At the very least, they should offer deferments, so that if & when the filmmakers make money, the actors will make money. The only projects that should not have to pay their actors are student films and film challenges. You probably keep acting for free because “filmmakers” aren’t paying. “Crafty, credit, drinks.” “You will be well fed.” “Professional set.” “Fun people to work with.” “Networking opportunities.” “Considered for future work.” None of that pays the bills! It’s preposterous for “filmmakers” to pretend that those are incentives to audition for them. It is disrespectful! They’re supposed to offer that on their shoots! Yes, I understand & appreciate the argument that actors have to first build up a resume. However, at what point should you get paid? For me, and on my projects, if an actor with no resume has the "look" and the ability to pull off the role, they should be paid! Often times, it’s not necessarily their resume that earns an actor their role. It’s their look and their abilities, but that's another post. Whether or not they are a good person with a great energy also factors in on the casting, but that’s another post. Fellow actors, let’s look at the power we posses. What if you stopped acting for free? What if all of your actor friends stopped acting for free? What if every actor stopped working for free? “Filmmakers” would have to start paying you. How would “filmmakers” get money to pay you? They’d have to secure funding for their projects. How would “filmmakers” secure funding? They’d have to approach investors or stage crowd-sourcing campaigns. They would have to write and/or find great screenplays that would attract investors and/or crowd-sourcing campaign donors. But really, that’s none of your concern. That’s the “filmmakers” job. Some might ask, "isn’t that what a producer does?" Well, isn’t that what a “filmmaker” is? Somewhere along the line, compensating a cast fell out of the job description of a “filmmaker”, and that is disgusting. It is unacceptable. It's disrespectful. “Filmmakers” figure all costs in to their budgets. They should add the cost of paying you. You are bringing your skill set and your abilities to do the job you’ve been hired to do, just like everybody else on a production set. This article isn’t meant for filmmakers. It is meant for actors. It is meant to get us thinking and talking about the powers that we posses. We can have a domino effect in getting paid. We deserve to be rightfully compensated. We are to be treated with respect. I hope you all are well! If this post resonates with you, please share it on social media. Respectfully, Marcelo Dietrich https://twitter.com/MarceloDietrich

Today is my birthday! And just over a week ago I sold another screenplay! Hoping that script makes it all the way to the screen, because I've been stuck on only 19 produced scripts since 2009... lots of script assignments since then, but none made it all of the way to the screen (average for this biz is only 1 in 10 sold scripts or assignments makes it to the screen). Got paid, films did not get made. One had movie stars attached for a while. In addition to writing screenplays, way back in 1991 I started writing a column for what would become Script Magazine, and had at least one article in every issue until they went from print to online a couple of years ago. Now those articles, and tons of new material, are being used to update my old Blue Book series on screenwriting (Amazon), which is kind of my side job. Working on one of those now (though not today, because I'm trying to overdose on movies.) Back in 1998 I wrote a book on writing Action Films (but really any genre), SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING (http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Action-Screenwriting-fully-revised-ebook/d...) which is frequently recommended by famous screenwriters. There's a nice cover quote from the 3rd biggest Box Office screenwriter in the world, plus a quote from some Oscar Winning Screenwriter inside. I keep meeting screenwriters much more famous than I, who read it and loved it and recommend it. Weird. Because I wrote a series of screenwriting articles for Independent Film Channel Magazine (when it existed) and some for Movie Maker, I'm also working on a book for DIY filmmakers that mostly looks at the writing part but also has interviews with filmmakers I've met at festivals. Oh, yeah, I am also a sometimes Film Fest juror, and was on the jury at Raindance in London last year with Julian Assange (though never met him, he doesn't get out much). I've been on film fest juries several times... and do a little globe trotting due to that. Because my job consists of sitting on my butt all day, I got fat a few years back (fatter, actually) and decided to seal my car keys in an envelope (metaphorically) and ride my bicycle everywhere. Which makes me a freak in Los Angeles, and a problem when I go on studio lots for a meeting. Warner Bros has a strict policy that lot passes must be taped to the lower left corner of a car's windshield... and no one in security knows what to do if you show up on a bicycle. They have to call their superior. Taped to the handlebars is the answer. Because Clint Eastwood once took a golf club to a car parked in his spot at Warner Bros about a decade ago, when I had a meeting with a producer at the office next door a while back I purposely locked my bike in Clint's spot, hoping to make the news when he destroyed my bicycle with his golf club... but he was away shooting something that day! That's who I am, and now I must get my free breakfast at Denny's and see as many movies as possible for the rest of the day. (I love movies.)

New to this site--any other illustrators out there? I am retired from Hallmark Cards, Inc. and am beginning my freelance career--I really love connecting with all kinds people in the myriad of disciplines within the world of creativity...one never knows what can come from these more or less random, serendipitous meetings--IMO.

Hi there! I'm from Kansas City and have enjoyed connecting with others on Stage 32. Most of my experience in the performing arts is in music (violin beginning at age 3, some voice) and dance. Also figure skating which I consider a performing art :). I began acting later after taking a few college acting classes. So far I've done several short films, a couple commercials, a play, and a couple musical theater revues/showcases. The people I have met through film and theater are some of the friendliest and most fun people I've ever met! I love the camaraderie. This next year I plan to move to the LA area for a figure skating coach job. Obviously acting has a lot to do with the specific location ;-). I am not sure about the timing - need to save up money of course, and at first I will need another job since it takes some time to build up a student base beyond group lessons. Next month I will visit the area for five days. Can't wait! I look forward to meeting and collaborating more with members of this great community! Andrea Dover :-)

Hello! I am an actress from Kansas City. Most of my performing experience is in violin and figure skating, but I have always wanted to try acting. This year I have done a couple commercials in my area, a play and a couple short films. They have all been a blast! I will be finishing my BA in Dance at St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) this semester. After that I plan to move to LA to pursue more acting training and auditions. It's my philosophy that if you really love something it is best to jump in head first. :) I am thankful to have found this community. It is great to connect with such positive people in this industry!

Hi everyone! A newbie here just a few days old :-) I'm a makeup artist in Atlanta, GA. My specialty is natural/beauty and fashion/glam makeup for film, commercials, video and soon Web TV series/shows. Check out my work here and on my website http://www.kwconcepts.biz I hope to get to know everyone here and excited to be a part of this community!

My name is Anthony Adams I am a celebrity Makeup Artist based in Adelaide, South Australia. I have worked for mega prestige brand Chanel and have been in the industry for over 20 years. You can see more of my work and details at www.anthonyadamsmakeup.com. I am new here so still getting used to how to use it all here. :)