HOW TO SPOT A SCAM IN YOUR FILM INDUSTRY

It’s true that every filmmaker, project and situation is as individual as a plastic, Hollywood snowflake. I approach this article with trepidation, knowing that rookie producers can make their own missteps when trying to attract interest to their project. Whether you are reading this as a filmmaker preparing to cast and crew your next movie or an actor wary of the big-talking director, note that the behaviors below are red flags for lack of professionalism across the board, from indie to big-budget filmmaking.

Making Lofty Promises

Unfortunately, this is the point of contention that can be misconstrued the most. Often, rookie filmmakers truly believe they have the ambition or opportunity to be able to sign their film for distribution or win big at festivals long before they run into the barriers and expenses of modern movie-making.

Sometimes these same filmmakers have promises made to them until those investments fall through. As a filmmaker make sure to manage expectations and thoroughly research the possible results your film can achieve. Be realistic, and make sure to express those possible results as hopeful goals, not guarantees, to your actors. When you talk a bigger game than your resume deserves, a discerning actor will spot it. Actors: take any promise with a grain of salt and keep reading for how to weed out the believers from the deceivers.

“Pay To Play”

Pay to play is the phrase that describes the situation in sports and music when you pay to receive a big opportunity that should have otherwise been a free exchange… like auditioning or having your profile highlighted in a casting database. ‘Either sound familiar? No matter the level, an actor should never pay to submit or audition for a film. A price tag does not denote a more prestigious gig but a scam in progress. With the age of the internet, more anonymous organizations charge for extra exposure on casting websites. Neither situation ever has to prove its extra consideration for you.

ABOVE: Watch an entertaining saga about a particular situation I delt with resulting in police involvement and a community movement to stop bad behavior.

Name-Dropping

Speaking of talking a big game, when a director cannot adequately fill a film-related conversation with discussion about their past work and achievements, they may default to talking about big films they PA’ed on or movie stars they interacted with shortly. I experienced this spending an afternoon conversation trying to round the subject back to the director’s work, but he insisted on telling scandalous stories about stars he’d been on set with, having no relevance to his actual accomplishments or future goals. I’ve had another director lead the entire conversation dropping names before I even knew the genre of the script he wanted me to audition for. This is amateur and misleading, hoping to attract amateur actors who are dazzled by the names. In reality, an actor with any basic TV-plot knowledge of Hollywood sees this bright flag like is was scripted in SVU. Speaking of cliché Hollywood plots and Special Victims Unit…

Romantic Relationships and Sexual Currency

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a paragraph about the cliché of sleeping with the director to get the part. Any actor would cringe at the thought of trading sex for a role win. If you are a filmmaker genuinely interested in one of your cast members, remind yourself that this is a professional setting just like an office or retailer. Sometimes romantic relationships naturally and consentually occur during filmmaking, but before pursuing someone, consider that your cast or crew member is an employee of yours and may feel entrapped if you express interest or make advances on someone you have the power to fire or slander.





HOW TO CONFIRM & EXPOSE A SCAM

If you are faced with any predicament above, take these actions below to uncover the truth:

Ask ALL The Questions You Need To

If your spidey sense is tingling that the end goal is unlikely or the filmmaker seems insincere, ask any question left unanswered about previous experience, distribution deals, production process, other crew members, promised contracts or payment… I once peppered ALL of these questions over pre-production of a feature film. My eyebrow was raised several times during the audition, script reception and table read. I asked all the right questions to learn the filmmaker was more amateur than he attempted to lead on. I pulled myself from the project early enough for the project to recast before production started. It resulted in the director ultimately being forthright with fulfillment of payment and completion of the film, but the final product was produced to the standards of a badly lit bedroom porno. I was happy to have asked all my questions.

Investigate The Filmmaker’s Previous Achievements

Not sure the filmmaker’s work is to the standards he or she speaks of? Great thing we have the internet to help. Google every director name or production company you plan on auditioning for to discern for yourself if they have created the content or reputation they may be boasting. If there are no Google results, an actor has every right to ask to see previous work. A reputable filmmaker should be happy to showcase him or herself. NOTE: Not every beginner filmmaker will have a dense portfolio or even a completed project. The beginner should have hopefully presented themselves accurately as to not deceive an actor who can, again, very easily do a Google search. Actor, you’ll have to discern which category this filmmaker is in: beginner filmmaker or boasting deceiver.

Ask Others In Your Filmmaking Community

When the director’s reputation is in question, ask actors or crew members you see listed in his or her credits. Draft a private email, message or arrange a phonecall or coffee to talk about the cast member’s previous experience with the director: how did they work on set? How did they treat their cast and crew? Were they successful in their goals for the film? Talking to a peer who already knows the director in question can save you time and grief experiencing this for yourself. NOTE: Be wary of rumors or secondhand accounts. The anecdotes may be helpful but may also be subject to a telephone game of exaggeration and misremembered “facts”.

I began this article admitting apprehension about drafting this list. That’s because there is in fact gray area in discerning who is misguided but forthright and who is being deceptive. In my experience, I’ve met amateur filmmakers who were unaware their behavior was unprofessional or their end goal was unattainable. I’ve also met filmmakers who were knowingly taking money or had other intentions for casting actors. Use these markers above as guidelines for being aware and inquisitive. Realize that as an actor you have power to question and decide if the project is worth pursuing or if it will be another lesson in spotting a waste of time.

