Cheapest Casting Couch in NY?

[Manfred Lopez]

I was wondering if anyone knows of a cheap place to rent a small room in Manhattan / Brooklyn to conduct a 5 day casting call... maybe something with an adjoining waiting room... And hopefully somewhere indie friendly that charges by the day and not the hour. Help in this matter is greatly appreciated! :greedy:



EDIT:

Oh, and in case it wasn't clear, the place doesn't actually have to have a couch in it. :tongue:

 

[Manfred Lopez]

Anyone?

Don't tell me no one on this board has conducted casting calls in NY before.

 

[Keith Alan Morris]

lower east side. 300 bucks a day too expensive for you?

 

[Keith Alan Morris]

Collective Unconscious. Its a big black box.

 

[krd]

The last place I used doesn't seem to exist any longer, but check a copy of Backstage, there will be many classified ads for space, from room rental to whole theaters. Should go for $10-$15/hr. for a decent-size room, though you may need two rooms if it's an open call or more than a few actors will be waiting for you at any given time. If you call an off-off Broadway theater which is currently "dark", you may be able to get a good deal for the day or week. I remember that Millennium Film Workshop in the East Village was supposed to be pretty cheap, but never used it.

As a courtesy to the actors, and for maximum turnout, try for the theater district. But don't go to Brooklyn.

 

[Keith Alan Morris]

hey, there's nothing wrong with brooklyn, now c'mon. my best auditions i've held have been in brooklyn--greenpoint to be exact--not the easiest to get to (the G train, fer gods sake). i actually PREFER having all auditions in brooklyn now, for this one very important reason: the actors that come out are HUNGRIER for a role--they're more serious, the trip makes them think about it--do they really want it, etc. It weeds out the prima donnas.

i cast all my best people in brooklyn. the reverse commute is no biggie anymore. most come to williamsburg for dinner etc these days.

 

[krd]

Yeah, but the hungry ones aren't always the best! Like anything else, when talented actors fail for a long period for lack of opportunity, they sour. Sometimes you have to beg these people to come in.

Or am I the only one who always casts the nutcases? You see where it's gotten me....

 

[Manfred Lopez]

Thanks for the responses!

Right now I am looking at several alternatives. By the way, $300 is not too much but I prefer to pay less if I can. $300 a day is what I would have to pay for a conference room with Regus (Business Space Solutions)... which would be in places like the Rockefeler Center or some other extreme high profile building. So using this as I yardstick I reason that wathever I do get would have to be way cheaper than this.

The Off-Off-broadway idea is really good. I hadn't thought of that one. Also I have nothing against Brooklyn. I used to live there (and yes, the G train is a bitch). So I'll check out this Collective Unconscious thing and the Millenium Film Workshops and see what the rates are. The problem is that I am not in New York right now and haven't been there for two years now. So I thought maybe someone had some suggestions. So thanks again.

 

[Manfred Lopez]

By the way, has anyone had any dealings with the "Film Collective"?

http://www.senzapix.com/vol2/pdf/mm55_callboard.pdf

 

[Paul Hazlett]

of course there are hotels that rent by the hour...

 

[Manfred Lopez]

of course there are hotels that rent by the hour...

I'm afraid that, given my budget, even these are out of my price range. :biggrin:

 

[Keith Alan Morris]

i have the perfect, perfect idea. duh, shouldve thought this before. thethe, go to wburg, post a flyer looking for a loft space rental. you'll get hit up real quick. pick one at the first stop on the L train, Bedford Ave. no prob. some artist with a big-ass loft will let you do auditions for 100/day i'm sure. i wouldve in a sec, but i moved out when the stroller-wielding mommies moved in.

and krd, hungry actors willing to make the schlep always always always worked out for me. and i've auditioned 3 major (for me) projects. you do gotta dig for the good ones. i always audition for 3 months P/T.

begging actors to come in? thats a new one. as long as you position yourself and the project properly, there should be no problems whatsoever.

i do agree theyre nutcases, but you have to know that going in and use that to your advantage in the film and put up with their little "idiosyncracies." sp?

 

[krd]

begging actors to come in? thats a new one. as long as you position yourself and the project properly, there should be no problems whatsoever.

It's not uncommon to want to cast or read someone your budget doesn't entitle you to.... Also, more than once I've wanted an actor who was fed up with the business and doing other things. And even the unknowns want to be wooed, in the end. Of course, if you put in an ad, there's no begging: they'll line up around the block, and if you're lucky, that may work.

"No problems whatsoever"? With casting? I dunno there. If it were that easy, there wouldn't be so many bad performances at the low budget end.

 

[donatello b]

what is your budget or how much youy willing to spend for 2 rooms for 5 days ?

 

[Manfred Lopez]

i have the perfect, perfect idea. duh, shouldve thought this before. thethe, go to wburg, post a flyer looking for a loft space rental...

That sounds like a great idea. Sometimes, though, the people in Williamsburg think that they are in park avenue (I used to live there). So some might want a higher fee, especially if it drags on more than a "fun / something-different" day. By the way, thanks for the answers.

 

[Shawn Nelson]

Lol, the title of this thread made me think there'd be requests like "expendables needed: fresh satin throw, three flavors of lubricant..."

 

[Manfred Lopez]

what is your budget or how much youy willing to spend for 2 rooms for 5 days ?

The budget is loooow... And what complicates matters is that it's an international shoot (a really bad combination). Basically we are shooting in Mexico in several parts, and also in Manhattan for a few days. Although we are still technically open to seeking more financing, I've decided to bite the bullet and just shoot this thing. We have just about enough cash and equipment to go ahead. However, there are still some things that are undecided... like the shooting format. And this is driving me nuts.

Basically we have 3 options:


1. SHOOT RED (by renting)

----- PROS: As if I have to say...

----- CONS: Unknown issues popping up scares me at our budget level. We'll be far, far away from anywhere where someone could rescue us with a replacement camera. Also... it bothers me to pay a rental fee that is almost as much as the camera itself. inch:


2. SHOOT SUPER 16mm

----- PROS: We already own the camera and equipment to go with it. Also we can get film stock at 50% off through a sibling of mine who is in college. Just for the record, that be about $5,000 for an entire feature!

----- CONS: To do a DI is still expensive... although I am looking at Pixel Harvest, who claim to do an entire feature scan at 2K for only $5,000!


3. SHOOT HXV200 with REDROCK

----- PROS: We also have this camera and it is cheeeaap to use. Also, the image is acceptable if push comes to shove and we need the budget resources in other areas. (I'd much rather have an indie feature in HD with a name actor than a pristine 4K one with all unknowns... and that's just being realistic of the market place).

----- CONS: Purchasing the Redrock M2 and Zeiss Planar T and Distagon T lenses would be getting pretty close to the film stock cost and processing. And if we rent them, then again I would hate to pay a rental price that is close to the purchase price.


***

So, to answer your question: I rather pay the least amount of money that I can for a casting space so I can devote more $$ to other areas.

 

[jaadgy akanni]

TheThe, cheick your mail, I just PM'd you.

 

[krd]

2. SHOOT SUPER 16mm

----- PROS: We already own the camera and equipment to go with it. Also we can get film stock at 50% off through a sibling of mine who is in college. Just for the record, that be about $5,000 for an entire feature!

----- CONS: To do a DI is still expensive... although I am looking at Pixel Harvest, who claim to do an entire feature scan at 2K for only $5,000!

If you don't already know, one relatively cheap alternate route in S16mm is transferring the negative to HDCAMSR. Then do your DI and (if needed or called for) the 35mm film-out. It's been done this way many times before and with production budgets much larger than yours. Very good results on 35mm.

As for the casting thing, there *is* a very cheap alternative. If the weather is warm enough, try Central Park or the semi-public atriums scattered around Manhattan. I believe there's a heated one in the east 50s. You wouldn't be the first to do it this way. In one notable case, Christopher Munch cast "The Hours and the Times" in a public park in London. He got some terrific performances. You never know....

 

[jaadgy akanni]

1. SHOOT RED (by renting)

----- PROS: As if I have to say...

----- CONS: Unknown issues popping up scares me at our budget level. We'll be far, far away from anywhere where someone could rescue us with a replacement camera. Also... it bothers me to pay a rental fee that is almost as much as the camera itself. inch:

Wow, I'm surprised you have so little faith in RED at this point. C'mon, shoot with RED, everything will be alright:biggrin: As far as rental, have you spoken with Vladimir Eugene about renting his? I think he's gotta a pretty good deal. Speak to him, you might find it pretty doable.

Hey, is this gonna be in English? just curious.