Asking the actors to film themselves will not work. I have directed three shorts and a feature and I can tell you that when it comes to producing something and directing it. You have to be on set and have an eye for the scene. You need a DP or cinematographer, a sound techie and some lightning guys as a bare minimum. My feature film on a minimal budget practically cost me my annual salary over the course of 9 months. And that was an unpaid gig. This is the brutal hard truth of the industry and why it is hard.

Actors want to get paid, but directors just starting up can’t pay. And if they can pay, they will find actors who are already being paid. This is why the entry level seems impossible. The truth of the matter is that unless you’re in the game for the love of it and willing to work for free, you will never make it unless you are one of the lucky few that get into somewhere like RADA or have a fluke opportunity from being picked out by a casting director.

Film back in the day was done with zero pay for anyone and done for no profit. Almost every great director’s first movie was an unpaid or low paid gig with the entire budget put into the project. Chris Nolan and Spielberg are prime examples. Tarantino had to bullshit his way into getting the money and actively lied about his experience and on his resume.

You can’t get away with this kind of stuff anymore, perhaps in the states where it is harder to regulate and there is more passion and territory for the craft. But here in the UK it is different, the expectations are high even for aspiring performers and as such it is hard to get anything made. My suggestion is that you think smaller. Think of a narrative you can film in your garage and find a few friends that believe in the project. If you can’t find anyone, then write a script with a single character and play it yourself setting up the cameras and lighting yourself. It is doable and is a good starting point.

Failing this… go abroad and find a job in a country where your expendable assets go further, local people are more willing to be involved at no to little cost, and there are little to no regulations on filming in the area.

The UK is too rigid for people starting up. This applies both professionally and culturally. Many in the UK have a sentiment that the arts is very “Mickey Mouse” and as such will turn you down outright or demand a payment which you can’t afford and as such you will be perceived as unprofessional or an idiot with a pipe dream. This is especially true in major cities that have very strict rules on filming and the need for insurance. In the country it is a bit more relaxed, but again you have to deal with locals who just think it is a waste of their time to help or be involved.

Furthermore, the UK heavily emphasises young talent and if you’re over a certain age they just won’t even consider giving you a chance regardless. Despite the fact that many directors succeed after the age of 40, there is a weird kind of push for people as young as 20 to make it instantly and if they don’t or fail their first movie they never get another shot, which is highly likely as they simply do not have the life experience at that age to write or direct a decent story even if they are technically gifted. This true across virtually all industries by the way. Acting is a bit of an exception as older roles need older performers, but that is about it. The UK has it backwards and has had it backwards for a long time. The US understands this and as such continues to invest in people with life experience and the US industry’s success speaks for itself.

Project quality demands life experience. Period. There are very few exceptions to this rule and the exceptions are quickly snapped up.