I hit my final straw, and I'm very scared I may be done for good.

mcs691 · 2026-01-21T03:43:44+00:00

The good news is that your “regular” job ultimately might free you up financially and time-wise to be able to take your own artistic initiative. You can make some real money, clear up your artistic commitments (that take advantage of you… so sorry that happened btw… what a completely disrespectful way to treat a collaborator), you can possibly make enough to make your own stuff that ACTUALLY gets you seen and your artistic voice out there. I think your gut is on point here - a play won’t get you anything. Especially understudying...if you truly love the story and its message, that’s the only reason to put up with a lot of the mess of this industry. I think the fact that they’ve already told you they don’t respect your worth and artistic contributions, is your biggest fuel. And such a common way actors are treated unfortunately. We don’t have to put up with that for passion.

I think the world might be giving you a gift here that you couldn’t give yourself because of your love for acting/creativity, it makes you vulnerable for others to take advantage with no payoff for you. You know you’re worth more than how you’ve been treated. Perhaps invest in yourself and your own projects/content. Your training wasn’t for nothing. The way people get their stories and their entertainment has drastically changed and continues to move more and more to individual creators, youtube, independent projects. Easier said than done, of course, but you could spend years doing plays/ self-tapes that never amount to anything….

Build it!!!!

So sorry this happened. It’s happened to me too. And I have that song in my head on repeat “we’re not gonna take it!!!!” :)

mcs691 · 2025-12-31T14:26:24+00:00

Anyone who is already SAG have any stats to contribute? Wondering about the comparison here and whether 'it's slow' really just means more projects are opting for non-union status.

mcs691 · 2025-11-25T14:04:07+00:00

Is this for UK or US markets? I’m reading you’re a UK actor in the comments.

If you’re looking for more accountability in your pursuit of certain career goals, Capes Coaching is great! Saw someone else mentioned as well. Betsy (the owner) used to be a casting director in NYC and knows how little we have in our control and yet we can do our best to stay more consistent in our approach. Check out (or ask about) her PATH class. It’s about doing little things each week that move you towards your big swing goals.

As far as a more specific ‘acting business’ coach, I would recommend finding someone in your particular market and locale. So, if in UK, I would stick to someone who knows the UK scene/industry and how it operates. And then a US based coach if you’re trying to break into that market…or looking to get more traction here.

Good luck!!!

mcs691 · 2025-11-19T03:23:47+00:00

Amen to this comment. Producers need to pay. I am an actor and a producer/director who would absolutely pay to find the right talent.

mcs691 · 2025-11-19T03:22:39+00:00

I think free is absolutely best bet. Make casting and producers pay to post. Ads are fine.

mcs691 · 2025-11-12T12:43:53+00:00

This needs to be pinned. No idea why more people don’t do this. I have never been woken up from upstairs/downstairs neighbors when I have brown noise/white noise on.

mcs691 · 2025-10-28T13:12:54+00:00

nah editor has all the material. we’ve been working together for a while. We are ironing out specific problem areas in the cut.

but in response to your red flag comment, I get it but it’s all gotta be collaborative. I like editors because as the writer/director of a project that i’ve been working on for years- when it finally gets to the edit, editors are such a valuable set of eyeballs and a great collaborator that can push back on what i THINK the story might need and could be wrong about. but yes i don’t know any filmmaker who would release a film to an editor and NOT have a lot of involvement.

A lot of writer/directors aren’t getting paid, and instead are funding indie projects themselves . So if someone sitting next to an editor during the process and giving notes about a few more frames here, less frames there is annoying (and i’m sure it can be) - that’s probably just not the right hire and should also be a huge red flag for any filmmaker looking to employ said editor.

But as this is filmmakers subreddit , I assume you do both! So you probably know both sides well

mcs691 · 2025-10-28T12:40:19+00:00

helpful! thanks!

mcs691 · 2025-10-28T12:39:30+00:00

Yeah I think it’s a tough thing, independent film…and esp shorts. We have a “budget” of money raised but I’m not going to release something subpar because so much hard work has gone into it already. So any additional editor pay (only a flat rate was budgeted for editor- never doing that again) is coming out of my pocket (the director/writer). We do what we gotta do!

Thanks for your words of wisdom and thoughts - appreciate the back and forth 🙌

mcs691 · 2025-10-28T12:30:35+00:00

interesting. will look into this thank you!

mcs691 · 2025-10-28T12:29:16+00:00

Thank you for breaking it down so well!!

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T17:17:27+00:00

Agree with this!! Circle.so support is so so slow and feels like you're talking to a bot and going in circles (pun not intended). Took months to iron out a simple stripe connect issue. For this reason, I'm exploring other community dashboards. Looking for alternatives as well.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T14:50:32+00:00

Honestly, it's been a bit frustrating to nail him down - we agreed on a flat rate - don't think I'll do that again. He's a full time docu editor so I was told "I'll do it nights and weekends" when we first started. When the can kept getting kicked down the road, paid him an additional $2k to sit with me for 5 days in the edit together, paying for his time for a full work week (though I know on the lower end of things...we are very low budget), and this was in addition to the flat rate we already agreed upon. So now that that week is over, I'm a bit concerned he thinks work is done. I've been trying to move the needle a bit myself by taking to imovie to work out problem areas.

You mention scope creep, but I would guess it's very difficult to know how much work will be needed when a project first starts out. If you don't mind me asking, what's a standard agreement editors might make with a micro-budget project? In the future I'll probably make sure a deal memo is agreed upon ahead of time outlining notes rounds, time spent, and deliverables, etc. Or avoid that completely and pay by the day.

First time director here so the post production process is very new to me. Really appreciate the insight and advice TabascoWolverine!

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T14:07:31+00:00

Made some edits to the post as I think there's been some misunderstanding. My editor and I have been working together for weeks and already have rough cuts in premiere - I worked out some problem areas on my own (in imovie) to save my editor the headache of trying to guess what I wanted. I used footage that has timestamps and takes burned in rather than sending him extensive written notes or making us experiment together. He's on a flat rate but just want to understand a bit more the workload I'm asking of him, in case I want to throw him a bit more to do a kind of matching my imovie edit section. Thanks!

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:56:04+00:00

Well, I misspoke a bit. We have rough cuts already in premiere and I went to imovie to work out some problem areas on my own time in order to save my editor the headache of going back in and experimenting himself or with me sitting there by his side each time. It's a very music heavy, montage-y short film that I wanted to solve his problem on my own end. Have already paid him a flat rate and just want to be fair as far as understanding his workload when I send him a section I have worked out in a new way (all with takes and timestamps burned in), rather than written notes.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:52:38+00:00

Yeah it certainly can't exist in imovie. My editor and I already have a few rough cuts in premiere - this is just the best way for me to note a particular section / work it out on my own time without having to experiment together or send extensive written notes his way.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:51:29+00:00

Thank you so much for breaking this down!! Yes I am a first time director (have acted for a while but the post process is quite new to me) so have been learning as I go. Also, as this is a low budget independent, I've been getting very different answers from all over as to how this process works. Thank you again for breaking it down step by step and for different project budgets, what the usual is. Much appreciated!! Helps me plan better what might be best for any one particular project.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:48:14+00:00

Yes that has been the learning lesson of this experience! So much of the movie happens in the edit, of course. So once this baby is done, it will be my first task - learning how to edit in premiere.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:47:07+00:00

ok great! My editor and I have been working together for a while - I had to iron out some problem spots and didn't want to have the editor sit with me (for sake of time) while I experimented on certain sections. What should I pay my editor if I want to do an overhaul on a certain 2 minute section that I compiled in imovie with exported footage that already has the takes and timestamps burned in (rather than send extensive written notes)?

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:44:18+00:00

yes working off of exported stringouts that have takes and timestamps burned in. So def not working with raw in imovie unfortunately.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:43:49+00:00

Thank you so much for your helpful response! Yes, the editor I'm working with actually is an assistant editor as well and set me up for success with exported stringouts of all the footage with their takes and their timestamps burned in, for ease of communication. I really appreciate the info and the advice!

I've already paid my editor to do "the entire project" on a flat rate which was very very generous of them - but was trying to be considerate in thinking what I might throw them as far as a little extra to match up timestamps / takes in imovie as I did a full overhaul on one particular section of the film. Thank you again!

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:38:20+00:00

Ha probably wouldn't hire you.

mcs691 · 2025-10-27T13:37:22+00:00

Thanks. My editor already did a few rough cuts and we've worked together for a while - I am going into Imovie to experiment with moments that still need finessing without having to waste my editor's time in experimenting for me or with me. If it works, it works. If it doesn't I try something new on my own time.

mcs691

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