unforum

[Mrkingofspades]

Having trouble

[konamouse]

Local high school or community college drama club.

[Mrkingofspades]

Thank you for moving it to the correct thread!
Sorry I looked around but didn't see the help thread.

I tried to ask a few people I know from my old high school, I'm in college now, and no one was interested. I live in the mountains and finding people to help might be a damn pain! Haha.

[OhWhatProvidence]

* <ins>OhWhatProvidence</ins> * grumbles incessently about how newbie PMs never seem to understand that making an ARG with video elements means that you need to know how to direct/produce as you would a TV show or film. All of which you can learn on google in about an hour.

FIRST OFF: Learn how to type up a proper casting call. Write your casting call, with summary. Give incentive- ALWAYS provide food, especially if you can't pay your actors. I seriously cannot stress this enough. FEED YOUR ACTORS. Maybe toss them $10 for gas.

Write out the whole story, start to finish. Have an aprox. enddate/endgame. You're pitching this story to the actors, especially if you won't be paying them. Your story needs to be presentable. If you can, have them send demo reels or hold a cattle call audition. Just... act professional. Know your shit. You can learn this stuff with one, two hours on google.

Now. Will you be videoing your actors? Have cameras ready. Will it be first person? Yes? Then explain that to them. Bring up stuff like Blair Witch, Home Movie, explain clearly what found footage is all about and why you feel this story would be best told in that format.

SECONDLY: Making an ARG with video elements is the same as making any other sort of music video/film/tv show/webseries and your actors would be treated with the same amount of respect/professionalism as if they were acting in said music video/film/tv show. They're putting their heart and soul into this.

And I know you might roll your eyes and say 'but that doesn't matter because I don't have any background in theater/film' and well, neither do I. I went into it having no idea what I was doing and that's part of why my project failed. But even then, I researched. How do you make a film? How do I explain the interactive part to my actors, in ways they can understand? How did ZED.TO do it, how did I Love Bees do it? How does Immersive Theater work and what elements can I use from that to simplify the process of making this ARG work? How does filmmaking work? Do I want to focus more on the film side, or the puzzle side- is it going to be an ARG with film elements, or a web series with occasional interactive elements? How am I going to write the story in such a way as to provide for the interactive elements not going as expected-- but still come across as professional and put-together? (Tip: Write it as a CYOA story, and give a bit of 'forced interactivity' where the players pretty much decide outcome A or outcome B)

SCRIPT THINGS. I really cannot stress this enough. Even if it's something simple like [Taylor, in improv'd dialogue, explains her backstory], give the actors something to read, take home, take notes on. So you don't call Action! and end up with a bunch of fish mouths. (Also, again, give your actors all the info on their characters that you can- even if it won't show up in the story proper, like blood type or favorite show/book- if you're going to have any sort of improv interactions with the players- players will ask some of the dumbest shit and the actors NEED to know how to have their characters respond.)

Make your project interesting, let the actors have a say (one of our actresses for an older project of mine actually got so into character she decided to keep a daily diary for the character that we were then able to send to a player, and another came up with a whole other storyline for their character that the co-producer and I had overlooked) . Explain that they're going to get to actually call/text the players and have fun fucking around with them (if they're evil), which is always a fun acting exercise.

TL;DR: Make your story interesting, make your pitch exciting, be professional. Plan for everything, and then go back, pick it apart and plan again. FEED YOUR ACTORS. THEY GET HUNGRY.

[Mrkingofspades]

Thanks for your reply, but you see, I am a little experienced in writing projects and putting them together. The story is still in development now. I was just having trouble finding actors because it is something I cannot pay actors for, I don't make that much money, and I also live about 30 or so minutes away from the city where I am looking for actors, so things aren't going well convincing people to drive up here. And even when I found a few people that wanted to help, they planned to come up, but never showed.

Your advice was really helpful though, thank you.

[bluesylvia]

[Crescent]

Q: why do they have to come to you?
If it is a required environment - can you re-create it elsewhere - somewhere more central - or set dress a place - or, worst case scenario - lose 'environment' in filming and then add sounds and 'bad filming' to cover up the aspects you can't see... ["I'm in the school now - damn - why has the power gone [cue sound of school bell etc...]
IF the place you are in is essential, meet them elsewhere first - encourage the project by discussing it in a large public 'safe' place first and reassure them you're a good person!

If, as you have put it, it is getting the actors I the first place - then call round your local drama groups which you will help in return [write bits, help with script rehearsals etc for their projects later in the year etc.]
School/college/university drama groups are always wanting experience to put in their cv.s

politely contact the people who said they would and ask them why no show - LISTEN to the reasons they give - don't be defensive - just LISTEN - a hard lesson I learned when I did similar once.

finally - ask relatives and workmates - make it into a party game if its a one off filming - do a murder mystery night and explain that the characters are also going to be filmed and used in project for...

Good luck

[Mrkingofspades]

I had a few people come help me out, so thanks for your guy's advice.

I am having a little trouble writing the story a bit though, it is my first time writing a story for this style of film. I know how I want the story to go and how I want it to play out and certain plot points, but I am having trouble thinking of stuff to put in between. In the beginning I have a few things to start the plot, but without revealing everything right away, I am having trouble moving things forward and leaving that mysteriousness and all of the questions. Any advice for that?

That question might have been confusing and I am sorry if it was. Everyones' help has been much appreciated thus far.

[bluesylvia]

It might help if you didn't try to do it all yourself. ARGs run by a single person often implode. You should try to bring a friend in and then they can help to divide the costs as well as give you someone to brainstorm and work with you once you've begun the ARG.