I was contacted today on Instagram by a filmmaker who is shooting a short film in Atlanta. Somehow, she ran across my profile online, thought I had a great look and asked if I would be interested in being in her short film. After getting my email address, she sent me the specifics for the project. It wasn’t clear at first, but it looked as if the role was background, which is something I do not do. It didn’t fit the rules I have for myself on what projects I accept.
The Three Rules
As a general rule, I evaluate all potential acting jobs very carefully based on three key criteria before accepting any role. Projects must meet a minimum of two of the three below:
Career Development
Early in my acting career, I took on a few background roles and extra work to gain familiarity with being on a professional set. Now that I have acquired that basic on-set experience, I am very selective about the projects I take on. My priority is principal, speaking roles that allow me to fully demonstrate my abilities on camera. The resulting footage can then be used for my acting reel and to get me considered for more substantive roles going forward. While background work provides a paycheck, it does not provide the career-building material that I now need at this stage to continue growing as an actor.
Compensation
Like most actors, I cannot afford to work for free on a regular basis. I have set a reasonable minimum acceptable day rate for my time commitment and experience level. While I remain open to negotiating rates or deferring pay for passion projects or roles that check other boxes, the baseline pay still factors heavily into any decision. Unpaid and low paying background work does not meet my current financial needs.
Personal Fulfillment
I am drawn to projects that resonate with me personally or provide a new creative opportunity. For example, I may accept an unpaid or low-paying role in a short film if the script is compelling and allows me to stretch my acting skills. Building relationships with emerging directors and producers can also pay dividends down the road. However, the project needs to fulfill a creative need to justify little or no pay.
Simon Shih 