I just finished reading your latest “The Actors Voice” article titled “Footage Is Footage.” The comments you made for your readers were spot on. Any actor who doesn’t take advantage of the technology that’s out there these days is foolish, at best.

Now, however, may I take it a step further?

If an actor is going to do all of the work necessary to “tool up” the production of a short film, why not go all out and simply MAKE A FEATURE FILM? I’m as serious as a heart attack.

The advantages of doing this are enormous. First off, with a completed feature you can enter them in the film festival circuit — talk about a great way to meet agents, directors, producers, writers, and other fellow thespians.

Secondly, they are able to see you playing a character role that can be completely flushed out, unlike in a little five- to fifteen-minute short. Here, an actor can create and exploit the character role that is “perfect for them” with all of the strengths that you will usually not find when auditioning for someone else’s movie.

Thirdly — and this is most important — they will have a “product that they can sell!” I mean, have you heard of “The Shorts Channel?” Nope. Why? There’s no money in shorts. However, feature films are something else all together, right? Independent features are more and more popular every day.

So, in a nutshell, here’s my point: If an actor is going to produce a film that features themselves, why do a short when you can just as easily make a FEATURE FILM?

BTW, this is why I’ve started the “1-Day $99 Film School,” a seminar where I teach aspiring actors, writers, and others, how to make their low-budget movie (from $10,000 to $100,000) and I do it in ONE DAY and for ONLY $99. No film school theory, just the information necessary for ANYONE to go off and make that movie they’ve always dreamed of making.

If your readers are interested, here is the web site: 1DayFilmSchool.com.