General Information

Yes, BCActing does not operate as a company. BCActing does not have a bank account and, therefore, does not collect or accept any donations. But as a consequence, you have to take care of your wardrobe, makeup, etc.

At this time, we're operating from Coquitlam, B.C. We hope that as time passes, we will be able to establish BCShorts filming teams in other locations in British Columbia to help everyone.

No. We're not funding projects. We facilitate the development and whole process of movie making, but we're not involved in commercial work. All of the work we do is on a volunteer basis.

No, BCActing is not an acting school, we do not provide training, but we can suggest a number of reputable acting schools in British Columbia that are a good choice for Young actors.

No, BCActing is not a movie studio or a production company, we might work with a movie studio or a production company on bigger projects. We facilitate production, but all work is produced by actors, their parents and professional filmmakers.

After recording a scene, it can take a week or more before it is edited, synchronized with audio and color-corrected. For short movies it can take longer.

Sorry, we do not accept financial donations. We're not affiliated with any private or public institution. We will never ask anyone for any funding.

Sorry, we do not accept equipment donations. We have our equipment, and some of our volunteers have their equipment as well. If you can borrow the equipment for a specific project, then that's completely ok. But we will never take any material profit from running the BCShorts project ourselves.

Sorry, professional training from one of the recognized acting schools in British Columbia is a pre-requirement. There are a lot of things that come into recording, even the most straightforward scene, and there's not much time to explain things. While we take it slow, we move at half speed how things are on a real set, it is reserved for trained young actors. We're happy to work with you then.

The copyright is jointly owned by all individuals involved in creating the movie. BCActing manages the copyright on their behalf but can not transfer it to any third party. BCActing does not run accounting - therefore, all individuals, before starting the production, agree to donate all potential profits to a selected charity in British Columbia.

You certainly will not get any money for any volunteering you do while contributing to the BCShorts but ... you will get a lot of thank you ... a lot of networking opportunities ... and a lot of fun.

No. Volunteering on BCShorts projects is completely optional. You still have access to the forum and other parts of the website. Although projects you work on will increase your profile and visibility. 

It is completely up to you. If you are a makeup artist and have 1 hour, you can come and help young actors with the makeup, or if you have 30 minutes to review a script in the evening and provide feedback to young actors/writers, that's enough. But if you're behind the camera, then the usual shot is between two and four hours in the evening or over the weekend.

We're happy to work with all unions to ensure everyone's well-being. We need to ensure that young actors have enough breaks according to the ACTRA rules. Therefore, the filming should be slower and more relaxed. Remember, for many young actors, it is the first contact with the camera, do not ruin it. All sets are with minors, so you are expected to behave appropriately. 

Many young actors who are just starting their careers have not secured representation. You can use the materials that you've created to pitch your work to potential agents. Everything depends on you and how much effort you put in your craft.

No. We focus on the dramatic work. Commercials require different skillset. Also, commercial work is, by definition, done for profit, and we're operating not for profit. 

The idea or concept is not enough. We can work on a 12-17 page script that has already been written and turn it into a movie that can be shot, but we'll not write a script from scratch. Before you approach BCShorts, you need to put your work in and have the first draft ready.

We cannot shoot any rip-offs of existing movies or scenes from movies that were already made. We need to respect the copyright, and it is unlikely that you will get permission from the original copyright holder, so we will pass.

We ensure no distinct logos are displayed in the movies and scenes we record. I know your uncle might be running this auto dealership, and they would love to have their logo presented in the movie, but we have to pass on this. We cannot risk any of the material being flagged for copyright violation or being considered a commercial. The only thing we're advertising is the talent of the filmmakers.

Please ask your parents to reach out to us at info@bcacting.com. An individual younger than 13 years old should not have a social media account. Your parents might need to create and control the account on your behalf. Such accounts have to be set up manually and will have some limitations - depending on what your parents decide. You cannot use the standard registration form at this time.

Yes, but consider if you should join as a young talent or as a filmmaker. If you need access to the forum and a job board for filmmakers, you should rather join as an adult and volunteer on projects. The forum is the part of the website that is not exposed to minors. 

Yes, absolutely. If you already have an agent, as many of our young actors do, then you're most than welcome to join and make movies with your colleagues. Still, please reach out to your agent before doing so, as she/he must know what kind of projects you're involved with, and she/he might wish to register as well and have a look at your work as soon as it's ready and provide some suggestions to you. He/she might even have some more ideas to try and pitch you to casting directors.

As much as we would like to help in this matter, we do not have the means to do that on such short notice. You are advised to use one of the Acting Schools facilities for this purpose. They not only have the right setup but also always provide an acting coach and are available on short notice. Feel free to contact other young actors through BCActing chat if you're in a rush and need a reader. 

That's a tough one, we know, but we do not offer referrals. We believe that your work is your best business card. If you are a young talent and register as Self-Represented, then your work will be visible to all registered agents. You do the rest to get noticed.

At a minimum, if you don't volunteer, you get access to the job board, a general discussion forum with other verified members of the community and the satisfaction of being part of something bigger. If you volunteer, you will also get a lot of Thank You.

If your talent is participating in the BCShorts, then you can view the work immediately as it is created - you do not have to wait three months before the project is finished. Once the scene is recorded, you can see it a week later. And if you're looking for a fresh talent for your roster, who knows, you can miss on the next big future star if you decide to pass.

Over the last few years, the industry relied on self-tapes and headshots to make essential casting decisions. But what if you had a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the talent on a scene-by-scene basis as it is created? This website intentionally does not rely on headshots - there's no place for uploading a polished photo - it is just work and craft. With any young actor, you're taking a risk, but this initiative provides a safe and easy way to train and test the next generation of actors in a safe, friendly and stress-free environment, so actors who appear on the first real big set are seasoned from day one, we believe it's a logical next step that would place British Columbia ahead of other places where movies are made.

No, using the so-called generative AI to create scripts or scenes is not allowed. The view of the industry is clear in this matter, and it is considered stealing and copyright violation. 

Unfortunately, not at the moment. We also need to use the same gear for our personal self-tapes. If we have more equipment in the future, then yes.

Yes, we realize that for various reasons, young actors might be unable to finish the project. Such situations can occur, and they have severe consequences for the project, resulting in additional work required from other cast and crew members. By removing yourself from the project, you're no longer a member of the cast and/or crew. Therefore, your copyright is automatically transferred to the remaining cast and crew members working on the project. They will have to decide if to release the footage you've already recorded, grant you the right of use for the materials, and determine whether the footage will be used in the final project.

As scenes are filmed in non-sequential order, you must maintain the same appearance throughout the project. Changing your appearance, for example, changing the colour of your hair, cutting your hair, or shaving has the same consequences as removing yourself from the project.

Filming of a short movie takes about 10-12 half-days. An actor is expected to contribute between 3 and 8 days. The pre-production and post-production take between 1-2 months each.