There are several reasons why I no longer work on films partially or entirely shot in Thailand. The examples I have given are not slander and should not discredit anyone (even if it is true)…
On Sunday I got a call from members of the stunt team I used to work with. I must say that the Thai stunt teams are very good, very pleasant to work with and very professional. Despite the fact that security standards there are not the same as in the West, they get the job done, and faster than others. Many older stuntmen have experience working with Hong Kong teams.
They wanted me to do a two-day audition for a film that would shoot for a week. Two days of auditioning for a minor role. This would never happen in the West, except in exceptional cases.
Plus, the director wanted me to come to him so he could take a look at my acting skills. I replied that I didn’t have time today (it was already late, and it would take three hours to drive to Bangkok), and said that I would email them my biography and the latest showreel, thereby reminding the director of several big names, with whom I have worked previously. This would be enough for a larger film, and even more so for a small one.
The next day they called me again: the director wanted to meet with me at 12 noon, but I needed to find free time. When will I be free? As I often do, I sat silently, staring at the wall, and thought about what I had to do in the next 7 hours. Three hours to get there, three hours back, and an hour for the interview.
Quite rightly, I told them that I would work for half a day's pay (at the rates previously discussed) plus travel expenses. This took them by surprise. Bad sign. I don’t like working with stingy payers, because collecting the money owed to you from such people is very problematic.
After some brief negotiations before auditioning for a role they were desperate to find a suitable candidate for, I was asked to wait in the back seat of a car for a full six hours. I again politely hinted that I am not only the biggest actor in Thailand, but also the biggest man in Thailand, and of all the foreign actors, I have the most experience in Thailand.
At 5 o’clock in the evening they called me and informed me that there was no need to come to the set tomorrow, the director decided to go “another way”... Maybe this happened because I don’t crawl on my knees for roles, like others do. Maybe it was a reaction to my overconfidence that I would be right for this role, which had to be prepared for less than 48 hours before the start of filming (I mean, if this role was so important, why did they need to delay the casting until the last moment?). Maybe the co-production company rejected my participation due to several payment disagreements that began after the agreement was reached, and they decided not to hire me. I'm not sure and don't really want to spend time finding out why.
Whatever the reasons, it annoys me when people treat me as if I should give up everything for someone I've never met, for a role I have no information about, and which will do almost nothing for my career. nothing but a little extra income. Filming and making films should be a team effort, and no one member of the team is more important than the rest. The director is in charge on the set, but electrical engineers, stuntmen, cameramen, actors, etc. are also important. Naturally, some people are easier to replace than others, but if one person doesn't do their job, the film won't get made. If the team works together and gives their best, then the film will be made faster, with fewer problems and better quality.
However, I again want to thank the stuntmen who continually do their best in what can sometimes be called “difficult circumstances.” In the words of one of the stunt team leaders, “It’s just another movie, you finish working on it, and you put the DVD on the shelf.”
Author: Conan Stevens
Source: conanstevens.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
Hmm, maybe they will offer him filming from other countries, maybe then he will change his mind, since they have such a debriefing there.