The fees you earn from the production company are negotiable, but avoid making unrealistic demands. If you do, you may hear that adage that is all too familiar in Hollywood: "Don't call us, we'll call you."
The IRS allows you to rent out your house for up to 14 days per year tax free. After that, your earnings will count as income.
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Get in touch with your local film commission
Most state governments have set up commissions to encourage filmmakers to shoot there and to help homeowners who would like their residences to be considered as a location. The website for the California Film Commission at www.film.ca.gov contains information on how to market your home and provides a list of regional film offices.
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Be prepared for what you're getting into
Are you the kind of person who flips out if the cleaning lady moves a vase on your carefully composed coffee table? Do you ask your friends to remove their shoes before they walk on your parquet floors? Does the thought of 50 to 100 strangers in your home cause you to hyperventilate? If so, getting your house in the movies may not be for you. You can have the most respectful crew in the history of Hollywood and there will still be occasional nicks and scuffs.
Cameron Kelley and Jim Grace recently rented out their 100-year-old home in Koreatown for a film being directed by Christopher Nolan ("Memento," "Batman Begins"). Kelley and Grace were amazed to see their elegant home, a registered cultural landmark, transformed into a seedy, late 19th century London slum -- "residences" of the stars of "The Prestige," Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.
Their home's rich woodwork was aged and made to look like it was cracking and peeling. The beautifully plastered walls were covered with decaying wallpaper, and dusty antique props filled every nook and cranny.
This was the first time Kelley and Grace had rented out their beloved home for a film shoot, and they found the experience to be an emotional rollercoaster.
"If you're a control freak or a neat freak, don't do it," Kelley warned.
"We knew they'd restore everything to its original condition, but it was still nerve-wracking to see what they were doing to our house," Grace said. "Next time, we might leave the country for the duration!"
