Directing the Audition
(c) Peter D. Marshall
Casting is the “bottleneck” of the film industry. It’s a place
where both sides of the table have only a few minutes to make
choices – choices that can affect all of our careers.
The Casting session (the “audition”) can be a terrifying place
for any actor. It takes a lot of guts to walk into a small,
windowless room and have 5 – 10 minutes to “show your stuff”
in front of complete strangers.
But it’s just as tough for the Director as well! How can we
correctly decide, in less than 10 minutes, who is right for a
particular part?
Actors, by the very nature of their profession, need to be
vulnerable in order to express their deepest emotions.
Remember to treat all actors with the utmost of respect – just
like your crew and the general public.
Also, please make sure the Reader is either an actor or at
least someone who will put an effort into reading the scene
with emotion. This will help the actor during their audition
and also give you a better idea of the actor’s abilities.
NOTE: Casting sessions are not just to pick actors for a role
they are also a very useful way to improve your script. When
you listen to actors performing a scene in the script, you get
a real feel for the words and how they flow when different
actors read the same scenes.
You can see (or hear) what works and what doesn’t. It’s from
the casting session that many of your script changes will
happen.
(1) The Audition (Casting Session)
1. Actors should be scheduled every 10 minutes, but some
auditions will be shorter or longer depending on the director.
2. When the actor comes into the room, there is usually a
cameraperson, the reader, the director, the casting director
and producers.
3. Before the actor begins, the cameraperson records their
name, the role they are reading for and their agency.
4. The director asks them if they have any questions. He
should then show them the area of the room where they can
freely move around.
5. The camera starts and the director calls action for the
first take.
6. The director makes an adjustment (change of objective) with
the actor.
7. The camera starts and the director calls action for the
second take.
8. The director thanks the actor. The casting director tells
them they will be contacted if there is a callback. When the
actor leaves the room, the director and producers make their
notes.
9. The next actor is brought in and the process repeats.
10. At the end of the casting session, the director, casting
director and producers compare notes and decide on a short
list for the first callback session. For this first callback
session, the director will usually want 3 – 4 actors to come
back for each role.
(2) Reviewing Auditions
The most important thing to remember when auditioning actors,
is to “Cast for performance first, and look second.”
Whether you review the auditions just from your notes or from
looking at the tapes, here’s what to pay attention to before
deciding on who to callback:
1. Assessing the performance: Look at both the actor’s
physical characteristics and their acting abilities
2. Critique the performance: Judge the strengths and
weaknesses of the actor’s performance from the director’s
adjustment. (Was the performance believable?)
3. Type casting vs performance casting: Think outside the box
when it comes to actors portraying characters
4. Character Relationships: Which actors could play well
together?
5. Decisions to be made for the callback:
– Which new scene should be used
– What qualities to look for in each actor
– Which actors are the best match (good chemistry)
– Where to raise the stakes (adjustments and subtext)
(3) First Callback
Callbacks are a little different than an audition. This is
where the director wants to spend more time working with the
actors. You also want to pair the actors up and watch the
chemistry between them. Budget about 10-15 minutes per
session.
You also want all the actors to show up at the same time so
the director can mix-and-match actors as he sees fit. And if
you can, you should also choose different scenes for them to
perform then they did for the first audition.
The most important job a director needs to do before a
callback, is to make a list of the actors he wants to read
together. Depending on their schedules, you want the first
actors that read for you to be the ones you are most
interested in. If they work out, those first reads are the
standard by which you can gauge the other actors’
performances.
1. The director tells the casting director which 2 actors he
wants for each session. When the 2 actors come into the room,
there will be a cameraperson, the casting director, the
director and the producers.
2. Before the actors begin, the cameraperson records their
names and the roles they are reading for.
3. The director asks them if they have any questions. He then
shows them the area of the room where they can move around
freely. The director may also add additional props for the
scene.
4. The camera starts and the director calls action for the
first take.
5. The director makes an adjustment (change of objectives)
with the 2 actors.
6. The camera starts and the director calls action for the
second take.
7. The director thanks the actors and asks them to go back to
the waiting room. When the actors leave the room, the director
and producers make their notes.
8. The director tells the producer which 2 actors he wants for
the next session. The next 2 actors are brought in and the
process repeats.
9. At the end of the session, the director and producers
compare notes and decide on a short list for the second
callback session. For this last session, the director will
want the top 2 actor choices to come back for each role.
(4) Second Callback
This final callback is where you now have 2 actors competing
for each role and you have paired the actors up so you can
watch the chemistry between them. Budget about 15-20 minutes
per session.
Like the first callback, the actors all show up at the same
time so you can mix-and-match actors as you see fit. You
should also choose two scenes for them to perform together if
possible.
1. The audition process is the same as the First Callback
session.
2. At the end of the session, the director, casting director
and producers compare notes and decide on the cast.
3. Always pick a second choice for each character in case your
first choice gets sick or becomes otherwise unavailable.
(5) What’s Next?
After the actors have been approved, the director will want to
have a read through with them and then start the rehearsal
process.
Copyright (c) 2011 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
Recent Comments