Preparing for the Casting Session
(c) Peter D. Marshall
Like everything else in the film business, “there are no rules (in casting) only opinions” so in my next few articles I’m going to give you my well-researched “opinion” on how you should conduct and control your casting sessions to give you the best opportunity to discover the right actors available for each role in your film.
Getting Ready for Your First Casting Session
Early in prep you will have a meeting with the Producer and the Casting Director to share your ideas about the characters. This is an important meeting because it’s where you find out if you and the Producer have similar casting ideas.
Remember, if you are directing television it’s the Producer’s show and they have final say in everything – including casting!
After this meeting the Casting Director puts together a first-look list of actors that fit the character traits and specific looks discussed in the meeting with the Producer. She then schedules her own closed casting sessions (without the director and producer) and makes a “short list” of actors for you and the Producer to watch on video.
After you and the producer have viewed the short list, you send the casting director a list of actors you want to audition. She will then schedule a series of live casting sessions.
NOTE: If you are working on a television series you might only be casting from these and subsequent videos – and never end up in a live casting session.
Now, I’m assuming that if you’re reading this article, you’re probably a film student, an independent low-budget filmmaker or a film industry professional interested in directing AND you don’t have very much money to make your movie!
So if you are making a student film, directing a short film or you are an unknown director making your first low-budget indie film, before you schedule your first casting session you need to honestly answer this very important question:
“Why would any actor want to audition for my film if it’s NOT for the money – or the craft service?”
Well the answer is pretty simple. Actors want to addition for you because:
– they want to work on an interesting story
– they want to play a character that has depth
– they want to get more on-set experience
– they want to get clips for their demo reel
– they want to meet industry people and make contacts
Looking for Actors “Below the Tip of the Iceberg”
If you are an experienced director with a few good films under your belt, you will probably be able to attract well-known and experienced actors to your casting sessions and hire many of them for your projects.
But what if you are an “unknown” low budget indie director or you just direct short films on the weekends, how are you going to find the best actors for your project when you are not able to attract (or pay) for the most experienced actors?
Well don’t fear! If you can’t attract (or afford) the most experienced actors to come to your casting sessions, there are dozens of undiscovered talented actors who could be right for a part in your film – as long as you know HOW to attract them and HOW to effectively audition them!
Unfortunately, many of these “undiscovered actors” are rarely given the chance to have a good audition – which stop them from getting future auditions – which stop them from getting experience – which stop you from auditioning them.
But this dilemma can be solved once you know how to effectively discover and audition the majority of actors who remain “below the tip of the iceberg.”
Copyright (c) 2020 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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