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HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF A CASTING SESSION...... Have you been to the movies lately? One of the first credits you see is that of Casting Director. Although you may not have a Hollywood size budget, if you consider yourself a film and video professional, you should be asking yourself "Do I need a Casting Director? And if I use one, how do I make sure I'm getting my money's worth?" Perhaps you've hesitated about using a Casting Director because you have a folder of pictures you've collected over the years and have always cast your shows from that. You are undoubtedly limiting yourself and your clients that way. Pictures rarely look like the talent and do not indicate acting ability. Also, there is a tendency to make subjective decisions based on hidden prejudices without a real sense of what the person projects. An actor can be ruled out who would be perfect for the role. And, finally, the John or Jane Doe you've cast repeatedly in the past is not going to be appropriate for every role. Your client may request someone different or the script calls for several roles to be cast. It's time to bring in a Casting Director. WHAT CASTING COSTS First, let's start with terminology. A Casting Director is not the same thing as an Agent(although in some parts of the country they may overlap). Casting Directors are paid by the producer and usually work on a set fee basis. Most casting directors have a day rate for preparation and a day rate for a casting session. Fees average from $250.00-$750.00 for preparation day(s) and $500-$800 for a casting day. A higher prep day may mean a lower casting day. The cost of casting will vary from project to project so before submitting a proposal estimate for a program, consult a Casting Director for his/her specific casting costs. While many producers worry about what they see as an additional cost, a well-cast production that really showcases your script is priceless. Using Casting Directors can actually save you time and money. When you try to do the casting yourself, you are using your time on phone calls and tracking down an actor's availability, negotiating fees and so on. The Casting Director take on those chores as well as being able to offer you advice on how to save money in using talent. Casting Directors have many more resources to tap into when looking for suitable talent for your project. Casting Directors have relationships with talent agents. These relationships give Casting Directors access to talent that a producer would not be able to audition by calling a talent agent directly. This also means they can often negotiate more favorable rates for talent than a producer could. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD CASTING DIRECTOR Nobody grows up planning to be a casting director. Unlike a teacher, doctor, lawyer, scientist….there is no educational standard or degree to teach you how to cast or help you evaluate who is best to cast …….so how do you know ? One way to find out is to ask actors, talent agents, writers and other producer/directors you respect to make recommendations. A good professional knows another good professional. Even with a recommendation I do suggest you speak to several casting directors preferably before you even have a need for one. This way you can get a sense of how each one works; the nature of the projects they tend to cast, the resources they have and the fees they charge. Casting Directors do not as a rule have reels; but they should have some examples of programs they have cast. In meeting a casting director rapport is essential. You must feel the casting director is hearing your needs. A good casting director is looking at talent with your vision filtered through his/her experienced eye. Your project becomes their project. PREPARING FOR THE CASTING SESSION In preparing for the casting session, decide which portions of the script you wish to have the actors read. It isn't necessary to hear the whole script nor is it necessary to work with the final script. What is necessary is that you have something specific that the talent can work from. If the script has technical parts, include that in your selection. Give the Casting Director some background on the project: Who is the audience? What does the program hope to achieve? How do you see their characters? Where are they and what is prompting the action? You should attach this information to the script so that the Casting Director can help the talent prepare for the audition with the right mind set. The Casting Director will help make the talent feel at home in the environment. They understand the importance of creating an atmosphere which allows for creativity and openness on the part of the actors. Casting Directors usually recommend that the producer attend the session, even when the session is being recorded on videotape. Meeting the talent in person will give you a better sense of how an actor works than you would get by viewing the tape or looking at photos and resumes. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TALENT Talent must come prepared with picture and resume. Although the hazards of judging by the photo alone have already been mentioned, the resumes do give you some indication of an actor's range. A strong theatrical background with work in film and television is most important. Additional abilities and skills such as medical knowledge, a financial degree, a law background, or computer skills are also helpful in choosing talent. When looking for a good spokesperson, TelePrompTer skills are a must and previous experience as an on-camera spokesperson should be considered. The actor should also arrived dressed appropriately for the part if possible. Casting Directors will provide size cards to help with booking and wardrobe later. Don't reject an actor if his or her hair isn't just right. Hair can always be fixed. If an actor has a mustache, ask if they will shave it for the role. Many times and actor will shave for the job, but not for the audition. The Casting Director will help make the talent feel at home in the environment. They understand the importance of creating an atmosphere which allows for creativity and openness on the part of the actors. You as producer can help by initially asking the actors if they have any questions. Then allow them to do the scene with a minimum of direction. This will give you a sense of their natural instincts. Give the talent an adjustment and ask for a second reading, even if you liked the first reading. This allows you to see how well the actor takes direction and how flexible he is. Take clear notes as you view the talent. A word or two is all you need when going back to review what you've seen. IT'S NOT THE QUANTITY OF ACTORS YOU SEE; BUT THE QUALITY When the role description is that of a young account executive 25-30 and you're seeing only twenty-five year old blond men you are not being given choices Perhaps a female or a minority would be equally appropriate. The casting session is a perfect time to experiment with appropriate options. Seeing variations at the casting session will add to the creative vision of the final product. However if the role specifically calls for a 25 year old blond male, that's a different situation. In much the same way making one role specifically ethnic, unless it’s crucial for the piece, can be limiting your choices. If you have the casting director bring in the best actors for the role chances are you will have your ethnic mix….however; don’t try to force ethnicity if it’s not true to the piece. SPECIAL CASTING SITUATIONS The request for foreign faces and international voices is increasing. It is essential that in casting such roles, provisions are made to have a native foreign person check the accents of the actors even if the script is in English. The last thing in the world you want to do is offend your international audience. In the same way holding auditions for Actors with Disabilities must be done with awareness of providing proper accessibility and in the case of a hearing impaired actor the you must hire a ASL interpreter. VALUE ADDED CASTING You will have immediate feelings right after the session. Share them with the Casting Director. This is a good time for the Casting Director to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding the talent. Since Casting Directors know the talent, let them give you insights which will help in making your choice. The videotape then becomes your reference to confirm your initial reaction about a performer. If you need to show the ultimate client the casting tape, narrow the viewing to your two or three top choices. Remember, one of the advantages in using the Casting Director was to save time, so share that savings with your client as well. People have become much more film and video savvy. Perfectly chiseled model type faces and obviously exaggerated acting styles are no longer acceptable. The exception of course is the deliberate choice such as for parodies and those are special cases where a Casting Director can be essential to get the kind of good actors you need to pull it off. When a project calls for professional talent, it is essential to cast it properly. Seeking the advice and counsel of a person who knows the actors in your community and beyond saves you time and money. Like any specialized skill in a production, from makeup to engineering, the smart producer leaves casting to the expert. And a Casting Director is the expert who can ultimately give you the edge in creating a better production. Carol Nadell is President of Selective Casting/Internationally Speaking specializing in Industirals films, live corporate events, interactive entertainment and foreign language talent. She served as V.P. of NY ITVA and can be reached at 212-757-1510 or Carol@Selectivecasting.com. 10 THINGS EVERY GOOD CASTING DIRECTOR KNOWS
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