2005

JANUARY

A Little Less Stress in 2005

The holidays are over and now it’s back to work. I gather from most people in our business that it’s not the work you mind, but the pressure. Of course, some pressure can’t be avoided. But with a little foresight, most can.

Recently, I received a call from a producer. He needed an actor was at least 20 pounds overweight, preferably an African American male in his late 30’s who had suffered from juvenile diabetes and had an interesting story to tell. They called on Tuesday afternoon and the presentation was Friday morning. That’s what I call a casting crunch!

In this particular situation, the producer had planned to use a specific person who turned out to be unavailable. But this type of crunch also happens when the client rejects the actor the producer had in mind, or the client is thinking about using a celebrity until they find out the fee. But often, it happens because the producer is waiting for the green light to begin the project and doesn’t want to incur any costs before it’s an official go!! Unfortunately, precious time can be wasted while you’re waiting.

Here’s how to take some of the pressure off. Reach out to your casting director and let him or her know about the possible project before you have a specific need. Your casting director can serve as an important resource and save you money and aggravation in the long run. How?

1. The casting director may know if the actor(s) you are planning to use are available for your project

2 The casting director may be able to offer some creative and cost saving options, like a celebrity look-a-like who is available and just as good.

A call or email to a casting director doesn’t cost you anything and gives the casting director a “heads up” should the project happen. Here at Selective Casting, we make it really easy. Just fill out the Contact Us form at www.selectivecasting.com .

Also, may I suggest that you make a habit of putting a line for casting when you’re budgeting the job. That way, it’s there if you need it, but can be used otherwise if you don’t.

That’s my tip for this month. But I also wanted to say that I’ve gotten so much wonderful feedback on these Casting Tips and I have all of you to thank. 2004 was my best year to date, specifically with the rich array of interesting and challenging projects. I look forward to the future. Call me an optimist.

Just a reminder, there’s still time to see the Alexander Hamilton exhibit at the New York Historical Society http://www.nyhistory.org/ which I featured in December’s Casting Tip: A New Way To Tell An Old Story.

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FEBRUARY

Casting from Pictures

You know what sends a professional shudder down my spine? When a client wants to see headshots first.

Don’t get me wrong, pictures are important, but not for a first impression. Why?

Not only do actors rarely look like their pictures, but if the project is scripted you need to see and hear the person before accepting or rejecting them.

Pictures are best used after you’ve met the talent in person, in these different ways:

1. At the end of a casting session it’s a quick way to make a decision on how you want to pair up the talent (Many directors prefer auditioning couples. Individually on tape so that they have more control over the choices they show their clients).
2. It’s a fast way to see your whole cast line up once you’ve made your choices.
3. It’s a good way to remember talent for another casting even if you didn’t use them this time.

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MARCH

Casting is a Creative Process

Recently I've had the privilege of casting for clients who have never needed to cast before. I say privilege because they were very honest about their lack of experience and their excitement was contagious. This type of client is actually easy to work with because they have no fixed agenda and they are eager to learn.

From a casting director's perspective, a client with an open mind is a creative delight because he or she may change their initial concept of the role based on an actor's interpretation. In fact, this came up recently, when my client had a man in mind. Because many on-camera narrator roles are gender neutral (like this one was), I suggested he see women as well, and he agreed. In the end, he hired both a man and woman, which was more expensive but will ultimately make for a better training video.

From an actor's perspective, it's a little different. The actor with the first appointment is at a disadvantage because the client is often more nervous than the talent, plus they have nothing to compare him/her to. I explain this to the client and I make a point to bring in an actor with lots of experience because they are familiar with the process and can make the client feel relaxed. Sometimes I ask the talent to play the role several ways so the client can see that actors are flexible. Also since the casting session is taped, that first actor can be seen again after the client has relaxed into the routine and has a better idea of the process. And even if the actor gave a very interesting audition but isn't hired for the role, he/she will be remembered next time.

You see, a casting session is not a test. It's a creative process-and the more open everyone is during the session, the more successful, satisfying and fun it can be. This is true for directors, producers and writers as well as actors. And certainly for me, the casting director.

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APRIL

How Best To Secure Your Talent

I recently completed a most successful casting session, the producer and director were delighted with the choices, the client agreed with their top choices and the talent was booked. But then everything fell apart.

Here’s what happened. The shoot was scheduled for Thursday but on Tuesday the client decided to take out one of the scenarios. This meant two of the actors would be eliminated. The producer thought he would have to pay the talent since they were booked. I assured the producer that since the shoot wasn’t scheduled for another 2 days, he would not have to pay the talent.

The general rule is that you only have to pay the talent if you cancel after 12:00pm the day before the shoot. But in reality, this rule works both ways. The talent can cancel the shoot before 12:00pm without being penalized as well. If a network commercial comes along, the actor will thank you for your job but would be advised to take the more lucrative work. How do you as a producer protect your production?

These are just little secrets that will save your production and give you one last crisis to deal with. Speaking of secrets, I will be giving a presentation entitled” Twenty Casting Secrets From a New York Casting Director” for the Connecticut Chapter of the Media Communications Association-International this Tuesday, April 12, 2005.

Location:
Technical Concepts
284B Quarry Road
Milford, Ct. 06460
(203) 877-9096
Time: 6:30 pm

If you can, please come by.

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MAY

The Times They Are A Changing...

If you haven’t been to a casting session in awhile, you’ll be amazed at what can be done through the advances of technology.
I remember, not too long ago, when a client would need to have an edited casting tape of his/her 3 top choices duplicated and sent to the 3 decision makers. It meant an extra few hours at the casting facility and a schlep to FEDEX. Depending upon the time zone of the decision makers, the tape would be viewed hopefully by the next afternoon.... that is if they were within the continental USA.

Well now everything has been speeded up and the same task can be accomplished in far less time and with less physical labor. Recently a client called me with a need for a casting session the next day and a shoot the following day. Five people from the corporation had to okay the talent and they were located in different parts of the U.S. as well as in London...

So we scheduled the casting session for 9am and had to end by noon so that the corporate decision makers could see the choices by 2:00 pm. And we made it!!
Here’s how:

By 3:00pm I was booking the talent for the next day. Everyone was happy. Not all jobs require this kind of crazy turn around and certainly there are many times when recording on VHS tape is fine. It is, however, reassuring to know there are options.

On another note: The new SAG/AFTRA Industrial Educational Contract went into affect, May 1st 2005. The only increase is in the Pension and Welfare by 1%. I will have the bottom line wages posted on my website shortly.

That’s my tip for May. Happy Spring!

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JUNE

Serving the International Audience at Home

I just came back from Las Vegas where I were asked by the Media Communication Association (MCA-I) for a repeat performance of a seminar on International Production.

When we think internationally, we tend to think of training, marketing and educating people abroad. But with the influx of many foreigners who have formed their own communities, the need to train, educate, inform, and sell products and services at home is also extremely important.

In the seminar, which I presented with Emma Justice of Lifestyle International Production Services, Emma concentrated on shooting abroad while I concentrated on the domestic market. Here is some of the information I shared:

In order to effectively find foreign talent in communities that have settled in the United States here is what you need to do:

Keep an open mind and enjoy the process. It’s exciting, educational and very rewarding and you don’t need a passport.

That’s my tip for June. Hope you’re enjoying the warmer but not too hot weather.

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AUGUST

5 Techniques For Casting Children

Many readers responded positively to last month’s tip “Serving The International Audience At Home”, so if you missed it, reply to this message and I will send it to you.

Now to this month’s tip. I just completed casting a short dramatic film, The Saint of Zuiderzee, in which an eight-year-old child plays the lead role of Mary Clare. Since more and more projects are requiring roles for children, here are some techniques to help you through the process.

If you’re a director or producer and want to see a wonderful example of casting children pick up the DVD of Rabbit Proof Fence, an Australian film directed by Phillip Noyce .Not only do you see the film and hear the director’s commentary, but you also have the opportunity to see an in depth look into the casting process. For the first 3 producers/directors who email me with the request, I will send you a copy as a gift. (I happen to have a few extras on my desk). It’s also available on www.Amazon.com.

Here are some additional resources to help children and parents explore the world of show business:

That’s my Tip for July/August. Hope you’re enjoying the summer.

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SEPTEMBER

Off The Top Of My Head...

Occasionally I’ve had a producer say to me, “Off the top of your head, Carol, who do you suggest for this role.” The answer sometimes comes to me quickly, because of my know-how and 18 years spent cultivating lots of relationships. When that's the case, a full casting session isn't necessary.

I'm thinking of offering an alternative for those special situations. And I need help determining a fair rate for that service. If you have a moment, please respond to this message and let me know what you think of this idea and what you think a fair rate would be.

Please take this casting quiz.

A. You are producing a program that requires an On Camera Narrator. You don’t care if it’s a male or female. You don’t need your client’s approval. The person you usually use is not available and you are in a bind. And you need someone tomorrow.

B. You are producing a program that requires an On Camera Narrator. It must be a female in her 30’s or early 40’s and she must speak with a French Canadian accent. Your client must approve the talent..

C. You are producing a program and you need to cast an African American male narrator in his 40’s. You need to see only 3 or 4

The answer is B. Because it’s a very specific request requiring a lot of research. However, there are other situations that require my expertise and know how, not a full casting session, like these:

(FYI: the fee for a full casting session for one role is $1400.00-$1800.00.) I welcome your feedback. It’s all about my understanding your needs so I can better serve your projects.

If you’re around on Tuesday, September 20th, I will be giving an interactive seminar on casting for the North Jersey Chapter of MCA-1. For more information http://www.mca-inj.org/. Hope to see you there.

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OCTOBER

Express Casting

As a result of the many responses I received to last month’s Casting Tip ”Off The Top Of My Head.” I decided to offer an additional casting service, which I’m calling: Express Casting.

Express Casting will benefit producers/directors when they need an actor for a project quickly and the role is generic enough not to require a regular casting session. For example, “Carol I need a 30-35 year old Caucasian female for a shoot tomorrow. Whom do you suggest?”

First I need to see the script to get a sense of the role. Is it funny? Is it serious?. Is she a mother? Is she a businesswoman? Is she an on camera spokesperson? The nature of the script determines who is best suited for the role.

Express Casting is handled in several ways:

1. If I’ve worked with you before, I keep a copy of every casting we did together. I can refer you to actresses you’ve met in the past who would be right for the project. Or,
2. I can email pictures or messenger pictures of a few actresses who I think are right. And then if it’s possible, arrange for you meet to 2 or 3 in your office so you have the opportunity to actually see them in person. Or,
3. I choose the talent and book them. You can see what they look like and rely strictly on my judgment. This would be rare, but at times expedient.

The cost of Express Casting ranges from 350.00-850.00.
The fee will be determined by the amount of time needed to find the right person. Booking and clearing the talent is included in the fee. If its more than one role to be cast the fee is higher. But also dependant upon the amount of time required. Express Casting is an option. With a smaller budget it can save you time and money while maintaining professional standards. I thank so many of you for your help and suggestions. in creating this new service.

If you happen to be in Hamden, Connecticut this weekend, I will be attending The Global Entertainment and Media Summit on October 15th where I will be participating in a panel discussion with film producers and directors entitled, Overcoming Obstacles. If interested, check out http://www.gemsconnecticut.com it would be great to see you there.

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NOVEMBER

Union Actor's Rates and more...

In tracking my website I discovered that the following key phrases “Actors’ salaries”, “SAG contracts”, “AFTRA Industrial rates” and, “actor’s day rates” are most often used to bring visitors to my website. I can only conclude that people are looking for answers to these types of questions.

So here are some answers:

Q: What are the fees for the actor?

A: The actor’s fee is based on the use of the program Category 1 is. programs designed to train, perform, promote a product or public relations function and are exhibited in venues where no admission is charged
On Camera Day Player is $440.00 On Camera Narrator $ 800.00

Category 11 is programs intended for unrestricted exhibition to the general public. Category 11 programs may be supplied free of charge to customers as a premium or inducement to purchase specific goods or services
On Camera Day Player is $547.00 On Camera Narrator is $947.50.

Q: Is the base rate for the actor the rate or are there other considerations when doing a union job?

A: You need to add approximately 30% to make it a union job. The 30% pays for:

1. Pension & Welfare, Taxes
2. Agent’s commission (optional)
3. Wardrobe unless you supply it.
4. Talent Payment Company *

* A must if you don’t want to deal with contracts, unemployment forms, union signatory status and any of the talent’s paperwork outside of paying the bill.

Q: What do I do if I want to hire an actor who is not a member of the union?

A: If an actor does not as a waiver, the actor need not join the union until the next time he/she books a union job. However if the non-union actor is the only role that is being cast, the job is non-union. If the actor is a member of the union, he can do a job if the casting director or talent payment company write.

Q: Does doing a job with union actors mean I need to have a union crew?

A: No, using union actors for an industrial does not mean that the rest of the crew need be union.

Q: Are Industrials SAG or AFTRA?

A: Basically a union industrial can be either SAG or AFTRA. it can’t be both, And the rates are the same.

If you wish to have a SAG/ AFTRA Contract Digest with more specific rules and regulations reply to this email with your mailing address.

For rates you can always go to my website www.selectivecasting.com and click on Rates and Fees or for a list of Talent Payment companies go to the website and click on Links.

That’s my tip for November. By the way, how do you like the ability to hear the tip as well as read it? (click hear to listen http://www.audioacrobat.com/note/Wg9m90VQ/) I welcome your feedback.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.