Casting Process
What is casting? How does Casting work?
Casting is an essential part of any theatrical project and is the process of finding actors, performers or entertainers with specialised skills to perform specific tasks.
Casting can be for a myriad of projects from films, TV commercials to voice over work. Many in the industry think auditioning is synonymous with casting, but auditioning is only one part of the casting process.
The initial consultation examines the project requirements, the character brief and costs. Once the initial details are confirmed casting the project can begin. The goal of casting is to find the right people to tell a story. Therefore a detailed character brief outlining age, sex, and physical characteristics or even a background story in some cases is established and then the search begins.
The casting director/ casting agent is the middle person between actors and productions. A good casting director has a network of actors and is aware of their skill level. Casting in most cases relies on the following – skill level, looks, experience and reliability. All are considered when casting, therefore it’s important to have up to date headshots and a short showreel.
It is the casting agents job to audition sometimes hundreds of actors / performers and whittle that down to a select small group of the best to bring to the producer for consideration.
For actors it’s important to establish strong relationships with casting directors so that they are top of mind when they are casting projects.
Auditioning
It’s up to the actor / performer to make some bold decisions for preparation and delivery of the audition. Be assured the casting agent is looking for a performance the level of which would be expected on set if awarded the role.
Always be well prepared for an audition and try and make bold choices. The casting agent is only interested in capturing your best performance and may give direction in some cases, however it’s best to make your performance decisions before entering the room.