Can a Casting Director help me..?
Some people would argue that casting is 80% of your film - meaning to say that the right cast can not only get you financed, but land you both distribution and festival awards. Some directors and producers have a natural eye for casting. They may even have relationships with the hottest new ingenue in town or some great, grizzled old-timer who is looking to make a comeback. That is an ideal situation - but not necessarily the case for most of us. For most us we need help and expert help at that. That’s where a Casting Director comes in. This individual knows who’s hot and who’s not. They know who’s expensive, who’s available and who might read your script without a cash offer on the table. A good C-D (short for Casting Director) will put a new ’spin’ on your project that you hadn’t thought of. They will suggest left-of-field casting ideas that may well take your project to a higher level. Ignore them at your peril!
So where do we start and where do we find a C-D?
Personal referral is always a good place to find your C-D. Talk to other filmmakers. Go to festivals and see what C-D’s are in attendance or involved with panels. If you can’t find somebody through that route - go to imdb a look-up who cast movies that you liked - movies in a similar ballpark to your own. When you have decided who might be appropriate, you can usually either source their contact details via The LA-411 Directory or alternatively The Casting Society Of America.
When approaching a Casting Director - be smart. Unless you have a personal connection, don’t imagine that the people who cast the last JESSICA SIMPSON movie for Warner Brothers will cast your micro-budget indie. (BTW - that’s Jessica pictured above.)
Then again, if you have a unique project and a little cash - some C-D’s may well be available for the right consideration. If necessary, offer them a co-producer credit, and if they can indeed deliver the cast that you need - push the boat out - offer the a capital ‘P’ producer credit.
At the early stages of getting a production off the ground - cast is king. Remember that when you try to land a Casting Director.
Some interesting insight into Casting Directors…
An Q&A from IFP with Casting Director PATRICK BACA
An Interview with Casting Director CAROLYN PICKMAN
Who is CASTING what - right now…
Leave a Reply