auditions

N

nightcrawler

Hey guys,

I'm new here. I'm helping a director friend who is taking on his first narrative. He's mainly done corporate videos, editing, and DP work. I'll be the production coordinator/manager. He's willing to shell out his own money on his project, and stressed that he wants really good actors. This is the first time I'll be coordinating/manager, but have watched, learned, and worked with producers and production office. We're thinking about getting a casting director to help narrow down our actors, so right now, I've put out word to find out what these casting directors charge.

Anyhow, should it be so high, we decide it's not in the budget, we'd put on our own audition. My question is, what do you give the actors and how far in advance do you give it to them? Specifically, how many pages of material do you give them to audition with (2-3?), and how long in advance do you give them when they walk through the door , to reading the material, to auditioning for the part? Would it be more efficient to ask the actors to email us if they were going to audition, and we'd send them pages a night or two before to prepare?

Thanks!
 
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There's many ways of doing it.

This is my way.

I look through the headshots and decide what role I want the actor to audition for.

I send them the sides a week or so in advance. Some people only need a minute to be great, others need time. If they can't find the character within a week, they probably suck anyway.

I give an easy and hard scene.

It's pretty basic. But, the cream will rise to the top.
 
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Get a confirmation that the actor will attend the audition--you can either give out 15 min slots, or just have a time frame of when they can come by.

If they are interested, allow them to have the sides (or script) at least overnight. If you give them the full script, make sure they know what scenes and which character to prepare for.

A good actor only needs one night to prepare a solid audition. Heck a good actor can cold read well too, but there's no need for that. You'll get a better idea if they aren't stuck to the script, so giving them a night to get comfortable or memorize preferable.

Remember all the ones you liked. If you have time, bring them back in for a callback. Rinse and repeat.

There is no need for a casting director at micro budget levels.

Good luck.
 
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Thanks guys! Great advice. Yeah, I think I'll tell the director there's no need for the casting director anymore. I first brought it up so that he wouldn't have to sit through and drain himself all day, but rather pay someone else to do that and weed out the bad ones. But I'm thinking I'll just do it myself, and the director can come half day or something.

Thanks again!
 
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I use a “casting director” even at the micro budget level. Here in
LA I will get upwards of 500 resumes even for a non paying role. I
find someone willing go through the head shots and remove all the
obviously bad choices and separate them into stacks for each
character. Then I choose who I would like to see read. The
“casting director” then sets the times of each person to show up
at the audition. I like to see everyone who comes in to read - not
just those in the second half of the day or at the callbacks.

I do not send out sides the day before. Here in LA it’s fairly
typical for actors to arrive 30 minutes before their time slot to
see their sides. That might be different in other parts of the
country. I see no reason not to email out sides to the actors
coming in if that’s what they want.
 
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M1chae1 said:
Get a confirmation that the actor will attend the audition--you can either give out 15 min slots, or just have a time frame of when they can come by.

If they are interested, allow them to have the sides (or script) at least overnight. If you give them the full script, make sure they know what scenes and which character to prepare for.

A good actor only needs one night to prepare a solid audition. Heck a good actor can cold read well too, but there's no need for that. You'll get a better idea if they aren't stuck to the script, so giving them a night to get comfortable or memorize preferable.

Remember all the ones you liked. If you have time, bring them back in for a callback. Rinse and repeat.

There is no need for a casting director at micro budget levels.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice, Michael.

noted.
 
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While a casting director is not needed if you have the talent to recognize talent. But, honestly, a good casting director is immeasurable if you want to hire the best actors.

Personally, it's one of my finest traits. I can spot talent from a headshot. Yet, I've never looked at a resume. That's why I do it myself. But, I've had people sitting next to me, who have loved certain actors and those actors were simply awful.

It's not as easy as it seems. Yet, it's the difference between a good movie and one that sucks.
 
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Dreadylocks said:
Michael, how do you feel about/what's your experience with monologues? Or is that more of a theatre-audition thing?
Click to expand...

I don't think monologues have a place in film. I would much rather see someone read opposite someone else--whether that be an assistant or another actor. Monologues are performances in a void...and film has very little voids, unless you're doing a rendition of Hamlet.

I have been acting steadily in film for 5 years now, and not once did I need a monologue. You're either going to cold read (least preferable) warm read (totally acceptable) or read from prepared sides (most preferable).

Sure you can tell if an actor can act even with a monologue...but what makes film acting so magical aren't always the times you're talking, but the moments you're LISTENING.

Cheers.
 
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Hey directorik,

At the micro-budget level, how much do you find it going toward a casting director? I know their rates can get high. I'll have to ask around in Austin to see what local rates are.

Thanks for all your input guys!
 
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best advice Iv ever had on the topic from this forum is:

Have the talent read WITH another person and watch what the talent does when they are NOT reading... are they REACTING to the other lines or just waiting for their turn to talk again? Acting is REACTING or so I've heard..
 
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wheatgrinder said:
best advice Iv ever had on the topic from this forum is:

Have the talent read WITH another person and watch what the talent does when they are NOT reading... are they REACTING to the other lines or just waiting for their turn to talk again? Acting is REACTING or so I've heard..
Click to expand...

That's true.

However in first auditions you have to give leaway to nervousness, reading from the script, etc. Exceptional actors will really react when reading. Some will try a little, and some are so busy looking at the page, they barely hear the person reading with them.

At Call-Backs I've always given a scene and asked them to be off-book. There are people who can act the hell out of a scene while reading off the page. Then as soon as they're off-book really suck. In live theatre, that's killer.
 
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