How do you cast a film in five days?

H

harmonica44

The movie I worked on this winter was cast in only five days. Back then when I got the add, it was posted on sunday, and auditions went from monday to friday. Saturday it was cast and ready to go. I would love that efficient. I traveled to another city to help make the movie, and the city it was cast in, is even smaller than mine, so that's really efficient. They did the casting on facebook and twitter they said. However, I would like to know if anyone has any experiences or tips to casting a movie that fast.

Not that I need to move that fast, but in my experience it can take up to three days just for someone to respond to an add! :)
 
Here we go again....

1) Having a (good) portfolio/showreel to show helps in getting responses
2) Writing a good add with a clear and enthousiastic message helps in getting responses
3) Knowing where to post an add helps as well
 
harmonica44 said:
The movie I worked on this winter was cast in only five days. Back then when I got the add, it was posted on sunday, and auditions went from monday to friday. Saturday it was cast and ready to go. I would love that efficient. I traveled to another city to help make the movie, and the city it was cast in, is even smaller than mine, so that's really efficient. They did the casting on facebook and twitter they said. However, I would like to know if anyone has any experiences or tips to casting a movie that fast.

Not that I need to move that fast, but in my experience it can take up to three days just for someone to respond to an add! :)
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Anything worth working on, should be done right. Especially if you want to show it to anyone.
 
I've cast a short film in 1 day. I cast another film in a matter of 2 hours. No casting advert.

I sat down with the team who were present at the time, made a list of who I knew and who I thought were best for each role. Picked up the phone and called the first person on the list. "Hi, Sweetie here. I just sent you a script. I want you to play 'x' role. Shooting Sat/Sun." They may ask some questions and give you a decision on the spot. If not I ask "Can I call back in an hour for an answer?" and then make a call for the next role. I mostly got my first picks with one role having to go to my third pick (availability issues - it happens).

You need to have built up a relationship with actors to be able to do this.
 
Sweetie said:
I've cast a short film in 1 day. I cast another film in a matter of 2 hours. No casting advert.

I sat down with the team who were present at the time, made a list of who I knew and who I thought were best for each role. Picked up the phone and called the first person on the list. "Hi, Sweetie here. I just sent you a script. I want you to play 'x' role. Shooting Sat/Sun." They may ask some questions and give you a decision on the spot. If not I ask "Can I call back in an hour for an answer?" and then make a call for the next role. I mostly got my first picks with one role having to go to my third pick (availability issues - it happens).

You need to have built up a relationship with actors to be able to do this.
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I agree. I've cast the majority of my current short film using FB messages and emails. Indie short films don't need to stand on ceremony and since we're not paying them anything except back end funds, it's really a matter of who you know and like for the role and whether they'll approve of the script and be available or not. I even cast an actress who's on a major television show by merely FB messaging her.
 
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I'm struggling like hell to find a lead for my web series.. dropped 3 actors so far because of reliability issues with each
 
sfoster, I assume it's unpaid?

I was part of a team that did a web series. It was really early in my learning curve. We shot everything in one block. Everyone knew what was going on up front (for the most part - we went over time - ugh).

If you don't do it in one block, the problem is the ongoing commitment. I'd imagine that the actors would get what they need within an episode or two and don't see the need for further unpaid work that's the same as before.

Of course if you can get people who are on the same page as you....
 
$200 a day?

If it's $200 a day, you should get some level of dedication from your talent. Assuming they're no name, right?
 
Ok, so it's just to offset petrol costs.

Do you find it that people are less likely to dedicate themselves to something that pays a low amount (like your $200) instead of a non-paid gig?
 
Sweetie said:
Ok, so it's just to offset petrol costs.

Do you find it that people are less likely to dedicate themselves to something that pays a low amount (like your $200) instead of a non-paid gig?
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I did have a lot more no-shows at auditions when I offered a small amount of money.
 
sfoster said:
I did have a lot more no-shows at auditions when I offered a small amount of money.
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You do know that most actors at this level will work for "back end" or "deferred payment" right? Even SAG actors.

You are doing too much to offer front end money. Most actors, even ones that do it for a living, are fine with deferred payment or even no payment, if you offer reel footage. The gigs that they get paid for never offer that.

I assure you, you can get away with just offering reel footage.
 
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jsnbasanti said:
You do know that most actors at this level will work for "back end" or "deferred payment" right? Even SAG actors.

You are doing too much to offer front end money. Most actors, even ones that do it for a living, are fine with deferred payment or even no payment, if you offer reel footage. The gigs that they get paid for never offer that. When I've worked on commercials for the Starz network and B Roll stuff for the Home Shopping Network, I'd never get reel footage.

I assure you, you can get away with just offering reel footage.
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I can't offer deferred payment since there is no business plan.
It's going on youtube ad-free.

But thanks I will definitely play up the reel footage angle.
It's also unfortunate that the best college for actors has let out for the summer.
 
sfoster - Where are you shooting? I'm always looking for more work as an actor as it's my true passion. I'm located in Jersey. PM me if you'd like, I can send you my reel!
 
Brandon said:
sfoster - Where are you shooting? I'm always looking for more work as an actor as it's my true passion. I'm located in Jersey. PM me if you'd like, I can send you my reel!
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Seems kind of far to travel, but I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Shooting just south of baltimore.
 
I was fortunate to study at SCAD here in Savannah Georgia, which has a dedicated Performing Arts Department with a Casting office specifically geared towards getting Senior and Graduate Thesis films their entire leading cast. (all characters who speak lines)

So after having gone through multiple failed auditions that I had held myself, the Casting office was able to help immensely with getting people who could actually fill the roles and do them justice, since they were all learning to become professional actors.

However, the reason that my own self-hosted auditions didn't go well, and the reason that the Casting Office auditions went extremely well wasn't because I didn't provide enough information or that I didn't make details clear in each case, but because I think the people saying they would show up for my own auditions were semi or non-professional actors, whereas the Casting Office is always pulling from a pool of their best and brightest: meaning that they are up-and-coming professionals who have certain expectations put upon them. Not only are student actors expected to show up at auditions they are suggested for, but they are required to commit to any roles that they are chosen for from those auditions. So thankfully the casting process, if I had just gone through the Casting Office from the get-go, would have been about a 5 day period between when I submitted all of my film's information and script sides, and the audition day itself; at which point I am then required to choose my actors by that same evening.

Savannah, GA is full of fun and enjoyable actors, but we don't always have the most qualified or natually-skilled when it comes to the "non-professionals." I'm sure certain cities or regions across the US may prove to have better acting pools than others, especially depending on the story you're trying to tell, and the types of actors you need. Because in my case, I needed actors who could pantomime and act exaggerated and cartoonish, whereas most actors don't have that sort of skill-set.
 
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