How do I choose actors without having auditions set up?

H

harmonica44

I have a short film script I would like to shoot soon and need to pic actors but I was not able to get the audition venue, I originally planned on. I can pick the actors according to their resumes, pictures, or how much they seem interested. But a lot of them do not have any footage of them acting to show me. So how should I pick if I cannot get auditions?

Thanks.
 
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I was not able to get the audition venue
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So you're saying, there is one and only one venue where you can hold an audition. Do you wonder why I call you an idiot when you speak this kind of bull?

That being said, I cast my last film (kind of an experiment for us) without holding an audition. We simply didn't have time and made a decision early on regarding casting and crewing. I had either worked or auditioned each and every one of them previously. I also spent the time and talked to them about that production so both sides knew what the deal was.

You're not in that position. By the sound of it, the good people avoid you.... with good reason.
 
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Okay thanks. I am looking for other places of course. I just mean in case I cannot find one, what's a good way to pick people without auditioning? I could ask for online auditions I suppose. I am working with all new people who I haven't met before though. But I will keep looking in the meantime. A lot of places are booked up though and perhaps I should have booked the place a few months before putting out the casting call.
 
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Living room?
Ask the local bar you frequent if you can use thespace while they are closed?

For short things I never auditioned. Just looked at the looks, experience and portfolio to make a choice.
But I must admit: most of the time the acting isn't really heavy :P

For the community project I casted without auditions as well.

Go do yoga and hopefully your mind will get flexible as well....
 
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I thought that maybe people would think it was awkward coming over to my living room, as oppose to a public venue. However, I can choose based on looks and experience, I just hope they can actually act. It's just a two page short without heavy acting.
 
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I auditioned an actor over Skype once. It worked out pretty well actually. They were "on time", has a chance to speak with them and audition them as I would in person. May not be super-ideal, but it works.
 
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Okay thanks. I do not have a camera or mic that can plug into my computer for skype, but I will try to make arrangements to borrow someone's computer that does. I met a woman at a coffee shop to discuss the main part. However, she just couldn't say her lines a different way. She did okay, but she could only say them one way only and it was locked in. Perhaps meeting everyone of them at a coffee shop to go over lines will work, but people are probably uncomfortable to say certain lines of dialogue at a coffee shop, and you have to be more quiet. So far all the actors I asked to make a recording of them doing it have not gotten back to me, so I guess they may not have been up for that idea.
 
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Asking them to make a recording makes them worry too much about the things they are not auditioning for: light, sound, angle.
Make it easier for them, not more complicated!

If the wheather is alright you can even audition in a park or a quiet street.

How do you always invent solutions that are only worse than the problem?
 
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Okay thanks. After sending out requests for them to give me online auditions, most of them did not respond back. However, I think I am going to act in it myself, with a friend, and try to get another friend to shoot it, and then do ADR after. It's better than nothing.

As far as auditioning outside, it's usually around -4 degrees F outside this around this time, so their may not be a lot of takers, but I can try.
 
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Whats wrong with your house or a friends house?

Tell them instead of paying for an audition place you're funneling that money toward actor salaries. Can't imagine they'll have a problem with it
 
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harmonica44 said:
I thought it would be creepy to ask them to come to a stranger's house, and that might scare them off but I will then.
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Might scare a rare person, but it's not that big of deal.
Just today I met a girl off the internet who came to my house looking to buy my old car. It's different this day and age, people are used to it.

I did auditions at my house, the only thing you need to be concerned with is having a comfortable waiting area. Advertise that you have the waiting area.
 
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Okay thanks. I don't really have a waiting area though. There are two houses I can do it at. One is my parents, where other kids still live at home, and will definitely be making noise for sure, and/or walking through the areas.
Or I could it at my friend's but she lives in a somewhat crappy looking house in the slums with roommates, and not sure if they would be disruptive or not. Which house should I tell the actors to go to?

I am also trying to get my friends to act in it but they are hard to persuade and they are keep wanting to get out of it cause they are afraid they will ruin it with their inexperienced acting as they put it. They will do it, I just hope they do it well enough lol.
 
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My waiting area was the garage.. I moved two recliners and a fan out there, put magazines and a ice chest full of drinks.

I'd go for parents house. Try to mitigate the kids but if you can't then oh well. Maybe you could hire a baby sitter to take the kids out to a movie.
 
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