2nd Edition

Casting Revealed A Guide for Film Directors

By Hester Schell Copyright 2017
    218 Pages 14 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    218 Pages 14 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    218 Pages 14 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Casting is an essential component of any film or video project, but the core skill-set needed to cast effectively is little understood. Casting Revealed: A Guide for Film Directors is a straightforward manual on the art and craft of casting. Here, director Hester Schell offers her insider perspective on casting workflows, industry standards, finding actors, running auditions, what to look for in a performance, contracts, and making offers. This new edition has been updated with fresh interviews with casting directors, full color head shots, new information about online video submissions, and a companion website featuring forms, contracts, and sample scenes for auditions.

    • Gain a fuller understanding of the misunderstood art and craft of casting actors for film and video production.

    • Learn to find the right actors for any production, run auditions, interview actors, effectively judge performances and video submissions, evaluate suitability for a role, discover what it is you need from an actor, view headshots, draft contracts, make offers, and navigate current industry standards, unions, and procedures.

    • This new edition has been updated to include full color sample head shots, new content on online video submissions, listings of casting wesbites, film resources, and film commissions and a companion website featuring interviews with celebrated casting directors from New York, Portland, Boston and Austin, necessary forms, sign-in sheets, contracts, and sample scenes for auditions.

    CHAPTER ONE: SAVE MONEY — DO IT YOURSELF: DIY

    INDEPENDENT FILM AND MARKET SHARE
    HOW THIS BOOK WILL SAVE YOU MONEY

    Do It Yourself
    Collaborate Or Die
    Anyone Can Make A Movie
    Yes, But Is It Worth Watching?
    Why So Many Films Don’t Make The Film Festivals
    Raise Your Standards
    All About Editing
    Inexperience Costs More Money
    The Best Actors Are The Right Actors

    TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGES EVERYTHING

    Prescreening Footage
    The Headshot Submission Process Has Gone Green

    SAVING MONEY RECAP

    CHAPTER TWO: YOUR DIRECTING CAREER

    BETTER CASTING IMPACTS YOUR LONG-RANGE CAREERGOALS

    Shorts Are Your Stepping Stone

    WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ACTORS

    BREAKINGBARRIERS: HOW TO TALK TO ACTORS

    Blame the Media


    CHAPTER THREE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE CASTING PROCESS

    WHY DIY: Do It Yourself

    CASTING DEFINED

    Principal

    Background

    WHAT ARE YOU CASTING

    Professional Language

    Preliminary Considerations
    Families And Lovers

    CASTING IS

    Principal, Background Casting

    TYPES OF AUDITIONS

    Open Calls

    Appointments: Script Readings, Cold Readings And Improvisation
    Callbacks

    CASTING STANDARDS

    Keeping It Professional And Confidential

    Never Settle

    Actor Are Looking For You As Well

    Agents Are Looking For Projects For Their Clients

    Los Angeles And New York: United States Casting Centers

    CASTING IS NOT

    A Party

    About Your Ego: Get Over Yourself

    TO UNION OR NOT

    Thoroughly Evaluate Your Decision

    One Member Makes A Union Shoot

    Experience Gets More Done

    The Less Experience The Longer Your Day

    Questions For Discussion

    WHEN TO START

    What Do Actors Look For When They Read Your Audition Announcement

    Plan Ahead To Stay Ahead

    WHAT YOU NEED TO START

    You Need A Script

    You Need "Sides"

    Know The Window Of Time You Plan To Shoot

    You’re Going To Need A Place To Hold Your Auditions

    You Need Your SAG Paperwork Done

    Reality Check

     

    CHAPTER FOUR: INDUSTRY STANDARDS

    ACTOR MARKETING MATERIALS

    Cover Letter

    Headshots

    What Makes A Good Headshot?
    Headshot Samples

    Resumes

    Reels

    Video Submissions

    Warning Signs Of The Less Experienced

    WHY LOOK FOR THESE STANDARDS?

     

    CHAPTER FIVE: ACTING — WHAT IS IT?

    Acting Defined

    The Actor’s Toolbox

    Approaches To Craft

    SCRIPT ANALYSIS: If It Ain’t On The Page, It Ain’t On The Stage

    Given Circumstances

    The Moment Before

    What’s My Motivation?

    GO FURTHER: Who do you like?
    GO FURTHER: Character types

    GO FURTHER: Character type attributes

    ACTING 101 FOR DIRECTORS

    How You Feel Is A Result Of What You Do

    The Magic Verb

    Understanding The Craft: Where To Go For Help

    CHAPTER SIX: TIMELINES —

    WHEN TO START AND WHAT TO DO BEFORE JUMPING IN

    ANNOUNCEMENTS, AUDITIONS, CALLBACKS AND CONTRACTS

    WHERE TO HOLD AUDITIONS

    Keeping it Professional: 1st Impressions Count

    THE CASTING TIMELINE EXPLAINED –

    SCHEDULES: WORKING BACKWARDS

    Two Weeks From First Shoot Date: Rehearsals

    One Month From First Shoot Date: Contracts

    Six Weeks From First Shoot Date: Callbacks

    Two Months From First Shoot Date: Auditions

    Ten Weeks From First Shoot Date: Distributing Audition Information.

    Three Months From First Shoot Date: Preproduction Breakdown

    The Producer Is There To Help You

    Union Preparation Recap

     

    CHAPTER SEVEN: THE CASTING BREAKDOWN — SPREADING THE WORD

    BREAKDOWN ELEMENTS

    SAMPLE BREAKDOWNS

    BREAKDOWN DISTRIBUTION

    National

    Local Or Regional

    Social Networking

    Flyers: Other Places To Put Your Breakdown

    Press Releases

    Physical Geography

    International And Regional Web Site Distribution

    CONTACTING AGENTS

    Who Represents Whom

    CHAPTER EIGHT: STAYING ORGANIZED

    WORKFLOW

    Who Follows Instructions

    Turn On Your "Flake Radar"

    MANAGING FILES

    Confirming Auditions

    Sample Initial Contact 1: SET APPOINTMENT

    Sample Initial Contact 2: SELF (VIDEO) SUBMISSION

    HANDLING REJECTIONS

    OTHER FILES

    Creating Script Sides From Your Screenplay

    Sign-In Sheets

    MASTER SPREADSHEET

    CHAPTER NINE:
    THE FIRST ROUND — WHAT YOU NEED AND WHERE YOU NEED IT

     

    PREPARATIONSANDPROCEDURES

    Provide Scripts In Advance

    Make A Schedule

    Setting Up

    Allow Enough Time For Each Actor

    Information Form

    Keep Secrets

    HOW MANYACTORS DO I SEE FOR EACH ROLE?

    WHO DO I CAST FIRST?

    Cast Your Leading Actors First

    Supporting Actors

    Background Extras

    INSIDE THE SESSION

    Controlling The Room

    Casting Sessions Are Job Interviews

    Casting Sessions Are Private

    Memorized Sides

    Using A Reader

    Recording The Casting Session

    Adjustments And Direction When You Have Something To Say

    MORE BASIC DO’S AND DON’TS

    Do Expect Actors To Be Prepared And On Time

    Do Expect Actors To Arrive With A Headshot And Resume

    Nudity, Scars And Tattoos

    Don’t Ask Actors To Sign A Release Form For Audition Footage

    Keep Track

    Keep An Open Mind To All Potential And Opportunity

    Ending The Session

    Sorting The Session: Do You Need More Options?

     

    CHAPTER TEN: THE SECOND ROUND — CALLBACKS

    CONFIRMING YOUR CHOICES

    CALL BACK FOR SURE

    CALL BACK MAYBE

    NOT GETTING A CALLBACK

    CALL BACK PROCEDURES

    Set Call Back Appointments

    Test Your Communication And Directing Approach

    Put On Your "Poker Face."

    Sleep On Your Decisions


    CHAPTER ELEVEN: OFFERS AND CONTRACTS

    THE OFFER AND THE ART OF NEGOTIATION

    UNPAID PROJECTS

    PAID PROJECTS (Union or Not)

    CONTRACT: Get it in Writing

    UNION CONTRACTS

    LOCAL HIRES ONLY

    STATE PRODUCTION INCENTIVES

    A Word from the SAG-AFTRA Office

     

    CHAPTER TWELVE: DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT —
    FRIENDS CHIME IN

    FAST, CHEAP, GOOD—PICK TWO.

    A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

    Actors Do A Shout Out

    Directors Do A Shout Out

     

    CHAPTER THIRTEEN: CASTING DIRECTORS —
    DO YOU NEED ONE?

    The Job Defined: Potential Meets Opportunity

    Types Of Casting Directors

    The Interview And Checking Credentials.

    Job Tasks And Responsibilities: What Will They Do For You?

    When In Doubt: Hire A Professional

    What’s It Going To Cost?

    Other Resources

     

    CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SO YOU WANT TO BE A CASTING DIRECTOR

    LOVING ACTORS
    OUTREACH AND MARKETING

    Industry Connections
    Getting Started

    INTERVIEWS

    Michael Druck, Austin, Texas

    Ken Lazer, New York City, New York

    Sarah Kliban, San Francisco, California

     

    GLOSSARY OF COMMON FILM TERMS

    THE PARTS OF SPEECH: Just For Fun

    VERBS
    NOUNS
    COMPOUNDWORDS
    FINANCIAL TERMS
    COMMON PHRASES

     

    WEB RESOURCES


    NOTES, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES

     

    RECOMMENDED READING

     

    SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE / SYLLABUS

     

    INDEX

     

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

     

    FAN MAIL

    Biography

    Hester Schell is a recovering academic, award-winning director, master acting teacher and author. Hester has been either in front of the camera or part of a crew, on stage or directing for over 45 years. The first feature she acted in, shot in Portland, Oregon, won an Oscar™. Hester took a side-trip into academia, graduating highest honors with a Master of Fine Arts in directing and landing a tenured position teaching theatre and film at a California college. She has a column at SCRIPTMAG.com and her articles have appeared in CineSource, Movie Maker Magazine and Coastviews Magazine. Schell is a contributing writer to Sherry Ellis and Laurie Lamson’s NOW WRITE: Writing Exercises from Top Writers and Teachers, 2010, Tarcher/Penguin, and HOW TO BE A WORKING ACTOR, 5th Edition, 2010, Watson/Guptill Publication. She’s a member of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Harvard Square Screen Writers. Speaking engagements include London’s British Film Institute, Burbank’s The Writer’s Store, Drama Books in New York, Connecticut Screenwriters Association, and the San Francisco Black-American Film Festival. For more information, find Hester Schell at IMDb.com, the Internet Movie Database, or hesterschellcreative.com. Hester is available for workshops and seminars on a variety of topics, and is interested in hearing from producers and writers with comedies. She is finishing a novel and working on several scripts with roles for middle aged and senior women.

    "I wish I had Hester’s book when I first started in Hollywood. It would have saved me a lot of heartache because it spells-out in clear and concise language the necessary tools for successful casting every filmmaker needs to know. Reading this book reminded me of how much the Academy needs to award an Oscar® for casting directors. Because casting is an art form, and Hester’s book is the best I’ve read on demystifying the process."                    

    —Jon James Miller, producer, Pooka Productions/Gravity-Squared Entertainment

    "While nothing can replace the benefits of hiring an experienced casting director, this book has some great insights for beginning filmmakers."

    —Lana Veenker CSA & Eryn Goodman CSA, Cast Iron Studios: Wild, NBC/Grimm, Twilight

    "Hester, I have to compliment you on taking on this mystery of a job and making it so enjoyably clear as to what we do as a process and how we take young people who are interested in filmmaking - who don’t understand the first thing about how the casting process is done - making it enjoyable to read and very informative of how this works and how they can use their time and their effort and money to the best of their ability… to get good talent."

    —Carolyn Pickman, CP Casting, Boston: Mystic Pizza, Black Mass, Straight Outta Compton, Gone Baby Gone

    "Expect an informative lesson on the rules of the game, with strict outlines from every phase of production. Whip out your pens and highlighters and start jotting down notes, because this will surely be on the desks of up-and-coming writers, actors and directors for years to come."

    —Kyle Rupprecht, MovieMaker Magazine, on the first edition of Casting Revealed