A student film can be a calling card for an actor and a way to build relationships with up and coming filmmakers. Some films even go on to win major awards on the festival circuit, like “Leidi”, the graduation film of former London Film School student, Simón Mesa Soto, that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2014.
So how does a student go about casting their short film? I spoke to a few recent film school graduates to find out more.
Finding actorsWithout United Talent on speed dial, the first step for most student filmmakers is to go through directories like Backstage. But some filmmakers take a different approach. “I watch a lot of short films made by students”, says Hero Mackenzie (London Film School 2017). When Hero was thinking about who to cast in her graduation film, she immediately thought about Eric Kolelas, who she had seen in another student short. “He was in a minor role, but he just stole the scene from the lead.”
Auditioning actorsOnce they have a shortlist of possible actors, students then invite them in for an audition. Often it’s a process of trial and error to figure out what works for them as a director. “At first, particularly as I was making
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