Many people have asked me lately, “How does the casting process work?” Actors are always curious about what goes on behind closed doors, so here is my attempt to clarify the process for you.
First, we get the specs required from our client. Let’s take a female and male, age 20s-30s, all ethnicities, and great with copy, as an example. We take these specs and put them out on a breakdown—which is where you might see them on Backstage.com.
After the breakdown goes out, there are many submissions from agents and, if the breakdown is posted on a casting site like Backstage, actors as well. Then it’s decision time: who gets an audition? Here is what I do.
To start, I schedule the actors I already know are great with copy. Then, I always like to give new talent or talent I don’t know an opportunity. However, I need to see some kind of video reel of the person’s work. Résumés don’t mean a thing since anyone can make up credits on a piece of paper. I want to see video footage. However, there are rare occasions that I will schedule someone I don’t know based on their headshot and résumés—it does happen.
Next comes the audition. You come in, do
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