Eight Tips from a Casting Director to Help You Book the Role

Earlier articles spoke about packaging talent: the inside skinny of casting and tips to get the role. Here are more pieces of the casting puzzle that may help you book or understand the dynamics more.

1. ‘Back To One’

My best guess is, it is about $10,000 USD a minute (60 seconds) on set lost when someone doesn’t follow the chain of command. It is there for safety and flow. If someone says, go back to one. Well, go back to one — the one starting point you were at most recently.

2. Saying No

Keep in mind you always have the right to say no, but do so kindly. For example: “Thanks for asking me to walk that tightrope, but I don’t feel I have the skills to do it safely.” Then go to the bathroom, call your agent or manager and let them call production to back off and get a stunt person. To me, your gut instinct is 99.9% correct; listen to it.

3. Ask

I have gotten jobs by asking, and you can too. At the very least, you can meet nice people who could refer you to someone. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I asked my close friend, David, if he knew anybody I could meet. He gave me a long list and I called everybody up. Each time, I offered to meet up since we both knew David. So, I got to meet all these fabulous people and told them to call anytime.

One woman, Renita, actually took me up on the offer and asked me to come work on a music video. “You can wrangle the talent,” she said. “Can you work tomorrow at six in the morning?”

Of course, I said yes. There I was, my very first casting was as an extra talent wrangler for Kid Rock’s awesome music video. And they loved how I wrangled them so much that they asked me back the next day. That’s my funny story of how I started casting.

4. Read The Script

If you don’t like the script, don’t do the film — it will show. That hurts everyone on the project. There was one time that I cast for something I didn’t believe in. I thought it was for a friend of mine. She ended up not being a friend, but that’s what happens in this business.

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Desperate people do desperate things at desperate times. So yes, the script is very, very important. As the actor reading the script, you really should see if each character has its own unique voice.

5. Do Not Self-Sabotage

I cannot tell you how many times people self-sabotage — you know when their face contorts or their body language does something off because they’re self-judging, right? They’re thinking something that isn’t, and they’ve talked themselves out of a job because generally the director or the producer is sitting right next to me.

6. Audition Like We Are Filming    

Someone asked me, “What specifically do you look for in an actor when you are trying to fulfill a client-to-man for a project?” You know it when you see the actor read and they’re not just reading; it’s almost as if right then and there, I could have filmed that. I know I’m filming it for an audition, but I could have filmed it for the actual film. It’s about authenticity. I mean, you just are and how you get to be that way is by doing your homework and knowing who you are.

7. Backstory

Know your backstory. Some things you can ask yourself about your character are: Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? What color do you like? What’s your favorite food? What were you doing the moment before? Where are you going the moment after? Do you have health issues? How old are you? Are you dyslexic? These are some of the things you should ask yourself for each and every role and then become that.

8. Listen

Acting is reacting, which means you need to listen to what someone is saying. The most challenging part of casting is people not listening. This is a communication industry. Directors are directing, they need you to listen.

It is safe to say if someone asks you for an audition, they want you to book the role. Assume positive intent in any and all notes/comments. You can always say no, but do so gracefully and you will be more likely to be asked back in for a different audition. Break a leg!