Casting directors are responsible for filling all speaking roles and hiring extras in productions. They often have a background in acting or production and are members of professional organizations. The casting process involves multiple auditions and callbacks, and famous actors may have a shorter process. Negative associations with casting directors include the “casting couch” and accusations of discrimination in casting choices.
Many people associate the Casting Director (CD) with casting big names for film, theater and television productions. However, a CD often postpones the lead director or producer on the lead roles. Instead, the casting director fills the roles of all speaking parts in a production and oversees the hiring of all extras. Many casting directors have a background in acting or production and are members of a relevant professional organization.
What Casting Directors Do
In productions with many people, the casting director and his assistants may have to see thousands of people to fill hundreds of roles. The CD usually receives some instruction from the film’s director, such as “I need people in their thirties and forties”, to get guidance on who fits these roles best. In essence, the casting director’s goal is to find people who fit the artistic vision of the director and possibly the producer. The CD watches auditions and makes final approval of talent before actors and actresses are offered roles in a production.
The casting process
Assistants for a CD often supervise the early stages of auditioning. If the assistants decide that an audition for a role might be suitable for a part, then the person is called back; there can be several callbacks before a part is launched. Actors often go through numerous castings, for a variety of roles, before being awarded a part.
Unlike many extras or aspiring actors, most moderately well-known or famous stars don’t have to go through so many calls to be seen by a casting director. A director who wants a certain person for a role can start this audition process, or the actor’s agent could start it. The casting director often hears a famous person reading or singing immediately for a role, although callbacks may be involved if there is a particularly large pool of well-known talent vying for a part.
Become a casting director
Many casting directors have a background in film or television production. Indeed, experience as an interpreter can be quite advantageous for a CD and gives him the ability to connect and talk more easily with actors and actresses. One of the best ways to start this career is as a production assistant or assistant to an established CD. There are also professional organizations, such as the Casting Society of America (CSA), which most casting directors are members of, that offer networking opportunities within the entertainment industry.
Negative associations with casting directors
Some actions of some casting directors in the early years of film and entertainment led to the term “casting couch”. This refers to CDs that offer a woman a role in exchange for sexual intercourse. While the idea of a “casting couch” persists in stereotypical portrayals of casting actresses, few casting directors still employ this approach. Modern workplace sexual harassment laws make this method illegal and can potentially open an entire film production to lawsuits and very heavy fines.
Casting directors have also been criticized for their casting choices. They have been accused of racism, aging and other forms of discrimination. Criticism of CDs often arises from the idea that they cast actors who do not reflect the appearance of real people. The casting director usually focuses on the director’s artistic vision, however, rather than their own ideas about who should play a role. Thus, decisions about the race, gender, or body type of those cast in a film are usually out of the hands of the CD.
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