a little insecure question to film makers/directors

L

LDS

first I make thread "when do you know you should give up" - and now this

I AM A POSITIVE PERSON! lol :D :cool:

But... Question!

Me, as also an actor go across casting calls, a lot of them... most of them... all of them have minimum height 5'5 and above.


How many of you would hire 5'2 tall actor (yes I is short lol :cool: :rolleyes: )
 
Of course it depends on the role, but sure.
There are several characters in my most recent movie that certainly could have been played by a guy that height. And I don't think I've ever listed a minimum height requirement for any roles.

That being said - I probably wouldn't hire a guy that height to play a cop, or as the love interest of a tall woman (unless that was built into the story, which isn't out of the question).
 
Of course I would. But if a character needs to be shorter guy.
I wouldn't hire a slim cut actor with rock hard abs to play an character that battles with his obesity problem.

Actors are not mannequins. Imagine how terrible would that be!
 
Based on performances I've seen from you, LDS I would personally be more than happy to audition you. Generally my scripts are shape/colour/accent(/and often gender) blind so I'm probably more flexible than the average director.

If I remember correctly, quite a few big actors (Michael J Fox, Daniel Radcliffe) are a similar height to you.
 
I would have cast someone 5'2 in all my previous shorts. After all they were shorts...

But seriously, it is soooo role dependent. On the first short I went to as an actor, they were looking for a 250lb - 300b, Mandarin speaking, Chinese guy. I was only 240lbs but they went with me anyway.

I think they'd have favoured me over you.
 
LDS said:
first I make thread "when do you know you should give up" - and now this

I AM A POSITIVE PERSON! lol :D :cool:

But... Question!

Me, as also an actor go across casting calls, a lot of them... most of them... all of them have minimum height 5'5 and above.


How many of you would hire 5'2 tall actor (yes I is short lol :cool: :rolleyes: )
Click to expand...

Why not? People said Arnie couldn't make it unless he changed his name, and people told Lucille Ball that a woman couldn't make it in Hollywood as a mogul. No one knows anything in this business, and, if you got the will and the drive, go for it - even if you fail, keep going for it. There's no harm in auditioning for every role until you drop dead, so go for it.
 
It really is so dependent on the Casting Director and the role. Realistically, if we've already cast our female actor and she's 5'5, it's going to be tough to cast a 5'2 male opposite her unless he simply blows everybody away with how good he is.

Have you ever heard of casting changes based on an actor's height? Yeah, it gets really difficult trying to get two people in the same shot if one is significantly taller than the other. And you can't stack actors on Apple boxes for every shot.

That being said, there's certainly no harm in going for it - the worst they can do is say no. You never know - they might say yes.
 
Doesn't make a lick of difference to me, unless there is some type of specific role requirement.. in which case it might be just as bad that you're not black or 300lbs
 
LDS, I'm not sure why you aren't booking more jobs because you do have a "look." I don't think the problem is your height, but it may be your auditioning skills.

And yes I have cast a male that was 5'2" in a feature length movie as a lead. See it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1coGX-MFW8

I cast him because he gave it his all at the audition. He wasn't what I had in mind but he won me over. Good luck.
 
Your roles are going to be limited. You have to face that fact.

I'm 5'4". On days I feel good about myself, I add another 1/2 inch. I can't play Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's just the way it is. You just have to go for roles that suit you.

For the roles I have coming up, I'm not sure you or I, would suit any of the leads. And casting is 90% of directing isn't it? Believability. No one would believe me in a Schwarzenegger or a "bad ass of any kind" role. It's just the way it is man. You're a director. Would you hire a short, fat, brown guy like myself to be in your movie about a debonair leading man? I wouldn't.
 
LDS said:
How many of you would hire 5'2 tall actor (yes I is short lol :cool: :rolleyes: )
Click to expand...

I believe I have 4 credited cast members 5'2 or under. As a low budget filmmaker, height is way down on my priority list. I look for 1) ability to show up on time and 2) ability to give a convincing performance being fed lines by the director.

Yes, if you answered my craigslist cast call, can act and follow my direction, and showed up at each appointment on time, you'd be in my last feature.

Good luck.
 
I always felt like I was kinda short at 5'9. I've never felt like it would inhibit my ability to play the roles I'd be good for. Obviously I wouldn't be able to play a basketball player, but I also couldn't play an oompa loompa.

I can't imagine 5'2 is so much different than 5'5. It wouldn't really cause any camera framing issues, especially in wide shots. Hell, if you have height-boosting shoes it could remove the difference without anyone noticing (not sure if they're easy to walk in or not)
 
payperfilm said:
LDS, I'm not sure why you aren't booking more jobs because you do have a "look." I don't think the problem is your height, but it may be your auditioning skills.

And yes I have cast a male that was 5'2" in a feature length movie as a lead. See it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1coGX-MFW8

I cast him because he gave it his all at the audition. He wasn't what I had in mind but he won me over. Good luck.
Click to expand...

erm... I don't even get acting auditions lol... I get commercials and I get the parts but not like films :rolleyes: :(
 
trueindie said:
Your roles are going to be limited. You have to face that fact.

I'm 5'4". On days I feel good about myself, I add another 1/2 inch. I can't play Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's just the way it is. You just have to go for roles that suit you.

For the roles I have coming up, I'm not sure you or I, would suit any of the leads. And casting is 90% of directing isn't it? Believability. No one would believe me in a Schwarzenegger or a "bad ass of any kind" role. It's just the way it is man. You're a director. Would you hire a short, fat, brown guy like myself to be in your movie about a debonair leading man? I wouldn't.
Click to expand...

If you are comparing yourself to roles like Arnold's well...

I know I am not fit or good looking or tall... But... I also know I would do well in Tim Burton's films playing "characters" like Johnny Depp's

Of course I will not play the good looking lead roles in romantic films

I tried to make "action" shorts with myself as a "bad guy" and erm... I just looked stupid so I know I will never play BOURNE lol

I think comedy and make an idiot out of myself and my look and character roles are for me... Even tho I would like to do dramatic and action but... How could my 5'2 character ever beat HULK lol - Unless I play some weird superhero lol :cool:


I do believe another reasons I don't get even film auditions is the fact I am wearing freaking braces on my teeth :grumpy::grumpy::grumpy:
 
Well your teeth are kind of unique, but make it a strength, it doesn't have to be a weakness

Check out tommy flanagan and the big scar on his face. He landed roles in Gladiator and Sin City
 
Are you a woman, OP? Shorter actors have gotten roles more so if they are women. But some men are successful, just look at Danny Devito. You may be typecast to certain parts though, unfortunately.
 
You should read all the details for a role you are interested in. Some, like mine, list height requirements because I make science fiction characters that need to fit a look.

Also, my breakdowns specify local talent only because I don't pay for visas and hotel bills for neither cast nor crew members. I did have an Eastern European actress from Serbia in my last film only because another production she was in was already paying for her transportation, hotel, and visa. She is a union actress with over a dozen years in Serbian studio productions and she brought great experience with her that was helpful to all of us in filmmaking.

I actually look for men between 4'10" and 5'2" and women from 5'6" to 7' tall for roles of people on the alien world in the series because humans evolved differently on the alien planet than on Earth.

So, height can come into play. But, that should be in the breakdowns. I am surprised how few actors actually read breakdowns and casting calls beyond the titles of the roles. Don't be one of them. The details are there for a good reason.
 
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