Making my first casting call

EndStateProductions

EndStateProductions

Hello everyone,

I'm shooting my first feature from next February (possibly later, but thats the current schedule). Anyway, everything I've created so far has involved friends or friends of friends acting in them, so I've never experienced issuing a casting call before.

I was just wondering if anyone had any tips? Like where to post online the casting call? Where to print off and stick up flyers and posters? How to attract as much attention as possible?

Thanks,
Jack
 
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Facebook.
Twitter.
Acting and Filmmaking Forums.
Sites like Mandy.
imdbPRO
Craigslist.
Drama groups and community theaters near you.

Tips?

Videotape the performance. Some people do not show up well on camera.
Be straightforward about any nudity, violence, or suggested content.
Don't make them do anything they are not comfortable doing.
Keep it short. Give them information on the project, and get their info. Don't drag it on longer than it needs to be.
Don't be a jerk, and not call back. Keep it touch with possible future actors.
This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDjTx-BCL-I

Best of luck. :cool:
 
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Another tip.

The best way to get a great response is to write a an engaging description of the film.

Make your film sound as interesting as possible. Pretend that you are writing the marketing blurb for the program of a large film festival that your film is in.

Be very specific about things in your breakdown. It will cut down on the number of clarification emails you will need to send back and forth.

Example: If you are willing to cover travel expenses, but only from a certain distance away, put that in the announcement.

Also. Be organized and meticulous with your responses. Set up a separate email account just for the audition sumbissions so that you can clearly see new emails in your inbox and what you have and haven't responded to.

Also, set a tentative date for yourself for when you would like to make decisions. That way you can let actors who are in the running know when you will most likely be making a decision. Also, it helps give you a more disciplined window in which to get this done.

We are going through casting for our feature film shooting in February-March right now. We are finishing up callbacks this week. And we hope to make offers by early next week.
 
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Also, when you're auditioning people, no matter how much you like what they did, ask them to do it differently (in some specific way - more anger, more joy, more love, whatever). This will help you to weed out people who can't take direction.
 
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If you've never worked with actors before, you should look up how to give playable direction. To experienced actors, notes like 'more anger' or 'be funnier' will flag you as an outsider or a newb.
 
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BTW. I just thought of another thing.

If ethnicity does not matter for the role, make sure that you specifically put "all ethnicities" or "any ethnicity" in the actual breakdown for that part.
 
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