Very 1st Audition

hey guys, Alec here.

I've been screenwriting for quite some time but am donning the director's hat for the 1st time with my Pscyhological Thriller short, 'Norma'.

And with this comes, comes me holding an audition for the very first time. I'm looking for any advice you guys can give me on this and would really appreciate the input.
Thanks guys.
 
Put ads up everywhere you think actors will be. Flyers in theatres, schools, a post on kijiji/craigslist etc.

Let responses trickle or flood in for about 2 weeks more or less, depending on if you get the right actors and are satisfied with your decision.

Send out the lines you want read to those that respond, making sure people know the bios of the characters and their motivations for their scenes etc.

Hold auditions in a place that is accessible to the majority of people in your city. Libraries, schools, community halls, anywhere with meeting rooms pretty much.

Bring a camera with you and just let it roll all day if you can, then just time stamp everyones resume/headshot so you know who is who because you will probably forget who you really liked by the end of the day.

Do it at reasonable hours. Trying to get both people that work at night and people who work during the day is tough, renting a room for the entire day or two should do it.

Have someone greet every potential actor and direct them to the waiting area or audition room. And if you can, try and get 1 male 1 female in the audition room at all times to make everyone comfortable. Have water/coffee/snacks if you think there will be a long lineup for most of the time.

Try and limit everyones audition time to about the same every time. Holding an actor for an extra 5 minutes to chat or try other lines will make other people annoyed.

Call back everyone who auditioned and let them know if they got it or not.
 
If you know of any local casting director, producers, or directors who can help you with your auditions, that would be golden and a great help for finding the right actors.

Also, ask for actors' demo reels to view, job references, call the job reference to see how the actor was to work with.

Send them just the scenes of the script you need them for and have them perform the scenes at the auditions.

Have a release form ready for them to sign as well as a contract.

If the actor is to be measured for costumes, measure them before they leave.

Make sure they know your advertised shooting schedule and they are available for 100% of the time you need them.

Don't let an actor try to talk you into auditioning outside your scheduled time for auditions. That is unprofessional on their part. A professional actor will send a taped copy of their performance for the role, if they really want the part.

Schedule auditions for every five minutes because 2/3s of actors don't show up for auditions.

Hopefully, most or all of your shooting will be indoors because you can control your environment. Outdoor shooting can have weather problems and stray sound problems.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
 
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Excellent advise guys, thank you very much :)

I was not at all expecting such a detailed response and I really appreciate it :)

I will use it all and let you guys know ASAP how it goes. Cheers!
 
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