Hey, I have a question for fellow no budget filmmakers. Where do you the casting for your actors? I don't mean where do you post an ad, I mean the physical casting. A studio, coffee shop?
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Where do you hold your casting call?
- Thread starter charlescfilm
- Start date
I use the lobby of the local community theater. It helps that I'm involved there and so are most of the actors in my little city.
On the internet. Sign up to a casting call website, put out a listing and watch the aspiring actors flood in.
Most recently, a local small 30-seat black box theater for $15 an hour.
In the past, rented out space from small acting school/classes, and a local place called Space Station which has several different-sized rooms at variable rates. There's probably many similar places just like it. Oh, a local library/community center. All kinds of places are available, for not a lot of bux.
In the past, rented out space from small acting school/classes, and a local place called Space Station which has several different-sized rooms at variable rates. There's probably many similar places just like it. Oh, a local library/community center. All kinds of places are available, for not a lot of bux.
I wanna do it somewhere that at least comes across as a little professional so as not to scare anyone away. Would a music practice studio be weird? Renting out space from an acting class could work I suppose, assuming one would actually let me.
Not only will they let you, some will parade just about every student they have in front of you, if the coach thinks they match a role.
Empty office/retail spaces. I rent by the day for not much cash.
Here in Los Angeles if a filmmaker rented a hotel room for casting red flags
would go up across the local acting community. In my mind very unprofessional.
A small theater or an acting school seem like excellent suggestions. I suspect
there are several of both in Staten Island. Here in LA $45 to $60 is typical
for a day rate - about 4 to 6 hours.
would go up across the local acting community. In my mind very unprofessional.
A small theater or an acting school seem like excellent suggestions. I suspect
there are several of both in Staten Island. Here in LA $45 to $60 is typical
for a day rate - about 4 to 6 hours.
In Manhattan (so not too far from you in Staten Island), I usually rent either a theater rehearsal room or a small black box theater. Demolition/new construction killed off a lot of the cheaper ones on the far west side (9th and 10th Avenues) but there are still quite a few around.
In LA there are a few casting companies that will let you use their facility for free.
CAZT is a great example. They make their money by charging the actors with the option to view their audition footage even if they didn't get the part. For filmmakers and casting directors, it's just as simple as singing up for a time slot.
Since you're in NY, I would imagine there are similar business plans in your area if you dig around.
CAZT is a great example. They make their money by charging the actors with the option to view their audition footage even if they didn't get the part. For filmmakers and casting directors, it's just as simple as singing up for a time slot.
Since you're in NY, I would imagine there are similar business plans in your area if you dig around.
I'll chime in and agree with the rest. DO NOT use a hotel room or private residence.
A theater is great if you can afford it, but really all you need is a room and a place for the actors to wait, be it a hallway or a holding room.
I've done a quick google for you and found these options.
http://www.art-newyork.org/rehearsal-space
http://www.thedavenportstudios.com/
http://www.championsstudios.moonfruit.com/#/studio-rentals/4517463049
http://www.actorsequity.org/castingcall/auditioncenter.asp
A theater is great if you can afford it, but really all you need is a room and a place for the actors to wait, be it a hallway or a holding room.
I've done a quick google for you and found these options.
http://www.art-newyork.org/rehearsal-space
http://www.thedavenportstudios.com/
http://www.championsstudios.moonfruit.com/#/studio-rentals/4517463049
http://www.actorsequity.org/castingcall/auditioncenter.asp
I've used Champions Studios & Art NY - both are good.
I would also recommend the Producers Club
http://producersclub.com/
For auditions, they (all of the ones I've used) usually want to be sure that it's by appointment and not an open audition that is liable to over-crowd their hallway with waiting actors.
I would also recommend the Producers Club
http://producersclub.com/
For auditions, they (all of the ones I've used) usually want to be sure that it's by appointment and not an open audition that is liable to over-crowd their hallway with waiting actors.
I've also used CAZT [like Moonshine said] and thought it was pretty cool. They even upload the audition tapes so you can review them online.
I live near a lot of casting offices and to be honest they're pretty sparse inside. Rent a room, set up a backdrop, some flood lights, a camera and a table with some chairs and you're pretty much set. One day I used a very nice room, the next it was almost a glorified broomcloset. For the most part, actors seem to be used to the variation after the grind of so many auditions.
Best of Luck!
I live near a lot of casting offices and to be honest they're pretty sparse inside. Rent a room, set up a backdrop, some flood lights, a camera and a table with some chairs and you're pretty much set. One day I used a very nice room, the next it was almost a glorified broomcloset. For the most part, actors seem to be used to the variation after the grind of so many auditions.
Best of Luck!
In the past I've worked with productions that held their auditions at the local library. Many libraries have meeting rooms available for rent for very little money. (Just not a good place to audition if you need actors to scream or yell.)
You can talk to the managers of hotels and see if they have meeting or confrence rooms for rent. (If your planning to lodge your cast, you can sometimes work out a great deal for multiple hotel rooms and get the meeting room for auditions tossed in for free.)
I went that route and found a ton of suitable audition spaces in my area... everything from large banquet rooms that could be partitioned off to small "executive" meeting rooms with hotels willing to let people wait in the lobby. The pricing per day went across the board too. $50 - $600, depending on the space and location.
You can talk to the managers of hotels and see if they have meeting or confrence rooms for rent. (If your planning to lodge your cast, you can sometimes work out a great deal for multiple hotel rooms and get the meeting room for auditions tossed in for free.)
I went that route and found a ton of suitable audition spaces in my area... everything from large banquet rooms that could be partitioned off to small "executive" meeting rooms with hotels willing to let people wait in the lobby. The pricing per day went across the board too. $50 - $600, depending on the space and location.
For the past few films I've been involved with we've used libraries as well. They often have private function/meeting rooms, and even, in our case, gave us permission to go in there in the evenings and on weekends when the library was closed. And it was free.
Having said that though, several times I've had actors come around to a house to audition, and whilst perhaps not appearing as 'professional', some of the best performances were given this way. I think the actors tended to feel very relaxed just 'chilling' on the couch talking over a cup of tea, and this comfortableness seemed to help take some of the nervousness out of their audtions and several of our actors have been cast this way.
Having said that though, several times I've had actors come around to a house to audition, and whilst perhaps not appearing as 'professional', some of the best performances were given this way. I think the actors tended to feel very relaxed just 'chilling' on the couch talking over a cup of tea, and this comfortableness seemed to help take some of the nervousness out of their audtions and several of our actors have been cast this way.
You could also use a local school or university on a weekend - use one of their classrooms or lecture theatres for a few hours.
I've also seen casting offices used; some casting offices can look like houses, just very clean, display-home like nice houses in nice suburbs..
If I were going to use my house, I'd make sure we only used one or two rooms, that those two rooms weren't bedrooms and were as tidy as possible (ie didn't look like ahouse; could easily be a home office), and I'd clear the house of everyone else who didn't need to be there if possible.
I've also seen casting offices used; some casting offices can look like houses, just very clean, display-home like nice houses in nice suburbs..
If I were going to use my house, I'd make sure we only used one or two rooms, that those two rooms weren't bedrooms and were as tidy as possible (ie didn't look like ahouse; could easily be a home office), and I'd clear the house of everyone else who didn't need to be there if possible.