In the continually evolving entertainment industry, the demand for knowledgeable, skilled professionals who can scout and secure the right talent for roles has become ever-more important. From theatre to television; from a fashion shoot to a commercial: casting can be the difference between an award-winning success – or a costly failure.
What roles are out there?
Within the casting process, there are several roles that interconnect. Looking at it from the side of the project, the likely first step on the ladder in casting would probably be as a casting assistant or associate. At this level there wouldn't be any direct selecting – either in who to call to audition, or who to appoint from the auditions.
These roles lead on to the casting director, whose main task is to find the right person with the right set of skills, abilities and talent for each role, taking into consideration the specific requirements of the project. In this role there is very close liaison with the project's director and producers to be sure of what the project is and what is required by the people to be cast. In some projects, there wouldn't be a casting assistant/associate, and the casting director would do all the casting tasks.
On the other side of the casting process is the role of the casting agent. An agent is typically, but not always, employed by a larger agency that has several people on their books for whom they seek to find the right roles.
Agents pitch the talent – this means not always waiting for a casting assistant to call them, but instead sometimes getting ahead of others by knowing what projects are in the pipeline and putting their clients forward before the casting assistant/directors have even thought about who to call. The agents then negotiate contracts, and provide guidance for models, actors, and any other talent they represent to help them in the auditions and to navigate and develop their careers, including recommending further training opportunities or specific skill development (such as adding stage combat, or ‘ability to ride horses’ to a resume, for example).
Duties and responsibilities when casting for a project
The casting director will have a vision of the talent that will work for the project they are representing; they will have ways to seek them out and determine – through a process of comparison and audition – whether those called forward are the best fit for the specific project they are overseeing.
Casting is a challenging and exciting process of organising and connecting people with unique abilities to bring a creative vision to fruition. Depending on the project, and whether there is just a casting director, or whether there are also associates, the variety of tasks that fall under the casting director's remit could include:
- Reading scripts/outlines to understand the intentions of the project.
- Work with directors and producers to understand the type of actors/talent needed for specific roles/projects.
- Identify and select potential talent for auditions by reviewing portfolios and resumes.
- Organise and oversee auditions.
- Watch performances and attend acting workshops/institution shows to source potential further talent to add to portfolios of available actors for future projects.
- Negotiate contracts, including salary, availability, and other work conditions.
Routes into casting roles
To increase employability, advancement opportunities and earning potential, completing a bachelor's degree in any field that can provide a foundation of soft skills like writing, research, creative thinking and critical thinking would be very applicable to the roles within casting.
Some specific course pathways could include obvious titles such as Film and Television, Theatre, Fine Art, Media and Communication. But also, something such as a business degree could provide experience with management theory, techniques and practices, as well as finance, accounting, marketing and advertising that would all be relevant to the casting remits. There are even creative courses that have modules specifically looking at being an agent, for example.
However, whether someone completes a degree or not, getting some form of hands-on work experience, an internship or apprenticeship in the creative industries is invaluable to success in casting.
With lots of positivity and a willingness to get stuck in and try everything (including long periods of perhaps not doing anything directly and just observing) the hope is, of course, that these often-unpaid opportunities will then lead to full-time positions.
What qualities might also be needed?
Whether representing the talent, or the project, as casting assistant, director or agent, roles within the casting process suit people who possess excellent interpersonal skills, high levels of organisation and an extensive network in the entertainment industry. It's also essential to be able to switch between administrative and people-facing responsibilities.
Overall, to be successful in a role in the casting process requires a combination of timing, patience, experience and, perhaps most importantly, persistence!