Featured Article- The Casting Process

Whether you are a seasoned actor or just starting out, it is important to understand what goes on in the casting process. Casting Directors hire the actors for a specific project. There are various types of casting including, Principal, Extras, Local Principal, and Local Extras. Principal casting will hire the actors for the main (or principal ) parts. Extras casting is in charge of hiring all of the extras (or background talent) for the project. If a project is filmed in several locations there will also be a Local Principal Casting Director, who is in charge of hiring local actors for the principal roles that will be filmed in their area. Local Extras Casting Directors are in charge of hiring the background talent that the project will need when filming in their area.

In order to find actors for certain roles, a Casting Director will send out a 'Breakdown' of the project they are casting. A breakdown is a list of the characters in the script as well as a description ofl the characters. Agents and Managers view the breakdown and choose the actors that fit any of the parts. If they do, the Agent or Manager will submit the actor's headshot and resume. A headshot is an 8 x 10 picture of the actor and the resume is a list of the actor's prior work including films, commercials and theatre. These are called Submissions.
The Casting Director sorts through the submissions and sets up an audition through the actor's Agent. Generally Casting Directors will also send the Agent 'sides'. Sides are a few pages that contains a scene/scenes that involves the character they are auditioning for. Every Casting Director is different and some may require that you have the scene memorized, while others won't, however it is always better to be prepared.

When you arrive for your audition, you will be called into the room with the Casting Director and typically be asked to slate. Slating is when the actor states his/her name, their Agent/Manager's name, and the role they are auditioning for. After you slate, you can begin to perform your audition.

You can find additional casting tips and advice in our Industry Resources Section, under Career Tools 4 Actors.