CASTING DIRECTORS
They can be "independents," hired by the job, or studio or network employees. They may or may not be members of the Casting Society of America (CSA). They go to showcases, 99-seat theatres and nightclubs. They hold forth at general interviews and "pre-screening" cold readings. They peer at TV shows, view videotapes, and attend movies from Grades A through Z, all in order to do their one basic job: finding talent.
Using knowledge of the talent pool, they suggest actors to the producer/ director/network executives, based on guidelines they're given, the script and agents' submissions. Actors considered "right" are called in.
They negotiate your salary and billing with your agent as the producer's representatives. Rarely do they hire or make final decisions on what to pay or how to bill you. They need the approval of the check writers.
"The only power that the casting director has is to give you the opportunity to come and play," says commercial casting director Beverly Long. "I mean, I invite you to the party. I send out the invitations."
Why not skip the middleman and go right to the host? First, you'll rarely meet a producer or director without being screened by a casting director. Second, "An officer of the DG A told me the majority of working TV directors do only two or three shows a year," says director Andrew McCullough. That means a casting director can cast a half-dozen projects in the time it takes a producer or director to shoot one.
To an actor, a casting director is a walking employment agency.
GETTING INTERVIEWS/KEEPING IN TOUCH
We use "interview" as the industry does: an all-inclusive term for:
- Auditions: You perform.
- "Look-sees": You talk with a producer, director or casting director. You don't cold read, even though they're casting a specific project.
- General interviews: Same as a look-see, but only to meet you for future reference. There's no specific project.
That's the key - getting interviews and keeping in touch. And it's tough. After all, your agent is your business partner. You can (and should) occasionally pick up the phone merely to remind him you're around. But try that with a casting director and he'll wrap the cord around your neck. Yet, as one producer put it, "This is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind business." How do you beat this game? Well, first, there's your agent.
That's his job - getting you interviews and reminding people you're alive. But don't bet on it.
Showcases
Currently the way to meet and perform for casting directors.
Theatre
Especially 99-seat theatre. It's hard for a casting director not to be reminded of you if you're in a play he's watching. Plays beget parts.
In New York, regular rounds by aggressive actors are an accepted practice. In laid-back L.A., rounds must be made with discretion and subtlety - as though you are doing nothing so crass as making rounds, but just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought you'd say hello.
To show you how sticky the subject of rounds can be, here's a list of word-for-word answers we got from casting directors when we asked them: "Should actors drop by?"
- "No."
- "I don't mind - if I know the actor."
- "I hate it! Don't drop by. The dialing finger is important."
- "Well ... no. Except to drop off a resume shot."
- "I feel terrific about it. But the studio doesn't."
- "Well, it's not too great."
- "Doesn't bother me."
- "N.G."
- "I don't mind, as long as they don't camp out."
- It's the pits!"
- "It works 100 percent better. Not to try to get into the office for an appointment, but to drop a picture, because it's very hard to trust pictures . . . sometimes the 'feeling' of the picture isn't always the 'feeling' of the actor."
- "It's okay, as long as the visit is brief and the actor isn't persistent."
And personal manager Larry Fonseca: "The difference is, out here we're all 'laid back,' and in New York they go for the jugular vein. That's what I try to instill in my actors - be aggressive. Go for the jugular vein."
Anyway, to find casting directors, use the guides on sale at your local drama bookstore (The Working Actor's Guide, Breakdown Services' C/D Directory, etc.).
The offices of most theatrical casting directors are on studio lots, so unless you've got a friend who works there and can get you inside the gates, either wait until you have an audition/job on that lot or try chugging briskly past the guard with a knowing wave and all the chutzpah you can muster.
Remember, actually getting to see the casting director will be a bonus - your prime mission is to make that first contact or to jog memories. Stay pleasant, don't be pushy and don't keep turning up like a bad penny.
The Mails
Besides resumes and pictures, there are thank-you notes, holiday and birthday greetings and, of course, postcards. Also announcements of your plays, movie and TV appearances. And yes, even an occasional note saying "hello" is okay, especially if it's witty. They don't always get read, but the right reminder at the right time might result in Bank Night. It only takes one.
Phoning
Mostly considered obnoxious, a call is okay if it's about something specific - a play, film or TV show. That's valid business. Expect to leave your message with the assistant.
Other Methods
Anything from ads in the trades to asking a pal to say hello can help. For example, every studio has a commissary. Have lunch there when you can (not every week, though; that's too obvious).
Try to keep in touch with every casting director you know, and add several new ones to your list, about every three to six months. If you do, you'll work. Casting directors are the keys to the kingdom.
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS
Both hire, so once you've worked for either, you'll want to nurture that contact. Use all those "reminders of your existence," and try to spark at least casual friendships. As television stage manager James Hamilton says, "If people like and trust you it's only natural that they'll want to work with you."
Unfortunately, only Jello moves more than producers and directors, so keeping track of them can be tough. Check the production charts in the trades. Producers with "permanent" offices can be located in The Hollywood Reporter Studio Blu-Book or even the telephone book. For directors try a copy oiFilm Directors - A Complete Guide.
It's iffy but possible to contact a director through his agent. Without a prior okay, calling a director at home is more than iffy. It'll get you an audition - at Murder, Incorporated.
While business contacts are the meat and potatoes of getting work, actors have gotten parts through friendships arising from chance meetings at anything from a Lakers game to a fundraiser for The Flat Earth Society. Skip the re-runs of Gilligan's Island and get out there.
But - and it's a big one: if you drop in on the offices of producers and directors you don't know, your "rounds" are time-wasting circles. Why? "I can tell you right up front - they hate it," says theatrical casting director Ron Stephenson. "It's dumb. If you know that producer as a friend, that's one thing, but please don't go around bugging producers. They really hate it." As one producer put it, "If I'm not casting, what have we got to talk about?" Sure, you might get lucky, but spending your time getting to casting directors pays off more often.
AND NOW A WORD ABOUT THE REAL SPONSOR
Networks get involved in casting, sometimes even to the level of bit parts. While they tend toward "names," newcomers often get their big break in pilots. In fact, that's a major part of a network casting director's job - scouting for new stars. The catch here is, as Susan Glicksman (former Director of Casting for the West Coast, ABC-TV) put it: "We're looking for really unique people - for stars of series. There are always roles for 35-year-old, really gorgeous guys ... for a young, sexy girl who can do comedy."
Theatrical casting director Paul Bengston: "Television has a look. NBC has a look; ABC has a look; CBS has a look. And I'd advise actors to watch and see what that look is." Absolutely; but, what the heck, no matter what your "look," send your resumes and photos to all network casting directors. Who knows? They may even change "the look" this season.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
Whenever you meet a producer, call an agent, write a casting director or interview with a director, try to take the long view. Welcome him into your club of contacts. Think of the future rather than that one job. It'll make you a relaxed pro, not an uptight amateur.
In short, you'll probably get to "go" sooner if you think in terms of later.
