Directing the Audition

By Peter D. Marshall

Casting is the "bottleneck" of the film industry. It's a place

where both sides of the table have only a few minutes to make

choices - choices that can affect all of our careers.

The Casting session (the "audition") can be a terrifying place

for any actor. It takes a lot of guts to walk into a small,

windowless room and have 5 - 10 minutes to "show your stuff"

in front of complete strangers.

But it's just as tough for the Director as well! How can we

correctly decide, in less than 10 minutes, who is right for a

particular part?

Actors, by the very nature of their profession, need to be

vulnerable in order to express their deepest emotions.

Remember to treat all actors with the utmost of respect - just

like your crew and the general public.

Also, please make sure the Reader is either an actor or at

least someone who will put an effort into reading the scene

with emotion. This will help the actor during their audition

and also give you a better idea of the actor’s abilities.

NOTE: Casting sessions are not just to pick actors for a role

they are also a very useful way to improve your script. When

you listen to actors performing a scene in the script, you get

a real feel for the words and how they flow when different

actors read the same scenes.

You can see (or hear) what works and what doesn't. It's from

the casting session that many of your script changes will

happen.

(1) The Audition (Casting Session)

1. Actors should be scheduled every 10 minutes, but some

auditions will be shorter or longer depending on the director.

2. When the actor comes into the room, there is usually a

cameraperson, the reader, the director, the casting director

and producers.

3. Before the actor begins, the cameraperson records their

name, the role they are reading for and their agency.

4. The director asks them if they have any questions. He

should then show them the area of the room where they can

freely move around.

5. The camera starts and the director calls action for the

first take.

6. The director makes an adjustment (change of objective) with

the actor.

7. The camera starts and the director calls action for the

second take.

8. The director thanks the actor. The casting director tells

them they will be contacted if there is a callback. When the

actor leaves the room, the director and producers make their

notes.

9. The next actor is brought in and the process repeats.

10. At the end of the casting session, the director, casting

director and producers compare notes and decide on a short

list for the first callback session. For this first callback

session, the director will usually want 3 - 4 actors to come

back for each role.

(2) Reviewing Auditions

The most important thing to remember when auditioning actors,

is to "Cast for performance first, and look second."

Whether you review the auditions just from your notes or from

looking at the tapes, here’s what to pay attention to before

deciding on who to callback:

1. Assessing the performance: Look at both the actor's

physical characteristics and their acting abilities

2. Critique the performance: Judge the strengths and

weaknesses of the actor's performance from the director's

adjustment. (Was the performance believable?)

3. Type casting vs performance casting: Think outside the box

when it comes to actors portraying characters

4. Character Relationships: Which actors could play well

together?

5. Decisions to be made for the callback:

- Which new scene should be used

- What qualities to look for in each actor

- Which actors are the best match (good chemistry)

- Where to raise the stakes (adjustments and subtext)

(3) First Callback

Callbacks are a little different than an audition. This is

where the director wants to spend more time working with the

actors. You also want to pair the actors up and watch the

chemistry between them. Budget about 10-15 minutes per

session.

You also want all the actors to show up at the same time so

the director can mix-and-match actors as he sees fit. And if

you can, you should also choose different scenes for them to

perform then they did for the first audition.

The most important job a director needs to do before a

callback, is to make a list of the actors he wants to read

together. Depending on their schedules, you want the first

actors that read for you to be the ones you are most

interested in. If they work out, those first reads are the

standard by which you can gauge the other actors’

performances.

1. The director tells the casting director which 2 actors he

wants for each session. When the 2 actors come into the room,

there will be a cameraperson, the casting director, the

director and the producers.

2. Before the actors begin, the cameraperson records their

names and the roles they are reading for.

3. The director asks them if they have any questions. He then

shows them the area of the room where they can move around

freely. The director may also add additional props for the

scene.

4. The camera starts and the director calls action for the

first take.

5. The director makes an adjustment (change of objectives)

with the 2 actors.

6. The camera starts and the director calls action for the

second take.

7. The director thanks the actors and asks them to go back to

the waiting room. When the actors leave the room, the director

and producers make their notes.

8. The director tells the producer which 2 actors he wants for

the next session. The next 2 actors are brought in and the

process repeats.

9. At the end of the session, the director and producers

compare notes and decide on a short list for the second

callback session. For this last session, the director will

want the top 2 actor choices to come back for each role.

(4) Second Callback

This final callback is where you now have 2 actors competing

for each role and you have paired the actors up so you can

watch the chemistry between them. Budget about 15-20 minutes

per session.

Like the first callback, the actors all show up at the same

time so you can mix-and-match actors as you see fit. You

should also choose two scenes for them to perform together if

possible.

1. The audition process is the same as the First Callback

session.

2. At the end of the session, the director, casting director

and producers compare notes and decide on the cast.

3. Always pick a second choice for each character in case your

first choice gets sick or becomes otherwise unavailable.

(5) What's Next?

After the actors have been approved, the director will want to

have a read through with them and then start the rehearsal

process.

Peter D. Marshall is a filmmaker from Vancouver, Canada, He has worked in the Film and Television Industry for over 35 years. He also publishes the free monthly filmmaking ezine "The Director's Chair. You can check out his website at http://www.actioncutprint.com and his film directing blog at http://filmdirectingtips.com Peter can be reached at pdm@actioncutprint.com

----------