Written by Emma Duchesneau
Whether you’re walking into an audition room or sending a self-tape into the abyss, casting directors are a vital part of the auditioning process. They are the ones on the other side of the table, giving you notes, or the other side of the computer receiving your self-tape submissions. But what exactly is their job? How do you make a good impression so you get invited back? And why does it feel like such a mystery?
We sat down with LSTFI professor and alumni Charlotte Arnoux, who works as a casting director when she’s not at the Institute, to learn more about what she does. Here’s what we found out:
Casting Director 101
Casting directors serve as a direct line of communication between the actors and production. They are brought onto a project by producers and then must be approved by the directors. Similar to actors, they often work freelance and must pitch themselves for a project just like an actor does.
They collaborate with the director to make sure their vision is brought to life. They are responsible for giving notes in the audition room to help the actors reach a performance that aligns with the director’s vision.
Actors often forget that casting directors are your biggest cheerleaders and that they want you to succeed. Arnoux emphasized how much casting directors love actors and that she has found her colleagues to be some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. However, they are “100 times more busy than you think [they] are,” and if your email is overlooked, it is because they are dealing with “paperwork and emails and tracking down of availability and deal points.” Casting directors are also an important part of negotiations and “often advocate for actors to get better deals.”
The Institute and Beyond
Arnoux started her journey at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute as an actor and student. At LSTFI, she “fell even deeper in love with the art form of acting.” It was here that she also discovered her passion for helping her classmates find scenes and monologues, enjoying matching students with materials. Arnoux stated that the “symbiosis between material and actor has been something I always loved.”
Arnoux has found that casting and teaching go hand in hand. She provided a glimpse into her classes, explaining that “the way I like to cast is the way I like to teach, which is ‘how can I be of service to you, can I give you the right notes that are gonna help you thrive in the performance, understand the character more deeply, and surprise yourself with a new idea.’” In both casting and teaching, she strives to create a safe environment where actors “can feel they can do their best work.”
Training can be a valuable tool for actors in the audition process. According to Arnoux, two key areas where training often comes into play are taking direction and preparing for work on set. Having a strong foundation to fall back on gives actors the “ability to take that note and be able to apply it in a way that feels real and resonates with you” in the audition room. It also provides them with tools for warming up before shooting on set in a way that is “repeatable and safe.”
Audition Dos and Don’ts
Preparing for an audition can sometimes feel daunting, but here are some simple tips and tricks to calm those nerves.
- Read the taping instructions carefully. Arnoux says a common mistake actors make is “not including all of the slate information we ask for [which] adds an extra step for casting.”
- Give options. While it varies from office to office, sending in two different takes allows casting to see different approaches to the scene or character.
- Be mindful of ad libbing in an audition. Arnoux suggests doing your research on the project and the people working on it before making the choice to include improv in your audition. She mentioned that “for theatre it is never appropriate” and, for film and TV, “it should be more ad lib than improv…unless you are encouraged by the casting office to make it your own.”
- Don’t play it safe. A pitfall for beginning actors is playing the audition scene too generically or giving casting what they think they want to see. Arnoux explains that “more experienced actors have moved past that into ‘this is my version of the character’.”
- Have a reel and additional footage available. Even if you are early in your career, this can be as simple as a scene or monologue you’ve recorded at home or in class. Arnoux highlights that this gives casting “more insight on how you appear on camera.” For example, it can help casting see what age an actor can play or show previous roles in similar genres.
Making a Good Impression
Casting directors see hundreds of people for roles, so how do you make yourself memorable?
Arnoux frequently works on indie projects that require a certain style of acting. When she is casting, she looks for “grounded, natural, realistic performances.” Some things she considers while looking at tapes are:
- Did I feel like I was watching acting?
- Did I get to learn a little about the person auditioning through their work?
- Do I believe you?
Since casting gets so little time with you, they want to see as much of you as possible in your auditions to help build these connections. Another way to forge these bonds is through showcases and film festivals. Arnoux says she tries to attend as many as possible, but workshops are also a valuable tool for meeting casting. While they usually cost money, “a class with a casting director can be a fun way to bridge that gap,” and can be worth saving up for.
It’s important to remember that if you don’t hear back about an audition, it doesn’t mean that casting didn’t like you. Rejection is an inevitable part of the industry, but many casting decisions come down to factors beyond your control, such as height, eye color, or availability. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about what happens on the other side of the table, the more confident you can become in the audition process.