Casting Isn't For The Weak

I made my decision to become an independent film maker  for the same reason that I have made most of my life's decisions - to meet girls.  One would think that of all the components that are necessary for one to be a competent indie film maker, casting would therefor be high in the enjoyment range.  Not so.  Today's post is a brief discussion of the pitfalls and recommendations which represent the scars I've received while casting film parts.

1) Beware the MFA!  A Master's in Fine Arts degree shows that someone has taken the time (and money) to invest in themselves and their career.  They toss their degree into the back of their Volkswagen, and head to LA or NYC.  They find no work, and turn to alcohol, licking toads, or worse, acting for nothing in independent film.  They will come onto your set, tell you what you don't know (this may take some time) and display much angst.  BONUS: If you can catch this angst on film, you may win a Spirit Award.

2) Beware of the gainfully employed!  Schedule your auditions on weekdays between 9 and 5.  Think about it.  If the actor can't make the one hour audition, how are they going to make a ten hour shoot day?  Here's to the economy staying in the toilet. 

3) Don't audition friends!  Doesn't that sound terrible?  It does, until you have to tell them they didn't get the part.  Just give them the part, or don't.  Unless you're trying to get rid of your actor friends, which is a whole other post.

4) Having read the above, if you're now thinking that you may just want to hire a casting agent, you are well down the path to enlightenment.  There's a reason there are two or three in the credits of every film you have ever seen in the theatre.  As for me meeting girls, is there an existing phrase for blog-groupies?

Tom Kennerly will be directing '...And The Radio Still Plays' in June 2013.