By Scott Shaw
Casting an actor for your film is one of the most important elements to the
success of your project. In fact, it may be the most important element
because it is an actor who will portray the message you are attempting to
convey to your audience.
People come here to Hollywood, California from across the globe chasing the
dream of becoming a movie star. Certainly, there are actors everywhere,
but Hollywood is the home of the movie industry. As such, this is also
the focal point of where people direct their hopes on achieving acting success.
As someone who grew up in Hollywood, I believe I have a unique perspective of
the film and television industry. Throughout my life I have been surround
by those who have made-it in the industry, and those who wish that they
could have.
Very early on in my life I came to realize that what may be defined as talent
has very little to do with whether or not a person will make-it in the
industry. Industry success is based more upon luck and being in the right place
at the right time, as opposed to being in the wrong place at the wrong time;
i.e. making bad career choices. But, more than anything else, industry success
is based upon karma or destiny. This being said, everybody comes here to
Hollywood believing that they will be the one that will, “Make-it!”
Casting
From a filmmaking perspective, it is you, the filmmaker, who must put out a
casting notice, go through all of the headshots that you will receive, decide
which ones to call in, and then finally decided upon which talent to cast for
your film. And, I use the term, “Talent,” very loosely.
The problems with casting a film
are numerous. At the root of many, if not most, of these problems is the
actor. This problem begins with a headshot.
As someone who has cast numerous
films and has looked at literally millions of headshots, I can tell you, ‘What
you see is not what you get.’
One of the most common things
that people do is to send out a headshot that makes them look beautiful. This
is based on several factors. It may be that the photo was takes ten years ago.
Or, it may be that the photograph is highly retouched. I believe that the
primary reason this problem arises is that people, (meaning actors and
actresses), actually believe that they look better than they truly do. When
they see a great photograph of themselves they think, “That is how good I
really look. If this photographer can make me look this good, than certainly a
director can.” But, anyone who has made a film knows, this is not the case.
A film and/or particularly a video camera are very unforgiving. Though lighting
can be adjusted and even diffusion filters used, doing all of this takes a lot
of time and energy, which equals a lot of money. And, a lot of money is
something that most independent filmmakers do not have.
This “Beautiful Headshot”
scenario is particularly the case with actresses. I cannot tell you how
many times I have called an actress into an audition and could not even
confirm, with one-hundred percent certainty, that the person sitting in front
of me was the individual in the photograph. I commonly say to them, “I would really like
to meet the girl in this picture.” But, for the most past, they are so vain
that they do not even get the joke. In some case, in my earlier days, I
have simply torn up their headshot right in front of them. The point being,
never trust a photograph.
Training
The second problem you many encounter, while casting a movie, is the training
an actor has undergone.
Here in Hollywood, and the
surrounding area, there are literally thousands of acting coaches. People come
from all over the globe to study with these people in hopes of landing a role
in a film. The problem is, who are these acting coaches? With very few
exceptions they are people who have come to Hollywood and have attempted to make-it.
When they did not, they somehow landed a gig teaching acting.
Ask yourself, how many famous
actors are professional acting coaches? And, the few one-time successful
actors who have become acting coaches are those who fell away from favor in
Hollywood and could no longer get roles. As such, they are left without any
other skill than to train other people in how to act.
The main point to understand is
that acting is not about learning to act. Acting is not about studying.
Acting is about being natural. This is particularly the case of acting
for the camera. So, for all of these people who pay all of this money to be
judged in a class by other wanta-be actors, they are only lying to themselves
if the think acting training is any more than a way to fill someone else’s
pockets with cash and waste a lot of time.
This being stated, I cannot tell
you how many times a person’s acting coach or their ongoing acting training has
gotten in their way of their actually being in a film. There has been times
when I cast an actor or actress for a film and later they tell me that they
cannot show up on the day of the shoot because they cannot miss their acting
class. Yes, it is hard to believe. But, this has happened to myself but to numerous
other filmmakers I know, as well.
You ask, “Why?” Because
their acting coaches are very vehement about them never missing a class or
postponing a scene study they are set to present with their acting partner.
But, more than this, most acting coaches are simply jealous of anyone who has
actually been offered a role. From this, they talk their student out of
accepting it. They do this by convinced them that they have the potential
to be a Big Star. Therefore, why should they appear in an indie
film? Of course, those people who have listened to their instructor and
passed on the roles offered to them in indie films have never gone on to
anything expect pay their acting coach more money. But, these are just a couple
of examples of how acting training negative effects an actor’s potential and
how it may effect the outcome of your film.
Never Acted Before
Here in Hollywood and in other cities, as well, there is the major problem of
people auditioning for a part in an indie film who have never acted in front of
the camera before but they have been an extra on a major movie or
television set. On these sets, they see the massive number of crewmembers doing
things, the name-actors being led in from their trailers to the set.
Plus, the food is great and the atmosphere is electric with high-budget film
energy. They think this is how all movie sets are supposed to. But, to the
independent filmmaker, we know this is not the case.
This being said, it is very important to weed out those ‘A-Picture Dreamers’
from the ones who actually want to act.
It is essential to understand that it is not a bad thing to bring a person onto
your set who has never acted before. In fact, from personal experiences, I have
gotten some great performances from people who can simply be themselves in
front of the camera but never had any intention of becoming a professional
actor. On the other hand, there are those who are locked into the ideology that
all movie sets are major productions—where the actors will be pampered and
catered to.
The reason that you do not want to cast someone like this is that they will
simply be disappointed once they arrive on your set. This disappointment
will be obvious and it may spread to your other cast members. And, negativity
spreads on a movie set very quickly. Therefore, you really need to watch out
for this type of person and keep them off of your set.
The simplest remedy to find out
an actor’s expectation, if you are thinking about casting them, is to ask, “What sets have you
been on?” If they tell you about a student film they were in or an indie
project, then you have no worries. They will be fine on your set. On the hand,
here in Hollywood, it is very common that a person will have been an extra
in a film and or on T.V. and they will list these roles on their resume. But,
being an extra is not being an actor. If their resume is made up of
several of these productions, then you know you may have a problem. Now,
this is not to say that a person who has been on a large set will not be
willing to work in the indie market. But, this is simply a warning that you
must talk to them about their expectations to alleviate any on-set
misconceptions that may bring your production to a halt.
Very Average
Probably, the most damning of all elements to any film’s production is an
actor’s ego. Everybody comes here to Hollywood assured that they will be the
next Big Star. They all believe that they have the looks, the talent,
and the drive to become successful.
This world has become celebrity obsessed. Everywhere, the life of the famous is
broadcast, written, and spoken about. Due to this fact, actors believe that
they have the potential to come to Hollywood and become just as big as the
biggest name. “If
they can do, so can I.” I have heard that statement so many times from so
many wanta-be actors and actress that I cannot even count the number.
But, none of them ever do make-it. Why? Because they are very-average.
They are just like everyone else who comes to Hollywood. They look the same,
have the same hairstyle, wear the same trendy clothing, study from the same
acting teachers, and go to the same headshot photographers. But, they all
go home never having done anything in Hollywood but to be an extra and
show up to auditions with headshots that don’t look like themselves, spouting
the promise, “I am
great actor.”
The ones I have known that have made-it in Hollywood, (to whatever degree), are
the ones that have had their own style and their own identity. They
created their own niche for themselves by being who they are and not defining
themselves by whom they studied with or circulating beautiful headshot that
they look nothing like.
Casting the Actor
We, as filmmakers, are always dependent upon the actor. We are also dominated
by what is available. Meaning, we can only create our cast from the available
options we are presented with. So, what is the answer?
1. Don’t trust the headshots.
Tear ‘em up if the actor or actress comes to you and looks nothing like their
photo.
2. Forget about where they
studied—as ‘The Studied’ bring far too many preconceived notions and
other nonsense to your set.
3. Cast people you like. People
you wouldn’t mind hanging out with.
4. Never become friends with
your cast. At least not while you are filming. Why? Because then the
relationship becomes convoluted and they may expect more than you are willing
to give.
5. Always tell actors what to
expect on your set. Tell them where you will be filming, how large is your
crew, what kind of equipment you are using, and how many actors they will
interact with. With this, you prepare them for what is to come and they will
not surprise you with an attitude of discontentment.
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