An Honest insight
Having been a casting professional for many years this is what it’s like casting a role with 100’s of applicants “on line” from my personal perspective.
Some things here may seem very obvious for some and for others interesting.
When casting we already know what we are looking for but we have an open mind ready to be inspired.
In the casting process you will be put into a pigeon hole, simple as. Along with other people who look similar to you. You are being judged on your looks and your talents. It is raw and brutal and decisions are made fairly quickly. Casting is very important. Getting the right person is crucial to the success of a project.
I would like to get the right people in the right pigeon hole in a reasonable quick amount of time.
Then onto the next stage of comparing those similar people and finding the right fit. Exactly like trying on 5 pairs of jeans that are all the same size in TK Max. We don't want to be in the changing room for ever. One pair will fit really well and others may not and it is annoying when they say they are your size but really they are a little small.
So Moving on
1. Your headshot is the first thing I will see. It needs to be clear, sharp, honest, natural and up to date, looking directly at the camera please. Selfies are ok for me but without the pouting.
2. I will not be looking at your portfolio when I browse through the first few hundred applicants. The first shortlist will be made entirely from your headshot. That’s how important it is.
3. The next thing I will take note off in the past few years is how a person introduces themselves. If you have this option when applying for a role. Then a few personal words about why you are suitable can get you the job instantly. This along with your headshot.
If a message is clearly copy and paste It will put me off. It says to me that you do not care. On the same note if your message is very long and rambles on about your education for example it may well put me off.
4. Once you have been shortlisted I will look at a persons portfolio.
I need to make my shortlist even shorter.
10-20 varied images is great. It does not have to be that many, less is more.
A good full length is very important to show your shape for styling and wardrobe.
What is super annoying is a portfolio with many similar images.
( Sister images ) The same outfit, same look, very slight different angle. I will be honest, your portfolio can be binned because of this. It looks very unprofessional and all your good pictures become lost in a mosaic of blandness. I would prefer to see 3 good pictures rather than 20 repeats.
You need to be ruthless with your editing. Absolutely ruthless. It is your job to find people who will make pictures for you for free, Testing. TFP.
If you do a shooting and you get only one great shot that is amazing that is not a waste of time. 2 shots that fit together even better. But if you decide to put every single picture from that one shooting in the same outfit, it will be the death of you.
Variety is what is needed and it needs to be kept up to date. Test and test and test again, every spare moment you have in the beginning. No test is a waste of time as you are gaining experience.
Paying someone may not get the best results so be very cautious who you give your hard earned cash too. Seriously.
moving on
If you are in your late 20's for example and have pictures of you when you were 18 in your portfolio. I am sorry you have just been shown the virtual door. From my perspective it becomes confusing.
No prosthetic makeup please. This is not what I want to see when drinking my coffee at 10.30 am while trying to finish a casting. Thanks.
A varied portfolio is what I am looking for. I will be looking at it for 30 seconds or more and will be coming back to it when comparing people.
If you have got this far and are still reading you are doing very well.
5. Your self tape will be the next thing I look at if you have one. Sit in front of a window and tell me a little about you and your interests. 30 seconds to a minute long. Animation is key here. This is your audition for your dream role right here right now. You have a chance to make me laugh or cry or smile or cringe. Make sure you get the right one and the beauty is you can do it over and over again till you get it right :) If you feel you are cocking it up really badly. Take a break go for a walk and come back to it super fresh.
6. A short showreel. If you have one is the icing on the cake between 30 and 60 seconds showing a range of emotions.
The first thing I will look at is the length. I can see it in the timeline at the bottom before I even press play. If I do press play I will make a judgement in the first 20 seconds. Shall I carry on or turn off. Some reels are very painful to watch. beyond parody and comedy. It would be better not to have one than have a bad one. Reels made on a green screen in a showreel sausage factory where everyone gets the same template. Well what do you think? Reels that are compilations of dated material. Think about it very carefully from the perspective of a casting director.
7. If you have interests out side of acting, dancing or modelling. I would love to know about them without having to ask. Do you ride a horse , Play sport or a musical instrument. If you have any weird quirky hobbies. Have them in your profile. because they will help you standout when you get to that pigeon hole with 5 other people that look very similar to you.
I wish you all the best.
Good Luck is the worst thing to say we don't need anyone's luck.
You make your own destiny.
Cheers
Roy
