The first couple of times you are going to castings you will be very excited. Everything is fresh and new. Your focus is on how to manage yourself during the casting and with the casting director. A lot of things may be decided even before you get there.
Some important things that you may want to clarify with your agent before going to the casting:
- Where is the casting?
Duh, obvious, but at the beginning I was a doofus and didn’t ask for maps. I thought, oh, I know town and town, got there and couldn’t get a hold of my agent. Just wasting time. Always ask for map and location before.
- When is the casting?
Date and time. Most castings start around 10 or 11, but some may be earlier or later. Also know at what time they end, if you’re one of the people who like to slip in at the last second.
- What is the best time to go to the casting? Does the casting director take appointments?
There may be times when there are many or few people going to the casting. Your agent may know at what time the other people he or she sent their will go to the casting and based on that give you a suggestion. – I usually try to go as early as possible since a lot of people work during day time and can inly go to the casting after their regular job. Going early has been advantageous for me.
- Which pictures did your agent send to the casting?
The casting director or director selected you for this job from the pictures that your agent sent to them. That picture is the look that they wanted. You may increase your chances by dressing the way that you dressed in the picture.
- What kind of character are they looking for?
I always ask that. It’s a big difference between a professor and a comic character. A fighter or a wuss. It helps you to prepare yourself mentally before.
- How should I dress?
Depending on the character you may already have some clue as to how you should go to the casting – just in your sloppy clothes or in a suit. Many castings offer costumes as well. But…you will always look better in your own clothes, since they fit you. In some cases I have even been asked by the director to bring and to wear my own clothes. My own clothes fit me better than the costumes they had and fit the character they were looking for.
Are the right and wrong questions?
- Is there a script?
Mostly for movies, but occasionally for TVCs as well. Being able to study the script beforehand definitely gives you an advantage. I am not good at learning lines and it takes me some time to get a script down. So for me it’s a big plus to get the lines or sides before. Remember: preparation pays off!
- What is the budget for this job?
This is probably the number one question. A lot of times I don’t even bother to go to the casting if the budget is too low. It also helps with the motivation. If there is a good budget you may be more motivated during the casting. But don’t let a high budget scare you off or make you nervous. A job is just a job.
- What are the shooting dates?
Very important to know. If you have another job on the date of the shoot or cannot get time off work on the day of the shoot don’t bother to go to the casting.
- Is it an open or closed casting?
Personally, I hate open castings and don’t bother to go there if I know it’s an open casting. I like being selected from pictures. It’s a little bit of a success every time you get ‘invited’. Open castings have a cattle feeling.
- Who is the casting director?
I used to ask this question much more often before. It still does help to know who the casting director is. Over time you can build a reputation which casting directors can appreciate.
Once you have all this information you are ready to go to the casting. After this it is up to you, but you can say of yourself that you are well-prepared!
These are the questions that come to my head right now. If there are any questions that you find helpful asking beforehand, let me know. I’ll be happy to include them here.
Cheers,
Robin Schroeter
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Do you want to know how to become an actor / model in Thailand? Check out this video or this article How To Become an Actor in Thailand:
Do you want to learn more about me? Check out my website: http://www.robinschroeter.de