Home Video Maker's Guide: Casting Actors for Your Film

Actors intone this seemingly weird sentiment before taking the stage or going before the cameras. It's basically saying good luck - without saying it - because it's superstition to actually wish another actor good luck. Acting historians say it stems from the old practice of audiences throwing money onto the stage to praise good performances. Actors would then kneel down to pick up their "tips" - thereby breaking their leg in half to scoop up cold, hard cash.

Chances are the actors in your film project won't be expecting tips, or even payment for that matter, but you still want to cast the best actors. With networking and maybe even a traditional cattle call, you'll soon have actors ready to tackle their dream roles.

Family & Friends

Once you announce: I'm making a movie! - it will undoubtedly bring old friends and family out of the woodwork eager to find his or her glorious fifteen minutes of fame. Despite the temptation or pressure of casting the entire project with classmates, co-workers, cousins or old flames, you should utilize this resource sparingly.

You'll be surprised at just how talented some are and by all means if you find talent, go with it for the role. However, it's a good move to have other members of the crew audition relatives. Aunt Edith or Uncle Jose may be office cut-ups or brilliant family reunion raconteurs, but it doesn't mean they'll light up the screen as your politician or policeman fighting the good fight or chasing down bad guys. The upside of this acting resource is availability and cheap or even no payment for services rendered. The downside is after the project is complete, each time thereafter when you encounter them the good or bad of the experience may be relived.

Colleges & Classifieds

Starving students excel as an acting resource and a reliable one. Drama students are your best bet, but don't count the rest of the student body out. James Woods, the acerbic multi-faceted actor that can currently be seen playing the title role in CBS's drama Shark, was accepted to M.I.T. and studied political science before the acting bug bit him and he changed career paths. Picking up the local newspapers, college newspapers and perhaps the holy grail of all entertainment newspapers Backstage, will enable you to find performers for nearly everything and often at affordable prices. If you can't afford much of an acting salary - or even none at all - tell the performers up front to avoid any confusion. Many young, struggling actors will take parts for nothing, if the script or fellow cast members look appealing. Another good strategy is to offer to see or cast their actor friends. This way you may line up two possibly talented performers who will love coming to the set each day and may just have chemistry you'd dream of finding elsewhere by chance.

Auditions

OK, Uncle Jose and Aunt Edith have learned their lines, the college kids too are all up to speed. Now comes Day of Judgment:The auditions. Where to hold them? Any decent actor can run lines or even give screen tests practically anywhere, however depending on the size of your cast and production, a large meeting hall, auditorium or even warehouse would be optimal. You can set up some chairs, even bring in a few props and give people the chance to walk around and fully emote as much as possible. High schools or college auditoriums after class hours are ideal places, but even a local VFW Meeting Hall or church basement will do in a pinch. Bring along a digital camera for stills or even screen test movies, so that you can mull over faces, voices and performance afterwards at your leisure.

Casting the film is often the final and most important part of your movie project. Who could imagine someone else in the role of Jack or Rose in Titanic? Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet not only embodied the roles themselves brilliantly, but interacted with each other with such exciting chemistry, we can hardly imagine other actors in the parts. Your movie may not be as epic, but it's important to you and your actors will be important to your audience.