How Casting Directors Work In Different Markets
Nov 3rd, 2009 by Alan Yu
I learned some very interesting tidbit just the other day when it came to casting directors here in the Vancouver area and why it seems like it is so hard to break into the scene as an actor while at the same times it’s always the same people that get the auditions all the time. Keep in mind that in many ways it can be hearsay still, but the results kind of match what I see.
Basically there was a person that came from Toronto and he was so shocked to learn that here in Vancouver casting directors actually do a pre-screen where actors would first tape themselves doing a scene so that the casting director can pre-judge them to see if they have the chops or not to come in the room. Normally one would do these types of tapings if you are located in a different city and therefore it’s like a way to save you time.
Then a point came up on how for places like Toronto and even Los Angeles the casting directors there actually see a wide range and large volume of people as they are used to it. So while here you may see like ten people auditioning for a role in other markets there could be like thirty. While I guess you can say population density could have a factor, it’s more of a mentality it seems.
Basically, I was always told that casting directors want to bring in actors that will make them look good. When you think about it the production is hiring them and the more good talent they present to like the director the better they look. At the same time, you can easily see why it’s only the same people that get seen all the time as many are afraid to bring in new talent as they want to play it safe.
I wonder why that’s the case here in Vancouver specifically though. Business sense to me is that the more people you see the more potential you have in discovering new talent. Can you imagine running like a sports team where you refuse to scout for new talent but rather just rely on the same people as the years go by? Must be disastrous if the only time you look for new talent is if say all your existing people are injured or retiring.
I guess as a positive, for here in Vancouver that can show you how once you get your break then chances are you are going to be taken care of better as if the profession is that tight knitted here that means you will get seen more.
In toronto, they do a lot of pre-reads for commercial auditions. They don’t call them pre-reads though, they just treat it like it’s a real audition. Then they call you back to read for the producers/director.
For film/tv, the casting directors tend to use the same talent pool, so pre-reads rarely happen. This is kind of unfortunate, cause it can become hard for an actor to get into a (Film/TV) casting directors radar. Even though I’ve been acting in Toronto for a few years, there are some cd’s that i’ve never auditioned for.
like the blog, btw!
Thanks for the info William.
The casting process for commercials sounds almost the same here too. I guess for film and TV casting directors taking a workshop is sometimes the best way to meet the casting directors that you have never seen before.