August 2020 - The Casting Director's Cut

Monday Myth Debunkers – You Shouldn’t be Holding Your Sides.

October 13, 2020August 31, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

While being off-book is supremely helpful in order for you to concentrate more on the direction we give you vs. your lines, holding your sides is A-OK. Here’s why:⁠ ⁠ 1. The frame we’re getting is fairly tight. A standard frame for in-person sessions and self-taping is a medium close-up (about mid-bust). ⁠ ⁠ Translation: we aint seeing those sides one bit. ⁠ ⁠ 2. If your sides act as a security blanket and help your feel more confident in …

Terminology Tuesday – Scale

August 25, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

If you were able to grab a spot in last weekend’s co-star intensive, you’ll know we went over a lot of “scale” numbers. Feel free to “save” this one as a quick reference guide 🗳 Scale refers to the minimum amount of pay that SAG-AFTRA will allow its members to work for on a given project. Offered on both a daily and weekly scale, SAG rates are often determined by the project type, budget constraints, and distribution plan. Scale rates …

Monday Myth Debunkers – Casting Directors Don’t Actually Watch Reels.

October 13, 2020August 24, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

If there was a prize for the biggest #mythdebunker, it would go to this one. Nothing could be further from the truth. And here’s the why… If you didn’t already know: casting is a LOT of work. Between the speedy expectations of casting, the multiple projects on our plate, we have to efficiently allot time for: producer sessions, emails, avail checks, breakdowns, script reading, generals, budget crunching, submission reviewing, list-making, reel editing, pitch calls, concept meetings, studio/network calls, director calls, …

Terminology Tuesday – Honeywagon

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Honeywagons: those lavish, mansion-like trailers that actors use as their private resting room & creative space. Some actually have pools attached and even an entire dining roo— Oh wait. VERY few actors would be able to use to word “lavish” to describe their trailers. The vast majority of actors are at the disposal of what production provides them. HOWEVER, trailers ARE used as negotiation deal points. So in addition to honeywagons, let’s go over the different types: HONEYWAGON: …

Monday Myth Debunker – It’s Better to Address Conflicts as They Come Vs. Book Out with my Agent.

August 17, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

No conflicts are better than any conflicts, right? Well, technically, sure. But there’s a worse situation to be in. It’s the scenario that CDs, reps & actors alike all dread. That moment when your agent calls to pin you and — 😳😳😳 You have plans. Like, BIG unchangeable plans… right during that shooting period. 𝑮𝒖𝒍𝒑. Gulp is right. To give you an idea, here’s a little sample of what can happen if you’re picked as the choice for a role …

Terminology Tuesday – Residuals

August 12, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Residuals: the gifts that keep on giving.⁠ ⁠ Residuals are those fun little paychecks (aka royalties) that are paid to actors in cases of reruns, syndication, DVD release, or online streaming release. ⁠ ⁠ Getting residuals in the mail can be quite the pleasant surprise. Sometimes it’s a nice payment for DVD sales of a feature. ⁠ ⁠ …and sometimes it’s a 47 cent check for the rerun of a show you did 10 years ago. Womp womp.⁠ ⁠ Residuals …

Monday Myth Debunker – You Should be Constantly Updating Casting.

August 10, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

If you missed our @TheCastingDirectorsCut webinar on Friday, we’re going to go ahead and start with a now-infamous quote by the incomparable @somethinglikemike. ⁠ ⁠ “Treat us like you’d treat your gym. How often do you want to hear from your gym? If it’s an amazing 50% membership deal, GREAT! Other than that, you don’t really want to hear from your gym.”⁠ ⁠ So, basically, THAT, but let’s dive a little deeper. ⁠ ⁠ How often are you “updating” casting …

Terminology Tuesday – Co-star

August 4, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Co-stars are the smaller speaking roles in a TV show that support one or more scenes. Sometimes co-stars can be in multiple scenes with anywhere from zero to 10+ lines. Co-stars are determined by: 1. The size of the role 2. The importance of the role to the story 3. Amount of dialogue 4. Casting budget Typical co-star roles include characters like a nurse, a cop, a receptionist, etc. Usually, the purpose of a co-star role is to help the …

Monday Myth Debunker – I’ve Had Enough Training

August 4, 2020August 3, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

You’ve taken all the classes, done all the workshops, seen all the lectures, tried all the coaches. ⁠ ⁠ So you’re ready to move on, right?⁠ ⁠ *cue Wheel of Fortune fail buzzer*⁠ ⁠ Here’s a little secret about being great at what you do:⁠ ⁠ 𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕖𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕝𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕨.⁠ ⁠ Your training is your only foundation. It must be strong. ⁠ ⁠ You can have the best …