Ramani Leah, CSA, Author at The Casting Director's Cut

Monday Myth Debunker – A Reel Should Have High Production Value

May 24, 2020April 13, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

This is such a common question & concern. And it’s not quite a black & white answer. Let’s break it down and first start with what matters most in your reel: What matters most in your reel is by far, the quality… of your ACTING. After all, that’s the overriding purpose of your reel, right? To show us your ABILITY as an actor. That said, there are some things to take into consideration, the most important one being: the distraction …

Terminology Tuesday – First Position

May 24, 2020April 7, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Actors booking more than one project at the same time is not uncommon. The term ‘first position’ refers to whichever project is your number one obligation. Obligations are typically determined by a first-come-first-serve basis. For example, if you first close a deal to work as a guest star, and then book a role in a feature film, if there are any conflicting work days with the two projects, the guest star that you booked must be given top priority, i.e. …

Monday Myth Debunker – I’ll be Taken More Seriously if I’m SAG vs SAG-E

May 24, 2020April 6, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

This is a common thought… here’s the scoop: There is no viable difference to us if you are SAG-E or SAG… AS LONG AS you are 100% willing to join the minute you become a “must-join”. The only time union status is a tough-call is if you are non-union. The reason being, in order to Taft Hartley an actor, we have to prove to SAG-AFTRA that you are the only person outside of all union actors that is best suited …

Terminology Tuesday – Backdoor Pilot

May 24, 2020March 31, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

A backdoor pilot is a type of pilot (yes, there are different types) that is filmed as a standalone episode so that it can still be aired on television even if it isn’t picked up. If well-received, it can then be developed into a series or miniseries. It’s essentially a “test episode” for the intended series and marks an early step in development. A backdoor pilot may also be used for an episode that serves to introduce a spin-off.

Monday Myth Debunker – Your Social Media is Going to Make or Break Your Career

May 24, 2020March 30, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Your social media is NOT going make or break your career. For the most part, no one is going to have time to even CHECK your social media, let alone track how many followers or engagement you have. Think about (in a normal world) the amount of time we have to cast a pilot or TV episode (spoiler: IT AINT A LOT!) To say that we’d have the time in our day to check your social media is not realistic. …

Terminology Tuesday – CSA

May 24, 2020March 24, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Ever wondered what those “CSA” letters mean after a casting director’s name? 👉🏼 CSA stands for the “Casting Society of America”. Originally founded in 1982, CSA is a professional society of close to 1,000 casting directors and associates from all over the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Africa. CSA was established in order to recognize a standard of professionalism in the casting field and to provide its members with a support organization to further their goals and protect their …

Monday Myth Debunker – My Agent Doesn’t Submit Me

May 24, 2020March 23, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

If you’ve legitimately signed paperwork with your agent and they are franchised; meaning they are licensed by the state in which they operate and have been officially approved by SAG-AFTRA, then chances are, they are submitting you. It’s easy to blame your agent; they are the ones who are “supposed” to be getting you the audition. But it’s usually not their fault. They can only do so much with the tools you’re supplying them. If your reel is outdated and …

Terminology Tuesday – DPU

May 24, 2020March 17, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

Known as a Drop Pick-Up, this is a term that casting professionals and producers use when a production wants to work a day player, drop them for a certain amount of time, and then work them again later without paying for intervening work days. Certain rules must be in place for this. If, at the time of original engagement, the day performer is given a firm pick-up date which is more than 14 calendar days after the close of his …

Monday Myth Debunkers – The Casting Director Didn’t Ask You for Another Take, so it’s all Over

May 24, 2020March 16, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

FALSE! Think about the amount of actors/roles we need to see in a day. Generally, we have the mentally of “if aint broke, don’t fix it!” If we thought the take was great, don’t question it. After all, we’re the ones who know what the producers and directors are looking for. It’s about letting go and trust, trust, trust.

Why Most Actors Overlook This Important Tool

May 20, 2020March 11, 2020 by Ramani Leah, CSA

If you’ve been in the business for longer than 10 years, you might have been part of many conversations starting with the question, “who did your headshots?” Actors love to obsess over headshots. Why? Not really sure, to be honest. Maybe because it’s the easiest (and arguably) most fun task in the frequently demanding life of an aspiring actor. I’ve found that actors also love to spend an ungodly amount of time on their postcard mailers, headshot drop-offs (usually accompanied …