Have you heard today’s #terminologytuesday before?
If you’re in casting, you’ve probably heard this term more times than you’d like.
Cast-contingent means that the green light by a studio or production company for a project is dependent on which actor(s) are attached.
A cast-continent order can be made for a feature film (both studio and indie) or a pilot.
If a pilot is cast contingent, we’ll work our butts off to fulfill those 1-2 lead roles with actors who the studio/network feel will carry the show and bring success.
If we can lock in the actors that are approved by our creative team + studio/network, at that point, we’ll be able to start casting the remainder of the roles.
Usually, for casting, this means we’ll be on a “step deal” — meaning we’re brought on to cast the leads first and then pause working until we get a green light.
At that point, we’ll pick back up and cast the rest of the pilot.
Not all pilots/films are cast-contingent. We try to be as transparent as we possibly can with this information and if you’re ever unsure about the status of a project, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬!
#themoreyouknow #thecastingdirectorscut #terminologytuesday #actorlife
Related reading: What Does Offer Only Mean for Actors? A Casting Director Explains, What Does Pay or Play Mean in an Actor’s Deal? and What Does Above the Line Mean in Film and TV?.
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