THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR PROJECT

Casting your own picture is a tricky beast. You’ve written your script, and as creator, birth giver, you can visualise it inside your skull, now so hungry to actually get in to shooting it… Obviously we’re not going to be able to nab Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix or Brad Pitt for our nine minute short that we’re shooting this Wednesday in Luton, so we have to adapt and play the game. As in my previous post for Screamwriter ( How To Write A Short Film), I want you as a creator to realise the pure potential around you in a hope that at the very least it will give you a basis from where to start finding the roles on your film.

GO WITH YOUR GUT INSTINCT WHEN CHOOSING YOUR ACTORS

We can go from big examples of this with Nick Frost in Spaced, followed by Shaun of the Dead (Frost was simply “a waiter” at the time), or once again, we can cite Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes’ relationship - Smith saw the potential for Jason Mewes, the weird neighbourhood kid who would get his balls out on a whim - to playing a delinquent who would get his balls out on screen for him in Clerks and basically everything else since. These examples show a belief in those that simply are not actors, being their best and sincerely performing based purely on a belief that they can and will be good on-screen. Perhaps a risky play, but there’s a lot to be said about seeing the potential in your mates and asking them to help you out (probably for free, no less). The best casting is a knack at seeing the ability in someone and being able to inspire them enough that they believe they are made for that role. If you think the potential is there, then, hey, it probably is - it just has to be nurtured and believed in.

NURTURE NEW AND LOCAL TALENT

Following this, when we shot our viral short Serial Cheat, director Anthony Sutcliffe had a contact in the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Through this contact, this person that he knew well enough to be able to reach out to, Anthony would be permitted to audition students for the roles. This presented a win for us as its respective creators; as it meant that we got to test out the words of the script, whilst also utilising from a location reasonably close to our home of Bristol - and get actors who were professionally trained in the field performing in our film.

JOIN CASTING SITES AND GROUPS ONLINE

Of course, if you’re some loser-hermit and literally don’t know anyone you can always quite simply reach out to the inky depths of the web. Facebook has so many casting groups - again, here in Bristol we have Bristol Film and Television Network, a place where I found my editor, for example (and with no more than the single call out in this specific case)… we would also recommend ShootingPeople.org. ShootingPeople is a place full of opportunities, where professionals can post and reach out about needed roles and crew call outs, but is however a subscription platform so be prepared to pay annually.

REMEMBER YOU KNOW THE SCRIPT BETTER THAN ANYONE

As a little side note, naturally as the greedy writers that we all are, you can always ignore all of this information and just write a role for yourself and star in your own picture. It’s what I do and it’s exhausting.

But just look at Dawn French, Will Ferrell, Ricky Gervais, Matt Damon, et al... literally at the top of their game because they could be greedy and write themselves in to their own works and cast themselves (and more importantly, pull it off!).

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Providing you do happen to have your eye on a specific actor, my sneakiest advice would be to just reach out to them. Easier said than done, naturally, but there are ways: LinkedIn, Twitter, their profiles on Facebook even give you a lifeline and an opportunity to talk directly to your favourite performers, intimately, professionally or casually, depending on your approach. Discovering this through my more recent foray in to journalism, I’ve managed to arrange straight-up conversations with huge, huge directors that I admire, quite simply by asking them for interviews.

For example, after the incredible Chernobyl was released earlier this year, I messaged (recent Bafta winner for the show) Alex Ferns, of former Eastenders fame, via the meme Facebook page “Chernobyl Graphite posting” - we chatted a little and he never did do the interview I hoped he would - But it shows an example of both actors being, first off, just regular people who can be approached and who want to mingle with their fans - and an access point for you as a creator to do the same with them.

BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR VISION

Obviously, reaching out to a name actor is always a risk and not always even advised (done wrongly one will come off as simply looking amateurish), but if you’re confident, have the correct means of getting to them and are polite(!) then who knows… maybe Amy Adams will want to get involved.

My people will call your people.