A Quick Guide to Film Directing by Ray Morton

Author:Ray Morton [Morton, Ray]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: direction, film
ISBN: 9780879108069
Publisher: Limelight Editions
Published: 2014-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

Cast the actors

One of the most important things a director does during preproduction is cast the movie—select actors to play roles in the story. Casting is very important because most directors agree that the key factor in obtaining a great performance is to select the right actor to play the part. A professional casting director is usually hired to help the director with this vital task. A casting director is familiar with the available talent pool and is always on the lookout for new and emerging actors, and so is in a position to offer the director informed and viable suggestions for filling the film’s many large and small roles. The casting director also has strong relationships with actors’ representatives (agents and managers) and so can easily facilitate meetings and auditions.

Sometimes the director will want a star to play a certain part. Most big-name actors do not audition, so the director will send the screenplay to the star and—if the star likes the script—meet with him or her to discuss the role. If the discussion goes well, negotiations between the star’s representatives and the production will commence and will hopefully lead to the star taking the part. If not, the search will continue until the role is cast.

Well-known character actors are often approached to play important supporting parts in the same way. Lesser-known and unknown actors are usually required to audition for parts so that directors can get a sense of their range and abilities and so they can see how well (or not) the actors can take direction. Directors will sometimes shoot screen tests of promising candidates to see how they look on film, to further assess their acting abilities, or to see if they have sufficient chemistry with other actors in the film (this is especially important for love stories).

Once the primary cast is assembled, the director will usually gather the actors to read through the script aloud, so that everyone can get a feel for the piece and the chemistry of the ensemble. Most film budgets do not allow for any sort of extensive rehearsal in advance of shooting (since paying actors the extra money required for rehearsals can increase the cost of the film considerably), although some successful directors with clout can and do insist upon them. If no rehearsals are possible, then the director will still spend time with the actors discussing their roles in depth, so that everyone will have a clear idea of what they want the characters to be.

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