Casting agencies

Recently I’ve been listening to the SpotlightUK series of podcasts. They feature short interviews with casting directors, agents and other industry professionals about the business, mostly centered around the London scene. While most of the information is really excellent for those just getting out of drama school, there are some real reinforcements there in terms of keeping your head on straight in a world that doesn’t seem to have any sense to it.

I’ve mostly been taking away the sense of what a marathon it is. Going in for an audition, it is about getting that specific job, sure. But more than that, it is about building a relationship with the casting director. By showing up prepared, with strong choices, strong opinions, being on time, courteous to EVERYONE in the office no matter who they are or how they treat you, you send a clear message to the casting office. The message is: “I am not an asshole. I will not embarrass you. I will not be a pain in the ass to work with. You can call me for role after role after role.” By doing that, you are playing the long game. Whether you get any particular role or not, who can say. There are so many factors as to why a certain actor gets a certain role (many if not not most of which are out of their control) that it’s almost pointless to stress over not getting a role. The important aspect of the long game is that the casting director will want to call you back and keep searching for the role that is right for you. They will be your ally in this war instead of your enemy. And believe me, you don’t need more reasons to fail, especially when the casting office is so influential in being able to get the job in the first place!

Play the long game. Build the relationship. As they say in the podcast over and over: You are not just auditioning for this particular job. You’re auditioning for your whole career with this casting office. Don’t mess it up!