Last Saturday we had another round of auditions for our short film 2AM. There’s a saying in filmmaking that 90% of filmmaking is casting. We can argue about percentage but what isn’t debatable is the impact the actors make on the film.
At the end of the auditions, I spoke to some of the actors about what they do. I told them for me hearing the actors say the lines I wrote felt amazing. When I’m writing I hear the words one way then the actor puts their spin on it, it turns into something different, something better. In auditions, I try to make sure I tell the actors that I don’t care about them memorizing lines. I don’t care if you can say the lines, I want to see the character. They have to show me how they interpret the words. I hope this puts them at ease.
I appreciate the actors coming out. Now our team has to review the audition videos. I have a fantastic team of artists that will help me choose the right actors for the roles. We will do callbacks for the top people we’ve seen then choose the actors.
I look at choosing actors like putting together a basketball team, you want people that have chemistry and can work together for a common goal. No matter how great the coach is, they can’t win without the players. I’m definitely not saying I’m a great director but I am saying I can’t make a great film without great actors.
Links for casting
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