MicroCinema Scene

For many Microcinema moviemakers, the people that end up acting in their movies largely depend on who is available.  At the start of things, almost every moviemaker out there makes flicks starring those who are around all the time.  The convenience factor of amateur casting allows one to actually complete a project, but it also results in what many consider no-budget moviemaking’s biggest downfall: weak acting.  Time after time you will see final cuts where lines are delivered like they’re being read.  Even worse is when actors appear to be struggling so much to remember lines that they spew dialogue with no emotion.  While it’s great to have friends in movies, there are ways to also pad or fill the cast of your picture with “real” actors and actresses.  Additionally, if you are only using friends, there are ways to pull a good performance out of them as well.

Filling the cast with “real” actors demands a bit of work from you before you even talk to anyone about being in your picture.  First, you need to have a well-written, properly formatted screenplay with which you can approach people.  Many an actress and actor have read screenplays written for TV or movies, and they know what a script is supposed to look like.  If you hand them a handwritten “script” in play format and on a legal pad, they’re most likely not going to take you seriously.  So take the time to format your screenplay properly, checking over the grammar and spelling of each and every page as well.

When you approach actors, have a very good handle on what your story is about.  While many people think a pitch is really only for studio heads and agents, it’s also extremely useful in getting people on board for your movie.  Talk about the movie to friends and relatives and watch when they most pay attention versus when they start to loss interest.  Tailor your pitch accordingly.  This is not to say that you need to memorize the same pitch verbatim, but just understand that while actors are auditioning for you, they are also curious as to whether or not making this movie is going to be time well spent for them.

Also, included in your pitch should be at least some discussion about locations and scheduling.  Telling actors when and where a movie is going to shoot helps them immensely in visualizing if this whole deal will actually happen.  The more specific you are, the easier it will be for them to see it as something that’s “for real.”

Finally, (and this is the toughest part of all), have confidence in your story and your ability to make this movie.  This kind of confidence comes with experience, and it can take a long time to build up.  Up until about a few years ago, I often chickened-out before asking new people to appear in my movies. Then I realized I had enough work behind me to make me look like I knew what I was doing.  Slowly I started reaching outside my close circle of friends, drafting people from other parts of my life, like from work.  I was still casting a lot of non-actors, but I was starting to get the hang of getting new people interested in doing movies.

So how does one find actual actors?  There are many resources both on and off-line, like bulletin boards and regional or state sponsored film offices, but I find the very best way to meet new talent is to network.  Ask friends about their friends.  Talk to relatives.  If you get your hair cut at a particular place, ask your hairdresser if they know anyone who might be interested in acting.  Make a list of people you know, both well and not-so well, and just start running down it, asking them if they know people.  If you hit brick walls, do not be discouraged.  Try posting casting notices on those state/regional message boards and hotlines.  Almost every state or region has a casting service or publication.  In New England alone, there are about six or seven! Just because you don’t know of it in your area doesn’t mean it’s not there.  Do some research and find out if there is anyplace that can aid you in your search.

Many people will cast using the “cattle call;” a method that involves getting many actors to show up at once to read for a part.  More often than not, holding a cattle call is impossible for a no-budget moviemaker because not many have the space to hold one.  As I have only held a couple of these myself, I don’t have much practical experience about the mechanics of doing it minus what I’ve read in books.  I have been on several, however, and I can tell you it’s really not the best way to meet actors.  People are on edge and disarming them becomes a whole other issue you need to keep in mind, so you can make sure they’re giving you a better read. It is beneficial in that it gets everyone to show up at a particular time and place, but the atmosphere can be very intimidating.

More preferable, I find, is setting up one-on-one meetings with prospective cast members, so you can get to know the people a little bit before asking them to read.  This will sometimes take some creative scheduling (and some creative location selection for the meetings), but it’s a much more intimate method of casting.  For my movies, I cast 75% based on personality and 25% on how well the person reads.  I make sure the person is getting a grasp on the mood of the material, and I’ll actually direct them a bit to see how they respond to direction, but more than anything else, I’ll see if I like the person and can imagine working with them creatively.  One thing you never want to do is cast a movie with actors with whom you’ll clash.  It’s a fine way to ensure you’ll never finish the picture.

Paying attention to a prospective cast-member’s personality brings us back to working with your friends as a starting point.  If you simply don’t feel you have enough experience behind you to persuade “real” actors into doing your work, (or if you just really want to use your friends and not strangers) then there are a few ways to make sure you get something good out of your pals.  First, when writing the screenplay, try to keep which friends in mind that you’ll want to use.  If you know you want to use your buddy Paul, and he’s this lanky kid with glasses and the type to get picked on, try to create a character that’s not too much a stretch for him to play.  Basing your character writing on personalities of friends will go a long way in helping them get a handle on the role.  This method also reinforces the old piece of advice to “write what you know.” You know your friends, their attitudes and how they react to things, so write about that in the context of your story.  It will make your piece seem a lot more realistic, and it will allow audiences to embrace your movie more readily because the roles played by your friends won’t be a big stretch.

At the end of the day, there are a few basic rules you need to get down to get your picture cast correctly.  Whether using friends or not, you want to be organized and you want to know your story.  If you have a lot of confidence in what you’re doing, you will find it easier to persuade people to help you out by appearing in your movie.  Finally, pay attention to the personalities of those you’re considering for roles.  Do they match up with the character you’ve written?  And if you’re still in the writing phase and already know who you want to use in the picture, make sure you tailor the characters to the personalities of those you’re going to use.

Adherence to most of these principles will help you that much more in getting your movie off the ground, getting it completed and getting a positive response from the people seeing it.

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