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Public Administration & LegalISCO 2654

Casting director

A casting director is a person who chooses the actors for every role in a film or television series, from the leading parts down to the extras.

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Rate 5 of the 13 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

consult with motion picture producer

consult with production director

familiarise with personal directing styles

organise auditions

match actors to roles

About casting director

The work starts with the script and with the people making the film. The casting director reads it to see how the characters stand in relation to one another, then settles with the producer and the director what each part actually needs, learning how that particular director likes to work so the suggestions fit. The search follows: contacting talent agents, drawing on a professional network of performers and specialists, and looking for acting talent nobody has used yet. Auditions and interviews are arranged and run by the casting director, who draws up a shortlist and puts the options in front of the director. Once a choice is made, the fees and the contracts for actors and extras are negotiated and settled.

The job sits between the production and the acting profession, in regular contact with agents, the producer, the director and the production manager.

A casting director needs an eye for what a performer could do rather than what they have already done, the judgement to read a character off the page, and enough negotiating skill to agree terms that suit both the actor and the budget. Requirements for the role are set by each production.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (13)

consult with motion picture producerconsult with motion picture producerConsult with a motion picture producer about requirements, deadlines, budget, and other specifications.consult with production directorconsult with production directorConsult with the director, producer and clients throughout the production and post-production process.familiarise with personal directing stylesfamiliarise with personal directing stylesUnderstand and analyse the behaviour of specific directors.organise auditionsorganise auditionsOrganise try-outs for actors. Determine when and where the auditions will take place. Send out job ads to talent agencies, newspapers, magazines, and other information sources.match actors to rolesmatch actors to rolesMatch the perfect actor to each role based on their experience, ability, reputation, availability, and box office appeal.contact talent agentscontact talent agentsContact agents in charge of finding jobs for writers, actors, musicians, and other professionals in the entertainment and broadcasting businesses and maintain good relations with them.study relationships between charactersstudy relationships between charactersStudy characters in scripts and their relationships to each other.follow directions of the artistic directorfollow directions of the artistic directorFollow the instructions of the director while understanding his creative vision.develop professional networkdevelop professional networkReach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up ...carry out auditionscarry out auditionsHold auditions and assess and select candidates for roles in the productions.discover acting talentdiscover acting talentIdentify existing talented actors or discover new ones.negotiate with artistsnegotiate with artistsCommunicate and negotiate with artist and artist management about prices, terms and schedules.carry out interviews to select artistic team memberscarry out interviews to select artistic team membersDetermine the content, physical and material conditions of the interview. Describe the project parameters. Evaluate personal, artistic and technical skills according to casting requirements, and candi...
Optional (11) — show
photographyphotographyArt and practice of creating aesthetically appealing images by recording light or electromagnetic radiation.film production processfilm production processThe various development stages of making a film, such as scriptwriting, financing, shooting, editing, and distribution.acting techniquesacting techniquesThe different acting techniques for developing lifelike performances, such as method acting, classical acting, and Meisner technique.provide chaperone for children on setprovide chaperone for children on setMake sure there is always a chaperone present on the set when recruiting underage children to perform in a motion picture.operate a cameraoperate a cameraCapture moving images with a camera. Operate the camera skilfully and safely to obtain high quality material.prepare casting budgetprepare casting budgetPrepare, together with the production accountant, the budget for the hiring of the actors and extras.create casting breakdown noticescreate casting breakdown noticesCreate brief descriptions of the physical attributes, skills, and experience sought in actors.find appropriate extrasfind appropriate extrasFind background extras that match the overall theme of a scene.receive actors' resumesreceive actors' resumesReceive headshots and resumes from actors to select the most qualified and schedule auditions.manage contractsmanage contractsNegotiate the terms, conditions, costs and other specifications of a contract while making sure they comply with legal requirements and are legally enforceable. Oversee the execution of the contract, ...search databasessearch databasesSearch for information or people using databases.

Related Occupations

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Frequently asked questions

What does a casting director do?

Casting directors select actors for all roles in a motion picture or television series. They co-operate with the producer and director to determine what they are looking for. Casting directors contact talent agents and organise interviews and auditions for the parts. They determine the fees and contracts for the actors and extras.

What skills does a casting director need?

A casting director needs 13 essential skills, including consult with motion picture producer, consult with production director, familiarise with personal directing styles, organise auditions, match actors to roles.

Will AI replace casting director jobs?

The AI disruption score for casting director is 35/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: receive actors' resumes, search databases, prepare casting budget. Most resilient: acting techniques, provide chaperone for children on set, follow directions of the artistic director.

Quick Facts

SectorPublic Administration & Legal
ISCO GroupLegal, social and cultural professionals
Essential Skills13

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