Casting

Once you are done editing your final script, you should begin the casting process. The casting process could be a long one, or it could be a short one depending on the characters. For Exit 117, casting was easy for most of the roles. Many of the actors went to high school with the director. Some of them are our college friends. Some of them are studying theatre while others simply liked acting in high school and community theatre. No matter what the case, they have talent and we discovered it. If you can find people in your local theatre programs, whether it is high school, college or community theatre, you will have a great advantage. Many of these people are extremely talented and they could be waiting for their big break. You could be the one to give it to them.

A great way to find potential actors is by posting flyers around your town, college or even workplace. It’s easier to work with actors who are in the same area as you or where the movie will be filmed. This will 1, cut down on transportation and housing costs and 2, give you the opportunity to work with actors who are looking for experience. Often times, these are the people who will work for free just to gain the experience of acting in a film. For many actors that I have spoken with, experience is more valuable to them than the pay.

If you need to broaden your search, a great resource is craigslist.com. With over millions of hits a day, your post will be seen by potential actors for your film. I used craigslist to cast the role of “Mr. Beverly,” a middle-aged Gym teacher. I posted what we needed and made sure to write that while there would be no pay, they would be given meals and a copy of the movie. I got over 20 responses from people who were interested in the role. Unfortunately, we ended up cutting the role after another revision to the script.

There are also other websites you can post your casting call on such as backstage.com, mandy.com or entertainmentcareers.net.

The best way to cut down costs is to find actors who will work for free. You won’t be able to afford high-paid actors so stick to casting good, reliable, work for free actors.