Written by Scott David, Casting Director
There are numerous reasons and factors why a Casting Director or a casting office might not be seeing you.
1. You may feel that you are right for the type of show they are casting…. yet your essence and tone or look is just not compatible with the style and tone of the show. As an example: you may have a Mohawk or be totally tattooed…..and that type of look may never be a possibility on the show that the office is casting.
2. You may not have the level of credits or experience that is needed for the type of show or roles that the office is casting. Yes there are one-liners and small roles, so that is where the opening chance might happen, but then you also have to be the right look and type and oftentimes those types of roles go to actors that the office knows or wants to give the role to.
3. You may not have proper representation. By that I mean your agent or manager may not have a good relationship with the office…so by the time the office or the reps get around to thinking of that agent/manager, the session is already filled up with actors that the casting office wants to see.
4. The casting office may not know who you are. This situation is common and the easiest way to ease it is via workshops or showcases. Or sometimes it is best to network and find a way to meet the associate or assistant of the office and impress them and build a relationship so that the CD will then take the time to look at you and your work and potentially get to know you too.
5. You may not have a reel or a clip that shows your work…or, more importantly, a clip that shows you playing almost the EXACT type of character that is being looked for at the moment. For example, if you have played a cop on a TV show…the clip in your reel of you playing a cop may help when the office is deciding whether or not you are a candidate to bring in for the audition.
Scott David has been casting since 1996 and casts for feature films, independent films, TV, drama and comedy, theater, and Internet. Scott has been recognized by the industry on numerous occasions; he received an Artios Award nomination from the Casting Society of America, was named Backstage West Casting Director of the Year in 2009 and 2010, and won the Heller Award for Favorite Television Casting Director from the Talent Managers Association in 2010. He works with agents and managers all over the country.
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