A small role in an episode of a long running television programme, can often be far more nerve racking than a larger role. I’ve often seen actor’s sitting around all day waiting to do a few lines, only to discover their little scene is to be covered in one shot and it’s to be the last shot of the day. The director knows the crew (who have been flat out all day) must finish on time as there’s no money in the budget for overtime and a good 1st AD won’t be shy at reminding the director of this. So with only 10 minutes to get the scene in the can, you’re frantically called to the set (not a good moment to leave a jacket or prop in your dressing room!), you’re introduced to the 1st AD (the person responsible for keeping the director on schedule), do a rough block with the director, followed by final make-up and wardrobe checks, then someone screams turn over, the board is read out and the director yells ‘Action’. Suddenly, with all eyes on you (not to mention a camera), the pressure to get it right first time is enormous. This kind of scenario may sound extreme but every actor will experience it.

Every production will be slightly different but the countdown to a standard Shoot (if such a thing exists) will probably be as follows……

Firstly the audition, remember getting one is an achievement in itself. So make the most of it as it’s hard to get seen for TV and Films, and even if you don’t land this job it may lead to other jobs. Nearly all castings are handled by a casting director who liases with the agents and assembles various actors to meet the director. These castings are more like an interview than an audition, involving a brief chat followed by a reading. Arrive early as you may find a couple of pages waiting for you at reception. Don’t be surprised if you only get to read the scene a couple of times that’s quite normal and the casting director usually reads the other roles. It will probably be filmed and may only last ten minutes or so.

Having been cast you’ll be sent a script (possibly a revised draft) and a schedule, read them both carefully. The schedule is an important document and should be able to answer any questions. At the very least the schedule will contain a call sheet with details of where you need to be and when. However, most are far more detailed with cast lists, crew lists, phone numbers, maps, directions to locations, travel arrangements, health and safety regulations, etc.. Check your contact details are correct and that the dates on the schedule are the dates you were booked for. It’s rare they’re wrong but it’s always best to check as you may start work before your contract arrives. Your agent would have the original booking dates from when the company first checked your availability.

Next you’ll receive several phone calls; firstly, from the 2nd AD or a production assistant confirming your call. If you have any questions that the schedule can’t answer, this is the time to ask. For instance, if by this stage you’ve not received a script, mention it. They listed me as the wrong character on a schedule once and when I mentioned it to the 2nd AD, it turned out some of the lines and my character’s name had been changed. Nobody had told me and I had learnt the wrong role, luckily I still had time to learn the right role!

Next you’ll probably get calls from someone in the Costume and Make-up departments. Depending on the scale of the production they may arrange fittings and make-up tests. Either way, make sure you know all your measurements for Costume including hat and glove sizes. Incidentally, it’s common in TV that you don’t try on your costume until you arrive for the shoot. So give them your real sizes not the sizes you wish to be! Also, if your hair is different to your spotlight photo, tell them as they might be making decisions based on it.

While waiting for your shooting day to come around, work on your script, familiarise yourself with the lines and characters. Any work you do at home that better prepares you before the shoot, could prove useful especially as less and less time is allocated for rehearsing on Set. Don’t forget to work on the standby scenes too; these are scenes that are held in reserve in case the schedule is changed at the last minute. They’ll be on the call sheet listed as standby scenes or wet weather scenes.

You’ll probably then hear nothing until a day or two before you start, when they’ll ring to confirm your call.

When you arrive at the unit base, the first person you’ll meet will most likely be the 2nd AD who amongst other things is responsible for your whereabouts during the shoot. Make sure they or someone else knows where you are at all times. 2nd AD’s are full of wandering-actor-stories bringing shoot’s to a grinding halt because they decided to look round a location. Remember, you’ll end up looking foolish but the 2nd AD gets the blame.

Having arrived at the unit base or the studios, provided the shoot is running to schedule, you’ll be shown to a dressing room or green room. If the schedule has been changed (it often is) you’ll be taken straight to costume and make-up. If on location the unit base will either be a building or various trailers and trucks. You’ll probably be left on your own as most people will be shooting somewhere else, but there may be other actors around (and if on location, catering people and various drivers). However, at some point you’ll be collected and taken to Costume and Make-up.

First thing in the morning these places are a hive of activity, so look out for the other actors in your first scene that day. The chances are some of them will be in make-up at the same time as you.

Depending on the size of the production, you may have your own make-up artist and your own dresser who will be responsible for your costumes. As you will end up spending a lot of time with these people, they’ll be a large factor towards your enjoyment of the shoot. I know one director who judges the mood of his cast and crew, by the atmosphere in the wardrobe, Make-up and catering trailers.

Once you are in costume and have been to make-up, you’ll probably get sent back to your dressing room or trailer. Depending on how well they are sticking to the schedule, will determine how long you spend waiting to be called to the set. How you pass the time is up to you and every actor I’ve met has their own way, (I know one actor who even used to spend his time trying to write sitcom scripts and ended up becoming a very successful writer). Some actors (but not all!) like to get together and run lines which is great if you are inexperienced as it can help calm the nerves. However, the important thing to remember is that you have to be ready so that whenever you are called to the set, you are able to do the best you can when the director yells action.

Every actor knows that work generates work. So no matter how small your role is, never forget you’ve been given an opportunity that many other actors would relish. I can’t think of a more exciting place than a film set full of talented technicians and actors, who are all pulling together to create something. So make the most of it and enjoy it, because if you’re lucky, you can work in some amazing places with some incredibly talented people.

Edward Hicks

(This extract from the Actor’s Year book is printed with permission of AC& Black, the author and contributor. The latest edition of the Actor’s Year book is now available.)

There are several things you can do to maximize your chances of understanding actors and the process and therefore pinning down exactly what you are looking for:

1. Read books on acting. I recommend anything by ‘Directing actors’ by Judith Weston, who has great understanding of the process but there are plenty of others out there.
2. Try out some acting classes at a local college or evening class. There is nothing better for learning a subject than throwing yourself into it, if you have the courage. It will build confidence too and you will start to get a hook on the language and methods of acting.
3. Watch them work. Live theatre is a great place to study actors in the moment. You will soon start to recognize people who lose themselves in their characters and people who don’t. Good and bad acting will start to shout out to you and you will develop the skill of seeing when an actor is really listening and when they’re just saying the lines. You may need front row seats for this though otherwise it’s the binoculars.
4. Check out nearby drama schools that often have regular free or cheap performances of both well known works and more experimental stuff. It’s a great place to find local talent and possible collaborators.

Working with actors is about you as a director being able to draw the performance you want from another person. That other person is not a robot or a machine but a human being who is making themselves vulnerable every time they go up for a role in a film or a play. To put oneself in that position time and time again takes a lot of guts and stamina. In order to protect that vulnerability, most actors will need to feel ‘safe’ working with you so that they can fully express their emotions and do a good job. It is up to you to generate that ‘safe place’ and the freedom for them to create. We are not talking about a physical place as such; it’s simply means having their director’s (that’s you) confidence and trust.

Directing actors can be frustrating at times like any human interaction, but it’s mostly rewarding, exciting and an incredible learning experience; of which you will probably become aware of much later. For the most part it’s a short term relationship, but a relationship nonetheless and if you go about it the right way, it could lead to much longer, mutually beneficial collaborations.

The audition itself:

When you’re assistant brings in the auditioning actor for the first time, introduce yourself. Don’t hide behind a table all aloof, get up and shake hands, bow, curtsey, whatever is your thing, but interact. You are the charismatic director after all and you want to create the right impression.

Introduce your own assistant actor, if you have one. Run through the process or you’re assistant might have already done it.

What is the process? It’s this:

The actor, having read the script pages, will have begun the process of interpretation of the material. They can now begin to audition for you. You can explain that you want to see what their initial impression is and what they bring to it. Explain also that you will run through the material at least three times so you are not going to kick them out after the first attempt. This will help Bob or Meryl to relax and steady themselves. Bob will need to hold the pages in his hand too as no-one can memorise that quick.

Watch the first attempt.

It will probably be disjointed, rushed, out of rhythm. It’s hard to remember that no-one else is as familiar with these words as you and how the characters sound and act in your mind’s eye. You will have to let go somewhat, of any pre-conceived ideas about how someone should sound or look like as this just limits you and could cut you off from finding someone who is really good but doesn’t “look right”. Of course there are certain parameters for how a character should look but try not to be too stubborn about it. Be open to whatever comes up.

Give some feedback

You’re going to be a director, you’ll have to get used to giving feedback all the time. Be as positive as you can without bull-shitting.Now you will have to come up with a suggestion about how to play the scene. Depending upon your script analysis that you have already spent time doing (right?), you will have an idea on how the scene should go. This idea should now inform your directorial choice. Is the scene tense, violent, romantic? There will be layers of subtlety within the writing, subtext and mood changes that you won’t be able to do justice to in this short period of time but you will need to find a way to bring the essence of the scene to light and communicate this to the actor.

Give ‘playable‘ directions

Depending on your material, give them a playable direction. For instance, the scene is tense with two men who don’t trust each other. The direction is “You’re impatient to leave. You have to get out of this room.”

Obviously you don’t want them to physically leave the room and if the actor walks out the door, assume you haven’t explained yourself properly. So staying in the room, how does the actor communicate that feeling of frustration and of being trapped through his spoken words and his body language?

Don’t use directions such as “be afraid, be nervous.” This is ok if you’re making a cartoon but not if you’re dealing with real people, (check out Judith Weston’s book, “Directing actors”).

Watching the next attempt

Continue to work with the actor, giving feedback and more playable directions. If you are close to what you want, then carry on along that way. If not, try the complete opposite.

In the case of the above example you could say, “Intimidate this other guy, make him leave the room!” Again, don’t use something like “be angry, be aggressive”. These types of directions have no goal, they are just states. They can mean many different things and lead to questions such as “how angry, how aggressive?” Try to combine direction with goals, objectives, purpose. This gives an actor something to grasp.

Remember to have fun with it; this type of collaboration is a creative process and an exciting one.

At the end of each audition thank the person involved for their time and effort.

Summary of the process:

1. First read through: actors interpretation
2. Second read through: with basic playable direction from you.
3. Third read through: observations from the previous two attempts, try opposite direction.
4. Fourth read through: go crazy.

The day of the audition:

1. Arrive early.
2. Set-up the space
3. Camera set-up.
4. Brief your ‘assisting’ actor.
5. Have your assistant prepare the ‘sides’.

Arrive before the actors!

Set-up

Get to your audition venue and set-up. Clear the space you’re using and make room for your candidates.

Do you have a camera?

It is a great idea to have a camera at the location to record the performances. This is necessary for reminding yourself later of each audition and watching for nuance and insight that you might have missed on the day. Ideally, have someone else operate.

The camera should be static and a wide enough angle to capture full body shots of all the actors involved plus all of their movement. You don’t want close-ups; you should be watching faces with your eyes, not hiding behind a lens. Later on you can review whether the actors are using their bodies well, whether they are stiff, uncomfortable with physical closeness, have ticks etc, all this will be on the camera footage.

Just to add, your location should be lit brightly enough for filming and you should state that the footage shot will not be used for anything other than private viewing, i.e. for purposes of reviewing these auditions.

Having another actor present

If possible get another person, preferably another actor or if not an actor somebody with some life about them, who can read well and put some emotion into it. Don’t get a friend who is afraid to read out loud. It is better not to read yourself as part of your awareness is taken up with conscious processing of the lines and you as the director need to focus on the subtlety of performance.

Having another actor there also helps you to direct the auditionees because you can prime your actor-assistant with instructions to make it different, change their lines, move differently and so on. This is all to see how your candidates adapt and react to new, surprise or subtle changes in direction.

Make notes

Make notes on each audition, marking down your instinctive impressions about the person performing, whether they followed your direction and so on. The most important quality for an actor is being able to “listen” not just to you and your instructions but to the other actor they are working with. Really good actors are always listening which is another way of saying they respond in the moment to what’s happening, they react to the people in their environment. So you could say that you want “reactors” not actors.

The material

Have your assistant hand out the “sides”, which are the one or two pages of material to perform. It would be good, ideal even, to have pages from your own script. The benefit of using your own script is it gives the actors a chance to assess your film for its content, don’t forget they might choose not to do it! Many actors will obviously be looking for good show-reel footage and even if desperate won’t do just anything for the sake of it. Often it is a good idea to use well written, established dialogue material that you’re familiar with. Not that your stuff isn’t well written, I’m sure it is.

(You could send the audition piece to people via email but this only works if everyone gets it. Those that do get it will have more time to work on the lines, if they choose to, whereas some who don’t get it are then put at a disadvantage come the audition. If everyone sees the material for the first time when they arrive then it is a level playing field and more accurate for you to judge.)

1. Advertise the roles.
2. Organise c.v.’s and show reels to watch.
3. Eliminate the ones you can’t use.
4. Short-list your preferred artists.
5. Organise a location for auditions.
6. Contact your candidates.

Advertising your film

Start by advertising your film, with a basic description of the story and the roles offered, in trade magazines, on-line and so on; that way you will have enough choice for your auditions. Be honest about what kind of film you’re making. If it’s independent and with a small budget then say so. It’s better to let people know what they are getting into up front. I mean, if there is no money to pay artists, are you going to feed them, pay travel expenses? You better do one of these, preferably both!

Organise the paperwork

Wait for those c.v.’s to roll in over the next week or so. Some that are posted to you will come with stamped address envelopes for return. If they are not the actors for you, try and return the c.v.’s if you can, because sending professional pictures to directors can be a costly expense for impoverished actors.

Try and find actors with short film or feature film experience as well as theatre; they will know the ropes to some extent. Look at their skills and hobbies, do you need martial arts, horse riding or rock climbers? Stage combat is a good one if you want to shoot simple fights. Most actors have some experience of this. More complex fighting though will obviously need a fight or stunt coordinator.

Eliminate people you don’t want

It is difficult to choose who to eliminate when you haven’t met anybody but the picture and the C.V. is usually all you have. Some more web savvy people are now posting show reels on-line and this trend should increase but it’s not the norm yet. For your film though, be aware that an actor with only credits in theatre will, generally, have no film vocabulary to work with, they will be unfamiliar with hitting marks for camera, sound levels and so on. They may be wonderful performers on the stage but a possible hindrance on a film set.

Shortlist

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential candidates, sort them into male and female. When casting for roles it is better to see all women or all men at the same time in order to better compare gender roles rather than a random mix of boy, girl, boy etc.

Location hunting

Find a location in which to conduct your auditions. It has to have enough space for your actors to move around. Actors will need to move their bodies to relax and demonstrate physicality during the audition. Without this there will be no life and no opportunity for someone to show you what they can do.

Get in touch

Contact the actors you have chosen and let them know your dates and politely ask if they can make it on these times. If your budget is tight they will have to make the day you suggest. If they can’t, you can scratch them from the list. If you have more flexibility, say two days, then they can come to either and this gives them a chance to make arrangements and you more choice over who to eventually cast. Whether you have one day or two, split the day into morning and afternoon. Keep the morning for men and the afternoon for women or vice versa. Have each actor pencilled in at staggered times such as follows:

Day 1

11.00am: first actor “Bruce”
11.20am: second actor “Marlon”
11.40am: third actor “Al”

Lunch break 12.00-12.30pm

12.30pm: fourth actor “Meryl”
12.50pm fifth actor “Madonna”
13.10pm sixth actor “Julia”

Twenty minutes should be a minimum for you to assess each person, if you can spend more time with each person then that would be better. It all depends on how many people you have to see, how much time in the location, how many days etc.

Note: this is the time you will see them but you will want to tell them to arrive fifteen to twenty minutes before their allotted time as this will enable them to read the script and form a basic idea, opinion and approach to their performance. Without this time the audition will be messy and confused as the candidate will be fluffing lines and stumbling all over the place.
Also confirm these times again with the actors to make sure they are coming, either by phone or email.

Give yourself some contingency time too, as inevitably, someone will be lost, late or delayed.