How To Become a Casting Researcher

How To Become a Casting Researcher

What is a Casting Researcher?
A Casting Researcher finds the right people to take part in productions. This could mean the right actor, or for factual productions it could mean a mix of members of the public, experts (eg. a scientist or a specialist medical consultant), or talent (eg. presenters, celebrities).

What is the Job?
The role of Casting Researcher involves finding actors for a film or TV drama, or on the factual side, contributors or interviewees who will be featured. Finding the right people to be at the heart of a production is crucial to it’s success.

This role is one of the first steps to becoming a Casting Director. There can often be a wide range of contributors or actors to find and the Casting Researcher might conduct an initial outreach push, using street casting and social media, or focus on a targeted approach, liaising with specific organisations. They will then conduct initial conversations to edit the list of possible contributors, and may help the Producer and AP film recce tapes or write contributor documents.

Depending on the budget of the production the job may extend into assisting PDs with interviewing contributors, writing interview questions or sending out scripts/information for auditions. Practically speaking, depending on the production budget, Casting Researchers may also handle a lot of the logistical nitty-gritty, from arranging auditions to organising travel for contributors.

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How To Become a Casting Assistant Producer

How To Become a Casting Assistant Producer

What is a Casting Assistant Producer?
A Casting Assistant Producer (Casting AP for short) is an individual who assists in the casting of actors or other contributors for film and TV productions.

What is the job?
The role of Casting Assistant Producer involves assisting with the process of finding actors for a film or TV drama, or on the factual side, contributors or interviewees who will be featured.

When working on drama, comedy or entertainment productions, it is the job of a Casting Assistant Producer to help Producers and Directors to cast actors that fit the character brief, who have the relevant skills and experience, and who are available for filming. It’s also important to ensure that the actor’s fees aren’t over the production’s budget. The role of a Casting Assistant Producer will vary depending on the size and budget of the production that they assisting on.

One of the main duties that a Casting Assistant Producer does is reading the script and creating a list of possible actors for any roles. It is then their job to call agents and check for actors’ availability and whether they would be interested in the role. In addition to this, a Casting Assistant Producer will help out with screen tests, operating the camera and providing other help throughout casting sessions.

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How To Become a Casting Director

How to Become a Casting Director

What is a Casting Director?

Casting Directors work closely with the Director to find the right talent to realise the artistic vision for a feature. For this reason, Casting Directors are essential to any production. The creative vision of a film, TV show or theatre production could not be realised without them. In this article, we will be talking you through the key elements of the Casting Director’s role, and the skills you will need to become one.

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Meet The Speakers: Laura Greene & Matt Nida

Turn On, Tune In

We’ve got two more great speakers lined up for the latest in our Turn On, Tune In series of events at The Hospital Club on Thursday 9th February. Find out more about Laura Greene (Casting Producer, First Dates) and Matt Nida (Series Producer, Big Fat Quiz of the Year), who will take us behind the scenes of their hit shows, and reveal a few of the secrets of their success!

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