One of the most important things you have to do when starting out an acting career is make sure that you get your headshot to the right people - casting directors. Your headshot acts as your business card; it's the first thing casters look at when they choose someone to play a role. The most efficient way to get your headshot out there is to get an agent. It's also very important to pick a reputable agent, as some casting directors limit auditions to a few agencies. They have to go through thousands upon thousands of headshots and resumes, so it's understandable why they'd like to streamline the flow of paper that comes their way.
Once you've signed with an agent, you can sit back and let him do the work for you. He'll send your information to any and all jobs that you qualify for. You'll also get tips on improving your headshots and how to make your resume more appealing to casting directors. Once your agent lands you an audition, you'll need to bring more headshots with you. The preferred size is 8x10; some casting directors have been known to toss away headshots that are smaller. You want to be sure you are qualified to present yourself in front of a Casting Director. They are only looking for skilled, talented actors.
In the production of film and television, the following process is followed. However, especially for major productions, the process of selecting actors for sometimes hundreds of parts may often require specialized staff. While the last word remains with the people in artistic and production charge, a Casting Director or "CD" (and sometimes the Casting Associate) are in charge of most of the daily work involved in this creative filmmaking process during pre-production. A Casting Director is sometimes assisted by a Casting Associate; productions with large numbers of extras may have their own Extras Casting Director.
The "CD" remains as a liaison between director, actors and their agents/managers and the studio/network to get the characters in the script cast. Some Casting Directors build an impressive career working on numerous Hollywood productions, such as Mary Jo Slater, Mary Selway, Lynn Stalmaster, Tammara Billik, Marci Liroff, John Lyons, and Mindy Marin.
At least in the early stages and for extras, casting may be decentralized geographically, often in conjunction with actual shooting planned in different states, e.g. in Hollywood or New York (studio) and one or more exotic locations (e.g. Hawaii, the Far East) and/or budget locations, e.g. Canada, Ireland. Another reason may be tapping in to each home market in the case of an international co-production. However for the top parts, the choice of one or more celebrities, whose presence is of enormous commercial importance, may rather follow strictly personal channels, e.g. direct contact with the director.
- Enroll in casting director workshops. These workshops require you pay a fee to participate. You will meet a particular casting director and hear a bit about her background as well as what she's currently casting. You'll then have the opportunity to ask any questions you have. After this informational portion of the workshop, the casting director will then hand out scenes and pair you up with a fellow actor. You'll be given about 10 to 15 minutes to rehearse your scene and then you'll perform it for the casting director. She may give you feedback or redirection on the scene. If she likes what she sees, she may call you in to audition for a future project.
