Casting manager
The headhunter
The manager is responsible for recruiting the actors best suited to the roles on offer, finding the ideal profiles to recruit all the characters for the sequences to be shot.
He or she auditions them and then selects those to present to the director, who will decide which of the proposed actors has the best profile for a film, series, advert, etc.
The role of the Casting Manager
Directors and producers call on casting directors during the preparation phase of a project.
You need actors to make a film! It’s a truism that leads to know-how, a skill that presupposes in-depth knowledge of the artistic sector through its own files with listed artists.
The casting director can also rely on artistic agents or even visit conservatories to find the rare pearl. Sometimes casting in the wild (on the street, for example) provides a solution.
The casting director then conducts a wide-ranging review of the actors available on the market to match the director’s wishes as closely as possible, then arranges several screen tests or attends castings before retaining only the most suitable actors (leads, supporting roles, background roles, simple silhouettes). The casting director is a headhunter.
The casting director is not usually present during filming; his or her role is limited to upstream work.
Skills and qualities
It’s easy to guess that casting directors need to have good interpersonal skills, because they are networkers. They may be assisted in their duties by one or more assistants.
Intuitive – he or she must be able to judge the quality of a performance quickly and efficiently. Feeling does not exclude rigour and a good sense of interpersonal skills, because the casting director works with people.
They are also curious and open-minded.
Career and development opportunities
There is no specific training required for this job, which is filled by a wide variety of people. However, a film and audiovisual school like CinéCréatis is a prerequisite for entering the artistic world and building networks.
Over the years, casting directors may wish to move into directing, starting out as second assistants, for example, depending on the opportunities available.
They may also choose to become the agent for one or more of the actors for whom they provide roles.
