On 28 April 2026, second and third year production students at CinéCréatis took part in another professional conference organised by the school. This meeting gave future film and audiovisual professionals the opportunity to talk to Laurent Couraud, a casting director renowned on the French audiovisual scene and President of ARDA.
Throughout the morning, the students were able to discover the realities of a profession that is often little known, yet essential in the making of a film or series. Through his career path, his anecdotes and his advice, Laurent Couraud shared a concrete vision of the audiovisual sector, its evolutions and the human qualities necessary to evolve in this environment.
The recognised work of Laurent Couraud
For over twenty-five years, Laurent Couraud has been involved in the artistic distribution of numerous audiovisual projects. Feature films, series, shorts, commercials and TV films: his experience covers a wide range of productions. Over the course of his career, he has worked on such landmark French film projects as Les Petits Mouchoirs, Polisse, Pupille and Le Dindon, collaborating with directors such as Guillaume Canet, Maïwenn, Jeanne Herry, Nicole Garcia and Noémie Saglio.
He spoke to the students about the various stages in the casting process. From reading the script to testing with the actors, he explained how a coherent artistic cast is put together to serve a project. More than simply selecting profiles, casting requires a detailed understanding of the characters, the director’s intentions and the relationships between the actors.
The discussions also addressed the relationship between the casting director, the production team and the directors. Laurent Couraud stressed the importance of dialogue and listening in this collective work, where each artistic decision must serve the film as a whole. It was a point that particularly resonated with production students, who are directly concerned by the issues of coordination and collaboration in the film industry.
The conference also addressed a number of issues relating to current developments in the audiovisual sector. Laurent Couraud spoke in particular about the new expectations of the professional world, the evolution of casting methods and the issues linked to SGBV (Sexist and Sexual Violence and Harassment), which have now become unavoidable in audiovisual productions.
With a strong commitment to acting, he has also shared his experience in theatre and directing. Alongside his audiovisual activities, Laurent Couraud has been involved in the casting of several plays and has been developing his coaching and training activities for several years. This more human and educational dimension of his career has given rise to some particularly rewarding exchanges with the students.
Above and beyond the technical aspects of the profession, the meeting highlighted the profoundly collective dimension of cinema. Laurent Couraud pointed out that each project depends above all on a team capable of working together in a spirit of listening and trust. It’s a vision of the profession that fully reflects the values shared by Cinécréatis.
The students particularly appreciated the speaker’s sincerity and accessibility. Laurent Couraud’s frank answers to the many questions put to him provided a concrete account of the realities in the field, far removed from the preconceived ideas sometimes associated with the world of cinema.
Through this type of professional conference, CinéCréatis is pursuing its aim of bringing students closer to the players in the audiovisual sector and giving them a better understanding of the professions they are destined to enter. These meetings are a real learning opportunity, but also a way for students to reflect on their future place in the industry.
This morning’s discussions with Laurent Couraud will go down as one of the highlights of the year for the classes present, confirming once again the importance of the link between training and professional experience in learning the film and audiovisual professions.
