Casting Directors do not represent actors. We also do not cast extras. Headshots Only ever send one small jpg of your headshot. I can pretty much get an idea of you from one image.
Make sure your headshot is a true representation of you. Emails Make sure the email is being sent to the address advertised, as this will be where Casting Directors will want to receive it. Make the message simple and concise. To elaborate; as I do have a lot of emails to read, I respond better when emails are short and to the point. These mythical beings are the conduit between actors and directors, connecting agents and their clients with projects and the people behind them.
Casting directors are a vital part of professional productions where they will sift through submissions and select actors prior to the live auditions. Depending on the size and budget of a project, a casting director may work alongside the director and producers throughout, or if they are very well established CDs can have full remit over the casting with the rest of the team giving a final rubber stamp.
You will interact with casting directors whatever the type and scale of acting work you pursue and it is important to cultivate these relationships. In general it is your agent who will communicate with CDs on your behalf but there can be opportunities to contact them directly, perhaps to introduce yourself as a new talent, because they are casting a project you are particularly interested in or to follow up on meeting at an audition. Casting directors are always on the look out for new talent but there are a number of things to keep in mind to ensure your contact is welcome, relevant and useful for all concerned.
In the first instance find out how each particular casting director prefers to be contacted. Most have websites and this will include an email address or details for old fashioned postal mail. Avoid phone calls; casting directors are busy people and an email or letter can be read at their convenience rather than yours.
Also do your research on the type of projects they cast and tailor your covering letter and CV to what they will be looking for. This ties in with your research on each individual casting director. While there is overlap, many CDs do specialise into film and TV, theatre, musical theatre etc. To be effective your communication needs to be read, so to encourage a busy casting director to take a look make sure your letter or email is clear, concise and spellchecked!
Ensure your CV is well laid out and include direct links to your Spotlight and showreel. When attaching CVs and headshots be certain they are of a manageable size for email. This refers to when and how often you should contact casting directors. The golden rule is to only get in touch when you have something to say. A new showreel, new headshots, major new credits, a screening or performance etc are all good reasons, as is writing because you know the casting director is casting for a specific project and your casting type is a good fit.
Casting directors should be treated with the same respect you give other professionals in the industry. You are a business, they are a business and you are seeking a professional, business relationship with them, albeit in a creative, individual industry.
If you are nearby and can and do travel to auditions in that city, let them know that too. Oftentimes actors think that all agents are Ari Gold, just completely soulless bastards who scream into the phone all day and go to glamorous parties every night. We also have a tendency to place these people on weird pedestals and elevate them above us. Keep in mind that most CDs and agents are also in love with acting. These are people, just like you, who also have a passion for this stuff, generally speaking.
In any introductory letter, you should take a few lines to explain what you are passionate about, why you are in this business, what you love about it, and what drives you. True industry professionals want to work with people who are just as passionate as them, just as willing to do the hard work. They want the actor willing to do what it takes to get better, the actor who is constantly involved in classes, workshops, and passion projects. This is your moment to let them know what your passion is, and to demonstrate why that makes you an indispensable ally to them.
Show them what makes you light up! By Kurtis Bright. Kurtis Bright.
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