It doesn’t matter if you are planning your company’s next campaign shoot or you’re a new filmmaker working on a short film—production costs add up. But don’t feel like you’re on your own, and don’t feel like you need a studio budget to get the product you’re looking for. Backstage is here to help you save money on your production; follow these tips and learn how to be the casting director you don’t have the budget to hire.
Start casting your project right now!
Skip the casting director.
With Backstage, you’re the casting director! Casting directors are valuable members of any production team—in-house campaign planning or big budget feature, but they can certainly be a luxury when you’re working on a budget. Enter Backstage! Whether you’ve got a handle on how to cast or you’re going in fresh, Backstage’s easy to use platform and large talent pool drop the lift of casting right in your lap.
While casting directors are knowledgeable about both the process and the talent pool in your area or industry, only you know the goals and vision for the project at hand. If you don’t have the budget or space in your production process, Backstage can guide you through it with easy to use informational prompts and a wide range of filters for roles so the right talent can find your notice.
If you need a specific type of talent and you’re worried they won’t come upon your notice on your own, you can search Backstage’s talent database, where actors set their own filters, to find just what you need. You’ll be sorting through candidates in no time.
Check out:
What you need to know about casting a commercial or branded project.
What does a casting director do?
How to cast successful films, TV shows, videos, and more.
4 things you need to do to get your dream cast.
What are you waiting for? Click here to start the casting process.
You don’t have to travel or take to the streets to find people (necessarily).
While tried and true tactics of holding open calls nationwide or taking the effort to street cast will certainly turn up a good selection of talent, many productions don’t have the time, manpower, or other resources to do those things.
Instead, in addition to the filtered talent search on Backstage, you can ask for self-tapes and share your notices far and wide for people to see (that is, as long as they know they will have to pay their own travel if you can’t provide it). It’s great to be on the ground in another city with a different talent pool, but it’s not always realistic. Now you don’t have to be there. The industry is moving more and more to self-tapes, and on Backstage, you can find demo reels and self-tapes in users’ profiles so all your information is in one place.
Ask for what you need from applicants on your notice, and actors and nonactors alike, no matter who you’re searching for, can upload their components for you to browse from you office chair (or couch, we won’t tell).
Check out:
The 3 things that will make top talent apply for your branded content gig.
Where to post your casting notice for a broad and diverse response.
A CD offers an inside look at the casting process.
Get advice and tips and skip the class.
So you found your passion for filmmaking later in life or you’ve been tasked with production and have no skills—don’t worry! Your lack of a film school degree doesn’t mean you’re on your own. Backstage is here to help you cast your project with its platform, but there’s a lot more to the site! Check out the magazine’s part of the site to get tips, tricks, and advice from the best in the business on how to create your best product possible, casting included.
Check out:
Mistakes to avoid when casting your project
How casting a low-budget film differs from casting a studio film.