A member of the Casting Directors Association, Leanne Flinn serves as a freelance casting director in the U.K. for actors who wish to star in anything from commercials to music videos to film and television. She’s won several awards for her work in casting, notably a Silver British Arrow for her commercial work.
Most recently, Flinn has had to learn to adapt her job to the COVID-19 pandemic by relying on commercials that are all self-takes. In a recent Zoom session with Backstage, she speaks about preparing for commercial casting, how street casting works, and the best practice for applying for a role, all as part of Backstage’s video programming The Slate.
Why Actors Need to Know the UK’s Casting Directors Association Flinn originally trained in acting, singing, and dancing, but she says she found herself wanting a different way of life, so she got a job as a runner in a production company and learned her way around the business on the job—which she admits is not the traditional route of a casting director. But as a runner, she jumped at every opportunity to tag along to castings, which is how she met professionals of the field. She’s now been working in casting for about 10 years.
“It’s amazing once you’re on the other side of the camera, you kind of see all the things you probably did wrong at some point and realize, ‘Ah, now that’s how I should’ve done it,’ ” Flinn says. “It’s kind of invaluable.”
She explains that street casting wasn’t always as big when she started out as it is now, and says that casting directors are now much more open to actors who haven’t gone through drama school or formal training. Social media has also become a useful tool for casting actors with specific, unique talents.
READ: How to Get Cast in a Commercial
When auditioning, Flinn recommends actors don’t put themselves in a box. However, they should know some of the roles they might be suitable for before an audition. Additionally, in a group casting session, Flinn stresses that actors highlight their individuality. “Try to not copy the other person, just think how you came in and how you thought the character was going to do it,” she says. “Mainly with commercials, we want you to be a version of yourself anyway. So you don’t have to overthink anything to be honest, just go with the flow. Improvisation is such an important thing for that.”
For more from Flinn, watch her full Zoom session below, and keep tabs on who’s coming up on The Slate with our list of full programming here.
Looking for remote work? Backstage has got you covered! Click here for auditions you can do from home!