DiPrima Casting

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Established 1978

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COMMERCIAL AUDITION PROCESS
As a casting director with more than 30 years’ experience, I frequently audition talent, that have little or no knowledge of exactly what is expected during the audition process. I highly recommend that every talent both actors and models alike take a commercial workshop that teaches commercial audition. There is a world of difference between the talent that has been exposed to formal training and those that have had no training! In most cases it is not good enough to be “just another pretty face.

Barbara DiPrima
DiPrima Casting

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE
Auditions are not always a one-on-one process. Often talents are paired with other talent for the audition in advance. By being late, you may lose your opportunity to audition or will most probably cause the casting process to get backed up. Be punctual!

THE ROLE OF A CASTING DIRECTOR 

The producer hires a casting director to find the talent, for commercials, film, TV series music videos etc. The casting director prepares for the casting audition in what is known as the “Prep Session.” If the client is a SAG signatory (required to use union talent, when available) the casting director will make every attempt to interview all suitable union talent prior to interviewing any non-union talent. Only after all available and qualified SAG (union) talent has been seen, will the casting director interview non-union talent. If the client is not a SAG signatory only non-union talent will qualify for the audition. Read: “What Casting Directors Look For

PREP SESSION 

Your agents will electronically submit your 800Casting profile to the casting director or other clients for consideration. The client software provides functionality which allows client to further request that talent customize an audition for further review. This process is known as the “Audition Invitation” where the talent receives a specific Email request to provide current images and a video clips.

If you receive an “Audition Invitation,” you can assume that you are under consideration, so follow the Email instructions carefully.The casting director or other client then looks over all the submissions and calls the agents to provide “time slots” for the various talent the casting director or client feels are right for the part.

TIME SLOTS 
(Call Times) are time assignments granted to an agent for the purpose of auditioning their selected talent. One or two time slots are generally provided. With hundreds of agents throughout each state, casting directors or clients provide few time slots per agent. Occasionally, a casting director will provide additional time slots to agents who have convinced the casting director that he / she has a new talent, which the agent feels is right for the part. Time slots are literally, “valuable moments of time,” sought by agents and talent alike. Union castings require the casting directors to adhere to assigned times slots. If you, the talent, are running late, notify your agent. A good casting director will run very close to schedule. Talent should be punctual.

THE AUDITION PROCESS
ALWAYS BRING 2 HEADSHOTS OR COMPOSITES WITH RESUME ATTACHED.
Attach a print out of your 800Casting profile which provides the client with additional helpful information.

When talent arrives at the casting location: Sign in and then review any posted information informing about the audition or project (distribution, callback date, shoot date, location of shoot etc.) Read: “What Casting Directors Look For

CALLBACKS
The casting director first sees many actors for each role he / she are casting. Casting directors then makes a choice of which talent they will bring in to meet the producer and director. This is called a callback, generally the final audition prior to talent selection.




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