Microbudget Movies:
Casting

The one area where major Hollywood movies (or even well-funded “indies”) usually distinguish themselves from microbudget movies is in the area of acting. There are plenty of non-union performers who can act the socks off any “movie star” in Hollywood, but you’ve got to find them and convince them to join your cast. If you live in Los Angeles or New York or some other city with a large acting community you’re at least going to be fishing in a pretty big pond. If not, the challenge of casting becomes a little trickier.

Online talent databases like Now Casting or Star Search Casting are a great resource. Whether you’re posting a casting notice or perusing the available talent, the Internet is a great place to begin your casting process.

You should also look to the live theatre. Some of the finest actors in the world have never stepped before the lens of a camera but ply their craft quite effectively on the stage. Stage actors also tend to be well trained and are accustomed to memorizing their lines. A lot of “wannabe” movie stars think their looks and charisma will carry them but stage actors generally take acting pretty seriously. Seeing someone perform in a play can also be a good “pre audition” experience, especially if they’re portraying a character somewhat similar to the role you’re looking to cast.

You may be able to find talent in less conventional places like Renaissance Fairs or Civil War Re-Enactments. These people may not be actors by trade but many of them are comfortable in “role playing” situations and performing in front of an audience. Depending upon what your story calls for these people may also have some special skills like horseback riding, stunt work or other combat abilities that may be useful to you even if you’re not looking to them as your primary talent.

If you have a really good actor who isn’t perfectly suited to the role as written in the screenplay don’t be afraid to tailor the part to fit the performer. Strong performances will do wonders for your project. In porn films the acting is usually pretty lousy but everyone’s getting naked and having sex so it sort of makes up for it. And non-stop action is pretty hard to pull off without big bucks so at some point somebody is going to have to do something fairly entertaining in your movie and it’s probably going to be your best actors.

Please don’t lie to your actors. A lot of producers do this regularly but it does nothing other than generate ill will and makes it difficult for you to work with the same people more than once. Don’t build yourself up. If it’s a shot-on-video, small crew project tell people that. Samples of your previous work, the quality of your screenplay and your personal passion for the project are your best selling tools when you can’t afford to pay someone. You’re asking these people to give a great deal of themselves to your project so treat them with respect and honesty.

Case Study: Casting