Do you have a hard time figuring out how to get actors?

Don't run the risk of having actors who only come because you asked them to come!

We've been there and it's no fun. So now let's go over how to get actors who are interested in helping you make a movie that is well-worth watching.

What you need to do is make acting in your films a desirable job. And you need to sell yourself and really find people who are interested.

I know how it feels to want your friends be just as excited as you are about your project. I also know how it feels when, despite all your efforts, they still fail to see your point.

These are obstacles you are going to learn to overcome here in Phase 6: How to get actors. You'll learn how to:

1. Send A Casting Call
2. Host auditions
3. Evaluate how good people are at acting, and 
4. Cast

Phase 7 will go more into depth about how to rehearse and get the actors to preform the movie script how you envision your finished film.

To do this, you of course need to have some idea of what the actor or actress looks like, their age, and their flexibility. Request applying actors to send you a picture of them to put on a "Potential Cast" file. 

Once you have some kind of recruiting system set up, it's time to plan your audition day. 

What day will most likely get the best results in your area? Is it a Friday?... Saturday?...Wednesday?

What time of day works best for you and your family? This is part of making this a desirable job. Try to work with what your schedule looks like.

Another thing to consider, would it be better to host auditions online via Zoom or Skype?

If you need to adjust for one person for auditions, it is likely that that same person will have similar expectations on shoot days. They are not doing a favor for you, you are doing a favor for them by having them in your movie.

Of course, you must also be reasonable: if there is a family emergency or your actor lives in a different time zone and the time difference makes things funny (like you are hosting auditions in the middle of the night for them), be flexible and understanding.

When you are planning when to do auditions, remember too that they don't all have to be the same day. If you have batches of people who are auditioning for roles that the characters are often together, maybe you'll want this to be its own audition day. If there are a lot of people, you may want to divide that as well.

This is especially feasible with virtual auditions. 

Once you've decided on your date and time, find the right place. How many people are you hoping to show up? Do you need to find a hall to use or will your living room work just fine?

Sometimes you want to take an extra step and provide refreshments, especially if you plan to have auditions last longer than four hours.

Don't forget to send out an email with all these details to your potential cast!

Well, it's your big day! Auditions!

Be ready, you might feel a little on the spot and as if people are expecting you to know what you are doing. Make sure you have chosen a scene or set of lines to audition for every character.

Also ensure that you have a script for all of the people who RSVPed. If you are doing virtual auditions, be sure that you sent everyone a copy of the audition script. 

Relax and get ready to have a good time.

Start with a quick game: this is kind of a test run of what shoot days are going to be like. 

Some of our favorite games are Quick Draw Shoot, Down By the Banks, and The Minister's Cat. 

Insist that everyone play. If people are unwilling to try a game, will you really be able to trust that they are going to act well? 

For virtual auditions, have each person take a little bit of time to introduce themselves. 

Once your game is over, move onto auditions! 

When you are hosting a movie audition, it's ideal to have a few people auditioning for each role.

The reason this is ideal is because then you will have an opportunity to see several people play a particular role and get a good feel for who is preforming the most like what you are thinking for that character. 

Have sets of people audition together. Let's say the audition script that you are using requires three characters. Well, have three actors audition the script.

This is another reason that you may want to have several audition dates.

You can focus on filling particular roles at each audition and not be distracted trying to fill every role all at once.

Watch each person closely, but don't offer suggestions or coaching. Just see what people do with the script. Maybe you will end up liking their vision of the character better than yours. Start thinking about who would be best in each role. 

Casting decisions are made by the producer. So, while you conduct the audition, the producer should be paying close attention, taking notes and starting to sort actors into roles mentally.

Have a short meeting with your producer part of the way through the auditions and see if there are any new combinations of actors or re-runs of the same combinations they would like to see.

Rushing into casting decisions is a recipe for disaster. With that in mind, get ready to take your time while casting.

Thank your actors for coming and send them home. This is an absolute must if you are going to cast fairly. 

Having quiet time with your crew will help you make clear casting decisions. Discuss the various roles. Compare notes with your producer. Then cast. 

If you and the producer has the same vision for the character, you should both have pretty similar ideas when it comes to casting.

Remember, though, that in the end it is the producer's decision. If there are any disagreements on casting, producer gets last word.

Finalize who you want in each role and let people know who they are casted as!