Recruiting Talent

Sometimes casting is as simple as twisting your kid brother's arm, but most productions require considerable attention to the process of recruiting. Consider a request from the local school district for you to produce an orientation video. The goal is to prepare freshmen for the high school experience and to promote a safer school environment by presenting students with a variety of conflict resolution strategies. Such a project may well require talent in the form of a host for on camera interviews, a narrator to communicate important facts and statistics, teachers and counselors for expert commentary and actors to dramatize campus conflicts. Each role requires a particular skill and the right casting choices.

Determine Your Needs
A script or detailed outline is essential for determining your talent requirements. From it, you can then prepare a cast list. This list should include all significant speaking and non-speaking roles, as well as a brief description of what each role requires. For example, should the host be an adult or a teenager, male or female, clean cut or skater? If you have a clear idea what you're looking for, it will be easier to find it.

Once you've identified your needs, you're ready to start recruiting talent. It's up to you (and your budget) whether you cast professionals, amateurs or your own mother (like director Martin Scorsese), but it's important to find the best available candidate for the role. Remember that while a Hollywood cast may be beyond your budget, professional quality performances needn't be. Talent grows everywhere.