Summary
Learn everything you need to know to cast your film with A-list talent and how to close their deals from a Casting Director with over 30 years experience!
PLUS! Liz will give you an example offer letter, character breakdown, deal memo, and contract downloads to use on your next project!
You raised the money or got the greenlight for your feature film, now how do you secure your dream cast?
As an independent film producer with a fantastic script, you've been able to secure the financing for your project and you might even have a great director attached. Now, how do you attach the perfect cast to make your project a success?
Getting your dream cast is much more complex than most producers and filmmakers believe. Deciding who the right talent is for your project is only the first step. How do you get in touch with them? Are they available? How do you get their attention and peak their interest? What should you offer? What terms are key?
Handling all these questions and more in the casting process is the job of the Casting Director. The casting process is intense and understanding that process before you get into it is key. A great casting director knows the process inside and out and has the relationships and strategy in place and help guide producers. Hiring the right casting director for your project can not only move the needle forward to get your film into production, but can also elevate your project from good to great by bringing in the right talent to work together as an ensemble. However, if you can’t engage a casting director for whatever reason, it is even more important that you understand the casting process so you can successfully cast your project.
In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand 4-part class, you will learn how to execute the casting process from a 30 year veteran casting director. Teaching you is Liz Lewis, whose projects as a casting director have received Oscar and Emmy nominations. Liz will take you inside the casting process to share how it all works so you can professionally make offers that are taken seriously and help elevate your film. Liz will teach you everything from how to prepare for your casting process by analyzing your project's budget to target the appropriate talent for each role, to how to manage the audition process and then how to make offers to A-list talent, how to deal with (or not deal with) actor's unions like SAG. She'll teach you how to properly create deal memos, offer letters, and contracts to go out to talent and their reps.
By the end of the intensive 4-session class, you will have the skills to effectively cast your film with top talent!
PLUS! Liz will provide you with exclusive handouts to help you cast your film! Downloads include:
- Offer Letter Example
- Character Breakdown Example
- Deal Memo Example
- Contract Example
Praise For Liz:
“Liz is a wealth of knowledge and experience. She brings integrity, vision and passion to her work as a casting director that translates into her class. Producers, filmmakers and actors can learn so much from Liz.” -- Sam S.
"I have had the opportunity to work with Liz Lewis and her team on many projects. She has helped me as an indie producer dig into the creative look and feel of my films. An actor is the person that brings these script pages to life. Liz and her team respect that process and use their amazing relationships with agents, managers and actors to bring the best folks onboard the project. They are relentless and available, the two things loved by producers; team's access and relationships to agents and actors brings the best talent to my projects." -- Nicholas L.
"I'm very thankful for what Liz and her team bring to the table. When it comes to the art of casting, Liz exemplifies her craft. She gracefully combines the hard work and eye for talent that the job requires and boils it down into a streamlined process for her clients." -- Dustin R.
What You'll Learn
SESSION 1: Preparation
Whether this is your initial meeting with a prospective Casting Director or you are keeping the process internal to your production, we will discuss everything you need to do before actually going out to talent.
- Understanding the total budget / funding
- Identifying the talent budget
- Getting clear on distribution options and goals
- The role of your creative team in hiring cast
- How to prepare the materials bible/lookbook/pitch deck
- Is your script ready?
- The importance of the Day Out Of Days schedule (DOOD)
- How location(s) come into play in casting
- Creating a production talent wish list
- SAG vs non-SAG
- The terms of a Casting Director engagement
- Q&A with Liz
SESSION 2: The Process
So you are starting the casting process. What do you need, what is the process, how can you get the attention of top talent?
- Working with a Casting Director - The CD process
- How to create access if you don’t have a CD?
- Creating a breakdown of roles to be cast
- The CD list for lead and supporting roles
- Checking talent availabilities
- Narrowing down the list
- The offer process for name talent
- Working with covering agents to get lists
- The process of offering roles to name talent (one at a time) – offer only (no audition)
- To audition or not to audition?
- One at a time or many?
- How long should you give them?
- What to send?
- Additional ways to lure talent
- Potential next steps if there is interest
- How to convince an agent to have their talent participate in your project
- Q&A with Liz
Assignment: Watch the 1st episode of a TV limited series which I will provide to you and write your thoughts regarding the 3 lead roles. Are they right for the role? Thoughts on alternate actors? Discuss the pros and cons to your choices.
SESSION 3: Casting Additional Talent
Do you keep making offers only? Do you post a general audition notice? What does that casting process look like?
- Creating a breakdown and including sides and scripts
- Are you going to other top talent or posting an audition notice
- Posting breakdown to casting platforms
- Selecting actors for auditions
- The role of the casting director to work with talent
- Setting up the audition information and process
- Live auditions vs. taped vs. zoom
- Continuing with offers to name talent
- Going to call backs or bookings
- Chemistry read /callbacks live or Zoom
- Q&A with Liz
SESSION 4: Understanding the Actors Deal Terms
Understanding what to expect is key so you can get your dream talent on board with a deal that is fair for both production and the talent.
- Choosing talent
- Booking talent
- What are the key elements of the talent deal
- Understanding SAG provisions
- The Deal Memo terms
- Fixed compensation
- Credit
- Term - shoot dates, days of the work week
- Housing
- Dressing rooms
- Per diem
- Misc. extras
- Contract requests you should anticipate
- Getting deal memos signed by agent or talent
- Negotiating what is important to fight for and what to give away
- SAG Cast Clearance
- From Deal Memo to the actual legal contract
- The SAG contract
- Q&A with Liz
Have a great shoot!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
PLEASE NOTE: The opportunity to learn from an expert in the field in this intensive way is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity.
- This class is designed for beginner and intermediate students looking to learn the fundamentals of casting your project. This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed class with significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
- This class consists of four sessions, each roughly two hours in duration.
- PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 class is now available to watch on-demand but we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.
Who Should Attend
All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to explore the intricacies of casting.
All levels of showrunners (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to explore the intricacies of casting.
All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to explore the intricacies of casting.
Producers looking to explore the intricacies of casting.
Actors looking to explore the intricacies of casting.
Executive
Liz Lewis, CEO of LLCP in New York and Los Angeles, has been at the forefront of the casting industry for more than two decades, and continues to be unparalleled in her ability to secure the perfect talent for film, television, commercials and theater. Forgoing the cookie-cutter approach of larger agencies, Liz runs a venerable casting boutique that hears each clients’ needs so the perfect match is found. While she personally has a hand in all of the projects that come through her office, she has cultivated a collaborative team who bring their own diverse talents to the table.
The proof of Liz’s talent is in the pudding: she cast the original voices of the EMMY NOMINATED Nickelodeon show, Peter Rabbit, received a CSA ARTIOS AWARD nomination for OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CASTING for Stormy Weather, a SLAMDANCE AUDIENCE AWARD for BEST NARRATIVE FILM for The Project, cast the voices for the OSCAR NOMINATED documentary Sound and the Fury, and the NY FILM FESTIVAL OPENER animated short, Knitwits. Additionally, she assembled the original and subsequent line-ups for The Daily Show. In the process she discovered many of the improv and sketch actors that have risen to stardom in the past fifteen years.
Liz is proudly associated with the Casting Society of America, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, Women President Organization, Women in Film and Television, Association of Independent Commercial Producers, and the British Academy of Film and Television.
Testimonials
Praise For Liz:
“Liz is a wealth of knowledge and experience. She brings integrity, vision and passion to her work as a casting director that translates into her class. Producers, filmmakers and actors can learn so much from Liz.” -- Sam S.
"I have had the opportunity to work with Liz Lewis and her team on many projects. She has helped me as an indie producer dig into the creative look and feel of my films. An actor is the person that brings these script pages to life. Liz and her team respect that process and use their amazing relationships with agents, managers and actors to bring the best folks onboard the project. They are relentless and available, the two things loved by producers; team's access and relationships to agents and actors brings the best talent to my projects." -- Nicholas L.
"I'm very thankful for what Liz and her team bring to the table. When it comes to the art of casting, Liz exemplifies her craft. She gracefully combines the hard work and eye for talent that the job requires and boils it down into a streamlined process for her clients." -- Dustin R.
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