Hey there, it’s Sam from the Far East Land!
For the past twenty years, I’ve been crafting TV commercials for names like Estee Lauder, Filorga, and Piaget and dabbling in short films across Asia (mostly China). Shooting a short or feature film in the States is the ultimate dream, but since I’m still a fresh face in that market, I’ll probably have to roll with my own scripts.
Being a non-US citizen makes getting a work visa in our industry a real challenge, so a non-union shoot might be my only option. But I don’t want to leave a bad mark in the land of dreams. So, it’s either I get the visa, or I’ll have to take my project elsewhere.
Production is pretty universal, so it shouldn’t be too different. But the casting part keeps bothering me. In China, I brief my casting director, and they bring me a list of talents. I’m not sure how it works in the US, especially if I want to cast union actors. Should I go to a casting company or hire a freelance casting director to handle it?
As I said, shooting in the US is a dream, but it’s not entirely up to me. So, my backup plan is to fly actors to China, Thailand, or Australia for my projects. My question is, how does that work?
I’d really appreciate any insights you can share.
PS: You can check out some of my work here:: https://vimeo.com/iwatasam.
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Hi Sam! Good that you have experience, and yes, much is universal in how it's done. If you cannot get a work visa for the US, options are work in Australia and Canada. If you have financing, then you'll be golden. Research and find a CD (Casting Director) here in the US. They'll know about SAG (Screen) Actors Guild) rules, rates. The CD will read your script, and recommend talent. Since the CD will also know your budget range, then the CD can find the right talent for you. When the CD speaks with talent, they'll let them know where it's shooting, etc. Then go about casting based on who's willing to travel.
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Definitely go with a CD, whether it is a larger office or an independent CD, they should be able to take care of everything you need. Most work on international things all the time.