PAB Assignment 2 - Job Roles Research

Casting Director

What do they do?

The main role of a casting director is to find the best actor possible for a role in TV, Film, or Theatre.  They are usually are the first person you see in an audition. Once they have chosen someone they then have to convince the director that this is who should get the role. Some casting directors work for a specific company but most work freelance on different productions. (artofmanliness.com, So You Want My Job: Actor, 19/08/09, available from: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/08/19/so-you-want-my-job-actor/, accessed on 24/10/14) For instance, Lauren Tritton is a casting agent from Lancashire who has worked for the BBC, ITV, SKY and Warner Bros. (uk.linkedin.com, Lauren Tritton, available from https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/lauren-tritton/79/b25/861, accessed on 24/10/14)

The first thing they have to do when given a job is read the script and work with the director, producers and writers to create a "breakdown notice". This is where they decide on all the physical qualities, skills and experience they will be looking for in an actor. They then look through hundreds of head shots and CVs to decide who they want to call for an audition. They usually have a casting assistant to help them do this. Depending on how big the production is there will be a number of different rounds of auditions. On a small production the casting director may choose the actors then and there, but on a large scale production they may narrow it down in lots of different rounds until they have a small number to audition for the director who then ultimately decides. The casting director may advise them in their decision. (education-portal.com, Casting Director: Job Description, Duties and Education and Requirements, available from: http://education-portal.com/articles/Casting_Director_Job_Description_Duties_and_Education_Requirements.html, accessed on 24/10/14)

Sometimes casting directors become very invested in a particular actor. If they particularly want a certain actor for a big role but they don't get it, they may work with them to gain lots of other supporting work so that they have more experience when another big role arises.  A good example of this is casting director Lara Kennedy who pushed for Henry Carvill to be Superman in Man Of Steel. She wanted him to be Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns but the director chose someone else. It took her 7 years but eventually she got him the role of Superman in Man Of Steel. She said "Get them in a movie in a smaller role, bring them back, bring them back, and then just slowly move them up." (vulture.com, How Casting Directors Find (and Make) New Stars, 11/10/13, available from: http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/how-casting-agents-find-and-make-new-stars.html, accessed on 24/10/14)

How do you become one?

You need experience more than any educational qualifications to become a casting director. Most people start out as a casting assistant or apprentice and work their way up. However you can increase your chances by taking a degree or classes in film, business or acting.(vulture.com, How Casting Directors Find (and Make) New Stars, 11/10/13, available from: http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/how-casting-agents-find-and-make-new-stars.html, accessed on 24/10/14)

Here is a job advertisement for an internship at the West End Theatrical Agency. 
http://www.internwise.co.uk/events/details/13165/?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Indeed
You would probably have to start as an intern and work your way up. It doesn't require you to have a big range of skills, only good phone manner and able to use a computer. This probably means that you won't have a lot of involvement with the actual casting but one of the duties is to assist the casting director so this job is more about learning than anything else. It would be very good experience for someone who was aspiring to do this. 
It is only for 3 months as most casting jobs are only temporary. Most casting directors work from production to production.

http://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Five-Entertainment-Management/jobs/Event-Manager-Casting-Director-25a443af88581d7a
This is a slightly higher job within the casting industry. It requires you to have a lot more skills and experience. This company want you to be an events manager as well as a casting director which shows you need to get as much experience in different things as possible if you want to get as much work as you can. This job requires you to be able to manage a budget and book venues as well as the typical casting director jobs such as arranging auditions and working with agents.


Here is a video of two casting directors, Kim Davis-Wagner and Justine Badeley talking about what they do, how they got into casting and what you need to succeed. 

Here is another video which goes into a little bit more detail about the procedures casting directors go through to cast people for a production.

In this video she also talks about how she is hired and how she knows whether or not she is right for this production. She mentions how casting directors have their own sort of audition where they have a meeting with the director and producer to make sure they all are on the same creative wave length. She says when she reads a script she will know if she is really invested in the production because actors will already be popping into her head, if they are not then maybe this production isn't right for her.


Bibliography

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/lauren-tritton/79/b25/861

http://education-portal.com/articles/Casting_Director_Job_Description_Duties_and_Education_Requirements.html

http://www.vulture.com/2013/10/how-casting-agents-find-and-make-new-stars.html

Script Writer

What do they do?

Script writers, also known as playwrights are in charge of coming up with the stories and writing the scripts for productions. Once written, they give the scripts to the production company who will then hire cast and crew and eventually turn their script into a play. Some playwrights are kept as part of the production team throughout so that they can get the best interpretation from the script as possible. Other times their involvement ends when they sell the script. 

Some of their responsibilities include:

Keeping to deadlines
Rewriting parts of their script based on criticism from the director and actors
Working with the production team to turn their script (also known as the "map") into something the actors can follow easily
Writing something interesting and unique
(myjobsearch.com, Playwright Career Guide - Creative and Media Jobs, available from: http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/playwright.html, accessed on 24/10/14)

How do you become one?

You need certain skills to be able to become a script writer. These include:

A good grasp of language
An analytical mind
A good understanding of story telling and work of others
The ability to self promote
(myjobsearch.com, Playwright Career Guide - Creative and Media Jobs, available from: http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/playwright.html, accessed on 24/10/14)

It is important to read other scripts and go and see lots of existing plays to see what is out there and to give you inspiration. Writing a lot is also important to practise and improve. You could start out with one act plays and build from there.

You don't necessarily need any qualifications but an A level in English and Drama would be very helpful to give you the ability to work at a high level. The Royal Court offers an eight week course for young aspiring script writers twice a year. They also offer something called "Rough Cuts" which helps script writers to experiment and collaborate with others. A lot of writers also take acting classes to get a good understanding of how the actors understand and interpret scripts. (theroyalcourttheatre.com, Introduction to Playwriting Group at The Royal Court, available from: http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/the-studio/introduction-to-playwriting-groups/, accessed on 24/10/14)

Once you start writing scripts you are happy with another important thing to do to get started is to send out your finished work to theatre publishers and local production groups to get yourself noticed. You should research into different publishers and find ones who produce similar plays to your own and try and submit your work to them.

Here is an example of a job as a script writer:
http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/4972724/senior-script-executive/?CMP=jan_ind_dir
It is a very high job as an executive for the BBC and would be for a more established writer who has already got a lot of successful productions under their belt. The main responsibilities within this job is to come up with interesting ideas rather then writing the whole script yourself. You also have to collaborate with other writers and producers. It is important for a scrip writer to be able to work in a small group without getting defensive about their ideas. 

Here is another job:
http://www.cadellentertainment.co.uk/blog/2014/9/8/looking-for-a-short-film-script
This is for someone who is starting out. It involves you writing a short film which the company will then turn into a full production. Once finished it will be entered into a lot of festivals and promoted "aggressively" online so this is ideal for someone who is new to the business and wants to get noticed. 

Here is a video of two playwrights talking about what it is like to do this job and some of the challenges they face:

Bibliography:

http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/playwright.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4486772_become-playwright.html

http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/the-studio/introduction-to-playwriting-groups/