What does a casting director do?

They break down the script for casting, source talent through agents and open calls, run auditions and callbacks, present shortlists to the director and producer, and usually handle the first stage of deal negotiation with agents.

Do casting directors cast the film?

No. They find, audition and shortlist. The final decision sits with the director and producer. Their value is range of access and judgement about who can actually play a part.

When should casting start?

Before the schedule locks, because performer availability constrains scheduling more than almost any other factor. With named talent, months earlier — offers and negotiations are slow.

All Roles

Direction

Casting Director

Finds and auditions performers, and negotiates the deals that put them on the call sheet.

The Casting Director Role

The Casting Director identifies, auditions and secures performers for a production. They read the script for character, source talent through agents and open calls, run auditions and callbacks, and present options to the director and producer. On most productions they also handle the first stage of deal negotiation with agents. Good casting directors are valued for taste and for range of contacts in roughly equal measure — knowing who can play a part is only useful alongside knowing who is available and what they cost.

Day Out of Days TemplateA Day Out of Days, or DOOD, is a grid showing each cast member's status on every shoot day of a production. Statuses mark when a performer starts, works, is held between work days, or drops. It is derived from the shooting schedule and determines how many days each performer must be paid for.Free template · every field explained

Key Responsibilities

Break down the script for casting requirements
Source talent through agents, databases and open calls
Run auditions, callbacks and chemistry reads
Present shortlists to the director and producer
Negotiate initial terms with agents and representatives
Coordinate availability against the shooting schedule

When to Hire a Casting Director

Once the script is in reasonable shape and before the schedule locks, because cast availability shapes the schedule more than almost anything else. On projects with named talent, casting starts very early since offers and negotiations take months. For background-heavy productions, a separate background casting director may be worth engaging.

What to Look For

Genuine relationships with agents in your territory
A track record of surfacing performers you would not have found
Experience with your budget tier — access differs enormously by level
Organised audition and callback process with usable recordings
Realism about who is actually available and affordable

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