Casting Spotlight: CBS Vice President, Casting Fern Orenstein in Honolulu

by Charles Uyehara     

Fern Orenstein

On Wednesday, Aug. 1, SAG-AFTRA members in Honolulu had a rare opportunity to meet with and hear from Fern Orenstein, vice-president of casting at CBS. Although the event was about “diversity in casting,” the topic most discussed was improving the odds of “getting the call.” She provided great insight on how TV shows get cast, along with many tips on how to improve actor submissions.

The Process

Fern explained that when casting a role, the casting director will determine what kind of actor is needed by reading the script breakdown, which offers three key pieces of information: character "type," i.e. nurse, detective, senator, etc.; the character’s name; and the character’s age. Most casting directors then have their assistants select from the data file seven or eight people that match the breakdown specifications. The hard-copy submission is not what casting directors usually look at. They see thumbnail-sized images, which are displayed 45 on a page. They only look at the thumbnails at this time, not the resume, so your photo has to “pop.” 

Photos

Fern could not emphasize enough how important your photo is. She feels it is really the best information, even before your resume, that casting directors have about you. It is important to make sure your photograph is current, ideally less than a year old. Play up your strong points. If you feel comfortable walking in and booking the role of a cop, then gear your photos toward the performance of that part, but do not wear a costume. Your photo should have the "essence of a cop." Be subtle. Have two to three different photographs that you feel reflect roles you strongly fit. An "essence of" image may be suitable to get you four or five jobs with just that one shot. The problem with many photo submissions, Fern said, is that the actor sees himself one way and everyone sees him another. Too many people, she said, see themselves as glamorous. Your photo should represent what everyone else sees when they look at you. Ask others to give you an honest opinion of what type of roles they think you could play. And don’t submit composites. The photographs will be too small to show up in thumbnail form on a computer screen.

Reels

If you submit a reel, make it no longer than a minute and a half. Anything longer, no one will be watching it.

This item was originally featured in the October 2012 local newsletter.