The Changing Casting Landscape

The Los Angeles Local Conservatory hosted an Actors Evening featuring casting directors on May 29 at the Los Angeles Film School. This panel was designed to provide insights about casting and booking theatrical jobs in the current hybrid world. This new normal affects not only performers, but casting directors as well. According to the panel, the process will continue to evolve over time.

Panelists included Sandi Logan (former vice president of casting at ABC Network and ABC Studios), Suzanne Goddard-Smythe (Raven’s Home, That Girl Lay Lay and School of Rock) and Seth Yanklewitz (The Hangover, New Girl and Billy the Kid). The panel was moderated by Conservatory Committee member Lee Garlington.

The key takeaways from the night’s panel were:

Auditions

While most casting directors would like to get performers back into the room, it is clear that self-tapes are here to stay. Both performers and casting directors need to adapt to this new reality. Panelists encouraged performers to find ways to make the best product with the available resources. Make sure you know your medium, to whom you are speaking, where you are looking and connect to the work. Let your personality shine through in the self-tape. Remember, you are the star of that moment!

Casting directors want performers to see that getting the audition is the win! It is another opportunity to showcase your talents and make an impression. Even if you may not be right for the particular role you are submitting for, you may be right for something else. You never know what can happen in this town. Keep embracing each audition as a step forward.

Relationships

It is important to remember that first impressions are everything, and there are appropriate ways to reach out to a casting director. Do it tactfully, be professional, be strategic and reach out at the right moment. One way is to have a representative help you.

Panelists also said that if performers are booked for a role, they can get in touch with the casting director and request their original self-tape to be reminded of the performance they gave.

Creating Content

With the new ways of creating content, the casting directors encouraged performers to make their own content or engage with the local community for roles. Student films, SAG-AFTRA Low Budget Agreement films and local theater performances are all ways to get your work out there. Remember, work begets work, so don’t be afraid to leverage these resources to add to your resume.

The Los Angeles Local Conservatory Actors Evenings are monthly moderated panels that bring industry professionals to the Conservatory. Panelists include casting directors, working members, showrunners, producers, SAG-AFTRA staff, agents and show casts. To learn more about this and to enroll in the conservatory, visit the Los Angeles Local Conservatory webpage.

Photo: From left, casting director Suzanne Goddard-Smythe, SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local Conservatory Committee member Lee Garlington and casting directors Sandi Logan and Seth Yanklewitz at L.A. Film School after a Conservatory panel on the landscape of casting directing.