How do you become a casting director?

March 2, 2005 7:20 AM

How does one become a casting director? It doesn't seem like there would be classes in film school on becoming a casting director, so I'm curious as to what professional course one would take to attain this position. I have quite an eye for placing actors in roles that have yet to be cast, but I'm sure that's not all it takes. Is it all just nepotism and luck?
posted by bjork24 to media & arts (4 comments total)

BBC Radio 4 broadcast a documentary about casting directors about a week ago which might have some clues. A quick glance around the website reveals nothing but ou might be able to get a transcript if you contact them.
posted by dmt at 7:41 AM on March 2, 2005

I intern in the entertainment industry, and from intern networking events I've gone to, it sounds like most casting directors start out interning in casting offices, which you might try if you live near one (you'll probably have to work for free, though). Most places hire primarily from the inside, so starting from the very bottom is the way to go.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:21 AM on March 2, 2005 [1 favorite]

My friend Janet got into casting because she had a lot of friends.

She knew people who were punks and in the 80s a lot of people needed punks to stand around and look... punky. She started her own business, worked them as a casting agent. She leveraged that into more traditional casting work as she built a reputation for herself.
posted by Gucky at 8:54 AM on March 2, 2005

Nope, not nepotism. Cronyism.

The entire entertainment industry appears to be based on cronyism and luck. It is not a meritocracy, and anyone who claims otherwise either knows someone or has never been exposed to the industry.

The solution to your problem is thus to do whatever it takes to become a crony of working casting directors. If you hang around these people long enough and don't mind pretending to be their friend, you'll eventually be in the right place at the right time.
posted by gramschmidt at 9:57 AM on March 2, 2005