Directing (Film, Video, TV) Articles

You’ve finally done it. You’ve made a film — most likely a short — and you’ve been accepted to your first film festival. So, what should you expect? Well, first thing’s first. I don’t want to burst your bubble (after all, getting screened at a film festival is a big deal — it really is) but it’s important not to have any illusions about what this means for you as a filmmaker.

Getting into a festival is like any other career achievement. It’s something to enjoy; it’s something to put on your resume; it’s an opportunity to gain some exposure and make some connections. It’s very rarely, however, a giant breakthrough that results in funding for a major production. After all, there are hundreds of film festivals in the United States alone, with thousands of filmmakers screening their work every year, yet when you see commercials for upcoming Hollywood releases, almost none of them were directed by filmmakers who just got discovered at a festival.

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One of the big complaints I hear from ethnic actors is the problem of typecasting. A Latina actress friend of mine once told me about the problems she was having with a director. “He didn’t have to explicitly say it, but I knew that he wanted me to be that sassy, finger-snapping Latina with attitude,” she complained. “And I didn’t want to do it.”

As an actor of East Asian heritage, I have been well aware that East Asian men have historically been typecast as martial artists and gangsters, and are typically not romantically involved with anyone. East Asian women, on the other hand, are usually typecast as prostitutes or as the “hot” girlfriend of a Caucasian character. In the past few years though, roles for East Asian actors have become more varied to include professional characters such as doctors, lawyers, and scientists, but there is still a ways to go for the roles to truly reflect the full range of the East Asian experience.

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Hi, all.  Sorry about the long gap between posts. I’ve had a lot of freelance work lately, so my schedule’s been overbooked.  Things are starting to calm down a little, though, so I’m hoping to post more regularly.

Despite the fact that camcorders and digital cameras are commonplace these days, most people grow quickly uncomfortable when faced with reality of being interviewed on camera.  Perhaps it’s the fact that interviews seem more important than casual snapshots of them with their friends or videos of them singing karaoke at a party. Perhaps it’s the fact that interviews comes with bright lights, microphones, and entire film crews staring at them while they’re answering questions about their lives.  Either way, your job as a director and/or interviewer is to make your subjects as calm as possible in front of the camera.  Below are five tips to help you do just that.

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This is an article I originally posted on New Film Nation. I hope this is helpful to filmmakers looking for advice regarding the casting process.

Contents:

• Audition Space
• Actor Search/Casting Call
• Scheduling Auditions
• Preparing for Auditions
• During the Audition
• Decision Time

Audition Space:

Let’s assume, for the purposes of this article, that you’re not using a casting agency. If you could afford one, you wouldn’t be running around trying to find an audition space yourself.

Choosing a location for your auditions is more important than you may think. Why? Well, let’s break it down:

First, let’s think about the proximity of your audition space to the pool of actors you’ll be targeting for auditions. Choosing a location in or near the city can make a huge difference for the following reasons:

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