Finalizing Your Audition Schedule

In the last few posts, I’ve been discussing casting for animation, specifically for anime. I’ve gone over how a producer should prepare for auditions, create sides, and pull together your list of actors.  This time, I want to talk about the final points you should consider before you schedule actors to come in.

Determine how many actors to bring in

By this point, you know which roles you are casting for and you know which actors you want to bring in. Now you have to decide which roles each actor should read for. Work backwards from your list of characters. You want to give your client selected takes of no more than seven auditions for each role. (You don’t want the client to go out of his/her mind listening to the exact same dialogue read by a dozen people.) I suggest having no more than ten actors read for each role. You don’t want the same actors on all the selected takes but you can certainly have them each read for some of the same roles when appropriate.

Determine how long to bring them in for

I avoid scheduling anyone for less than ten minutes. Logic will tell you that it takes no more than 2 minutes to record a couple of takes. But there are time-busters at every turn. There are procedural things that the engineer does to prepare for each actor. There is socializing between the director and the actor. There are bathroom and coffee breaks for everyone. Of course, there are phone calls, IMs and other interruptions. I would rather have a little extra time between auditions than a dozen actors waiting around for their turn to read. This puts unnecessary pressure on your staff as well as your actors. During a 15 minute audition, an actor should be able to read for about 5 characters.

Determine who should know what

There is basic information about the project that you will be expected to share with the actors when you place the call inviting them to audition. Be prepared to let them know whether or not the show is union, the pay rate, the number of episodes to be produced and when. Any additional facts should only be shared if you know your client is comfortable doing so. Some clients don’t even want their company or show name to be mentioned. Toy companies, in particular, are very protective of their properties(especially during development) and may even require non-disclosure agreements signed.

Make sure you are clear about how much information to reveal and make sure your staff knows the rules, too.  Sometimes it’s best to not share any sensitive information, especially if you know your client is nervous about leaks. People are chatty and information is valuable. Better to plead ignorance to your staff than lose a client.

Determine which roles the actor will be reading for

On your in-house schedule, specify what roles each actor will read for so your director knows exactly what the game plan is. Most actors want the opportunity to read for everything they could possibly book. While you are not paying the actors to audition, you certainly are paying for the room, your engineer, your director, any parking fees, etc. It will be up to your director to crack the whip and diplomatically say no to reading for extra parts. Remember, if you run behind schedule, some actors may have to leave for their next job without ever getting the chance to read.

And don’t leave a copy of the schedule anywhere the actors will see it. This can lead to unnecessary angst.

Next time, we will talk about what happens at the auditions.