Casting

Member lesson

Writing a casting brief

Lesson 2 of 11 in Casting.

Lesson

A brief made of physical attributes produces a folder of people who match the attributes and none of whom are right. A brief that describes a character produces candidates you had not imagined, which is the point of asking somebody else.

On the left a row of near-identical people stand stiffly, and on the right people of different ages and builds with windswept hair, rosy cheeks and muddy boots stand smiling as a casting director leans toward them.
One casting line is full of look-alikes who match a list, and the other has varied people who all seem just back from a happy walk. Describe the character, not the measurements.
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  1. Question 1, locked

    Which of these words means this? “The document sent to agencies or a street caster. Decides what you will be shown.”

    • Callback
    • Day rate
    • Behind the camera
    • Casting brief
  2. Question 2, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Who this person is, written as a sentence. More useful than a list of attributes.”

    • Casting brief
    • Character
    • Option
    • Chemistry
  3. Question 3, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Something the job genuinely needs: a height for the garment, a skill, a language.”

    • Portfolio
    • Requirement
    • Exclusivity
    • Tokenism

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