Director's casting skills and standards

Director's casting skills and standards

If a person wants to become a film and television actor, what kind of appearance conditions must he have at least to be competent for the basic requirements of this industry-obviously, this is only the most basic concept of "photojournalism", and it does not include the special appearance required by some film and television roles. For a long time, the most important, direct and key factor for an actor in film and television drama to create a role is his or her external image. But besides the external image, there are many other factors that affect the director's casting. The following are the casting skills and standards I brought to you. Welcome to reading.

1. Artist Agency: How do directors choose actors?

First of all, professional assistant directors collect the information of actors according to the requirements of the characters in the play, that is, the so-called group photo and possible video materials, and then find a relatively suitable candidate according to this information. Here, it is generally based on the actor's Facebook and the character's Facebook. If there is video information, we will make a preliminary judgment according to whether the target actor is on camera or not and the performance level, and select the target candidate we want to see. Of course, the candidates mentioned here are basically outside the so-called first-line actors, because everyone in the first-line actors is.

Secondly, the assistant director finds the actor himself or his agent by phone and invites the actor to meet the crew at an appropriate time, which is often called "the actor meets the group". Just like college students who attend recruitment interviews, they usually have two jobs. First of all, it is technical and depends on their reaction and overall understanding of the performance. Sometimes, if necessary, with the consent of the actor himself, the audition is not necessarily an audition for the upcoming play, and sometimes it may also require the actor to appear at will. Another non-technical aspect is chatting and asking questions. The main purpose of doing this is to understand the actor's personality characteristics and personal charm in all aspects and see if he will win the audience's love and play the target role well.

Thirdly, during the interview, I sometimes take some tidbits with DV for reference when I make a final decision. This time is actually a key step for new actors. I want to remind you, don't just look at your family background or your major, this is a very important standard. More often, you will also look at your personality, whether you actively cooperate, whether you are modest, whether you understand industry rules and whether you are punctual. Many new actors are often defeated because they have left a bad impression on the crew at this time. After all, the director looks at you and will consider long-term cooperation with you in the future. If you feel uncomfortable in basic life, you can't do it.

Finally, it is also a key link for the production department to talk with actors or brokers about the pay price and work arrangement. For newcomers, after all, the competition is fierce and the price will not be as ideal as they hope. This is the universal law of the so-called market economy. In fact, I want to remind some brokers that it is normal for your actor to have a good role and a good price, but you should also make a correct judgment instead of treating him as a "cash cow"

Only after these steps can we decide whether to use an actor. Actually, it's not hard to say it. Take it seriously and be a good person. If it is difficult, it is also difficult. After all, this is not an absolutely objective judgment. It's up to people. He must have psychological factors.

Second, what does the actor director do specifically? How do actors and directors choose actors?

The casting director, also known as the deputy director of actors, specializes in selecting actors for film and television dramas to cooperate with the director's creation. From the leading role to the supporting role, from the invited actors to the extras, it is the work of the actors and directors of the crew. Different crews have different personnel settings. Some crews have two actors and deputy directors, while others have one and one or two assistants, each with a division of labor.

Not everyone can be an actor and a director. To find a suitable actor, we must first read the script carefully, understand the role requirements of the producer and director, select the alternate actors, and then choose the actors according to the actual situation of the producer and crew.

Generally speaking, the crew selects actors, first prepares for a period of time and collects photos of actors; Then, according to the script role requirements, look at the photos and choose alternate actors; Then meet the actors, and some crews need auditions; Finally, according to the artistic achievement, price and development direction of the actors, the final candidate is selected from the suitable actors. This is basically consistent with the process of "how directors choose actors" shared by the above-mentioned artist agency.

Actors and directors have been in this industry for many years, so naturally they have a lot of actor resources at hand. They naturally know the artistic development track of these actors, so they can recommend them to producers and directors at the right time. It is not difficult to be an actor and director who can find people, as long as there are many phone numbers and mobile phone numbers; But it's not that you call a celebrity artist and people will buy your account. Not everyone with an actor's phone number can be an actor director.

It is difficult to be a skilled actor and director. It needs vision to find the plasticity of an actor from a large number of photos of various shapes and put it in the right position. For example, when Pan Hong starred in the movie Crazy Stock Market, everyone was surprised. In people's minds, Pan Hong has always been a tragic actor, such as Laughter of the Distressed, Du Shiniang, Middle-aged Man and The Last Queen. In the end, Pan Hong won the Golden Rooster Award and Hundred Flowers Award for starring in the movie Crazy Stock Market, which shows the casting director's vision.

For actors and directors, the producers may have distribution requirements, the selected actors will sell well, and the crew may have financial restrictions, so as not to exceed the budget, but also to make the films sell well and save costs. ; Therefore, actors should be knowledgeable, and the first, second and third lines should be reasonably matched with new and old artists.

At present, more crew members are living in poverty. The pressure of box office, film sales and ratings forced them to reduce their production costs, and the expenses of big-headed actors naturally bore the brunt. Therefore, in large-scale movies or TV series, there is an urgent need for an actor and director who knows how to do things.

For producers, crews and directors, the ideal actor director is someone who can get the actor's budget, understand the actor's market and audience's needs, rationally use stars, celebrities, old artists and newcomers, win all contracts through negotiation, negotiate a considerable cast, hand over the budget expenditure table to the producer, and finally save money for the crew. Being such an actor and director is also a "front line" among them.

3. What's the difference between choosing a movie actor and a stage actor?

The idea of a movie can only be turned into something concrete through the actor's performance. Just as environmental factors (sound, time, image) are designed, actors who are active in that environment and have an impact on it can also be designed. Actor "design" mainly includes selecting actors (assigning roles), designing actions and intonation, so as to coordinate with the ideological style of the film. Whether an actor is full of personality can affect the overall nature of a movie.

Choosing a movie actor is different from choosing a stage actor. In a stage play, it is easier for an actor to adapt to his role than in a movie. In fact, turning yourself into another person's talent is the minimum requirement for a stage actor. For example, a talented 30-year-old actress can play a 70-year-old lady on the stage. This is because there is a great distance between the stage actors and the audience in aesthetics and the actual situation, and there is a great space for characterization and adaptation. Therefore, when selecting stage actors, the factor of drama talent (sound and shape training and drama intelligence) is more related than the similarity between physiology and psychology. Since the purpose of getting on the stage is to arouse the communication between the actors and the audience, it can be done without costumes, scenery and makeup, so the talent to achieve this goal is very important.

However, in movies, this process is generally the other way around. The character in the play should adapt to the actor who plays him. The relationship between the audience and the film actors is so close that there is no room for fantasy. Here, a 30-year-old actress, no matter how talented, can only successfully play a 70-year-old lady in extremely rare circumstances, and only occasionally.

Fourth, talk about the relationship between directors and actors, and the criteria for casting directors.

Because the actor is the most direct communicator of the director's thinking, the director must understand the actor and understand the relationship between himself and the actor. There is an apt metaphor for this, that is, the relationship between psychotherapists and patients. I don't speak from the sense of "repentance" relationship, but from the perspective of creation.

When cooperation is tacit, therapists and patients can work together to create a channel to a "new" person who has more mobility and existence in this world. In this sense, excellent directors and actors also create a channel leading to a new person-the role in the film (that is, performance). That character will establish a narrative and establish another relationship-the relationship with the audience. These creative and fascinating relationships are exactly what the audience wants. Only in this way can a good actor earn a good salary. By the same token, directors who can't give full play to the potential of actors naturally get less pay. I would also like to add that actors are in the front line of film production, and they personally have to take the greatest risks. Their courage deserves the respect and, I dare say, the love of the audience. They are important partners in creating films and implementing the director's ideas.

Many directors think: "Choose the right role, and your work as a director is half done." This declaration is at most half right. In this era of popular star-making plans, economic factors often affect casting as much as the director's vision. The rise of powerful brokers and casting directors has pushed the original wavering balance to the end of casting for "money" rather than creation. The following discussion is only about casting for the sake of creation (allow me to say that in order to maintain the director's vision of the characters in the film, we should fight to the end).

Casting is the first expression of the director's thinking before shooting, which explains why the director must form a clear director's thinking in the pre-production stage, and at this stage, the director's thinking should be based on script interpretation. The casting process emphasizes the actor's appearance. But whether the actor's appearance conforms to the director's vision of the role is not as important as the actor's characteristics in appearance and behavior. I suggest that when the director meets the actor for the first time and then tries to read the script, the director should make a list of selection criteria to evaluate the actor, such as:

1. Professionalization

2. The tension that the actor brings to this situation.

Step 3 be energetic

4. Charm

5. Sexy

Remember this point: the director should implement the same standard in the subsequent trial reading and the trial reading in which the actor cooperates with other actors.

Let's talk about professionalism first. By professional, I mean to be present on time and respond to the interview in a professional manner. Actors are hired to play roles, and directors hire actors. If the meeting does not help to achieve these two goals, it is the dereliction of duty of directors and actors.

The second criterion is the tension caused by actors. When personality, desire and opportunity are integrated, tension will appear. How much tension can an actor create? How do actors produce and transmit this tension? Tension can be converted into energy. As a director, I will be uneasy if the actors can't produce the necessary tension. If in some cases (such as audition), the tension caused by the actors exceeds my expectation, I will also worry. The key here is not only to expect the actors to have tension, but also to hope that tension will play a positive role in the actors.

The third criterion is energy. Good actors know that energy is the key, no matter what kind of movie. Happiness, sadness, anger, wit and charm all belong to the category of energy. Can actors produce energy fields? Or can they absorb the energy around them? Seeing this, readers may think that a director needs a degree in psychology if he wants to play a good role. Actually, you don't have to, but it will be helpful if you have intuition, know people and know what makes people human.

The fourth criterion is charm. This is a form of energy, but it contains something more special-faith, strong, persistent and practical faith. It seems that the actor wants the audience to share his or her beliefs. This belief is so strong that it is full of inspiration, strength and even charm. Charming actors have super attraction. Is your actor attractive?

Finally, sexy. Every excellent actor knows in his heart that his film performance is a temptation to some extent; In order to attract the audience, actors must be good at this. Does this particular actor have that kind of magnetism? Can actors attract you as a director?

This list helps the director to decide whether an actor meets his vision of the role. Usually actors don't look exactly like characters, but they may add another dimension to the characters.

The second stage of the casting step-the actor's trial reading-also needs to be screened by the above five points. Although there are other requirements in the trial reading itself, "crossing the line" has become a measure. How does the actor intend to interpret the characters? Does this interpretation conform to the director's intention or deviate from it? What is the difference? How is this interpretation formed? Did the actor consciously try to create a "breakthrough line"? Is it attractive? Is there energy? Do you have faith? Does the actor deliberately please or offend? These are all problems arising from role interpretation. No matter whether the role is smart or stupid, intentionally or unintentionally, the director must be able to see how the actors create interpretations and arouse their feelings for the role, so that the director will know that the actors have woven the bonds connecting the roles and the performance has begun to take root.

If the actor's interpretation is inconsistent with the director's point of view, the question becomes whether the actor's interpretation is interesting or not. If it can attract the director's attention, there is obviously something worth exploring. The actor may have the right age and appearance, but he screwed everything up in the trial reading. For the director, the trial reading actually reveals whether the actor and the characters have emotional resonance and whether the actor's interpretation can be innovative. Finally, every actor wants to win the role, so there is no lack of desire and energy in the audition. The director's job is to use the above five criteria to examine whether the actor's trial reading and character interpretation are fascinating.

The second level of acting test during the trial reading is to give a challenge and then try reading again. Some directors will specify an extreme situation-your mother has just died and you have just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer-and then ask the actors to read the scene again. This is done to test the flexibility of the actors.

Can the actors present richer connotations than the last trial reading? This test allows the director to judge the breadth of the actors. A good actor can give many interpretations-funny, sad and miserable. Such a challenge is a warm-up for role-building. The actor's elastic body may have a different understanding of the characters than the director's. How interesting this difference is, and how charming a person's breadth as an actor is!

The third stage of the casting process may or may not be a separate stage, that is, let the actor audition with another actor and another role. The same five criteria can be used to evaluate the test reading. Is there a "chemical reaction" between the characters? If so, what is the nature of this "chemical reaction"? Is it cooperation or competition between actors? Competition is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is often used endlessly. This trial reading and the subsequent trial reading with several actors can explain whether the actors can establish contact with the audience. Can an actor catch the attention of the audience? The synergy of energy, charm and sexiness is enough to make the audience-and the director-concentrate.

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