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FINDING TALENT

For those who are doing narrative films/videos or even corporate pieces that need on-camera talent—it is easier (and cheaper) than you might think to find acting talent.

Several years ago, when I was getting ready to start shooting a short film and needed talent for a number of roles, a friend who had been a producer-director for a number of years remarked that
"actors are a dime a dozen." Now I'm certainly not denigrating the professional of acting—actors work incredibly hard—and acting roles are incredibly tough to get—so you have to be patient and resilient to have a any kind of acting career.

Yet, I have found, over the years, that what my friend said is quite true—actors are plentiful. More to the point, they will often work for FREE. Yes, you heard me. Often, I've found, actors (especially young ones just starting out) will simply work for the credit—so you name them in your piece and give them a copy of the DVD to use on their resumes and demo reels—and they're quite happy.

A really good website for posting your casting calls and finding actors is
MANDY.COM

Remember when you write up casting notices be sure to be as specific as possible in terms of physical descriptions.

Any way, good luck with casting your next project!

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