Where to find Actors?

[Questionman17]

Hey guys, I need some actors. My high school has the drama club and they are pretty good, but how do I go about asking people to make a movie for free. They'll be like, "What is it for?" And I'll be like, "Uh, for fun I guess. And to send out to festivals." So, I don't know what to do. Where else can I go besides my high school? Should I use flyers or call them or what? Can you please help me out on this? I need good actors.

[thisiswells]

Find a Casting Director to negotiate free contracts with HS-aged actors.
Also, you could try Clayton Miller's site: www.faithfilm.com

[Questionman17]

The faithfilm.org didn't work. And are casting directors free? I am on a very low budget and can't spend money on stuff like that. any ideas?

[thisiswells]

Umm, delegate. Find someone in your HS with influence and ask them to help you out. . .
Are you directing this movie? Filmmaking on any level ought best be a collaborate art form.

Get your friends involved, offer them crew positions, find books that explain to them how to
fulfill their crew position, and make a movie together. Going in all directions by yourself is futile.

[thisiswells]

A casting director could be a friend or sibling who walks around the mall one day and looks for people that "fit" the part. Then, they work with you to set up auditions. They're a partner in the filmmaking process.

[Moonwind]

Get in touch with your state film commission. They often have on-line contacts for finding actors, equipment, etc.

[Jim Brennan]

Where in Pennsylvania are you? Most major metropolitan areas have acting groups. If you have a decent script you can often get actors to be a part of your project. And actors usually know other actors. If you find one or two, they will often lead you to more. Just don't promise more than you can deliver. Offer them a copy of the finished film for their reel, and feed them.

[Questionman17]

So if I get my one friend to go around the mall to look for actors, how can you find an "actor?" I mean, you don't know if that person is good, and then auditioning them would just be a waste of their time and the director's (me). Also, how would you approach someone to ask them in the mall? "Hey, I are you an actor? I was looking at you and you would be the perfect part for a movie that I am shooting. Do you want to volunteer to act for my movie?" How should I say it?

[Rosestar]

I think that approaching folks in the mall will take a person with a strong, confident personality and may not be the approach for a lot of folks. Try to find people that have expressed an interest in acting.

If I were you I would take your county and all bordering counties and contact the drama teachers at every HS, college, university or other school in those counties and tell them of your movie and that you need actors. I would then contact every community theatre in your area and let them know of your needs.

You should make up a flyer with a big heading, "Casting Call, Actors needed". Give a short synopsis of your movie and list the actors needed by gender and age. Post this flyer at schools, libraries, coffee, houses, theatres or any other place that cool people hang out. See if your local news paper will post community service messages and try to get them to put out your flyer as a listing. Check with the local cable TV company and see if they will post your flyer on there automated community bulletin boards. Contact local radio stations and see if they can publize your casting call. Put your contact info on the flyer and when people call you, have them come in and audition for you. For the auditions, I would find a cool place to work, and set three dates (at least) to bring the people in and auditon them. Make sure that you have enough photocopied scenes for each character (called sides). Video the auditons and take digital photos of the actors (they love that, and it is great for your actor database).

If you think that it is frustrating to be a filmmaker and need actors, think about what it is to be an actor and need filmmakers... always having to look for a gig. What do actors want? They want to be involved with a filmmaker that has an exciting story. That is what you are selling, your story. Your enthusiasm for the story will win over people that you never thought would participate. Sell your story, and then ask the actors to participate in telling the story. Like the post above says, give them a good quality copy of the project when you are done and feed them.

[sojrn]

With an all-out cattle call of mostly people with litte or no acting experience, be ready to search through a lot of hay stacks before you find those precious few needles.