Casting for Romantic Chemistry

J

jghenderson

Well-known member
So I have a short film I want to make, and it's a romance.

I have not yet gone into romantic relationships with my shorts thus far, and I am worried about the process of casting the two leads. I completely understand casting for a regular role, and that doesn't scare me. But with a film like I have in mind, the chemistry between the two leads is of the utmost importance.

Does anyone have tips for how to approach this?

Should I cast one of the roles first, and then use them in the casting of the other role? Or do I approach it just like any other roles and just assume/hope they will have chemistry together?
 
I am heading towards the same territory with a short film next year...

I always figured I would start by casting the female role first ( as women seem to be more picky about who they are making out with on camera ), and then have the female lead be present when casting the male lead, so she could provide some of her own feedback. ( I want her to be comfortable getting up close and personal with her male lead, and most male actors seem to have less issues with this sort of stuff )

I shot an Indie short last Spring ( I was camera/DP ), and the final shot had the two leads making out on this bridge overlooking the bay. Well when it came time for the two leads to start getting "hot 'n' heavy", the female lead refused to kiss with her mouth open, so the footage looked absolutely ridiculous. I was not involved with the casting in any way, but somebody really goofed in putting the two leads together. Both leads were quite experienced, and had done a fair bit of TV and film work.
 
That's what I am afraid of as well. I worked on a big feature last year (was just a PA) and one of the main actors and the actress playing his love interest didn't really get along very well, and the connection just wasn't really there. Thankfully for that film, it had enough action and violence that it didn't matter nearly as much as it will to my short.
 
It is possible to shortlist e.g. three men and three women, then ask each woman to do an audition scene with each man and vice versa. But this can be incredibly tedious and demanding on everyone - e.g. three men and three women would require nine auditions. To make things fair, everyone would probably need to treat the whole thing as a day-long acting workshop, first getting to know each other (both in character and as real people) then workshopping scenes together in various combinations. Some actors would think this was a great idea, others would think it appalling.

in practice, most films tend to just audition both parts simultaneously, by dumb luck find someone who seems perfect, then try to find someone else with great chemistry for that first actor, but starting the whole process over again if necessary. Sadly, it doesn't always work, but then the same could be said for all casting decisions...
 
I always go with really strange castings, so take this for what it's worth--

Your actors should all have read the script and know exactly what is expected from them. If the script says "open mouth kissing" and the actress is not ok with this, the discussion should have come up long before it's time to shoot.

Next, if YOU feel awkward about having two people kiss, your talent will feed on that. If they trust you, they'll be comfortable with giving anything a try. I would say that having the female lead actually help you pick the guy she will be kissing, would be counter intuitive. This implies in some way that she is choosing the guy she thinks she'd enjoy kissing on a personal level. Professional actors should be able to get past this sort of thing. It's not up to them-- they either take the role or they don't. Blocking the subtle details of a 'makeout scene' should be dealt with in the exact same way as any other scene.

However, chemistry is a different question. I do believe that "chemistry" exists, both in the Mystical sort of way and in the Hard Science sort of way. I do have doubts though, about how much real chemistry can actually be captured on film. I think for the most part it is created. And if real chemistry is indeed taking place between your two leads (i.e. they are genuinely attracted to each other), you have a bigger problem on your hands, which is trying to keep the passion going for as long as you're shooting.

If your leads simply don't seem to be liking each other and none of their physical intimacy seems romantic (or whatever you're aiming for), try taking each one aside and asking, "What's holding you back right now?" Suggest that they try the next take not so much focused on the scene, but looking deeply into the others' eyes. Extended eye contact plus slow deep breathing can cause any two people to feel connection, even if it's not fully romantic or sexual. It's that comfort/connection that you can build upon by being incredibly specific about the blocking of whatever physical thing is happening.

So if you want to actors to make out, don't just say "make out and we'll film it." If everybody seems uncomfortable with it, be incredibly specific about exactly what each person is doing (e.g. "put your left hand on her neck here" "bite his lower lip at this moment"). Often the elephant in the room is each actor wondering about the other, "Are they actually enjoying this?" If all the blocking is plotted out beforehand, nobody needs to wonder if that 'roaming hand' is part of the film, or the actor himself just trying to cop a feel.
 
I recently rented the DVD of "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen", a film much less ponderous than its name, and one I quite enjoyed. I was repeatedly struck by what I felt was particularly wonderful on-screen chemistry between the two (romantic) leads: Ewan MacGregor and Emily Blunt. They just seemed like genuine lovers in the best sense - like soul mates or something - even in the most ordinary of scenes (and there was no sex or nudity). Having enjoyed the film in many other ways as well, I decided to peruse the special features, and sure enough, in one of the BTS segments, both actors and the director (Lasse Haalstrom) commented specifically on that chemistry. Confirming for me that A: when it's there, and strong, it's easily visible on screen, and B: it's a marvelous thing to behold.

How to cast for it? Very tough I think, as a specific goal. The outcome may not be known until much later, as the actors get to know each other and spend time in close physical contact. But I'd say look for it in co-auditions (both leads at once). If it's strong either way, pro or con, it should be perceivable if you have a good sense of empathy. Which you better, if you want to be a successful director, and even more so for a casting director.

A lack of romantic chemistry can be really undermining to the film, or merely a bit of dramatic signal to noise ratio that can be (at least mostly) overcome, as it was (IMHO) in the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz film "Knight And Day".
 
Good point re chemistry - what you actually want is screen chemistry, which isn't always the same as acting chemistry. Sometimes the camera loves two people together, sometimes it doesn't. :(
 
Well, what I was referring to is *actual* chemistry, between two people. Who in this case, happen to be actors, so it's 'visible on screen'. And greatly enhanced by the fact that the actors are playing lovers, friends, or family. But it's really just...real...

Personally, I don't think 'the camera' 'loves two people together' in the same way. There's no doubt that certain people look amazingly much better on camera than in person (and vice-versa) but I don't think that works beyond the individual. People that look like they genuinely feel something for each other usually do, at least to a significant extent.

But that's just my $.02
 
It's certainly not easy, but at the end of the day I think you just need to go with the best actors you can find for each individual role - everything they need to do in the film is clearly laid out in the script, and if there are particularly intimate romantic moments within that script, checking that both actors are comfortable with them is very important before final casting.

I've had to come at this from both sides of the camera before (in fact I'm acting in a romantic short this weekend, we're about to head off for a our final day's shooting in an hour) and finding that chemistry and comfort with each other - in order to make the romance believable - is primarily down to the actors themselves IMO.

And it needs to play out with the them off-screen, before the cameras ever start rolling. They should be talking to each other, getting to know each other without judgement, helping each other out, getting each other tea or coffee, having little hugs, the occasional neck massage - it's things like this that build up actors comfort and closeness with each other, and it's hugely important to bringing the appearance of closeness on-screen.

It just the job.

And it's part of the reason casting is SO important, you need to vet how capable the actors will be for all aspects of their character.
 
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