Casting for topless role?

I can't say I've ever done a production with that as a need, but if I were, the key word would be "professionalism". Like you've said, they know the roll is topless. They know they have to act to. Roll right from one to the next as if there was no difference in your mind, because there can't be. I like the point from Frisco on returning them the polaroids (if they need to be taken in the first place, I would imagine a simple note on their audition sheet would suffice) And to avoid negative reactions (like a gag reflex to a less-than-perfect physique) have a signal prepared that anyone in the audition has to give before they remove clothing. If you can tell from outside the shirt that you won't like what's under, don't put them through that. Lots of great advice, just figured I'd toss in my two Lincolns.
 
if this is not too late of a reply....

frisco nailed it...and i would add to something another person mentioned, have a female casting assistant.

the last time i helped find topless talent, we had a female take them in to another room and take a quick snapshot when no one else was in the room. we did ask some of them back and told them they would have to take their tops off in front of everyone in the 2nd go round of casting. we wanted to make sure they would not freeze up when there were more people in the room.

plus...some who sent video auditions, we allowed to have a friend or boyfriend take a snap shot and snail mail it to us to avoid it being on the web.
 
Minor quibble - I think Ripley's semi-nudity is about exposing the vulnerability of being human. A mostly-naked man facing a super-horrible alien predator inside a tiny little spaceship wouldn't be in any better a position, than Ripley was.

/end threadjack

In my experience, on-set nudity is generally handled by placing emphasis upon trust, privacy, and everyone being at least minimally mature about it. On some shows I have seen actors pass up the robes and walk around stage in the altogether between takes (well, one show, and the particular actor was showing off how buffed he'd gotten). On others, I have seen the director and DP strip down themselves, with the goal of making the actors feel more natural and comfortable (something I sincerely hope to never see, again).

Anyway, I imagine that you might handle your audition-nudity in much the same way.

Or perhaps even offer your auditionees the option of bringing in photographs of their busts, to begin with, since ultimately it's how the breasts will appear in two dimensions on a screen that counts, more than how they appear in front of you at first-hand. That way they control whatever media contains images of them bare, at least, until you get into you later narrowing-down process.


edit: I posted that before reading what Michelle had posted. Yeah, what she said.
 
Having it wind up on the web seems to me a very tricky piece of business. Scanners are commonplace, so hard copies of topless pics are no insurance against it. What I'd be concerned about as a producer/director under the circumstances liability-wise is the one loose cannon in the bunch who, unbeknownst to all, puts the images on the web in a basically untraceable manner, using a free email account. The existence of that could place the producers in legal jeopardy regardless of how it was accomplished.

I'd be tempted as producer to be the only person with access to such images. Unfinished feature films all too often "escape" onto the 'net through various means (usually reviewers' and composers' copies), as do unfinished pop songs from recording studios.

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be too paranoid about it...

Like I said...tricky piece of business...
 
Tips for when shooting the nude scene.

- Minimum crew
- Have nude/semi nude talent male or female strip down to a loose robe for at least an hour before shooting. This assures no lines created from undies, bra , socks and such.
- Also there are make-artists that do body make-up also.

frisco
 
Sad Max said:
On others, I have seen the director and DP strip down themselves, with the goal of making the actors feel more natural and comfortable (something I sincerely hope to never see, again).

edit: I posted that before reading what Michelle had posted. Yeah, what she said.
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omg Sad Max you just made me picture a few directors and DP's naked that I never wanted to imagine naked...lol and thank you for that...ha ha ha not! omg i have done nudity (back when i was young and nothing had dropped) and we were supposed to have a closed set and the director kept saying it was...until I pointed to the large group of extras who had gathered just out of his eye line! not to mention my own brother in law who was a gaffer...i found out he was hiding behind the set with a group of techs. no matter what some folks are going to peek!

Ted Spencer said:
What I'd be concerned about as a producer/director under the circumstances liability-wise is the one loose cannon in the bunch who, unbeknownst to all, puts the images on the web in a basically untraceable manner, using a free email account. The existence of that could place the producers in legal jeopardy regardless of how it was accomplished.
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Ted...great points. I had not thought about how easy that would be when I made my post. I am so glad you added that in to the mix.

Michele
 
Capt Quirk said:
That is funny, because I was thinking about a few celebs who wouldn't do nudity in their younger days, but now that they have aged a bit, they are willing to show the (former) goods.
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see, that is funny to me. all i could think is "well, at least there will be record of when my ta ta's still looked good! and then they put me up front and my ta tas could be seen and not my head so it could have been a body double. so how do i prove they used to look good...dag nab it!

only way i am doing nudity again is in context of showing an old broad does not always look like the old lady in 'something about mary" ha ha ha. mine may have dropped but it did not turn to leather!
 
"Wow that was a great read, you take direction really well... we need you to take your top off now so that we are sure you don't have some sort of breast deformity..."

Hahahahahahahahahhahahah.
I busted out laughing in class when I read this.

I'll be dealing with nudity on set as well.
Appreciate all of the interesting pointers.
How about in actual production, how should this be handled?
 
frisco said:
I've done it before... Really no big deal.... Boobs are Boobs..... That's how you have to carry yourself... If your a nervous Nelly.... It shows and the vibe will be as such.

- I wouldn't roll video
- Shoot Polaroid's in the money poses for the scene (if you can't tell from that... you can't tell)
- Make sure talent see the Polaroid's and how many there are. Number them 1of7.... 2of7 ect.
- Put the boob casting pics in a separate envelope for each actress. This shows your pro and you care about the security of there pics.
- If your a male...... Make sure you are never alone with an unknown naked female.
- Keep the wise cracks to yourself. Just like joking with a TSA agent.
- Contact and arrange to have all Polaroid's returned. They have to pick up in person and sign for them.

If you do any less than that... Your an Amateur and you leave yourself open for unnecessary problems.

frisco
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I think for a long while I'd be way too nervous to have anything like that in my projects, but thanks for that post because it's very useful for how one would go about it professionally. Great post.

I'm not at the mature stage for a director yet with actors, I can tell that much about myself, because I'm not very comfortable asking actors to do things that I need them to be able to do for the role. I am sure I will get better, but I'm not totally over how weird acting is, i.e. what these people are willing to do for a role and how amazing their jobs are. I had a scene where I needed this guy and girl to be really friendly with one another, like they were just about to go out on a date, she was comfortable with him, him with her, we avoided having a kissing scene, but even just that was hard because to be honest the guy actor was borderline horrible. It was a student production, we had ONE WEEK of pre-production to come up with our idea, write the script, secure locations, and cast. As you can imagine when you're in school for 9-12 hours per day, that doesn't leave you much time to sleep, go to school, AND plan your film. So I more or less chose the only guy I could find on such short notice. What was interesting is he was stiff as a board at the start, and she was not very comfortable with the scene either, but we were just joking around, laughing about it a bit, and my producer suggested a few shots of Johnny Walker first. After about 2-3 shots, I'll be damned if that guy didn't give a pretty natural performance! It was a miracle.

But asking two actors to kiss, who haven't met before that day often times with small shoots, it's very awkward for me. I just feel nervous and guilty and bad about asking for that, even though there is going to come a shoot where I must have them do that. There will be no way around it and if I can't get that as a director out of my actors, I'm a horrible director. But I'm just still getting used to the idea that I'm the one who is freaked out about it, not my actors, haha. I talked to an actress about that and she says it doesn't bother her, it's part of the job, it's no big deal all things considered. But seeing an attractive actress's boobs, uhh, I'd find it hard not to be phased by that. Maybe if I saw more boobs in my personal life... haha, j/k. ;)
 
JonathanLB said:
But asking two actors to kiss, who haven't met before that day often times with small shoots, it's very awkward for me. I just feel nervous and guilty and bad about asking for that, even though there is going to come a shoot where I must have them do that. There will be no way around it and if I can't get that as a director out of my actors, I'm a horrible director. But I'm just still getting used to the idea that I'm the one who is freaked out about it, not my actors, haha. I talked to an actress about that and she says it doesn't bother her, it's part of the job, it's no big deal all things considered. But seeing an attractive actress's boobs, uhh, I'd find it hard not to be phased by that. Maybe if I saw more boobs in my personal life... haha, j/k. ;)
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I guess I'm just weird then. I've never had a problem with asking anybody to kiss. that's a no big deal for me. I've had lots of people kiss, even kiss on the neck, chest and stomach. I've never done a nude scene and I doubt I'll be doing a female version anytime soon. I never feel that "true" nudity adds anything to the piece - it usually takes away from the scene. I feel the same way about about $ex scenes. I'd alude to them, build up - but I don't see myself doing a "real one" anytime soon.
 
The only time a sex/nudity contributes to the film, is if that deals directly to the theme of the film. I am shooting a short that has a makeout scene but it's important because you never see the girl kiss her boyfriend (he's pushing her away) yet she making out with her boyfriends best friend best friend. Some people watching the film may blame the boyfriend some may blame the girl...
 
nudity may sometimes be required for a film as sometimes is sex scenes, however "the boob shot" never adds to a film, never adds to the story, it just adds to the number of horny guys 12 to 25 who want to pay their 10 bucks to see it. there are beautiful ways to shoot nudity and sex without the actress being nude, and without showing there chest. try it, the only reason any film in the history of man has shows a "boob shot", except the instructional videos for the mamogram machines, is to exploit the actress to get horny viewers.
 
Jason Miller said:
nudity may sometimes be required for a film as sometimes is sex scenes, however "the boob shot" never adds to a film, never adds to the story, it just adds to the number of horny guys 12 to 25 who want to pay their 10 bucks to see it.
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Are you discriminating against those of us that are well past the "12 to 25" age range?
 
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