I'm 18...

I'm 16 and casting a movie consisting entirely of 17 year olds...probably not quite as big a difference as an 18 year old casting 35 year olds, but I suppose they have to listen to you - you're the one paying them aren't you.
 
directinglegend said:
If I casted 25 to 35 year olds... would they even take me seriously...
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If you have a serious idea, and are able to express that seriously... the surely the aged geriatrics you are targeting will take you seriously...

However, there is a cost... you 18 year old friends may not like you, or appriciate your more 'adult' and serious ways...

Just as an aside, I don't usually do this, but 'If I casted...' just sounds wrong to me,
'were I to cast', or 'If I cast...' sound better... but perhaps the weakness of the english subjunctive is so awash that 'casted' is ok.
 
if they don't take you seriously, then they would just turn down your offer. you should be able to spot this at the audition.

Just carry yourself seriously and believe in your project. How you see yourself is how others will see you. This applies to all areas of life. Know your role. You lead and people will follow.
 
If you act responsible and serious they should take you serious. Some people however will judge you right off but if they do take a chance on you and decide to go join your production just make sure you prove them wrong
 
In the 25-35 age range, a lot of people are coming to realize (a) that there are certain people in life with passion, vision, and the mix of ability & persistence, and that those qualities are what's needed to succeed, whatever the arena may be...

...and (b) in creative pursuits, the above qualities aren't neccesarily a factor of age.

One thing you have to become adept at in life (until your work speaks for itself) is selling others on your ideas, getting them on board, making the risk of their time (and often money) look like a good investment. It's as important as writing or lighting, y'know? In business that can be tough; in the arts it can be a little easier. People are impressed with passionate belief, especially with an absence of flakiness.

The age issues you have will make it tougher, but the things you LEARN in dealing with them will be skills you'll have from now on.

So, my .02: consider all of your casting interactions as important a learning process as writing scripts and rolling tape. Don't be afraid to seem enthused, passionate, and driven... it's expected of us "artist" types.
 
At 18 if you cast people older than yourself you take that risk, but if you cast people younger than yourself you get to deal with labor laws and minors -- so go for the lesser of two evils!
 
I'm 19 and have only cast people older than me.

Treat 'em with respect and they'll respond and take you seriously.
 
I agree with the consensus. I am 30. I'm not an actor, but would gladly work for someone who knows what they want and how to get it, acts professionally throughout the whole production and has enthusiasm. If you have those qualities they will respect you. You just have to make sure that it is clear that you are in charge and that things are under control (no matter whether or not they are) and you can handle anything that comes up. Go for it. Cast anyone who fits your characters. Be one of those filmmakers who starts at a young age making movies and goes on to success. Don't limit yourself.

Good luck,
Alex
 
Thanks for the amazing response guys..

(except for the one who insulted me for my horrible use of the english language) lol
 
Just as an aside, I don't usually do this, but 'If I casted...' just sounds wrong to me,
'were I to cast', or 'If I cast...' sound better... but perhaps the weakness of the english subjunctive is so awash that 'casted' is ok.
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It would seem we have a linguist in our midst ;) In my dialect of English I would probably go with "If I cast" as well.

As for the question..

If you take things seriously and can prove that you know what you're doing you will be taken seriously. Remember, directors work with actors older than themselves quite often (though being 30 and working with a 60 year old actor is a bit different I suppose).
 
Be a freakin´ professional. That will make they want to be too. Directing more experienced people is abolutely normal even with pro directors. Youg talent is always sought in that area. Don´t try to fool your actors into pretending to be something you´re not.

Except if they are stupid.
 
I agree with all of these replies. I am 25 and I just cast a 60 year old, 50 year old, and auditioned many people older than me. The key is to have something you believe in that is good. People of all ages want to get involved with that!
 
For the record I'm also 18 and in my upcoming feature (that I'm directing/producing) the lead role is played by a 35 year old and the second most important role is played by a 40 year old. Actually I think I might be the youngest person involved in the movie . Will the people respect me...haha we will find out
 
directinglegend said:
If I casted 25 to 35 year olds... would they even take me seriously...
Click to expand...

absolutely, if you're professional about it, and take your film with the utmost seriousness, they'll respect you. I am 21, and my co-director is 20. We've cast about 6 people over 35 for our upcoming film, and they've all treated us as they would any directors. It's about being professional and respectful to your actors. Feed them well, try to stick to 8 hour days, and don't call them in and shoot an hour later, have the crew call earlier than the cast call.
 
I too am 18, and have had experiences when I have worked with people much older. I found this to work: Stay passionate about your project, really get into it, and your passion will show and motivate the other, older, actors to follow you in order to help you achieve the best possible product. Like I've read many others say: be true to yourself and your goals and others will see how true you are to it all...they will follow their director.
 
Try being 14 and looking to cast adults.

The only adults I've had in any of my shorts have been neighbors or parents with no acting ability.

Any advice for that?

I know I should be as professional as possible, but it's hard when you don't have money to pay people.

I don't even think it's possible for somebody of my age to hold an audition. In the short I am planning for right now I need a 40-50 year old woman and I have no idea how to find one with acting talent. Any advice?
 
Know what you want! If you have it nailed and can convey what you want from each actor then you will gain there respect. Being serious and polite is a must but dont lose you sense of humor. People like to have fun even in a serious situation. Be to the point and know what you need in each and every shot and convey that . The other secret is to feed people, people are much better to deal with when they have some goodies.
 
Just finished principle photography on a film, and we had about 15 actors in it. Over half were over the age of 30. Our lead, who has been acting for over 20+ years told me and my co-director that the set was as professional and well-run a set he's ever been on. He was quite impressed.
 
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