Nudity and casting

[roxics]

If you are auditioning actors how do you break it to them that there is nudity required/desired for a given part? Do you tell them upfront and how? Before they even get to the audition or at the audition? Do you let them read the whole script and get to that part themselves? I assume not.

When I shot my first feature we had a part that required a shower scene. But there was no nudity, just implied nudity and tricky camera angles. The actress playing the part was a friend of my producers, this was a shoestring budget feature so we weren't paying anyone and our actors where a mix of people we already knew and people we cast at an open audition. I don't know how he brought it up to her to begin with. Had it been actual nudity it would have been harder for us to find an actress willing to do that. Especially not paying anything. It certainly would not have been someone we knew at the time, so I'm not even sure how I would approach this going forward. Do I mention it in the casting call? If so how detailed do I get?

 

[Doc Bernard]

Be as honest as you can. Be up front in the casting notice. Trying to downplay it, then springing it on the talent could cause you to have shot a bunch of stuff, then have to scrap it because the talent walked out on you.

You will have to mollify fears that this is not a porn flick....and you will limit the crew on the actual set to the bare minimum. Nudity, can assist in a plot line, but if handled unprofessionally, can ruin a producer's and director's name. Your crew has to be completely professional. The slightest snicker or off-color remark....YOU are done in the biz.

 

[roxics]

That's all very good advice. So you would mention it in the casting notice then? How detailed would you get with that?

 

[FrameFarmMedia]

That's all very good advice. So you would mention it in the casting notice then? How detailed would you get with that?

If its something needed for script put it all up front. Do you want to spend time auditioning those who won't want to do nudity? If you are up front then it won't waste their time or yours.

If it is something that isn't essential for script I might put optional because you wouldn't want to limit the best actress just because they wouldn't do nudity. It comes down to how essential it is for your script. There are creative ways to give the illusion of nudity without showing peoples most intimate bits. Again it comes down to shots and script.

And I agree with what was posted above. Insure closed set and as minimal crew as possible. Keep robes and coverings handy for once the shot is done. Often having females on staff can ease some of the tension. Make it a supportive enviroment.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

If you are auditioning actors how do you break it to them that there is nudity required/desired for a given part? Do you tell them upfront and how? Before they even get to the audition or at the audition? Do you let them read the whole script and get to that part themselves? I assume not.

When I shot my first feature we had a part that required a shower scene. But there was no nudity, just implied nudity and tricky camera angles. The actress playing the part was a friend of my producers, this was a shoestring budget feature so we weren't paying anyone and our actors where a mix of people we already knew and people we cast at an open audition. I don't know how he brought it up to her to begin with. Had it been actual nudity it would have been harder for us to find an actress willing to do that. Especially not paying anything. It certainly would not have been someone we knew at the time, so I'm not even sure how I would approach this going forward. Do I mention it in the casting call? If so how detailed do I get?

I've not requested for 'nudity', however, I have had a short film script which had 'sexy lingerie' scenes. I never did produce the script, but I did talk to several actresses about casting them, and gave them the script, with a note that the lingerie scenes were in the script. The actresses involved did not object to the scenes, and would have signed up if I had continued the project.

One of my big problems is getting locations for free, or extremely cheap... so several scripts I've had, I've had to eventually put in the 'till someday' category, because of not being able to get a location that matched the script even 'remotely'...

There are SAG contract requirements on 'nudity' and you should probably read through those, and incorporate your procedure similarly if you are not using SAG talent.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

That's all very good advice. So you would mention it in the casting notice then? How detailed would you get with that?

You would also require those auditioning, or even submitting their photos/resumes for consideration be over the age of 18...as in 'must be'...
and perhaps a note that the script is targeted for 'R' or 'NC-17' rating. (Since you haven't made the film, nor gotten a rating... you can only state your goal at this point.)

I think that would be 'clue' enough for people to read your script, and then on an individual bases poll for 'are you ok with the nudity depicted having read the script'.

If you were getting talent via their agent, the agent would select talent they represent who do not object to nudity in their performances.