You Should Have a Casting Director in Your Corner, and Here’s Why
A film without a cast is, miraculously, still a film (non-voice work animation, experimental efforts, etc.). However, a cast—even if it’s just one or two actors—has undoubtedly become an integral part of a film, and for good reason. Films offer a variety of adventures that can be both so relatable and not so relatable. It’s the faces on the screen who the audience attaches themselves to, whether it’s to deliver a humane message or thrilling escapism, these faces help bring the audience to the film’s home stretch. Hence, who these actors are is of much importance, and who better to assist a filmmaker’s decision-process than a casting director.
On January 28, Film Independent Education held the annual panel and networking event spotlighting some of the top casting directors working in independent film today. The event marked Film Independent’s first of 2025, and was hosted at the company headquarters. It was moderated by Sunday Boling Kennedy (Martha, Hello My Name Is Doris), and the panelists included Nicole Arbusto (Winner of the Robert Altman Award for His Three Daughters), Richard Hicks (Together Together, Hell or High Water), and Julia Kim (Minari, Spa Night). Attendees got to learn about the impact a casting director has on a project and how to connect professionally, along with the chance to network after the panel while enjoying a pleasant reception. For all the independent filmmakers who missed it, here’s the recap.
On why you should pursue a casting director in the first place, our panelists shared several benefits that can come from the partnership. For one, they help build creative and administrative relationships. Creatively, they introduce you to actors. An actor may not get a part for whatever reason, but they can still leave an impression on you—or anyone else for that matter—for future projects. In the same vein, administrative relationships are formed between you and the actor’s team, and by extension other industry people. Hence, casting directors act as catalysts to varying degrees when it comes to connections. Then, of course, there’s the main benefit of expediting the casting process. A seasoned or promising casting director understands the importance of getting the right cast together, and aims to audition actors that best fit your vision; they help move your project forward out of pre-production. Also, “a casting director adds validity to your project,” as Julia Kim puts it. More on that later.
“Give me one thing to fall in love with, because it’s most likely not the money.” – Richard Hicks
When it comes to getting in touch, our panelists agreed that email is the preferred mode of communication—along with a complete report. Research on casting directors and their work is highly encouraged as preliminary work, as there are many to look into. It’s about finding those who’ve worked on projects that best align with your project. It also just looks good on the filmmaker to be familiar with the casting director’s work. A complete report involves several details surrounding the project, all in an effort to increase the likelihood of a response: estimated budget, shoot dates, producer(s) and crew, and a captivating logline. Budget raises the Catch-22 that challenges many indie filmmakers: no money without talent and no talent without money. Indie filmmakers are truly put to the test, but it doesn’t have to be a hopeless dead end! Our panelists recommend carefully considering how your film stands out, or rather—in the eyes of producers and investors—what makes it worth investing in, which also goes for the report to the casting director. What will make them want to read your script? That is, the best version of it. As Richard Hicks puts it, “Give me one thing to fall in love with,” jokingly adding, “because it’s most likely not the money.”
They also recommend going through all your existing connections, the direct ones as well as the indirect ones that require extra effort. Nicole Arbusto cautions, “There’s no use in not involving representatives and agents,” because it could be that a represented actor wants to be involved, but their team has undisclosed commitments or reasons that may curb the actor’s involvement—a blow to the gut that could’ve been avoided. Also, because it bears repeating, maintain persistence. As mentioned earlier, having a casting director on board further adds legitimacy to your project. In the eyes of investors, they’re a respectable collaborator that shows pre-production on your project is in-progress. Circling back to the report to the casting director, an attached producer goes a long way as casting directors are not producers, unless stated otherwise.
“Casting is always a leap of faith.” – Nicole Arbusto
Obviously, you should already have ideas about your cast. This is where a lookbook should be considered, serving as a tool for the casting director to work with. From the perspective of independent filmmaking, it should primarily include lesser known or up-in-coming names, and “not just pasting people who are famous,” pro tip from Julia Kim. When it comes to first time directors in auditions and table reads, our panelists stressed the importance of effective communication with the actors. Take the time to learn about the actor as a person, and their skills that could come into play with the character. If you feel like most of the actors are not making a part of your script sing, consider that maybe that part of your script just isn’t working as you thought it did. Furthermore, it’s important to keep in mind that casting is like a domino effect. Each casting holds influence over the next one, so there should be special consideration about which characters to prioritize. All in all, as Nicole Arbusto perfectly expressed it, “casting is always a leap of faith.”
This event was free for Members. Learn more and join today to make sure you have access to future Members-only events. A special thanks to all the panelists for sharing their professional advice, and to everyone who attended.
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Header: Casting Director Nicole Arbusto with the cast and crew of His Three Daughters at the 2025 Spirit Awards afterparty.