How to write a casting call that gets the right people

Start with the character, not a wish list

Describe who the character is and what happens to them: their situation, their energy, what the scene needs. Actors decide whether to apply from this, so a vivid two or three sentences beats a list of adjectives.

Only state a requirement the story actually needs. Every unnecessary detail narrows the field and puts off people who would have been right for it.

The details every casting call needs

• Role title and type (lead, supporting, featured, crew role).
• Playing age as a range, such as 25 to 35. It's how old the character looks on screen, not the actor's real age.
• Shoot or rehearsal dates, even if provisional, and how many days.
• Location, and whether the first round is a self-tape or in person.
• Pay: the rate, or that it's unpaid, plus what's covered (travel, food, footage for showreels).
• A deadline for applications.

Be upfront about anything sensitive

If the role involves nudity, intimacy, stunts, smoking or anything else people need to know before they apply, say so in the casting call. Saying it later wastes everyone's time and breaks trust. Say too how it will be handled, for example with an intimacy coordinator.

Make applying easy

• Say exactly what to send: a self-tape of the sides, a showreel, a headshot, or all three.
• If you want a self-tape, give the sides, how to slate and how to send it.
• Keep the conversation on Get Casted so applicants know who they're talking to.

Never ask applicants to pay

Asking for money to apply, audition or be cast isn't allowed on Get Casted, and it's the first thing actors are warned to look out for. Neither is a paid workshop that is really the audition.

Close the loop

When the role is cast, close the ad. Everyone who applied is told it has closed, which takes seconds and is remembered by the people who'll apply to your next production.