what does a casting director do?

Here’s a practical lists of day to day tasks for a casting director and their casting team:

  • break down script and pulling from project materials to draft character breakdowns

  • collaborate with writer, director and producers to edit and finalize character breakdowns

  • distribute character breakdowns to agencies and management companies

  • discussing ideas and pitches with agents and managers

  • going through thousands of submissions for every role

  • selecting and setting up actors to audition via self tape, zoom, or in person

  • watching all self tapes and auditions

  • choosing actors for callbacks

  • reading with and adjusting actors during pre-reads with casting

  • scheduling and running callbacks, producer sessions, chemistry reads

  • running lists of name actors for offer ideas and checking availability

  • negotiating offers with actors and their agents and managers on behalf of production

  • Developing extensive international connections and building an international network of agents and managers

  • doing outreach to relevant organizations or communities for roles requiring specific skills or traits

  • deal memos

  • clearing actors with SAG

  • cast and master lists

But the real work is taste.