After working for years in the entertainment business, Helen McCready and her success have led her to be an independent casting director. McCready started as a wrangler and actress on 21 Jump Street, then "dug my heels into it in 2000 working as an assistant..." and in 2004, branched out as an independent casting director. She has much valuable advice for new actors and filmmakers to impart and has an upcoming casting director workshop in Phoenix with Peter Pappas in March.
Helen notes, "there is no such thing as a 'casting agency.' It's a made-up slang. You have casting directors and extra casting services...that's it." The Casting Society of America website notes, "Casting Directors are Studio or Production Company employees and their job is to find and hire talent -- in a sense, human resource departments for actors..." A talent agent is one who finds work for talent (ie: actors, authors, musicians, models, athletes, etc.). While casting directors may use talent agents, actors do not hire casting directors.
McCready has the following guidelines for beginning filmmakers who may not be familiar with the duties of a casting director: "They [filmmaker] provide us with a breakdown and we find the talent they want," noting filmmakers, "...can also ask us to do the breakdown and we let them know how many extras, roles, etc. are in the film..." Since the producer or director has the final say on who actually gets cast, "...It's never the casting director's decision." Helen comments, "...the casting director will file all of the proper paperwork for SAG or AFTRA when needed. That's the basics."
From her Helen Wheels Productions, LLC website, Helen has advice for actors, "To be a successful actor you really have to have a passion for the craft and the patience to wait for the big break. Although being an actor is extremely rewarding, finding work can be a challenge. The profession requires great commitment and fortitude." The site also has her 10-step Tips On How To Become A Successful Actor, an informative and insightful read for actors.
When looking for actors, Helen jokes filmmakers should be looking for "talent and a brain." She has this anecdote, "Don't let talent bring in props to an audition...that can get scary. I had a talent bring in a gun that shoots 'blanks' -- I made him put it on my desk before he auditioned...what was he thinking? It was for a mafia role. Point a finger...much less scary to a Casting Director," she laughs, "...and if you are auditioning as a cop, don't hold your 'finger' gun like a gangster; look the role!"
For actors, "Take a moment before the scene begins and take a moment when it ends so we know you're done. And just talk...most actors don't get the role because they are overacting. My guess would be 80% of the actors out there could bring the way they 'act' down several notches. Keep it real."
Before hiring a casting director, one needs to have a finished script, preferably broken-down, and some kind of financing. "Please don't call or email me saying you have a wonderful script and just know you can get money if I attach a list name to your project....Hollywood doesn't work that way unless you personally know the talent you want. Call me when you have seed money or are financed."
With the substantial work she has done, Helen likes new media, too. "I love webisodes! I think it is such a cool way for the independent film maker to get their work out there and be seen...I'm hoping it helps them get distribution deals." She also notes, "I prefer film; you have a little more time to cast roles than you do on television and you don't have 30 network executives that have to approve your choices before decisions are made."
Besides her casting work, Helen also works to provide education and training. Coming in March, Helen is bringing Peter Pappas, casting director for Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, to Scottsdale, Arizona. "It's geared towards serious actors that would like to start networking the Hollywood casting directors," says McCready. Among the many features, actors will learn auditioning for co-starring roles, sides for guest starring roles, nailing co-star & guest star auditions (and the differences between them), how to stand out and book co-star roles, and the differences between those who book work and those who don't. "We still have a few slots available and we're always impressed with the professionalism here."
For more details on the casting director workshop (including details and payment information), visit Helen Wheels Productions, LLC. You can also visit Helen McCready's site for more information and get yourself added to the Helen Wheels Production database and watch the Agency Pro video.
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