The Casting Process: How To Create A Great Ensemble Cast For Your Film
Webinar hosted by: Jordan Bass
Casting Director at Bass/Casting
Jordan has always loved the arts and the entertainment industry. Initially, Jordan began his career as a performer in musical theatre, having the great fortune to work at such regional theatres as Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, and Musical Theatre West as well as shows Off-Broadway and on tour.Following a two-year National tour and Broadway run with Cathy Rigby's 'Peter Pan', Jordan landed in Los Angeles, hoping to find a second passion - which he easily did in the world of casting - cutting his teeth as an assistant/associate on such projects as the Motley Crue biopic The Dirt, the graphic novel inspired film Trailer Park Of Terror, and Boogeyman 2. Shortly thereafter, the partnership that is bass/casting was born. bass/casting, a bi-coastal casting company, opened its doors in 2006. Together the brother-sister team of Lauren & Jordan have worked on many film and television projects. Recent theatrical films include the New Line thriller Annabelle, Lionsgate's Summer Camp, Chris Sparling's The Atticus Institute, and Friedberg & Seltzer's hilarious send-up of the Fast & Furious franchise Superfast. Upcoming releases include HBO's new Project Greenlight feature The Leisure Class, Blumhouse's Martyrs, directed by The Goetz Bros, Sean Nalaboff's Hard Sell and Ryan Schwartz's Still Life. Currently, Bass/Casting is working on three indie films: Cut To The Chase - a gritty noir thriller, House Cat - a glimpse into the developing mind of a young sociopath, and Gringos - a social commentary within a genre setting. Past features include Eli Roth's The Last Exorcism, Joel Schumacher's Twelve, Charles Shyer's Eloise In Paris, the US Casting for James Cameron's Sanctum. Television credits include the Starz drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Nickelodeon's Dance On Sunset and Big Time Rush, DirectTV's Suit Up, HDNet's Svetlana, as well as Vin Diesel's The Ropes for Netflix/Crackle and Vuguru's The Temp Agency. Other credits include the Slamdance favorite Weather Girl, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, 6 Month Rule, Best Night Ever and Audrey. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn directly from Jordan Bass, Casting Director and partner in bass/casting, a bicoastal casting company with feature film and television credits including New Line Cinema's Annabelle, Starz' Spartacus pilot, Lionsgate's The Last Exorcism, and HBO's newest Project Greenlight among others!
For many independent films, the filmmaker also wears the hat of casting director. How do you go about the casting process? How do you choose one actor over another when they both had a good audition? What should you be looking for to create your ensemble cast?
In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, host Jordan Bass will breakdown the steps in the general casting process so you have a full comprehension of casting, from script to screen. He will focus primarily on the approach to independent film, and will share his advice on how to best tackle the "puzzle" that is creating a great ensemble cast.
You will leave this webinar knowing:
- A general understanding of the basic casting process from first read to final locked class.
- How to dissect a script.
- The most effective tips to writing a character breakdown.
- A general understanding of the audition process.
- The most common pitfalls actors make during auditions
- Tips for creating a great working ensemble.
Jordan Bass is a well-respected casting director, as well as partner in bass/casting, a bi-costal casting company run by brother-sister team Jordan and Lauren Bass. Recent theatrical films include the New Line thriller Annabelle, Lionsgate's Summer Camp, Chris Sparling's The Atticus Institute, and Friedberg & Seltzer's hilarious send-up of the Fast & Furious franchise Superfast. Upcoming releases include HBO's new Project Greenlight feature The Leisure Class, Blumhouse'sMartyrsdirected by The Goetz Bros, Sean Nalaboff's Hard Sell and Ryan Schwartz's Still Life.
What You'll Learn
- An overview of the independent film landscape.
- Indie film vs. Studio film
- Various budget levels of indie film and how that affects actors and the casting process.
- Why independent film is equally creativity rewarding and frustrating from a casting standpoint.
- The step-by-step casting process.
- The difference between casting directors and casting agents.
- How to breakdown a script at first read.
- Deciding what roles need to be cast first, or figuring out how to lock the first piece of the puzzle.
- How to create a casting strategy.
- Why it’s different for each project.
- The audition process.
- How the right casting director can benefit your project.
- How casting is a creative and collaborative process.
- Recorded, in-depth Q&A with Jordan!
About Your Instructor
Jordan Bass
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