Filmmakers Talk 19 - Voice Over Instructions

If you have heard any funny comments in the studio post it in the comments below and it might just make the Film-Makers Talk List.

Previous Talks:

Filmmakers Talk-18: Life of a freelancer

Filmmakers Talk-17: Sound PJ.

Filmmakers Talk 13 - Agency Comments

Most recently came across this agency that asked me to zoom into the shot but without loosing any information.... Please help if anyone know how to do this..

Post your funny comments that you may have come across and it just might make it to the Film-Makers Talk List

Some past Talks:

FT#12 Creativity Ends

FT#11 Fix In Post

*This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, quotes, places and incidents mentioned, either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, from the film industry or outside the film industry is entirely coincidental.

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Casting Brief Q10: Any thing in the role, that might require a warning.

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

Question 10: Anything in the role, to be done, that might require a warning.

This is a very simple question, should be known when the script is read already, but if something is left to be written or there is doubt then this question should be asked.  The question would be will the individual role involve anything like Kissing / Nudity / Semi Nudity / Stunts / or some physical altercations like going completely bald in some scene etc. 

There are also simpler warnings which the casting director also needs to check, like the role may involve playing of an instrument or as simple as driving a car, or riding a bike, swimming, dancing, singing, etc.. you do not know how many actors do not know how to do some of these things or they may just want to learn how to do some of these things so that it looks a lot more genuine when they play the role.

Again this knowledge helps in the actor deciding if they want to be part of this or not or if they need some clarification as to how far will a certain shot go etc. Like in cases where the look of the actor would change would be needed to know by people who are already working on other projects since a change in look would affect the continuity in the other places

For the answer to the previous question see
Casting Brief Q9 - Individual Character Brief

Read on for the next question
Question 11: Reference of role

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

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Best compliment received from the client on Chevrolet Trax

One of the best compliments I have received from the client on this..

"What we require is the edit - A version, but after we saw this edit, we will go with this version" 

So earlier this year I was given this promo to cut, the brief given was to keep a liner story (a sort of cut down from the TVC) which I did make, on seeing the result I was not very kicked by it and it did not give me a feeling of a video that people would want to watch at a Autoshow.. So I sat with the editor and redid this edit.

The agency was a bit unsure of showing this version at first, since it was not what the client wanted but after a few viewings and a bit of convincing them that there is no harm in showing both versions.. they agreed to present both.

We presented both versions to the client, the first one edit - A, had everything from the brief and then we presented this version, all the clients present in the room had a long silence after they watched it and a little bit of discussion followed as to the positives and negatives of what they saw.. they ended with  "What we require is the edit - A version, but after we saw this edit, we will go with this version" 

I think that was one of the best compliments that I have received from the client, goes to show sometimes you just have to follow your gut and do it even though its not in the brief..

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Filmmakers Talk #6 Brief to Casting Director

Post your funny comments that you may have come across and it just might make it to the Film-Makers Talk List

Some past Talks:

FT#5 - Dedicated to clients

FT#4 - Agency to a young director

*This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, quotes, places and incidents mentioned, either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, from the film industry or outside the film industry is entirely coincidental.





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Casting Brief Q8: Competitive Brands

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

Question 8: Which competitive brands worked on by the actor are to be kept in mind?

This question is only for commercials. Like I said in the case of contracts, the actor at the time of auditioning has to declare if they have acted in any competitive brand. It is best that the actor mentions most of the work that he has done so that there is no confusion in the future. Even if there was no contract executed, the actor should reveal this and when the commercial was released.

Competitive brands are not just the same category but sometimes extend to the parent company as well, for eg, The Coca-Cola company India owns the following brands - Coca-Cola, Fanta Orange, Limca, Sprite, Thums up, Kinley, Maaza, Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh, etc...
while PepsiCo India includes - Pepsi, 7UP, Nimbooz, Mirinda, Slice, Mountain Dew, Aquafina, etc..
so while all of these are not cola drinks there are times when the parent company insists that the cast for the upcoming commercial has not done any competitive brands like in the above example. Coca-Cola sometimes insists that the cast should not have done any of the Pepsi brands and vice versa. For some of the brands the rules are a bit relaxed and the 'Actor not acted in Competitive Brand' does not mean all the brands like if an actor has acted for the water/soda brand like Aquafina / Kinley they may be excused for the cola brand... All this depends on the rules given out by the client at the time of briefing. Competitive brands are sometimes also generalised like health drinks could also sometimes be counted as competition in the above case.

Also what role does the actor play in the competitive commercial is important, if they are the lead or just part of a crowd, basically how clearly was the face seen and remembered and when was the film released. How long back did the competitive commercial stop airing? If it was a while back like 2 years or so it does not get considered.

It is in the best interest of all that the actor at the audition truthfully says which competitors they have worked for, and even better if the casting director knows if the actor was involved in a competitive ad and make sure that is declared. The best way is to get each actor to sign an undertaking at the audition that they have not been involved in the mentioned brands and for the time when that commercial was made.

All in all, it is important that the casting director gets briefed clearly on which Brands the actors should have not done, and if done then how long back and he, in turn, makes the actor sign an undertaking of the same.



For the answer to the previous question see
Casting Brief Q7: Contract

Read on for the next question
Question 9: Individual character brief?

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

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Casting Brief Q7: Contract?

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

Question 7: Contract?

A contract is made between either the producer (production house) and the actor or sometimes directly with the brand, like in the case of commercials.

In features, a contract is usually made for almost everyone working on it. In the case of actors, all the cast who have to give more than a few days to the film have to sign contracts. Some of the basic things that a contract usually contains are,
a) The total amount that the producer and the actor agreed to for that particular project.
b) The time required from the actor.. i.e. no of days or months or sometimes even the exact dates that are required, not just for the shoot but for dubs as well.
c) The timelines and distribution to when this would be paid,
(eg- 10% advance on signing + 50% on completion of shoot + 40% on completion of dubs is one version, other is a fixed sum at the end of every month. The break is what is best suited to both parties)
d) Participation of the actor in promotional activities before the release, this also could be in terms of no of days of appearance or get even more specific like 10 tv shows 3 radio, etc..

In most cases there are no contracts made for actors who are cast for a day's shoot and for background artists, however, there could be a one-page agrement with these actors and for background artists, the contract is usually made with the coordinator.

In the case of commercials, the actor has to reveal at the time of casting if they are or have been part of competitive brands irrespective of contracts. Usually, if the actor has had a lead role and face has clearly been seen on a major brand like a cola drink the actor cannot act for its competition for around 2 years (even if no contract is made as competition won't touch the actor), it is therefore also necessary for the casting director to make sure that this is followed as this could land up everyone in a soup. Even when the contract is over it is best to mention at the time of audition that the actor had a contract with a particular brand that ended on so and so date. Contracts in commercials range from
a) A simple agreement to endorse the brand and not participate in the competition for 'X' time period. to
b) A contract that signs the person as a brand ambassador which goes beyond just shooting a commercial but print, radio and presence at live event's, etc..

TIP to all:
a) Before signing any contract it is best to read all the fine print on it as that might just lead to bigger problems later.
b) Be aware of all that is required from your end to fulfill the contract
c) Also, keep an eye for the clauses that can stop your payment or working on other similar materials.
d) If your confused about some clause get clarification not only from the concerned party but also from a lawyer if need be. OR lookup online to hunt for similar agreements and see what they contain.




For the answer to the previous question see
Q6 - Casting Requirements?

Read on for the next question
Question 8: Which competitive brands worked on by the actor are to be kept in mind?

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

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Casting Brief Q6: Casting Requirements?

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

Question 6: Who will take care of the requirements of the audition?

This question is directed form the casting director to the producer. So what are these requirements that I am talking about

1. Space to audition.
2. Camera, Lights and Power Supply 
3. Backdrop (if needed)
4. Props (if needed)
5. Any other special requirement 
6. Stationary
7. Conveyance and food
8. Phone / Net Bill

Now while most casting directors charge a fee and rest at actual's there are some production houses that like to make deals with casting directors (rarely happens), the deal being that the production house would pay just one figure and the casting director would do the rest all-inclusive. Why would any casting director take up the latter proposition it would be if they think that they could make a little more by making better deals with suppliers or if they themselves own either equipment or space thus saving on rent, also if they are confident of wrapping up the casting within the time so that it does not go overboard. Why would a production house take this route its simple, one bill, one figure this cannot go over budget since the figure gets decided upfront. This route is very risky for the casting director since if any variable is to change they might just lose more money rather than saving.

This question has to be asked as the casting directors fee is determined basis on these variables. There are mostly in between deals that are made, where the production house would provide/pay for certain things and rest has to be taken care by the casting director. Let's talk about each requirement in detail to understand this.

1. Space to audition - if a space is hired for audition rent has to be paid for using that space. In cases where casting has to happen for only a few days, renting a space might be feasible, also some audition spaces these days provide with some of the other requirements like camera, lights, and backdrop along with a assistant, making it easier on everyone. In cases where casting could go on for a long time (weeks to months) like in features, or in case the production house wants to save money on rent or time* is a huge factor, in such cases a space is provided by the production house which is usually a room in the office and sometimes even in the space just outside the office like in the compound or corridor. The minimum requirement of space for an audition should be so that the camera can capture the full length of the actor without having to tilt the camera and the area should have decent lighting and not too much outside noise. 
The number of people coming for audition also makes a difference to where the audition is held, if there a lot of people expected in a single day (like in advertising) then usually space is rented out unless the production house has sufficient space to keep people waiting and preparing for their parts. In case there are only a few people coming in, like only a select few have been called, like in the case of features or in the case its a call back then these do take place in the production house's office space.     


*Time, in this case, is the time after the audition is captured and for the video to be seen by the director, and if liked sent further for approval. Or if the cast is required urgently like for the next day's shoot.

2. Camera, Lights and Power Supply - in order to record an audition the casting director needs a camera, any camera of a decent resolution should work, earlier DV camera's were used, still gets used in some places but that has now been outdated since DV camera requires DV tapes which then have to be transferred to a digital format to view which involves both a lot of time and money. Some casting directors own a camera themselves and they charge rent for it or include this in their fees. Owing a camera is also a good thing for production houses who do a lot of work as this helps bring down the cost, it also helps at times when the actor can not make it to the audition room but can come to the office to give the audition (since the audition location might be far). It helps in cases of callbacks and smaller tests as well.
Lights are definitely required for auditions that are conducted in closed rooms, a couple of decent powered lights is the minimum requirement, these can be either softboxes or light bounced of thermocol, the basic idea always is to have the actor evenly lit from both side's i.e. no shadows mainly on the face. When auditions are conducted in office spaces its still ideal that the room has sufficient internal lighting or there is enough sunlight coming in. In case the audition is held in the corridor or in an outdoor space the person recording has to make sure that beyond light the sound of the actor is also picked up clearly by the camera.
Rented studios sometimes charge separately for power supply (rarely) usually its included in the cost provided the lights used are basic, which is why most current audition spaces provide these and include the cost in the rent. In case of areas provided by the production house, they need to make sure that there are sufficient outlets for power and extension cords for the same.     

3. Backdrop - this is required if space in which the audition is being held is too noisy** or is too cluttered, like when auditions happen in offices, an ideal space would have a single coloured clear back wall or the use of a backdrop is required, this helps in keeping the viewer's attention only the actor giving the audition and not get distracted by the space around it. Not always can one have a backdrop to audition in such cases a clear back wall with almost nothing on or around it is an ideal space. If a backdrop is being rented out then it could be either in a light colour, white or offwhite are usually used some cases a completely dark backdrop also gets used like grey in those cases it makes the actor stand out from the space, provided that they are in bright clothes and have been lit well. 
A backdrop is a clear piece of paper or cloth with no print on it, same as the ones used in photo studios but large enough to cover the actor's entire action, sometimes cover even 3 people in the same scene. It should be ideally large enough so that the camera captures only the actor and nothing else around. Production houses that do casting quite often and don't have a clear wall usually keep these backdrop's which can be put up easily with the help of 2 stands.. even chroma cloth gets used at times

**noisy - too many things in the background like pictures on the wall, clock, table furniture etc..

4. Props (if needed) - in the scene to be auditioned there would be props that might be required, simple things like a cell phone, or a chair, table, etc can easily be arranged, but there are times when specific props are required, like a gun or a ball or a mask, etc these may have to be rented out or there has to be an agreement (the director should know about this advance) that the actor will make do of what even is available like use a stick instead of a gun. Depending on the rent of the prop, the producer would decide if it's required or not to hire that prop but there are cases when even expensive props have to be hired like in case of testing if the actor can act while riding a bike or driving a car or is the actor comfortable to act underwater, etc, in such cases it makes sense for the producer to spend the money on these tests rather than have the shoot stuck because the actor can not ride a bike.

5. Any other special requirement  - any other special requirement is similar to that of special props, like maybe the actor has to talk while eating or the actor has to do something unique like a summersault or some specific stunt then depending on what is required to that situation. If there is a piece of costume that is required for the test like a hat or a specific kind spec frame etc.

6. Stationary - this includes a slate and a marker for the actor to hold with his details at the start of the audition, some casting directors still use paper here and that is a pure waste of resources. Beyond this, there is the script printouts, paper/book for making a cue sheet, tapes if a dv camera is being used or Digital cards, transfer cables, CD's,  DVD's or any other storage and transfer device, most of the time these are included in the casting directors fees as these are usually really small figures. If they have to be charged it is at actuals against a bill that the casting director should collect while buying the same.

7. Conveyance and food - if the casting is happing for a few days then this figure is small and is easily taken care of but in the case where casting is over a period of time then most of the time the producer sets a limit to how much of money should be spent each day on food and travel of course bills would have to be produced for calming of the food at least and accounts would have to be settled from time to time. Conveyance is for the dropping of casting material to the production office or director's house. 

8. Phone / Net Bill - here if it's a short casting then usually there is no charge that is passed on to the producer but in the case where casting has to happen over a period of time then either the producer gives the casting director a phone to use for all official calls or takes care of the bill at the end of each month especially if the casting is happing in another city or country. 
With social media catching on and with the latest apps even these figures are getting to an ignorable amount, like most casting directors would post the requirement on a social media page, tagging a few people who they think need to come, also used is here are services like BBM or Whatsapp where a group is made over time and a single message gets delivered to all what the requirements for the audition are and people who think they suit the requirement go for the auditions.

So depending on who is paying for what finalises the casting directors fees, although the most common practice would be to charge a fee and the rest at actuals. It is also best that the casting director reads the script or the storyboard before meeting for the casting brief so that he knows what his requirements would be in advance.

 

For answer to the previous question see
Q5:- Budget?

Read on for the next question
Question 7: Is there a contract to be made?

For the entire list of casting questions go back to

Casting Brief

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Casting Brief - Q3: Sex? - Male or Female OR...

For the entire List of casting questions go back to
Casting Brief

Question 3: Sex? - Male or Female, OR...

Most people will wonder that it is obvious that male or female has already been answered while reading the script, so what is the reason I put the question OR?

While the casting of a character where the actor is partially seen like has a mask on like a joker, or a burnt face or a face which is painted through the role, or a deformity, etc. Therefore in such cases, at the time of casting the actor should be informed of the requirement, and then they can have a choice to give the audition or not.

It's not just masks and paints that hold onto this requirement if the character has to play a crossdresser, a eunuch, or just a panzy. Again informing the actor of this at the audition helps them to decide if they are up to the challenge or this role does not suit them. It helps in reducing the no of people even before casting gets to the shortlist stage and thus saves everyone's time.

Lastly don't forget the OR? also stands for casting for stand-in's, duplicates, as well as for animals that are featured in the film. Yes, the casting of animals does happen. In case of stand in's the requirements would generally be the same height, size, length of hair and sink color. In case of duplicates, it's the case of the closest looking to the person in question.

So while in most cases this question is not asked at all, there are times when this has to be asked.



For the answer to the previous question see
Casting Brief Q2 - Age of the characters

Read on for the next question
Question 4: Dates for shoot and shortlist?

For the entire List of casting questions go back to
Casting Brief




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Casting Brief - Q2: Age of the characters?

For the entire List of casting questions go back to
Casting Brief

Question 2: Age of the Character?

What is the age of each of the characters in question? Why would a casting director ask such a question when most of the characters age is defined in the script itself. Well, this is true only for some times, but mostly the age is not described, either because there are a lot of characters, or in cases like where the character is only just described e.g. as a mother or young teenager, there is no clarity of age. Therefore the casting director needs to ask this question, also even if its mentioned in the script it's better to clear that what is written in the script is the same as what the director has in mind.      

The age could be specific, like a just born therefore 5 - 10 days old, or a 1-year-old. But in most cases the age that would be given will be within a range, like between 40 - 45, or 20 - 25, etc. the reason a range is given is for the most obvious reason that not all people look their age, so while in actuality the person could be 30 yrs old but on camera might look 26 - 28 yrs. Makeup and costume do play a very important role in the casting process, eg a simple thing like wearing spectacles might make some people look a lot older than they are, same way hair open and hair tied up makes a difference to age that women look. The same goes for costumes, what is worn at the auditions, therefore, becomes very important.

So when actors go for auditions they should get the brief very clearly before they start.  The way you look even before you act will be judged upfront. Remember when the shortlisting process is taking place, there are a lot of people who have auditioned for the same role and you don't want to be rejected basis on first appearance's. Also if your a 40-year-old don't go for an audition which is for a 20 yr old and waste everyone's time and then wonder why you don't get shortlisted.

To the casting director, this question also gets very important when the same person has to play more than one character in the same film, like if the same person has to play a teenager and also play the mother later in the film. While casting of such a character one would try to find a person who could pull off being a teen as well as a lady of course with the help of makeup and costume, but the hunt would be someone who can pull both off.

Lastly, the importance of age is also in relation to the other characters, e.g. so while the brief might be for a 20 - 25-year-old girl who would be dating a 22 - 28-year-old boy, there may be a problem if the girl looks older than the guy especially if she is a junior in his college. Same with all roles characters will be judges not only on solo performances but also how they look with/against each other.



For the answer to the previous question see
Casting Brief Q1 - Casting Of How Many Characters?


Read on for the next question
Question 3: Sex of the character? - Male or female or...

For the entire List of casting questions go back to
Casting Brief







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Casting Brief- Q1: Casting of how many characters?

For the entire List of casting questions go back to
Casting Brief

Question 1: Casting of how many characters?

Each film would have multiple characters to be cast, in case of not too many people to be cast one meeting or even a brief over the phone would do, (like in commercials where some times there are not more than 2 or even 1 character at times) but in cases where a lot of casting is to be done, there would have to be multiple meetings both for briefing and for presenting the cast in batches. Casting where there are a lot of people involved, which is mainly in feature films is broken down into Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Background cast.

Primary Cast also know as Main Cast being your lead actors which includes hero, heroine, villains, etc,

Secondary Cast is your supporting cast which also has an important role to play, like friends, parents, etc, i.e. people who rally around the Main Cast.

Tertiary Cast are people who have a small but yet important enough role to play, mostly tertiary cast are people who appear in a scene or two. like shopkeepers, cab drivers etc.

Background Cast are generally not cast, they consist of people who appear in the background like office staff, or the crowd at a stadium, or people at a restaurant etc.

So why would a casting director have to ask this question, well for the simple reason that not always all characters in the script need to be cast, like in case of commercials where one role could be that of the brand ambassador so casting for the rest is required. Also, this question would pertain to what it always boils down to - MONEY. The no of people to be cast decides the no of days it would take to caste these characters and therefore costs on the studio, camera hire, assistant, food, etc. All this needs to be kept in mind at the brief and of course the casting directors fee. 

Once the no of characters that need to be cast are fixed, the casting director along with the producer fix on a schedule as well as the expenses and other details.

Read on for the next question - 

Question 2: Age of each of the characters?

or go back to Casting Brief page to read the other questions.

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Casting Brief

Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you are born to stand out? - Ian, What a Girl Wants (2003)


What goes on when a director brief's the casting director?
What are the questions that could get asked?

Here is a clue to what happens at the briefing session, directors (starting off), Assistant directors (D.A's or A.D's involved), to casting directors read on to find out what you should prepare for at the Casting Brief and actors as well should also know so that they are not wasting time doing auditions that are not suited to them. In the meanwhile actor's looking for work do check out Facebook links to pages that have Posted on Casting / Modeling Jobs.

The briefing to the casting director would happen only after all parties have read the script, screenplay, or storyboard. Everyone should know what they are getting into before this meeting or call. Notes should be made and breakdown lists have to be kept ready before this meeting. This prep before this meeting could be as short as a few minutes like in the case of advertising, to a no of days like in the case of feature films.

Once the prep is done the meeting is called for, both parties should have done their back work or there will be more of these meetings. These are some of the questions that should get asked at this meeting, these are not in any particular order

Question 1: Casting of how many characters are to be done?

Question 2: Age of each of the characters?

Question 3: Sex of the character? - Male or female or...

Question 4: Dates for the shoot and shortlist?

Question 5: Is there a budget individually or totally? 

Question 6: Who will take care of the requirements of the audition?

Question 7: Is there a contract to be made?

Question 8: Which competitive brands worked on by the actor are to be kept in mind?

Question 9: Individual character brief?

Question 10: Anything in the role, to be done, that might require a warning?

Question 11: Any reference to any character/actor?

Question 12: Any specific scene that the director wants to audition the characters on?

Question 13: Any specific props required for the audition?

Question 14: Any specific costume/look required for the audition?

Question 15: Will there be a call back for actors?

There could be more questions asked basis on the answers that you get, but these questions should cover call the basics that need to be asked at the first briefing. 

Each of these questions has an explanation to them which will be posted in the following blogs, when posted these questions will get converted to links to each.

Auggieism:- What do you say when auggie is staring at a beauty? 

Ans:- Oggieling... 

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