How Are Movies Cast? The Casting Process Step by Step

Movies are cast in stages. The producer and director bring on a casting director, the leads (often name actors) are offered first, a breakdown goes out, casting reviews submissions and pre-reads actors, and a shortlist goes to the director and producers. We asked 17 casting directors how much say they have at the end, and none claimed the final yes.

What are the steps of casting a movie?

The order rarely changes. This is the sequence our casting directors and Kym described.

1. The producer hires a director and, if the budget allows, a casting director.
2. The lead roles are offered to actors who help the film get financed and sold.
3. A breakdown of the other roles goes out to agents, managers and sometimes actors.
4. Casting narrows thousands of submissions to a list to audition.
5. Pre-reads with casting, now usually on self tape.
6. Callbacks and producer sessions with the director, sometimes with chemistry reads.
7. The filmmakers choose, and studios, financiers or networks sign off.
8. Your agent and the casting director negotiate the deal.

Why are the lead roles cast first?

Money. Casting director Faith Martin starts by reading the script and meeting the producer and director to learn the budget and their expectations. Then they lock in one or two leads, because every other role is balanced around them, and distributors and financiers have a lot to say about who works in the marketplace.

Once enough names are attached, Kym says, casting fills the rest with whoever is perfect for each part. That's why you can audition for a lead that then goes to a star: casting was seeing backups while offers were out.

How is a breakdown written and released?

For major union film and TV, our Breakdown Services experts told us the script goes to Breakdown Services writers, who turn each character into a short description. The casting director then decides which regions it goes to, when it's released, and whether it reaches agents and managers only, actors on Actors Access, or both.

Some casting directors write their own. Deirdre Bowen, who casts in Canada, writes every breakdown herself and shares it with agents, who suggest clients. See what is Breakdown Services?

How do casting directors go through submissions?

Fast, and in huge numbers. Our Breakdown Services experts said submissions arrive within minutes, and a Los Angeles TV role can draw 2,000 to 3,000. Casting scrolls them as thumbnails, about 100 to a page, looking for perhaps 20 people to audition. Submissions with video and a slate shot sit in the first group casting sees.

Relationships matter too. The same experts said one office told them 75 to 80 percent of the actors it brings in are people it already knows. Deirdre Bowen builds a long list, then narrows it to 10 or 12 choices that each tell the story a different way, and said availability is the biggest factor of all.

What is a pre-read?

The first audition, seen only by the casting team, and now usually a self tape. Greg Apps said that rather than booking a room, he can simply decide an actor looks good and ask for a tape. Lisa Zambetti puts every pre-read on tape, even for small roles, so her office keeps an archive.

On big projects the work is shared. Kym describes associates and assistants choosing around 100 actors so the casting director can pick the top 50, which is why it pays to know the whole team.

How many actors reach the director?

Usually a handful. We asked eight casting directors how many actors they present to the filmmakers for each role. Meg Morman aims for three to five. John Frank Levey sees eight to 12 and takes four to six to producers. Deborah Barylski's guide for episodic TV was five to eight for a guest star and three to five for a co-star.

Leads change the maths. Lisa Beach said features and pilots mean auditioning at least 200 people for each bigger role and showing the director up to 50. Victoria Burrows usually shows a top 10 with 10 backups.

What happens at producer sessions and chemistry reads?

This is where the filmmakers see you. Carmen Aiello said a director's callback usually holds the producer, the director and the casting team. Deborah Barylski was emphatic that from pre-read to producer session, studio and network, you keep the same audition unless someone directs you otherwise; Ricki Maslar warned that changing it unprompted may cost you the role.

When the filmmakers like a few people for connected roles, Kym says they mix and match them in chemistry reads to see who works best together. If you read with an actor already cast, ask about physical things, like taking their arm, but never give them performance notes. More in acting callbacks.

Who makes the final casting decision?

The filmmakers and whoever funds them. We asked 17 casting directors how much input they have, and almost every answer began with some version of "it depends". Scot Boland called it the power of no: casting decides who gets seen and who goes on the list, then argues the case. Risa Bramon Garcia said the idea that casting has a big say is often a myth, because everyone answers to the money.

On bigger projects the choice goes up the chain. Director Kate Dennis explained that on episodic TV, tests go to the studio and then the network, and an actor can pass one and not the other. Ricki Maslar said her input on studio projects fades by the third round, while Ronnie Yeskel has more influence on independents.

What happens when you're chosen?

Your agent may get an avail or hold check first, which isn't a booking (see the acting glossary). Then comes the offer. Kym explains that the casting director negotiates for the filmmakers and your agent for you, and there is usually a second choice in mind if the deal doesn't close.

Some roles skip auditions entirely. Child acting expert Karen Workman told us her daughter was offered a few lines on a feature with no audition, because someone on a commercial crew recommended her.

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