The term ‘cast' refers to the ensemble of actors working together in a play or any other production. ‘Casting' refers to the process of selecting suitable actors to play various characters in a production. The casting process for any production goes through several stages and it is a very crucial stage for any aspiring actor. However, it is surprising to see that many newbie actors are unaware of the casting process and how it works. You need to understand the casting process thoroughly if you want to get selected in any audition.

Casting process begins with casting calls. What are casting calls? When production houses are in need of new talents they put advertisements in trade journals, websites, magazines, etc. to reach public. The ad will give a description about the character and what is expected from the desired candidate. This is known as casting call. Casting calls can come from anyone. A big production house or even someone who is organizing a school play can give a casting call. Casting calls can get quite competitive as hundred of aspirants will appear for the auditions. So don't be surprised if you see long queue when you go for preliminary auditions. There are many rounds of auditions to eliminate the unsuitable candidate and select the right ones. Casting calls are generally used to recruit actors for smaller roles. However, that does not means you should overlook them. Casting calls can provide a great opportunity for a struggling actor to get a foothold in the industry. You will probably get your first work through a casting call. Therefore it is very important that you take them seriously.

Now, let's understand how the casting process works. Suppose a new TV series is coming up and the production house is looking for a fresh face for a particular role. All production houses employ a casting director who is responsible for recruiting actors to play different characters. The casting director sits down with the producer and the director of the show and they discuss this character. They create a list of character traits and the desired qualities an actor should have to qualify for this role. This list is known as ‘breakdown' of character. Casting director will submit this list to all agents who are in contact with him. Now the agents will go over the list and search for the desired candidates from their database. Once they have shortlisted few names, they will send it to the casting director. Now the casting director has to go through the hundred of photographs and resumes he has received to shortlist those who will be called for auditions. Once he has scrutinized each resume he will call the agents and tell them to inform the shortlisted candidates to appear for auditions. Sometimes, the casting director also sends an extract from the script if he wants the actors to perform on it.

Those actors who have got a call for audition will reach the location on the given time. It' advisable to go to the location dressed up as you think the character would have dressed up. This will show that you understand the character and are serious about your work. You may have to wait for a long time before your turn comes. Use this time to memorize your lines or simply meditating. The actual audition process will depend on the theme of the series/play and the nature of the character you are auditioning for. You may be asked to read a part of the script, or enact in a monologue. If the casting director is impressed by your performance, he may ask for more photographs and headshots, so make sure you carry them with yourself. You may also be called for a final audition in front of director/producer of the show who will decide your fate regarding this particular show. They may ask you to improvise and do a single scene in different ways to check your versatility. If you manage to impress them and are lucky you can expect a call from your agent that you have been selected for this role. Congratulations!