How actors are cast in a corporate drama

Clients often ask us, “where do you get your actors?”?It's a completely new world to many and they are often hoping there's an answer which won't result in them having to act for themselves!

Outer character

As a drama develops, one of the first things we agree upon are the character profiles.?These involve such parameters as gender, age range, appearance, and any requirements such as languages, accents, disabilities, etc.?In order not to be fishing from too small a pond of potential candidates, sometimes these parameters are designed with some flex.?For example, there aren’t too many East Asian male actors in the 40-50 range, so maybe we’ll consider a wider age range, allow an alternate ethnicity, or find a bit more budget so we can afford the most in-demand players.?Another consideration is that a cast needs variety simply so an audience can easily distinguish one character from another.?

Inner character

The other main aspect of a casting profile concerns the role and the character.?A feisty go-getting salesperson who’s not afraid to tread on toes, a vulnerable college student who is having a mental health episode, a railway engineer who knows their stuff but is having problems with literacy.?Here, we are looking for a mixture of innate qualities and emotional range.?Actors don’t necessarily need to be an obvious choice for a role, but when you imagine them in the role you must like what you imagine they can bring to it.?

Finding candidates

When searching for actors we begin by thinking of actors we have worked with before who might fit the role.?Next, we ask a shortlist of trusted actors’ agencies for their suggestions.?Sometimes we will simply spend some time searching through Spotlight, the actor’s database.?And when we’re getting a bit stuck, we might put out an open call on Spotlight for suggestions from agents.

All this though, just gives us a long list.?The next stage is for the director to carefully review the profiles of each cast member.?We look at their training – unless someone has done at least a basic degree-level training they are a risk.?Acting is about innate ability, but also of course about knowing how to use it and how to fit in to a professional set.?We next look at what roles they have played and in what media.?A good foundation in TV work is another indicator of professionalism.?And if they’ve done some corporate work, it suggests they are happy to work in our sector.?A stage CV suggests that they can remember lines.?

Next, we look at their show reels.?As a director myself, what I look for is mostly that an actor is really acting as opposed to “acting acting” as I call it.?Can they truly inhabit a role??Show reels also give a gut feeling of whether this person is a good fit.?

To read or not to read?

After many years of doing this work, at this point we can often be confident of a person’s abilities in a role.?But sometimes, if the evidence isn’t strong enough or if a role is particularly demanding, we will get actors to give a reading for us.?Nowadays, of course, this is usually done by submitting a video recording, or a reading over Zoom.

Client input

Finally, we share a shortlist of candidates with the client and allow them to make the final choice based on showreels and our notes.?This is a part that clients tell is fun to do, but it can take up more time than you might imagine.?It can also feel a bit odd as, contrary to most corporate best practice, here the task involves judging people on their personal qualities.?

The joy of working with actors

Filming drama is quite intense work, even in the corporate world.?The cast and crew work very intensely in long, focussed days to bring a story to life.?So, you can’t help but feel a bit of camaraderie.?Filming a strong script with a good cast and crew remains the part of my job I enjoy the most.?

I’ve been making corporate drama for many years now, and it’s still fun when someone you’ve worked with pops up on TV.?I’ve seen acting colleagues pop up in everything from major Hollywood movies to YouTube ads, soaps and Netflix dramas.?

?