What Casting Directors & Producers Can Do Better
Here are 10 things that casting can do to help narrators succeed
Recently, I asked for some suggestions on writing blogs about audiobooks and heard some great ideas. One was a question I found very interesting: “What can casting directors/producers do better?”
Here are some suggestions gathered from colleagues:
1) Accurate word counts for scripts. The word count helps a narrator plan how much time they’ll be in the booth. Sometimes those word counts are wildly off, and it can throw an entire schedule into chaos.
2) Confirm receipt of auditions, and let people know when the piece has been cast. Narrators want to make sure their auditions are received, and if they didn’t book the project, they want to fill the gap in their schedule they’d been saving with another gig.
3) Give a wide range of people a chance. Try for authentic casting, but also submit diverse narrators for roles when authentic casting isn’t required/specified.
4) Have a clear way for narrators to approach casting for work, and take a chance on working with new talent, especially when that talent is established and new-to-you but not necessarily new to the industry.
5) Include older narrators in casting calls without assuming they can’t do the project based on their age. If they sound the right age for a book, then they are the right age for the book.
6) Create audition materials that are under 5 minutes and have everyone auditioning read the same script. It levels the playing field. Narrators don’t always know the best section of a book to show their abilities.
7) Offer research, trigger warnings, accent requirements, etc. if possible. The more support and information you can offer the narrator, the less likely a narrator will accept a project and then back out later.
8) Provide final scripts according to schedule. Changing scripts is difficult. If the scripts aren’t on time, know that a narrator may need additional time to record.
9) Cast sooner. Cast quickly. Schedule narrators out sooner if you can. The more time they have, the better performance they can deliver. Try to get answers on casting decisions in 3-5 business days.
10) Offer feedback on what narrators can do better, if and when possible. If personalized feedback isn’t possible, consider posting information to your website, holding an open house, or having an online presentation explain what you’re looking for from people you hire.
Narrators would love for all of these things to happen. Honestly, though, so would casting.
So, here’s what you need to know from the other side of the curtain:
The world of casting/producing is incredibly busy. Deadlines for casting are tight and we try to do it as quickly as possible so that narrators have more time. Sometimes we get approval right away, and sometimes approval takes days, weeks, and yes, even months. Scripts come in from publishers with no notice, and turnaround is tight. There’s a lot of pressure for creating a stellar audiobook, and we have to set up a team of people to make it happen. Narrators are central to that, and we want them to feel supported, but it is also a business relationship. Narrating is a job. So is casting. There are expectations we have that narrators will meet their deadlines, be self-guided, responsible, ask appropriate questions, and be truthful about their abilities.
I think to fix the problems in casting and producing, you have to go further up the chain and change the publishing system itself. It would be great if along with the hardcover/ebook/paperback, that publishers worked on audiobooks at the same time, providing research, trigger warnings, casting lists, chapter breakdowns, etc. But it just doesn’t happen. Sometimes it’s a rights issue. Sometimes it takes months/years to figure out an audiobook is going to happen. Sometimes it’s just that everyone has a full plate already.
Publishing is a complicated machine. Places are understaffed and overworked.
It’s true in casting too. We want to do all the things, but there’s not enough time, enough budget, enough manpower, to make everything happen.
So, when a publisher or casting director asks for an audition, or casts you in a book, know that they are doing the best they can. There may not be a department committed to research. There may be reasons why a script is delayed that’s entirely beyond their control. They may not be able to share all the information with you that would make you understand. They have clients too, and some of that information is private. Know they are trying their very best with the limited resources they have.
Allow some grace, understanding and kindness in the production flow. Casting directors and roducers are inundated with daily tasks, emails, problems, questions, and needs. A little understanding from everyone makes the job flow a little easier for all.
In a future article, I’ll write some suggestions on what narrators can do better for Casting Directors and Producers.
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TANYA EBY is a narrator, writer, and a casting director for audiobooks. If you like her work, please subscribe, comment, and share it with a friend. In her casting work, she’s actively casting books for Deyan Audio’s clients. In her creative life, Tanya is polishing two new books that are coming out soon: a memoir and a thriller. Stay tuned for more information!
#4 would be especially helpful for those of us who are exceptionally squeamish about self-promotion. Great article. Looking forward to the next!
Bravo once again, Tanya. Thank you so much for helping us all understand and demystify each other!