by Deana Taheri

While I was immersed in Stonestreet Studios residency program for NYU Tisch Drama, I was able to work with two of New York’s primary film and television casting directors. This gave me the experience I needed to work professionally in  my current position with a Broadway casting director, which then gave me the tools to become the sole casting director of short film Cook or Die, starring and created by Stonestreet and NYU alumni (check it out, and donate to our kick-starter, on Instagram at @cookordiefilm !!).

As a fresh graduate, my experience in the casting world has been some of the most informative to me as an actor, and as a (kinda) professional in this crazy industry. It was imperative to me as a student to get as involved in the professional industry as possible while I was still at school, and that is the biggest piece of advice I could ever give. However, some of the things I have observed during my time in casting have given me such a massive insight into how casting directors deal with actors, and how those actors should work to give themselves the best shot at connecting with the casting director, and ultimately getting the job!

In 2018, I was lucky enough to work as casting assistant on an indie film. I was responsible for operating the camera for the in-person auditions, as well as sifting through hundreds of self-tapes. The most important thing I learned from slogging through those self-tapes was that labelling your tape correctly makes a bigger difference than you could imagine. When the casting director has to search through literally hundreds of tapes to find yours, you want to make it as simple as possible by including both your name, and the name of the role you’re auditioning for. For example, if I’m auditioning for the role of Amelia, I would label my tape “DEANA TAHERI_AMELIA”. Unless they specify otherwise, the casting director will appreciate the ease of finding your tape this way, rather than trying to identify “2917793randomperson.mov”. 

From working the camera for the live auditions, something that stood out to me was the number of actors who did not wait for me to adjust the camera before launching into their sides. The camera was set up for sitting, as it was a seated scene; however, some actors preferred to stand – which would have been fine if they had waited a few more seconds for the camera to be in position. By ignoring the camera, and subsequently the assistant behind it, those actors lost the first few seconds of their audition, which can definitely cost you the job. And, it was rude to me, which was most definitely noticed by the casting director.

My current position in casting also involved sifting through tapes; however, this time, it was the 2020 showcases from my own graduating class. I approached the task with an open heart and mind, aiming to give my full attention and time to each and every tape. I’m a 2020 graduate after all! Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. I beat myself up about it at first: why am I finding it so difficult to stay engaged and make detailed notes on all the tapes? After a while, and an illuminating conversation with my boss, I began to understand what was going on. I had thousands, and I mean thousands, of tapes to watch on a deadline. Why would a casting director take the time to watch your tape or reel for two full minutes before you show the qualities that make you special? If I wasn’t excited by the tape within the first thirty seconds, it became increasingly difficult to maintain my engagement or motivation to continue watching. Though I felt guilty when I would skip to the “good bits” of various tapes or pass through them if it failed to show anything of note, it taught me a valuable lesson: EXCITE THEM!! 

The first thirty seconds of any tape, reel, or showcase is key to hooking the person watching; because, if someone has thousands of tapes to watch on a deadline, why would they wait for you? Start your reel with your most engaging work, demonstrating your skill and highlighting YOU – not your scene partner. As someone who is consistently submitting for projects, both by myself and through management, this taught me that I need to show exactly what they are looking for, and what makes me special, as soon as they press play on my tape. 

Coming from Stonestreet was an excellent way for me to learn about the casting side of the industry, particularly through industry evenings. Casting directors are great to befriend as they have a direct line to productions currently shooting and casting. I made a great effort during my time at Stonestreet to keep in touch with the casting directors I met, and I am so glad I did. Most every one of them was, and still is, eager to provide advice and keep eyes open for opportunities within casting and, subsequently acting opportunities. When I was signed by a management agency, the first thing they asked me was to make a list of all the casting directors I had met so they could keep their eyes open for opportunities from those particular casting directors as they may be more inclined to work with me as we’re already acquainted.

If any of this has been pessimistic, I apologize; but, I believe that keeping these things in mind will help you approach auditioning from the perspective of who’s watching, and help you impress them to the best of your ability! 

Good luck out there ☺