Finding Talent for Your Video Production
Having the proper talent for your video is important for portraying the ideas and focus of the shoot. I’m quite sure you’ve seen movies and shows with horrible actors and it ruined a perfectly good storyline and plot. Don’t let this happen to your video. Make sure that you recruit the right talent for your productions.
Determine What You Need
Using a script or a thorough outline can be very beneficial for helping you find the right talent. Looking over the script, you should be able to develop a list of speaking and non-speaking roles. Small descriptions should also be written down for the roles. For instance, you should note whether the role should be a male, female, adult or child with a clean-cut or grungy look, etc. The more details you can provide for each role, the easier it will be for you to find the perfect talent for that role.
Keep your budget in mind as well. Consider whether you would like the talent to be professionals or amateurs. Whatever you choose, the end result should be whom ever comes closest to the description of the character and offers the best talent for the role. You want quality performances. If hiring a pro doesn’t fit within your budget, you may witness the growth of an amateur during your video shoot.
Where to Find Talent
There are various places where you can find talent. Try looking in high schools, college drama departments, churches, comedy clubs and community groups. It’s a good idea to speak with the person in charge to see if they have any talented actors that fit the needs of your project. If not, they may be able to recommend another person or place. You can also ask to post fliers on their premises to see if anyone else may know of someone that fits what you’re looking for. Posting ads online and in newspapers may also be helpful.
Hold Auditions
Once you get the word out about your video production, you can set up a time to have the potential talent come through to show off their skills. Print out fliers, make internet and paper ads regarding your audition, so that you can get as many people to try out as possible. The audition can either be done in the form of a cattle call, which is when everyone shows up at the same time, or you can have the candidates set up an appointment. Some producers and directors even have the candidates send in audition tapes. To me, it seems that it’s best to arrange face-to-face meetings with the candidates. How and when you see them is completely up to you. We often videotape the actor saying a few lines from the production. This way, we can evaluate them later and have a reality-based depiction of how well they did.
Evaluating the Talent
Now, it’s time to evaluate the candidates from the auditions. During this process, you need to match the individuals with the roles you have available. Anyone who meets all or most of the requirements should be heavily considered. You will also need to ensure that the availability of the individual doesn’t conflict with production. You want motivated talent, so speak with them to see if their heart is really into it.
Video Production Chicago
