The Art of Matching Actor to Role

Just been forwarded this by the Casting Directors' Guild...an interesting, succinct article, that reiterates much of what we say in The Casting Handbook..have a read  http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/the-art-of-matching-actor-and-role/?smid=fb-share

Some fantastically positive press!

So excited and proud that Amir Korangy, President of Theatre of Arts Hollywood and Guest Director of American Academy of Dramatic Arts, previously Director of Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, has endorsed the Casting Handbook with this fantastic review:

"This is by far the most comprehensive and informative compilation of facts and professional guidelines on the infrastructure and process of casting for all live and recorded media. A wide range of essential information, step by step instruction and tips are arranged in an absolutely clear and thoroughly engaging manner and interspersed with specifically relevant in-depth interviews with some of the most prominent industry professionals. With their admirable attention to detail, Catliff and Granville have demystified casting and have created an incredibly useful source of reference for all theatre and film practitioners.

A ‘must have’ for actors, directors and all involved with casting."

PERFORM exhibition is the next date for The Casting Handbook's diary. Suzy has been asked to deliver a workshop, based on material and exercises in the book, and we will have a presence on the Northern Film School and Leeds Beckett stand at the exhibition. Never been to one of these before, but it really does look good (I had been sceptical til I saw the published programme )...loads of interesting presentations, workshops, performances ....if you are at a loose end, then there are worse ways to spend a wet February weekend!

Casting Lab Uk

We have been invited to repeat our very successful Casting Lab UK at Leeds Beckett University  in January.  The Lab invites professional actors who would be willing to volunteer to be considered for casting in student films, to be interviewed and auditioned by Suzy, with the recording of the interview being put onto a database that can be accessed by Film students at the Northern Film School.  This is a fantastic resource, allowing students to spend some time seeing actors' work in the knowledge that if they contact them, they will be willing to come in and meet and to appear in their films.

A year in the life of TCHB

Cannot believe it has been over a year since we published TCHB!  It has been a real roller coaster ride, taking us far and wide, delivering workshops to actors and producer, directors and writers, documentary filmmakers and fringe theatre practitioners - presenting at film festivals, conferences and seminars, running courses and generally spreading  the word about how important the creative process of casting is...Highlights include a 'Casting Pecha Kucha (really!)' and working with the talented winners of the Ideas Tap Short Film Fund - the book has sold all over the world, and is beginning to be part of syllabuses from California to China..watch this space as the story unfolds.

Jenny and I had a great time at the Bradford International Film Festival last weekend.  We were there as part of the Film Makers Weekend - Jenny was chairing a discussion and I gave our inaugural workshop based on exercises from The Casting Handbook, ably helped by two 'live' actors - Louise and Frank - to demonstrate. 

It was incredibly enjoyable and the participants seem to find it very useful, interactive and practical. 

Many thanks to all who participated and here's to the next ones off the block - which will be at 'Surviving Actors' in Manchester and as part of the Equity Conference in the middle of May.

We are looking to share our workshops at more film festivals in the coming months - so keep an eye out and please get in touch if you are organising a festival.

The Spotlight is on....Suzy!!!

Well her voice anyway...have a listen. She gives a great interview on a Spotlight podcast. Informative, interesting and a great trailer for The Casting Handbook!