0063: What’s Your Relationship Like With Casting?

Raw transcript:

quick question for you how do you feel
when somebody says
so what’s that casting director like
what’s that casting person like what’s
your relationship with that cat how do
you feel
about
the person across the desk from you
who is observing your audition or
listening to your audition
what’s your relationship with them
are you fearful
are you hesitant
are you fine are you jovial what’s your
relationship let’s explore that in this
episode of the vo heroes podcast
[Music]
we’ve chosen a really crazy profession
to be in
uh i i i talk about my grandfather all
the time and and plumbing and you know
like you don’t go to somebody’s house as
a plumber
and pretend to fix a faucet
so that you can show them how good you
are at fixing a faucet you just fix the
faucet right
with our business that’s just not the
case you’re either dealing with an on
camera audition
or you’re dealing with a voiceover
audition and sometimes you’re dealing
with a casting person
who is very inexperienced
i’m thinking
you know voice seekers job opportunities
on casting sites
but sometimes
you’re dealing with casting directors
who have just as big a reputation
as some actors or directors or producers
or writers do
and that can mess with your mind
it happens in the world of voiceover as
well there’s some very well-known
casting people in voiceover
and i was in a session
just moments ago
with my buddy michael kostroff and his
audition psych 101 group
and this
subject came up
when
talking to casting directors
when dealing with them on a human level
not on a professional level even though
i think dealing with them professionally
is well served by dealing with them as
human beings but just chatting with them
just having small talk
how does that make you feel does that is
that off-putting a little bit it’s like
wait a minute you’re you’re talking to
me i’m just like this actor who’s
looking for a job from you and you want
to know how my day’s going are you
serious
you know
or where i got that that that top i mean
i don’t know but i i i thought about
that
set of rules
around dealing with a peer dealing with
a casting person
where there’s a power differential
you know the casting person has the
ability
to say yes or no to even having you as
part of the finalists in a job right
the the selects as they call it and
that can mess with your head
um
i mentioned in the session that i have
many people that i’ve worked with in
casting
in particular there’s a casting office
that casts a lot of disney and
nickelodeon and kids kind of comedy
shows and stuff and i love doing those
shows and i really love going in for
them
because they welcome me it’s not like
i’m walking in and i’m like looking
around trying to get my bearings and i
know these
women they’re they’re awesome and they
greet me they go david h lawrence the
17th how are you doing you know and it’s
like do you really want to know how i’m
doing i don’t even ask that question
like well you know i mean it was it was
weird getting in because of all the
construction on the oh yeah we know it’s
crazy every morning
you have these normal conversations
and in some cases when you’re first
starting off i can remember
me thinking wait do they really want to
talk to me why are you talking to me i’m
about to come in here and bear my soul
for this this part and you’re like
talking to me like i’m a normal human
being what’s wrong what’s wrong with you
what do you you know you get all these
crazy things going on in your head and
then you realize
at some point and i want this for you
you realize at some point
they want what you want they want
success
in their job they want to be able
whether it includes you or not they want
to be able to present the very best
options
to the producers that they’re working
for and to the director of the episode
that they’re working on
and you want the same thing you want to
present your best self
just in case what you do works
same thing with voiceover when you’re
when you’re doing a part you’re not
looking to do a part and doing something
like so gargantuanly different from what
other people are doing that it makes you
look foolish you just want to serve the
production you want to show them that
you can fit in with what their vision
for the production is but then you mix
in this
small talk thing this normal human being
thing
and it can be confusing
until it isn’t
until you realize
that just like in any other business
you’re both a human being
and you’re just having a conversation
and then you flip the switch and you fix
the faucet
right
you’re saying hey how are you your home
is lovely i’m glad i’m lab try to hear
here to help you with your with your
plumbing i’ll take a look at the faucet
let’s see what’s going on
and then you do you just do your work
and as you get further and further into
your journey the rules around this are
going to
change it’s going to get easier for you
to have a normal conversation with
people who you perceive to have
power over you
and
it’s that moment when you go oh okay
i really am a professional i really am
this person’s peer they’re my partner
they’re not some godlike creature
or when you’re going on a casting site
for voice over and you think to yourself
oh that that windshield repair shop in
paducah kentucky you know he could pick
anybody i i just gotta i’ve got to be
really respectful overly kind and nice
and just be you
have a small talk
have a moment
take the time to remember that you are a
human being and there’s no need for fear
there’s no need for
holding your hat in your hand and going
gee i hope you pick me
it’s not not necessary
treat your production partners
the way you’d want to be treated
and if you want to think about my
grandfather and fixing the faucet i’m
just saying listen thank you so much
if you like what you heard today i hope
it helps
uh
hit that smash that like button so hard
that it’s inoperable for anybody that
comes along after you
subscribe to these podcasts if you want
to i’d love to have you part of the
conversation
on voheros.com that’s where the
conversation is sane and
and and calm and supportive and if you
know of another actor or voice talent
who would benefit from this message feel
free to go up to the address bar and
grab the url and forward it to them i
appreciate that thanks so much for
watching and for listening i’m david h
lawrence the 17th
and i will see you in the next episode
of the vo heroes podcast
[Music]

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