Cherrix Casting ATL

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One of the most thrilling moments during the casting process is when you find an aspiring actor with no experience( according to industry standards) who is completely right for the role--I call that feeling my Zingle moment! At the beginning of my career I was routinely hired for "talent searches" --primarily relating to children. I met and saw kids who were cast in major films and/or TV...with no prior experience. As time passed, I went on to "talent search" adults and to my amazement, I met talented, aspiring actors, with little to no experience who were successfully cast as "guest star" billing on network TV. What do I know for sure? When I feel the "Zingle"--I listen to it. And producers and directors agree with me.

Actors self-help tip based on inquiries I receive from actors: google and/or read industry publications to find out projects filming regionally (ex: out of Atlanta). Who is casting those projects, specifically regional Casting Directors. Have you received requests via Breakdown Services/your agent from all the Casting Directors? Are there CD's or projects (ex: TV series) that you rarely or never hear from and they are in their third season of filming out of Atlanta? Why? are your self-tapes bad? does the RCD (regional casting director) believe you don't have the chops? Or, does the RCD never request from your agent because your agency is not on their TOP "go to" list. Casting Directors always choose agencies they believe have the best talent and a proven track record because it takes us less time to complete our job. We are always in a time crunch.

Behind the scenes life: How can an actor- who has representation and a solid booking track record, NOT know the name of an Atlanta based Casting Director, who is working consistently, non-stop, on TV and features? Answer: Actor's agent has not received a Breakdown from this CD. Why? Because that agent does not have GREAT talent (and the CD knows it). It's a waste of the CD's time to look at taped auditions, when there are lots of better agents out there, with more talent signed to that agency. Time for the actor to get a new agent!

For the most part, managers are a Casting Director's worst nightmare. There, I said it.

Behind the scenes from a Casting Director: Since starting work in ATL in 2009, the number of agents has skyrocketed. The best agents are those who have a long track record. They are the first "go to" agents on a Casting Director's list when looking at taped/in person submissions/auditions. Why? We know they have solid, proven talent, over the course of time, and as a CD, we are always in a time crunch. Why would we waste time seeing or viewing "new" agent talent, when we can get the job done quicker by beginning with more established agencies? I'm not going to list my agency preferences. It's just one of those unspoken, not talked about "rules" of being a Casting Director. My intention is to shed a little light on the CD's job and how we think and work.

Behind the scenes work life of a Casting Director and what that means to actors: CD's are always in a time crunch. We look at thousands of taped auditions and when we hit "play" we watch for 3 to 5 seconds. That's how much time you have to grab our attention. Then we move on to view the next actor.

Summer classes in Asheville, NC
June 9 and 10
2 day Bootcamp for Grades 4-8
2 day Teen workshop Grades 9-12
cherrixcasting.com

Casting Directors are always in a time crunch. Self Tapers: get your clip in as early as possible--regardless of the deadline. Creative decisions from production can and usually leave us having to change our time frame at the last minute. That leaves the early bird (actor) getting the worm.

Casting Directors want to have a visceral reaction to your audition, whether in person or self-taped. It's a gut reaction when everything fades away and we are simply drawn to the story you are telling. Tape yourself, over and over, under different circumstances (ex: hard workout, waking up in the morning) and observe yourself..did you believe? I see it in the auditioning process when there's a moment that you know you are real. Actors tell me they feel it when it happens. An epiphany. Learn to recognize it in yourself. Nobody will work harder for you than you.

LEARN WHAT I KNOW AFTER WATCHING THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF TAPED AUDITIONS

The Do-It-Yourself-Actor, a class with Marty Keener Cherrix
Here's what most casting directors won't tell you: anyone can learn how to give a commanding performance in a self-taped audition and it isn't always talent that lands the role. Learn why you are not booking more roles and how to catch a casting director's eye in the first crucial moments of your audition.

One-on-one weekend classes run from March 10th through April 8th, 2018, in Asheville, NC. Available by appointment. For full details about the classes or scheduling, visit cherrixcasting.com or email me personally at: [email protected].

The location of the class will be emailed to you once registration is complete.

https://www.cherrixcasting.com/classes/

Classes This one-hour class is for actors of any age who want to find out why they are not booking more roles. The class is individualized to actors at every stage of their career. "What do I know after watching ten years of self-taped auditions? 90% of them are terrible!" --Marty Cherrix, CSA

Spots now open for Marty's One-on-One acting workshops in Asheville, NC on November 4th and 5th! One-hour individual sessions and 7 slots available each day. Register here:

https://www.cherrixcasting.com/classes/