Casting (planning) 16

As we are coming closer to production, it was time to narrow down who would be playing our one and only role in the film. As I discussed in my research, there are 3 tips directors should take into account when casting a film; pick an actor that represents you, cast someone who stands out, and remain open-minded. Now lets review my casting process and how I narrowed down my decision.

Before we discuss, WHO I picked, let me explain HOW I got there. Since we started the casting process towards the end of pre-production, we needed to make quick decision and work with what we had. Thus, we turned to our own CSHS thespian program who recently put on a production of 'Your A Good Man, Charlie Brown'. After some consideration, Miley (the cinematographer) and I (the director), proposed two different candidates to the group; Lily Villalobos and Samuel Douglas.

Above you can find their headshots from the play. The next step was to decide... Sam.. or Lily..? 

Sam: Miley originally proposed Sam due to his vast amount of acting experience, however neither of us knew his personally, so it was a little difficult to reach out to him to discuss dates and the script. After reaching out, he let us know that he had a very busy schedule and would rarely be able to film. Nevertheless, he still seemed extremely intrigued and wanted to play the part.

Lily: On the other hand, I proposed Lily due to my personal friendship/experience with her. Even though Lily played a smaller role than Sam in Charlie Brown, I still believed she had a great impact on the play. Additionally, Lily is more available to film due to her less hectic schedule. Overall, Lily said she was very interested in the part because of her new acting journey.

Why gender wasn't a deciding factor:

Another thing I would like to note is gender. Obviously, as you can see, Sam and Lily are opposite genders and to most, this might seem like a deciding factor, however, to us, there was no difference. Referring back to my song research post, we were aiming for an indie vibe meaning that we were only trying to reach younger audiences, not a specific gender.

Overall, we have decided to move forward with Lily as our character. Once again, my research states that directors should trust their gut and go with what they feel is right, and I feel Lily. Here bubbly personality along with her talent accurately conveys the message our film is trying to give.