Casting Handbook

Casting is a crucial creative element of any production - and yet the craft and skills needed to put together a successful and exciting cast are often overlooked. The Casting Handbook explains the casting process from beginning to end and covers everything producers and directors needs to know – as well as proving a fascinating and illuminating read for actors. The book explores:how to prepare a breakdownwhere to source actorshow to prepare for a casting sessionhow to make casting decisionshow a cast is put togetherhow deals are doneethics and the law, with special reference to casting childrenhow a casting director contributes to the initial development of the scripthow the casting works from fringe theatre to Hollywood blockbustersThe Casting Handbook considers actors’, producers’, agents’ and directors’ relationship with a casting director, the day to day work that is casting, and how approaching it in a professional and informed manner can make the difference to the final product.Including interviews with actors, agents, directors, casting directors and producers; case studies; exercises; and a fact file of useful templates and contacts, this book offers a thorough induction into the casting process, suitable for students and early career professionals in any media.

"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."- Amir Korangy - President, Theatre of Arts, Los Angeles"From the opening chapter ‘What is Casting’, to ‘Where to Look for your Cast’ and ‘Casting Children’, the book will give you the right information in a clear and concise way of going about choosing the right actors for any project …It outlines the potential foibles and pitfalls, whether it is giving advice on budgeting for actors or helping with ideas on how to remunerate people who are going to work for free…If you are after some more knowledge on this subject and the best way to approach agents and the like, this book really does have all of the answers."- Ben Taylor, review for Raindance Film Festival

Suzy Catliff has a degree in Dramatic Arts from Bretton Hall, and worked in stage management before attending the directors’ course at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She assisted and directed in regional repertory theatres, before becoming casting assistant to Sarah Bird and Michelle Guish in the 1990's, working on 'Sense and Sensibility', 'The English Patient' and 'Wilde' as well as numerous other films, television series and dramas. Suzy was casting director for BBC 1's flagship drama 'Casualty' for three years amongst other TV and Film projects, including the award winning 'D-Day', 'Silent Witness', 'Sir Gadabout' and UK casting on two series of 'Primeval' for ITV. She is currently UK casting consultant for Shaftesbury Films. Suzy works in drama schools, universities and film schools as director, casting director and teacher. Jennifer Granville has worked as an actor in repertory & West End theatre, film and TV. Her screenplays have won the La Femme, 21st Century and Latino Screenwriting Competitions. Producing credits include: The Secret Songs of Butterfish, which won the Gold Plaque, Chicago Int. Film Festival and Special Jury Award at the New York Expo; On the Roof, a Fuji Award-winning short; The Real Fawlty Towers, for Anglia Television directed by Lindy Heymann and the experimental Winesburg, Ohio adapted from the Sherwood Anderson book of the same name. Her experimental screenplay, MSI: The Anatomy of Integers and Permutation,s, is currently being adapted into a graphic novel by Princeton University Press. She taught at the Ohio University School of Film in the USA and since 2005 has been Director of the Northern Film School at Leeds Metropolitan University.