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September 3, 2007
The Actors Voice, 9/3/07
Hi Everyone!
Here's how today's The Actors Voice starts out.
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Creating Shorthand
I've recently been working quite a bit with a filmmaker I've known for just under three years. In showbiz, that's both a very short time and a lifetime. We've now worked as director (she) and casting director (me) on five projects (and another couple of projects on which we each had different jobs). Basically, at this point, she's my Ron Howard and I'm her Jane and Janet. And we're both really fine with the seed that relationship comparison plants.
During casting meetings on the most recent couple of projects we've done together, I noticed something really cool happening. Now, we always enjoy collaborating. We always have a blast working together (which is why we continue to do so). And now that we have this history of projects on which we've teamed up, we have created this sort of shorthand that we can use, when discussing options on our current projects.
"Y'know who she reminds me of?"
"Yes! I thought so too!"
"That was such a good call. She worked out great for the role, even though she was younger than we initially wanted to go."
"Wonder if we should go younger with this role too."
"We could. But only if we find the right actor."
"Yeah, because we learned the hard way that a non-pro can eat up way too much time on set and we don't have a lot of it, when working with minors."
"Right. So let's be open to going younger if someone with the right level of credits walks in and wows us."
"Like she did, when we first met her."
"Exactly."
And on we go with our day. And this sort of conversation continues to happen several times over about all sorts of different issues, people, and experiences we've shared. Further, when we're not even in the same city, we'll have email exchanges, phone conferences, and instant messages flying back and forth in which we use the shorthand we've created on previous jobs to get us moving along faster and more efficiently in our current ones.
That, in short, is why people who like to work together like to work together. Call it favoritism. Call it nepotism. Call it a closed network. What it is is an efficient, familiar, easier way of doing business when every second counts (and costs a bundle).
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Continue reading this column RIGHT NOW, along with a Your Turn filled with reactions to last week's Issues of Race piece at Showfax.com.
And!!
Be sure to visit The Actors Voice: POV for a POV from a casting director in another market... Portland. Yes, it's our first return visit from a POV contributor: Lana Veenker!
Woo hoo!
As always, THANK YOU for reading!
Cheers,
-Bon.
Live your dreams! If you don't, someone else will.
Posted by bonnie at September 3, 2007 8:12 PM