How to Become a Casting Director's Assistant
People interested in becoming Casting Director's Assistants often graduate from a college program focused on art, film, English, communications, theater or media studies. Yet, you can still pursue a career path as a casting assistant even if you don't have a college background. Industry knowledge, keen interest in film and theater and a dynamic and energetic personality all aid aspiring casting assistants in making this career path a success.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Take theater courses in high school or college, if possible. Participate in theater productions offered at your school or volunteer to help a local theater group to gain personal insight and experience.
-
2
Attend casting calls for productions in your local area to gain knowledge about the casting process. Make contact with casting directors and their assistants as well as experienced and aspiring actors. Not all productions hire a casting director, but all have someone to handle casting responsibilities.
-
-
3
Read online and print industry-specific publications such as "Variety," "Curtain Up," "Backstage," and "Show Business Weekly" to keep up with current actors, news and events.
-
4
Find a part-time or seasonal job in a theatrical agent's office or become a runner for a production agency to gain experience and make connections in the casting industry. Or look for internships in a theater.
-
5
Create a resume that lists your experiences -- paid and volunteer -- in the industry. Apply for posted casting assistant jobs or those that you learn about from your connections in the industry. Cities such as New York City, Los Angeles and Hollywood typically offer more casting assistant internships and jobs than other locales that lack cultural centers. Film and television employment is largely based in New York City and Los Angeles. However, casting assistant jobs may exist at smaller studios, cable television services or local television stations throughout the United States. Competition is stiff for all jobs in the entertainment field and the hours are often long with low pay. In general, the entertainment industry is expected to continue thriving and offer job growth at a rate of 8 to 18 percent through 2018, or approximately equal to the average growth of all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
In the casting industry, commercials often have the highest budgets.
Register with the Casting Society of America to receive emails about job opportunities within the casting industry.
Tell everyone you know that you want to become a Casting Director's Assistant, especially people who work in the industry. Sometimes people offer valuable advice or give tips about available jobs.
Building a reputation as a casting assistant can be difficult. Once you become a Casting Director's Assistant, it could take you many years before you gain a promotion unless you exhibit consistent ambition and perseverance.
