Joanne Brooks Photography

I interviewed Actress, Casting Associate and all around awesome gal Lisa Nicole Lennox.

JB:

Lisa, you get to be an actress who works in a casting office. Tell me some of the things that you helped cast in the last few years. Maybe the highlights for you…

LL:

I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved in the casting process. The first project I worked on was Twilight: Eclipse and that itself was a crazy and exciting experience from day one!  We were responsible for casting three roles for Eclipse and saw over a hundred actors read for just one part alone. There was also a worldwide contest held for a chance to be chosen for a small part in the film by submitting a self-taped audition.  We received well over two thousand video submissions and watched every single one of them!  We picked about 20 of those submissions and passed them on to the director and producers to view.  Seeing the casting process from the other side of the table completely demystifies and humanizes the casting/audition experience for me as an actor and has also taught me some invaluable tips to use for my own auditions. I will say, nothing beats being prepared and having confidence in your self and your work as an actor.   As a casting associate, you can taste the desperation of an actor looking for the big break – or even just a small one – the minute they walk into the room. Just come in, be polite, do your work, say thank you and leave. Leave us wanting more of you.

JB:

What were some of the turn-offs? I mean how do actors get in their own way when they walk in the room?

LL:

Doubting their work and outwardly showing frustration, asking for multiple retakes and nothing from our perspective significantly changes in the performance to be worth the time. Don’t get me wrong, I tend to always have a better second take, and I believe you should ask for it if you feel it will make your performance shine or you have another idea for the material, but not just so you feel better.  Be kind and considerate of the casting office time, don’t create too much conversation about the traffic or how difficult it was to find parking. Also- always have a headshot and resume with you. Always. Even if you think you don’t need one. Casting directors like to keep their own files and may just want to slip you in there.  This might seem obvious but don’t be rude, arrogant, or needy. Just be polite, grateful and awesome!

JB:

That’s amazing advice! Thank you so much!

One last question, since I am a headshot photographer…

What do you respond to in a headshot? How important, or is it that important for an actor to submit a serious shot for Film rather than a smiling one?

LL:

As everyone says - it’s the magic, the life, the energy and the story behind the eyes. Hands down most important. Make sure you’re looking right into the lens of the camera and not slightly above it. That little difference affects the impact your photo has on the viewer. Yes! If you’re going in for a comedic role have an energetic smiley shot. Remember the casting directors are absorbed in the project you’re auditioning for and you want to fit into that “mood.” Don’t make them have to stop and take the time to imagine what your dramatic shot would look like if you were smiling or vice versa. You want to make it easy for them to love you and hire you! Also, love your own headshot so when you hand it to the CD we can feel your confidence about it. If it’s not your favorite shot but it’s getting you auditions, keep it and fake that you love it. Never apologize for your photo – even in body language. Casting directors are inherently very intuitive to what your body is saying outside of your words. I believe it’s what makes them excel at their job, or any job for that matter.  But this job is about human beings coming in the room using everything they’ve learned about life to tell a part of story. You begin to develop a keen sense of body language when you spend your whole day with actors who might be auditioning with same material. We’ve seen those same lines said over and over all day long and we start to listen to what else you’re saying. We can start to sense who is confident, prepared, happy, and who is not. It becomes crystal clear by end of sessions. We have been to know to say: Yah, he was pretty good but there was something weird going on there. What was the “weird?” I don’t know. Maybe he wasn’t as prepared as he wanted to be, or was worried about his parking meter, or lacked the confidence to give his best. But we sensed it. I can’t believe I am about to write this but - have fun with it!  Seriously, it’s so true. When you’re having fun with what you’re doing, then we are relaxed and having fun with you. If you’re not, then we aren’t either. And, really, if you’re not having fun, why are you doing it?

JB:

Ok, I lied… I do have one more question. Do you call people in with little to no experience just because they have a great photo? What about if someone has a terrible photo but maybe the right-look, do they make it in to your office?

LL:

The answer to both of those questions is yes – sometimes- but it depends. We have called in people with less experience because their photo looks like what we’ve envisioned for a specific role and the office I work for has a desire and open mind to finding new talent, which is a treat and bonus for all actors.  Not all offices work that way though. Sometimes the resume is all that matters.  We do look at their credits and honestly we’ve gone both ways. It depends on what kind of role we’re casting. If it’s a lead, chances are we won’t call you in if credits are sparse.  If it’s a smaller role, we have more flexibility with who can bring in.

Here’s the deal: a breakdown goes out and we can get over a thousand submissions for one role. (!)  We look over the photos quickly and see who jumps out at us and looks right and we pull those. We then look at their resume and the rest of the photos in the gallery and then say yes or no. We do this process about three times in case we’ve looked over someone, which can happen. But this is why your photo is so important!!  Get yourself pulled in the first round because other offices may not have the gift of time to run through the submissions two or three times and once the auditions slot are full, they are full.  I would suggest having your photo cropped tight like passport photo – this way it’s easy for us to see your face – and we don’t have to search deeper in the photo to find you.  Imagine your photo (the size of a passport photo) lined up on the computer screen with a thousand other photos. Does it catch your eye? If not, you may be hurting your chances of getting called in. Get an objective opinion. Ask your agent or someone who doesn’t you all that well. Speaking of photos in the online gallery, less is more! I would suggest having no more than 5 or 6. Really.  Even if you love all ten, narrow it down so you have a nice variety of what kind of parts you can play. I started to notice that the more credits an actor has, the less photos they have in their gallery and vice versa. When I opened up an actor’s resume and ten photos pop up, it feels a bit desperate and “trying too hard” which feels novice. Also, half of the ten photos are redundant and unnecessary. Be wise and selective about this process. I personally had 11 photos in my gallery and quickly cut it down to six after realizing this in my last casting job.  Of course, this is just my opinion, but it started to become fact that more credits equaled less photos in the gallery. So, to sum it up – your photos are VERY important as it is the first evidence of you that comes through the office. Spend the extra money for hair and makeup and for the right photographer. Photos that are cheap, look cheap and then read novice. And remember, if you don’t want to make the investment, there are a thousand other people who will – and are.

JB:

Thank you so much for your time and being so detailed and helpful. I am sure actors will find this really valuable.