#casting advice

[leighlim]

"I think the training in New York has always been better and I think it’s easier to get started there. I think L.A. is a place you go to when you’re invited or to shoot. You move to New York to be an actor, you move to L.A. to be a movie star."

- Mark Saks

[pawpels]

Hey! I saw your post about fast food workers/extras, and I was wondering how you originally got into extra work, particularly since you mentioned that you're an extra in Atlanta. (I live near Atlanta as well).

Getting into extra work in Atlanta is seriously the easiest thing ever right now, as long as you’re over 18 (or under 14. If you’re in the middle then I’m super sorry. There are a few opportunities, but not nearly enough).Step 1: Go on FacebookStep 2: Like the following pages: 

CL Casting

Extras Casting Atlanta 

Background Artists Atlanta 

Tammy Smith Casting - Atlanta 

Southern Background Casting 

New-Life Casting 

Pierre Casting 

Sky Casting House 

Casual Casting Atlanta 

Big Picture Casting 

There’s so many, I literally found the last two while writing this list 

Step 3: Set them all to “Get Notifications”Step 4: Apply to every call you fit Step 5: ProfitHappy casting! 

[racistroleplay]

Hey! How do you feel about erasing the ethnicity of biracial or multiracial people? For example, erasing the fact that Shay Mitchell is ONLY half Filipino, and making her full Filipino? Is that some sort of white washing?

This one is tricky. You don't want to erase the identities of mixed race people, and you don't want to exclude non-mixed people of color. What I try to do when casting (or nationalizing, for non-faceclaim games) is make sure if I have mixed race characters (which I should), they aren't the only representatives of their race if they're mixed passing for not - that way, if they have features of another race, you're not perpetuating colorism or racial beauty standards by making them the only representative, but you're not excluding the very real variations of mixed race features, either.

Basically, if you're going to have Shay Mitchell PLAY Filipinio, you should try and half at least another Filipino character and at least a few mixed race (and identified AS mixed race) characters in your game. That way you can represent everyone without reinforcing anything negative.

note: remember, though, if you're casting a canonically full blooded person of color, do not default to popular mixed race faces just because they're popular; if you find yourself doing this, pause and take a moment to consider why you have, and why it might be harmful.