FAQ
How much will it cost to hire a Casting Director?
Depends on your budget and project. Industry standard is .01% of feature budget goes to the casting director, plus an associate and/or assistant paid by production. Roles a la carte start at $800, and you can look at our packages for all inclusive feature casting priced at sliding scale.
How long does it take to cast a project?
Between 2-12 weeks. The bigger the production and cast, the longer casting takes.
Can I get a quote for casting my production?
Yes, just fill out the ‘get a quote’ contact form with all the details I need about you and your project. I will be in touch via email if it sounds like a possible fit. We also offer flat rates for ultra-low budget features, moderate low-budget features, low-budget features, features, short films, and student films on the packages page. After the consultation, we should be able to give you a solid estimate of cost and time.
What if my project needs faster casting?
I get it, that’s production. As long as your expectations are realistic, we should be able to get your project cast by the time shooting starts. We’re highly experienced in time-sensitive casting.
Does my project need to be SAG?
All projects other than commercials must be SAG. Confirm which SAG agreement your project falls under before requesting a consult.
What if the contractual casting period ends and I want to see more options?
No problem. You can extend the casting process at a weekly rate.
Broadening the casting period is extremely common for studio productions, even with the typical 3-person (casting director, associate casting director, casting assistant), 3-month casting period for features and pilots.
What’s the next step? Can I talk to you first?
I’d love that. We offer free initial consultations via Zoom. Submit a contact form and we’ll get back to you.
How is payment handled?
Half week 1 of casting, half last week of casting.
Is there any fine print I should know about?
Yes. In packages, there are first-refusal clauses (shorts). In feature packages, there’s a bonus for film success and co-producer credit for the lower end of low-budget films. This allows us to work 3x as hard as a casting director while making less than an associate casting director. Creative collaboration, not exploitation. I want everyone to feel really good about this process. Fruitful work relationships are built on mutual trust and appreciation.
I need to attach a name to my movie to secure film financing. Should I hire you?
If you have a good script and an appropriate budget, we’ll happily bring exciting names and offer ideas. But celebrity shouldn’t be the main aspect of a Chaos Casting project. We want to cast the best actor for the role. If that person ends up being famous, cool. If they’re an interesting new face or breakout working actor, equally cool.
If you can afford to go after a name actor, you should easily be able to pay the industry standard .01% of the budget to the casting director. This includes the full cast as well as names. You should also have financing, real credits, an experienced producer, and a great script.
Anything else?
I love casting and am great at it. I want to work with filmmakers who are great at what they do and genuinely enjoy the process. This industry is as brutal as it is beautiful, but that’s part of the fun.
What does the casting process include?
The industry-standard casting process used by every TV show and movie you see.
Ok but walk me through that process.
Sure.
Casting concept call
Initial, revised, final character breakdown; plus in depth personal character analysis, actor profiles, etc to bring your vision to life.
Breakdown released industry wide to agents, managers, and actors, via breakdown, actors access, personal outreach, other platforms as needed.
Casting picks the best people to read or consider for offers
Auditions, callbacks, producer sessions
Sessions
Offers and negotiation
Deal memos, clearance, quick contact info to production.
Who should hire a casting director?
Good, producible, funded SAG projects should always hire a casting director.
Do your casting services include extras?
No. We don’t do extras. But if we do the main casting, we’ll happily link you with a great extras casting director.
Can we have in-person producer sessions?
Yes! We love live sessions and have a great space in LA. You just have to cover the studio rental fee or provide a SAG-compliant space in your production office.
My specific type of project isn’t listed on your site, can you cast it?
Probably. Email hello@chaoscasting.com.
