Casting for Producers: 4 Types of Talent for Your Next Shoot

If you are a producer looking to hire talent for an upcoming project, you certainly have some work cut out for you! Aura Casting, a San Francisco Casting Director, helps busy producers find, coordinate with, audition, and book talent.

At Aura Casting, the casting process always begins with an in-depth conversation about the project, be it a commercial, corporate video, short film, or print shoot. And in fact, the type of production guides the search for talent, perhaps more than any other aspect of the project.

Think about what kind of project or video you are producing. Is it a talking head video, a sizzle reel, a spec commercial, a product demo, a corporate training video?

Below, we’ll explore a few of the biggest buckets, with thought starters on how they are unique.

• Model Videos

  • If you are creating a product video, like the one above, an emphasis on physical appearance and talent chemistry will be priority for you. Does the talent make you want to purchase the product? Do you get the sense your family would enjoy using it? Models allow potential consumers to imagine themselves with the product, and do not typically need to deliver lines or engage in dialogue.

• Host Videos

  • If you are creating a video where the creative vision hinges on the talent’s performance or dialogue delivery, then you’ll want to dig a little deeper. Typically, we find trained actors are best for these kinds of videos, and those often are found through talent agencies.

• Scene Partner Videos

  • If you are creating a video with multiple speaking parts, you’ll need to gauge their chemistry together before you cast. Aura Casting, conducts virtual auditions to help directors/producers get a better understanding of who reads well together. Examples of this are educational/training videos, and long form comedic skits.

• Voice Over

  • When it comes to voice over you’ll have to determine the kind of audio quality and feel that you want in your video. Generally though, look for clear delivery and confident, relatable sound. Consider if an accent or character is required. And a note - due to COVID, many producers have been hiring V.O. talent from home, if their equipment renders a professional-quality sound.

For more information about types of talent or questions in general, please reach out to us, Aura Casting, a Virtual Casting solution, and we’ll be sure to reply!