Casting Director Reels in Local Actors For Films

September 6, 2009

By NANCY MCCAULEY BRANSTETTER

Carrie Ray has been preparing her whole life for her current role. As a casting director, she draws upon her acting and directing experience, but most importantly she says she can size up an actor’s personality instantly.

Ray auditions dozens, sometimes hundreds of actors at her Royal Oak office to find just the right person to play a film character. She says she searches for special actors who are team players and are easily directed.

“The actor must be believable in a role. They must connect to the character or camera and basically draw emotions from the director. The question is — do we believe you?” Ray said.

As a young child Ray cast her cut-out dolls into families. Later, she made movies by placing her friends in various roles and, using a chunky VHS movie camera, recorded the action. After college she went to Chicago and worked with casting director David O’Connor, where she honed her casting skills.

“I learned so much about casting for film and commercials from the best,” Ray said. “David O’Connor taught me how to quickly analyze talent and bring the best out of them. It is an art; it really is. He taught me the creative side and the business side. You need both to be successful. He runs a tight ship, and I try to do that, too.”

In the last year and a half, Ray cast actors for many movies including “Stone” with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton, “Betty Ann Waters” starring Hillary Swank and “Up In The Air” with George Clooney. She is currently casting speaking roles for the film “Alleged,” which is shooting in Flint at Crossroads Village. Written by Michigan native Fredrick Foote, the film explores the Scopes Monkey Trial about evolutionary theory.

She works closely with the talent agencies representing local actors. Ray compiles the best auditions on a reel to show the director, who makes the final judgment. Once in a while, she has trouble finding the perfect actor for a role and casts her net outside the normal channels.
“I have a neighbor who played high school football, and I needed a football player. I asked him to audition and he got a roll in a Kim Cattrall film last year. Recently, I interviewed people who lost their jobs, and six of them were flown to L.A. to be interviewed, documentary-style, for the film ‘Up in the Air’ with George Clooney,” she said.

State film incentives enacted in the spring of 2008 are bringing filmmakers to the state, and local actors are getting a real shot at film roles.

In some cases, some California-based actors are willing to fly in even for a couple of lines. With this once in a lifetime opportunity at hand, Ray urges local actors to embrace the opportunity.

Carrie Ray has a few golden rules for new actors:

Be available — when you get a call be on time and dependable;

Be prepared — know the script and ask any relevant questions such as what do I wear, where do I go and is there a script I can study;

Be professional — work hard and do a good job. Make yourself stand out, be unique and integrate parts of yourself into the character to make it is your own;

And, finally, always have a headshot, which is your calling card. That’s an 8-by-10 picture of your head and shoulders with your resume attached. It should reflect your personality. After all, it is really all about you. (Copyright 2009 - All Rights Reserved - Na)