When I spent time with Donald Paul Pemrick for the Talent Managers Association Symposium, Casting from A to Z, I knew I wanted to meet the other half of the Pemrick/Fronk casting office.
Pemrick spoke about sending postcards straight to the trash bin, while commenting that his partner, Dean Fronk, loved receiving postcards. Pemrick mentioned using technology on a very minimal basis in his office, but I knew that he and his partner had cast the hugely successful CD-ROM, Diablo 2.
In an attempt to learn about their partnership, I visited Pemrick and Fronk in their penthouse office in Sherman Oaks, where their reputation for being actor-friendly shines through.
First Casting Job Together
Fronk’s first job with Pemrick was as casting assistant for Cyber Bandits. “I came from Breakdowns. I covered all the casting directors in the valley, which was Don’s territory. He really let me sit in and learn a lot about what he was doing. He loves to talk.”
Fronk continued, “He was doing Cyber Bandits, one of four films for IRS Media, and Donald offered me the job of assistant – or office PA, really – in his office.”
“His rise to partner was fairly quick. I knew he was capable of doing it. Everything I threw onto him, he picked up on it. He could communicate really well and wasn’t intimidated to stick up for who he thought was right for a role. He was running sessions within four months,” Pemrick said of Fronk.
“When I came on with him, IRS was in the process of expanding. Don was so busy doing six MOWs for Showtime, four sci-fis for Columbia TriStar, and the Mirimax film Children of the Corn. He had to have somebody else running the sessions. In seven months, we were doing Crosscut,” Fronk recalled of his first casting director credit.
“I had a similar situation in becoming a casting director. I was working with Marc Schwartz in the 1980s and he had me go help with a pilot at Universal. We had been doing co-casting on Three’s Company and Marc’s request that I go do a pilot led to my staff position at Universal,” Pemrick explained.
Coolest Casting Gig
“One False Move,” Pemrick volunteered without hesitation. [Producer] Jesse Beaton and [director] Carl Franklin allowed me to be as creative in casting as they were in what they did,” he explained.
“That was one of my favorite movies in college,” Fronk chimed in. “It’s one of the best independent films you can see.”
Pemrick continued his list, “Family films are also fun to cast. Kids are so unpredictable. We just did five family movies last year and that’s just a different kind of casting. Kids are fun.”
“My favorite [casting gig] was House of 1000 Corpses. It’s the Rob Zombie film we did for Universal. [Zombie] let us find the most creative people we could, focusing on the look and acting ability, not what they’d done,” Fronk explained. “It’ll be a cult classic, with this eclectic cast.”
Another favorite for Fronk was 2000’s number-one selling entertainment CD-ROM, Diablo 2. “Even though it was voices we were casting, we wanted actors to bring the characters to life,” he recalled. “I’m a video game nut, so, for me, it was a great experience.”
Key Things They Look for in an Actor
“I personally want you off book. This is so my director can work with you. Ninety percent of the time, we don’t prescreen. I want you at performance level because when you read for me, the director is there,” Pemrick began.
“A sense of professionalism,” said Fronk. “Actors need to know how to conduct themselves from the moment they get off the elevator. That time in the lobby and during their read, they should be 100% professional.”
“Keep a sense of humor,” Pemrick added. “If you don’t like what you’re doing, leave. Do something else. Don’t bring a negative attitude in here.”
“If you’re nervous,” Fronk continued, “everybody senses it. There’s a level of poise that comes with confidence in your ability. If you’re nervous, it effects your read.” As for what an actor should do with that nervous energy, Fronk advised, “Use that flow of energy to hit your mark, but not so that we pick up on the fact that it’s your nerves driving you.”
Pemrick interjected, “Being in the room longer does not mean you are more likely to get the job. Don’t assume if someone ahead of you is in here with us for a few more minutes than you are that you need to ask questions to get to stay longer. The length of time you’re in the room really has nothing to do with how well you’ve done.”
Pet Peeves
“Bring your photo. Always,” Fronk requested. “Even if your agent has sent one, bring another. A client may take the one your agent sent, and if, after everyone is gone, we’re looking through the headshots and yours isn’t there, we’re not going to spend a lot of time tracking another one down. It’s Marketing 101. Have photos with you.”
Fronk continued, “Treat the audition like a job. You wouldn’t show up late to your job or unprepared to do your job. Be professional.”
“At every opportunity, you should be 100% together.” Pemrick detailed, “We book our appointments three or four days in advance. Get those sides and know the tone of the film. We try to make the entire script available to our actors, so that the actors have the most information possible by the time they audition. With television, it is your duty to watch the show you’ll be reading for. Know whether it’s two-camera, three-camera, live audience, filmed. This is all part of your job,” he listed. “You should watch two episodes of every show. I do. It’s good to know what kind of show it is, the tone of it. Research us.”
Pemrick quickly added, “Always have pictures with you. Never come in saying, ‘I thought my agent would send you one.'”
Advice for Actors
Pemrick began, “Do everything in your power to get as much theatre and student film as possible before getting in SAG. Then put all of your efforts and energy into getting SAG vouchers. SAG-eligible means I can hire you, but you’d better be able to pay your money to SAG before the shoot begins. Be up front. Be honest.”
Fronk advised actors to have a good attitude. “Confidence comes from the versatility of your training. Make choices, follow your intuition, and make sure that your intuition is founded in training,” he summarized.
Fronk continued, “Build a strong network of support around you. This should be friends, directors, writers, other actors – whoever – so that you can bounce things off of one another. It’s a creative industry, but the business end is about generating dollars. It’s not all by-the-book, so you’d better have a great support system and sense of humor or you’ll go crazy here.”
“Diversify,” Pemrick added. “Doing that has kept me sane.” Pemrick has written two television pilots, three films, and worked as director of a theatre company. “I’ve worn these other hats and that gives me a sense of perspective on the business. There’s no normal promotional ladder in this business. Remember that work begets work. We have cast musicals, consulted on student films, all sorts of things. You never know!” he insisted. “If you like the material, never say no. You never know what little gem you may be working on.”
Their Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
According to Pemrick, “Any self-promotion is self-promotion.” However, he suggested that, if your credits on IMDB are accurate, that may be enough, in terms of online accessibility. “Through that, we can find your representation, and that’s enough. I still write lists on yellow legal pads by hand. I don’t like computers. I don’t like email. I think it’s a way of separating people.”
Fronk piped in, advising that actors should, “Learn it now. It’s gaining strength [as a method of casting]. Be ready.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Them
“Let us see your tape,” Pemrick instructed. Demo reels, according to Pemrick/Fronk Casting, should only have an actor montage at the end of the tape, if at all. “We’ll put our feet up and watch a bunch of them at a time. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to get the tape back. We don’t want to throw them out. Don’t send a scene from acting class, or a performance at your sister’s bat mitzvah. Include three to four scenes and tell me what show I’m about to see. Also, include some credits, especially the directors’ names,” Pemrick suggested. “If you’ve worked with someone I know, I’d like to ask them about your work.”
“It’s a very small town,” Fronk added. “We know those indie directors. And, if you want, send over a work-in-progress and let us tell your manager or agent how to help you make it a better reel.”
Fronk further indicated that persistence is the best way to be seen. “If you’re in a play,” he explained, “hound us. We get five or six offers a day to see shows. If you’re persistent enough about your show, we will give you a chance.”
What about unsolicited mailings or drop-offs? “Be vague. Put the film name on the envelope, but not the role. The film we’re casting is public information, but we’ll know you’re getting pirated Breakdowns if you also know the roles. In our office, we open the envelopes in the order received. All headshots are looked at,” insisted Pemrick. “Personalize your submission a little bit, though. We read it all. Let me know that you’ve seen on cable something we cast and tell me what you thought of it. There’s never a time we’re not casting something, so just go ahead and send [your headshot and resume].”
As for casting director workshops, Pemrick was very opinionated. “I absolutely go [to casting director workshops]. I have no qualms about it. I hire a lot from workshops. And from generals. We have an open door policy. Bring by your headshot and resume. If we’re there, we’ll say hello,” he reemphasized.
Trends They Have Observed in the Casting Process
“Reality TV is a trend,” insisted Pemrick. “It’s just like Dynasty and Dallas and how no actor could get away with not having a glamorous headshot. Reality television really hasn’t impacted casting for us.”
“A trend in casting sessions, I’ve noticed, is that there is much more filming of sessions,” Fronk added. “Actors need to learn how to do on-camera auditions. We’re sending tapes to producers now, rather than having actors in repeatedly for sessions. So, don’t assume that, just because you’re doing a read in front of a camera, no producer will see it. Don’t get bummed out that the director isn’t in the room. In fact, more people will see your audition when it’s taped.”
Pemrick agreed, “Prereads don’t really exist anymore, for us. Be ready by knowing what colors to wear on camera. Have the mindset that you’re going to be on camera, even if you haven’t been told that, coming in for the audition.”
Their Opinion on Diversity in Casting
Pemrick began, “Writers, please eliminate physical descriptions to parts. Set decorators can make changes. Cinematographers can change lenses. We’re locked into a character type. A script is not a finished product. Lift those limitations and let us put the cast together. I can’t wait until I see in the stage directions, ‘Good actor enters room.’ Until that’s in the script, diversity will be an issue.”
What has Pemrick/Fronk Casting done to move this issue forward? “Once, I did breakdowns with just character occupations. For the role of the janitor, I only got submissions of African-Americans. For the truck driver, I got white males, heavy, 35-50. It disturbed me that those limitations exist in the mindset of the actors’ representation,” Pemrick lamented.
Their Greatest Casting Challenge
Pemrick recalled, “Casting Annie. One mother brought her son to audition for the role of Annie and I told her that Annie was a little girl. She said, ‘He can be a girl!’ It was awful.
What They Would Change About the Casting Process
Fronk would make the process more informative for the actor. “I’d like the whole environment to be more actor-friendly,” he said. “We try to meet you in the lobby and tell you what’s been going on in the room over the course of the day. We want you to have as much information as possible. If we’re up front, it puts you at ease and gives you more information so that you can do a better job. And the better you do, the better we look,” Fronk concluded.
“I still want to keep people meeting people. It’s essential that the director and actor meet one another, face-to-face. We bring you in because we want to hire you. Casting a role in one day is our goal,” Pemrick said.
Most Gratifying Part of Their Job
“When an actor nails an audition,” Fronk said. “It gives me chills. We look at each other and say, ‘that was it!’ when the actor walks out the door. There’s nothing as cool as when someone really gets it.”
“That’s a rush,” Pemrick added. “I love it when we have brought in eight actresses for a role and they were dynamite and did their homework and the director can’t decide between three of them. I know we did a good job then.”
This interview was conducted on November 9, 2001, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.