Philadelphia is one of those great “minor markets” that is always busy with many different types of opportunities for actors. Susan Gish, of Philadelphia Casting, was kind enough to share some thoughts about hot casting topics in her market.
Hot Topics in Philly Casting
In Philadelphia, we respect that actors can cross over and bring a three-dimensional character to the table, no matter what the medium. These actors adapt at auditions on a daily basis. And there are a lot of these types of actors in Philly!
I want to cover three areas, here in this POV. Basically, we do a lot of actor-friendly, multi-platform casting. We cast everything. And we’re aware that principal actors, here, do background work (and we don’t judge them negatively for that choice). Also, Philly is a great location (part of the tri-state market) for actors today.
First, about casting everything: In the bigger markets, casting companies usually only handle one thing. They specialize in voiceover, or theatre, or films, or TV, or commercials, etc. So do the agents. So, you need one agent for each area of coverage and you really have to push yourself in one or maybe two directions to get seen at all. The agents in the Philly area also handle it all! So, there are options!
Let me take you through a recent run of casting here at our office.
Today, we’re looking for real psychiatrists. Yesterday, I cast a voiceover for the lottery. Last week, it was a web-based industrial for a pharmaceutical company and a national commercial. Next week, we’re casting a casino commercial and I am finishing the search for a national reality show. I’ve got 30 extras to find for a commercial shoot. We just completed an independent film and I am helping a local theatre company find a replacement actor.
Talk about diversity in casting!
Casting companies in smaller markets (those besides Los Angeles and New York), are lucky to be able to cast actors for all types of projects, all types of genres, all types of media. We don’t cast for only one format, which helps us understand the actor and their range of talent that much better. An actor that might not be good for commercial work, for example, does a great job in the scene work for something like America’s Most Wanted.
Philadelphia is also a great theatre town. We have a lot of very talented actors here who are able to “cross over” and audition for us for different mediums, different projects, different genres all the time.
As former actors ourselves, we totally appreciate, respect, and sometimes find it amazing that the Philadelphia area actor can change from independent film to voiceover, from commercial to theatre, all within one day or from one day to the next! It’s sort of like that improv game on Who’s Line Is It Anyway! “Switch!” “Okay, soap opera style!” “Okay, now film noir!” “Okay, now silent movie!”
Next, about casting background: Unlike casting directors in Los Angeles, we at Philadelphia Casting also respect actors that accept background work! Yes! We use the most talented members of our profession, who usually have leads in plays, or principals in films and commercials, and they happily accept extra work when they are slow! We figure, at least they are working in their profession, as opposed to waiting tables in between gigs.
That casino shoot I mentioned above ended up upgrading one of the talent, and they made thousands more than they originally thought or expected! Yes, it happens all the time! Plus, what better place to refine your technique? If you are background, you can spend the time usefully, watching and listening on the set. There’s no better schooling.
Finally, I’d like to mention that Philadelphia is located right in between New York and Baltimore/Washington DC. There are numerous actors who get in the car or on the bus to travel the tri-state area for auditions. These “willing to travel” (without travel pay, in most cases) actors book more because they are plugging more markets.
So, you see there are many good opportunities for actors in the Philly area to work on all sorts of projects, including doing extra work, and work in several different local markets at once. We’re happy to facilitate that!
Super cool! I started out as an actor in a minor market (Atlanta) and I often traveled to Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina for acting gigs. And, sure enough, I would audition for casting directors who covered commercials, voiceovers, and theatrical casting all in the same office. This is definitely unlike the Los Angeles market, where we’re all a bunch of specialists, for the most part (and living more than a couple dozen miles outside of Hollywood makes getting to auditions and gigs pretty dang tough for most working actors). Thanks for your POV, Susan!
About Susan Gish
Susan Gish has handled extras casting for feature films such as Up Close & Personal, Twelve Monkeys, Philadelphia, and Die Hard: With a Vengeance. She has also served as principals casting director of several films and scripted and reality TV series, as well as countless commercials, music videos, and stage plays. Susan is proud to say that actors auditioning at Philadelphia Casting are only ever competing with fellow actors. At no time are you auditioning against a casting director, their spouse, or an employee of Philadelphia Casting. Philadelphia Casting holds occasional open calls on an invitation-only basis.
This contribution originally ran at Bonnie Gillespie’s online column on November 15, 2007.