Casting FAQ

Start with a conversation about the project. A good casting director will ask about the format, the tone, the network, and what kind of people you're looking for before quoting a rate. Most casting directors work on a per-project or per-episode basis. The best time to bring in a CD is early, during development. Casting shapes the creative direction of the entire series, and the earlier you involve your CD, the better the result.

Rates vary widely depending on the format, scale, and timeline. A single-episode digital project is different from a multi-season network series. Most casting directors charge a flat project fee or a per-episode rate. Union shows (CSA-covered) have established minimums. The honest answer: call and describe the project. A casting director who's right for the job will give you a straight number.

A talent agency represents talent. They're advocates for their clients and earn a commission when their client books work. A casting director works for the production. We find, evaluate, and recommend the right people for the project, whether they have representation or not. Most of our work involves people who don't have agents at all, because the best person for the role is usually someone who wasn't looking for one.

Depends on the format. A competition series with 16 contestants typically takes six to ten weeks of active search, interviews, and callbacks. A dating show can take longer because the chemistry between cast members matters as much as the individuals. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok projects move faster. A creator collaboration or social campaign can be cast in a few days to two weeks, depending on the brief. The biggest variable is how specific the criteria are. The tighter the brief, the longer the search.

We define who the show needs, build the search strategy, source candidates through outreach and submissions, conduct interviews (in-person or remote), evaluate chemistry and on-camera presence, present selects to producers and network, coordinate callbacks, and manage the pipeline from first contact through final booking. On a large-scale series, that can mean screening thousands of people to find 12.

As early as possible. Casting isn't a task you do after the creative is locked. It's a creative decision that shapes everything after it. Bringing in a CD during development means the casting strategy aligns with the show's tone, format, and story goals from the start. We've seen shows completely reimagined based on who we found in the casting process.

If the people on screen matter to the outcome, yes. Format doesn't determine whether you need a CD. The question is whether the success of the project depends on finding the right person. A YouTube series with 18 million subscribers has the same casting stakes as a network show. The audience doesn't care what platform they're watching on.

That's most of what we do. After 10,000+ in-person interviews, you develop systems for finding real people who are compelling on camera. We source through social media, community organizations, local businesses, colleges, niche online groups, and direct outreach. The best reality TV cast members and brand campaign subjects almost never come from a submission form. You have to go find them.

Union casting falls under SAG-AFTRA or CSA agreements, which set minimum rates, working conditions, and usage terms. Non-union projects have more flexibility on deal structure but fewer protections for talent. The casting process itself is similar. The difference shows up in contracts, pay scales, and how usage rights are handled. We work both sides and can advise on which structure fits the project.

It depends on the role and the format. For a competition series with 16 cast members, we might screen 3,000 to 5,000 submissions and interview 200 to 300 people in person. For a brand campaign with 4 featured subjects, we might see 50 to 100. The ratio matters because casting is about finding the right person, not the first available person. Volume is how you find the standout.

Yes. Live events have their own casting requirements: people who can perform under pressure, stay on script or improvise depending on the format, and handle the energy of a live audience. We've cast for brand activations, live competition formats, and experiential campaigns. The evaluation is different from taped content because there are no second takes.

If there are people in your content, you need someone who knows how to find the right ones. A casting director brings a trained eye for on-camera presence, authenticity, and audience connection. The difference between content that performs and content that gets scrolled past is almost always the person on screen. That's true whether it's a national TV spot or a TikTok series.

The same way we cast for television: outreach, interviews, and instinct. We define the type of person the brand needs, then go find them. Sometimes that means searching specific communities, professions, or demographics. Sometimes it means screening hundreds of submissions. The goal is someone the audience believes, because real people who feel real on camera are harder to find than you'd think.

Talent strategy is the layer above casting. Instead of just filling a brief, we advise on who should represent your brand and why. That includes identifying the right type of person for your audience, evaluating creator partnerships for authenticity and reach, and building a casting framework that scales across campaigns. Most casting directors find people. Talent strategists help you decide which people to look for.

Social content has its own rules. The person needs to feel native to the platform, not like a commercial actor dropped into a TikTok. We cast for authenticity first, then evaluate on-camera energy, timing, and whether they can deliver a message without it feeling like a script. For creator-led content, we also assess existing audience, engagement quality, and brand alignment.

We handle talent negotiations and can coordinate usage terms, but final contracts typically go through the production's legal team or the brand's business affairs department. We'll advise on standard rates, usage windows, and exclusivity terms based on what's current in the market. On non-union projects, we often handle the full deal directly.

The evaluation criteria are different. For TV, you're casting for story: who creates conflict, who the audience roots for, who reveals something unexpected. For brands, you're casting for trust: who makes the audience believe the message. The process is similar. The instinct is the same. The lens shifts depending on what the content needs to accomplish.

Yes. UGC casting is about finding people who feel genuine on camera and can speak naturally about a product without sounding scripted. We source, screen, and evaluate for the specific tone and energy the brand needs. The difference between good UGC and bad UGC is almost always the person, not the production quality.

The content tells you. Did the audience connect with the person on screen? Did the video hold attention? Did the campaign hit its engagement or conversion targets? Good casting shows up in watch time, comments, shares, and whether people remember the person in the content. We also look at whether the talent was easy to work with on set, delivered on the brief, and could be brought back for future campaigns.

The project format, timeline, budget range, and a description of who you're looking for. The more specific, the better. 'We need a funny mom in her 30s who's comfortable on camera' is useful. 'We need talent' is not. If you have reference videos, mood boards, or examples of the tone you're going for, those help too. We can start a search with a 15-minute conversation.

TikTok casting prioritizes platform-native energy. The person needs to feel like they belong in someone's feed, not like they stepped out of a commercial shoot. That means less polish, more personality, and comfort with direct-to-camera delivery. TV commercial casting leans more on visual presence, ability to hit marks, and delivering lines with precision. Different muscles, different evaluation.

Yes. We've sourced talent across multiple countries for brand campaigns and digital content. International casting adds complexity around time zones, local regulations, work permits, and cultural nuance, but the evaluation process is the same. We assess on-camera presence, authenticity, and fit for the project regardless of where someone is located.

No. Most reality TV cast members don't have agents. We find people through outreach, social media, community referrals, and direct submissions. If you're right for the project, representation doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're compelling, authentic, and willing to be yourself on camera.

That's who we're usually looking for. Reality television and brand campaigns work best with real people who haven't been polished by the industry. If you've never been on camera, that's not a disadvantage. It often means you'll come across as more genuine, which is exactly what producers and brands want.

Authenticity. We're looking for people who are genuinely themselves on camera, not performing a version of themselves. After that, it depends on the project. Competition shows need people who perform under pressure. Dating shows need people who are emotionally open. Hidden camera needs people who react naturally without overthinking. The common thread: we want to see who you actually are.

A conversation, not an audition. We want to get to know you. We'll ask about your life, your personality, what makes you interesting. We might put you in hypothetical scenarios to see how you react. The whole point is to figure out if you'd be compelling on screen. There's no script to memorize and no right answers. The best thing you can do is be yourself.

A casting call is an open invitation to submit for a specific project. You'll typically fill out an application with basic information about yourself, upload photos, and sometimes record a short video. A casting director reviews every submission and reaches out to the people who fit the project. If you're selected, you'll be invited to an interview, either in person or over video.

No. We cast nationwide and sometimes internationally. Many interviews happen over video. If a project requires you to be in a specific location for filming, the production typically covers travel and housing. Where you live matters less than who you are.

Hidden camera casting means finding people for shows where the subjects don't know they're being filmed, at least not at first. There are no auditions. No reels. No preparation. The casting director has to read strangers cold and predict how they'll react in unexpected situations. It's one of the hardest forms of casting because you get zero data. We've cast over 100 episodes of hidden camera television, including The Carbonaro Effect. That volume is how you develop the instinct to read a stranger in seconds and know they'll deliver.

Check our Now Casting page for active projects. Each listing includes what we're looking for and how to apply. If nothing fits right now, check back. New projects open regularly, and the right opportunity might be one we haven't posted yet.

Dating show casting is about emotional openness, not just looks. We're looking for people who are genuinely ready to put themselves out there, who can articulate what they want in a partner, and who react authentically in romantic situations. After 30+ seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, we've learned that the cast members audiences fall in love with are the ones who are actually vulnerable, not the ones who are performing vulnerability.

Game show casting looks for energy, quick thinking, and personality. Producers want contestants who are fun to watch whether they're winning or losing. We evaluate how people handle pressure, how they celebrate, how they recover from mistakes. The best game show contestants are competitive without being aggressive and entertaining without trying too hard.

Competition casting is about finding people with a real skill and a compelling story behind it. The skill gets you in the room. The story is what makes the audience care. We look for people who are passionate about what they do, can perform under pressure, and have a perspective that sets them apart from other competitors. The combination of talent and personality is what makes great competition TV.

Makeover shows cast for transformation potential and emotional story. We're looking for people whose lives will genuinely change from the experience, not just people who need a new kitchen. The best candidates have a real reason behind the need, whether it's a family milestone, a personal challenge, or a community story. Authenticity is what makes the reveal land.

After you're selected, you'll go through background checks, medical clearances, and legal paperwork. The production team will brief you on the format, timeline, and what to expect during filming. You may do additional interviews. From there, it's about showing up and being yourself. The casting process is designed to find people who don't need to be coached on how to be interesting.

CSA stands for Casting Society of America. It's the professional organization for casting directors in film, television, and theater. Membership means a casting director has been recognized by their peers for professional standards and body of work. It's the industry's credential for casting.

Principal casting is finding the featured people, the ones the camera follows, who speak, who drive the story. Background casting is filling the world around them: the people in the restaurant, the crowd at the event, the extras who make a scene feel real. Both matter, but principal casting is where the creative decisions live.

The distribution is different but the casting principles are the same. Creator content moves faster, the formats are shorter, and the audience expects authenticity over production polish. The person on screen still has to be compelling, relatable, and right for the project. The difference is usually timeline and tone, not the evaluation itself.

Volume and instinct. There's no substitute for having sat across from thousands of people in person and developed the ability to read someone in the first 30 seconds. A good casting director knows who the audience will connect with before the camera turns on. That comes from experience, not from a database.

Over 300 episodes of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, The Carbonaro Effect, Cash Cab Chicago, Hell's Kitchen, Hardcore Pawn, and American Sports Story, among others. We're also the ongoing casting partner for Airrack (18M+ YouTube subscribers) and cast brand campaigns for Amazon, Indeed, CoComelon, Blue Buffalo, Disney x Havaianas, and the US Open.

ABC, FOX, FX, Discovery, truTV, Roku, STARZ, VH1, Oxygen, TLC, ESPN, YouTube, and TikTok. We also work directly with production companies, agencies, and brands on digital and social content that doesn't go through traditional network channels.

Yes. We're the ongoing casting partner for Airrack (18M+ subscribers) and have cast for Mark Rober, CoComelon, and other major creator channels. Creator casting has its own requirements: the talent needs to match the creator's energy, the audience expects authenticity, and the formats move fast. We evaluate for on-camera chemistry with the creator, not just individual performance.

The same rigor as television, adjusted for the platform. YouTube audiences are sharp. They can tell when someone feels planted or doesn't belong. We cast for people who fit the creator's world naturally, who can deliver in unscripted moments, and who the audience will want to see again. The stakes are the same as TV. The timeline is usually faster.