BEREA - As we continue to get more movies filming in Cleveland, there’s an increased call for local extras, actors and actresses. If you’re new to the business or don’t have a lot of experience, how do you get started?
Angela Boehm, a local casting in Cleveland says, “Follow directions. That’s our biggest pet peeve is people who don’t follow directions. We need to look at your picture and go is he the right demographic, the right age, the right kind of look. If you give me a photo with sunglasses on, I can’t see your face. That’s a big one or submitting to me with 3 people in the photo and I don’t know which one is you. Don’t send me a picture of you in a beard if you don’t have a beard. It doesn’t have to be a professional headshot when you first get started, just take a picture with your camera that’s current.”
Angela, who has worked on movies like Draft Day, Dog Eat Dog, White Boy Rick and Fast 8, says to be prepared when walking into an audition room.
“This industry is all about a really natural, organic connection. When I go on an interview with producers, I research the heck out of them. If you walk in and you know what I’ve worked on and you know anything about me, just to come in and pick one thing that you say, it’s called booking the room. We may not be able to use you on that audition, but we’re going to remember you for future auditions,” says Boehm.
The main thing to remember when trying to go from seeing a casting call to landing the spot is be professional and make your time count.
Boehm says, “ You’re going to be in that room for 3 minutes. It’s not about the audition, it’s about booking the room and making the casting director remember you. You have to look at it like that, because there’s 50 actors to one role.”
Angela Boehm Casting is currently seeing extras for Native Son and background and local casting for I See You. She doesn’t see a slow down anytime soon and says there are a lot of rumored projects looking at Cleveland this summer.
She offers a free database you can sign up for to get roles emailed to you and also offers a workshop every few months to help people get started. For more information, click here.