GET TO KNOW ME: How I became a Casting Director
The first question I get asked when I tell people I’m a casting director is, “oh, how did you get into that??” and the answer is … it found me!
I’m not shy about the fact that I started my career in background - skipping actual high school to attend Degrassi. It was during those early years, working long days on set among other young creatives, that I developed my love for filmmaking beyond being on screen.
The very very first ultra-short I cast was for a friend from high school who knew I worked on set - so technically, my career started with
“Hey Linds, you know a lot of actors … think you could find someone for a one day shoot?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a link to that one - I don’t even remember the name! Come to think of it - I’m not sure it ever came out!
But it definitely kickstarted my career - because when my industry friends caught wind of me casting *something*, they began coming to me with their short films, music videos, and other projects wondering if I could help them as well.
Noah’s Truck (2017)
Casting Director | WestandSOCIAL & JAM Productions
Noah’s Truck was the first real taste of casting I got - with sides, auditions, callbacks, chemistry reads .. the whole gambit!
The director was one of my aforementioned industry friends and we ran our auditions out of the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Student Learning Centre (SLC).
The staff was not impressed when other students complained about the loud scenes - but I was a student with free access to book rooms, so c’est la vie!
Noah’s Truck was accepted into the Cannes Film Festival Short Corner - and although it never won any awards, it cemented my love for the casting process and the Cannes laurel looked lovely on my resume!
Jill (2018)
Casting Director | Michael York
Shortly after Noah’s Truck, I was approached by another up and coming director who wanted to make a proof of concept for a series he had in development.
The project was meant to be a pilot but turned into more of a short film with a big cliffhanger. Jill tells the age old story - the sexual tension between boss and employee becomes overwhelming at the annual Christmas party, one thing leads to another and before they know it, it’s the morning after.
If waking up next to your boss isn’t awkward enough - Jill’s morning only gets worse from there.
Unfortunately, I cannot find a public link to Jill. I will share it if I find it.
Takeoff (2018)
Producer & Casting Director | Wandering Productions
The next project I took on, I played the role of both casting director AND co-producer, alongside the director. The project was 1 location, 2 actors, and a very tiny crew. Producing this one was a learning curve to say the least but it was a really intimate, wholesome experience and I think it turned out great!
I love both Lee Lawson and Kevin Kashani’s performance in this one.
And don’t the laurels look fantastic!!
Wayne (2022)
Casting Director | Rota Productions
Wayne is the last of the films I cast in this period of my life. We held auditions in 2017, but this whole project was a labour of love for one of the co-directors, so it had a very long post-production schedule of 5 years.
Wayne explores the topic of men’s mental health and sexuality by introducing a physical character to play the voice inside the lead characters head.
Wayne has not been posted publicly, but you can check out the other co-director here!
After Thoughts
I do find it relevant to mention that between these 4 films, I think I was *maybe* compensated for 2 of them, and on a very low scale. I am not necessarily an advocate for free labour - especially once you are established in your career - but when the projects are part-time labours of love (like the above), the experience you gain can be invaluable.
Using these projects as stepping stones, I was able to build a meaningful career in casting and they are part of the reason you’re receiving this email today :)
Love it, Linds! This is the kind of content people want to know! They want to know you ❤️