Make or Break: Talent Casting Can Determine The Outcome of a Project

Casting the right talent for use in a video production can make or break a video. The actor is literally the “face” of the message and can often determine the success of the project. Age, gender and race are a start, but so much more needs to be considered demographically in how an actor conveys your company’s message to your intended audience.

This short video is only part of a larger series designed as a training tool within Wilson Learning.

A young, energetic twenty-year-old, for example, wouldn’t be the best choice for a nursing home advisement, just as a grandfatherly figure would look out-of-place in an intra-office demonstration video on network configurations. However, talent casting dives much deeper than that.

Even with the requirements of the basic casting specs (age, gender, etc.) met, the talent must connect with the intended audience and capture their attention. Personality quirks and their voice are two hooks for achieving this. The key, is to have the right characteristics that best represents the message and speaks to the audience most effectively.

At Skystorm Productions, we have a myriad of tools and techniques for proper casting. Talent is acquired through talent agencies that make the first round of selections based on basic demographic specs. Those select applicants are then individually auditioned by Skystorm staff, including the project director, and narrowed down to the people who demonstrate the special characteristics we are looking for. The auditions are recorded and made viewable to your company via Skystorm’s online proofing software. This process reduces turn around time to a minimum and eliminates the need for your company to attend the casting sessions. If needed, we hold a call back session that further solidifies the final talent decisions.

One example of this process in action is with our client Wilson Learning. They needed an in-house training video with both individual and group acting parts. “We had a great meeting with Wilson Learning to find exactly what they needed in their training video,” says Alex Sivers, Executive Producer at Skystorm. “We then went through the casting process and had auditions uploaded for them to approve in just a few days. They knew exactly what they were getting from the hired talent.”

Skystorm strives to exceed every client’s goals with each video production. Our online video proofing system and Mobile HD Video Truck enables us to service not just the greater Orlando, Florida area, but also the entire nation. Our full-time staff is able to provide each client solid results with attention to detail while building meaningful business relationships.