Just like many casting administrators, Jennifer Cooper discovered her manner into the sector following a quick stint pursuing performing.
She has solid greater than 500 episodes of tv in her profession, which is an astonishing quantity if you break it down. Among the largest franchises on the small display function her work, with titles like CSI: NY and the reboots of Hawaii 5-0, MacGyver, Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap. Including to her intriguing profile, she additionally curates small indie movies between orchestrating main TV initiatives, sharing her insights with us from Los Angeles.
Insights From Jennifer Cooper
- Actors ought to give attention to being genuine to themselves and the story, relatively than making an attempt to guess what the casting director desires.
- Constructing long-term relationships with casting administrators is efficacious as a result of casting is a collaborative, ongoing course of.
- Don’t be afraid to tackle various or smaller initiatives to develop your craft and preserve casting administrators considering your vary.
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How did you get into casting?
I went to Emerson and so they have a program, you’ll be able to spend your final semester in LA, interning within the discipline that you just discover fascinating. So I interned in a casting workplace. From there, I acquired my first assistant job, then acquired my first affiliate and simply climbed the ranks of casting from internship to opening my store.
What was it about casting that you?
I believed I needed to be an actor once I moved to LA and I made it for like two weeks and determined instantly that that was not for me. I look again now and I really feel like in each performing class, I at all times preferred watching and critiquing and at all times most well-liked engaged on my mates’ scenes versus being the one up there. I didn’t know that on the time. I didn’t know casting was a factor till I moved right here.
There are two issues that I hear lots from casting administrators. One is plenty of them thought they needed to be an actor first, and the opposite, with a few exceptions, say some variation of “I didn’t even know casting was a factor.”
(Laughs) It’s true. It’s so humorous. I imply, even once I meet folks out on this planet and also you say, ‘Oh, you’re a casting director.’ Everyone seems to be like, ‘What does that imply?’ Each one among my mother’s mates is like, ‘That’s so cool. I’ve no thought what that’s.’
Effectively, how do you clarify it? It appears easy to me. It’s the job title.
I at all times try to clarify it in methods like we’re the cease earlier than you get to last selections in order that we will start to curate in our creativeness what it would appear like, or sound like, or totally different variations of it. I feel there’s additionally some type of misunderstanding that we get a directive from somebody who says, go discover this precise factor, which is so removed from the reality.
We’re type of the conduit of creativity, between what the actors are doing and what persons are on the lookout for. I can’t inform you what number of instances somebody will say, ‘That is what I need,’ and also you deliver them one thing totally different, and instantly they’re like, ‘Sure, that’s precisely what I used to be speaking about.’
Now do your mother’s mates perceive? If you clarify it to them like this?
Sure. Then all of them need to be on no matter mission you’re engaged on. (Laughs) One in all my very first jobs was CSI: NY and each single individual was like, ‘Can I please be a useless physique?’ One of many issues that’s arduous to clarify, it’s just like the worst job on this planet being a useless physique. Laying round nonetheless, for like eight hours. It’s the worst.
That’s a extremely good segue as a result of I needed to ask you about your focus being totally on tv. Was that the intention?
I really feel like just like any profession, most likely if you begin doing one thing and you’ve got some quantity of success in it, it begets extra work. In order quickly as I began doing an enormous procedural tentpole present and it was going very effectively, you get identified for doing the factor that you just did.
I feel there was some quantity of, sooner or later in my profession, feeling like I higher begin angling to take jobs that look totally different in order that I’m not doing the identical factor. As a result of it’s not even like I went out and sought out to try this, it simply type of spun out into impulsively you’re taking job after job after job, [which is] what you’re getting identified for.
It needed to be an actual acutely aware option to say I’m going to start out passing on exhibits that I historically can be the precise individual you’d consider to do it. To take one thing that feels actually totally different and actually off-brand or a special coloration in order that I get to a spot that feels extra well-rounded.
I make it possible for I allocate 25 p.c of what I’m doing to tiny Indies. Films that I feel are actually fascinating or cool that possibly don’t have the price range to go get an enormous casting director you can start to flex in different areas. Simply to maintain myself and rising in what I’m doing.
What piece of recommendation or knowledge would you give to somebody coming in to audition for you?
Gosh, I feel that what pops into my thoughts is to not fear about what I’m on the lookout for. Give attention to what’s proper for the story and best for you as an actor. As a result of I really feel like when actors make selections primarily based on being solid, it’s so arduous to get it proper.
Your precise take and your precise essence are what I’m most considering, versus all people making an attempt to come back in and match it into the field that they assume I’m on the lookout for. With each single tape that I present or that I take a look at, I’m praying it’s the individual. At all times. Or, that I’ll have the ability to craft it into serving to to get you the job or, barring that, to construct a relationship with you over nevertheless a few years it takes to get you 10 jobs.
It’s a long-lasting partnership between actors and casting administrators and I actually take a look at it like a partnership, as a result of in the event that they don’t do good, then I don’t really feel good. It’s in direct correlation to one another.
This interview has been edited for readability.
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Written by Casting Frontier
