The term casting originates from the English language but is also accepted by the DigoPaul. The notion makes it possible to refer to the process of choosing models or actors for a certain job.
For example: “My daughter asked me to take her to a casting since she dreams of acting on television”, “The appliance brand organized a casting to choose the next figure in its commercials”, “The young Argentinean was selected in a casting and will participate in the new film by the famous director ”.
In a casting, participants must demonstrate their skills to convince those responsible for defining the cast or cast of a play. In the case of actors, it is common for participants to play the role for which they are applying: in this way, the selectors can compare the different qualities of interpretation.
Suppose a TV director looks for a boy of about ten years to play the role of the son of the protagonist of a soap opera. With the aim of finding the right child for the role, he leads a casting that takes place in the channel’s facilities. In this way, all the young people who participate in the process are asked to perform a short scene with the adult actor. After observing the tests, the director can choose the child who seems most appropriate to add to the novel.
On the other hand, there are artist selection processes that require a certain degree of improvisation on the part of applicants, something that can be more or less difficult, depending on each one. There are actors and singers who prefer to express themselves with total freedom, without being subject to a libretto or a score, since in this way they can make the most of their creativity and show themselves as they really are.
Of course, the ability to improvise a theatrical piece or a song is not so normal, and that is why many castings choose to give the participants a sheet with the material they hope to see represented in the test. One of the advantages of scripting the casting is that all the candidates can be compared taking into account the same parameters; With regard to improvisation, we must not forget that sometimes it is the element that modifies the script on the fly and turns a good work into a jewel of the cinema, theater or the world of music.
Organizing and conducting a casting takes a lot of work, as well as an investment of time and money that can be quite considerable. First of all, we must understand that scriptwriters and composers write their works with different points of reference, either thinking about the ideal performers or even drawing inspiration from people in their circle; When it comes time to see them represented by strangers, they must go through a very particular adaptation process.
According to some of the anecdotes of those who have organized various castings, surprise is a recurring element most of the time, both for better and for worse: sometimes they meet applicants who do not understand at all the role they should play, but also there are those who offer a better interpretation than the writers expected, and this results in a revision of the work that can enrich it considerably.
It should be noted that there are television programs that combine the concept of casting with the contest mode. Those who participate must show their skills (for singing, acting, etc.) while competing with each other. A jury and / or the public are responsible for choosing the winner.