 I would say that the one thing after story that really makes or breaks a film is performances. To get great performances, you need good actors. You need trained, professional, compelling actors who are going to bring your story to life. But how do you find these people? Today we're going to talk about the secret of finding great actors for your films. Casting is an art and it's one that as a director you don't really do enough. Casting directors get to see actors all day and then see how they perform in the films that they're casting. They get to develop sort of a sixth sense for who has it or whatever it is and who doesn't. But very few directors when we're starting out can afford a casting director. We have to develop our own sort of sixth sense for who's going to look good on camera, who's going to fit the character, who's really going to take your movie to the next level. It is every director's nightmare to step on set the first day, have an actor in a role that they just don't fit or they struggle with or you just don't believe them. And as a result the whole film is kind of pulled down by this. Now it's definitely the director's job and part of the art of directing to get a good performance, the best performance out of any given actor. We'll talk about that in another video. Today I just wanted to talk about finding the raw talent, finding the people that can be in your films. Five or six times that I've had an actor that's perfect for the role, that's really great, that's just fit. Almost every single time I had worked with that actor before on another project. I knew them already. I knew what they could do. We liked each other. We got on well. They had bought into the idea and they're excited to work on the project. Now that only happens if you already know that person. And I believe that the secret to great casting is working a lot, working on a lot of different projects, meeting a lot of different actors, and being able to draw from people that you already know and respect and like to work with to fulfill the roles that you have. And you might say, well, I haven't worked with that many people. How do I know good actors? Well, that's the secret to becoming a better filmmaker is working a lot. So case in point, I think in February this year, I shot a kitchen commercial. It's the same one that I did a BTS for on this channel, if you want to check that out. But I looked through backstage and Model Mayhem and Actors Access, found about 40 people, 40 actors for the wife that I thought was going to that that could have worked. I think I auditioned maybe 12 of them and presented the final three to the client who picked one who was in the commercial. But of those seven, I auditioned. One of them I ended up doing a photography project with is some of the best photos I think I've ever taken. Two of them ended up in Neon Noir, including Madison Fitz, who actually introduced me to Frank who plays Hector and Dmitri who plays Malconian. So that one project led to me meeting all these different actors who introduced me to other actors. And that's a bonus tip. Actors almost always spend time hanging out and acting with other actors. And they'll only recommend people that they respect because they have to be in the movie with them. And if they like them, but they don't think they're they're good actors, they won't recommend them because they might end up dragging down the whole ship. So working on different projects, holding auditions, making sure that I'm doing something at least every month is a way that I found that I'm meeting a lot of actors. And as a result, when a bigger project comes along, I know a lot of actors, I have contact with a lot of people, I can pull from the network that I have of people that I've worked with and I know a dependable that I know a good. Hopefully that helps someone out there find the actor that's right for your movie and start developing that work of your own. Leave your questions in the comments. I will see you next time.