Trouble casting for Micro budget Indie Projects
Recently someone complained that they weren’t getting any auditions for their casting. Here are a few indie project casting tips to get the right people for the role.
Back to the person I mentioned… The minimum rate in their casting call was $5 for up to 4 lines, or $2 per line.
The total line count was included (amazing!) but oddly, some characters had more required audition lines than they had in the final product! (What??)
If you’re new to casting or need to cast your own smaller-budget projects, basic math will help!
Think about it from the actor’s point of view:
“Why would I bother submitting for a minor character? I wouldn’t even get paid the full rate!”
There will always be voice actors new to the industry. Those still starting their training, without great equipment or appropriate recording space, who would be willing to work for $5 and the experience or credit. That’s a fact. It’s how we grow.
For most intermediate actors and beyond, that fee is not worth the time it takes to submit the audition. They could be building value in their business elsewhere: training, practicing, cold-emailing, updating their profiles for more visibility, creating their OWN content, or bolstering their social media presence.
A Few Ideas
In this situation, I generally see more people willing to collaborate for free than work for such a low rate. (if the product doesn’t generate revenue or ads)
You can also bundle the roles together. This makes better use of one person’s time instead of using six different actors inefficiently! That’s the beauty of micro budget casting. You have to be creative!
Consider creating a free demo – or vertical slice – of your product. Use it for marketing and sourcing sufficient funding to scale your production.
Some actors will even accept deferred payment. Though it’s super rare that this kind of arrangement ever pays off, so you’re still likely to compromise quality here just as you would with a beginner voice actor.
There are several solutions to this problem, and it’s usually not the fault of the project owner for not knowing these things. It doesn’t mean your work is crap, or no one wants to collaborate with you. You’re likely an incredible artist, or a phenomenal writer, but need a little guidance with the business side and pulling collaborators together. If it wasn’t a common occurrence, I wouldn’t be posting this!
Beggars can’t be choosers, as they say! You only have as much flexibility as your budget allows, and you get what you pay for (or don’t)!
If you need help navigating low budget voice acting casting, don’t hesitate to reach out. I don’t bite! There are so many resources out there for indie creatives and new voice actors alike. People like No Studio In Particular and platforms like Casting Call Club specialise in these types of projects. And if there’s a more complex issue at play I personally can’t answer, I can find out or point you in the right direction.