HANDOUT – Casting Guidelines

Taken from: Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, leading casting

consultants, and the Drama Agents Association (the Parties),
1996

Preparation
1. The parties acknowledge that adequate preparation time is essential to
allow performers to prepare for an audition.

Where the performer is required to prepare a piece for the audition the
Casting Consultant will use their best endeavors to provide a minimum 36
hours notice for an audition for a television commercial, and 72 hours for all
other auditions.

Access to Script
2. The entire script or screenplay together with the audience piece will be
made available to the performer and/or their agent no less than 72 hours prior
to the audition or in the case of commercials 36 hours.

In an emergency, where it is not possible to provide the script or screenplay

72 hours in advance, the performer shall be given the opportunity at the place
of the audition to read the script/screenplay prior to the commencement of the
audition. The performer will not be asked to audition unless such opportunity
is given.

3. The performer will not be asked to perform an unseen piece at the audition.
However, the performer may agree to and/or improvise a supplementary
scene or a scene involving a new character in addition to that for which s/he
was originally auditioned, after adequate time and preparation.

Accents
4. The parties recognise the importance of providing the performer with an
adequate opportunity to research and prepare where an accent is required for
an audition. The Casting Consultants will endeavour to provide the performer
with sufficient notice but no less than 72 hours to prepare the accent. The
Casting Consultant shall provide the performer with a detailed brief of the
accent required.

Director
5. The performer shall be given a reasonable opportunity to discuss the role
for which s/he is auditioning with the director or where the director is not
involved in the audition process the key creative principal responsible for
casting.