Here's a post Covid thought that will be resisted by industry. ALL ACTORS must be paid something to attend a casting. It forces producers to treat the artists and the process with more respect, instead of some free meat market and creates respectful tone from the start. #casting

It makes producers more thoughtful when curating lists of actors and treats the actors with more dignity. It's a fair exchange. You are paid for your time. Attending a casting is a commitment. Producers should treat it as such.

The payment doesn't have to be "big". Some basic fee for travel and for an actor's attendance. Even if a low budget paid £10 for this and saw 30 to 50 people for a project... if that kind of cost (£500) makes the project unworkable then it shouldn't be happening.

And yes, it forces casting directors to get back to actors with a response. It forces people to treat people with more respect. It also allows for a better energetic exchange in the casting session. As a director it has always made me uncomfortable.

The spirit and tone of a an artistic venture starts here. The gap between how producers approach and treat "stars" versus how "the others" are treated has to be narrowed. And productions with bigger budgets will probably resist more. What will that tell you?

I will insist that this is how I work on all future projects. And if small indies can do it then larger productions absolutely must do this. And "stars" must do their part and insist on this when signing up to a project. Their agents can insist on this. Stars can play their part.

Be prepared for a "it cannot be done" reactionary response. These people are the problem and they have to either upgrade their thinking, find solutions or get out the way.