2 Job Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of a Casting Director

A casting director is a middleman or middle woman who finds the actors needed to fill roles in movies, TV shows, theatrical productions, commercials or even corporate and music videos.

The studio, producers, director and writers are on one side, and the actors and talent agents on the other -- with the casting director in the middle. "Middlewoman" applies because casting directors represent one of the few entertainment occupations that's dominated by women, not men. I think this is because women maybe are more comfortable and instinctive judgements. 

A casting director's responsibilities extend beyond contacting actors or agents and holding auditions. Casting directors assemble casts that may include hundreds of actors, negotiate deals with the actors' agents and manage the contracts once the actors have signed.

Casting directors become involved in pre-production. The casting director may be employed by the studio, own or work for a casting agency or be a solo operator. The casting director:

• meets with the producers, the director and possibly the writer to understand the project
• meets with the production accountant for information about the casting budget, the money that'll be used to pay the actors
• reads the script and make notes about all the speaking parts
• creates a list of possible actors, in preferred order, for the most important parts first
• contacts the actors or their agents to determine their availability
• provides the list to the producers and director to make their decision Lead actors may not be asked to audition.
• prepares lists of actors and production schedule for supporting and more minor actors
• makes appointments for auditions or readings with the available actors
• provides information about available parts to talent agencies and lists opportunities with Breakdown Services, a company that maintains a daily list of acting opportunities
• conducts auditions
• makes recommendations, based on auditions, for each speaking part The director and producers make the final selections.
• negotiates contracts with the actors' agents, keeping an eye on the casting budget
• issues casting calls for minor acting parts and conducts those auditions
• acts as a liaison between the director and the actors, once contracts are signed
• finds replacements, as needed, during production for actors who can't fulfill their contracts

Casting Directors will work their way up in the industry and will start off small, they will be hired to do little job and work up to get work experience in being a theatrical agent or manager, where you will learn how the business works, who the casting directors are, what areas they specialise in, and perhaps who is looking to add to their staff.

Responsibilities for Marketing Directors

For most businesses, there are several different organisational approaches to marketing. The duty may lie with a single member of the team, or it could be a group responsibility. 

Depending on budget availability and the skills of the team, you may choose to outsource certain elements of the marketing process (such as market research) or decide to do these jobs in-house. Key responsibilities of the marketing director vary according to the business but can include:

• Instilling a marketing led ethos throughout the business
• Researching and reporting on external opportunities
• Understanding current and potential customers
• Managing the customer journey (customer relationship management)
• Developing the marketing strategy and plan
• Management of the marketing mix
• Managing agencies
• Measuring success
• Managing budgets
• Ensuring timely delivery
• Writing copy
• Approving images
• Developing guidelines
• Making customer focused decisions

Information can be gathered from questionnaires, focus groups, the internet, interviews, buying habits and many more sources, but it's important that the information is examined in a scientific way using proper statistical methods. 

Marketing Directors may have specific degrees in marketing which will help them achieve a job such as this. They may start off in work experience or work there way up in the industry.