Matthew Lessall is a freelance Casting Director based in Los Angeles. His work includes several award winning independent feature films including: “Rocket Science” (Picturehouse) & “Mean Creek” (Paramount Vantage).
In addition to Independent film, Matthew has cast film & television projects for Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures, The Hallmark Channel, WB Television/John Wells & NBC. Matthew has been nominated for three ARTIOS awards for Best Casting – Mini-Series (“Frankenstein”) & two short films: “The Act” & “Starcrossed.”
From 2005-2006 Matthew was Director of Feature Film Casting at 20th Century Fox .
He is a member of the Casting Union (local 399), the Casting Society of America & BAFTA-LA.
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February 7, 2010
Oh the dream of becoming a world class casting director slowly fades when it’s 5pm on a Friday and you want to tear your hair out (or what’s left of it) because, suddenly you get a phone call that the actor meetings you have scheduled for Saturday with the Director have to be pushed to Wednesday because the Director is flying to New York (and also, can I please schedule some meetings in NY - ummm it’s 5pm on a Friday) to meet with actors, which is great, but I thought that they were going on a Sunday, so now all of the calls that happened and email confirmations that went through had to be changed and explained and somehow (please God) re-arranged for Wednesday. While at the same time a friend of mine is just off the plane and looking to spend a great weekend with me in L.A and me being stressed out about work does not a great weekend make, so I have to compartmentalize: deal with the film and have fun with my friend. Not spin out about the appointments and have fun with my friend, which translates into eating at fabulous restaurants all weekend and being in denial that I am really stressed about the upcoming weeks meetings and auditions and actually have the actors I want to meet with the Director come in and read for him, for that actually to happen because, oh yeah, there are a bazillion Pilots casting at the same time and every one of the actors on my lists are going to be on Pilot casting lists which means unless an actor specifically does not want to do television, I am going to be doing a lot of re-arranging of my sessions and trying to figure out that one actor who doesn’t want to be in a Pilot but does want to be in a 3 million dollar budget indie-movie with no distribution and where the pay rate is probably well below their quote – GOOD TIMES!
Actually, it is all-good, and thinking about it now, it is rather fun. While at the time it may seem like a huge amount of work: the phone calls, the 70-100 emails per hour (not an exaggeration) the lists, setting up the sessions (4 actors every 15 minutes, because 20%-50% drop out for reschedules and pilot casting – it’s amazing how many actors wake up on the morning of their audition with a sore throat), uploading the auditions and editing them, it is all a good time. I do actually like doing it. It does cause me to stress eat, so going to the gym is even more important when I am busy, because nobody likes to look at “Fat Matt.” I haven’t managed to work out all week, so, a new plan, take care of me and everything will flow as it should be and yes I am talking about my mental health and my digestive system…
January 17, 2010
Happy New Year…
Anyway…
Back to work and just finished casting a wonderful film, “Touchback.” The cast is, if I do say so myself, wonderful and I could not be happier with how it all came together. I had very little time to put the cast together and we were under a lot of pressure to deliver a cast that could perform because the script was the winner of the Netflix Find Your Voice Competition and therefore as part of it’s prize, will screen at the LA Film Festival this year. So, not a lot of time, or money to do things but we did it and I have to say that the Director, Phil Flores and the Producer, Chase Kenney were wonderful to work with and get to know. It’s also nice to work on a film that is shooting in Los Angeles, because visiting the set and getting to know the cast a little better and see them in action is exciting for me. Go to IMDB to check our cast out…
A new year and a new gig. “Vinyl,” which has been on my desk and in various stages of financing is finally active. This weekend is all about me getting ahead of the names submitted and figuring out whom we want to make offers to. It’s nice to be working on a film that has a bigger budget and an ensemble piece. The film is shooting in Winnipeg and Los Angeles, but most of the casting will be done out of LA. I sent the breakdown to agents in NYC, Canada and London, just in case there is an idea that I let slip through the crack (what? Not me? I am perfect!). This job will keep me up at night, because I know how hard it is going to be to coordinate all of the information coming at me at once, but it will be worth it in the end, because the script is a lot of fun to flesh out and work on and the actors, agents and managers have been responding positively to the script, which is always a good sign.
I am also casting a short film for students at AFI that starts going in mid-March. The story is, shall we say unusual. It is a satire on a domestic drama, in which the son of a father has been raping the father for several years and everything starts to come to a head after the son gets married (to a woman). Needless to say, it’s “racy” but not surprisingly to myself, actors love the material and are interested in the project. I love working with new filmmakers as it gives me a chance to get to know emerging talent like directors, producers and actors.
It is very true that working gets you more work. Staying busy is very important to me; I don’t like not having something to work on. So for now (at least until April) I am busy. Now I just have to find my next gig…Take a look at my new website www.lessallcasting.com
December 29, 2009
From time to time I get emails from students about what I do, so I thought I would publish this one…
Hi Matthew
My name is Joe Kiddle and I’m currently in my third year studying advertising at Uni. I’m currently doing an assignment that requires me to research the role of the casting director in film and commercial making.
I would be extremely grateful if you would be able to spare a few minutes of your time to answer a few questions for me.
How closely do you work alongside the director and producer? How much input do they have in the casting decisions and are there ever disagreements? The producer is the person who is actually hiring me. From their production entity I will be getting paid, so the answer is – VERY CLOSELY. At the same time, the director on the film is responsible for the creative perspective of the film. Often the director is also the writer, so the script and the vision for the film have been living with him for a long time. When the director is also a producer and there is another producer that I answer to, because that is who has hired me, there can, sometimes, be disagreements about casting choices amongst them. However, my job is to mitigate and foresee the bumps in the road that casting can cause and try to make the process as smooth as possible. My job is to bring to the producer and director the best possible choices for casting. If I am doing my job correctly, the choices I would make are what they would go for. Ultimately, the choice of who gets hired is hashed out between the director and producer and if there are disagreements, I try to resolve them by suggesting that “we sleep on it and decide in the morning.” Most of the time, this works. When it doesn’t work, well, it’s not a good day in the office…
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How do you go about casting a role? Do you send out blind adverts or are specific invites made to actors you know inside the industry? Does this vary depending on the role? After reading a script, I make lists of ideas of who I would want to play the role. The lists are based on several factors and are also influenced by factors such as the budget of the film and who is available to play the roles. I then create a “breakdown” which has all of the information about the film and all of the roles written out and described in detail. The breakdown is then sent out to a service that distributes breakdowns to agents. In the U.K this is done through a company called Spotlight and in the U.S through Breakdown Services. Sometimes, I will contact agents directly and not put out a breakdown, this just depends on the project and it’s requirements. If I am looking for unrepresented actors (street casting) I will find ways of getting the word out, but this is an entirely different process and requires a lot of legwork to find what the director is looking for. I primarily start with represented actors and go from there…
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What factors do you look at when casting an actor for a lead role, and which factors do you feel are most important? I have to be able to visualize (with my eyes closed) the actor playing the role and seeing him on screen. I have to be able to hear the actor’s voice in my head when reading the script. That is how I know an actor is right for the role. Seems simple, but sometimes there are only a few actors I can visualize. Once I have gone through that list, I have to audition, watch reels and re-think how a role is going to be played. Going for the obvious actor can be boring. Find the actor who will make the role unique and I have done my job.
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Do you use auditions and interviews or only one? Does this depend on the role? Some actors get offered the role directly. Then if they like the script/role the meet with the director to see if their vision of the film matches their expectation of why they were attracted to the script in the first place. I tell first-time (and even experienced) directors that the actor is auditioning you at this meeting, not the other way around. Based on my availability lists per role, I will find out who is: available, offer only, to be auditioned, not available, passing, etc… Generally I am auditioning all roles, even ones with offers out, because you never know how it is all going to turn out in the end. Sometimes an actor will come in for one role and be right for something else. Auditions are an opportunity for an actor to meet with a casting director, director and producer. If you are a talented actor, we will know, even if the role is not right for the actor.
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What areas do you assess when agreeing a fee with an actor? Actors’ salaries are based on several factors: budget, who the director and producer are, script, etc…. I can find out what an actor made on previous films by calling casting directors from previous films they have worked on or business affairs heads at various production companies. This process is called “verifying quotes” and is usually done on a Studio film (Fox, WB, Universal, etc…). In the independent film world if I am casting a 5 million dollar budget film and want Rachel McAdams to play a role, there is probably very little chance that we will be able to pay her what she made on a film like “Sherlock Holmes.” I always advise my producer to offer what they can afford to offer. After doing this for several years I have a general idea of what actors make.
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How do you go about keeping up to date with new, upcoming acting talent? I go to the cinema, watch television, go to theatre, look at websites, etc…
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Once a cast is assembled, do you have any further roles in the film production? Nope.
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Look forward to hearing from you,
December 6, 2009
Here is a recent email I received from a producer:
“…In searching for money for this film we’re constantly coming up against the “who do you have attached” question. The whole Catch-22 thing. We have actors that want to be in the film, yet refuse to give us written a LOI, which is something I can’t understand, because a written LOI could be like an un-cashed check. So, we’re forced to seek out talent, prior to funding, with hopes of getting attachments. Asking a casting agent to take a script and get it into any actors hands is unfair when you can’t pay that agent. My question is are you finding this scenario happening more and more in the industry and do you feel that actors and their managers will come around, select scripts, and then go out to look for funding? Such a big question on a Sunday morning, I know…”
Below is my general answer to this question. But I also have to say, being someone who did not go to business school, that when you are starting to try to bring a film to fruition, you are going to need a plan. Often time that plan involves…money. This isn’t your high school drama club, this is the real world and while, yes there is always going to be an element of people out there who would do anything to help you with making a film because (gosh darn it) they are good people, the truth is be prepared to spend, because you will only get so far on favors in this town and the people you want to work with who are any good, will cost you…
1) It’s about the script: If you are not getting the response you think you should be getting then quite possibly your script isn’t is amazing as you think it is. This does not mean that the script is bad, it may need another polish or even a re-write. This does not mean to say that it won’t get produced (go to AFM and see the barf that is produced there-not that your film is “barf”), but an un-financed script that is not getting good coverage or getting a luke-warm reception from actors, agents & representation means that you will have to find money to bring actors into the project.
2) It’s about the producer: What is the track record of your producer? How many films has he/she made and to what success? What are your producer’s personal relationships within the industry and are those relationships getting you the meetings you need to get in order to have progress on finding talent for your film?
3) It’s about the writer: Is this the first script that the writer has ever written? Does a top tier agent or manager represent the writer? Has the writer had any success prior to this script? Is there anything that the writer can bring to the table?
4) It’s about the money: what is the budget of your film. Anything over 5 million dollars is going to raise red flags on first time director/producer/writer etc…the obvious questions will be: a) why this script (b) why this director (c) why this budget & (d) how are you financed? Can you answer these questions with confidence?
5) It’s about the LOI: The letter of intent to release funds from an investor, bank, etc…is about as old a line as it gets. Talent representatives do not think that a film is real if you ask for an LOI and do not have a good script, producer, writer or realistic budget attached to your film. It smells like bullshit and will run from the project. They are not going to be willing to sit down in a company talent meeting and suggest a project that has no legs and be fired the next day because Bryan Lourd thinks that they are a schmuck in the first place for bringing it up. Understand the politics of large agencies and management companies and the pressure they are under to deliver projects to high grossing clients and you will begin to realize where you fit in the scheme of things.
6) Agents and Managers will try to find financing if the talent they represent brings financing to the table. This assumes that the talent that is attracted to your script is one of those few names in the industry that brings money to the table. On a film I am on, an actor is not going to get anywhere close to the money they should (and deserve, in my opinion) for making the film, in consideration of the lack of funds for the actor, they will be getting a significant back-end, and the management company may invest a few thousand dollars in order to make the actors experience on the film “doable.” Actors in general, don’t need all of the creature comforts that a gazillion dollar studio film provides, but at the end of the day, one wants there to be no distractions for an actor. An actor needs to deliver on set and if there is a way to make this happen without any drama (usually $$$, which can translate into a nicer hotel room or rental car/driver/personal assistant for the actor) then it is worth it for the management company to come up with a solution as they are invested in the role for the actor and want that actor to succeed. This is part of what I do, I introduce scripts to representation and I seek out actors that are not only right for a role, but also should want the role because it is going to make a difference to them personally. Get the actor invested in the material and amazing things can happen for you.
6) Actors say “no.” It is not personal. You are dealing in people. This is why it takes a loooooong time to put a film together and cast it well.
If you want talent in your film, make real pay-or-play offers backed by an investor that is willing to go there with you. If your financier is not willing to back a hard offer, put money in escrow & pay your casting director, then the chances of you getting the talent you need for an LOI for the releasing of the finances are…ZERO. Also, you will realize that your financier is full of shit. This is not a game, go play Hollywood with your friends and don’t waste the time, energy and reputation of people who can actually put a film together for you. If you want to make a film, make it at the budget level you can afford to make it at, with the cast you can afford to make it with. If the film is any good, it will sell at markets do the festival circuit and hopefully do business on DVD and you will be able to begin to think about making your next film.
To that end, this is why I am so friggin busy casting. I am working on more films below 5 million (and getting great casts for them) then ever before, because individual investors are willing to get into the world of filmmaking and the producers I work with are tapping into those people and telling them the what’s what. You get the actors by putting your money where your mouth is. By the way, that money can be SAG/Ultra-Low budget (100/day) or scale, it doesn’t matter, as long as you are making something and it is real, actors, agents and managers will be interested. Also donations are always gratefully accepted to the Matthew Lessall Casting Fund :0)…Daddy needs a holiday…
Lastly, I am not a “casting agent” the title is “casting director.” My ramblings/advice/experience is based on thousands of hours connecting producers, managers & actors to scripts that I work on. It is never easy and is always an uphill battle. I deal with egos, crazy people, narcissism that defies the mind, psychopathic personalities (and that’s just me) but I also work with the brightest, most fun, intelligent people on this planet. It’s a miracle anytime a film gets made and no matter how I feel personally about working with the producers, directors, writers, managers, agents and actors that I have worked with, I think all of them achieve more in producing one film then many people achieve in a lifetime. They all have that respect from me…making a film is that hard to do…
That’s my 2 cents…
November 15, 2009
The “Artios Awards” were at the beginning of the month. These awards honor outstanding achievement in casting and are an opportunity for the casting community to come together and bond…and drink. Agents, Managers and Studio Executives also make an appearance and so it is also a chance to reconnect with people and put faces to a name; which is kind of funny because even with Facebook, many of us don’t recognize each other except from out voices over the ancient form of communication know only as the telephone.
I volunteered to be a chaperone during the event to actors who were making presentations during the casting awards. I was responsible for James Parsons, who is an absolutely amazing, wonderful actor and very nice in person. The chaperones job was to meet the actor as they were driving up, take their valet ticket, escort them to the green room for press interviews and then come back after the event was finished and make sure they had their valet ticket and were able to find their car. Mostly, that is what happened, although I was asked to hang around the green room and “mingle” because once the press was done, the actors were kind of sitting there and so me and a colleague facilitated introductions and got everyone in a good mood: sort of like prepping a client for a casting session!
Overall the event was fun. It was kind of like what I imagine speed-dating dating to be like, talking, trying to pay attention to whom you are talking to but then having to move on because there are so many people to talk to and hug and say “we have to get together!” and with that, I missed a lot of people I wanted to speak to. My table was a lot of fun, a few managers and casting buddies. We watched the awards dutifully and then it was time to go. In the end, it is a good event, because while it doesn’t really matter who wins, it is lovely to see that we (Casting Directors) can take time out and recognize the outstanding work that is accomplished every year.
For more information about Casting Directors, the Artios Awards and the CSA, go to www.castingsociety.com
