-Return to Spotlight Menu-
	Sept 2005 Sandi Nielsen   Casting Director "I like clever people that bring something to it ... run with something, change it up and make it interesting to watch."
Sandi Nielsen, one of the busy commercial Casting Directors in Vancouver took some time right before a call-back session to answer questions for the Vancouver Actor’s Guide.
VAG - How did you start in this business?
Sandi Nielsen - We’re going back to 1986, after Expo. Yeah, I know I’m old.     (laughs) I went to work at Cannell Films – secretary to the Producer. Started off     on Stingray, then they moved me over to Wiseguy as the Producer's Assistant on     the pilot… and then in the first season I became all of the Producers' secretary .     Sid Kozak’s one of my best friends and he said “why don’t you come work with     me and assist me in casting?” I said ok and that was it. That’s how I got into it.
VAG - Did you ever think you wanted to be a Casting Director?
SN - I didn’t know what it entailed when I went into it. I mean, I knew what Sid     did. I thought, “yeah, that could be ok.” You know, it wasn’t something that I was     aspiring to do, I never thought about it. He just said, “come and do it” and I said     “sure why not” and it worked out well. I worked with Sid and Lynne Carrow for     about 5 years assisting. They were more interested in film and TV so I started     off with their commercials. I thought I was going to get into film and TV, but I just     kind of never left. It was great so I kept doing it.
VAG - You have done some film projects in the past.
SN - Yes, I’ve done some smaller things and quite a few music videos as well     as assisting on several TV series.
VAG - Is the casting process a lot different between commercials and film/tv?
SN - It’s like two different worlds. Very different process. We don’t see the     contracts but we often negotiate the process. We don't have day out of days. We     give the actors the shoot dates, but that's established as the breakdown goes     out. … it’s very different.
VAG - The turnaround rate is a lot higher.
SN - …It’s much higher. Some Casting Directors do 2 or 3 projects at a time and     the turnaround is quite quick. I actually like that.
VAG - I find that many people want to be a Casting Director. Do you have any advice as to what they can do to get started?
SN - To start, you have to assist. I don’t think walking into this business blind is     very beneficial. If you’re just out of high school and all of sudden you want to be     a Casting Director? …Yeah maybe that’s great but I think anybody that wants to     be in casting should actually take some acting course. I feel you need a     background in acting to understand acting… understand acting and that’s the     difference. Sid was an actor. I don’t think Stuart [Aikins] was an actor… he just     really gets acting. You have to really understand what it is.
VAG - The process.
SN - Oh yeah. I’m glad I trained in film and TV, because I really understand it a     lot better, for me. I don’t know what anyone else’s background is, but that was     ideal for me. I love going back to the film and TV thing. I like the slower pace of it     too, sometimes. It's quite a bit different performance-wise in relation to     commercials, which you don’t always get a monologue to do - there’s not a lot of     sitting down and developing a character.
VAG - …or back story…
SN - Yeah, there's not a lot of back story in commercials and sometimes I miss     that. I actually really miss that.
VAG - There are some people who won’t do commercials because they think it’s not acting.
SN - Oh yeah, I’ve heard that. You know, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I     think it’s a really good jumping off ground too. You also make a lot of money     doing it… sometimes. Some people never do commercials and some people     are better film actors. It’s not just a look all the time. Often, when two people who     look the same and one's a better actor, the better actor is usually going to get     the role. They’ll work with people sometimes if they like their look. These days,     commercials are so much edgier. I have worked with the director of Lemony     Snicket on a commercial. I’ve worked with a Director who just worked with Tom     Cruise, Cold Play, and Ashton Kutcher. Commercials are like mini-movies     these days. Yeah you do have to know what you’re doing. You have to have a     range and be able to just pick up and go with something and those are the     types Directors like. Improv is really important.
VAG - Do you find that there are more name Directors are doing more commercials now?
SN - Well for me, I've worked with three really high profile Directors. I worked with     for years, about 5 years, with Vadim Perelman, who did House of Sand and Fog.     Brilliant Director. You can see he was going off to the stratosphere – brilliant     man. Aaron Stoller, who I just worked with did the Tom Cruise War of the Worlds     trailer, Ashton's Punked trailers and he did Coldplay's video. He’s done tons of     music videos - just amazingly talented. I just worked with him on a commercial     [and] what a thrill to work with that talent. I also worked with Brad Silberling     recently who directed Lemony Snicket and Moonlight Mile. He’s directed Dustin     Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jim Carrey and you know, these are not just out of film     school “I want to be a Director” Directors. These people are amazing and so     great to work with. They make it so easy because they know what they want.     They have the talent and can see what they’re looking for. I’ve been very luck to     work with some extraordinary Directors.
VAG - Sometimes Directors can be good and very specific, and sometimes… it can be tough.
SN - There are some who are fabulous to work with and some that are a     challenge as with anything. I think it may be sometimes more difficult when     you’re that creative and you’ve got that much of a budget over your head and     you’ve got to produce, sometimes you've got to be a drill sergeant. I’m very lucky     to have great people to work with. That said, it could be a precurser to working     with that specific director again. They could say, “oh I really liked that person in     that commercial. Why don’t you come work on my film.” You don’t know     anymore. It’s not what it used to be. I just think the level has really stepped up.     Commercials sometimes are better than some of the films that are out there.
VAG - Well, there is more money per second put into commercials.
SN - Some of them are just absolutely brilliant. Advertising is extremely difficult     and to be really good at copyrighting or coming up with the concept, I mean,     you've got to be very creative to do that. And you’ve seen some of the commercial     Award Shows… they’re brilliant. It’s like a mini-movie. I believe that you still need     very good skill to be a commercial actor.
VAG - What kind of things do you see actors do really well in the audition room?
SN - Right away, I like clever people that bring something to it instead of me     having to say do this, do this, do this, you can just run with something, change it     up and make it interesting to watch. Every take should be different, otherwise     why would we keep doing takes? Unless you’re specifically asked to do the     same thing over, you always want to give it something interesting. Clever.     Somebody who just brings something creative and clever to the process. I think     you have to look at, maybe they’re starting off or maybe it’s not their thing cause     somebody should walk in the room and own it. A really good actor in the states     said, “What you need to do is walk in the room as if you’ve already got it. You’ve     already got the job.” Not like “please hire me.”
VAG - Don’t be desperate.
SN - No. Don’t be desperate. Don’t be needy. Don’t be a doormat. Walk in not     with arrogance, but with confidence saying in your mind, I’ve already got this.     And that is something that I think the city needs a lot more of, the confidence     level. That will come in time - the more you audition the more confidence you     get. It’s really hard the first few times. It must be terrifying. We’ve done this over     and over we forget that people in front of us are going “oh I’ve never done this     before”.
VAG - Do you find that as a casting director for commercials that you’re more lenient… because a lot of actors start out with commercial auditions?
SN - I personally still expect people to show up prepared. Know what you’re     doing. You wouldn’t go to a job interview without your resume or knowing why     you’re there, or knowing what the position is. That’s the job interview. So you     don’t come in and go “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never done this before.”     You’re up against people who have done 50. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first.     You still have to perform and show your best abilities.     But, yes it is a jumping off ground. There are times when you forget that, you     know, “that’s right they haven’t done this before.” We’ve been doing it for so long,     we forget that people are just starting out sometimes. So yeah, you need to be a     little more lenient, sometimes I forget that, but (laughing) now I'm remembering.
SN - Lots of people are fabulous auditioners – always on time, always prepared.     You wouldn’t go up to Telus and go, ”well I can’t start that day, I’m not available”     or “I didn’t bring my resume.” “What’s the job?” “What am I being interviewed     for?” “I don’t know, I’ve never done this.” You know, you wouldn’t do that. So, be     prepared. Find out ahead of time, what are the shoot dates? What are the call     back dates? What are we reading? Is there a script? Is there dialogue? What     are my wardrobe notes? Bring my photo and resume. I should go early. You     know, just basic general audition technique rather than coming and going “I’ve     never done this before. I didn’t bring my resume. I didn’t know what the shoot     dates were. I’m not available.” It just shouldn’t happen, but it does.
VAG - About Resumes, is there anything that you look for on it that says that he or she is good?
SN -I always look for training. I don’t like to see extra work because anyone     can be an extra. You don’t have to have training or background to be an extra.     [Training is] one of the things I automatically check, right away. If they have a     small resume, it doesn’t mean they’re not a good actor, they could be starting     out. So I want to see what their background is, what their training is. Whether     they have on-going training or a couple weekend classes. That still doesn’t     mean that they’re not going to be good… they could be naturally talented. I give a     lot of people chances. I think theatre school is a great jumping-off ground. That     doesn’t mean that you have to, it just gives you that little extra understanding of     what acting is. If you’re just taking a weekend workshop, I don’t think you     understand the process of acting unless you’re a natural talent.
VAG - Something a little more full-time or on going?
SN - On-going even more so. On-going coaching or private lessons or     something where you understand the process of acting. Lots of people keep     training. I don’t think Dustin Hoffman has to train but I think there’s a time when     you’ve done really well and you don’t need to do on-going, but I’m always     checking to see where they trained or how well their resume is put together.     That says a lot to me about if you’re serious.
VAG - Many actors don’t have agents, and so they send out their packages to casting directors. What do you think about that? Is that ok… for you?
SN - You know, commercially, we don’t have time. I mean sometimes I’ll     remember to look in my file. Maybe film and TV it’s different, but for commercials     there is just no time phoning actors at home. Unless it’s somebody I know     personally, or if we’re doing open calls. If we’re just doing “real people” then it’s     good to have a file like that but if it’s a union national commercial, we’re just not     going to have time to phone somebody and try and track them down. The one     I’m doing today is an open call for dancers. That’s specifically directed towards     a certain type. Now I find that more and more people are with agents in the city     that are specific, like fire fighters, dancers, and athletes. Many have agents now     because they are required off and on. There are a couple agencies that are     geared towards athletes who are not actors. They’re just athletes or specific     types which is wonderful because we don’t have to do all the legwork.
VAG - The last question for today is about headshots. Is colour really coming in?
SN - I think colour’s been in and around for a couple years… you know a trend     thing.
VAG - Is it a trend that you think might stay for a while?
SN - It was really really big like a year or so, everybody was getting colour. Now     it’s kind of going back and forth. I think the ideal thing is to follow whatever LA is     doing. See what’s happening down there, what’s really popular. A lot of our     people (Directors and Producers) are from there so they want to see the same     kind of thing. You know, as long as the picture looks like you and doesn’t look     air brushed and blown up and glamourized and done, then it’s great. I think     colour’s great cause it shows your skin tone, your hair and everything… yeah I     think it’s great. I don’t think it hurts to have both. You know as an actor you kind     of gotta do whatever it takes. Whatever can give you a little edge.
VAG - Cause it’s not only you who’s looking at it, it’s also the directors who are looking at it.
SN - Oh yeah, you never know where your resume’s going to wind up. Your     photo could wind up in New York, who knows. That actually happened to an     actor that I auditioned for a soap opera search in Vancouver. The actor's photo     wound up in NY and all of a sudden was considered for a lead. So you don’t     know. Any little edge. Make sure it’s current and not from 5 years ago. Who I see     in a headshot is who I expect is going to show up at the audition. They’re very     very important. It’s your business card. It’s your face forward. “Here you go. This     is who I am.” Great! That’s what I want to see.
Our thanks to Sandi Nielsen for taking the time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed.