Let's talk about this for a moment, as I believe this is where we make or break these spots.
I spent 12+ years as a touring theatre actor with formal training, so it might surprise you to hear that I deeply enjoy working with real people, or "non-actors," in this capacity. In fact, probably close to 50% of my reel has been cast this way, so I have quite a bit of experience with this style of working.
What I want to share is this...
This type of casting always, always, always works best when we give real people the chance to play themselves on camera.
This is very different from casting real people and asking them to act. That doesn't work.
Now, that doesn't mean real people can't be pushed, asked to try new things, coached into being vulnerable, helped through a difficult process, or give amazing and moving performances. Quite the contrary— I find that real people, when given the safe space to explore their true selves, can give you moments on camera that will take your breath away. However, it's important to start from a foundation of trust and safety, and to maintain that throughout the entire shooting process.
What we're asking people to do is be vulnerable, and that's hard. But where I feel I excel as a director is in demystifying that process, keeping the shoot fun and collaborative, and always keeping the talent top of mind. I find that, in the end, almost everyone walks away thanking us for creating such a unique space for self-exploration, and we get to leave with some truly incredible moments on camera.
I'll tell you what I say to every non-actor I work with right off the top, because I think it holds true for how we need to think about these characters from start to finish:
"I will never ask you to perform as anyone other than yourself."
Could you? Trick question — we all can. We just need the safe space to do it.
We'll get into the specifics of how this philosophy translates to casting, performance, and script writing in those sections, but I wanted to get it on the table first.
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