From breakdowns and sides, to callbacks, avail checks and holds, casting terminology can sometimes feel like another language.
There’s a lot of shorthand used to communicate quickly throughout the audition process and on set, and understanding these terms makes it easier to follow instructions, prepare properly, and know what to expect at each stage of casting. It can also help you recognize where you are in the process and what action, if any, is required from you.
Here are some of the most common casting terms every actor should know:
Key Insights
- Understanding casting terminology helps actors prepare for auditions, follow instructions and recognize each stage of the casting process.
- Avail checks and holds indicate ongoing consideration for a role, while a booking confirms that an actor has been selected.
- Learning on-set terms such as call sheet, call time and wrap helps actors understand production expectations and navigate the workday.
What Is a Casting Breakdown?
A casting breakdown is the information sent out primarily to casting platforms describing the project and the roles that need to be filled. A breakdown includes information about the production and character descriptions, including age, gender and ethnicity requirements.
What Are Sides?
Sides are the pages of a script actors are given to prepare for an audition. They usually contain one or more scenes from the project, and give you information about the character, relationships and circumstances of the scene. You may receive sides before an audition, or be given them shortly before a self-tape deadline.
What Is a Self Tape?
A self tape is a recorded audition that is submitted digitally to casting. Self tapes can involve anything from a short scene to several pages of sides, and the instructions specify framing, lighting, reader requirements, file format and submission deadlines.
What Is a Callback?
A callback is a second audition that usually takes place after a first round or self tape. If you are called back, it generally means the casting team wants to see more of your work. At a callback, you’ll be asked to perform the same material again, prepare new sides or explore different choices.
What Is a Reader?
A reader is the person who performs the other side of an audition scene. They read the lines to support the scene, offering cues and responding naturally by listening. The casting team may provide the reader for an in-person audition, but for self tapes, the reader can be a friend or colleague, appearing off-screen.
What Is a Chemistry Read?
A chemistry read is an audition designed to see how two or more actors work together on screen.
They’re commonly used for roles involving important relationships, such as romantic partners, family members or close friends. A chemistry read assesses whether you and the other actor can create a believable relationship, and whether your performances can complement one another.
What Is an Avail Check?
An avail check happens when casting or production wants to know whether you’re available for the dates required by the project, and production needs to establish whether you could work over these dates, if you are selected.
What Is a Hold?
A hold means production is asking you to keep certain dates available while you’re being considered as a final contender for a role. While it can restrict your ability to accept other work during the specified time, it’s not a confirmed booking.
What Is Booking?
A booking means you’ve officially been selected for the role, and the production has confirmed your engagement. At this point, you should receive information about the work, and any other actors on hold should be released. Once booked, you’ll receive contractual information obtaining dates, location and call time.
What Is an Understudy?
In theater, an understudy is an actor who learns a role so they can perform it if the principal actor is unavailable. Understudies are an important part of professional theater, particularly for demanding productions with long performance schedules.
What Is a Day Player?
A day player is generally an actor hired for a limited number of days of production, often for a smaller speaking role. A day player can still have an important role in a project, even if their character appears only briefly.
What Is Background Work?
Background actors, sometimes called extras, perform non-speaking roles in the background of a scene. Background work can provide valuable experience of being on a professional set, and learning how production operates.
What Is a Featured Extra?
A featured extra is a background performer who receives more visual prominence within a scene than standard background performers. They may be positioned closer to the principal actors, or have a specific action that makes them more noticeable.
What Is a Fitting?
A fitting is an appointment where a costume or wardrobe is prepared and adjusted for production. You may be asked to attend a fitting before filming begins or during production. The fitting can also give you useful information about how the production wants the character to look and move.
What Is a Table Read?
A table read is where the cast and key members of the creative team read through the script together, allowing everyone to hear the material performed aloud. Table reads usually take place on the first day of a shoot, or the first day of rehearsals for a theater production.
What Is a Call Sheet?
A call sheet is a production document that provides the information actors and crew need for a particular shooting day. It includes your call time, location, scenes being filmed, wardrobe information, parking instructions, contacts and other production details.
What Is Call Time?
The call time refers to the time you are needed on set. You are required to arrive at this specific time to be ready for hair and makeup, or another designated meeting point. Your call time will be listed on your call sheet, and you should always aim to arrive on time.
What Is Basecamp?
Basecamp is where the production team sets up headquarters, and the area where the cast and crew check in. It’s where hair and makeup, wardrobe and catering reside during production, and where the cast and crew prepare before traveling to the filming location, or return to between set-ups and filming scenes.
What Is a Block?
A block is a scheduled period of filming that groups together a set of episodes or scenes, often allowing the production team to film multiple episodes with the same director and cast over a continuous period. A block is then sectioned by day, then again by scene.
What Is a Wrap?
When the director says “That’s a wrap,” it means you have finished your work for the day. If you are told you are wrapped, you are free to return to basecamp, remove your costume, hair and makeup. A production can also wrap when filming of the entire project has finished.
Why Terminology Matters
The important thing to do is understand the terminology that directly affects you at varying stages. You don’t need to memorize every casting term before you start working, but it’s good practice to familiarize yourself.
When you begin the audition stage, look at the terms that refer to which stage of casting you are in. When you begin to book work, the terms will be more concrete and be reflected in your contract. When you finally get to set, you’ll see the terms in practice, but even then, there will be more to learn.
If you’re unsure about a term or instruction, ask rather than making assumptions. Getting to know the terminology will make it easier to focus on the work around character preparation, so when the director gives directions, you’ll know exactly what you should be doing.
