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Name: Joseph Middleton
Hometown: Valdosta, GA
Occupation: Casting Director
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What attracted you to the Entertainment Industry, and what was your first job or big break in the business?
I was a PA on "Mississippi Burning" for Director Alan Parker.
What is the biggest challenge you faced trying to break into the industry, and how did you overcome it?
Getting my first job as an assistant was the biggest challenge, and the way I overcame it was by interning in different offices.
What advice can you give those trying to break into the "industry?"
Intern, intern, intern!! By interning, you are giving something for free, but in return are receiving an education and the hands-on experience in the industry that will help you get to where you want to be.
Please describe your job for those who might not know what a Casting Director is.
A casting director is the person who casts the movie or project being worked on. I bring in actors to read for each character within the project to try and find the one that fits the role the best.
Can you share any tricks of the trade that help you work faster/cheaper/better?
Having interns in the office, working in space at the production office together with everyone on the project.
Please illustrate the way the performance of your position can help or hurt a movie. Name a movie that you've seen (or worked on) that we could view and understand the difference between a good job and a bad job.
A cast can take a script to another level as in "AMERICAN PIE" and "GO" or when you miscast as in "BOYS AND GIRLS" where the lead girl was too old for the role, which can then change the entire tone of the movie.
What's the best lesson you've learned in regards to working in Hollywood?
It is about standing up and being strong for your point of view, even if it feels like everyone else feels or thinks opposite. At the end of the day, you have to sit in the audience and know that your name is on that movie.
What advice would you give to writers on how to craft a script that addresses practical production issues?
The magic of writing is not my expertise, so I pass on this question.
What advice would you give a director on how to make production easier?
Save your money and pay your Casting Director. It all starts with the script and lives and
dies with the casting.
List your top 5 favorite films
- Being There
- Raise the Red Lantern
- Gallipoli
- Halloween
- Saturday Night Fever
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