PART 4: Joint Preparation

Chapter 15

Casting

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FIGURE 15.1 Casting.

If the script is the blueprint for a film, then the cast are the support beams. A good cast can’t save a bad script, but they can smooth over the rough patches on a good but imperfect one. They can strengthen and focus the subtext, and reveal layers in the story that the screenwriter probably wasn’t aware of. A good performance can rip you out of yourself and make you forget you’re watching a movie. Bad casting, however, points up the flaws in the script. Weak performances remind the audience that they’re watching a film.

It’s easy to blame actors – and in Hollywood, A-list actors ...

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