CASTING DIRECTOR WORKSHOP Easter Holidays

[carriesdream]

David Fielding CD for BBC, CBBC, TV , FILM and THEATRE IS HOLDING WORKSHOPS along with Jane Sanger film maker and drama coach IN THE EASTER HOLIDAYS FOR
YOUNGSTERS AGE 8 -13 ON THURS 11 AND FRI 12 APRIL - Sevenoaks, Kent £100 for 2 days
TEENS - TWENTIES ON SAT 13 APRIL - London RADA studios - £60 FOR 1 DAY
for a form to fill in and secure a place email info@luminofilms.co.uk

David is currently casting Switching Stations for Talisman Fims(Woman In Black) and London 1666 for Prescience Films (The Kings Speech)
Learn how to get the edge at castings, practice scripts and auditions plus much, much more.

[lyndahill]

Booked-just waiting confirmation email,my DD loves the workshps she attends

[pg]

The more research I do about David Fielding the less happy I am about how this is being represented.

I would suggest that anyone interested in signing up for this does some research.

[Flosmom]

The more research I do about David Fielding the less happy I am about how this is being represented.

I would suggest that anyone interested in signing up for this does some research.

Does anyone know anything about Jane Sanger's work? She is described as a Film Maker and Director, but I can't find any credits for her. She is the sole shareholder in Lumino films, who run the workshops, but that's the only reference I can find.

Hope you can help

Deb x

[pg]

I've written and then deleted a few scathing remarks. I feel scathing though. Seething too, to be honest.

Why call someone a "top" casting director when they are not? I do hope that eventually, Lumino Films will just learn to promote things as they are, not as they optimsitically would like them to be - especially if you are planning to promote them on a forum where there are people who know how to do a bit of internet research.

I imagine Jane Sanger is termdriven/drama teacher. I'm not sure how many films Jane has directed or produced.

[emi's mum]

I've written and then deleted a few scathing remarks. I feel scathing though. Seething too, to be honest.

Why call someone a "top" casting director when they are not? I do hope that eventually, Lumino Films will just learn to promote things as they are, not as they optimsitically would like them to be - especially if you are planning to promote them on a forum where there are people who know how to do a bit of internet research.

I imagine Jane Sanger is termdriven/drama teacher. I'm not sure how many films Jane has directed or produced.

My research also doesn't tally with the claims of CD for CBBC etc etc. He is a partner in a casting company which lists their current and past castings and the only BBC ref I can find is one for an internet based campaign. This is false advertising and it really winds me up. I am sure the workshop is fun and a great experience but fabricating credits like this will make people think they are getting something they are not. In effect people will book their children onto these workshops to be seen by a 'top casting director' when in fact that is not the case. I have found this http://www.sidproductions.co.uk/about%20us/aboutus.html. Also see the current and past credits. I'm with PG on this.....just tell it how it is and people will still book on the workshops but please don't try to sell yourselves as something you clearly are not.

[pg]

just tell it how it is and people will still book on the workshops but please don't try to sell yourselves as something you clearly are not.

Exactly.

I think you are really shooting yourself in the foot by doing this.

I apologise to termdriven for thinking that "top" casting director was a term she had used in her marketing.

Please note I am editing this post as a courtesy to termdriven in response to a pm received today. I shall summarise my thoughts but delete the contents of the pm that I had sent in response to termdriven which - yesterday - were pasted below (I had copied some of my response as I thought it relevant to the thread, I didn't copy any of termdriven's pm - however, I accept that it was not very good forum etiquette to copy one half of a personal message, even though the words and thoughts were mine and I won't do it again ).

I have told termdriven that I am editing this post so that she can read it and respond if she wishes to.

I am curous about Talisman Films and exactly how they were involved with "Woman in Black". I see Talisman listed on Imdb but can't find out much more about them. I can't find anything out about "Switching Stations" either, this is quite unusual if it's already at the casting stage. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong, I'm just curious. Is Prescience Films finance also funding London 1666? It doesn't appear on their "slate" on their website. Who is the production company? I can only find reference to Jesmad films. Is Prescience Films finance confirmed? Of course, this would be absolutely none of my business if these company's names were not being linked to the marketing of the workshops, but since these names are being used I think it's natural to do a bit of research.

I don't think I'm the only person who does this. I might be . I'd like to suggest it's a good idea

I'm left with the impression that connections with some of the prestigious names may be exaggerated. I have not seen any evidence that David Fielding has cast any shows for the BBC. It doesn't mean he hasn't. It should be quite easy to put me straight on this simply by letting me/us know what he has cast.

I have no reason to believe that David Fielding is anything other than an upstanding human being. I have no reason to believe that David Fielding won't run a good workshop either. His involvement in casting - wherever and whatever that has been - will no doubt give him many valuable and interesting insights that he will be able to pass on.

I probably wouldn't have bothered commenting on the workshops if it hadn't been for carriesdream's post and if it hadn't been for the way the "pilot" had been pitched. However, if you are asking for money from people then the way you market yourselves is open to scrutiny. If you write something that others feel may be misleading then you absolutely have to be prepared to have this questioned - there's not a lot of point getting hot under the collar about it.

For the record, I think workshops are a great idea. I think there are lots of interesting things to learn, fun to be had, good people to meet. What I cannot stand (though you may have gathered that by now ) is when people are asking for money and using misleading marketing or when people are promising things they are not in a position to deliver. I think this sometimes happens through misplaced enthusiasm or inexperience rather than any intention to defraud or deceive. Maybe it even usually happens for this reason. I still intend to draw attention to it when I see it though. Especially because sometimes it's done by charlatans. I don't think that's the case in this instance.

I hope that clears up why I have commented on the forum in the way that I have.

I give my opinions and "care" not because I wish to destroy or pursue anyone but because there are pitfalls in this business and I think it is useful to point out where some things might benefit from more research.

Edited by pg 01 March 2013 14:30

[Selina2]

I apologise to termdriven for thinking that "top" casting director was a term she had used in her marketing.

I don't think you have anything to apologise for. pg. It was a term she used in her marketing. That wording (and also an "important casting director") was used in all the ads posted by Lumino Films (Filmby Lumino) on lots of Facebook pages, Starnow etc for the workshops. They have now been removed presumably because of the issues raised about it on this site last night. (Although there are still a few around that haven't yet been deleted e.g on The Brit School Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TheBRITSchool?r ... 9&filter=2 and the "So you Want to Work in Television" FB page http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?i ... 6284462816)

Just because it's now been removed/changed doesn't mean it wasn't there originally!

[pg]

Please note that I have edited my previous post.

[termdriven]

Dear pg, thank you for editing your post

David was a CD on a contract with the BBC for over 2 years.

Selina - I had carriesdream remove the word 'top' from this site as it was offending you, but from nowhere else,
and now have moderated those 2 - had forgotten about them completely.

[begolina]

I am a bit confused here. Carriesdream did use the word top because it was used in other places and Selina gave 2 examples of it (even if Carriesdream used it on her own, still Lumino did used it in the other two examples). Anyway, enough of this for me
I am sure that the word 'top' didn't offend Selina. The point raised by pg and Selina, in my opinion, is totally different and it is very much on the table. When jargon is mixed with the marketing of acting/directing/auditioning workshops is always better triple check. And I am always extremely grateful to pg or any other that take the time to share their experience and ring the bell, then everybody is free to take note or not.
Pg, I think you might have been extra zealous in editing your post and just hope that you will carry on exactly like before, we all love your posts and they are the first thing I read.

[termdriven]

You are right I am so sorry, my enthusiasm for this and my filming have made me make errors in judgement with wording which I will carefully check in future.
However words are subjective check out here the word great is used:
http://london1666.wordpress.com/ -
I genuinely had not thought about the impact particular words would have and had forgotten just when and where I put any adverts, but am quite willing to change any.

I CAN DO NOTHING BUT APOLOGISE

THIS DOES NOT DETER FROM THE FACT THAT DAVID IS A VERY GOOD AND GENUINE CASTING DIRECTOR, I AM A GENUINE HARD WORKING FILM MAKER
WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER BOTH STARTING AS ACTING CHILDREN, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE OF ACTING,SCRIPT- WRITING, CASTING, TEACHING,
Personally I think we offer a great workshop at a price I believe below others

At the workshop we will be offering your childs practice audition which will be filmed and then sent to you to use or not with an appraisal, after the workshop.
Perhaps this is offered on a routine basis I don't know but I think for 8 -13 year olds this is very helpful as when they go into audition you as parents do not know exactly how they did and how to help them
This will open up a chance to do that[/color]

I hope you will still consider our workshop.

Switching Stations will be looking for a young boy actor and London 1666 will be looking for a young Anna Popplewell(Narnia) and quite a few other child actors.
These will be advertised on Spotlight and available as and when through your agent.

I would also just like to add that any money forthcoming to me from the workshops will go straight to fund more short films
We have several projects on the go, apart from the first two, they are and will be funded, and have and will have child actors in them.
Please look at stills from Little Red(in post production) on my site http://www.luminofilms.co.uk. This was a funded film.
II would like to think that my short films give me a chance to make I hope quality work and for children to act in and use in their showreels.

If you do come please report back as to your findings!

[lyndahill]

My DD is going to this workshop because it sounds very good value for money. The kids always learn from these style of worksops and can bring forward to future castings
It's not about being spotted, that would be a bonus, but to get some valuable feedback as to how you could improve and what you might be doing wrong. Although this workshop at first may have been misrepresented I feel if the full content is covered the kids will have a fun and informative day. I will let you lnow how my DD found it

[Robin64]

PG and others I also applaud you for the points you have made. I am afraid that it is all too often that children and young people are seen as an easy way to rake in some money and these workshops are too expensive IMO. I would second the need to just think twice and check what you are paying for. I have seen lots of examples on here that are asking for hundreds of pounds (see thread on Brian Timoney) and others. I personally think that NYMT is a vast amount to find but at least it is the highest quality and I would be prepared to pay if I could afford it. Everyone wants a payment - audition fees for colleges and companies, overpriced workshops with so called TOP people, you can be in this production for X amount etc etc. I think some of them are ripping people off to be perfectly frank. They are taking advantage of us parents who are hoping to do right by our children who enjoy performing.

There are many local theatres and drama groups that will offer workshops at a fraction of these prices. My nephew is in a local theatre group and does school shows, he has a local (small time) agent and has been put forward for lots of productions with some success too (he has a top BBC audition this week in fact). His parents have never paid out for any expensive workshops. Our kids do the free workshops during Kidsweek and I look out for other free/reasonable opportunities. My DD has been in professional panto several times and I have not paid a penny for this experience (apart form petrol costs of course!). Auditions should be free and workshops can be a reasonable price which could easily be no more than £5 per hour per child if there will be sufficient students.

I can give you an example of excellent and in my opinion exemplary workshops from my experience in the area of dance. I am a mum of dancing DD so that is where my point of view is coming from. A fantastic company like Ballet Cymru (Welsh Ballet) can offer a weeks (YES WEEK'S) dance training with professionals for £60 for the week with a performance on a professional stage at the end of it and a weeks ballet training 8 hrs a day for a week with performance for £120. Now that is what I would call value for money and an amazing opportunity. They are all about giving back to the community and to youngsters. I am afraid not all performance based workshops have that as their motivation.

Another eg of this sort of thing is from non performing DD who was offered (through ad sent to her school) a "workshop for exceptionally gifted artists" at a prestigious London museum. Ok great...I paid the £60 thinking this should be very high standard. Hmmm tbh it turned out to be an ex primary teacher who really was no expert and quite a few of the "gifted" children were not and were quite silly plus the teacher didn't have much control over the behaviour. I wasn't impressed definitely a case of being, erm, "over enthusiastic" about what workshop was offering.

If you want to run workshops - offer them at a reasonable rate with good teachers and word of mouth will ensure others are queuing up to take part but don't try and take advantage by any means possible. I am happy to pay for people's time and experience but as PG has said - be honest about it please - if you really are a CD looking for a child to be part of a project then you have something to gain from the workshop too haven't you?

Good on you PG, don't apologise. People like you make NAPM worth reading. Us parents have not got money to burn so let's have some honesty and value for money please. I am not saying these workshops won't be ok just agreeing with others that it is best to check up and do a bit of research before you open your wallet!

[Robin64]

I think the Jo Hawes workshops are £25 and £15 for siblings and as she is a top CD then this seems a reasonable amount to me. A days workshop/experience day with West End Kids is £45 I think, which I would be happy with so I am not a total scrooge. I haven't done these btw just looked up the prices as a comparison.