Day Five: Summatime
Inside the casting process of an independent film - from high-stakes calls to summer market timing, waiting games, and the art of the pivot.
If you’ve ever wondered what really happens inside the casting process of an independent film, from high-stakes calls to summer market timing, waiting games, and the art of the pivot, this chapter of From Day One is for you.
If you haven’t already, check out the earlier entries in From Day One. This is my serialized docu-journal chronicling the making of my next feature film, every step, setback, and small victory along the way. Once a week, I also drop a Sidestack post that dives into the fundamentals of filmmaking, designed to educate, inform, and inspire.
The Long Distance Between Monday and Tuesday
Tuesday morning arrives. The space between Monday’s prep meeting and Tuesday’s call feels stretched, miles, maybe weeks. You’d think I’d take it all with a grain of salt by now. Sometimes I can. Sometimes I can’t.
Maybe it’s because my birthday was looming. Birthdays have a way of putting you in the spotlight, demanding: What have you done with your life? For me, that light feels like a stadium glare. I know A: I’m not that important. And B: my Italian roots occasionally fuel grand, cinematic ideas about my own life. Still, all I could think about was how much I wanted this call to go smoothly.
I teetered between two instincts: take the lead and set the tone, or let it unfold naturally.
“Work while everyone else takes a break. Do the extra to become extraordinary.”
The Pre-Meeting Awkwardness Nobody Talks About
Here’s something I’ve never heard discussed: the awkward pre-meeting moment. It’s the digital version of being trapped in an elevator with someone you barely know.
Since COVID, there has been a tidal wave of Zoom and Google Meet calls where you log in and only one other person is there, someone you’re not entirely familiar with. You’re suddenly locked into a “pre-meeting” until the others arrive. No matter how many times it happens, I’m never ready for it.
Then everyone joins. To my relief, the rhythm clicks instantly. We dive into casting strategy, financial approach, and several other moving parts. The decision is clear: we don’t need to pair talent yet. First, we lock in our lead. Then we bring in number two and three.
It is as smooth and productive as I could have hoped for.
Summer Timing in the Independent Film Market
The next day, we’re pulling together the package: a personal letter to the actor, the lookbook, sizzle reel, and a carefully curated email to the reps. Then comes the timing debate.
Summer is a strange season in the film business. By July, your opportunity to send materials is cut in half. Offices close early, inboxes are ignored. By August, good luck getting anything read. People in this business have families, vacations, and lives beyond the hustle.
I learned early, without a wealthy family or a prestigious film degree, that you work while everyone else takes a break. That is how you sharpen your skills when the world goes quiet.
We send the offer.
Two Days of Redirecting
And then, back to the waiting game.
For two days I redirected my attention. I worked on a true-life story I optioned about an early 1980s Alabama murder case, the kind of haunting, deeply human story that sticks with you. I pitched it to a well-known actress one crisp December night in Tribeca in 2024. I also pushed forward on a brand-new creature feature I had just inked in July.
In between, I was dragging twenty eight-foot by six-foot wooden fence panels, each weighing over 300 pounds, through the rain and onto a borrowed trailer, moving them to a new property I purchased ten minutes from the beach. Glamorous? No. But perspective is everything. No quit. Eye on the prize.
“The almighty ‘no’ is just as valuable as the ‘yes.’ It lets you move on.”
The First No
Two days later, the rep responds: the actor’s not interested in this genre right now. Shitballs.
We regroup. The next choice is older than our first three options but carries a legacy name, respected, well-liked, and valued. A great actor who could bring real depth to the role. A legend.
We gather the assets again, choose the right send time, and on Thursday the package is out in the ether along with my hopes.
The Weekend Reset
I spend my birthday weekend with the people who matter most. The ones who remind you your value isn’t tied to whether you’re making multi-million dollar films or not. The ones who love you regardless.
The Silence That Speaks Volumes
Monday comes. Still no word. Silence in this business can be deafening.
I have been here before. In 2017, during my first feature, we sent materials out and waited. And waited. Three weeks later, still nothing, until we finally forced a “no” from the rep.
It is one of my least favorite industry habits: avoiding the word altogether. A drawn-out maybe is worse.
The Waiting Game, Again
We are a week into waiting now. Money and schedules don’t wait for anyone, so if there’s no movement soon, we’ll have to pivot.
Best case? The actor is somewhere relaxing, reading the script, and already imagining the role, ready to call me when he’s back. That is where I’m keeping my focus.
This is the game. Walk with me.
👏🏻