Watch exclusive footage from Bille, Simon and Victoria's talk here.

1. On choosing the right cast for a particular project
   
   
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2. On the value of rehearsing and developing characters before shooting
   
   
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3. How a short film director can get the most out of his/her cast
   
   
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Interview with Victoria Beattie, casting director on the prize

Victoria Beattie worked with Bille Eltringham and Simon Beaufoy on the casting for their film, This Is Not A Love Song, and was casting director on Kenny Glenaan's Gas Attack. Here, she gives her perspective on the work of a casting director and gives advice to aspiring short film-makers looking for the right cast for their film.

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I come from a theatre directing background. I directed television for a while and then moved into casting from there.

Can you explain your role as a casting director?

The job varies from project to project. Essentially, a casting director is there to help the director/producer find the actors for their film. The ideal scenario is to develop a strong creative relationship with the director so that you can help them channel the meaning or quality of the character — as they see it — through different actor options.

How involved in the actual prize productions are you?

Each project has different needs. Some teams started out knowing exactly who they wanted. For those directors it was either a question of securing the actors or moving from an initial idea towards someone new. With other directors there has been the opportunity to play around with different conceptual ideas through the casting.

What do you think is the most important aspect in casting a short film?

A few things spring to mind: economy, innovation and appropriate choices.

Have there been any particularly memorable moments in the casting of the six films?

I remember all the lovely flower print shirts that the actresses wore to audition for Stagnate, a short about a character called Mildred, an office receptionist, ignored by the rest of the world.

What is the most valuable piece of information that you could give to a new writer/director with regards to casting?

Enjoy the relationship you can have with the casting director. It's a way of finding out where else the character / film could go. Sometimes that is already tightly drawn before the casting director is on board and the beauty of the opportunity then is to find the most perfect fit. A written character is always going to transform in some way when the actor's personality becomes involved and not knowing is exciting. Sometimes the casting helps prioritise the concepts or focus of a character.

Tell us about your most exciting or challenging casting?

There are two: Gas Attack, for director Kenny Glenaan and This Is Not A Love Song, for Bille Eltringham. These were both difficult projects with incredibly fulfilling results. I won't gush about them both as I'd like them to re-employ me!

Is there a big difference in the level of experience that the finalists have and how did you get around it?

Experience seems less the significant difference than vision. Each director had their own world to create so the objective was to deliver a result for each project, appropriate to the skills and focus of the team. With short films there's no luxury of time (to rehearse for example) so it's essential that there's minimal risk and the job of the casting director should involve assessing that situation.

How did you get involved with the Orange FilmFour Prize For Short Film?

Kate Ogborn and I worked together previously on This Is Not A Love Song and it seems I got away with it.

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