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Casting Director Panel at Comic-Con

First-Ever Casting Director Panel at COMIC-CON 2013, covered by the New York Times !

As thousands of fans descended upon San Diego and the yearly migration of the entertainment industry from Los Angeles began, there was a new ‘first’ at Comic-Con 2013: The Casting Directors.

It started when CSA members Matthew Lessall (who wasn’t able to attend the panel) and Roger Mussenden, in response to a discussion at a CSA board meeting, had an idea “to put together a committee whose main purpose would be to reach out to various high-profile festivals and see if there was any place for the Casting Society, in either some sort of sponsorship or panel opportunity.”  Roger Mussenden responded enthusiastically, and suggested that CSA try for a panel at this year’s Comic-Con.

Veteran Casting Directors were the panelists: Randi Hiller, Sharon Bialy, Roger Mussenden, and David Rappaport, with Lora Kennedy moderating.

As reported in The New York Times (!), it was quite well-attended, with a fully-engaged audience which included (not surprisingly) many actors eager to get advice on the audition process.

Sharon Bialy found questions about the effect of social media and networking on the casting process particularly interesting.  For David Rappaport,  “hearing what my fellow casting directors had to say, and sharing stories” was a highlight.

The consensus seemed to be that in the future the panels might be organized differently, with a wide-ranging set of questions put forth about the way casting impacts a film, to best educate the public about what we do; before opening the floor to audience members and their specific queries.

Mussenden was impressed with the quality group on stage: “We've all made our mark…We really do make a contribution in the creative process, and we’ve all put in a tremendous amount of time doing what we do. We deserve to be recognized and appreciated for that contribution.”

A write-up in The New York Times and an audience at Comic-Con are just the latest steps toward greater public and industry-wide recognition. With “Casting By” premiering on HBO on August 5th, and the Motion Picture Academy’s recent recognition of Casting Directors with their own branch, it looks like 2013 is shaping up to be a monumental year for the profession!  

See you at Comic-Con 2014 !