Top Production House in Kenya

CASTING FOR TV & MOVIES

In the performing arts industry, casting is a pre-production process of selecting a certain type of actor or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenplay or teleplay. When choosing casts, Insignia being a Top Production house in Kenya often casts a wide net, hoping to attract unknown’s who will dazzle, delight, infuriate and entertain audiences. In the pre-production process, the director presents the performers with prepared audition pieces such as monologues and scripts. These audition pieces are usually videotaped then shared with film producers.

TV series or movie roles vary by contract and in some cases actors negotiate the way they are credited.

Film production in Kenya uses 6 criteria when choosing actors.

A) BACKGROUND ACTORS

A background actor is someone who performs in a nonspeaking role, usually in the background. They usually help TV shows look  and feel real and worthy of trust. After all, hospitals, schools, restaurants and streets would look like movie sets without background actors to give them life. Some production houses choose to use its crew as background actors as this also helps with cutting down costs.

B) SERIES REGULAR ACTORS

They are part of the main cast and are contacted to work on a show for a period of time. Being a series regular requires a lot of memorization, time management and personal skills that extend well past shooting short film. Actors may be credited as series regulars even if they don’t appear on every episode. For example, Toni, whose role in My Two Wives won Kalasha Awards 2018, does not appear in every episode but she is still credited as a series regular.

C) RECURRING

A recurring actor appears from time to time either over the course of a season or the entire series. They sometimes play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main focus. Sometimes these actors are brought on as the story demands. For instance, in the recent TV reality show, Socialites, produced by Insignia Productions, Brown is seen as the recurring actor.

D) GUEST STAR

It’s the guest actors who make a television series move. Without guests stars and supporting actors propelling the leads through the narrative, everyone would be idling about with no goals.

E) CO-STAR

They generally have only one or two scenes. While, it’s not guaranteed, you will likely only work for a day. Locally, the more co-star work you get, the more film producers in Kenya will know your name, and the more likely you’ll get a chance to work as a guest star.

F) CAMEO

This basically means that a more famous person than the main cast appears on a show. It is type of homage that serves as a gift to viewers and as well as a to promote a film. A crew member of a TV series playing a minor role can be referred to as cameo actor as well.

Sometimes people only see the bigger picture when it comes to film production in Kenya and often forget that most film makers and casts worked their way up to get to where they are. It’s always all about hard work, and using your opportunities in all the steps of film production while working in television series.