Casting Director Renee Godbout on Getting Cast After the Writers' Guild of America Strike of 2007-2008.

The writer's strike is finally over, let's all let out a sigh of relief! Even though it was a necessary evil, everyone in the entertainment industry is excited to be getting back to work. The Oscars will go on as scheduled this weekend, February 24th and Los Angeles can start to finally make some of that much needed income back.

So what does this mean to the acting community? Well, it certainly means you can start looking out for auditions again. Television shows across the country are expected to be back in production this week. Writers are busy writing scripts and production teams are being reassembled. Most shows that ARE coming back will begin shooting anywhere between the beginning and end of March. But not ALL will be back. Few rookie shows will be shooting new episodes this season, due to the money involved in re-launching them. But hits like ABC's Samantha Who and the CW's Gossip Girl, are the exceptions to the rule since their hype hasn't died out. Since I work on Gossip Girl, I can assure you that they'll be shooting again in mid-March and airing 5 more episodes starting in mid April.

What will be different is pilot season. Pilot episodes are usually written during the winter and prepped for shooting in March. With not much writing going on, you can expect fewer pilots to be written and shot. Many networks are embracing the change and green-lighting shows for a number of episodes without even having a pilot shot. Others might choose to launch shows throughout the year and not just in this fall season. Either way, expect to see less new series when the fall upfronts come up this year.

With the looming possibility of a SAG strike at the end of June, a lot of films are beginning to shoot in the March-April timeframe. Boston alone has 9 major motion pictures scheduled to shoot, while Connecticut has at least 5 set to film in the coming months. Films all over the country are hurrying into production, happy to now have access to those last minute script revisions. Hopefully we will be done with the word strike word for 2008, but being prepared for the worst is always best and most productions are keeping that in mind.

With a busy Spring almost upon us, everyone make sure your headshots and resumes are up-to-date. I, personally, can't wait to get back to work.

So how can you get upgraded? Unfortunately, it's often just being in the right place at the right time. Occasionally, I'm told that an actor may be upgraded and we can give them a heads up. Other times, they may be standing somewhere and the director decides it looks odd to not have an actor saying anything. I've also had people given dance choreography at the last minute and upgraded to principle dancers. Anytime an actor is given a choreographed dance, it's considered principle work. On the TV show Gossip Girl and the film Enchanted we were responsible for hiring most of their principle dancers. We went through our entire database of background talent before we called agents and requested referrals.

One thing actors should know is that being an extra on a television show will not keep you from working on the same show as a principle. It's a common misconception that actors will be pigeon-holed as extras and not receive full consideration for principle work. Often times, there are actors who are used regularly for extra work and I will find out after calling them that they have already booked a principle role on the same show. In that situation, I can not use them as an extra for quite some time since they would be recognizable. But if they have worked as an extra the week before they go in for an audition on that same TV show, it would not stop them from getting the part. The only thing that could keep them from getting cast would be if they were in an extra in the same episode. This is very rare since principle casting is normally done before the episode starts shooting.

Remember that casting directors talk to one another. We'll often recommend extras that we know are talented, responsible, and right for what someone is looking for. In my office, my co-workers are constantly asking for advice on what actors we want to bring in for principle auditions. The next time it could be you!

Renee Godbout - Freelance Casting Director. Renee Godbout recently worked on the first season of The CW's popular teen show Gossip Girl at Grant Wilfey Casting. Some past projects include 2 seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the pilot for Dirty Sexy Money, and the upcoming Jonathan Demme-directed Dancing with Shiva.