What Do Talent Directors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Talent Directors audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions. They also audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.

Other tasks include:

• Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
• Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
• Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
• Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
• Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies.
• Arrange for or design screen tests or auditions for prospective performers.

We asked Talent Directors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

---

68% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 49% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Talent Directors maintain talent files that include information such as performers’ specialties, past performances, and availability. They hire and supervise workers who help locate people with specified attributes and talents.

A typical day for a Talent Director will also include:

• Review performer information, such as photos, resumes, voice tapes, videos, and union membership, to decide whom to audition for parts.
• Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
• Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
• Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
• Arrange for or design screen tests or auditions for prospective performers.

We asked some Talent Directors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	93% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	81% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	76% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	27% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Talent Directors also attend or view productions to maintain knowledge of available actors. They may also locate performers or extras for crowd and background scenes, and stand-ins or photo doubles for actors, by direct contact or through agents.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Talent Directors Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies. They might also Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.

In addition, they Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.

To some Talent Directors, it is also their responsibility to Read scripts and confer with producers to determine the types and numbers of performers required for a given production.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Talent Director, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm

http://www.dga.org/

http://www.producersguild.org/

http://nast.arts-accredit.org/