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IN THE ROOM WITH
Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know
In the Room With
Caitlin D. Jones and Sunday Boling
The CSA board members decode the newest addition to the organization: commercial CDs
By Elyse Roth
CDs many actors will audition for. They have keen eyes that can identify (and employ) promising talent before their résumés are full of professional work. While narrative casting directors might spend weeks or months assembling the cast of a television show or a film, commercial CDs often have 24–48 hours to find the star of a spot, often from among dozens of auditions in one day. Actors might not be able to win an Oscar for their role in a commercial, but that work can launch a career—not to mention pay the bills. For those reasons and more, in 2021, Casting Society of America finally began welcoming commercial casting directors for the first time. Board members Caitlin D. Jones and Sunday Boling shared why they made the change and why it benefits actors to audition for a CSA member.
What went into the decision to add commercial CDs to CSA?
Caitlin D. Jones: I saw Angela Mickey, a mentor of mine at Liz Lewis Casting, try to join CSA, but they didn’t recognize the 16 years of commercial casting she did. That struck me as really unfair. I had a quiet goal to change that. Now, with the help of the whole commercial committee, we did it. It’s been an overwhelming success to bring in fresh voices and perspectives. Reality and commercial casting are more accessible fields to get started in, so there are more people of color in those genres. The more voices we have, the stronger our voice as a profession will be. That’s the goal: to position casting in a place where we are not forgotten, we get credit, and we get respect.
What benefits are there for commercial CDs in CSA?
CDJ: Out of respect for the Commercial Casting Directors Association, we kept them in the loop. You can be a member of CCDA from anywhere, but it only has events in Los Angeles, and there are commercial casting directors all over the globe. So a large chunk of that membership was being underserved. The other thing is that CSA also has a relationship with the Teamsters, who negotiate our contracts for film and television, and also for commercials. That very specific and unique relationship is an exciting driving factor. Also, we’ve been around longer. It’s about growing together and seeing where we can work together.
What are the benefits of this new development for actors?
Sunday Boling: We discuss actors we like within our community. We have a relationship with IMDbPro where we feature an actor of the month. Through social media, we’re highlighting actors who really stand out as we hold open calls and events. We record those open calls; we make those lists available to our members—and only our members. We are a community that talks to one another. So when an actor comes in that we love or I can’t find a particular thing, I put it out to my community of CSA members. Often, people have recommendations that come back my way. It’s a way for more people to know who you are, if your work really stands out and is special. Sometimes, if someone loves a play, someone will say, “Don’t miss this play. Don’t miss this event. This actor is so amazing.” CDJ: The databases we compile through our Equity in Entertainment Committee alone are a benefit to actors auditioning for a CSA member. Commercial casting directors now have more direct access to the latest information from SAG-AFTRA, and that is only in place to protect and help the actors.
Want more?
Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine
