Ben Cogan
My name is Ben Cogan and I have been working in Casting since the year 2000. I began as a Casting Assistant to EastEnders and shared my first day at the BBC with Kat Slater (to give you a point of reference). I then went on to cast Doctors for 4 years and then Casualty for 8 years. I also put together a police drama, a few afternoon plays and worked on a short film that was nominated for an Oscar (Oh Yeah!).
I have so many cherished memories of these 15 years. I worked with amazing producers, directors and writers - whilst within a large department of a wonderous gaggle of Casting Directors & Assistants. I was forever learning from the likes of Jane Deitch, Catherine Willis, Liz Stoll, Julie Harkin, Stephen Moore, Rowland Beckley, Laura McSwan & Rachelle Williams-Parker.
Though towards the end of my time at the Beeb I began to feel the bang of my head on the glass ceiling. The powers that be were very happy for me to cast Casualty and though I was honoured to do so, I always wanted to be more to actors than just that. So, I began to take invitations from drama schools such as LAMDA, Identity, Central and Drama Studio London where I was able to workshop and talk to graduates about the casting process and give guidance in how to approach an audition, be in an audition and walk away from an audition … whilst giving top tips in how to shine throughout!
I Loved it! It was like I found the toy room in the house of my job!! Not just meeting with actors on audition days or speaking to them over a cheap glass of wine at the end of a play – but working directly and intensely with them so they felt prepared, enthused and less afraid of the future auditions that awaited them.
At the same time, I was invited by the BBC’s executive producer for continuing drama - John Yorke - to spend time in his Writers’ Academy. Here I was able to work with writers and script editors and really understand how scripts come to be and what is expected of the actor. It was an incredible insight and one that I knew would be imperative to pass on to actors.
So – I took a step back and realised that I had my forever-beating-for-actors-heart, a new way of speaking to them and now all this script insight to share with them (as well as all my experience) … and this was an inspiration that led to me leaving the BBC and swan diving (or tumbling depending on your stand point) into the world of freelance and set up my company BeCo.Me!
It has now been almost 10 wonderful years! I cast mostly now for independent film and have been able to work on such productions such as His Dark Materials – but in addition I get to work with actors every day! This is online, where I work with many actors all over the world on an ongoing basis or help them prepare for a self-tape or audition. There is also the in-the-room workshops where I arrive as Mock Audition Man (a superhero not yet picked up yet by Marvel) and work with actors with scripts, scene dissection, self-tape techniques and auditions.
It was through such a workshop that I returned to Ardent8 in October upon the invitation of the wonderful Andrew Muir and Mark Sands and got to work with Ensemble 4: Trae, Amirah, Lewis, Yarrow, Toby, Liv, Olivia and Phoebe.
My time spent at the Writers’ Academy turned me into an absolute whore for scene dissection! The workshop was designed to guide Ensemble 4 through receiving a script/ scene, understanding it, breaking it down, finding the character, rehearsing, performing and then taking direction before performing it again to camera!
When you receive a request for an audition/self-tape: put the kettle on! Then with a cup of tea in hand – sit down and read through the material you’ve been sent. Firstly, the details of the audition or how the self-tape needs to be submitted. Secondly, the character breakdown – focusing on the defining attributes that the casting team are wanting to see. Thirdly, the scene(s) itself. The scene needs to initially be read as a piece of literature. Do not focus solely on your character but the scene as a whole. You can only move onto to your focussed preparation once you can define the scene in a sentence (as if it was your call sheet). This will give you the essential understanding of the scene’s foundation … and then you’re good to go!
A common critique from producers and directors is that audition performances can be ‘a little one note’. I combat this in helping actors prepare by breaking scenes down into mini-sections. This makes the scene easier to learn, enables the actor to see the minutiae of detail and gives their performance so many more engaging flavours.
Spending 25 years thinking of the character in front of me but always reading the roles of everyone else – has taught me an essential lesson to pass on to actors. (Drum roll …) In your preparation always read the scene from the standpoint of all the other characters. This will give you the writer’s understanding of the scene and for self-tapes this is absolute dynamite. As understanding the scene from all point of views (POVs) will allow you to see how your lines are being given to you and how they are being received. This will give you a gateway into your character’s internal dialogue, allow you to choose the lines that can resonate over those that can be bounced back and take your performance to the rocks beneath!
Casting – for me – comes down to believability and character. Believability puts you into contention and character gets you cast. I want to believe that you are from that world, of that profession, in that emotional entanglement, etc. Then I want to be able to argue that the character must be played by you over anybody else!
If I could rename auditions and self-tapes I would call them ‘Character Workshops’. As it is the actor’s interpretation of the character that will ultimately get them cast. Through scene dissection, actors can attain a solid hold of the writing and their character’s mindset. With this understanding, actors can then then make their bold choices. Bold choices are the mini-grenades to your performance that provide the ‘Wow! Factor’ and put you firmly in contention.
When auditioning and self-taping, the most important thing an actor can be is kind to themselves. It is hard to get cast! Putting a casting jigsaw together for a production brings in so many variables and compatibility issues. Remember, the best audition of your life may not necessarily get you cast, but having a reputation of some one who always delivers will give you more auditions and more auditions will lead to more work!
ABOUT BEN
For the last 22 years, I have had the honour of working on a wide and wonderful powerhouse of award-winning dramas for both television and film. I am inspired and impassioned by working with actors on behalf of production for the enjoyment of audiences.