The Castability Experiment
Season 1
We all want to understand the mystery of casting.
Casting has long been seen as a subjective decision, one that is made behind closed doors with little explanation or consolation offered. Even Casting Directors struggle to explain the art of their work.
We want to shine a light on casting, lifting the veil of mystery by simply starting to count. We can’t measure art, but we can measure decision making. Our goal is to bring transparency to the casting process, and find truths that help everyone. In the process, we want to help actors identify at a personal level what they are suited to audition for and how they are being perceived. Come join us.

Experiment 1:
125 actors will perform and submit self-tapes of the same scene based on an archetype. Three established Casting Directors will each review and rank all 125 of these performances based on 4 categories: Believability, Specificity, Creativity, and Personality. Ultimately, and based on this criteria, they will independently choose the most castable performance. We will then compile this data and identify trends in the casting process
This data will provide valuable insights into the casting process. Specifically, we will attempt to answer some questions around consistency in casting. Do our Casting Directors overwhelmingly agree on the merits of each performance? Or is there a discrepancy between their opinions? Can we identify a trend between any of the specific criteria and ultimate castability decisions? We intend to answer all these questions, and identify more as the data presents itself.
Experiment 2:
125 actors will perform and submit self-tapes for 3 distinct scenes each based on 3 distinct archetypes. One established Casting Director will review and rank all of these performances based on 4 categories: Believability, Specificity, Creativity, and Personality. Ultimately, and based on this criteria, they will independently choose the most castable performance in each of the 3 archetypes.
This data will provide valuable insights into the casting process. Specifically, we will attempt to answer some questions around the impact archetypes have on an individuals performance. Do the same actors shine across all categories? Or is there wide variance in performance depending on the part played? We intend to answer all these questions and more as the data presents itself.
The Team:
Castability: We are a platform connecting actors and casting professionals that creates a feedback loop of performance and insight. In more plain terms, we’re an app where actors can submit scenes for review by casting professionals. We realize that as a tech-startup in an arts-driven field, we are uniquely positioned to take a data-centered approach to the process of acting and casting. One of our company values is to create openings, and we see this experiment as an important step in sharing that value.
3 Casting Professionals
3 Professional Writers
Chad Gervich has worked on scripted, variety, talk, doc, game and late-night series, and he has written, produced or developed shows for ABC, FOX, Amazon, HBO Max, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, CBS Studios, MTV, VH1, Disney Channel, YouTube Premium, E!, Lifetime, TruTV, Food Network, TLC, and Facebook Watch. He's currently a producer on CHERRIES WILD, a game show premiering on Fox in February, and LE PRAWN PARK, a single-camera comedy premiering on Singapore’s Channel 5 this spring. He is also developing a half-hour family comedy for 20th Century TV and ABC.
Miles Chapman is a screenwriter best known for the Sylvester Stallone/Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies ESCAPE PLAN. He wrote the script for Yahoo's pioneer internet film CYBERGEDDON, and has sold pilots including PRICELESS for ABC Studios, and THE REFEREE starring Demian Bichir. He's currently working on the feature film FLIGHT for Paramount Studios.
Steve Harper has written features and plays, created the Emmy nominated web series SEND ME, and wrote on the TV shows AMERICAN CRIME, GOD FRIENDED ME, and STARGIRL.
You:
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18+
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Committed to performing and submitting the required scenes
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A passion for finding truth
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Excited to try out different archetypes, even if they’re not ones you usually go for
So what’s in it for you?
For you personally, this is an opportunity to work, create, and hone your craft with a guarantee of personalized feedback. You’ll identify your strengths and weaknesses as an actor, and leave with a greater understanding of where you are best suited and how you are perceived.
More broadly, it’s an opportunity to contribute to a larger cause. Actors are so often in competition with one another, but here you’ll be collaborating to increase industry transparency for everyone. You’ll be an early adopter of the Castability movement, and a part of a community and cause greater than yourself.
So what's next?
Feel free to email us with questions, or to participate at admin@castability.actor