Types of Casting in the Entertainment Industry: Complete Overview 2026

Casting is a procedure for selecting actors for specific roles in film, theater, advertising, or other projects. In the Russian entertainment industry, there are 7 main types of castings: open calls, closed castings, online castings, street castings, type castings, creative competitions, and stunt double castings. Each type has its own characteristics in terms of accessibility, competition, and participant requirements. According to data from our GetActress platform, open castings and online auditions are the most effective for beginning actors.

Comparative Table of Casting Types

Open Castings (Open Call)

Open Call is a mass open casting where anyone can come without prior registration or recommendations. Such events are regularly held by major film studios like Mosfilm, TV channels, and production companies.

According to GetActress statistics for 2025, an open casting in Moscow attracts between 500 to 3,000 people. To be honest, the chances of passing the selection are only 0.1-0.5%. However, this doesn't mean participation is pointless.

Features of Open Castings:

• Mass participation: everyone comes, from professional actors to amateurs
• Quick selection: each participant gets 30-60 seconds
• Minimal requirements: often just need to fill out a form
• High competition: hundreds of candidates for one role

One of our actors told us he got into the background cast of the series "Slovo Patsana" through an open call on the First Channel. He waited in line for 4 hours but got a role paying 8,000 rubles for a shooting day.

Closed Castings

Closed casting is a private audition by invitation only, where only actors with agents, recommendations, or a certain status in the industry are admitted.

Such castings are held for lead roles in major projects. For example, roles in Bazelevs studio films or Amedia series are almost always cast privately.

How to Get into a Closed Casting:

1. Through an agent: talent agencies like Start or Kinopoisk.Content
2. By recommendation: from a director, producer, or colleagues
3. Through a casting director: if you've worked with them before
4. STD RF membership: membership in the Union of Theater Workers provides advantages

In closed castings, 10-50 people participate instead of thousands. Accordingly, the chances of getting a role increase to 5-20%.

Online Castings and Self-Tapes

Online casting is an audition via the internet where an actor records a video at home and sends it to the organizers. The format has been actively developing since 2020 and now accounts for about 40% of all castings in Russia.

According to our platform, the average cost of a professional self-tape recording in Moscow is 3,500 rubles. However, you can record it yourself with minimal expenses.

Advantages of Online Castings:

• Time-saving: no need to travel across the city
• Ability to re-record: you can make several takes
• Geographic accessibility: you can participate from any city
• Less stress: familiar home environment

Technical Requirements:

• Camera: minimum Full HD (1920×1080)
• Sound: lavalier microphone or directional
• Lighting: even light on the face
• Background: neutral, without distracting elements

Here's a real example: an actress from Yekaterinburg got a role in a Moscow TNT series by sending a self-tape. Shooting lasted 2 weeks, and the fee was 180,000 rubles.

Street Castings

Street casting is the search for actors on streets, in shopping centers, universities, and other public places. Casting directors look for people with suitable appearance for specific roles.

Street castings are most often held for: - Commercial spots (especially "real people") - Mass scenes in films - Youth projects - Social advertising

Where Street Castings Take Place in Moscow:

• Evropeyskiy, Atrium shopping centers
• Gorky Park, VDNKh
• Moscow State University, RUDN, other universities
• Arbat, Tverskaya Street

Let's be honest, many actors are skeptical about street castings. But sometimes it becomes the start of a career. For example, Milos Bikovic started this way — he was spotted on the street for a mobile operator commercial.

Type Castings

Type casting is the selection of actors for a specific image or social role: doctor, teacher, businessman, student, and so on.

Unlike open castings, here acting ability is not as important as matching the type. Organizers look for people who naturally look right for the given role.

Popular Types in 2026:

1. IT specialists: for bank and technology company advertising
2. Young parents: family advertising, social spots
3. Retirees: banking and medical advertising
4. Students: educational projects, youth series
5. Athletes: sports brand advertising

According to GetActress user reviews, type castings are a good way to start acting at 30+, when classical acting beauty is no longer the main thing.

Creative Competitions

Creative competition is a casting in the form of a contest where participants go through several selection stages, demonstrating various skills.

Examples of major creative competitions: - "The Blue Bird" (Russia 1) — children's competition - "The Voice" and its versions — vocal show - Entrance competition for VGIK, GITIS - Casting for musicals at Russia Theater, MDM

Stages of a Creative Competition:

1. Application: submission of documents and portfolio
2. Preliminary selection: video introduction or form
3. Live round: performance before the jury
4. Final: work with professional mentors

Participation in creative competitions can cost from 500 rubles (registration fee) to 15,000 rubles for master classes and consultations.

And of course, winning such a competition is a powerful career boost. Many "The Voice" participants get record label contracts even without reaching the final.

Dubbing Castings

Dubbing casting is the selection of actors for voice-over work on films, series, cartoons, and video games in Russian.

In Russia, dubbing is handled by several major studios: - Nevafilm (Yekaterinburg) - Carmen Video (Moscow) - SDI Media (Moscow) - Pythagoras (Moscow)

Requirements for Dubbing Actors:

• Voice data: clear diction, wide range
• Acting skills: ability to convey emotions through voice
• Technical training: microphone work, synchronization
• Language skills: knowledge of foreign languages — a plus

Dubbing Actor Fees: - Lead roles: 15,000-50,000 rubles per film - Supporting roles: 5,000-15,000 rubles - Background: 1,000-3,000 rubles per session

One of GetActress's regular clients has been working as a dubbing actor for 8 years. His average income is 120,000 rubles per month with 15-20 working days of work.

Preparation for Different Types of Castings

For Open Castings:

• Come early in the morning to get in the front rows
• Prepare a short self-presentation (30 seconds)
• Bring water and snacks — waiting can take a while
• Study the project in advance to understand what they want from you

For Closed Castings:

• Thoroughly study the material — script, character
• Prepare several variations of reading the role
• Arrive exactly on time — lateness is unacceptable
• Be ready for improvisation and working with a partner

For Online Castings:

• Check your technical equipment in advance
• Record several variations and choose the best one
• Follow the organizers' technical requirements
• Study the guide to preparing for AI-assisted castings

For Type Castings:

• Choose an appropriate image in clothing and makeup
• Study the characteristics of the profession or social role
• Be natural — don't overact
• Prepare a story about your life experience in this field

Common Mistakes of Beginning Actors

We analyzed 3,400+ castings on our platform and identified typical mistakes:

1. Unsuitable Material for Audition

47% of beginning actors choose monologues that don't match their age or type. For example, 20-year-old girls perform Lady Macbeth's monologue.

Solution: choose material for your age plus or minus 5 years.

2. Poor Technical Preparation of Self-Tapes

38% of rejected applications are due to technical problems: poor sound, lighting, shaky camera.

Solution: invest in basic equipment or rent a studio.

3. Inappropriate Clothing and Image

32% of actors come to castings in unsuitable clothing. To a doctor casting — in an evening dress, to a student role — in a business suit.

Solution: study the brief and choose an image for the character.

4. Lack of Project Preparation

29% of participants know nothing about the project, director, or production company.

Solution: spend 15-20 minutes researching information online.

Casting Industry Trends 2026

Growth of Online Castings

The share of online auditions grew from 15% in 2019 to 42% in 2025. We forecast growth to 55% by the end of 2026.

Inclusivity and Diversity

Casting directors are actively seeking actors of different nationalities, with distinctive appearance features, people with disabilities. This is driven by requirements from international platforms like Netflix.

Use of AI in Selection

Some major studios are testing AI-based preliminary selection systems. AI analyzes self-tapes and selects the most suitable candidates.

Specialized Castings

There is a growing number of narrowly specialized castings: for stand-up comedians, bloggers, athletes, people of certain professions.

Regional Characteristics

Moscow

• Largest number of castings (about 60% of all in Russia)
• High competition
• More closed castings
• Average fee: 8,000-25,000 rubles per shooting day

Saint Petersburg

• Second most active region (15% of castings)
• Many historical projects
• Active theater castings
• Average fee: 5,000-15,000 rubles per day

Regions

• Predominantly advertising castings
• More type roles
• Less competition
• Average fee: 2,000-8,000 rubles per day

Recommendations for Actors

For Beginners:

1. Start with open castings — they provide experience and understanding of the process
2. Create quality portfolio — professional photos are mandatory
3. Learn the basics of self-tape — this skill is necessary in 2026
4. Consider creating a portfolio website for promotion

For Experienced Actors:

1. Develop connections in the industry — this is the path to closed castings
2. Specialize — become an expert in a certain genre or type
3. Study on-camera acting — film requires different skills
4. Consider working with an agent — this opens access to major projects

Universal Tips:

• Be professional: arrive on time, learn your lines, follow instructions
• Develop skills: acting, diction, movement
• Follow trends: study new formats and platforms
• Don't give up: rejections are normal, even stars have a low success rate at castings

Remember: every casting is experience and opportunity. Even if you didn't get the role, they may remember you for future projects.