Directing Lab - Broward

The Casting Lab is a dynamic, in-person half-day workshop that gives directors, actors, and filmmakers professional tools for casting and performance direction. Participants learn a structured approach to identifying great actors and quickly elevating performance on set—without needing to step into the actor’s internal process. The workshop is fast-paced, interactive, and built around live, unrehearsed scene work.

Whether you're looking to cast the right talent, stand out in auditions, or better understand what makes performances work, this session offers real-world insight into the collaborative art of bringing characters to life under production pressure.

What You’ll Learn

• Three essential qualities an actor must have to land the role
• How to quickly test for those qualities during casting
• Three practical directing techniques that consistently improve performance
• How to self-direct effectively when direction is vague or absent

Foundational Lecture - Introduces three must-have actor qualities—plus two toolkits: one for recognizing these traits during casting, and another for directing performances efficiently and effectively. This lecture sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Live Casting Demonstration - An unrehearsed casting session with audience volunteers shows how the casting tools work in practice. (Note: Not all attendees will be brought on stage. Actors who wish to be considered must bring a prepared monologue.)

Live Directing Demonstration - In this segment, selected volunteers participate in unrehearsed scene work that highlights how clear, actionable direction can quickly yield strong, nuanced performances. It also illustrates the distinction between directing and acting coaching—equipping directors to guide outcomes without needing to engage each actor’s internal method.

• Directors wanting to get the performances they envision without overstepping the actor’s process
• Actors who want to improve their audition results, self-direct under vague direction, and understand how directors think
• Producers aiming to reduce performance-related risk and support stronger director-actor collaboration
• Writers eager to see their work brought to life and learn more about casting and directing
• Curious Creatives interested in how great performances are cast, shaped, and refined

Dates: August 16, 2025

Time: 12:00 am - 4:00 pm

Location: Make It Visual Studios

Cost: Early Registration: $35 per participant

Franco has discreetly script-doctored for movies and writers you've heard of. He's directed award-winning music videos and commercials for clients like MySpace and GBX Shoes. He worked as an editor on Ed Harris's Academy Award-winning film "Pollack". He designed and animated one of Universal Television's first hit reality shows, "Blind Date". As a writer/producer for FX Channel, he cowrote with 5-time Emmy Award-winning writer Sandy Frank. He enjoys judging film festivals, mentoring emerging filmmakers, and working quietly in the background to help people succeed.

Broward Film Development Program funding is provided in part by the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council, Broward Cultural Division, Community Foundation of Broward, Broward Sponsor Grant, Alton Atland, Keller Williams Realty, Make it Visual Studios, Women in Film and Television, and the 48 Hour Film Project.

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