Production
Directing Non-Actors
Some of the most truthful performances in cinema come from people who had never acted before. From Italian Neorealism to modern indie film, directors have cast real people and drawn out something no trained actor can fake. This course shows you how — why to use non-actors, how to cast them, and how to direct them to a natural performance.
What you'll learn
✓Why directors use non-actors, and the neorealist tradition that pioneered it
✓The honest trade-offs between non-actors and trained professionals — and when to use each
✓How to cast non-actors — street casting, casting real people to type, and finding them on no budget
✓How to direct an untrained person to a relaxed, natural, truthful performance on camera
Pairs with this tool
Filmmaker Toolbox
Plan your non-actor shoot in the Filmmaker Toolbox — casting notes, where you found each person, and scene-by-scene directing plans — so you get natural performances from untrained people.
Open Filmmaker Toolbox →Course chapters
Module 1 — Foundations
I8 min
Who counts as a non-actor and what makes them different
What Is a Non-Actor?
II8 min
The truthfulness and authenticity only real people bring
Why Directors Use Non-Actors
III9 min
Italian Neorealism and the tradition built on real people
The Neorealist Tradition
IV8 min
Non-actors vs. trained pros — the honest costs and benefits
The Honest Trade-offs
Module 2 — Core Craft
V8 min
How casting non-actors differs from a normal audition
Casting Non-Actors
VI8 min
Finding faces in the real world, and the ethics of it
Street Casting
VII8 min
Casting people close to who they really are
Casting Real People as Themselves
VIII8 min
Friends, family, and community — casting with no money
Finding Non-Actors on No Budget
Module 3 — Putting It to Work
IX8 min
The whole approach that works on an untrained person
How to Direct a Non-Actor
X9 min
Relaxing them and making them look natural on camera
Getting a Natural Performance
XI8 min
Blocking, eyelines, feeding lines, and improvisation
On-Set Techniques
XII7 min
Mixing non-actors with pros and pulling it all together
Non-Actors in Your Film