Casting Update: 700+ Applicants, 100+ Auditions, and the Moment It Starts Feeling Real

Casting has been moving fast — and yes, it’s been a lot.

Over this stretch of the process, I’ve watched well over a hundred auditions and worked through a pool of 700+ applicants to narrow it down to the finalists. Final selections will be made after this weekend, and I’m equal parts exhausted and genuinely fired up.

If you’ve never cast a film before, here’s the simplest way I can describe it: it’s like trying to find lightning in a bottle… but you have to do it repeatedly, for multiple roles, while keeping the overall chemistry of the cast in mind.

The Grind (and Why It’s Worth It)

There’s the obvious work — reading submissions, sorting through reels, checking availability, holding auditions, taking notes, comparing takes, doing call-backs — but what people don’t always see is the mental load.

You’re not just choosing “good actors.” You’re choosing:

who can carry the emotional weight of the story

who feels authentic in the world of the film

who elevates a scene beyond what’s on the page

Do these family members look related

who works well opposite other performers

and who can realistically commit to the production schedule.

It’s tedious. It’s time-consuming. It can be draining.

And then… you see it.

Seeing the Characters in the Flesh

There’s something genuinely exhilarating about watching someone step into a role and suddenly the character isn’t just words on a page anymore. They’re alive. They’re breathing. They’re making choices you didn’t expect. They’re revealing angles you didn’t even know were there.

That’s the part that makes the long nights and endless comparisons worth it.

It’s also one of those milestones where the project shifts from “in development” to “oh, this is becoming a real film.”

What Happens Next

Over the next 7 days, I’ll be locking in the final cast decisions and moving into the next phase: coordinating schedules, prepping character work, and building the foundation for what will happen on set.

This is the moment where things start to snowball — in the best way.

Follow Along for more Updates !

The best is yet to come.

— Matthew T. Granville

M.T. Grave Studio