Executive Producer Josie Baynes on how to find a diverse crew to tell your story.
Filmmaking techniques • 4min read
Filmmaking techniques
In today’s fast-paced content landscape, getting casting right can be a challenge. With audiences craving authentic, personal connections, it’s crucial to source and cast diverse, engaging talent for your productions. So, to help you navigate the casting process, we’ve teamed up with Backstage and StarNow to create a guide on how to streamline your approach, bringing efficiency and authenticity to your productions.
This article is brought to you in partnership with Backstage and StarNow.
Casting plays a pivotal role in the pre-production phase of any advertising campaign that features talent – especially when a performance can shape how audiences connect with and perceive the brand.
Good talent won’t just enhance production value—they can bring a concept or story to life in a way that feels authentic and relatable. They can evoke emotion and command attention, driving engagement by resonating with the target audience.
So if you’re a casting director, it’s your job to find the right fit. Talent who can represent the right audience, step into a role convincingly and sell a product or service so your content performs.
To give your production the best possible chance for success and conduct a smooth production process, you need a great casting breakdown to attract high quality, professional talent.
Like any creative brief, a casting breakdown shouldn’t just provide details about a role, but also give the talent your vision for the campaign. You want performers to get excited about your project and have a clear sense of what will be expected from the job.
Project Detail
Pay
Role Description
Submission Instructions
With your casting breakdown ready to go, it’s time to turn to the application process! As well as you finding the right talent for your project, the talent are going to want to find and expect professionalism and great communication from you too.
When it’s time to review candidates, a thorough vetting process is key to ensuring a smooth casting experience and securing the right talent from the start—avoiding last-minute, stressful changes.
Make your decision making process easier by using skill assessments, pre-screening and auditions. If you’re casting using the Backstage or StarNow platforms, you’ll find a range of built in tools, and a system designed to help you make the most educated choice possible when it comes to casting talent for your productions.
Assessing Skills and Experience
Once you’ve got a casting call out and applications are rolling in, it’s time to get to work. Take your time to review CVs including skills, experience, personal attributes, performance credits, demo reels, headshots etc. If you’re using Backstage or StarNow, your Application Manager will let manage this process and review profiles at the click of a button, making sure the talent meets all your requirements.
Initial Screening
Found some talent for consideration? It’s time to assess the materials provided to shortlist candidates who best match the role. This can be a good time to conduct a quick google search and make sure applicants don’t have a profile or previous work that might not align with your brand or client.
If you’ve used the ‘Self-Tape’ tool on Backstage and StarNow, you’ll be able to review applicants tapes, and see their response to any scripts, slides or media you’ve included in your listing.
Talent Auditions
Whether in-person or virtual, auditions are the most effective way to vet talent and ensure you’re hiring the right candidates. To get the best sense of a someone’s abilities, it can even be a good idea to hold multiple rounds of auditions—assessing both their versatility and, for productions with multiple roles, how well they interact with other talent.
A well-run audition is crucial to finding the right talent for your project. If the process is chaotic or unstructured, your candidates won’t be able to show their full potential—ultimately affecting the success of your entire production. Here are some tips around implementing a well-organized audition process.
Audition Scheduling and Preparation
Conducting Auditions
Evaluation of Performances
Making a Final Decision
Diversity and inclusion are essential in casting, helping brands connect with a wider audience and reflect the society we live in. By prioritising diverse representation across ethnicities, genders, body types, backgrounds, and abilities, brands create more authentic representation while empowering viewers through inclusive portrayals.
Making Inclusive Casting Decisions
Determining what to pay talent can depend on various factors. Here are some important considerations to help guide you:
Experience and Expertise
Portfolio
Followers and Brand Clients
Length and Frequency of Projects
Usage Rights
Price Calculator Tools
To find the perfect fit for your productions and campaigns, it’s important to use a variety of resources to cast a wide net. Fortunately, there are numerous websites, communities, and social media groups available to help talent-seekers. Here are some of the most effective approaches:
Casting Platforms
Don’t forget to use the unique code GENEROVIP to place free casting calls on both Backstage and StarNow. This code will waive all fees and can be used as many times as you like!
Social Media
Tip: Save time by posting your casting call on Backstage or StarNow and linking it in a social media post, such as in a Facebook group. This way, potential talent can access all relevant details directly.
Drama Schools & Universities
Drama schools are a great resource for finding emerging talent. Students in these programs are often eager to build their portfolios and may be perfect for more professional productions if they have the right skill set.
Networking, Events & Festivals
Attending industry networking events can be a great way to meet aspiring or established talent. These events offer opportunities to network with casting professionals and connect with actors and models looking for work. Film festivals, both community and larger-scale, are another excellent venue for discovering potential talent.
Casting Agencies
Partnering with established casting agencies can save time and help ensure you’re attracting pre-vetted talent, streamlining the casting process.
Your Personal Network
Don’t hesitate to tap into your existing professional network. Leveraging your contacts can help you find reliable, talented individuals who are well-suited for your project and capable of delivering high-quality work.
By following these practices, you’ll maximise your chances of finding the right fit—talent who are skilled, relevant, and thoroughly vetted—leading to a smooth casting process and a successful production overall.
Filmmaking techniques • 4min read
Filmmaking techniques • 4min read