Overview of the role
The casting assistant producer is responsible for finding the ideal contributors for a production. In this role they will work closely with the casting producer to follow the objectives and workflow as directed in the casting strategy.
A casting assistant producer will be adept at targeting contributors who have the relevant character, story and life experience to fit with the editorial brief and the tone of the programme. This job requires excellent communication skills, persistence and determination, it involves extensive research, information gathering and due diligence to ensure that the right contributors are selected for the programme.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale / budget band / genre of the production.
- Building outreach and contact databases with details of organisations and individuals to send casting paperwork following GDPR and data protection guidelines for storing information.
- Establishing close relationships with institutions and companies that relate to subject matter of the programme to seek advice, promote the casting and provide potential case studies.
- Set up social media pages on a variety of different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X to generate interest in the casting and share information about the programme.
- Directly target individuals on social media and in person, where appropriate, to invite them to apply to be on the programme.
- Research online articles, newspapers, YouTube videos to find contributor stories that fit the casting brief
- Event and street casting, attend organised events that are closely related to your programmes subject matter to spread the word to members of the public who may fit into the contributor brief.
- Ensure diverse communities and organisations have been targeted as directed in the casting strategy.
- Carrying out first stage research calls with contributors to gauge their character, find out their personal story and how well they fit the editorial brief.
- Briefing contributors so they understand the editorial content and tone of the programme, the level of commitment and what would be required of them.
- Using editorial judgement to shortlist and categorise contributors based on their suitability for the programme.
- Build open and honest rapport with potential contributors so they feel comfortable sharing their stories and disclosing any concerns or issues at the early casting stages.
- Book contributors into second stage recces and auditions to meet them in person to have in-depth research chats. This is an opportunity to get a feel for contributors in person.
- Set up and film casting interviews either in person or on online calls
- Source locations for recce and auditions that relate to the world of your production.
- Brief contributors on what to expect on the recce/ audition day.
- Keep a record of recce and audition notes that can be referred to for the later shortlisting stages.
- Write contributor biogs highlighting story points that will be used for pitch meetings.
- Edit casting tapes to showcase contributors’ personality and story using recce/audition footage, archive and any social content.
- Be confident to live pitch strong contributors to casting producer and senior editorial team.
- Be knowledgeable on contributor story, facts and background, anticipate questions that may be asked by senior editorial team and be prepared with your research.
- Be determined and passionate, having the ability to advocate for contributors that may be overlooked. Shape a compelling pitch that demonstrate what the contributor can add to the programme
- Carry out online Google and social media searches to highlight any contentious issues and flag to casting producer.
- Work with the production management team to provide contributor paperwork for formal security checks.
- Request character references where appropriate, and work closely with the casting producer to check and verify contributor information.
- Request for medical information where appropriate to ensure the necessary support can be provided should the contributor be included in the final programme.
- Make sure all casting paperwork and contracts have been signed including (but not limited to) application forms, release forms, statement of health forms, self-declaration forms and specific requests for personal information following the appropriate GDPR guidelines.
- Book in shortlisted contributors to have a mental health assessment and physical health assessment.
- If working with under 18s, work closely with the production management team to carry out appropriate checks and apply for a child filming licence.
- Prioritise workload to meet casting targets for the meeting deadlines.
- Forward planning, highlight new ideas story and outreach ideas in response to commissioner direction.
- Prepare application statistics and outreach data document to update contributor on casting process.
- Assist in compiling meeting paperwork including pitch documents and casting edits.
- Assist casting producer in updating welfare log for commissioner update.
- Have a strong knowledge and understanding of the Ofcom risk matrix and use this risk assessment approach from the initial casting stages.
- Have a clear understanding of the broadcaster and production company compliance guidelines and be diligent in applying GDPR data protection rules throughout the casting process.
- Aid casting producer with highlighting vulnerable contributors and applying the appropriate safeguarding measures.
- If filming with under 18s, understand Ofcom regulations and guidelines for casting and filming children.
- Be an available point of contact for contributors who have questions, worries and concerns about production refer concerns to senior team, where appropriate.
- Employ aftercare practices for contributors after production has finished.
- Keep up to date with industry best practice and Ofcom guidelines with consideration to the editorial requirements of your production eg. fairness, harm, conflict of interest and offensive material.
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of casting assistant producer.
- Interpersonal skills: have a strong rapport with people and a genuine interest in finding out about their personal stories.
- Clear communication: have a great phone manner and an ability to make contributors feel comfortable.
- Pitching and writing biogs: the ability to summarise contributor stories into succinct and concise headlines as well as being clear on the wider details of their story.
- Creative skills and research: contribute to new ideas for outreach and targeting, find new online networks, communities and individuals to target.
- Organisation: balance workload and managing time effectively to meet deadlines.
- Editorial judgment: using casting instincts to passionately advocate for contributors that may not be an obvious choice.
- Being compassionate and empathetic: being a supportive figure to contributors during the casting and production process.
- Team player: working with the casting team to provide high quality pitch materials for commissioner meetings.
- Strong storytelling and editing skills for casting tapes.
- Ability to connect with a diverse range of communities and establish relationships with external organisations.
- Assisting in management of junior members of the team to help with outreach ideas.
- The ability to work to tight timelines and an evolving editorial and casting brief.
- Integrity: carry out duties in an honest and transparent manner and treat contributors with respect and dignity.
- Empathy: provide a listening and supportive ear by understanding the unique needs of the contributor, their story and how this works within the production.
- Persistence and determination: does not give up at the first hurdle and looks for new approaches to deal with casting setbacks and challenges.
- Goal oriented: motivated by the targets and has a clear plan on how to achieve them.
- Resilience: can deal with dropouts and unsuccessful pitches and is forward thinking with standby casting contingencies.