In a matter of weeks, so much about how content is produced has changed due to COVID-19. While commercial, film, and television sets, as well as theaters all over the world, are temporarily closed, many content creators are continuing to cast and produce projects remotely. Backstage is helping make that happen so whatever your project may be—commercials, voiceover, branded videos, and more—can still get air time. Creators are speaking to Backstage about how they’re moving forward with production and casting talent from all over the world remotely while those on both sides of production are at home.
While in-person productions are shut down, many companies are still busy casting future projects. Campaigns and ads that are casting now are able to take advantage of an even larger talent pool looking for work and will be perfectly positioned to hit the ground running as soon as shoots resume. For companies like Paired Up Media, remote casting is nothing new. They have actually been doing it for years both to save time and money as well as to work with clients located outside their bi-coastal operation. As a talent pairing company, Paired Up has been continuing to use the extensive Backstage talent database to help their clients find the perfect talent for their upcoming projects.
We spoke with Paired Up’s co-president Martin Hardy about his experience casting remotely on Backstage, and why this is a great moment to move forward with pre-production.
The content creator’s guide to casting remotely.
What has changed about your approach to casting and production?
The major switch in our part of the industry has just been to work remotely, which is something we do frequently anyway. There are no in-person team meetings or in-person casting sessions right now obviously, but we have shifted what we need to virtual mediums. Again, for many of us in unscripted or digital casting, we have pretty much been working this way already in many cases.
How has the change in talent availability and ability to travel impacted your work?
We can meet with talent virtually on Skype, Facetime, or Zoom, so it hasn’t had much of an impact. Production has been put on hold right now, but luckily for us, a lot of producers and networks still want to keep casting going so they have their projects cast and ready to go once everyone can get back to work. We are very appreciative to still have work during this time.
What projects are you currently casting?
We are currently working on a couple of unscripted series, some development casting, and a few digital projects. You can find one project casting right now on Backstage.
What are you looking for in talent?
What we are looking for in talent really varies depending on the project. Overall, we like people who are engaging and have an interesting or unique perspective to offer. Some projects require talent to have certain backgrounds or skills but it really does vary per project.
Start looking for talent on Backstage right here!
What advice do you have for talent who is looking to get work right now?
Talent should stay informed and keep their eyes out for casting notices and postings. Certain parts of the industry, like unscripted and digital platforms, are still looking for talent now that they can produce content remotely. However, I don’t think anyone should feel the pressure to look for work right now if they don’t feel like it. The most important thing for us all right now is to stay healthy, safe. and in a good state of mind.
How has Backstage been helpful through your casting process?
Backstage is a really great resource for us, allowing us to easily reach out to talent. We are often able to cast from the submissions that come in from our postings. So please keep submitting!
What should people in the industry know about moving forward at a time like this?
I think people should feel a sense of hope knowing that we can function in the industry with a bigger shift towards working remotely. There will be a bit of a learning curve initially for sure, but it is something that we have had great success in and I can see other areas of the industry being able to adapt to working this way. In some cases, this is going to be the only way that we can keep things moving in the future, or at least until the larger problem with finding a vaccination has been solved.
Visit Paired Up’s website to learn more about their work.
Check out more work-from-home auditions on Backstage