Toni Higginbotham Casting takes on 2020 with Covid safe casting

The challenges business around the world have faced in 2020 are unprecedented. Covid has heavily impacted the TV industry, especially the casting model of face to face human interaction. Like so many environments, modus operandi had to shift markedly in the last six months to survive, with social distancing being a high priority to ensure safe working conditions. Amid the uncertainties, Toni Higginbotham Casting, located in Sydney’s east, has been quick to adapt and embrace the new working conditions, and even managed a surge in jobs.

Throughout the ongoing pandemic, Toni Higginbotham Casting has been able to offer local and international clients a customised experience, whether it be conventional casting with social distancing in place, self-tapes, zoom recalls or actors filming within their home, continually adhering to Covid-safe guidelines and production protocols.

The agency accesses one of the biggest studio spaces in the heart of Sydney, with a choice of ample waiting room areas, and an oversized camera studio with teared auditorium seating. If an in-studio casting session has been required, they conducted it with all safety measures in place. Actors would be scheduled individually and at staggered times, and be directed to a specific waiting area alone with hand sanitiser.

Wardrobe forms would be completed online prior to auditioning. The studio door would be left slightly ajar to minimise surface contact, and the casting associate would wear a face mask and remain at least 1.5 metres apart from the actor at all times – on entry/exit and behind the camera. For recalls when a director would be present, he or she would be set up behind a table facing a TV monitor, 1.5 metres away from the casting director behind the camera and the actor in front of the camera. All staff would be mindful of keeping actors in the same room for a limited time too.

In Sydney’s mild lockdown period, Toni recognised immediately the importance of creating a database of actors who lived together, families who could act with their children, and talent who had the means and skills to even film in their homes. This enabled projects to be cast and filmed within actors’ homes, by actors themselves, or with a minimal crew entering their premise. Further to this, she also put together a tremendous database of Australian actors with a focus on POC with flawless US accent reels, should the US look to our shores for production.

One of the most popular casting processes has been self-taping. Agents are provided with detailed instructions for actors on how to best audition from home or in a private studio. Tips on lighting, sound, framing and equipment are provided, as well as notes or direction from the casting director and/or director via written, audio file or video. Toni’s team created a Dropbox system to navigate and categorise the intake of self-tapes, which also opened up the pool of talent as scheduling or numbers were no longer a limitation.

Directors have either continued to recall via the self-tape method, perhaps with a phone call or further direction for the actor, or have preferenced recalls via Zoom. Her agency uses sophisticated technicians looping into conference and Zoom meetings, straight to the US too.

Another area of casting that has come to the fore this year, is casting through social media, which has really taken the place of street casting in the current Covid times. No stranger to street casting, Toni’s agency won the Gold Pencil for casting 1200 street people in the monumentous VB commercial. By posting casting briefs on social media platforms, the agency reached out to a wider network of potential talent. They were then able to add these people to the existing database of actors that have the necessary equipment to audition themselves at home, and can utilise Zoom to interact and direct the actors during the casting process and call-backs.

True to her vision, a number of overseas projects came to the table, including Bumble Bee Tuna & Dupixent campaigns from the US. These castings could be completed seamlessly through the use of Zoom to interact with overseas agencies and clients. Some of the local TVC projects worked on this year include Google, Vodafone, Menulog, Minderoo, Colgate, NRMA, HSBC, Optus and Foxtel to name a few. Certainly it has been a positive journey to have landed so many commercials and a growing number of feature films, especially as it keeps so many talented professionals employed during this tumultuous year – not just Toni, but actors, real families, producers, directors, creatives and crew.

Toni Higginbotham Casting can tailor each project to your specific casting needs whether it is advertising campaigns, voice-over, or film and TV projects.
Let Higginbotham Casting know how they can help.
Visit www.tonihcasting.com.au for more information.