How does street casting work? ‘Good Catch’ director Sarah Small shares her process

There’s a lot to be said about street casting, Sarah’s preferred method, and something she’s carving out a reputation for among brands and editors. Of course, it doesn’t work in the same way conventional agency casting does. Rather it’s all about chance encounters; spotting that perfect face on Instagram, the bus, or in Tesco, or having them zoom past you on an electric scooter never to be seen again; “the worst,” according to Sarah.

“FCP [CSM’S Fashion Communication and Promotion course] has a reputation for being super intense and competitive, it’s funny, because the industry, or maybe just the side I’m working in, isn’t like that at all.” – Sarah Smal

Many don’t realise that casting is a career path, certainly, it wasn’t until Small went to study fashion communication and promotion at Central Saint Martins that she became aware of this as a route: a friend was assisting with AAMO casting and she decided to give it a go. Did the course prepare Sarah well for the industry? “FCP [CSM’S Fashion Communication and Promotion course] has a reputation for being super intense and competitive, it’s funny,” she says, “because the industry, or maybe just the side I’m working in, isn’t like that at all.” Despite this, it certainly prepared her for the deadlines, personalities, and juggling multiple projects at one time. In fact, Small’s final major project, focusing on the notion of status, was heavily reliant on casting.

As she establishes herself as a street casting director under her very own Good Catch name, Small clearly has the eye for what makes for a good face for each shoot, perhaps due to her lifelong obsession with people-watching and a fixation on documentary films and photography. It takes an element of visual storytelling for the talent to project a coherent image that fits the brief, and at a time where more individual faces are pushing through in editorials and campaigns, there seems to be a distinct interest in more personality within the casting of many shoots. Models that tell an interesting story rather than the arguable desert of modern-day supermodels, “I think there is space in the industry for that but it’s moving at a glacial pace,” Small responds when asked about the increase in demand for individuality and complex stories that are beginning to carry more weight, particularly within editorial work.

“Most of the time someone will come to me with a strong casting brief. Other times there’ll be a loose idea and I can have more of an input with where to take it.” – Sarah Small

In terms of the day-to-day life of a casting director, Small provides some insight: “if there’s an opportunity to go outside and spend my day walking around I’d rather do that.” On the coming together of a shoot, “my casting requests usually come from either a photographer, art director or the brand itself. Most of the time someone will come to me with a strong casting brief. Other times there’ll be a loose idea and I can have more of an input with where to take it.”

“It’s normally a combination of on-foot street casting and finding people online. I work best when I can do both.” – Sarah Small

It can certainly be argued that one of the key tricks of casting is to have an awareness of the client and story you are working with, and adjusting your methods ever so slightly to fit this. “Each project has its own needs. Usually, after an initial conversation with the client, it’s easy to gauge what they want and what I have to do.” Sarah explains, “it’s normally a combination of on-foot street casting and finding people online. I work best when I can do both.”

There does seem to be a very real enjoyment in what Small does; “Being able to walk around and meet people feels really fulfilling.” Sarah explains she’s not against booking agency models, but something must be said of the organic, almost magical nature of street casting and human chance encounters. Despite this, Small doesn’t completely avoid the use of familiar faces, “Casting someone known adds another layer of context to a shoot which can be super interesting.”

“It’s great to be in charge of your career and what direction you want to take it in. It also allows you opportunities to work abroad” – Sarah Small

There currently appears to be a shift towards more casting directors going freelance. Although Small confesses she’s “not in the loop with what other casting directors are up to,” she certainly sees the value in freelance work that transcends all creative fields. “It’s great to be in charge of your career and what direction you want to take it in. It also allows you opportunities to work abroad” Sarah has worked in Los Angeles, and Paris, the former being “an insane place to street cast”, as she says, due to what she refers to as incredible faces “only being seen through the lens of commercial clients on the West Coast.”  When working abroad, Sarah stresses the importance of research and an awareness of where people go.

“Assist! It’s the best way to figure out if it’s your thing.” – Sarah Small

So what if you want to get into casting? “Assist! It’s the best way to figure out if it’s your thing.” And to the future? Small is now represented by Sam Ross’s newly formed ‘New School’ agency, has just completed the casting for Frank Ocean’s debut jewellery collection’s lookbook, and is currently working on the strangest casting brief she’s ever received, but can’t discuss (she signed an NDA).