Behind the Scenes: Casting

 THREE DAYS IN THE OFFICE OF NINA GOLD

I just finished three days working in Nina Gold's office. The experience was exciting and I learned a lot. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

I arrived at 10am on Monday and was immediately sent to Piccadilly to sit in on auditions for Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga. I was sent out to get batteries for the camera recording the auditions, and then I sat and watched. The casting was for a dancing character, so everyone had to act out the sides and then dance. The woman running the auditions was constructive and encouraging, allowing the actors/dancers to redo the sides and providing them with advice between takes.  

Back at the office I began shredding papers. Most were copies of scripts — including The Witches —but there were also a few cast lists from films in production. The shredder kept overheating, which made the process slow, but I powered through. 

After I finished shredding (on Tuesday) I began to read through the script for Slow Horses, writing down which characters needed to be cast and any defining features (gender, age, race). I did the same for The Power. I enjoyed both scripts and I look forward to watching both. 

Nina Gold came into the office on Wednesday with her dog. I made her tea and we had a conversation about school and my interest in art history (she is a fan of the Prado Museum). I appreciate her taking time out of her busy day to speak with me. I was also amused by the change in atmosphere: it was noticeably more tense and everyone was moving more quickly. 

I would have loved to continue working in her office — especially since on Wednesday they were discussing setting up a meeting with John Boyega for this coming week 😂. Nevertheless, this experience has provided me with valuable insight into the process of producing a film. 

I am appreciative of everyone working in the office who was accommodating of my presence and questions, Nina Gold for allowing me to come in and speaking with me, and my deme warden at school who arranged the experience for me. 

-Emma