It could possibly be stated that 2023 was the 12 months of Natalie Jane Harvie, as she led the cost of Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) Award nominations.
Nominated for 4 of the celebrated trade awards (twice in each the Greatest Casting in a TVC and Greatest Casting in a TVC – Neighborhood classes), it was no shock Harvie walked away with not less than one trophy from the night time.
Harvie’s company, Citizen Jane Casting, was based in 2010 and is predicated within the Eora Nation (Sydney, New South Wales). Regardless of being simply over a decade previous, Citizen Jane Casting has shortly established itself as a number one participant in Australian TVC [television commercial] casting.
We lately sat down with Harvie to debate avenue casting, audition recommendation and far more!
You began within the leisure trade as a singer earlier than turning to casting. Are you able to supply us just a little perception into your journey to the place you’re in the present day?
I used to be knowledgeable singer till I used to be in my 30s. I used to be touring as a backing vocalist with some huge names in addition to attempting to forge my very own solo profession. However, like appearing, it’s a tricky trade. After some time, I made a decision to start out dabbling in another profession choices as I wasn’t getting any youthful.
I began working in occasion manufacturing and sometimes, that concerned casting vogue exhibits, in order that was my first style of casting. Then good friend of mine who was beginning out as a industrial director on the time, Fiona McGee, instructed I do some avenue casting, so I began avenue casting for a few of her early jobs and apparently, I had a watch.
From there it simply snowballed till I noticed I had turn into a casting director! I’m solely simply beginning to lose the imposter syndrome, however it does nonetheless creep in sometimes. Fiona is now a massively profitable director—and we’re nonetheless associates and nonetheless work collectively.
Citizen Jane Casting has gained a popularity for pulling collectively extremely compelling, various casts. How do you go about discovering expertise?
As I began out in avenue casting, I all the time have a tendency to use that “actual folks” eye to each job. I really like an excellent character and promoting loves recent and new faces, particularly for bigger casts. In an ensemble, everyone seems to be often on display screen for just a few seconds, so they should make a visible influence shortly. We often begin with conventional expertise after which herald some avenue forged to spherical out the general feel and appear of the spot. However it’s actually script-dependent.
How—if in any respect—are you and the Citizen Jane workforce approaching casting in a different way in gentle of current conversations surrounding equality, inclusion and illustration?
Since I began in casting, this has all the time been essential. I don’t keep in mind a time once we weren’t being inclusive. Being a visible medium, promoting tends to spotlight these points early on and is instrumental in encouraging change. It’s nice to be part of that shift.
Final 12 months, you received the CGA Award for Greatest Casting in a TVC on your work on the Telstra advert, That is Footy Nation. What distinctive challenges or delights did this temporary current?
As this was taking pictures in Goulburn [New South Wales, Australia] and surrounds, we did plenty of neighborhood casting in these areas. We discovered some nice characters together with the lead, Jackie—she simply epitomized a salt of the earth, Aussie nation lady. When the director determined she would possible be driving a bus, that was a possible challenge because the expertise would in all probability really need a bus license, [but it] turned out Jackie is a bus driver!
All of the expertise in that spot have been distinctive and thrilling to observe on display screen—a mixture of actors and avenue forged. We’re actually pleased with that advert.
What did the CGA recognition and win imply to you and the workforce?
It’s all the time nice to be acknowledged by your friends, however we additionally know each casting company works simply as onerous and faces as many challenges each day—we work to strict deadlines and the strain is actual. We have been fortunate to have Telstra in our combine for this spherical of nominations because it was an excellent script, nice director and really character-driven. However it was good to have the ability to share the win and several other drinks with my superb workforce and our fellow casting neighborhood!
Given TVCs are your specialty, what recommendation do you usually supply actors who is perhaps new to the medium?
Use any audition as pure expertise. On the finish of the day, particularly with promoting, it can come all the way down to a mixture of good performances, seems to be and the way the advert flows from one function to the following. So, lose the nerves and don’t place an excessive amount of strain on your self. Simply see it as a possibility.
What’s a efficiency (or three!) you’ve been blown away by lately?
I watched The Holdovers the opposite night time and Paul Giamatti was sensible, as regular. Additionally, Sarah Snook in Succession—I’m gutted that it’s over, however can’t wait to binge the entire thing once more. And let’s go along with Jackie taking part in “Mick” in our Telstra advert!
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Particular because of Harvie for her time. Keep watch over Citizen Jane Casting’s Fb and Instagram pages for normal notices of upcoming open calls.
This text initially appeared on Casting Networks.
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Written by Tahlia Norrish
