How I Cast My TV Show For A Major Streaming Platform

The process of casting is much more than meets the eye.

From my POV, proper casting will increase your odds of success on any project, in any format.

Casting alone is one of the main reasons why my TV show Surf Girls has found success.

And in today’s newsletter, I’m going to walk you through the exact process I used to cast my TV show. 

I apply these steps not only in my unscripted film & TV work, but also my branded & commercial work with companies like Nike and Red Bull.

Regardless of your filmmaking focus, you will be able to apply my 3-step framework to cast compelling characters for anything you’re working on.

Let’s get into it.

Step 1: Deep dive into research

For Surf Girls, I started by digging into the world of professional surfing.

I was already deeply engrained into the culture and sport at this time, which made my job much easier.

The only requirement from my production partner was that each surfer should be currently competing on the World Surf League Qualifying Tour.

Once I verified that, I studied each surfer's competitive careers, on-camera interviews, and social media presence.

I wanted to know who they were as people, not just competitors.

I was looking for depth, not just an athlete who’s good at their sport.

My goal was to understand what drives them, what they’ve been through, what they’re currently going through, and what makes them stand out from a generic story.

This groundwork gave me a base understanding of each potential narrative, which I could then use to create authentic and realistic story beats for my team.

Step 2: Create story beats

Once I had my research to a solid point, it was time to turn it into something actionable: story beats. 

At this stage, my story beats were the key characteristics and moments I used to define and differentiate each athlete at a high-level.

My story beats ranged from a few bullet points per person, to a fully dialed one-sheet with images.

Why do viewers love a sports docu-series? 

Sure, sports are fun to watch.

But ultimately, I believe it’s because we get to see the emotional highs and lows of the athletes we’re following. The human side.

It might be the comeback after injury, the perseverance through personal struggles, the pressure from family and friends, the moments when they questioned everything, and so on.

Those are the beats that matter.

This meant I wasn’t just focused on competition and wins, but also on the struggles, moments of self-doubt, growth, relationships, and wins that weren’t just about their stats.

Step 3: Set up pre-interviews

After I narrowed down the stories, I set up pre-interviews.

For this step, I connected directly with athletes through my personal network and via social media, managers, agents, and family or friends. 

The pre-interview is the last step, but often times most important step. 

This is where you get a sense of how someone is on-camera and in real-life.

And you can finalize your story beats.

I structure pre-interviews to feel conversational, not like a formal interview.

I typically write a general list of questions to ask everyone, as well as more customized questions tailored to individuals.

I’m mostly able to pinpoint who would be a good fit within 30 minutes, but like to allocate an hour if I can.

Summary

In my experience, casting is an essential skill for any filmmaker. Here is my simple 3-step formula for casting my projects:

1. Research

2. Story beats

3. Pre-interviews