GoSee CREATIVES TO WATCH : Casting Director CHISOM ABUBA, aka WHITECASTING, a pionier of diversity, is now represented by SHOTVIEW
CREDITS / DETAILS / VIDEO EMBED LINK
Shotview Artists Management is delighted to welcome new Casting Director Chisom Abuba, aka WHITECASTING. Chisom’s speciality is casting people of diverse backgrounds and walks of life. His work is all about diversity of all kinds, which he makes a big part of each of his projects.
Chisom was born and raised in West Germany as the son of a Cameroonian mother and Nigerian father, and already began working in fashion as a teen. With vast knowledge of the individual areas within the fashion industry, accumulated over the course of decades, he began working as a casting director.
The names on his client list already include 10 Men Magazine, Achtung Mode, adidas, Autre Magazine, Cap 74024, Carhartt WIP, Elle, Glamcult, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Heroine Magazine, Highsnobiety, KaDeWe, KIA, Mercedes-Benz, Lacoste, Lampoon, Liebeskind Berlin, L’Officiel, Numéro Berlin & Netherlands, ODDA, ODDEH, Porsche, Sleek, Vogue Germany, Zalando, and Zeit Magazin.
We are thrilled to present you Chisom Abuba, aka WHITECASTING, in an interview here on GoSee.
When did you come up with the idea of organizing castings and later of becoming a casting director? I have been interested in the development of new faces in modeling for a long time and used to be like an encyclopedia for my photographer and stylist friends if they had any questions about models they wanted to work with. A lot of them suggested I use what I know professionally. The only choice for me was then between model agent or casting director. I chose casting and never looked back.
What is the exciting part of your job for you? The exciting part for me is bringing the visions of clients, CDs, ADs and photographers to life. Particularly now that the fashion industry is becoming more open and embracing diversity more, it’s nice to discover and provide a stage for such a wide variety of different faces.
Can you share a few highlights of your career with us? One of my highlights was definitely the time I cast my first cover for Lampoon Magazine in a relatively short time with the support of a great team. I was so glad that Daniel Roché and Niki Pauls put so much trust in me. Another highlight to this day was casting for my first show in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week in cooperation with Shotview.
What was the biggest catastrophe you have experienced? My biggest catastrophe occurred during a beauty production which required a lot of nudity. According to the models, they had not been properly briefed by their agents. That was an important lesson for me. To make sure that everyone knows exactly what they were booked for when I am working on productions that are on the delicate side.
Where do you find the talent to recommend or cast? I find my talent for the most part at modeling agencies or on Instagram.
Are you approached more by clients, brands and magazines to organize castings for them, or rather by photographers and directors? When I first started, more photographers sent me booking requests. Meanwhile, I am also contacted directly by brands, production companies and magazines.
What can clients expect when they book your casting services? My casting services stand for diversity in every respect. My African heritage gives me a different eye for models and talent, and I offer clients a more diverse selection to choose from. The same goes for commercial clients; I always have a fashion idea of some kind.
What criteria does a model have to fulfill to be chosen by you for a fashion campaign or an editorial? That always depends on the client. Some prefer models with experience; others like new faces for the fresh vibe they give off. For me, both are exciting, because the results are different but still beautiful. For fashion shows, it’s important that the models have developed good body awareness and know how to walk. Most important for big shows during The Big 4 fashion weeks is the look.
How does someone make it onto your personal top list? I don’t have just one such list. It basically always has to fit what the client is looking for.
Where do you stand on e-casting? E-castings are generally a very good way to get a better feeling for a talent fast. But I basically prefer casting live.
What would be something you’d definitely like to see in a showreel? I’d like to see how the model moves. That’s how I know if a model fits the client brief or not.
What does a model have to do to convince you? Models have relatively little control over whether or not a client will be convinced by them. But good body awareness, a good posture and their own look go a long way.
What trends or tendencies do you see? I believe the days in which some trend or another, like heroin chic or the North and East European look, defined a model look are gone. Today, typecasting is more internationally widespread, which I personally think is a change for the better. A model does not necessarily have to be the perfect fit for every client, even if that would be more profitable. In the fashion industry, more attention should be payed to ethnicity – and models with different measurements, from straight size to curvy, should be given more opportunities.
Do you have a top 3 you would absolutely love to cast but are still looking for the perfect project for them? That’s a hard one, because I think so many models are really amazing. But a few of my favorites are Anok Yai, Dara Gueye, Penelope Ternes, and Jill Kortleve.
What do you think about AI in your line of work? Do you use algorithms to help you pick? Have you seen an increased number of requests for AI models? AI is a topic of discussion that comes up more and more often, and many of my clients already work with AI from time to time. Casablanca, for instance. I haven’t received any requests though for it specifically so far. I have my reservations about AI to a certain extent in general, because I prefer using real people as models and real fashion for presentations.
You are now represented by Shotview. How did you meet, and what do you expect now that you are working together? I got to know Shotview through the agency’s artists, and we’ve already worked on several productions together. I hope that collaborating more closely will enable me to take my work to the next level.
Where is the journey headed? First of all, I’d like to get a better foothold internationally. There are several German casting directors who have made a very good name for themselves, and I’d like to become one of them.
Would it be challenging for you, alongside fashion and editorial casting, to also cast for film? Casting for film is probably not my thing. I think I’d most likely have to stop casting in fashion to get proper footing in the film industry, because it does demand an intensity of its own and an entirely different focus.
CREDITS
Casting Chisom Abuba c/o SHOTVIEW ARTISTS MANAGEMENT
About SHOTVIEW ARTISTS MANAGEMENT
SHOTVIEW represents exclusive a diverse group of image makers working in a range of creative disciplines with offices in Berlin, Paris, Vienna operating global representing over 35 photographers, directors, stylists, hair and make-up artists, creative directors. Founded in 2002 — our Drive is the passion of Photography, documentary, Film, Fashion, lifestyle, photojournalism, Styling and always inspiring People and Clients being able to connect Clients with the perfect unique Artists that fits your creative goals and brief in different fields.
With nearly two decades to supporting Artists, our Agency is more than a traditional photography Artists agency, we grow as a creative network representing strong individual creatives realizing incredible content, images and films. Our goal is to create a language that connects everyone, no matter where they come from, especially through art and imagery so to speak, to harness diversity as an asset and see it as a gift that keeps on giving. We offer a full service including artists representation, clients consultancy, casting, production, events and more.
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