The CDG Casting Internship

The CDG Internship programme was designed by the EDI Group to provide a paid entry-level training position in casting, open to people currently underrepresented in the field, with the aim of making the profession a little more accessible. With the help of Creative Access, we recruited our first intern – Ore Olowokere – whose 3 month placement started in January 2022, consisting of a month in each of three busy casting offices: Kahleen Crawford Casting, Kharmel Cochrane Casting and Suzanne Smith Casting.

Applications for the 2023 internship are now open HERE

Ore Olowokere (intern), with Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane

Ore Olowokere (intern), with Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane

WORDS FROM ORE

“[My experience with the internship] confirms this is something I wanted to do actively and progress in it for a long time”

“I have gained a support system with [the three teams I interned with]… I gained a lot of respect for casting directors because I feel like they are one of the most unseen but vital parts of the process.”

“Acting was my first love and watching actors is something I love! So working with actors was amazing because seeing it live is like a dream come true. Also emailing famous actors’ agents for avails! Little old me emailing Daniel Kaluuya’s agent and calling on first-name bases was so surreal!”

“During the internship, I went to Kharmel Cochrane and was offered a job to join her team. Hearing that it is not normal to be offered a permanent position in a casting office this early in someone’s career, I am grateful and absolutely love it.”

WORDS FROM THE HOST CASTING DIRECTORS

KAHLEEN CRAWFORD: “I couldn’t recommend taking part in the CDG Internship programme enough. There was great support from Ri and the team, and the process felt easy and smooth. We were the first office to have the 2022 intern, i.e. we were very much starting from scratch with her, but [the EDI Group] have drawn up a learning objectives document which is an invaluable guide/structure. You can then add to what you’re teaching the intern according to what suits your particular office, systems, and way of working.”

“Having joined us with little working knowledge of casting, seeing our intern progress to completing crucial casting assistant tasks, enjoying creative tasks, contributing ideas, and just generally settling into the work flow and our office environment was delightful. (And even though it coincided with an insanely pressurised time in the office, it was nothing but a positive experience to have her here.). We would definitely take part in the programme again in future.”

 

SUZANNE SMITH: “The internship offered us a valuable opportunity to nurture Ore’s interest in casting and hone her skillset. It was great to see her confidence grow in the day-to-day office administration, but also to see her flourish creatively. A fresh set of eyes on our projects, her previous experience and her eagerness and willingness to learn made the whole process of teaching her inspiring and interesting, especially when Ore had opportunities to help us in the audition room.”

“Excellent communication throughout the selection process all the way to when Ore arrived meant that she fitted seamlessly into the busy office environment and was already offered a job before she’d finished her time with us, proving how worthy a candidate she was for the internship. We believe the internship programme is a wonderful step to finding and furthering future casting trainees and recommend it as an invaluable way to support someone who deserves to find their feet.”

 

KHARMEL COCHRANE: “Ore is still here working away so we are thrilled!”

Details of the 2023 internship and how to apply will be available in the coming months. Keep an eye on our Twitter and Instagram feeds for news

To read more about Ore’s experience click below:

I was working as a Youth and Community Drama Facilitator Assistant with a local theatre company called Blue Elephant Theatre. I used to help run drama sessions for the community and schools. I was the middle man between parents and the theatre.

It wasn’t something I saw in my career at first but I always knew I wanted to work behind the scenes in the industry and the more I looked into casting I really enjoyed the things I was learning about. Being the first point of contact with actors is something I always wanted to do and casting gave me that. It felt cool being part of the first steps of the film and TV stages. The idea of looking at the TV and knowing that the cast was picked by me and a team was cool.

Doing it for the three months at the beginning of the year confirms this is something I wanted to do actively and progress in it for a long time but who knows what the future holds?

An understanding of how the process works, and that there is more to it than auditions, a lot more! I have gained a support system with the Kahleen Crawford, Suzane Smith and Kharmel Cochranes teams, and in doubt, I can call them to always help me out. I gained a lot of respect for casting directors because I feel like they are one of the most unseen but vital parts of the process.

The best part was the auditions, of course! As acting was my first love and watching actors is something I love! So working with actors was amazing because seeing it live is like a dream come true. Also emailing famous actors’ agents for avails! Little old me emailing Daniel Kaluuya’s agent and calling on first-name bases was so surreal!

The worst part, well I think we can all say FastCapture and CastIt! Just the downloading and when it doesn’t work.  I do love it but how it can take long!

Well during the internship, I went to Kharmel Cochrane and was offered a job to join her team. Hearing that it is not normal to be offered a permanent position in a casting office this early in someone’s career, I am grateful and absolutely love it. Don’t get me wrong it gets hard at times but I’m so grateful for this opportunity and the doors it has opened for me and everyone I have met on this journey.

I really want to say thank you to the team at  Kahleen Crawford for being my first office and giving me the foundation to carry me through the internship I truly believe if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have gotten the job with Kharmel.

I want to say thank you to the team at Suzanne Smith. I really enjoyed my time at the office with all the life lessons to navigate my career in casting and all the Outlander knowledge I got, so I started watching it!

Lastly, Kharmel Cochrane, well for giving me a job! All jokes aside, thank you for always hearing me and allowing me to be my quirky and wonderful self. I’m enjoying myself a lot with the team.

Want to give a BIG shoutout to Ri McDaid-Wren! Who was my point of contact throughout the process and who helped me with everything. She has been patient with me with my slow replies but always there.