NFTS Announces Entry-Level Course On Casting

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is set to join forces with some of the UK's casting professionals for a new course.

A first of its kind Casting Certificate Course will be launched shortly, which will see industry professionals Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig teach the fundamentals of the entire cycle of casting.

There is an art to casting: it is an essential and often unrecognised element of all film, television and theatre productions. From knowledge and experience to building relationships within the casting industry, the NFTS Casting Certificate Course has been carefully designed to provide students with the entry level skills needed to start a career in this field – one of the least understood across all craft disciplines.

Offering rigorous training, the course will arm participants with the practical skills and knowledge needed to hit the ground running as a certified Casting Assistant, with insight from influential Casting Directors and key players in the business.

The first intake of the 24 week evening course will start from September 2020 with an application deadline of 25 June 2020. It will run weekly from the recently announced NFTS London teaching space in Soho's Golden Square and is supported by the CDG (The Casting Directors' Guild of Great Britain and Ireland).
 
The course will be run by London based Casting Director Jane Arnell, whose career has spanned award winning productions across BBC and ITV, to independent film and TV projects. Jane is committed to nurturing and supporting new talent both in front of and behind the camera and works with a range of accredited British drama schools and universities as a visiting industry professional on their screen acting and audition programmes.
 
The Casting Certificate Course launches in the same year BAFTA becomes the first major ceremony to add a casting category to both its film and television awards. The BAFTAs held in 2020 will recognise the highly skilled work of Casting Directors for the first time while honouring the casting community and its importance in film-making.
 
NFTS Director Jon Wardle commented: "We are tremendously excited to be launching this milestone Casting Certificate. The NFTS has identified an increasing need within the creative industry and designed a course that will result in job ready graduates entering the field, trained to the highest standards. We look forward to welcoming our first wave of recruits who are sure to make a lasting impact within the casting world."
 
Casting Directors Shaheen Baig and Jina Jay, who will head up an advisory board and deliver unique Masterclasses to students as they progress through the course, said: "We are thrilled the NFTS has collaborated with us on the introduction of this new entry level Casting Certificate. It was borne out of us wanting fairer socio-economic representation behind the camera and to encourage and celebrate the craft of casting which we are very proud to be part of."