Casting Director - Fix Term Contract 12 Months

Side is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 15+ studios in over a dozen countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets. Help us bring stories to the world! Join a global team of passionate gamers and contribute to delivering unforgettable game experiences. For more information, visit www.side.inc.

As a Casting Director, you’ll bring stories to life by finding the perfect talent for every brief balancing creativity, instinct, and industry know-how to deliver standout casting solutions. From shaping shortlists and running auditions to building strong relationships with agents and high-profile talent, you’ll own the casting process end-to-end. Alongside this, you’ll be a key part of leading and supporting the team sharing your expertise, mentoring others, and helping create a collaborative, high-energy environment where great work happens. You’ll partner closely with production, sales, and clients, ensuring everything runs smoothly, stays on track, and delivers exceptional results, all while helping to grow and champion the casting function.

Duties and key responsibilities:

• Cast actors by breaking down a character brief, compiling longlists & shortlists of actor options, overseeing auditions, casting clips, self-tapes.
• Cast and provide fee estimates for high profile talent.
• Maintain talent agent relationships, including attending meetings, networking, advising on and negotiating fees, as required.
• Ensure that the client’s casting needs are met or rationalise any push backs in a clear and decisive way.
• Ensure castings are progressing in a timely manner, are delivered as per the agreed timeline, to a high quality.
• Work flexibly and reactively to a high volume of workflow by managing your own workload & time.
• Be a trusted resource for Casting and actor-related questions & issues, including but not limited to diverse, unusual, high profile & child castings.
• Assist members of the sales and production team with Casting requirements, including joining client and internal calls and meetings, as required.
• Communicate any problems or issues to line manager or senior management in a timely manner.
• Assist with finding & developing new freelancers & casuals, working with HODs to allow time and resources for this to occur, as required.
• Establish & maintain healthy relationship within the industry by attending events (Equity, Spotlight, drama school showcases).

Leadership Duties:

• Host weekly Casting meetings; oversee project allocations to the casting team, prioritization, resource use by establishing project status updates, blockers, challenges and highlight upcoming workflow.
• Proactively assist with team members’ initial brief reviews, establishing, and maintaining workflows as well as hands on approach for the more high-profile pieces of work.
• Assist in continuously improving Casting team operations, quality, performance, and ways of communicating with our clients.
• Set a good example for colleagues, especially junior team members.
• Motivate, support and resolve issues and challenges within the team.
• Support, mentor and identify development needs of the team.
• Contribute to positive growth & potential development paths of team members.
• Assist in training Production team members on Casting basics.
• Advocate for the team to Management.
• Set expectation of executing first class project work that is consistently on time, on scope and on budget.
• Support new initiatives/workflows and analyse processes for improvements.
• Promote Side’s Casting Services & Role of Casting Director.
• Assist Marketing efforts, including proactively promoting Casting, and contributing to marketing campaign and other ways to grow industry awareness and relations.

Experience:

• Casting in audio preferred.
• Previous experience in casting for animation, television, film, video games, theatre, and/or audio dramas.
• Interest and/or experience in video games, especially story & character, and/or Casting experience or interest in the performance arts (theatre, TV, cinema).
• Experience with contracts, licensing, negotiating usage fees etc.
• Experience working with high profile actors and being able to provide fee estimates.
• Capability to work independently as well as part of a team, be responsible and take ownership of the work delivered.
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines, multiple accounts, multiple stakeholders and prioritise work accordingly.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Experienced knowledge and use of Microsoft Office, in particular of Microsoft Excel.

Benefits:

• 20 days holiday + bank holidays – plenty of time to relax and recharge.
• Company pension – plan for the future.
• Cycle-to-work scheme & onsite gym – stay active and healthy.
• Team socials & vibrant community – inclusive of all LGBTQ+, ages, ethnicities, religions, and abilities.
• Dedicated wellbeing programme – we’ve got your mental and physical health covered.
• Brand-new Kings Cross studios – with café, pub, and easy transport links.