The Role of a Casting Artist

Here at Image Casting, we provide beautiful baby keepsakes for families all over the UK, helping to capture a moment in time that you can treasure for years to come. But, did you ever stop to wonder just how much work goes into each bespoke and beautiful cast? We thought we’d shed some light on the role of a Casting Artist, and everything they do to make such intricate casts that capture every line, crease and fold.

The Role

The role itself requires the Casting Artist to arrange casting appointments, visit customers in their home and take high-quality alginate moulds of hands and feet. Casting Artists need to be knowledgeable about both the products and the processes involved in the creating stage of the casts. The Casting Artist will also be responsible for accurately noting details about the customer and the job requirements, and ensuring that the moulds are delivered to the workshop in optimum condition.

Casting Artists who work with us at Image Casting do so on a freelance basis, which gives them the opportunity to work flexible hours alongside other commitments. They are also given the opportunity to market products within the local area they cover, giving them the chance to increase their revenue if they wish to. Jobs are assigned as and when they come, depending on when a customer from the area in question contacts Image Casting. As a rule, we endeavour to respond to customer queries within 24 hours, and aim to get a casting session organised within the week.

What Does it Take to be a Casting Artist?

The role is customer service oriented, and therefore any aspiring Casting Artists will need to be friendly, polite and engaging. Organisation is also a fantastic attribute, alongside being confident around new mums and babies! An artistic background with knowledge of casting can be beneficial, but it is not essential as full training is provided both in the art of mould taking and our products.

The training takes around half a day of practical training, and then involves a lot of reading relevant literature, so that new casters can get to know the products and the process. During training, they will cast a ‘live baby’ and then find some willing and supportive friends and family that they can practice on! The first customer visit will always be accompanied by Mandy and high-quality casts are guaranteed. Their first casting experience is offered at discount to the customer, who in turn is asked to provide feedback.

Day to Day of a Casting Artist

We have several Casting Artists that cover different parts of London and the home counties. They will be passed the details of a customer in their area from Mandy, along with as many details as possible, including the types of casts they think they might like. They will then contact the customer via phone or email to arrange a convenient time for both parties for the mould to be taken. Casting Artists are flexible, and can often be available on evenings and weekends if that best suits the customer. The Casting Artist will always turn up with a smile and an approachable nature that will immediately put customers at ease. To learn more about what happens next, check out our blog “What to expect from a home casting visit”.

What Makes Image Casting Different?

All of our skilled workers have backgrounds in sculpting, jewellery-making and the arts. Each has their own small business or passions, and we are able to provide a guaranteed income while their business develops. The diversity of skills brought to Image Casting by each artist keeps the work fresh and the quality improves as each worker introduces new ideas.

Is Being a Casting Artist a Full-Time Commitment?

All of our Casting Artists work with us alongside other jobs and passions, thanks to the flexibility offered by Image Casting. For example, Sara is a professional hairstylist, barber, makeup and prosthetics artist, specialising in flawless airbrush make-up and contemporary and period hair and wig styling and maintenance. She has lots of experience in film, TV, theatre, bridal and photographic industries. See more examples of her work in her online portfolio, and check out what she’s been up to at http://www.saraaustin.co.uk/.

Meet Our Casting Artist – Sara

We caught up with Sara, and asked her a few questions to give you a greater insight to just what the role of casting artist entails:

How long have you worked at Image Casting for?

5 years

How did you get into the field of casting?

My degree was in SFX and I learned a lot about life casting/moulding/casting with a placement at Madame Tussauds.

What is your favourite thing about being a Casting Artist?

You meet lots of lovely people, babies and children. You are part of a process that they will remember creating a very special keepsake for them.

What is the hardest thing about casting?

Some toddlers can be quite tricky to take casts of. It can be challenging, but it’s fun to work out which way will work to distract and keep them happy.

What are some important traits that Casting Artists need to have?

You need lots of patience and to be calm. You also need to be good with babies and children too, and a good problem solver.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever cast?

Limbs and body parts for making realistic severed limbs and dead bodies for police training scenarios.

Whether you are interested in becoming a Casting Artist, or you are just interested in the work that goes on behind the scenes, we hope you have enjoyed our guide to the role of a Casting Artist. If you would like to know more, have any further questions, or would like to order a baby cast to call your own, do not hesitate to contact us.