4 ing to a growing demand for diversity and authenticity, it is particularly interesting to see how these shifts are also reshaping casting processes. In Latin America, street casting (i.e., searching for talent in everyday environments, outside traditional casting channels) has increasingly become part of traditional casting processes — not as a replacement for conventional casting, but as a complementary tool for discovering new faces, reaching underrepresented communities, and finding more authentic profiles. “In Latin America, flexibility, context, and proximity to talent often requires a more adaptable and handson approach, depending on the country, the scale of the production, and the structure of the local industry. Within this landscape, street casting has become a complementary and growing search tool that brings greater authenticity to projects, particularly in advertising, fashion, music videos, and productions seeking non-traditional talent. “That does not mean, however, that street casting is the right approach for every project. In many cases, traditional channels remain essential, whether because of the demands of the character, the complexity of the performance, or the structure of the production itself. A central part of the casting director’s work lies precisely in knowing which tools to use and what kind of search each story requires. “Another factor reshaping these processes is the rise of international co-productions. There is increasing demand for stories that better reflect the complexity of contemporary societies, and casting plays a central role in that shift. Casting directors do more than select performers; they also help shape how identities, communities, and cultural realities are represented on screen. “In both Hollywood and Using Bruno Rosato’s recent Q&A in VideoAge’s Water Cooler about casting in Hollywood as a starting point, Dani Díaz explores how casting differs between Hollywood and Latin America. Díaz (pictured) is the founder of Dani Díaz Casting, an international casting director firm based in Madrid, Spain and Lima, Peru. The comparison, explained Díaz is “not so much in terms of creative intuition, but in the structure of each industry, the way talent is accessed, the methods used to discover new faces, and how casting directors collaborate with producers and directors within each context. “From my experience working between Spain and Latin America, I see a meaningful contrast between the two systems. At a time when co-productions with Latin America continue to grow, and casts are respondDani Díaz Explores Casting: Hollywood vs. Latin America (Continued on Page 6) VIDEOAGE May 2026 World SEE FULL AGENDA
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