Presenting Casting for Style Haul

LA is very much a 7 day week city, it never seems to sleep and work opportunities can show themselves in the strangest form and often at the strangest times. Late Sunday evening an email comes through with details for a casting for a presenter for Style Haul. Now, I had no idea who or what style haul was until I went on their website and YouTube channel and saw the incredible amount of hits that were accumulating on the site. We're talking millions and millions and total hits past the billion mark! It just amazed me the incredible rise of social media and how powerful it really is. The simple, but extremely effective ideas are being created and developed through social media to hit the right audience and clearly with huge success. This online fashion, styling, beauty and entertainment company was a rather successful online media. So, I started to realise that this was a big deal and that I need to forget the fact its Sunday night and power through and research as much as I possibly could for this role.

The details for the casting were pretty vague and the script was quite confusing, so I decided to create my own, mixed with the mock script given to me. Now, those of you who know me, will know that I am no fashion expert, and I dress how I want, which is often the comfortable, the simple and effective way, sometimes crossing that border every now and then if I have an extravagant urge! Fortunately for me, my other half is very fashion conscious and gave me some inside knowledge into what colours are hot for the new year and a few tips which helped immensely. As did Google. The most amazing thing ever to research anything you like, and so it was homework time for me!


The Picture above is probably one of my more out there outfits that I have worn (even though it slightly doesn't count because it was on a shoot... but hey).

Some research into the basic levels of fashion and styling and reading clearly the brief of what kind of person they are looking for, I was set and ready to go. All a bit rushed, but the brief asked for lots of personality, which I certainly brought to the table! Bubbly, friendly, out going, confident, charming, you name it, they got it all!

The Casting Itself
I was given a new script that had been changed slightly before I went into the room, which certainly added an extra speed bump in my preparation. Reading through it next to another applicant, who was a young and very casually dressed American guy. I felt suitably dressed, stylish, fashionable (well I thought so), wearing jeans, shoes, white shirt with sleeves rolled up, waist coat and a sleek red shiny tie, to add a bit of colour, energy and difference to my look. Fortunately for me this look worked as I received a lot of praise from the clients for how I looked.
"Fortune favours the brave" as they say.

In the small casting room, I was greeted by 5 people in total, 2 men and 3 women that made up the panel of the client. Sat on a directors chair facing them all I was greeted by a very very familiar accent! This immediately settled any nerves I had, as the English humour is so specific to English people that it acts as a comfort zone for me. I was asked some questions of what have I been up to, work wise etc. The answers I gave brought about a very positive response, especially when I mentioned about preparing and producing personal TV segments in my previous presenting experience. They liked hearing that I was willing to work hard and put in the ground work in order to make the show not just good, but fantastic.

Next was in front of the camera, doing a new segment that was completely unscripted called "Whats in Your Bag" This is an on the street idea where the presenter goes through a random persons bag, looking to see what people carry around with them, accessories etc. I had to just go for it and after getting the clearance that I could joke about with it all and basically take the piss, I did. I was fortunate to find them all laughing along to the segment. Phew!

Lastly was the script that I had been given like 10 minutes to read over and get stuck in my head. This was a little difficult for me, though the script I had prepared the night before came in handy and I went with a lot of that. Couple of takes and I was done and out of the door feeling very positive about myself and how it went, something that doesn't always happen after castings.


I have already received some positive feedback from my agent about how my casting went and they could be getting me in again very soon, so fingers well and truly crossed.

Its not even been a week since I landed back in LA and I have been out to 2 good castings, am back up football coaching, back hitting the gym and back feeling great.