Casting Director: Tanya Usenko

– It happened by chance. My education has nothing to do with this field (I graduated from KNTEU, specializing in Antimonopoly Management). At one point, I was looking for a job, and a friend was starting a modeling and acting agency. She offered me to try it out. It was supposed to be for a couple of projects — and now I’ve been in the industry for about eight years.

We started working only as an agency called “Jam.” After some time, we began handling projects as a casting studio. We became partners. When Nastya went on maternity leave, I ran the studio for three and a half years.

Now we’ve realized we have different visions on many processes and decided to develop our own separate projects. My agency is Team Casting & Actors Agency — officially launched in March, and we’ve already done quite a lot. There are two casting directors: me and Ksusha (Shershneva). Just recently, we finished her first huge project — three shooting days, over 30 characters — she did great.

We have an amazing team — four of us now, and we call ourselves the Team-girls. We’re all different but complement each other really well, and I’m deeply grateful to them.

– Each project is memorable in its own way. But usually, there’s not enough time to enjoy or fully immerse yourself in the process — often there’s a tight schedule and focus on results. We want to make every project really good. What sticks in memory are usually the funny or complicated stories. For example, once we were looking for female bodybuilders during the New Year holidays — the off-season between competitions, when athletes are resting and gaining weight.

Another memorable one was a casting for child dancers — 6- to 10-year-old boys and girls dancing hip-hop and krump at a very high level. The insanely positive atmosphere charged me with energy for years.

– We look for new faces for every project, constantly updating our database. I don’t want to single anyone out and risk offending others — everyone is unique. Ukraine has so many charismatic, bright actors and just talented people. You never know where you’ll find your hero. I remember a funny story — it was a project for Kazakhstan, and we had to cast a big family. One of the hardest tasks was finding older people — it’s not easy in Kyiv. We searched everywhere but still couldn’t approve anyone. I walked out of the office thinking, “Where else can I find a grandfather, where?” I was walking through Podil and saw the grandpa across the street! I thought, “If I approach him, he’ll be scared.” But of course I did — the Universe was clearly helping me. He ended up being approved.

There are many such stories. In general, I’m happy about the changes happening in the industry — actors are more active, there are more events, and opportunities to grow. It feels like we’re reaching a new level, and it’s exciting to be part of that.

– It depends on the project’s complexity and specifics. Mostly, we do castings for commercials and music videos. If unusual types or specific skills are needed — we show as many as we can find, and we keep searching until the end. For standard submissions, we usually do two waves of 10–15 people per role, and sometimes an additional search if the options aren’t approved.

– Each project brings together a team of like-minded people who want to deliver the idea in the best way possible. Everyone has their role, but all are working toward the same goal. The producer usually acts as a unifying figure, finding optimal solutions to bring the project to life. When it comes to choosing actors, visions of the creative team, client, and director can differ slightly. There are also external factors to consider. So, it’s all about balancing the director’s vision and the client’s expectations, and making sure the actor can handle the role.

– We work with Ukrainian production companies, but the projects are for various countries. Recently — for Israel, Kazakhstan, and of course, Ukraine.

– I take everything very personally and worry about a lot of things, but I wouldn’t say I’m afraid. I’ve seen a lot already.

Working with people means dealing with unexpected situations. The key is not to panic or get emotional — just solve the problem as quickly as possible.

– I dream of being on time and managing everything. Finding balance between personal life and work. Leveling up professionally. Traveling more. Spending more time on creative things. Going back to art school.

– Sports — right now it’s ballet and yoga. I love painting — I even had a few small exhibitions and studied at a contemporary art school. I mostly worked with oil, sometimes acrylic. Our office has lots of paintings. I used to sell them to raise money for charity. Right now, there’s a creative pause.

– A fashion designer — my dolls were very stylish (smiles). Later, I considered going into medicine — but changed my mind quickly

– I fainted at the sight of blood — that was a clear sign.

– I love short stories by Dovlatov — his humor and lightness. Also, “Roadside Picnic” by the Strugatsky brothers, and of course “The Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov — it lives on my bookshelf. In general, I read a variety of literature.

– I mostly watch documentaries — I could talk about this for hours. Last year, I got to watch almost all the films at Docudays (thanks to quarantine), and many others on different platforms.

I’m inspired by people who are obsessed with their craft, who fall in love with their work and dedicate years to making a single film — not knowing how it’ll all turn out and having no control over their characters. There’s a special kind of magic in that. As for fiction films, I recently really enjoyed “Homeward” by Nariman Aliev, and the soulful, funny, and deep film “My Thoughts Are Silent” by Antonio Lukich. I love going to the cinema — especially in the mornings on weekends. It’s my personal time.

– I’d love to work in film — preferably in the comedy genre.

– A phone (joking). The wind.

– To be able to do charity work on a more significant level. To travel more, be less shy. To have more exciting and meaningful projects and people in my life.

– Be more creative and high-quality in your self-tapes. Of course, we also prefer full in-studio castings where we can meet actors in person — but sometimes circumstances don’t allow that.

So here’s a practical tip: get a plain background, some basic lighting, patience, and a good mood.

And always keep developing — learn languages, don’t stop, dream big, promote yourself, take opportunities. Remember: you are unique and talented. And also — be polite.