To find new talent, cast the net internationally
Streaming platforms have given people the chance to experience a more varied selection of music, TV and film. So, asks Adrienn Major, Founder at POD LDN, shouldn't advertising have a more global outlook when it comes to talent?
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Across culture, audiences are tuning in to new talent from around the globe. The rise of music streaming platforms - largely Spotify and Amazon - have played a leading role in this, and it’s levelling the playing field for emerging stars.
From K-pop to Afrobeat, US audiences are now streaming non-English language music at unprecedented rates, a report by Luminate found. On Netflix, too, more international shows such as Squid Game, Lupin and Alice in Borderland are being consumed by audiences in more than 190 countries worldwide, and fresh talent is being found and propelled to global fame.
To find the best new talent, it helps to go global.
It’s all signalling that, to find the best new talent, it helps to go global, and that goes for post production too. As post has shifted focus with remote solutions becoming the norm, it’s made it easier than ever for agencies to talent-hunt internationally and access the global pool of emerging artists and technical crew.
Above: Streaming platforms have meant audiences have been exposed to more international content and talent.
When scouting, agencies often stay within the territories they know. This makes sense, of course, but I also think it’s driven by an idea that bigger markets mean better people. But that’s not true. Cultural talent is international now, so post production people should be too, and that starts with giving young people their first step on the ladder.
There are plenty more reasons why brands and agencies should be looking internationally for up-and-coming talent, such as brining fresh eyes and new viewpoints, and increasing diversity within teams (though there is still a huge lack of women training and joining the industry, but that’s a whole other topic). It also gives junior people, and those who might be fresh from studying, a way to build their portfolio with global agencies and clients.
It makes sense to cast the net wide. But where do you start to look?
So, it makes sense to cast the net wide. But where do you start to look? Well, from Egypt to Turkey to Brazil, there are young, highly-skilled people to be found in smaller markets. India, too, is a hotbed for post production skills, with both Framestore and MPC setting up shops there in recent years.
If you want to source fresh talent internationally, then you’ll need a plan. At POD LDN we scout for new talent far and wide, going to events, checking out reels on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and using Behance to find new portfolios. LinkedIn is a huge resource, too. We’ve also built connections with universities across multiple countries to find talented graduates looking to build their experience. And now, researching online helps you find artists credited on creative work in a couple of clicks, in ways you just couldn’t do before, and this also helps in our search.
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Above: Brexit has changed the landscape of the UK and made it harder to start a career there, but not impossible.
A big elephant in the room to all of this is Brexit, which has changed the landscape in the UK. Many artists had to leave, and it’s now harder to start a career here. I grew up in Hungary and, 17 years ago, I was able to up sticks to London to start my career. For creative graduates now, in a post-Brexit world, that’s way more complex, with visas and layers of bureaucracy.
So, at least there are more options for grads to work remotely, and still have access to the worldwide industry. But you’re never going to benefit from the networking, connections and experience of being in an office that are so crucial when you’re starting out.
A big elephant in the room to all of this is Brexit, which has changed the landscape in the UK.
Of course, it’s not just about finding and hiring junior artists, it’s about supporting them too. When a young artist comes on board, we hand-hold, explaining the process, the steps and terminology – all of which is more crucial when English isn’t someone's first language. Before they begin a project, they get onboarding, so when it goes live, they're ready.
In the day-to-day, alongside the obvious platforms like Zoom, collaborative tools like Dropbox, Slack and frame.io, are useful. They weren’t great 10 years ago but have now really changed the game. Using technology to stay connected and allocate tasks can keep projects on track, allowing for real-time feedback and file sharing among junior and senior team members working across competing time zones.
So, for post production outfits thinking about new talent, why not cast the net wider? It could bring much needed fresh perspectives to your work and help emerging voices get a much needed first start.
