[Commlist] Call For Papers – The Politics of Casting in Media Conference

PUBLIC / CYHOEDDUS


CFP - /The Politics of Casting in Media /Conference//(online)

University of South Wales, 20-21 November 2021

*Submission Deadline: 31 July 2021 *

We invite proposals from academia and industry for 20-minute papers and 
80-minute panels to be presented at the international and 
interdisciplinary two-day online conference /The Politics of Casting in 
Media/, hosted by the Faculty of Creative Industries at the University 
of South Wales.

Casting is a fundamental practice in textual productions and value chain 
processes. Yet, more than this, who gets cast and in what roles, and 
those identities frequently marginalised (see Yuen, 2017) are pertinent 
ongoing topics of journalistic outputs, audience conversations, and 
academic studies. Whilst the series /It’s a Sin /(Channel 4, 2021) cast 
only LGBTQ+ actors for queer characters (Kanter, 2021), James Corden – a 
cis-gendered straight white male – has been criticised for his portrayal 
of gay masculinity in /The Prom /(Netflix, 2020) (Lee, 2020). This 
raises questions not only of character representations and notions of 
authenticity, but also issues surrounding the political economy of who 
is employed to undertake such roles and professional/celebrity cachet. 
Likewise, inclusive casting is more than a box-ticking exercise (Nwonka, 
2020), evidenced by John Boyega criticising Disney’s increased 
relegation of characters of colour in the most recent /Star Wars 
/trilogy (2015-19) in favour of developing the films’ white leads 
(Famurewa, 2020). Yet, whilst the casting of actors and the resultant 
media output they act in frequently warrant analyses, the job of 
‘casting [itself] is an overlooked and underresearched component of the 
filmmaking process’ (Warner, 2016: 177). Thus, casting needs to be 
critically examined vocationally as much as textually, considering the 
role of casting director within wider media production cultures.

Likewise, casting, much like media itself, is frequently in conversation 
with cultural climates and reflective of wider social relations. The 
Black Lives Matter movement has reignited discussions of racial 
depictions and the hegemonic whiteness of mainstream Anglophonic media. 
It has also sparked instances of change such as several white actors 
stepping down from voicing characters of colour in animated series 
(Romano 2020), and the industry investing in underrepresented 
communities in both above- and below-the-line roles (e.g. Kay, 2021). 
Yet, suggestions of Covid-19 impacting already marginalised groups 
working in, or seeking to enter, media industries the hardest (Eikhof, 
2020) requires such schemes and promises to be further scrutinised, as 
do practices such as colourblind casting (Geraghty, 2020).

Fans also vocalise their feelings of cast choices, wanting to see 
themselves represented in, and identify with the characters of, the 
media they consume**(Martin Jr, 2019; Marquez, 2020). Some chastise 
mainstream media’s Othering of non-white, queer, foreign, and disabled 
identities, evidenced in online commentary and meme imagery (Rendell, 
2019a, 2019b). Others ‘fix’ mainstream media’s heteronormative and 
whitewashing practices in their own transformative work by racebending 
characters and writing slash fanfiction (Gilliland, 2016; Busse, 2017). 
Others sign online petitions as a form of collective activism that 
endeavours for better representations (Warner, 2018). However, other 
responses are far more exclusionary (Yodovich, 2020), especially 
relating to ongoing serial media franchises with established fandoms 
such as /Doctor Who/, /Ghostbusters/, and /Star Wars/. Accusations of 
political correctness over canon fidelity, highly problematic discourses 
of ‘blackwashing’ emerging on social media sites such as Reddit, and 
even the online harassment of actors of colour (Lawson, 2018) 
demonstrate toxic affect towards character representations. Such 
engagement, whether radical or reactionary, highlights how 
intersectional identities and socio-political beliefs inform audiences’ 
readings of castings at textual, paratextual, and extra-textual levels.

We particularly welcome proposals from postgraduate students, PhD 
candidates, early career researchers, industry experts, trade bodies, 
guilds, NGOs, and charities. Submissions from a variety of perspectives, 
theoretical underpinnings, and methodological approaches that cover all 
media – such as film, television, theatre, radio, animation, video 
games, advertising – are welcome, with possible topics including (but 
not limited to):

  * Character representation and identity (such as race, gender,
    sexuality, age, class, and ‘non-normative’ bodies)
  * The role of casting director within media productions
  * Auditioning processes
  * Support for marginalised groups gaining employment
  * Marketing, paratextual, and transmedial engagement with casts
  * Celebrity, stardom, and performance
  * The re-casting of characters
  * Media texts centring on casting, such as /Black Hollywood: ‘They
    Gotta Have Us’ /(BBC Two, 2020) and /Disclosure /(Netflix, 2020)
  * Colourblind casting
  * Casting in bi-lingual/back-to-back productions
  * Audience responses to cast choices
  * Fan and anti-fan practices
  * Toxic audience behaviour
  * Casting and Covid-19
  * The political economy of casting
  * International media collaborations
  * Casting and pedagogy
  * Casting outside of Hollywood and mainstream media
  * Voice acting in radio, video games, animated media, and CGI
  * Background actors, non-speaking roles, and extras
  * Industry commitments to inclusion and diversity
  * Tokenism and the burden of representation
  * Histories of casting
We are delighted to announce that our keynote speakers for the event are 
Dr Kristen J. Warner (University of Alabama) and Dr Shelley Cobb 
(University of Southampton).

For individual papers, please send abstracts (maximum 350 words) and 
bios (maximum 150 words) to James Rendell 
((james.rendell /at/ southwales.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(james.rendell /at/ southwales.ac.uk)>). Submissions should include 
your name, the title of your paper, and your institutional or 
professional affiliation (if appropriate; we strongly welcome 
independent scholars and freelance professionals). We also seek 
proposals for 80-minute panels. Panel submissions (maximum 1050 words) 
should include abstracts, institutional/professional affiliations, and 
contact information for all speakers. As an inclusive international 
online conference, speakers will have the option to present live or 
submit pre-recorded videos.

/Work Cited/

//

Busse, K. 2017. /Framing Fan Fiction: Literary and Social Practices in 
Fan Fiction Communities/. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.

Eikhof, D.R. 2020. COVID-19, inclusion and workforce diversity in the 
cultural economy: what now, what next? /Cultural Trends/. 29(3). pp.234-250.

Famurewa, J. 2020. John Boyega: 'I’m the only cast member whose 
experience of Star Wars was based on their race'. /GQ /[online] 5^th 
October. 
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020 
<https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020>

Geraghty, C. 2020. Casting for the public good: BAME casting in British 
film and television in the 2010s. /Adaptation/. pp.1-19.

**

Gilliland, E. 2016. Racebending fandoms and digital futurism. 
/Transformative Works and Cultures/. /22/. 
http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2016.0702 
<http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2016.0702>.

Kanter, J. 2021. ‘It’s A Sin’ Creator Russell T Davies Says It’s 
Important To Cast Gay Actors As Gay Characters. /Deadline /[online] 
12^th January. 
https://deadline.com/2021/01/its-a-sin-russell-t-davies-gay-actors-1234671861/ 
<https://deadline.com/2021/01/its-a-sin-russell-t-davies-gay-actors-1234671861/> 


Kay, J. 2021. Netflix launches $100m fund to support underrepresented 
communities in film and TV. /Screendaily /[online] 26^th February. 
https://www.screendaily.com/news/netflix-launches-100m-fund-to-support-underrepresented-communities-in-film-and-tv/5157475.article?fbclid=IwAR1zdtLqSzBt2DK9-4ZsQiA-qm900StISh8X4Yzql-WZAOos5pSYxP_HVcA 
<https://www.screendaily.com/news/netflix-launches-100m-fund-to-support-underrepresented-communities-in-film-and-tv/5157475.article?fbclid=IwAR1zdtLqSzBt2DK9-4ZsQiA-qm900StISh8X4Yzql-WZAOos5pSYxP_HVcA>

Lawson, C.E. 2018. Platform vulnerabilities: harassment and misogynoir 
in the digital attack on Leslie Jones. /Information, Communication & 
Society/. 21(6). pp.818-833.

Lee, B. 2020. James Corden proves why straight actors should think twice 
before playing gay. /The Guardian/ [online] 9^th December. 
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/09/james-corden-the-prom-netflix-proves-straight-actors-playing-gay-should-think-twice 
<https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/09/james-corden-the-prom-netflix-proves-straight-actors-playing-gay-should-think-twice>

Marquez, S. 2020. The Harry Potter fandom: What’s next for trans fans 
and allies? /Bookstacked /[online] 31^st July. 
https://bookstacked.com/features/harry-potter-fandom-jk-rowling-transgender/ 
<https://bookstacked.com/features/harry-potter-fandom-jk-rowling-transgender/> 


Martin Jr, A.L. 2019. Fandom while black: Misty Copeland, /Black 
Panther/, Tyler Perry and the contours of US black fandoms. 
/International Journal of Cultural Studies/. 22(6). pp.737-753.

Nwonka, C.J. 2020. /Race and Ethnicity in the UK Film Industry: An 
Analysis of the BFI Diversity Standards/. London: LSE.

Rendell, J. 2019a. Black (anti)fandom's intersectional politicization of 
/The Walking Dead/ as a transmedia franchise. /Transformative Works and 
Cultures/. /29/. http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2019.1477 
<http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2019.1477>.

Rendell, J. 2019b. A picture is worth a thousand corpses: Audiences’ 
affective engagement with /In the Flesh/ and /The Walking Dead/ through 
online image practices. /Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception 
Studies/. 16(2). pp.88-117

Romano, A. 2020. How voice actors are fighting to change an industry 
that renders them invisible. /Vox /[online] 1^st December. 
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/22/21326824/white-voice-actors-black-characters-cartoons-whitewashing 
<https://www.vox.com/2020/7/22/21326824/white-voice-actors-black-characters-cartoons-whitewashing> 


Warner, K.J.2016. Strategies for Success? Navigating Hollywood’s 
“Postracial” Labor Practices. In Curtin, M and Sanson, K (eds). 
/Precarious Creativity: Global Media, Local Labor/. Oakland: University 
of California Press. pp.172-185.

Warner, K.J. 2018. The emergence of the Iris West Defense Squad. In 
Click, M.A and Scott, S (eds). /The Routledge Companion to Media 
Fandom/. London: Routledge. pp.253-261. **

Yodovich, N. 2020. “Finally, we get to play the doctor”: feminist female 
fans’ reactions to the first female /Doctor Who/. /Feminist Media 
Studies/. 20(8). pp.1243-1258.

Yuen. N.W. 2017. /Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism/. New 
Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.


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