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Altai, an innovative new casting platform, officially launches in Australia and New Zealand this week, offering a holistic, easy-to-use solution for artists and agents as well as empowering casting offices and end-clients to cast a wider net for more authentic, inclusive storytelling.
Created by the industry for the industry, Altai is led by co-founders Josh Algie, ex-casting associate at McGregor Casting, and Renee Currie, previously an agent at Niche Management and general manager at Screenwise. Altai was born out of a genuine need echoed by the industry for a fresh solution which streamlines the required tools and technology into one, collaborative platform.
Says Algie: “It’s no mystery that our industry is operating in a time of unparalleled transformation, in which new technologies, client expectations and modes of engagement are rapidly shifting, along with the rise of more authentic and inclusive storytelling across our screens and stages.
“This period should be full of opportunity and collaboration as we live in one of the most diverse nations on earth. However, working at the coalface of our industry, we’ve recognised that the challenges posed by this rate of change are unsolvable with the current tools and solutions available.
“To compensate, our industry is forced to engage with various and expensive single-use platforms, causing never-ending administration. It’s eroding the casting process, but more importantly – it’s undermining our ability to innovate and connect with the storytelling potential of our nation and beyond. To thrive in this ever changing environment, we require a bespoke solution that is relevant and adaptable to the current and future needs of our industry.”
With an incredible team of top tier developers and designers, led by Chief Digital Officer, Phil Whitehouse, the team at Altai has undertaken rigorous planning and research over the past 18 months, with the sole focus of building a platform that alleviates the current pain points experienced across all facets of the casting process.
Currie says: “Our industry deserves a platform that addresses and evolves with their needs, one that truly dismantles the barriers to entry for misrepresented and marginalised communities whilst addressing the systemic pain points that have only heightened since the pandemic. A platform that supports the integrative and real time sharing of information that we’ve all become accustomed to. Altai is the vehicle to enable that communication seamlessly and we’re thrilled to be sharing it.”
Backed by intuitive and beautiful design, Altai’s initial release includes a range of industry-first features:
Built in live video sessions
– Casting offices can schedule and run live sessions with artists and clients either online or in studio, all within Altai. Live sessions are browser-based, making it simple for users to join.
Status Reports
– Casting offices can seamlessly update an artist’s status within the casting process in real time with their agent, whether it’s a release, placing an artist on hold or confirming them for the role. Alleviating some of the mental health impact on artists not knowing the outcome of their audition.
Secure sharing
– Altai includes the ability to integrate NDA’s, automate watermarking on selected documents and the ability to control the release stages of documents.
Integrated wardrobe forms
– Wardrobe forms are built into Altai and can be customised for every role, with key details pre-populated from the artist’s profile, saving artists and their agent an incredible amount of administration.
Streamlined collaboration with clients
– Casting offices can showcase auditions, wardrobe forms, documents, lists as well as upcoming online sessions for a client to join, all made available within one link.
Launching in Australia and New Zealand initially, Altai offers a 90 day free trial for all new users.
