Phillip Wong Photography

The People

Casting and Systemic Bias

Image Shapes Our World:

People Define Us

Finding “Something Else”

      Casting is perceived as both glamorous and shady. As with all things, it can be both, or somewhere in between.  But I want to talk about a change in Society’s perception of models and talent over the years, what is possible and what Phillip Wong Photography looks for.

      There are different stages in the career of a model or talent, and these should be looked at differently by both the model/talent, and the client, the casting director and the producer. 

       It has been assumed that “good-looking” or “attractive” is a standard, but we all know that people who look “different” have been struggling to find a place in the very wide scope of visibility in Society.  Over time, both the value of “looks,” and the perception of what “good-looking” has changed.

         While “looks” are important, someone who relies solely on their looks, can become stagnant, masking the insincerity of the model or talent. Athletes may run or jump, but at each successive level, they are competing with people who are equally gifted.

          But change, like waves to a surfer, should not be resisted, but understood, and ridden.  The human face, the human character, the human emotion, has INCREASED in value, over the past several decades, because in a world of 8 billion people, our market has changed. By using social media, and remote interactions from texts to emails, the values of humanity are both missing, and desired more than ever.

            Values have shifted and language still remains diverse. What we look for, is both representative AND aspirational. Both what is visible, and what is hidden. We are looking for both the cliche and the asymmetrical.We are looking for everything, everywhere, all at once.

       That is what I have always looked for – the “Something Else.”

            As someone who “looked different” for a lifetime, I have been aware of the decisions people make in casting.

        The anticipation of “what will the clients think,” or “what will the audience think,” has never given opportunities easily to someone with a different color skin, or an unusual look. It has never sought to “build” stars, or credible models/talent, but to “find” or simply use “stars” once someone else confirms them.

       Which is why I have always viewed the job, behind the scenes, as incredibly important, to see, to think, to consider, to try, to push, encourage and demand, a way forward. Of the people who have worked with me. 

      Systemic Bias, is real. We always look to people we know best. We favor our families, our friends, people we went to school with, people we worked with elsewhere. . . . .  and in casting, we favored people who had similar looks. People who would “likely” be successful. 

         New Faces and Development

       The future of everything, is in the “new” and the “developing.”  There is a future in transition and in re=imagining, and re-defining, but “Change” is the centerpiece of all business. 

          I am looking for new clients, new work, but have done it before. I see the people I work with, both with the loyalty of good experiences, but also the demand and need to move forward – so throughout my life, I have always sought to see the “new faces,” and not “discover,” but just identify their capabilities.  It is why agencies, over the years, have trusted me to find hidden qualities, but social media “stars” can only count “followers.”

        But only people who listen, see, think, can tell when a “model” might actually be a better “actor” or “singer,” or “artist.”  Those are the paths I am looking for.

Systemic Bias

       People tend to trust what they know, and shy away from what they don’t know. That is the essence of “Systemic Bias.” The unknown scares us, just like the dark is more frightening, than a sunlit scene.

         But taking the time to see, and know, takes away some of the fear, and gives us an idea of what needs to be done to succeed. 

          I ask agencies for New Faces, because it tells me several things: the ability of people inside an agency to “see,” and willingness of everyone, to take risks, and go forward. 

      When I use the word “risk,” the immediate thought is that something is “risky,” but just like analyzing stocks, people who know, are taking less risks than people who know nothing. 

       It is easier to assess “risk” and “promise,” by knowing and taking the time to find out.  I have always taken that time.

Developing and Growing

       I am not solely considering myself, or the model/talent – but the growth of agencies, and their client base as well. 

         I know the history of Bethann Hardison and the growth of Click, the development of Ford by Eileen Ford, and the position of Supreme to Women.  It is through the vision of scouts and management, but also the ability to persuade new and old clients, why change, or a different perception, might be beneficial. 

       Without either agencies or models/talent or new projects, it is difficult to break through the dominance of established companies, established agencies and established stars.  And we believe that “success” in the association with everything that has already been successful with someone else.

To Modeling and Casting Agencies:

      If you look at the images here, you know that I’ve got some experience – what isn’t known, or understood, is why you haven’t heard of me, or why I haven’t been banging doors for years.

9/11.  Sub-Prime Mortgage Meltdown. COVID and Today.

But I see down periods as opportunities to move quickly, both to prepare, and to introduce.  I am looking for partners who can share this understanding and vision.