Joanna's Great Expectation

WHEN Joanna Jones closed the office door and asked if she could have a quiet word with her boss, everyone immediately knew she had something important to say. “They all thought I was expecting a baby!” laughs Jo.

There was no baby. Although Jo was expecting great things.

“After ten years in the same company, I’d decided the time was right to leave and start out on my own,” she says. It was a brave decision. But it appears to have been the right one to make, for since she set up Bananafish Management in August 2007, Jo has seen her portfolio of clients increase daily, and the phone is constantly ringing.

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life, and I’ve never felt so happy and enthused,” says Jo, who has been awarded the accolade of being named Facility of the Month by Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the region’s TV, film, radio and digital content industries.

“The Northwest TV and film industry is a phenomenal place to be right now, there’s so much production going on, and mediacity:uk is just round the corner, so there’s never been a bigger need for a reliable, Northwest-based casting agency who knows the business inside out, and who can guarantee to deliver.”

Jo’s casting agency, Bananafish Management, claims to do just that.

“I started out doing a Youth Training Scheme with what was then Mersey TV, now Lime Pictures, when I was 16 years old. I was in the print room, the general dogsbody, but within two months the Casting Director, Dorothy Andrew, asked me if I’d take a full-time, permanent job within her department,” explains Jo.

“The casting department completely took me under their wing and taught me everything I needed to know about casting. I literally grew up there,” adds Jo. During her time with Lime, Jo has worked on every major production, from Hollyoaks, Brookside and Grange Hill, to Outsiders, Bonkers and In The City.

After ten years in the business, though, Jo decided last year the time was right to spread her wings and go it alone. “I absolutely loved my time in casting, and I’d done every aspect of the job there was to do, so I was ready for the next challenge,” she explains.

“I’ve had the security of a regular wage all my life, so it’s quite daunting starting out on my own. But it’s something I had to do, I needed to move out of my comfort zone – and I’ve certainly done that!”

Within weeks of starting out on her own, Jo had built up a huge talent base of extras, and was starting to attract actors looking for representation. Lime Pictures immediately called on her services.

“When I left, everyone in the casting department was right behind me and told me to go for it, and thankfully I’ve had lots of work with Lime straight away. But I’m also looking to expand into other areas, particularly commercials and TV production.

“More and more productions seem to be choosing the region, and although there are some casting agencies already within the Northwest I don’t think there are enough to showcase the sheer wealth of talent we have here. We have got the people to support many more productions, so I want to change people’s perceptions that the big agencies are all in London. They’re not!”

The main thing that makes Bananafish Management stand out from the competition, says Jo, is that she’s seen life from the opposite side, so she knows exactly how to deliver what a casting director wants.

“Because all my team know that the company is relatively new, they also appreciate that my reputation rests with them, so I can’t afford for anyone not to be reliable, and not do a brilliant job,” explains Jo.

“First impressions definitely count, so I make sure all my extras and actors turn up on time, they’re polite and friendly, and I make sure they have a change of clothes, if needed.

“Casting directors have got to trust me and know that I am in this for the long haul. I’m not just doing this because I want to make money – although obviously I do need to earn – but really, I’m doing this because I want that sense of achievement that creating a successful company will bring.”

Jo currently represents 35 actors and several events entertainers, although she has hundreds on extras on her books, and is always looking for more.

“Anyone can be an extra, any age, shape or occupation. Some people do it as a full-time job, others see it as a way to supplement their income,” explains Jo, who says extras can earn around £75 a day, or up to £150 if they appear in more than one episode.

“I recently supplied some extras for a low-budget short film, and the director phoned me three times to thank me for all my help, saying he’d definitely recommend me. That’s the kind of comment which makes me know I’ve done the right thing in going it alone. I know I’m making a difference,” says Jo.