Monday, 15 August 2011
6.30pm — 8.30pm
The Dolphin Hotel, Surry Hills
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Guest Speaker: Cristina Harris
Cristina HarrisCristina began her professional training as an actor in the early 80s at Sydney’s Ensemble Studios. In her second year she directed a play with an all-female cast titled The Cagebirds. The school’s mentor and grandfather Hayes Gordon considered the early production a success, immediately asking about her next production.
Cristina moved to London and fell in to casting after offering her services for free to an established casting director. This professional collaboration had come to an end after ten years and Cristina had plans of returning to Sydney. While in the UK she had the opportunity to work with director Alex Proyas on a Stella Artois European advertising campaign.
Following her return in 1996, Cristina founded Cristina Harris Casting. Her first job was a street casting for Coke. She says that “Finding new talent is my talent!”.
In later years Cristina was employed as the in-house casting director for George Patterson Bates (now George Patterson Y&R). At that agency she oversaw all casting requirements for TVCs and print media.
Some highlights from working at one of Australia’s largest advertising agencies included: Cate Blanchett getting her first TV role for an Arnott’s Tim Tams TVC, Erika Heynatz for Panasonic, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte for Decoré shampoo before she appeared on “Neighbours”.
Today, Cristina works as a consultant and also teaches casting and audition techniques to nervous actors in a friendly workshop environment.