DPD

Casting

The DPD Mission

We believe in manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today's media by advocating for and elevating underrepresented and misrepresented communities.

How do we do this?:

By breaking industry barriers, developing, and promoting

underserved and marginalized talent in all facets of the industry.

One mechanism with which we do this is via open calls for performers.

DPD casting has spearheaded national open calls & casting searches, both project-specific and general, for Nickelodeon in several US & Canadian cities and virtually,

including the Michael D. Cohen Trans Youth Acting Challenge and 2021 Performers with Disabilities Search.

FOUNDER

Danielle

Pretsfelder Demchick

Danielle has been an active member of the New York casting community since 2004. Nickelodeon was her casting home for over 14 years, where she tapped into her love of developing young talent. From live action and animation, scripted and unscripted, long form and short form, and even podcasts, she has and loves to cast it all!

The co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society of America, her work elevating underrepresented communities has been barrier breaking and continues to motivate her to manifest change in how the real world is seen on screen.

A leader in the organization's Equity in Entertainment committee, she serves on the board of both the Casting Society of America and Casting Society Cares, where her focus is on Training & Education. She prides herself on being an ally to artists and aspiring talent of all abilities.

She serves as a faculty advisor for Respectability and she is on the Actor's Fund's Looking Ahead Advisory Board. In addition to her work in casting, she is currently pursuing a master's degree in Disabilities Studies at the City University of New York. She is also a trained childhood bereavement group facilitator and serves as a member of the Caring Committee for the Wechsler Center for Modern Aging.

When she is not working, you can find her on her Peloton, cooking while enjoying one of her many favorite podcasts, or taking her vitamins.

Resume

Favorite "Pre DPD" Credits

ASSOCIATE

Elizabeth Hay

Elizabeth Hay has been an active member of the New York casting community since 2017.

She is acutely aware of how capable people with disabilities are.

Elizabeth is one of the few casting professionals who identifies as a disabled person.

She has expanded the talent pool of disabled people in the arts in other ways beyond casting as well. She previously was an instructor at FILMACADEMY360 and SPECTRUM360. This school and film program serves students with Autism . She taught film editing and film techniques in order for her students on the spectrum to find gainful employment with production companies in vocations that they are passionate about.