Television production companies in Spain: who they are and how they work with actors

Spanish television fiction is having an extraordinary moment. Series produced in Spain are watched all over the world thanks to streaming platforms, and the production companies behind them have become major players in the global audiovisual industry. For an actor who wants to work in television series, knowing the map of the big Spanish production companies is an essential first step.

The major television fiction production companies in Spain

Mediapro

One of the largest audiovisual groups in Europe, headquartered in Barcelona and with an international presence. Mediapro produces fiction, sports and multiplatform content. In the field of television fiction, it has produced highly successful series and has an active film division. Its castings are handled by external directors who work on a project-by-project basis.

Bambú Producciones

Responsible for some of the most-watched series of recent Spanish television, Bambú has worked with Antena 3, Netflix and other platforms. Its fiction signature is recognisable for period series and high-end family dramas. It works with a stable group of casting directors and has a very methodical way of managing its selection processes.

Globomedia

Globomedia has been one of the major Spanish television production companies for decades. It has produced some of the most iconic series on Spanish television and remains active with projects for mainstream channels and platforms. Its in-house acting school for series —unofficial, but real in practice— has launched the careers of many Spanish performers.

Alea Media

A production company specialising in serial fiction for television, with a solid track record in producing soap operas and daily series. Its production rhythms are intense, which makes it a good school for actors who want to quickly build up filming hours.

Plano a Plano

An emerging production company that has made one of the most spectacular leaps in recent Spanish industry thanks to a hugely successful series on Netflix. Its production model is more agile and contemporary than that of the big traditional corporations, and it works with a very wide range of actor profiles.

How each production company works with casting directors

The usual model in Spanish television is as follows: the production company decides to make a series and hires a trusted casting director to manage the selection process. That casting director has full autonomy to run the auditions and make recommendations, although final decisions on the main cast always involve the directing team and the production company.

The largest production companies have stable relationships with certain casting directors with whom they work again and again, project after project. This means that, if you manage to get on that casting director's radar, you have real chances of taking part in several projects from the same production company.

The casting process for a TV series

The casting process for a Spanish television series has several clearly defined phases:

1. Call: The casting director, script in hand, defines the profiles they are looking for in each role and calls in the actors they consider suitable, whether through agents, through casting platforms or from their own archive.
2. First audition: A reading or performance of a scene from the script. The aim is to see whether the actor fits the character and how they work in front of the camera.
3. Callback: The actors who pass the first audition are called back in, usually to do chemistry tests with other selected actors or to work with the project's director.
4. The shortlist: In industry jargon, the "table" is the final list of candidates presented to the production company so it can make the final decision on the cast.

The importance of the relationship with casting directors

In Spanish television, the casting director is a figure with real power over actors' careers. The most active casting directors in the sector —there is a small group that works constantly for the major production companies— hold in their minds a detailed map of the available actors and their abilities.

TV production vs platforms: differences for actors

Working on a series for mainstream television and working on an original production for Netflix or HBO are quite different experiences for an actor:

• Filming rhythms: Conventional TV series usually shoot to very tight deadlines. Platforms, especially on prestige productions, work at a more measured pace that allows for greater artistic development.
• Budget per minute: Platform productions generally have higher budgets, which translates into better technical conditions and, on occasion, higher fees.
• Distribution: A platform series can be watched all over the world, which exponentially multiplies the actor's visibility.
• Exclusivity contracts: Some platforms include exclusivity clauses or first-refusal rights in their contracts, which can limit the actor's availability for other projects.

How to find casting calls from the major production companies

The major production companies do not usually publish their casting calls on public channels. The most effective ways to stay on top of their castings are: being represented by an agency that works regularly with them, keeping an up-to-date profile on professional casting platforms, and cultivating a network of contacts in the sector that lets you hear about projects in the pipeline before they become public.