Being an actor is one of the most exciting journeys anyone can ever choose to embark upon. At the same time, it can be one of the most frustrating. Like a quarter flipped into the air waiting to hit the ...
In this episode Aaron talks to Meredith Marciano of Amerifilm casting about her long career, what a Casting Director really does, stories from hit films and how Actors can find success working with Casting Directors.
As we all know, the acting business is jam-packed with a whole lot of actors who are all trying to book a tiny amount of available roles. In such a crowded field, getting yourself noticed and marketing yourself is a ...
In this episode of Surviving Show Business we talk to Ken Lazer, of Ken Lazer Casting – covering things like how actors can stand out, how to have a killer audition, SAG-AFTRA, Non-Union or SAG-AFTRA Fi-Core, how the casting process ...
It’s hard get a handle on all the various mythical, magical, and downright wacky fictional landscapes veteran voiceover casting director Dawn Hershey-Lopes has helped voice actors to inhabit over the years. Coming from humble roots starting out as a receptionist ...
New York native and L.A. transplant Michael Donovan has been involved in show business for a very long time. In fact, reading his CV, you start to wonder if the guy ever sleeps. His recent four Artios award nominations brings ...
Most of the time, casting directors have very specific areas they focus on: commercial, film, or television, for instance. Especially when it comes to voiceover versus on-camera work, most CDs do one or other — rarely both. But Terry Berland ...
Phil Valentine has worn a lot of hats over the years. He’s worked in just about every capacity in show business you can imagine, both behind the camera and in front of it, all across the U.S. Valentine has been ...
Casting Directors can certainly tell if you’re serious about acting. Your audition is one of the most important steps in your career. There are many layers of auditioning — there are in-person appointments and cattle calls, self-tapes and group auditions. ...
So let’s talk self-taped auditions. The ability to make a good self-taped audition will affect your Acting Career from Now till the End of Time! These days, with the proliferation of high-speed internet, not to mention the fact that everyone carries ...
As every seasoned actor knows, there’s nothing like learning by doing. It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to learn how to do: you can read all the books in the world, you can take all the classes, you can watch ...
As with any job, frustration is a big part of show business. Being an agent comes with many frustrations, but one of the most under-the-radar frustrations is when a client forgets to book out. Booking out is when you tell ...
From wrestling alligators to casting “The Truman Show,” “Contact,” and “Birdcage,” Jacoby has seen it all As actors, we all know about the challenges we face when it comes to casting. But have you ever really considered the challenges faced ...
Often when we think of the acting business, especially the Hollywood variety, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone is completely self-obsessed. Sometimes it seems like it’s all “me, me, me,” with everyone only thinking about their ...
Most anyone who had the opportunity to learn something about acting when they were a kid would agree: there is no experience in the world that can match it. For helping a youngster gain confidence, meet new friends, learn valuable ...
Auditions are a mysterious beast. If you talk with any five casting directors, you’ll get five different takes on what makes a great audition: It’s a job interview. Be professional. No, it’s more like joining a family. Be warm. No, ...
“What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.” – Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in “Taken” (2009) When ...
If there’s one thing that becomes abundantly clear after you’ve been around the acting business for a while it’s that no two roads are identical. Everyone from MFAs to people who stumbled into the business after giving a best-man speech ...
We’re all aware of the great collaborations that seem to crop up again and again when it comes to acting, directing, and creating in general: Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart, Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. ...
Every one of us who is a professional or aspiring actor has had those auditions where we just felt off. You can do everything perfectly in technical terms – rehearse, get a good night’s sleep, get there early and be ...