On this episode I chat with LA Casting Director Paul Weber. He has cast over 75 features and shows and has 20 years in the casting profession. Paul has worked with most of the major studios and networks on numerous television series and features, the most prominent being MGM as in house casting director and executive.

We talk about:

• Paul's experience as an independent casting director post working at MGM.
• Why Netflix is doing so well.
• What Paul thinks it would have been like to cast at a studio like MGM now during the streaming era.
• The explosion of diversity and how casting have always wanted that.
• Why it is essential that actors create their own work.
• The importance of getting the Casting Directors attention in the first 10 to 15 seconds of your self-tape and what that looks like!
• What making a "bold choice" means.
• The traits of an actor that tend to make an impression for him.

If you'd like to find out more about Paul you can go to https://webercasting.com/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with actress Lucy Russell who's latest show "Atlantic Crossing" has recently won an International Emmy for Best Mini Series.  She started her acting career in her late twenties, having tried every other respectable job she could think of first and with a degree in Italian and Business from UCL in London. Her first feature was also Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas's first film, Following.

She then studied for at The Poor School, finishing in 1999 (Baz Luhrmann's 'Sunscreen' on constant replay - go on, it's worth a listen). She was cast as the 'Lady' in Academy Award Nominee Eric Rohmer's The Lady and the Duke, beginning a love affair with gorgeous period costume.

She has worked since then across genres with directors ranging from Terry Gilliam to Francois Ozon, from Paul Feig to Marc Forster and is featured in Academy Award Nominee and Golden Palm Nominee 'Toni Erdmann' (2016).

We talk about:

• The experience of being on Atlantic Crossing winning an International Emmy.
• The differences between working on screen versus working on stage.
• Re-framing the meaning of "doing too much" in a performance.
• Why it is essential to be interested in yourself and in humanity and your own instrument as an actor.
• Why actors are not 100% responsible for all the storytelling.
• Her journey from trying every other conceivable "proper" job before pursuing acting fully.
• The importance of being in a regular acting class.
• How she navigated the decision to have kids and a family and a thriving acting career.
• Why having an artistic tribe is essential.

You can connect with Lucy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyrussellact/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyRussellAct

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with LA based Casting Director Jenn Presser who is Head of Casting at Break Away Casting. 

We talk about:

• The unique ability creatives have to go from crazy busy to "nothing" overnight.
• The benefit of being able to get out of the Hollywood "bubble".
• The impact of Covid costs on indie films and how that translated to casting.
• Experiences of working with Directors & Creatives on indie films who want an A List name attached.
• How casting is getting acknowledged more for its part in the creative process.
• Suggestions on how to make and build connections with casting offices.
• Why your personality matters just as much as your talent.
• The importance of being hands on with your career.
  
  

You can follow Jenn on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jennpresser
And check out Break Away Casting here for all of Jenn's contests: https://www.instagram.com/breakawaycasting/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with LA Casting Director Jaimie Beebe. She has worked with major brands, celebrities, and directors such as Dannon, Oikos, Childhelp, Betty White, Shaquille O’Neil, John Stamos, Billy Jayne, and more… Jaimie has cast several music videos for bands Buckcherry and Breaking 27, as well as many voiceover spots for radio.  More recently Jaimie has begun casting shorts and feature films.  Her passion is finding the perfect actor for the project she is working on to achieve the best result possible. Jaimie is also host of the highly successful podcast "Strictly Stalking".

We talk about:

• The benefit of learning about casting by doing it and her start with student films.
• Why adopting a problem solving approach can help you with your auditions.
• The importance of standing out in your self tapes.
• Why it's essential to make sure your headshots are an accurate representation of you.
• The importance of your demo reel footage.
• The role and possible importance of social media for the modern day actor.
• Her experience of starting and running her own podcast "Strictly Stalking".
  
  

You can find out more about Jaimie here: http://jaimiecasting.com/
And you can follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/feathergirl77

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I welcome back solar entrepreneur Sam Goyal to the show. Sam has built & led rooftop Solar projects across SE Asia for over a decade. He is the Founder & CEO of Solar Horizon, a boutique Solar Developer focused on the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sector, based out of Singapore since 2013.  He was recognised amongst the 50 Future Global Green Leaders of 2020, by the World CSR Congress, for his contribution to the growth of rooftop Solar in the SE Asia. Sam holds a Masters Degree in International Business from the University of London and is a Clean Energy Ventures Program Alumni from MIT Boston.  

We talk about:

• Balancing ambition and capability.
• Sam's views of work life integration rather than work life balance.
• The journey he has undertaken professionally and personally over the last 18 months that led him to have a total 180 on his lifestyle.
• The parallels between artists and entrepreneurs. 
• How to manage the gap between our desires and where we currently are at.
• The importance of generating a positive feedback loop.
• Why daily, deliberate and focused action is important.
• The importance of self-awareness and self-acceptance.

You can follow Sam at https://www.instagram.com/samgoyal21/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with filmmaker Michael Gamarano Singleton. Michael is half Brazilian, half English and studied at London Met Film where he graduated in 2009. His work often revolves around social issues designed to make audiences think. His latest short ‘Denzel’ has a buzz around it as it starts its festival run, having recently screened at the LA International Short Film Festival.

We talk about:

• Advice for anyone who has just come out of film school.
• The benefit of learning by doing and creating on the job.
• Why filmmakers should just start making their own work and not worry about money.
• Why actors should learn how to edit and empower themselves.
• His experience of running Mixing networks and how that transitioned during Covid. Including how he felt he had lost the business.
• Why it's important for actors to have other passions outside of acting.
• The experience of filming Denzel during lockdown and the considerations required of shooting during Covid.
• His casting documentary "‘In the Room’ which he is producing and is being back by Spotlight.
• His background in sport and how the mindset of that world can translate into performing arts.
  
  

You can follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micksing8/

And check out his company Mixing Networks here: https://www.mixingnetworks.com/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with Casting Director Sydney Aldridge. Sydney has been working in casting since 2015. Starting her journey as a casting assistant at Beach Casting and later moving on to work with Rose Wicksteed, Anna McAuley, Kate & Lou and most recently, Sasha Robertson. Sydney comes from an acting background and that underpins the way she works as a Casting Director.

We spoke about:

• He work on "The Show Must Go Online" for 20 weeks during lockdown.
• What attracted her to a career in casting when she was a successful working actress.
• Why she loves online showcases.
• Advice in commercial auditions and how to best approach them.
• The notebook exercise she used as an actress they helped keep her in a great mental space.
• Her hopes for the casting industry moving forward.

You can find out more about Sydney here: https://sydneyaldridgecasting.co.uk/

And you can follow her on:

https://www.instagram.com/sydneyamee

https://twitter.com/sydneyamee

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with filmmakers Matthew O'Connor & Barnaby O'Connor of Ivy Film.  They have directed several music videos, numerous commercials and one previous feature documentary California High.  

Their latest documentary feature "The Pickup Game"  is an inside look at the emergence of the ‘pickup’ business - an industry where self-styled seduction coaches travel the world, charging a small fortune to teach men skills they claim will guarantee success with women.  Four years in the making and the result of a global, coordinated shoot across multiple countries, The Pickup Game cracks open a worldwide, underground subculture that many people know in passing but few understand. 

The film has screened at Toronto HotDocs, New York DocNYC and Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. It can be seen on Starz in the US and iWonder in Oceana. And it is now available to purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Apple TV and more.

On the show, we talk about:

• The making of their first ever feature film which was a fictional narrative that took them on a road trip across America.
• Their ethos of wanting to start open discussions through the subject matter of their documentaries.
• Advice for up and coming filmmakers in the early stages of their careers.
• Some of the challenges of making The Pick Up Game.
• The initial feedback they received for the film on the festival circuit.
• How interviewing Ross Jeffries opened doors to having other people
  in the industry to speak with the team.
• Why after 4 years of making the film they believe these pickup companies need to be managed and overseen by a governing body of some sort.

For more on the film, go to https://www.thepickupgamefilm.com/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I welcome emotional and mental wellness therapist Lauran Ware back to the show. She delivers an eclectic holistic approach to wellbeing and mental health and therapy. Facilitating sessions and programmes using tools from her studies in western psychology, psychotherapy & counselling.

We talk about:

• The ways in which Covid challenged people at their most fundamental levels.
• Why everything begins and ends in self-awareness and curiosity.
• This idea that romantic love has taken on god like status.
• The importance of radical honesty.
• Practical tips on how to navigate our emotions and what they are trying to tell us.
• Advice on how to navigate a breakdown from someone who has had one in her life.
• The concept of receptivity around the things we desire.
• How can we desire without expectations?
• The fallacy of worshipping false idols.
• Why intimacy and intensity are not the same thing when it comes to romantic relationships.

For more on Lauran go to www.comehealing.co.uk

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with the Head of Casting at Disney Animation Studios, Jamie Sparer Roberts. Jamie has cast projects like Frozen, Moana, Zootopia, Winnie The Pooh and Raya and the Last Dragon.

We talk about:

• What it has been like to work on animation projects during Covid.
• What Jamie looks for in actors.
• How Jamie goes about finding people for roles in her projects.
• What it was like for Jamie to move from Live Action casting to Animation casting.
• The biggest thing to do when auditioning.
• Key things Jamie recommends actors focus on.
• Nature or Nurture when it comes to improv.
• How Jamie first came across Josh Gad. 
• What Jason Bateman said when he was in talks about doing Zootopia.
• The casting process on a Disney animated film.

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I talk with Casting Director Caitlin Well. Caitlin worked as a Casting Associate at Warner Brothers on projects like Man Of Steel and Batman v Superman. She then went on to work in casting in Australia for a year before returning to LA to freelance with Casting Director John Papsidera. Caitlin set up as a Casting Director in her own right in 2019, largely focusing on independent feature films.

We talk about:

• How being freelance during Covid gave her more control over her career.
• Some of the ways scripts and films were impacted by Covid.
• How important is a slate and ident really?
• The beauty of being able to give real time re-directs to actors in auditions.
• Why actors don't always get feedback on auditions.
• How Caitlin approaches casting for a role from the script stage.
• The difference between casting on the studio side compared to on indie films.
• The experience of casting in Australia.
• What it was like to work in Casting at Warner Brothers.
• The casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
• How actors can best approach auditions when everything is NDA'd and you have no real sides or context on the project.

You can connect with Caitlin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cwellcasting/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with Casting Director Meg Morman who is one half of Morman Boling Casting. 

We talk about:

• The impact of Covid on indie film budgets.
• How she navigated the inherent uncertainty that came up during the Lockdown. 
• Her preference for virtual auditions and key tips for how to approach them.
• What it was like when she and Sunny started out with Morman Boling.
• The experience of making the transition into managing people.
• Her ideal type of projects.
• Why it is essential to have other interests outside of acting.

To find out more about Morman Boling go to: https://www.mormanbolingcasting.com/

You can also follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormanboling/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with Casting Director Clare Harlow. Clare was Casting Associate at Kate Dowd Casting for 8 years where she worked on projects like "Treadstone", "Jack Ryan", "Official Secrets" and "Automata". 

We talk about:

• How it's a common misconception that the end decision is always Casting's.
• Natural ability Vs Technique
• Advice for in person auditions and why they are Clare's preference.
• How she has been using Zoom for casting sessions over the last year.
• Tips on how to approach one liner roles, including examples of how not to do them.
• Accents and having footage of other languages on your reel.
• How Clare gets work as a Casting Director.

You can connect with Clare on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/clare_harlow

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I speak with Casting Director Michelle Lewitt. She has been casting since 1999. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she grew up exposed to the film/TV industry, but originally pursued other avenues in the arena of sports. An avid basketball fan and player, she began her profession as a basketball coach. After a few years of coaching she felt her talents being called in a different direction and left the coaching field to enter the feature film industry. Mentored by casting legends Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson, working along side them for almost 10 years, Michelle smoothly transitioned her love of assessing athletic ability and assembling successful basketball teams into assessing acting talent and assembling successful casts. She was named one of Backstage Magazine's "Tommorrow's Power Casting Directors" in 2012. Her knack for casting potential movie stars before they become "stars" became one of her signature talents and has filmmakers implicitly trusting her casting instincts and taste.

We speak about:

• The role of self-care as part of a creatives ongoing practice.
• Leveraging the trials and tribulations from your life in your art.
• The desire for a balance between great acting technique and your humanity and authenticity.
• The intuition that goes into casting.
• The first time Michelle auditioned Channing Tatum for Friday Night Lights.
• Her first encounters with Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth.
• What the "IT Factor" is.
• Working with and learning from the legendary Jane Jenkins.
• What the self-tape process looks like from Casting's perspective.
• The overlap between Basketball coaching and sports with a career as an actor.

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with screenwriter and director Lance Nielsen, who's written and directed countless plays and is known for his debut feature film "The Journey" (Jason Flemyng, Lindsey Coulson) as well as the Sci-Fi novels "Diamonds In The Sky".

We talk about:

• The importance of self imposed deadlines and accountability.
• The difference between writing a novel and a screenplay.
• The process of writing a TV series and what goes into pitching it.
• Why preparation is a crucial component in the writing process.
• Understanding what story you want to tell and the medium it is to be told through.
• The difference between the early stages of a writers career compared to that of a director's career.
• Advice that Lance would give to his younger filmmaker self.
• Insights on funding and raising financial support for you indie film.
• The process of writing a play and then producing and Directing it. 
• Lance's upcoming project, 13 Seconds In Kent State.

You can find out more about Lance's Sci-Fi Novel "Diamonds In The Sky" here: https://www.diamondsintheskybookseries.com/

You can follow Lance on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LanceNielsenWD

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with Olissa Rogers who is Casting Associate at Fiona Weir Casting. She started her casting journey in Germany before moving to London to work with Jeremy Zimmerman. Since then she has moved on to work for the likes of Kharmel Cochrane for commercials as well as TV/Film projects, Theo Park, helping to cast Ted Lasso and Amy Hubbard.

We talk about:

• What it's been like to cast projects during lockdown.
• Key Zoom performance tips.
• The difference between casting in Germany and casting in the UK.
• Why it's beneficial to always have something you do outside of acting.
• Advice on how to approach auditions for smaller roles.
• Things that actors can do to help make life easier for casting.
  
  

You can connect with Olissa on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/olissarogers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olissarogers

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with performer and podcast host Dane Reis. He has been a professional entertainer for over 16-years singing, dancing, and acting all around the World! He has performed in nine shows on the Vegas Strip. He is also the creator & host of the podcast, “You Booked It” the #1 podcast where you learn how to create a successful entertainment career. Guests share their journeys through the industry where we discover the fundamentals and niche golden nuggets that actually create a successful career in our industry, and fill the gap between training and the real world. 

We speak about:

• Dane's start in sports and the parallels it has with performing arts.
• His training at the Boston Conservatory.
• The importance of incremental progress over time. 
• Why having an awareness of how the industry works is essential.
• How he found most people who come out of training programs have incredible skills but no real way of knowing how to build a career.
• The origin of the "You Booked It" podcast.
• Why mindset and mental health is essential to success as a performer.

You can find out more about the You Booked It Podcast here: https://www.instagram.com/youbookeditpodcast

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with PR & Marketing coach Diane Foy. She helps actors and musicians attract Fans, Media, and Industry. During her 16 years as an entertainment publicist, she has secured international media coverage for hundreds of musicians and actors including Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, Sass Jordan, Big Sugar, DOA, The Parlotones, Mackenzie Phillips, Alanna Masterson, Robb Wells, Robert Loggia, and Tyler Blackburn.

Diane is also the host of the Sing! Dance! Act! Thrive! podcast and has interviews with musicians, actors, dancers, and industry influencers on what it takes to succeed. 

We talk about:

• The importance of digging deeper to uncover your authentic self
• Knowing your "Why?"
• Why it's imperative you understand what you are marketing.
• Tip for posting on social media channels for creatives.
• Why you have to know more than your craft.

You can find out more about Diane here http://dianefoy.com/

Here's her Podcast and link to the free roadmap: http://singdanceactthrive.com/how-to-attract-fans-media-industry-for-musicians-actors/

Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unstoppablemusiciansandactors

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I talk with LA based Casting Director Zora DeHorter. Zora is a Nigerian born, British raised independent film, television and commercial casting director. She has cast such films as "Ali G InDa House" (2002), "Species III" (2004) and "Loving Annabelle" (2006). Zora has also made a name for herself as a coach, helping actors as they prepare for auditions.

We talk about:

• Some of the nuanced differences between UK and LA actors.
• The experience of doing virtual auditions over Zoom.
• The importance of enjoying your self-tapes.
• Why it's important to truly hone and trust your instincts.
• How to be consistent and in control of your craft and career.
• Thoughts on how to approach the US market if you're an actor from another country.
• Harnessing the power of social media.

You can find out more about Zora at http://dehortercasting.com/

And you can follow her on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehortercasting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoradehortercasting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/31633542194/

Enjoy the show!

On this episode I chat with 2 time Emmy award winner Debi Manwiller. She hast cast shows like 24, Chicago Hope and The Blacklist and part of the independent casting company Manwiller/Boast Casting along with Russell Boast.

We talk about:

• The freedom that came to producers with things moving to self-tapes.
• Why it's harder for an actor to create a performance in a vacuum, with no in person feedback.
• The necessity of still having some in room auditions (post-Covid).
• Your personality and how you might be on set is part of the calculus of a casting decision.
• Why you need the mentality of "I Won" when you get invited to audition. 
• The importance of always working on your craft and trying to find a way to focus on other things after an audition.
• How Debi had to take her own advice when it came to pitching for projects she wanted to cast.
• The journey of a self-tape.

Enjoy the show!