Los Angeles: Actors Artistry Casting Director Workshops and Agent Showcase

Actors Artistry has a 5 Agent showcase and great selection of Casting Director Workshops coming up. Check out the info below!

5 Agent Showcase
Monday, April 29th

For only $74!
Starts at 7pm

Casting Director Workshops

$21 For Your First Workshop!

Some of our guests include Rich Delia, Erica Berger, Allen Hooper & Fern Champion

For more information, check out Actors Artistry web page!

Actors Artistry
1258 N. Highland
Los Angeles, CA  90038

Acting Workshops with Casting Directors

Written by Sean Pratt

Every weekend around the country, there are acting workshops held by casting directors offering actors the chance to work on monologues, cold readings and audition sides. And while a first glance it may seem like a no-brainer to sign up, there are several things you should consider before plunking down your money. Then, if you do decide to attend, you’ve got some homework and preparation ahead of you, because the last thing you want to do is just show up.

Promises, Promises

First off, let’s be honest about what’s being sold here. Unlike a workshop with an acting teacher, what you’re ultimately buying is access to that casting director; in business and politics it’s called “pay to play.” If you’ve been trying for months to get called in for an audition by that person, then this may be the perfect opportunity to showcase your talent in the context of an acting class. So ultimately, what you might learn about technique is secondary to the chance of meeting and working with them.

Next, let’s review a basic concept of advertising. In the ad for any product or service there are two kinds of promises being made - explicit promises and implicit promises. In this case, the explicit promises are that you will be working with this casting director on specific acting material at this location and time, etc. But more important are the implicit promises. Like it or not, the casting director is holding out the possibility of perhaps calling you in at a later time for an audition. Honestly, why else would you go? Read more

Los Angeles & New York Upcoming Dates: Casting Director Risa Bramon Garcia’s Advanced Master Class

Why aren’t you nailing every audition?
Why are you doing your best work in the shower or in your car?
How can you walk into the room and make it yours?
How can you come out of every audition feeling elated?
How can you own your audition?
Your preparation? Your performance?
In the room, on set, on stage?

Come join me for -  The Master Class
A full day devoted entirely to you, the actor.
It’s an intensive full day on camera workshop that will change the way you audition, the way you work, and the way you think about yourself as an actor.

Jun 3rd – Master Class LA – North Hollywood
June 9th – Advanced New York Master Class – New York, New York
June 10th – New York Master Class – New York, New York

We’ll work on how to:

• Prepare more effectively
• Know your audience
• De-mystify the room and make it a comfortable place to work
• Craft an undeniable piece of work
• Make your strongest, clearest choices with ease and impact
• Find your authentic voice
• Work out, stretch, take some risks
• Re-kindle and re-vitalize your passion for acting
• Be ready for anything…

Read more

Acting Workshops with Casting Directors: Some Things to Consider Before Signing Up

Written by Sean Pratt

Here are some relevant issues about whether and why attending one might be worth your while and how to prepare for it if you do.

Every weekend around the country, there are acting workshops held by casting directors offering actors the chance to work on monologues, cold readings and audition sides. And while a first glance it may seem like a no-brainer to sign up, there are several things you should consider before plunking down your money. Then, if you do decide to attend, you’ve got some homework and preparation ahead of you, because the last thing you want to do is just show up.

Promises, Promises

First off, let’s be honest about what’s being sold here. Unlike a workshop with an acting teacher, what you’re ultimately buying is access to that casting director; in business and politics it’s called “pay to play.” If you’ve been trying for months to get called in for an audition by that person, then this may be the perfect opportunity to showcase your talent in the context of an acting class. So ultimately, what you might learn about technique is secondary to the chance of meeting and working with them.

Next, let’s review a basic concept of advertising. In the ad for any product or service there are two kinds of promises being made – explicit promises and implicit promises. In this case, the explicit promises are that you will be working with this casting director on specific acting material at this location and time, etc. But more important are the implicit promises. Like it or not, the casting director is holding out the possibility of perhaps calling you in at a later time for an audition. Honestly, why else would you go?   Read more

LA: Inside the Mind of a Castng Director with Rick Pagano

Inside the Mind of… are a series of seminars brought to you by the leading voices in the entertainment industry. Hosted by renowned inspirational teacher Stuart k Robinson, Inside the Mind of… brings you an uncensored look into different areas of show business.

We tear down the walls of politeness and courtesy and give you the TRUTH. Most seminars are couched in niceties so as not to hurt the actors sensibilities, not with us. Inside the Mind of gives you the truth and tears apart the myths of this business.

We go Inside the Mind of Agents, Casting Directors, Managers, Publicists, Producers, Directors and Executives in one on one conversations and we only let them tell the truth. You get a no nonsense view into the thought processes of working pros.

We try to get those people that do not do tons of workshops and are there to give you their honest info and feedback.

By bringing the truth about the entertainment business to the people struggling to find their way, we hope to educate, enlighten and inspire the artist inside each participant while giving each the inside edge to succeed in this business.

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Interview: Casting Director Scott David

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:15 — 9.8MB)

I first met Casting Director Scott David at a workshop a couple of years ago. I had heard so many good things about him and his class that when I got the chance, I signed up immediately. In the class, we came in with a prepared monologue, he handed out scenes – long ones – and then improv. It was a really fun time and one of the best workshops I’ve attended.

Scott has been casting since 1996. He’s currently casting CBS’s Criminal Minds but he also casts for film, theater and web-series. In 2010, he was awarded the Heller Award for Favorite Television Casting Director from the Talent Managers Association.

He’s recently joined up with Beckinfield, the sci-fi mystery website where you can create and play a character, collaborate with others and showcase yourself as an actor. Each month, Scott watches the actor’s videos, chooses his favorites and gives comments on their performances. Check out my interview with the founders of Beckinfield here.

Scott is a truly great guy, he loves actors and if you ever have a chance to get in front of him, do it!

I talked to Scott about casting, actor’s being unprepared, how we can find our “type” and Beckinfield!

What should actors always remember when coming into your office for an audition?

Scott David: Oh, the first thing is always to be prepared. Dress appropriately and act professionally, those three are the most important things.

So, people actually come in with like inappropriate clothes?

Scott David: Sometimes, women will come in and be a little bit more suggestive when they don’t need to be. Sometimes guys will come in way to casual for a role meaning wearing jeans and t-shirt where the role might be something like playing a lawyer and you need to be wearing a suit and a tie. But the outlandish stuff is probably a little bit appropriate if the role is calling for not something a little bit outlandish.
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7 Steps To Making Workshops Work For You

This is a guest post by Dallas Travers

How familiar does this scenario sound to you?  You decide that it’s time to cultivate solid relationships with television casting directors, so you sign up for a workshop service in order to meet these people face to face.  Over the course of the next year, you meet two different casting directors each month totaling twenty-four first meetings.  Yet no one really knows you because they’ve only met you once.  I meet tons of actors every month who believe strongly that casting director workshops don’t work.  Well, of course they don’t when you never really develop a relationship with the casting directors you meet.

A lot of actors make this mistake, and I understand why.  It’s easy to fall into the trap that the more people you meet, the more opportunities you’ll have.  But that’s just not true.  It’s not about who you know in this town.  It’s about who knows you.  You cannot become known after just one meeting.  It takes time to build a relationship.

So here’s how you can use The Rule of Seven to make casting director workshops work for you.

Step One:

Create your target list. There are literally hundreds of casting directors in Hollywood, so it’s pretty impossible to effectively apply the Rule of Seven to all of them.  Not to worry – you don’t have to.  Just select a small (less than 12) list of casting directors and target them specifically and consistently.

Visit www.castingabout.com or www.imdbpro.com and research those television shows where the most opportunity for co-stars and guest stars exists.  Please note that I did not just tell you to make a list of your favorite shows!  I know, everybody loves The Office, but part of what makes that show so great is the fact that the cast is stuck together day in and day out working in an office, so new characters are rarely introduced.  Instead, make a list of those shows that feature new characters on a consistent basis such as Cold Case, CSI, or any of the other countless procedural episodics.

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