Industry Topics Blog Posts

Aug 28, 2024

4 Famous Actors Who Started Out in Commercials

Commercials are a great way to break into the film and TV industry. They allow performers to gain experience and exposure, develop relationships in the biz and take home a paycheck. Countless thespians have launched their acting careers with commercial… Read More

Nov 14, 2020

Christopher Nolan Is Confounded by Complaints About His Sound Mixing

Is dialogue important in film? Well, duh. Of course dialogue is important in the expository and conversational medium of storytelling. However, if you listen to the great and celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nolan, apparently it’s not too important. Christopher has had… Read More

Nov 8, 2020

Casting Directors Discuss What They Love About Their Jobs

Casting directors invest so much of their heart and soul in the pursuit of finding the best-fitting talent for the projects that come their way. They’re keen observers and love to work with people—lots of people for that matter. Although… Read More

Aubrey Plaza at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Beauty And The Beast' held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, USA on March 2, 2017.
Oct 31, 2020

Roles Tailor-Made for Specific Actors 

Aubrey Plaza in Black Bear When writer-director Lawrence Michael Levine was penning the screenplay for the surrealist, disorienting film Black Bear, he wrote the lead character Allison, a filmmaker with writer’s block, specifically for Aubrey Plaza.  “I had Aubrey in… Read More

Photo curtesy of: David Rapaport
Oct 21, 2020

Secrets of a Casting Director: Meet David Rapaport of ‘The Matrix,’ ‘Riverdale,’ ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’

Today we get a sneak peak into the life of casting director David Rapaport and what he looks for during auditions. You’ll recognize David as one of the most sought out CD’s in the industry, having worked on such major… Read More

Jennifer Garner arrives for the 2019 Baby2Baby Gala
Oct 24, 2020

The Time a Member of the Paparazzi Shocked Jennifer Garner

“Paparazzi.” The very term evokes fear in some and loathing in others. So reviled is the profession of open stalking, it’s hard to imagine there’s an actual person behind that nuisance camera. After all, the paparazzi participated in the death… Read More

Ian McKellan, who is an actor that shares advice of never underestimating your imagination.
Aug 26, 2024

Never Underestimate Your Imagination as an Actor

The legendary grande dame of theater, Stella Adler, dedicated herself to mastering the craft of acting and passing the valuable knowledge onto her students. One critical element of acting, she insisted, was the actor’s imagination.  “Don’t use your conscious past…. Read More

AT&T commercial star Milana Vayntrub has broken her silence on online sexual harrassment in an Instagram post.
Aug 28, 2020

AT&T Commercial Star Breaks Her Silence About Online Sexual Harassment

The cheerful, charismatic actress Milana Vayntrub, popularly known as Lily in the AT&T commercials, has been enjoying a successful run of national commercials advertising the multinational communications company’s upgrade to 5G. Indeed, she’s garnered over 740,000 Instagram followers. However, Vayntrub… Read More

Jul 29, 2024

Why Francis Ford Coppola Replaced Harvey Keitel with Martin Sheen in ‘Apocalypse Now’

Have you ever been taken off the set of a movie, from the stage of a theatrical play, or jettisoned from a commercial shoot? If so, you know the unique sting and heartbreak of being rejected after you got the… Read More

Aug 15, 2020

Demi Moore on Her Struggles with Sobriety

In Season 9, Episode 6 of the totally bonkers Showtime series Shameless, now showing on Netflix, Courtney Cox plays a famous actress who employs a “sober companion” to keep her off the booze before an important shoot the following morning…. Read More

Aug 8, 2020

Check Out the ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ Audition Tapes

The auditioning process is a mysterious and Byzantine endeavor. The actor or actress stands before a cabal of appraisers and adjudicators in the casting room and give it the old college try. That can include the spilling of guts, the… Read More

Keanu Reeves, known for being humble and generous.
Jul 22, 2024

Keanu Reeves’ Reputation as One of the Nicest Actors in Hollywood

“I don’t want to be a part of a world, where being kind is a weakness.” — Keanu Reeves You aspire to become a huge movie star, or at least a full-time, dedicated actor with a long list of box… Read More

Cover photo for the documentary 'Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy."
Jul 19, 2020

Juilliard’s Moni Yakim on ‘Creating a Character’

https://youtu.be/aHYo9uRZ2Pw “I would like you to look at your total personality as if it were a jewel. Each facet is necessary for the structure of the polished stone if the full potential of the gem is to be revealed.” So… Read More

The cast of the hit Netflix show 'Stranger Things.' The crew was put together by Casting Director Carmen Cuba.
Jul 13, 2020

Casting Insights for ‘Stranger Things’ Casting Director Carmen Cuba

It’s been four years since addicted fans started watching Netflix’s Stranger Things, absorbing all the creepy happenings occurring in the fictitious town of Hawkins in the 1980s. Stranger Things was the streaming giant’s first original series, and there was no… Read More

Charlize Theron, who had intense training for her role in 'The Old Guard.'
Jul 12, 2020

Charlize Theron’s Intense Training for ‘The Old Guard’

For anyone who’s seen Charlize Theron in the 2017 action thriller Atomic Blonde, it’s quite evident the Academy Award-winning actress is a tremendously capable physical heroine with an impressive martial arts skillset. The fight scenes, many of which were filmed… Read More