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5 Tips to Get You Started in Voice over There are so many ways to utilize your acting skills, and the beauty of modern technology is that many of them are more accessible than ever. The world of voiceover can be a lucrative and exciting avenue for actors looking to branch out. An easy mistake to make is to think skills are instantly transferable and we can hop no-hassle from on camera to VO work. Entering voiceover should be considered its own career, at least from the busin...Continue reading

Film And TV Production Can Restart In L.A. On Friday, So Long As Protocols Are In Place, Say Los Angeles County Health Officials On Wednesday, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer announced modifications to the health order her office has issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those changes will permit the reopening of sectors that include film and TV production. The order will be issued tomorrow, with the effective date of June 12. Sectors can reopen o...nce they implement required protocols, which will also be announced tomorrow. Other sectors slated for reopening on Friday include gyms, day camps, museums, zoos, campgrounds, pro sports arenas (without live audiences) and hotels. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has generally followed the county’s lead on coronavirus reopeningings. In fact, Garcetti uses the county health department’s stats when addressing COVID-19. Related Story Coronavirus: U.S. Death Toll Nears 113,000 As Global Cases Top 7 Million - Update California Governor Gavin Newsom released on Friday his long-awaited guidelines for restarting film and TV production in the state amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. These are statistical benchmarks which counties must achieve before reopening. Director Ferrer on Wednesday introduced a graph which she said provided a clear picture that the seven day rolling average of COVID-related deaths in the county trending down, both for the region as a whole and at skilled nursing facilities. The seven day rolling average of deaths is a key measure of readiness to reopen further. After Newsom’s announcement last week, the final decision as to whether to open specific sectors was left to local officials. L.A. County on Wednesday made the decision to proceed. Newsom has said modifications to regional guidance would be allowed so long as there are attestations at the county level that there are adequate plans in place should a rise in COVID cases be seen again. Those plans would presumably include the procedural protocols such as safe distancing, masks and proper sanitization. Ferrer indicated that on those protocols will be a part of the order issued tomorrow. Strangely, this news comes after Los Angeles County was yesterday placed on a state watch list over concerns of a rise in the transmission rate, which county public health officers is continuing. The California Department of Public Health issued its guidelines on Monday that would allow movie theaters to reopen as soon as Friday, June 12. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to comment on this current easing of COVID-19 restrictions, but the news provides the industry with a semblance of a summer season.

To Stop, Listen, and Act: How You Can Help Protesters and Black Lives Matter Groups As protests rock the nation, here's where you can donate time and resources to help out those affected. Film and TV websites aren’t anyone’s source of primary coverage during times of civic unrest. We’re the ones you turn to well after the fact, when the barricades are gone and the National Guard is a vague memory and the movies and TV shows and documentaries come out, analyzing and synthesizi...Continue reading

What It’s Like to Audition, Book, and Shoot a Commercial in the Current Environment Commercial creative teams took only about three days after the stay-at-home order to adjust commercials to reflect the current situation by changing the voiceovers of existing spots. After about ten days, new spots started appearing on the air conceived and shot by the very creative, innovative commercial creative teams. ...Continue reading

The Evolution of Auditioning with Veteran Actor Reatha Grey As a Los Angeles native with decades of acting experience under her belt and an impressive list of credits like Betty White’s Off Their Rockers and Shameless, Reatha Grey has seen the industry go through many changes. She’s experienced firsthand the way the audition process has evolved over the years, leading up to its current state of exclusively self-taped auditions during the pandemic. And Grey has not only auditi...Continue reading

Actress Kathrine Narducci on Casting Stereotypes and Her New Film ‘Capone’ Actress Kathrine Narducci has had a whirlwind of a year. She starred as Joe Pesci’s wife The Irishman and her Epix TV series, Godfather of Harlem, has been renewed for a second season. Now she appears in two projects, the first being the HBO movie Bad Education, where she plays a lonely mother who tries to make a move on the school superintendent, played by Hugh Jackman. The second is the feature film ...Continue reading

Collective quarantines, staggering crew work hours, daily temperature checks, regularly disinfecting props and costumes should be considered, write a trio of employment lawyers. As communities begin to "flatten the curve" amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, employers have started the difficult task of planning to resume operations. But getting workers back on the job presents a host of unique challenges for employers in the entertainment industry, particularly in on-location...Continue reading

Casting Director Kim Marie Swanson Advises Actors on How to Take Advantage of Their Time Time is a luxury actors don’t always have. They often work multiple jobs to make ends meet while still auditioning for and shooting projects. But the current state of the world comes with the gift of time for many actors out there. If you’re wondering how to best use your newfound free time, look no further. Casting Director Kim Marie Swanson is known for titles like The Treatment, Showd...Continue reading

Acting Up Episode #26: Carlos Santos Welcome to ACTING UP, the place where we celebrate standout performances in TV, streaming, and film. Other than spotlighting exceptional work from recent projects, this feature also shines a light on how certain actors got where they are today. Have a peek and then check out these notable performances to help hone your craft. For numero 26: Carlos Santos plays Chris Morales, the fun-loving cousin whose Michelin-chef aspirations get derai...Continue reading

Get to Know the Casting Director: Lisa Beach As a teenager, casting director Lisa Beach remembers sitting in a darkened theater watching the 1973 Woody Allen film Sleeper with her mom. When the end credits scrolled up to reveal, Casting by Lynn Stalmaster, her mother turned to Beach and said: Now wouldn’t that be a fun job! Why don’t you write to her? Clearly, my mom didn’t know that Lynn Stalmaster was not a woman, but the fact that she made that statement, and now I’m...Continue reading

Weirdest Auditions: Toilet Paper Babies, Bobbing for Apples, and More With everything going on in the world at the moment, this installment of Weirdest Auditions may give you a much-needed laugh. As always, the series shows us that there is solidarity in shared experiences. And while the whole world is feeling the effects of the novel coronavirus, there is unity in enduring the crisis together. So whether you’re an actor, a writer, a casting director, or any other type of in...Continue reading

Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro Offer Walk-On Role in Upcoming Film The opportunity is part of the All In Challenge in which stars auction experiences to raise funds to feed the elderly, children and frontline workers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro on Wednesday offered a chance for a fan to get a walk-on role in their upcoming film, Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese, with funds going to charity. The winner w...ill spend a day on the set and go to the premiere, DiCaprio said. The All In Challenge started by Fanatics founder Michael Rubin has stars auction experiences to raise funds to feed the elderly, children and frontline workers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Once a star accepts, they then challenge another star to join the cause. Donations are dispersed to Meals on Wheels America, No Kid Hungry and America's Food Fund. DiCaprio and De Niro challenged Matthew McConaughey, Ellen DeGeneres and Jamie Foxx. A few hours after DiCaprio challenged DeGeneres, she accepted and said she and wife, actress Portia de Rossi, will be donating $1 million to the fund. In addition, she is offering the opportunity for a donor to co-host an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres challenged Justin Timberlake and Laura Dern. McConaughey also accepted and offered a chance to join him at a University of Texas football game. He then challenged Jimmy Kimmel and Jonah Hill.

6 Ways to Stay Sharp During Downtime It’s a difficult time globally, but navigating isolation in a field that depends on the involvement and collaboration of others can pose some special challenges. So many actors and artists have lost work, seen auditions dry up, and are struggling for creative outlets in a time when we feel cut off from our careers. The good news is, there are always ways to work on our craft, even in total lockdown! Here are some things you can do to keep ...yourself sharp while you’re waiting for the gates of society to open back up. Catch Up on Acting Theory That Uta Hagen book that’s been collecting dust on your bookshelf? Now is the time to crack that puppy open. Read everything you canplays, screenplays (many are available in digital format!), actor biographies, books on acting, all of it. Use your downtime to work out your mind and absorb some new perspectives. Study the Greats Stay home with classic performances you never got around to studying before! So many classic films are available on streaming platforms, and now is the time to visit or revisit the greats. Many resources are opening up that were not available before. Some Broadway shows and theatrical film releases are now available in home. Take advantage of limited offers like these to absorb acting you might not be able to otherwise experience. Seek Out Online Coaching Brush up on those monologues, scenes, and audition material you’ve been too busy to work on. Many acting coaches, dialect coaches, and voice coaches will be willing to give lessons or feedback online. Start New Projects What is that one thing you’ve always wanted to incorporate into your career? Writing? Puppetry? A new instrument? Use downtime to pour yourself into a new venture. Produce your own work. Learn a new skill. Connect with Friends Maybe you can’t collaborate in person, but FaceTime, WebEx, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, and so many other options give you the power to connect virtually with your colleagues and friends. You can plan a new project together or coach each other on new material. Start a screenplay reading book club. Swap ideas and inspire each other. BONUS: Create a Routine Make sure you carve out time every day to work creatively. It’s easy to let skills rust in unconventional times. It’s easy to feel alone, disconnected, and depressed. But the silver lining is that we really are all in this together. Artists are getting creative about producing work, sharing stories, sharpening skills. Connect to the community and let your voice be heard. Stay safe, make art, wash your hands! Hang in there, fellow artists. We’ve got this.