Episoder
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Risa sat down with some of our amazing BGB teachers (Cate Cohen, Sydney Walsh, Corey Parker, and David DeSantos) for an inspiring conversation about redefining your relationship with the Industry. About how to successfully step into your power in your work, your art, and your career. What leadership looks like so that you're in the driver’s seat, not waiting for the Industry to invite you in. Why we all need a community in which to be creative, to grow, to thrive- we were never meant to do this alone. How to become a creative force and impact your audiences… the Industry. And how the power of an artistic practice will sustain you for a lifelong career.
Listen in, or watch these brilliant, generous, kind, talented artists and teachers share their insights and experience. We’re inspired!
MORE ON RISA
MORE ON STEVESubscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Click here to learn more about Sydney Walsh!
Click here to learn more about Corey Parker!
Click here to learn more about Cate Cohen!
Click here to learn more about David DeSantos!
Check out the books David mentions in the episode:
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan
The Art Spirit by Robert Henri
The Plays of Anton Chekhov
Listen to other podcasts with our BGB Master Teachers!
Ep. 54: What Does It Take to Make It Now?
Ep. 53: Finding Freedom & Power in Script Analysis
Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor
Credits:
PRODUCER: BGB STAFF
TECH + DESIGN: MITCHELL BRAXTON & ASWATHI MENON
MUSIC: SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Sydney in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Change is the only constant and the changes have come fast and hard. So what is the Industry now? What does it mean to be an Actor right now? What does it take to make it today? Risa and Steve discuss the current state of Industry, what actors can expect from the Industry and the essential shifts actors need to make right now to position themselves for success. Listen in and let us know how this resonates with you.
MORE ON RISAMORE ON STEVE
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
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If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Listen to other related episodes:
EPISODE 52: How to Stand Out from Hundreds of Other Actors
EPISODE 49: How to Redefine Your Career For This Moment
EPISODE 42: That Next Level Shit
EPISODE 28: The Practice That Leads to Success
EPISODE 50: The Strike is Over. Here’s What to Do Now
EPISODE 49: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment
Join us in class today!
Credits:
PRODUCER:
BGB STAFF
TECH + DESIGN:
ASWATHI MENON
MUSIC:
SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Mangler du episoder?
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“Script Analysis” is an often misunderstood term that can result in an actor robbing a scene of its art by reducing it to mathematical calculations. Some actors love the idea of script analysis so they can “solve” the scene and control it. Other actors abandon the idea of script analysis altogether because they are afraid of adding any structure to their art. The truth of Script Analysis is more interesting and dynamic. BGB Master Teachers, Cate Cohen, Sydney Walsh, and Corey Parker, sit down with Risa and Steve to talk about the dance between structure and fluidity in your preparation, and how to use Script Analysis to find freedom and power in your work.
Guests & Resources:
Learn more about our wonderful teachers:
Sydney Walsh - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer, director
Cate Cohen - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer
Corey Parker - BGB Master Teacher, actor, coach
Listen to other related episodes:
Episode 6: The Secret To Successful Preparation
Episode 42: That Next Level Shit
Gifts & Opt-ins:
The Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape
21 Ways To Make Casting Directors Happy
What Casting Wants
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our StudioAre You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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An actor who books work consistently is an actor who has the capacity to remain vulnerable in the face of intense rejection, to stay focused in a world full of distractions, and to stay sharp in one of the most competitive Industries around. The actor who books work consistently has found a way to stand out from hundreds of others. They have expressed themself in a way that makes them a singularity. In a hard industry and a hard world, that kind of singular expression must be supported by a lifestyle that nurtures their art and their career. Listen in as Risa and Steve talk about how to cultivate a lifestyle that offers you all that, and then share your thoughts and questions with us on social @BGBStudio or by emailing us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Listen to other related episodes:
Episode 28: The Practice That Leads To Success
Episode 36: The Pursuit Of Happiness - w/ Caroline, Dominic, Ellyn, JohnathanGifts & Opt-ins:
The Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape
21 Ways To Make Casting Directors HappyWhat Casting Wants
Credits:
PRODUCER:
BGB STAFF
TECH + DESIGN:
ASWATHI MENON & MITCHELL BRAXTON
MUSIC:
SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
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2023 was a really intense year. Two strikes, wars, a contracting Industry, inflation, lingering effects of the pandemic, etc. And that intensity revealed some powerful lessons that every actor must hear and understand in order to be a working actor in 2024. Risa and Steve delve into the lessons of 2023 that point to the new reality for actors and light the path to success in the New Year!
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!Guests & Resources:
Ep. 50: The Strike is Over. Here’s What to Do Now.
Ep. 47: A.I. is Coming for your Jobs. Here's What to Do.
Ep. 46: What to do when The Industry Stops
Ep. 45: The Healing Required to Be an Actor
Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Ok, so the Industry is back. But it won't be business as usual. It can't be. Too much has changed. And if you want to book work in this new reality, you're going to have to change too. So listen in and let us know what speaks to you! You can meet this moment, but it won't be easy. Risa and Steve discuss where the Industry is at right now and the important first steps that every actor must take now that the strike is over.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Industry podcast:
- Episode 35: Is It Time to Give Up Acting?
- Episode 45: The Healing Required to Be An Actor
- Episode 46: What to do when The Industry Stops
- Episode 49: How to Redefine Your Career For This Moment
Summit Opt-in:
The BGB Actors Summit Video: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment w/ Risa & Steve
Back To All Episodes
Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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This is a new world for actors. And the Industry that emerges on the other side of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will be different than anything we've ever seen.
The ways in which Actors have thought about their careers for over a century are, in many ways, no longer relevant.
So, what's an Actor to do?
Risa and Steve shed light on this strange new world, offer insight into what it might look like, and discuss the action that Actors can (and must) take right now if they want to have a career on the other side of all of this.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Listen to other related episodes:
Episode 46: - “What to do when the Industry Stops” with Risa & Steve
Opt in:
The BGB Actors Summit Video: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment w/ Risa & Steve
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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John Levey loves his job. He loves actors. He loves storytelling. He loves diving into the worlds each character inhabits. He’s been loving it for 40 years and is one of the masters of this passion profession, having won multiple Emmys and Artios awards, putting actors into groundbreaking roles on some of the most popular television shows of all time- E.R., The West Wing, China Beach, and Shameless, to name just a few. Listen in as Risa & Steve have an honest conversation with the legendary John Frank Levey.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
John Frank Levey’s IMDb
Listen to other related episodes:
What Casting Wants:
3 Top Casting Directors Tell It Like It IsEpisode 12: - Bernie Telsey: The King of CastingEpisode 20: - Sarah Finn: Superhero of CastingEpisode 23: - Mary Queen of Casting: A Candid Conversation w/ Mary VernieuEpisode 38: - Richard Hicks, CD: We’re All In This TogetherCheck out John’s book, RIGHT FOR THE ROLE:
While there are many books that catalog Hollywood—from the classic to the profane, gritty to salacious—few tell the tale of how entertainment’s biggest names became the biggest names.
Right for the Role shares the story straight from an insider who’s been central to that process for decades. Four-time Emmy-award-winning casting director John Frank Levey hasn’t just witnessed some of the world’s greatest acting talents make it in Hollywood; in many cases, he’s had a major hand in it.
As the casting director for numerous iconic TV series, including ER, The West Wing and Shameless, Levey saw firsthand that household names like George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Allison Janney had “it”—and then watched their “it” propel them into the stratosphere.
In Right for the Role, Levey manages to tell a story of life among the glitterati while never losing his exuberance for being a part of the process. Through his colorful tales of meeting incredible talent early in their careers—including Josh Gad, Lucy Liu and a just-out-of-Julliard Jessica Chastain—Levey documents his transformation from a novice casting director to one of the greats in the field.
Beyond teaching readers how to spot what it takes to make it in Hollywood, how casting has changed since the 1980s (when telephones had cords!) or how to live in a world of glamor and gusto, Levey’s stories also show how to play a central role in a show’s success without losing a sense of wonder.
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Generative A.I. is not the future. It is here. Now. And as the technology gets better and better, and audiences become less able to discern whether or not the actor on their favorite TV show or movie is human or A.I., the Industry will choose A.I. generated actors over human actors. A.I. actors are cheaper, less demanding, don’t have a union, and don’t require inconveniences like air, water, food, physical space, etc.
But as Generative A.I. comes for your jobs, it forces all of us to ponder important questions that, left unanswered, could lead to the end of the acting profession altogether.
What does it mean to be human?
What is the actual difference between a human actor and an A.I. actor?
Risa and Steve explore this new technology and the kind of work human actors will need to do to keep their jobs. Listen in!
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Episode 46: - “What to do when the Industry Stops” with Risa & SteveEpisode 43: - “How to be a Happy Actor” with Sydney Walsh & Cate Cohen, Risa & SteveEpisode 41: - “Fighting Isolation: Why You Need an Artistic Community” BGB 10 year anniversary episode with Risa & SteveEpisode 36: - “The Pursuit of Happiness” With Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson & Johnathan McClain, & RisaBack To All Episodes
Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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We wholeheartedly support the writers as they fight for what they rightly deserve. And also, a strike means that the Industry is slowing/shutting down. For actors, that can mean fewer auditions and less hope of booking jobs. It can bring up fear and disappointment, especially after three years of pandemic-related uncertainty. In this episode, Risa and Steve offer tools to navigate it all, and reveal some of the incredible opportunities that present themselves when the Industry stops.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Ep. 36: The Pursuit of Happiness - with Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson & Johnathan McClain
Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor
Ep. 27: Not Just An Actor: Making Your Own Box
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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As an actor, your vulnerability and emotional sensitivity are not only tools of your art. They are your products. But being a sensitive person in an often cold, emotionally violent industry can be a train wreck waiting to happen. Risa and Steve explore the kind of consistent healing necessary to stay open enough to bring the fullness of your talent to your auditions, and not compromise your mental health while doing it.
Your nervous system is your tool and your product. It’s also a sacred element of your being, through which you receive and process the world around you. Your past experiences and dormant emotions can fuel your work, but they can also make you miserable. You need to be sensitive to do great acting work and book acting jobs, but the industry in which you’re operating often offers emotional violence, disinterest and the inability to see to any of your needs. While the industry needs to be kinder and softer (even in the interest of finance), it won’t happen anytime soon. So, you are going to have to do the labor of looking at your pain and taking steps towards healing. Risa and Steve explore the way in which actors can heal and offer their own healing journeys.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Ep. 41: Fighting Isolation: Why You Need an Artistic Community
Ep. 35: Is It Time To Give Up Acting?
Ep. 10: Saying Yes to the No: Managing Rejection
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Actors can often see CDs as faceless, soulless gate-keepers with the potential to grant wishes or kill dreams. This perception is not only wrong, but it’s bad for an actor’s business. Casting directors are human beings who, like you, often struggle to do good work in an emotionally violent industry. In fact, the humanity of casting directors- their ability to be emotionally affected, to be moved- is often the reason an actor gets a callback and gets cast. Actors must believe then and constantly remind themselves that casting directors have the capacity to be emotionally moved by their work. This discussion with Michelle Allen and the story of how and why she walked away is a great reminder. Email us at [email protected] and comment on our IG posts!
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In a business this competitive, navigating the slings and arrows to find happiness is a revolutionary act. Pursuing an acting career is hard. Heck, just being an actor, an artist in a violent world, is hard. You can feel unseen, discouraged and lost. There are challenges at every turn. And yet, amidst all the challenges, there is a way to be an actor, to pursue an acting career, and be a happy, whole human being. It takes focus and discipline but it’s possible. Risa and Steve sit down with BGB Master Teachers, Sydney Walsh and Cate Cohen, to discuss the path to happiness as an actor. Listen in and let us know what resonates with you. Email us at [email protected] and comment on our IG posts!
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Cate Cohen- BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer
Sydney Walsh - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer
Listen to other related episodes:
Episode 28: The Practice That Leads To Success
Episode 36: The Pursuit Of Happiness - w/ Caroline, Dominic, Ellyn, Johnathan
Opt in:
21 Ways To Make Casting Directors Happy
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
-
Beyond the BS- mastering the latest audition/self-tape “trends,” getting the hottest agent or hiring the best personal trainer- there exist the real, less-talked about elements of success. After many decades in the business and a decade of guiding some of the best and most successful actors on the planet at the BGB Studio, Risa and Steve reveal the bad-ass practices that not everyone has the capacity for, but that are required for success. This is how amateurs become professionals. This is that Next Level shit. Listen in.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Podcast Ep. 28: The Practice That Leads To Success
Podcast Ep. 22: The Booking Mindset
SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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An artistic community is an essential part of your success. In order to do amazing audition/self-tape work consistently, you'll have to combat the isolation and inhumanity of the Industry with the collaboration, connection, and care that you only find from community. The right artistic community lifts you up, challenges you to be better, keeps you accountable, reinforces your values, reminds you that you are an actor, and that art matters. On the 10 year anniversary of BGB, Risa and Steve explore the power of this artistic community, and how you can leverage artistic community for your own success.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Podcast Ep: 33 - Why Acting Teachers Suck
Podcast Ep: 1- How to Make it in Hollywood
SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
-
Risa sat down to talk about the Commercial Casting world with not one- but two incredibly talented commercial casting directors. Danielle Eskinazi (to whom Risa gave her first job decades ago!) and Renita Gale (see bios below) are both long standing CDs who are passionate and talented artists and truly care about actors. We are excited to have you listen as they share how they got into the biz, why they have stayed, how the commercial landscape has changed and lots about the audition process these days. AND why we all must walk through the door when the universe opens it for us. Commercials are a major opportunity for actors to book work- and Danielle and Renita LOVE being dream makers.
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Danielle Eskinazi
https://www.daniellecasting.com/
Danielle Eskinazi is an award-winning casting director with an eye for talent and a sixth sense when it comes to spotting substance beneath the surface. With over two decades casting films, television, theater, and commercials, Danielle has cast such known talent as David Bowie, Rosanna Arquette, and Woody Harrelson, while also launching the careers of now-successful actors including Hank Azaria and Milla Jovovich. She is highly respected in the business for her creativity, integrity, and ability to draw out audition-nailing performances.
After several years of casting films, Danielle dove into the fast paced world of commercials. Today Danielle Eskinazi Casting has cast over 3,000 national and regional spots and is known for finding edgy, interesting, and talented actors to suit her directors' and clients' needs. Danielle has been nominated for the Talent Managers Association prestigious Seymour Heller Award for Best Commercial Casting Director of 2009, and was a runner up twice for Favorite Commercial Casting Director in Back Stage West.
She has been sharing her insights by teaching workshops, and speaking on panels including one at the SAG Foundation, which was aired Internationally. Danielle is also affiliated with the AFI Women's Program, helping first-time directors cast their shorts. More about Danielle at https://www.daniellecasting.com.
Renita Gale
https://www.renitacasting.com
Renita Gale is an undisputed “Who’s Who” in the world of Casting. With a supernatural eye for spotting superstar talent and matching them with projects, Renita has been WOW-ing her clients since 1999. She has cast some of the most beloved and memorable commercials, music videos, feature films and themed entertainment projects. An innovator and visionary in the casting world, Renita began offering her clients virtual casting solutions including actor self-tapes and other remote audition options, long before times demanded it. She’s truly an expert in this arena. Renita loves what she does and feels exhilarated when she gets to collaborate on projects with a focus on inclusion, diversity, inspiration, empowerment and adding value to the world. Renita is a master in the world of personal-growth and development. Over the last few years, Renita has been studying Human Design and experimenting with it in her own life. She has found this system to be a valuable asset in her repertoire and now includes Human Design in her 1-on-1 sessions.
A multi-passionate accomplisher, Renita continues to redefine what is possible as the grateful (and busy) mother of a miraculous 9 year old boy, a casting director, voice-actor, model and content creator. Renita can be found on Instagram @RenitaCasting and via her website https://www.renitacasting.com/
What Casting Wants: 3 Top Casting Directors Tell It Like It Is
Get the Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape Guide here!
SIGN UP for our BGB Career Master Class series!
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
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Risa and Steve sat down to talk about the Self-Tape crisis- an actual creative and professional crisis that actors, casting directors, agents, managers, and others in our business are experiencing right now.
Self-tapes are here to stay. But at this point in their evolution, they have the potential to consume you; to pull the entire focus of time and attention as you navigate the technical elements, the lack of collaboration, and the limitations of the process. We see a crisis in our Industry. The proliferation of this process has made actors forget about art. It’s time to take stock, to rework what the self-tape is, and stir up a Revolution in the process that places art first. And PS: that’s how you book work!
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Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
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Guests & Resources:
Listen to our other Self-Tape podcasts! Getting Right With Self-Tapes and Self-Tapes Don't Have to Hurt
Get the Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape Guide here!
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
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Richard Hicks is a Casting Director for film, television and theatre (see bio below). He’s done it all, he loves it all, and his work is beautiful. We’re excited to have you listen to our conversation with Richard, and we hope that it humanizes casting directors even more, which is one of our missions- to remind each other and our community always that we are ALL dancing between art and commerce, and we are doing it together. That the faces of the business are simply human beings, often vulnerable, navigating the Industry while making work the best they know how. And that casting directors love actors and are your champions. Richard has always been and will always be that.
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Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
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Guests & Resources:
Here’s some of what Richard Hicks has accomplished in the past decades… so far…
Richard’’s films include Hell or High Water, The Mustang, Together Together, Gravity, Zero Dark Thirty, Hairspray, Lars And The Real Girl, O.G., Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration and A Mighty Wind, Walter Salles’ On The Road and Ken Loach’s Bread and Roses. Upcoming films include Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix), Samaritan (Amazon Prime) , Family and Lost On A Mountain in Maine. Richard also casts for the Sundance Directors Lab.
Richard is an Emmy winner for HBO’s Game Change as well as a three-time Emmy nominee for Recount, Temple Grandin and the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Other work for television includes ROAR (AppleTV+), American Gods (Starz), Married (FX), The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency for Anthony Minghella, along with numerous other pilots and series. Upcoming work includes the limited series The Last Thing He Told Me (AppleTV+).
Richard is also a two-time past president of the Casting Society of America, a current governor of the Casting Directors branch at AMPAS, and a founding member of the Casting Directors union, the CSA.
Back To All EpisodesMeet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
-
Jason Clodfelter is hardly whom you might think of when you imagine a big Hollywood Studio TV (Co) President. He’s sensitive, caring, personable, charming, thoughtful, and an artist - a fantastic writer, director, actor, and collaborator. Risa got to know Jason in class every week where the work was intimate and intense, and he went all in. And, as he tells us here, his job at Sony TV became an act of artistry, something he needed if he was going to continue to work in what can be considered a soul-sucking job. But he found another way!
And listen in to what Jason says about self tapes- what he knows and doesn't know about your experience with self-tapes.
But mostly, we want you to listen to Jason’s humanity. He’s not some faceless power-broker executive. He’s a human being.
Check out Jason’s (impressive) Bio on this page so that you get a feel for his executive and production work, and our conversation with him will show you the incredible human being and artist he is. Which gives us all hope for our Industry!
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Jason Clodfelter, a 16-year plus SPE veteran, serves as Co-President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, the production arm of SPE’s television business alongside the studio President, Jeff Frost. In his position, Jason oversees all creative aspects of the television studio including U.S. Drama and Comedy Development, U.S. Scripted & Current Programming, Global Programming & Development, Talent & Casting, Movies & Miniseries, Gemstone Studios, Affirm Television, and TriStar Television. Under Clodfelter’s purview as Co-President, the studio has produced multiple high-profile scripted series for broadcast, cable, and streaming outlets including The Boys, Cobra Kai, Wheel of Time, Outlander, The Afterparty, Black Monday, Them, The Blacklist, For All Mankind, The Good Doctor, SWAT, and Better Call Saul.
Prior to serving as Co-President, Jason was the Executive Vice President of U.S. Drama Development and Programming for Sony Pictures Television (SPT), spearheading the development and production of titles such as Breaking Bad, Damage, Drop Dead Diva, Justified, Preacher, Sneaky Pete, and Masters of Sex.
Prior to joining SPT in 2006, he served as Vice President of development for Spelling Television, Inc., where he developed the series Wanted and Saving Grace.
Earlier in his career, Jason was the producer behind the short films, Crabgrass Manifesto, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and Something Close to Heaven (written and directed by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black), which made its television debut on The Sundance Channel.
He studied Film and TV at USC School of Cinematic Arts and shortly thereafter began his career at John Wells Productions where he owes much of his training to acclaimed director, Paris Barclay.
Back To All Episodes
Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.
@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook.
CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio
Are You Ready For Class?
All BGB Classes
-
Nothing makes Risa and Steve happier than creating space and facilitating a path for actors to find their voices as creators: filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, etc. When they started BGB, Risa and Steve brought their love of the process of creating from theatre, film, and television into the work that they- and all our teachers- practice in class. And out of that, they have nurtured the fullest expression of each artist’s unique voice, along with the practice of artistic leadership. In and out of class, we all make films together and we continue to watch BGB actors take the reins in their work and collaborate together in the world. It’s been incredible to witness and to be a part of.
Risa sat down with four BGB actors turned writers/producers/directors who have collaborated together in class and have evolved over the past few years as serious creative contenders in our business. Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson, and Johnathan McClain are the real deal. They are working TV professionals and filmmakers. And that’s because they have done the work of making work. They’ve written and directed and produced short films, feature films, and television shows, realizing their voices in ways they never imagined possible. They did it by doing it. They DO it by doing it.
They also value collaboration and partnership in this process, because we are mostly not meant to do this alone. Out of those collaborations, more and more work has sprung.
And here on The Acting Podcast, they each share how trusting their heart and gut have guided their talent. And the work has flowed from that. This is everything!
Listen in to this conversation recorded in person at BGB- which was also a beautiful reunion for Risa and these four filmmakers. We know it’ll resonate with you as it did with Risa, and our hope for you is the same as it was and is for these four amazing artists: Do what you love, find more of what you love, realize the potential of your unique creative voice in acting and beyond, and love it all.
Oh, and after they finished recording the podcast, Caroline, Dom, Ellyn, and Johnathan each shared some incredible news about the projects that are in the works that they can’t fully talk about because the final contracts are signed- but… there is a financed feature film, a deal to write a feature, a directing gig on an upcoming major miniseries, and several more scripts and films in the works. As it should be!
Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!
Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!
If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!
Guests & Resources:
Caroline Lindy - Caroline won a grant in 2019 from Women in Film to write/direct a short, Your Monster, now being made into a feature with Merman and Bombo Productions. She was a recent finalist in the Tribeca/CHANEL Women's Filmmaker Program, and she is a freelance commercial director in LA. Her new film, Aspirational Slut, is a hyper-sexual romantic comedy that won the 2022 Audience Award at SXSW. http://www.carolinelindy.com/
Dominic Burgess - Dominic Burgess was born in 1982, in Stoke-on-Trent, England (Just like the Captain of the R.M.S. TITANIC, fact fans). He developed a penchant for performing after playing Biff in a High School production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. He was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in London, where he studied acting for three years. Public productions included TWELFTH NIGHT (as Malvolio), THE END OF THE FOOD CHAIN (as Robbo) and THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (as Rocky Gravo).Dominic’s first television role upon graduating was the BBC’s award-winning Sci-Fi behemoth DOCTOR WHO, where he met a grisly fate at the hand of the Daleks. (Dominic’s Doctor will always be Sylvester McCoy.) Dominic arrived in Los Angeles, just a suitcase and his laptop in hand in January 2008, just in time for the Writer’s Strike… He didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles and subsequently has many stories to tell you about living situations he found himself in through Craigslist. As an actor, Dominic can be found on STAR TREK: PICARD, THE GOOD PLACE, THE MAGICIANS, and can soon be seen in THEM: COVENANT, BETTER THINGS, and in the feature film BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY alongside Allison Janney, Awkwafina, and Regina Hall. As a writer/director, Dominic’s debut short film SAM DID IT stars Alfred Molina and is available through Amazon Prime and can also be found online. It picked up multiple awards through the film festival circuit and lead to Dominic being selected for Ryan Murphy’s Director’s Half Initiative, where he shadowed on 9-1-1. Dominic’s feature film projects RING GOES SOUTH and CHECK SURROUNDINGS FOR SAFETY both trended on the Blacklist in the weeks after their release. Currently in pre-production, Dominic has written and is set to direct his debut feature PRODUCTS OF WAR. An avid lover of nature, Dom is interested in ways to get involved in wildlife preservation, and as of going to press… he is a proud cat parent to five rescued felines (Frodo, Pippin, Ripley, Blink and Nub-Nub)… but there’s every possibility there might be more now… so many more…
Dom's BGB Teacher Page
Ellyn Jameson - Ellyn is an actor, photographer and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. After an unconventional childhood growing as a military brat, Ellyn settled down in the Midwest for a few years to earn her BFA in Acting from CCM (the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati). Her recent work as an actor/producer includes the feature film Seven Days (official selection at Cinequest Film Festival 2022) and the raunchy short film Aspirational Slut which won the Audience Award at SXSW 2022. As a photographer, Ellyn works primarily with film, creating meaningful visual stories for other artists and brands. www.ellynjameson.com
Johnathan McClain - Johnathan McClain is an actor and writer whose diverse, 25-year career spans the worlds of theatre, film, television, and publishing. As an actor he has an extensive stage and screen resumé, including two seasons as the lead of the TV Land sitcom RETIRED AT 35; recurring on the final season of AMC’s MAD MEN; co-starring with Edward James Olmos, Kathleen Quinlan, and George Lopez in the feature film WALKING WITH HERB (written by the late, great Tony Award Winner and Academy Award nominee Mark Medoff); as well as dozens of other film; stage; and series regular, recurring, and guest starring roles. As a writer, he has developed and sold multiple TV series and features, including a pilot presently in development with MGM Television and the recently released, critically acclaimed FilmNation/Focus Features f...
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