A series of conversations with industry professionals about the craft of acting for film and television. I sit down with experts in the field and ask questions that help actors better understand what it takes to hone your craft and ultimatley book roles.
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Money, Momentum, and Making Movies: A Conversation with Leanna Adams and Kristina Arjona about Independent Filmmaking
53:23
53:23
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Working in the entertainment industry is brutal. Successisn’t linear and you hear no more than yes. As Leanna Adams says in this episode, we as actors “eat rejection for breakfast…sometimes lunch, and dinnertoo.” Leanna Adams and Kristinia Arjona sat down and spoke to me about the process of making their independent film: Christmas With Jerks relea…
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Episode 38: Episode 38: From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones: A Conversation with Heidi Dean About the Power of Social Media
52:02
52:02
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Before I talk about the amazing conversation that Heidi Dean was gracious enough to have with me, I need to add a quick note that this conversation was recorded before Twitter changed its name to X. Now most of you probably know that Heidi Dean is known in the industry as the top social media strategist for actors. She has also recently published a…
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Episode 37: The Power of Playing With the Form: A Conversation with Film Festival Curators, Angie Reza Tures and Mary Dossinger
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50:31
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When I think of curators of film festivals, I often think of them the same way I used to think of casting directors: as the gatekeepers to our success. But during my conversation with Angie Reza Tures from the Femme Frontera Showcase and Mary Dossinger from the RiverRun International Film Festival it became very apparent that the curators, just lik…
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Episode 36: The Dramatic Potential in Aging: A Conversation with Film Expert, Dale Pollock
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50:59
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I recently attended a film appreciation class with Dale Pollock, called Senior Moments. And yes, as the name suggests, it was a look into how the film industry, Hollywood in particular, has treated aging. Not surprisingly it has not done a stellar job. When I asked Dale to tell me more about how the industry has changed, he said we’ve come a long w…
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Episode 35: The Art of Choosing Yourself: A Conversation with Acting Coach Anthony Meindl
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Anthony Meindl is an acting coach and has published several books about acting, such as Book The F*cking Job and his latest, Unstuck. Anthony is also the host of a podcast for actors, “In The Moment”, and there is a reason he calls it that. Throughout our conversation that was a phrase that came up again and again: actors have to be in the moment, …
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Episode 34: Casting Directors as Cheerleaders: A Conversation with Casting Director, Erica S. Bream
1:09:57
1:09:57
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If you have ever seen any of Erica S. Bream’s posts on Instagram or Twitter, you know that she is an actor’s casting director. She says herself she uses social media as a way to, “dispel myths and provide some transparency” for actors. She also says that we, as actors, often feel casting directors are the gatekeepers of our careers. Erica goes on t…
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Episode 33: No Is a Complete Sentence: A conversation with Kristina Arjona about the role of an intimacy coordinator
1:43:29
1:43:29
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Towards the end of my conversation with Kristina Arjona, she said, “Nothing has hit me on the spiritual level that intimacy coordinating has.” And I believed her because I had just spent the last hour and 45 minutes talking to her about her role in the industry. It quickly became clear that she is so very passionate about what she does. She is on a…
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Episode 33: Episode 32: The Essentials of Headshots: A conversation with actor and headshot photographer, Tara Gulledge
52:27
52:27
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When I was talking to headshot photographer and actor, Tara Gulledge, the word “essence” came up a lot. The whole point of a headshot is to capture our essence in the shot. Tara and I talked about how that can be difficult because headshot sessions are stressful. She is the one who took my first official headshots, so she knows how I get. We, as ac…
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Episode 31: Episode 31 The Beauty of Repetition: A conversation with Ashley Rideaux of BGB Studios, Ellie Clark and Evan Bergman of Arvold Warner Studios in Atlanta
58:44
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Please note there is some language in this episode. The one good thing that has come out of the pandemic (for me) is that I have been given the opportunity to expand my acting community outside of my physical location. I have taken classes at the BGB Studios in LA and have joined the Arvold Warner Studios membership in Atlanta. This means I get to …
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Episode 30: The Business, The Scope, and The Joy of Being a Voiceover Artist: A conversation with Heidi Rew and Mike Stoudt of The Atlanta Voiceover Studio.
52:48
52:48
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Every time I interview somebody in the industry, I learn something new. My conversation with Heidi Rew and Mike Stoudt was no exception. Heidi and Mike are the co-founders/co-owners of Atlanta Voiceover Studio, which they opened in 2016. Not only do they run the studio, they are themselves full-time voiceover actors, podcast hosts, and on-camera ac…
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Episode 29: Episode 29 Writers as Vaults of Information: A conversation with writer and producer Vera Herbert.
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One of the things I love about doing this podcast is the opportunity it gives me to talk to experts in the field. This episode, again, did not disappoint. It was such a pleasure to talk to four-time Emmy nominated writer, Vera Herbert, who is best known for her work on THIS IS US. Vera had advice for both writers who want to break into the field an…
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Episode 28: Spontaneity, Creative Impulses, and Being Invited to the Party: A Conversation with casting director, Erica Arvold.
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To say that Erica Arvold is passionate about what she does is an understatement. Most actors know her as a casting director but, as she likes to point out, she is so much more than that. She is a producer, a director, and a committed educator. But one of the things that I most appreciate about Erica is how she loves learning about other people. If …
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Episode 27: Episode 27 The Importance of Empowerment, Expanding Stories, and Being Ready All The Time: A Conversation with Risa Bramon Garcia of The BGB Studio
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I was so excited to have the opportunity to talk to Risa Bramon Garcia, co-founder and master teacher of The BGB Studio in LA. I wanted to know why it was so important to her to empower the actors in her studio and around the world. "There is a big difference between the actor who takes ownership of their talent and the actor who does not," she say…
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Episode 26: Episode 26: Don't Be Hotel Lobby Art: A conversation with Burgess Jenkins about allowing yourself to explore the possibilities in the script
31:26
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Not letting the script push you around is something that Burgess Jenkins says in class a lot. But, as actors, we are also told to honor the writing. So, what exactly does Burgess mean? Do we not stick to the writing and the stage directions? For him it’s more about opening up the possibilities that are inherently in the script. He says, too often, …
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Episode 25: Episode 25: The Power of Community: A Conversation with the Atlanta Actors Collective
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35:39
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When I asked the founders of the Atlanta Actors Collective what they hoped the future of their organization would be, Kevon Pryce didn’t hesitate, “I want to take over the world. I want us to be THE Actors Collective.” It is clear throughout our conversation that it isn’t for any kind of self-aggrandizement purposes that he says this. He, along wit…
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Episode 24: Episode 24 Don't Wait For Me: A Conversation With Rhavynn Drummer
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Passionate is one of the first descriptors that comes to mind when talking about casting director, Rhavynn Drummer. She is passionate about her job and about working with actors. Our conversation covered topics ranging from auditioning, taking risks, to advice she has for actors of color. To actors and creatives of color she says, “Don’t wait for m…
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Episode 23: It's Not All About You. A conversation with Burgess Jenkins about the importance of investing in your scene partner.
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In this episode I talk to Burgess Jenkins about the importance of investing in the other person in your scene. Even if you have good ideas that you want to put on "display", you can never leave the other person out because that is when “the ride begins.” Actors have to overcome the fear or anxiety of not knowing what is coming next. Burgess says th…
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For Burgess Jenkins, the work of an actor is mostly in the preparation. Your prep is what launches you into any scene and enables you to live the experience. He says once you’ve done the work in your preparation and created your “bridge” to the character fully, then it’s time to play.” All too often Burgess says he sees actors try to control the sc…
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Episode 21: Creativity in the time of COVID, Part III
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In the final installment of my conversations on how people stayed creative during the time of COVID, I spoke to Dr. Joseph Mills, Charis Jeffers, and Noelle Mills-Tarmey. Joe Mills stated creativity looks a lot like wandering, but what he’s really doing is collecting material. He says the creative person has to, “be willing to let yourself have lei…
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Episode 20: Creativity in the time of COVID Part II
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These are interesting times we are living. In March all of our lives were disrupted. As states open up and the film/tv industry tries to find a new normal, I wanted to know what fellow creatives had been doing to stay creative during quarantine. In the next several episodes you will hear from actors, a school receptionist, a poet, and a teen. Each …
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Episode 19 Creativity in the Time of COVID, Part I
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These are interesting times we are living. In March all of our lives were disrupted. Now as states open up and the film/tv industry tries to find a new normal, I wanted to know what fellow creatives had been doing to stay creative during quarantine. In the next several episodes you will hear from actors, a school receptionist, a poet, and a teen. E…
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Episode 18: Race and the Film/Tv Industry: A Conversation with Jeryl Prescott
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For this episode I ask Jeryl Prescott to talk to me about the state of race relations in the film/tv industry. We talked about what she has experienced in Hollywood over the last 15-20 years. We talked about the roles Jordan Peele, Ava DuVernay, and Tyler Perry have played in breaking down stereotypes about what black and brown audiences want to wa…
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Episode 17: The Bad Guy Has No Limits: A conversation with Burgess Jenkins about the art of playing the "bad guy."
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Actors often have preconceived notions of what the bad guy “acts” like and Burgess Jenkins says it is always a trap. Our character becomes two dimensional. As an actor who has played several bad guy roles, he says actors should say to themselves: “I’m the bad guy and there are no limits. It is candy land. I can do whatever I want.” The key, of cour…
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Episode 16: Quit Trying to Hit Someone Else's Target: A conversation with Burgess Jenkins about the pitfalls of acting for someone else's approval
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“Quit trying to hit someone else’s target.” This is something that we hear again and again in class. Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group studio, explains how actors must start doing the work for themselves. When we constantly try to please the teacher, or get applause from the audience, or do exactly what we think the casting directo…
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Episode 15: Taking Off The Mask: A Conversation with Burgess Jenkins about keeping a part of you in any role you play
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“You can’t take you out of the equation.” This is something that we hear again and again in class. Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group studio, explains how actors must build bridges between themselves and the characters they portray. How do we do this? By figuring out the emotional space our character lives in. You find what they are…
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Episode 14: Part II Demystifying the agent/actor relationship: A Conversation with Thom Milam and Jennifer Hummel of People Store Agency
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23:54
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To be able to sit down with my film and TV agents for an entire hour and pick their brains was a gift. I was able to ask all the questions that have been going through my head since I signed with them. In this second part of the conversation, we talked about why it is important to communicate with your agent and stay in contact with them, how fortu…
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Episode 13: Demystifying the Agent Actor Relationship: A Conversation with Agents Thom Milam and Jennifer Hummel of People Store
28:04
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To be able to sit down with my film and TV agents for an entire hour and pick their brains was a gift. I was able to ask all the questions that have been going through my head since I signed with them. In this first part of the conversation, we talked about the steps it takes to get representation, how to keep representation, and the difference bet…
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Episode 12: What Commercial Agents Want You to Know: A Conversation with Lina Ramirez-Mills and Laura Crawford of People Store Agency
39:27
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When I was seeking an agent and auditioned with People Store, I walked in somewhat blind. If they said yes, what was my role in the process? Was I supposed to simply sit back and wait for auditions? If not, then what else was I supposed to do? How many auditions was I to expect? What if I didn’t get any? If I didn’t book anything would they drop me…
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Episode 11: From Amnesia to Black Panther: A Conversation with Cranston Johnson
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When a friend signed him up to be a featured extra on the movie the 5th Quarter, with Andie MacDowell and Aidan Quinn, Cranston Johnson was mad. He had no desire to be in the movies and had no idea what he was doing. That experience, however, changed his life. In 2011 he started studying at Actors Group with Burgess Jenkins and since then he has be…
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Episode 10: Auditions for a Casting Director: A Conversation with George Pierre and Jesse Malinowski
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38:43
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When I took a workshop with George Pierre at Get Scene Studios, it became immediately clear that feedback was going to be direct and possibly brutal. Neither he, nor Jesse Malinowski shy away from telling actors what is wrong with their audition tapes and why they might not make it to a call back. George Pierre is one of Atlanta’s top casting direc…
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Episode 9: Empathy: Who Needs It? A conversation with Burgess Jenkins on the importance of being empathetic in our acting.
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When we talk about actor training we don’t immediately think about how much empathy we have (or should have) for other people. Actor and acting coach, Burgess Jenkins, says that empathy is one of the more important components of being a better actor. He says the more empathetic an actor is, the more nuances there are in the performance and, he stat…
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Episode 8: The Details that Matter and the Details that Don’t: A conversation with Burgess Jenkins about knowing what’s important in our preparations Part II
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Are all the details in our backstories important? Are they all helpful in creating a fully fleshed out character? Do they all make us more connected, more present, more alive? Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group, says no. He has talked in class about the difference between specificity and minutia. In the second part of our conversati…
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Episode 7: Details that Matter and Details that Don't: A Conversation with Burgess Jenkins about knowing what is important in our preps
18:29
18:29
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Are all the details in our backstories important? Are they all helpful in creating a fully fleshed out character? Do they all make us more connected, more present, more alive? Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group, says no. He has talked in class about the difference between specificity and minutia. I sat down with him and asked him to…
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Episode 6: Retakes and Readers: Burgess Jenkins answers questions about the art of auditioning.
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With over 1000 auditions behind him, Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group, answers four very specific questions about the auditioning process ranging from how many takes you should send to the importance of the reader. Burgess has been in a myriad of projects ranging from arthouse independents to blockbuster films. He is best known fo…
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Episode 5: Dialects, Accents, and the Politics of Speech
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Dialects, Accents, and the Politics of Speech: A conversation with Robin Christian McNair and Kate Udall (Part II) Robin and Kate are both passionate about the need for actors to work on their voices. In this episode our conversation centered around accents and dialects. They talk about how stereotypes and cultural norms/expectations affect how we …
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Episode 4: Voice Matters: A Conversation with Robin Christian McNair and Kate Udall
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Robin and Kate are both passionate about the need for actors to work on their voices. They teach their students that it is an integral part of being free as an actor. Robin states, “Free breath allows for free thought.” Kate believes working on her voice has made her a better actor because, “…it makes me more present, makes me more able to receive …
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Episode 3: Fight for your audition: A conversation with James Patrick Freetly.
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Enjoy my conversation with James (Jim) Patrick Freetly, an actor and instructor at Actors Group studio. Jim talks about his most memorable audition and explains how important it is to “fight for your audition” and to take ownership of the room in the audition space. Jim is best known for his role as Todd in Trouble With the Curve opposite Amy Adams…
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Episode 2: Quit trying so hard to be interesting: A conversation with Burgess Jenkins (Part II)
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Enjoy part II of my conversation with Burgess Jenkins on honesty in your acting. Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group, explains why it is better to be flat and boring as long as you are being honest. He talks about how actors come to class, to auditions, to set with "performance oriented ideas" as a way to be more interesting. What is…
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Episode 1: Quit trying so hard to be interesting: A Conversation with Burgess Jenkins
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Burgess Jenkins, actor and founder of Actors Group, explains why it is better to be flat and boring as long as you are being honest. He talks about how actors come to class, to auditions, to set with "performance oriented ideas" as a way to be more interesting. What is inherently more interesting is you and your honesty. Burgess has been in a myria…
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