Casting Calls at Actorfest NY 2010, October 2, 2010

At Actorfest NYC will be the following Casting Opportunities: — Nickelodeon casting call — Grant Wilfley Casting casting call — NBC casting call — Telemundo casting call

NICKELODEON

Want to be the next Nickelodeon Star?  Nickelodeon is holding a General Open Casting Call for various projects.

There Is No Guarantee That Everyone Will Be Seen; Early Attendance Is Strongly Recommended.

What: Nickelodeon casting is seeking talent ages 13 to 20 years only. Boys & Girls, of all ethnicities.

When:
Saturday Oct. 2, 2010
Check-In is 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. only.

Those arriving after 10:00am will not be seen.

Audition time may be after 10:00am. Audition wait time may be several hours.

Where:
Manhattan Center Studios, The Hammerstein Ballroom (34th St., between. 8th & 9th Avenues.), NYC

*** All talent under 18 years MUST be accompanied by an adult.***

What To Prepare:
—  Audition materials will be given on site.
—  You must bring a picture (snapshot ok) & résumé, stapled together; must include contact info.

What To Wear:
—  Dress casual

What To Expect:
—  Depending on your place in line, you may be asked to come back at a later time; a time will be assigned to you.
—  The audition itself should not last longer than 1 – 2 minutes.
—  A limited number of people will be notified at their audition that they have a callback – if you do not receive a callback this does not mean you are “out”. We may callback talent who are right for “current” projects.

Important Info:
—  There is no guarantee that everyone will be seen; early attendance is strongly recommended.
—  Age range is 13 to 20 years. **All talent must play Middle School through High School age only.
—  General admission to Actorfest is free.
—  There is no guarantee of being cast or called back.
—  Headshots may be kept on file for possible future casting.
—  We are not accepting any DVD’s, CD’s or Demo Tapes. Items left may be discarded.
—  You may be waiting outside. Be prepared for various weather conditions.
—  Auditioner must be present at time of check-in (no “place-holders” or guardians without their child will be permitted to check-in).

GRANT WILFLEY CASTING

Grant Wilfley Casting (GWC) is casting background for a number of current and future feature film and television projects, including director David Gordon Green’s “The Sitter” (starring Johan Hill), director Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Men In Black 3” (starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Jemaine Clement), writer-director David Koepp’s “Premium Rush” (starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the USA Network TV series “Royal Pains,” and the Onion News Network series.

GWC’s casting credits include: HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street 2,” the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire,” “Sex & The City: The Movie,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Departed,” “Michael Clayton,” “Enchanted,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” “Burn After Reading,” “Shutter Island,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Julie & Julia,” “Old Dogs,” and “The Sopranos.”

Seeking:
— Background Actors: males and females, all ages, all ethnicities, all types, for background acting work and possibly featured/day-player roles.

When:
Auditions will be held Saturday, Oct. 2
from 9:30 a.m.-12;30 p.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Where:
— At Manhattan Center Studios, The Hammerstein Ballroom, 34th St. (btwn. Eighth & Ninth aves.), NYC.

What to Prepare:
— Come prepared with multiple copies of your pix & résumés (stapled together).

What to Expect:
— The following casting personnel are expected to attend: Allison Hall, casting associate; Sara Wilfley, casting associate; Jolanda Anthony, casting assistant.
— Sign up for an audition time slot as early in the day as possible after arriving at Actorfest.
— There is no guarantee that everyone will be seen; early attendance is strongly recommended.

Important Info:
— Attending the casting call is free; however, you must register to attend Actorfest in order to access the auditions.
— To register for Actorfest, visit Actorfest.com; general admission to Actorfest is free and includes free access to the casting calls.
— Please be advised that no actor is guaranteed a role in a future production.
— Shooting dates and locations will vary, depending on the project.
— Pay and union status may vary depending upon the project.
— For more info about Grant Wilfley Casting, visit www.gwcnyc.com.

NBC and TELEMUNDO

NBC and Telemundo will be holding auditions designed to add diversity to their expanding talent pool.

There Is No Guarantee That Everyone Will Be Seen; Early Attendance Is Strongly Recommended.

What:
NBC is seeking union talent (SAG or AFTRA members only); Males and Females, who can play ages 18 to 45; all ethnicities. Bring a current SAG or AFTRA card in order to sign up for the NBC auditions.

Telemundo is seeking Bilingual and Spanish-Speaking actors; Males and Females, all ages; union and non-union talent welcome.

When:
Saturday Oct. 2, 2010
Starting at 10:00 a.m. and continuing until 1:30 p.m. Callbacks will be held in the afternoon. Audition wait time may be several hours.

Where:
Manhattan Center Studios, The Hammerstein Ballroom (34th St., between. 8th & 9th Avenues.), NYC

*** All talent under 18 years MUST be accompanied by an adult.***

What To Prepare:
—  Bring multiple copies of your picture & résumé, stapled together; must include contact info.
—  If you are called back, you will be given a scene to prepare and read.

What To Wear:
—  Dress casual

What To Expect:
—  Audition time slots will be given out upon sign up. If you miss your time slot you will not be seen.
—  The audition itself should not last longer than 1 – 2 minutes.
—  A limited number of people will be notified at their audition that they have a callback.

Important Info:
—  There is no guarantee that everyone will be seen; early attendance is strongly recommended.
—  Sign up for an audition time slot as early in the day as possible after arriving at Actorfest.
—  General admission to Actorfest is free.
—  There is no guarantee of being cast or called back.
—  Headshots may be kept on file for possible future casting.
—  We are not accepting any DVD’s, CD’s or Demo Tapes. Items left may be discarded.
—  Please be advised that no actor is guaranteed a role in a future production.

LINKS TO REGISTER

— Nickelodeon casting call
— Grant Wilfley Casting casting call
— NBC casting call
— Telemundo casting call
— Casting Director Meet & Drops
— Pix & Resume Drop Boxes
CASTING DIRECTOR MEET & DROPS

The Meet & Drops at Actorfest provide you with the opportunity to have a 1-2 minute one-on-one meeting with a well-know casting director, and drop off a copy of your headshot and resume. This is a great opportunity to meet a knowledgeable casting director, ask questions you have been eager to know answers to, and get critical feedback on your pix & résumé presentation. Meet & Drop sessions are only available to attendees who have purchased one or multiple Actorfest workshops. When you purchase a workshop you will be given a pass to attend a Meet & Drop for FREE.

The following casting directors are expected at the Meet & Drop sessions at Actorfest NY:

Anthony Pichette, Casting Director, Kipperman Casting
Anthony Pichette is a casting director at one of New York’s premier commercial casting offices, Kipperman Casting. Prior to his position there, he worked in the commercial department of Paradigm, a bicoastal talent agency.

Anthony concentrates on all types of commercial work, from on-camera to voiceovers and industrials. He has cast many large commercial campaigns seen daily on national television, including Coke, Capri Sun, Kraft Singles, MTV2 (Rock Band), Nintendo Wii, Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, Six Flags, and many more.

His office also supports the in-house casting departments at networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon (“Blue’s Clues”), Syfy, Food Network, and Spike, for various projects. For more information, go to his website at www.actorsu.com.

Barbara McNamara, Casting Director, Barbara McNamara Casting
Barbara McNamara is president of Barbara McNamara Casting, LLC, based in Manhattan. She and her team cast thousands of actors for background and principal roles every year in many successful television shows, movies, and commercials all around the world.

Her list of credits includes movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Duplicity,” television shows including “30 Rock” and “Rescue Me,” and commercials for clients including Dolce & Gabbana and Nokia. Barbara’s previous experience includes background casting for Seasons 5 and 6 of “Sex and the City” and serving as the producer and director of programming for “Wedding Spectacular.”

Holding several degrees in fashion and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, Barbara has also directed and produced high-end fashion shows and has done wardrobe styling for well-known advertising campaigns.

Barry Shapiro, Casting Director, Herman & Lipson Casting
Barry Shapiro is co-owner of Herman & Lipson Casting. He has been with Herman & Lipson for more than 29 years, casting over 7,500 commercials for such products as L’Oréal, ESPN, Advil, Verizon, and many other top accounts. He casts for commercials all around the world and also casts for film, television, and theater.

This past summer, he cast the play “Facespace,” which was performed at the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Prior to being a casting director, Barry managed a rehearsal studio for Broadway shows and also was a producer for a top fashion commercial director working with every top model in the industry.

Barry also keeps busy on the weekends, traveling around the country conducting acting workshops and attending model/talent conventions. In New York, Barry teaches commercial technique classes and also directs comedy showcases.

Dave Clemmons, Casting Director, Dave Clemmons Casting
Dave Clemmons Casting has most recently cast the Broadway production of “Driving Miss Daisy,” starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave; the new Frank Wildhorn musical, “Wonderland”; and the new national tours of “101 Dalmatians,” “Legally Blonde,” and “The Wizard of Oz.” The company is also in developmental casting for “Grumpy Old Men: The Musical.”

Dave Clemmons Casting has cast such Broadway shows as “Ring of Fire,” “In My Life,” “The Boy From Oz,” “Dracula,” “The Civil War,” “Brooklyn,” and “Cinderella,” starring Eartha Kitt and Jamie-Lynn Sigler; Off-Broadway shows including “Bare,” “Bat Boy,” “Dear Edwina,” “Altar Boyz,” “Zanna, Don’t!,” and the 2000 revival of “Godspell”; and the national tours of “Cinderella,” “Evita,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Cats,” “Fosse,” “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Chicago,” “Joseph,” “Saturday Night Fever,” and “Movin’ Out.” Dave is also casting director and artistic associate for Flat Rock Playhouse.

He began his career as a performer, with roles in the Broadway productions of “Les Misérables” (Valjean), “The Civil War,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” and “Jekyll & Hyde,” as well as “Whistle Down the Wind.” He has worked as a music/vocal director or supervisor on “The Civil War,” national tours of “Jekyll & Hyde” and “The Civil War,” and “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Tony Award–winning Alley Theatre; vocal director/arranger on “The Civil War” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.; and casting director/vocal director/arranger for the Presidential Gala performance of “The Civil War” at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., starring Trisha Yearwood, Clay Aiken, Larry Gatlin, and Hal Holbrook.

Dave is an in-demand teacher and lecturer, having taught at many major music-theater training programs throughout the country. He is a visiting professor at the Elon University musical theater program and is a permanent faculty member of the Broadway Theatre Project, founded by Ann Reinking.

David Bellantoni, Casting Director at Beth Melsky Casting, Writer, and Director
David Bellantoni began casting in Los Angeles in 1994 and moved to New York to continue his work in the business in 2005. During this time, he worked on a wide variety of projects, such as national network commercials, feature films, industrials, music videos, PSAs, webisodes, and voiceovers for both TV and radio spots.

Some of the directors he works with include David Fincher, Tony Scott, Peter Berg, John Singleton, Doug Liman, Phil Morrison, and Errol Morris. Currently, David is a casting director with one of the busiest companies in New York, Beth Melsky Casting.

Several of David’s stage plays have been produced in Los Angeles and New York, including “Frank’s Lot,” adapted from his novella, at the Haunted Cabaret Theater in Hollywood, and “Headmaster” at the Ohio Theatre in New York. He also produced and directed three of his plays, “Laundry,” “Sprout,” and “Foreplay,” at the 2100 Square Feet Theater in Los Angeles.

In 2009, David moved his show “Foreplay” to New York, where it was nominated by the Network One Act Festival for best writer, best director, and best show and won for best actor. In 2010, he wrote and directed “Birthday Duet,” which was performed at the Cell Theatre and later made it to the semifinal round at this year’s Network One Act Festival. David also co-wrote, produced, and directed a short film titled “The Matchstick Man,” which was honored by the Directors Guild of America as one of the best short films of 2005.

Originally from New York City, David has an M.A. from the George Washington University and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Long Ridge Writers Group.

David Vaccari, Casting Director, Telsey & Company
David Vaccari casts movies, TV, commercials, plays, and musicals at Telsey & Company. Most-recent film projects include “Howl,” with James Franco; “Jonah Hex,” with Josh Brolin; Horton Foote’s “Main Street,” with Orlando Bloom; Gus Van Sant’s “Restless”; “Cloud 8” by Andrew Peterson; and “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” by Peter Hedges. Previous films include “Rachel Getting Married,” Gus Van Sant’s “Paranoid Park,” Helen Hunt’s “Then She Found Me,” “Across the Universe,” “Ira and Abby,” “Rent,” “Pieces of April,” “The Bone Collector,” “Keane,” and “Finding Forrester.”

TV includes “Whoopi” on NBC; “Undefeated” for HBO, with John Leguizamo; “Hope Against Hope” for J.J. Abrams; and series casting for “The Gamekillers” on MTV. His work on musicals includes the casting of “Rent,” “The Capeman,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me,” “Hairspray,” and “In the Heights.”

Plays include “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “The Cryptogram” by David Mamet and “A Second Hand Memory” and “Writer’s Block” by Woody Allen. Recent commercials include Nike for Chris Guest, GEICO for Frank Todaro, “New York Lottery Fat Wallet” for Steve Miller, “Apple—Mac vs. PC” for Phil Morrison, and “Bing—Easy Rider” for Speck & Gordon.

As a producer, David continues to work on his first feature, “Poundcake,” starring Kathleen Quinlan and Jay O. Sanders. It premiered at AFI and won an honorable mention as best feature film at the 40th annual Nashville Film Festival. It also won best screenplay and the audience award at the 18th annual Florida Film Festival.

Jandiz Estrada, Casting Director
Jandiz Estrada casts film, TV, theater, commercials, and music videos and has worked at top casting offices, movie studios, and networks in NYC and L.A. She’s also an active member of New York Women in Film and Television.

Casting associate credits include “Green Zone,” starring Matt Damon; Spyglass’ “The Vow,” with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum; “Vamps,” starring Alicia Silverstone and Sigourney Weaver; and AMC’s pilot “Hell on Wheels.”

Jodi Collins, Casting Director/Producer, ATJ Entertainment
Jodi Collins, casting director, is especially well known to the world of comedy, where her work has served every medium from indie feature film and shorts to animation, improvised sketch, webisodes, and scripted TV for the top broadcast networks. A portal for emerging and established talent, she scouts and casts newly discovered performers.

Her sensibility has a downtown flavor—with edge yet commercial. Her discoveries often come in the form of writer, writer-director, performing artist, or all of the above, a.k.a. “hyphenates.” Her passion project, the downtown industry screenplay/pilot reading series Creative Control, has continued for the past five years, and she has just opened ATJ Entertainment Group, a production and management company.

Current projects include “The Virginity Hit,” written and directed by Andrew Gurland and Huck Botko, produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Owen Burke; “The Last Exorcism” (preliminary casting), written by Andrew Gurland and Huck Botko; and “My Life in Turnaround II,” written and directed by Eric Schaeffer and Donal Lardner Ward. Her favorite projects include “Strangers With Candy,” “Viva Variety,” “The Chris Rock Show,” “Sherri,” and “Delocated.”

Liz Ortiz-Mackes, Casting Director, Film Producer, Teacher, and Owner of Casting Solutions in NYC
Liz Ortiz-Mackes has worked behind the scenes in the entertainment field since 1990. As the owner of Casting Solutions in New York City, Liz is an avid supporter of diversity in casting. She has been a SAG and Equity franchised talent agent on both coasts, Director of Special Events at the Dramatists Guild and Director of Artists Files On-Line at the Non-Traditional Casting Project.

In addition to casting, Liz has branched out into producing with Casting Solution’s newest division, I Ain’t Playin Films where she is involved with several film projects in production and development. Liz is the author of the highly acclaimed book “Ace Your Acting Audition” published by S.O.M.E. productions. She is on the faculty of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, conducts monthly workshops for the Screen Actors Guild Foundation and is a guest instructor at the New York Film Academy.

Liz enjoys giving seminars based on her book around the country and overseas. She is represented by the Dublin office of Creative Artists Management. For more info, visitwww.imdb.com/name/nm1709910/ and www.castingsolutions.tv.

Mark Saks, Casting Director
Mark Saks’ casting credits for television (pilots and episodic) include “The Good Wife” (CBS), “Dirt” (FX), “Medium” (NBC/CBS), “Numb3rs” (CBS), “Related” (WB), “Tarzan” (WB), “Hack” (CBS), “Welcome to New York” (CBS), “The District” (CBS), “Trinity” (NBC), “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (ABC), “The Drew Carey Show” (ABC), “Suddenly Susan” (NBC), “The George Carlin Show” (Fox), and many others.

He has cast such long-form television projects as “The Wrong Man” (USA), “Murder in Greenwich” (USA), “Raising Waylon” (CBS), “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (CBS), “Blackout” (CBS), “Where Are My Children?” (ABC), and “Child in the Night” (CBS). Film casting includes “Defending Your Life,” with Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep, and “Went to Coney Island on a Mission From God…Be Back by 5,” with Jon Cryer.

He has also cast for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and such regional theaters as Arena Stage, the Huntington Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. He is a multiple Artios Award nominee and was nominated this year for an Emmy Award for his work on “The Good Wife.”

Mark has held several executive positions including director of casting for Warner Bros. Television (East and West Coast); vice president, talent and casting, for CBS Productions; and senior vice president, talent and casting, for Sony Pictures Television.

Paul Russell, Casting Director, Paul Russell Casting
Paul Russell, casting director, director, and author of “Acting: Make It Your Business—How to Avoid Mistakes and Achieve Success as a Working Actor” (Random House/Back Stage Books) has nearly 30 years’ experience in entertainment, including film, TV, and Broadway.

He began his career journey as a successful working actor. As an independent casting director, he has cast for major studios, including 20th Century Fox, HBO, and Warner Bros., plus New York and regional theater. As an SDC director, Russell has directed at Tony Award–winning LORT theaters and Off-Broadway productions.

In addition, Russell is presently a guest faculty member for the NYU Tisch theater arts program at the Atlantic Theater Company, teaching audition technique and the business of acting. He has also been invited as a guest lecturer to prominent performing-arts schools, including Yale, Elon, Temple University, the University of the Arts, James Madison University, and Northeastern University. Russell has been featured in the Back Stage advice column Casting Cues. www.paulrussell.net.


PIX & RESUME DROP BOXES

Lots of casting directors will have drop boxes set up at Actorfest that you can use to drop off your pix & résumés for FREE. Back Stage will make sure that the boxes are shipped directly to the casting directors’ offices so they’ll have a chance to see your info. So make sure to bring multiple copies of your headshots and resumes (stapled together) to Actorfest. And make sure to drop off your pix & résumés in the boxes early, because the boxes will be promptly packed up before the end of the day.