HBO’s “The Pacific”, which was cast in Australia by Christine King and Meg Liberman in Los Angeles” stars James Badge Dale, Joe Mazzello and Jon Seda, examines a select group of Marines who make their way through the Pacific Theater, including battles at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

HBO will debut 10-part miniseries “The Pacific” March 14 and air an hourlong episode every Sunday through May 16 in the States.

Technorati Tags:
Australian Actor, Australian Films, Australian Union Actors

TAFTA’s National Actors Intensive in Melbourne

An exhausting, but incredibly rewarding week.
In five days and one evening (58 hours) this intensive course will give you what no other course in Australia can do. You will spend 5 x 4 hr sessions with some of Australia’s most respected currently working Film & TV Producers and Directors.

You will also spend 7 x 4 hr sessions with some of Australia’s best known and respected Casting Directors. You will have the opportunity to perform for all of them and receive an instant evaluation of your work.

You will also spend 4 hrs with Melissa Agnew (Phd), who will conduct a voice evaluation and corrective class. Melissa is one of the best and most qualified voice teachers in Australia. Your work load will be huge with masses of work to prepare. A piece and or scene will have to be learnt for each Producer, Director, Casting Director and Melissa Agnew.
See the sample schedule below!!!

ARE YOU UP TO IT???

DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY….

The Teacher Participants will be chosen from the following:

The Producers:

Bill Hughes (All Saints),
Cameron Welsh (Home & Away)
The Directors: Sam Atwell, Jeffrey Walker, David Cameron, Samantha Lang, Kevin Carlin, Mark Piper, Ian Gilmour, Marcus Cole
The Casting Directors:
Tom McSweeney
Faith Martin (Syd)
Jodie Brearley (Canal Road)
Lou Mitchell (City Homicide)
Alison Telford (ABC)
Greg Apps (Syd – Power Rangers , Knowing – Nicholas Cage etc),
Dave Newman (Christine King Casting)
Tim Littleton (Helen Salter Casting)
Kirsty McGregor
Marianne Jade (Maura Fay – Syd)
Leigh Pickford (Maura Fay – Syd)
Thea McLeod (Fox – Showtime)
Jan Russ, Barbara Leane (Wicked)

Voice: Dr Melissa Agnew

DATE: Wednesday 13th January to Monday (incl) 18th January 2009
Location: TAFTA – 430 Waverley Road, East Malvern

Call : 03 9702 5702 or email : tafta@westnet.com.au

TYPICAL NAI SCHEDULE

DAY 1: Orientation Session : 6.30pm to 10.30pm John Orcsik

DAY 2: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm, (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 3: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm, (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 4: 3sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6pm. (dinner)7pm – 11pm

DAY 5: 2sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6.00pm

DAY 6: 2sessions 9am – 1pm(lunch), 2pm – 6.00pm

TESTIMONIALS

“What a wonderful course that was! I’m very glad I came. Thank you for running it. Do let me know of anything you run in Auckland. I’d definitely be interested. – Rebecca Leys – Auckland. NZ

“The course overall was “one out of the box”. Never before have I experienced one like that. Very Very Good” – Melinda Macdonald – Auckland. NZ.

“I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you from the depths of my heart and soul for providing me the experience of the national intensive. I feel myself tearing up just thinking about it because of how special it was to me, as an actor and as a person and as a human being. It was the greatest experience of my life and this completed me. Acting has been the one truth in my life and to be able to do that every day and night for five days with SUCH AN AMAZING group of people, my God, were these people meant to be together this group! It was a whole different life i led for those five days and i haven’t even begun to think of the actual people we saw!!! How much I’ve learnt! “ – Cate Commisso – Melb

“Hey there John, have to tell you that the Intensive for me was life changing!!!!!I have learnt so much. Can’t thank you enough for organizing this week” – Belinda Divito – Melbourne. Aus.

“Another big thank you from me for last week. I had high expectations for the week and the outcome far exceeded my hopes. I learn’t a lot about myself and my acting and most importantly what I need to do to improve” – Kim Stark – Melbourne Aus.

“Hey John, just a quick email to thank you again for bringing such an inspirational course to Sydney. We packed so much into those five days that my head is still spinning” – Alix Armstrong – Sydney. Aus

“That course was a really inspiring, intensive trip on many levels. I learnt something from everyone. It was great to have such fantastic people informing us about the industry from the inside out” – Natalie Marsland – Sydney. Aus.

“ John I would like to thank you so much for what you created over the last five days. I feel inspired and confident in where I am heading.
It was really one of the highlights of my acting career so far” – Mark Ure – Sydney.Aus.

“As I have been extremely fortunate to be a full time “working” actor
For the past seven or eight months, I found this course to be “expanding” for me. To see directors at work other than those I worked with, to meet casting Directors, other than those I’d already met, was a real experience I wouldn’t have dreamed of” – Osama Sami – Melbourne Aus.

Thanks so much for putting the NAI together. It was not only educational, but also one hell of a ride. I learned much more than I thought I would and came away knowing it was one of the best things I ever have done to further my acting career. – Juanita Grayson – Brisbane Qld

Did fearless Los Angeles casting director Debi Manwiller (partner of Pagano/Manwiller) of “24″, 2 time Emmy winner and mother of 3 think she was Jack Bauer? After arriving in Sydney at 7:00am last Friday, she was on top of the Harbour Bridge by noon!

And this was just the start of her Sydney expedition! Saturday, in North Sydney she conducted a question and answer seminar for close to 150 Sydney actors and in the afternoon lead a master class for some of Australia’s finest.

Bet Jack Bauer could not do that after a 15 hour flight form Los Angeles.

Technorati Tags:
Casting Director, Jack bauer, “24″

One hundred plus actors and Queensland talent agents and casting directors converged at Bond University in Robina, Australia tonight to meet and hear two time Emmy Award winning casting Director Debi Manwiller speak about casting the Hit TV series “24” and about the casting process in Los Aneles.

Special guests that showed up included Lee Donehue from the popular industry newsletter “Quiet on Set“, former American Casting director Tom McSweeney who has been casting the past 12 years in Australia and John Stewart from TAFTA in the Gold Coast,TVI’s Alan S Nusbaum moderated the event this evening.

Technorati Tags:
Acting Schools, australia acting schools, australian actors, australian actresses, New Tag

One hundred plus actors and Queensland talent agents and casting directors converged at Bond University in Robina, Australia tonight to meet and hear two time Emmy Award winning casting Director Debi Manwiller speak about casting the Hit TV series “24” and about the casting process in Los Aneles.

Special guests that showed up included Lee Donehue from the popular industry newsletter “Quiet on Set“, former American Casting director Tom McSweeney who has been casting the past 12 years in Australia and John Stewart from TAFTA in the Gold Coast,TVI’s Alan S Nusbaum moderated the event this evening.

Technorati Tags:
Acting Schools, australia acting schools, australian actors, australian actresses, New Tag

One hundred plus actor sand Queensland talent agents and casting directors converged at Bond University in Robina, Australia tonight to meet and hear two time Emmy Award winning casting Director Debi Manwiller speak about casting the Hit TV series “24” and about the casting process in Los Aneles.

Special guests that showed up included Lee Donehue from the popular industry newsletter “Quiet on Set“, former American Casting director Tom McSweeney who has been casting the past 12 years in Australia and John Stewart from TAFTA in the Gold Coast,TVI’s Alan S Nusbaum moderated the event this evening.

Technorati Tags:
Acting Schools, australia acting schools, australian actors, australian actresses, New Tag

The Australian Film and Television Academy (TAFTA), who launched their Sydney Studio just this year, has created an exciting five day Intensive Screen acting course for teenagers!

The workshop is comprised of specifically designed lessons for teens on the acting craft for screen, as well as an opportunity in the form of screentest/audition techniques with some of Australia’s best known Casting Directors, Film and Television Directors.

This jam packed 40 hour week will be a rewarding, exhausting and fun-filled workshop!

Teachers include, Actor/Director, John Orcsik, together with Casting Directors, Peter Rasmussen (Maura Fay Casting – Neighbours), Marianne Jade (Packed to the Rafters),
Tim Littleton (Rescue), Thea McLeod (McLeod Casting – Fox), Alison Telford (ABC – National Casting Dir) and Directors, Mark Piper (All Saints) and Sam Atwell (Home & Away) and Producer Samantha Strauss (ABC).

There has never been a Teen Intensive like this in Sydney and TAFTA will be offering only two intakes per year.

Course Date: Wed 7th to Sun 11th October 2009
Times: 9.00am to 6.00pm
Venue: TAFTA, 10A Northcote St, St Leonards
Call: 03 9702 5702
Email: tafta@westnet.com.au

As an Australian actor interested in considering the legal work opportunities in the States, this new book by renown casting director James Calleri and one of America’a formost professors in Theatre, Robert Cohen have created a book that should be read by every actor no matter where they seek a career.

“Acting Professionally” Raw Facts about Careers in Acting offers practical information on how to enter the show business as an actor, and is now completely updated, It supplies key factual material from how the business is run to preparing your resume, and deals with career opportunities from Hollywood to voiceovers. Authors are Robert Cohen and James Calleri.

This is an essential handbook for anyone interested in a career in acting. No matter if you are in the US, UK, Australia, the EU or any other market where a person can have a career as an actor this new book should be on top of your list.

Technorati Tags:
actorpreneur tips, New York Casting Director, TV Auditions, TV Casting Directors, Yale School of the Arts, ROBERT COHEN, James Calleri

There are so many ways actors seek casting directors contact information. Probably the most effective and free site is the Casting Directors of America, CSA web site. While not every working casting director is a member, the majority are.

And this does not mean that the Casting Directors that are not members are illegitimate as many of the world’s most respected casting directors have not joined for one reason or another. But it’s a great resource to use.

So if you are seeking casting directors contact information look here.

Technorati Tags:
Casting Director, Casting directory listings

After the wonderful celebration of the Tom McSweeney Productions launch TAFTA’S John Orcsik and John Stewart joined head of TVI Actors Studio Alan Nusbaum in a boys night out, to support their dear friend’s production of Isn’t it Romantic? The Songs of Rodgers & Hart at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC.

Directed by Tom McSweeney the intimate cabaret starring Rachel Dunham, Adam King, Venessa Moore, Graham Moore and Musically Directed by Shanon Whitelock…

celebrates the legendary song-writing partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. From the dazzling and playful, to the wistful and melancholy, the lyrics and melodies of Rodgers and Hart are still amongst the most beloved in the cabaret and jazz world today.

Early in McSweeney’s career he was the Director of the Children’s Theatre department at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. In addition to his success as a top Casting Director here and in the United States he continues teaching acting and audition technique across Australia and it is his unwavering passion for actors that drives him to succeed.

We will keep you updated on Tom McSweeney Productions and look forward to his next Musical Theatre installment!