Castability: The Podcast

Castability: The Podcast

The Castability App

Giving every actor everywhere a fair path to discovering their potential.

205. Falling in love with Self Tapes with Michelle Merring

205. Falling in love with Self Tapes with Michelle Merring

Michelle Merring, actress and Castability user, shares with us how she went from resenting self tape requests, getting so in her head that she struggled to even turn them in, to finding true confidence and joy in front of the camera. Through consistent self tape practice, she details exactly how she shifted her mindset and fell in love with self tapes, attracting more auditions and callbacks along the way. Michelle is the winner of our Self Tape May challenge last year after she completed over 1

Dec 20, 2024 • 43:43

204. Artists as Entrepreneurs with Joshua Morgan and Mike Labbadia of Artist’s Strategy and “Creative risk” Podcast

204. Artists as Entrepreneurs with Joshua Morgan and Mike Labbadia of Artist’s Strategy and “Creative risk” Podcast

Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA sits down with her friends Joshua Morgan and Mike Labbadia of Artist's Strategy. Joshua founded Artist's Strategy with the mission of helping artists make art for the rest of their lives. Joshua and Mike (hosts of the "Creative Risk" podcast) share with us why applying business principles to building a creative career is the key to longevity and success. Join us as we discuss what it takes to build a creative business and all the pitfalls along the way.

Jun 7, 2024 • 55:13

Episode 203. Hakam Shalabi on How to conquer Self Tape May!

Episode 203. Hakam Shalabi on How to conquer Self Tape May!

Today we chat with Castability member and last year's Castability Self Tape May winner, Hakam Shalabi. Hakam has submitted on Castability since the app began and has gotten to see his work transform over time. Guided by our partners at The Bridge for Acting's Practice Track, Hakam tracked his practice by showing up consistently and gathering data on his craft and materials. Casting scored him high in "The Rebel" archetype and those rebel inspired headshots got him his first Net

May 3, 2024 • 25:39

202. Getting in the Right Mindset (Re-release)

202. Getting in the Right Mindset (Re-release)

Joe Towne is a Los Angeles based performer, award-winning writer, director, and teacher. He is also the CEO of The Performer's Mindset and the creator/host of The Better Podcast. For 20 years, he's coached business professionals, athletes, and actors – some of whom are selling that product you just bought or starring in that movie you Netflixed last night. As an actor, Joe has worked with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hillary Swank, Rebel Wilson, and he most recently starred as the lead in The A

Mar 9, 2024 • 42:35

201. Time to Show Up!

201. Time to Show Up!

As Castability gears up for the next Show Up Challenge starting January 15th 2024, we hear from members who completed the challenge last year and they share how they transformed as actors during the process. Easier time picking takes, faster memorization, and so much more. Amanda Lenker Doyle answers important Q and A's on how to stand out (in a good way!) and the rarely discussed process of casting before they ever call in actors. Welcome to season two of Castability, the podcast! — This S

Jan 5, 2024 • 59:17

121. Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington, CSA, on Casting Comedy, Sketch, and CollegeHumor

121. Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington, CSA, on Casting Comedy, Sketch, and CollegeHumor

Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington is an experienced Casting Director who has worked on character-driven projects for network television, premium cable, streamers, and festivals. She has a knack for identifying future superstars and has cast videos with household names that have been viewed billions of times. Her work has been featured at Sundance, SXSW, TriBeCa, and Cannes. Her primary focus is on great storytelling. She is an artist at heart who brings world-class expertise with a side of comedy to he

Jun 30, 2023 • 49:59

120. Acting Coach Actress Megan Channell on Spontaneity, Emotional Intelligence, and Self-Reflection as Actors

120. Acting Coach Actress Megan Channell on Spontaneity, Emotional Intelligence, and Self-Reflection as Actors

Megan Channell is an acting coach, actress, director, and producer who has appeared in some of your favorite shows and films. She portrays Rachel in "Bull" (CBS), played the recurring role of Katarina Löw in "Hunters" (Amazon) alongside Al Pacino, and most recently shot the pilot "Getaway" for NBC. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Megan sits down with Taylor to discuss some of her favorite acting tips, stories, and words of encouragement for anyone out there who may be

Jun 23, 2023 • 53:13

119. Alexandra Wright on Getting an MFA, Archetype Script Analysis, and Branding for Actors

119. Alexandra Wright on Getting an MFA, Archetype Script Analysis, and Branding for Actors

Alexandra Wright is the founder of The Delta Acting Community. She holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California and an M.F.A. from the American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. She has performed and studied worldwide, including Paris, London, Moscow, and Scotland. She specializes in teaching Voice, Shakespeare, Emotional Theory, and On Camera Technique at UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Azusa Pacific, the American Academy of D

Jun 16, 2023 • 50:51

118. M.O.D.O.K., American Dad, and Community Writer/Producer Jordan Blum on Pursuing Your Passions

118. M.O.D.O.K., American Dad, and Community Writer/Producer Jordan Blum on Pursuing Your Passions

Jordan Blum is a prolific writer and producer who has worked on some of your favorite shows and comic books. Jordan has written and produced over 118 episodes of "American Dad!" and recently wrapped showrunning  "M.O.D.O.K." - a series he co-created with Patton Oswalt. He also has his own comic book series with Patton called "Minor Threats". In this episode, he sits down with Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA, to discuss his journey in the industry, the impact of AI and medi

Jun 9, 2023 • 58:54

117. Making Your Own Work in Times of Strike with a Filmmaker's Coach Izzy Stevens

117. Making Your Own Work in Times of Strike with a Filmmaker's Coach Izzy Stevens

Izzy Stevens is an actor, producer, director, coach, and CEO of Indie Spunk. Originally from Sydney, Australia,Izzy is a creative person's creative person. As a filmmaker's coach, Izzy enjoys collaborating with others and helping them find creative fulfillment. You may be familiar with her work on projects such as Occupation, Occupation: Rainfall, Sea Form, Leap, and Puberty Blues, all of which have received critical acclaim. In this episode, Izzy discusses how to balance creative passio

Jun 2, 2023 • 56:19

116. The Art of Authentic Storytelling: A Conversation with Film Editor and VFX Artist Spencer Houck

116. The Art of Authentic Storytelling: A Conversation with Film Editor and VFX Artist Spencer Houck

Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA, sits down to interview editor and VFX artist Spencer Houck. You may know his work from Cobra Kai, Pitch Perfect, Bumper in Berlin, Community, Super Troopers 2, HAPPILY, and Silent Retreat. Spencer focuses on the importance of various editing aspects such as continuity, non-verbal communication, and the use of actors' eyes. He also highlights the importance of non-verbal communication in creating authentic and truthful stories, specifically mentioning the role of an

May 26, 2023 • 58:23

115. Deliberate Practice: The Key to Improving Your Acting Skills

115. Deliberate Practice: The Key to Improving Your Acting Skills

In this episode, Head of Actor Relations explains the concept of deliberate practice and how it can be applied to acting. Deliberate practice involves setting goals, identifying areas of improvement, and actively seeking feedback to continuously improve in your craft. It is a key tool in stepping outside of your comfort zone, becoming unafraid of failure, and surrounding yourself with a community you can be motivated from and learn with. Taylor also explains how deliberate practice, not natural

May 19, 2023 • 19:24

114: Inside the Castability Writers Room with Thomas Ireton and Jen O'Malley

114: Inside the Castability Writers Room with Thomas Ireton and Jen O'Malley

Gabriella Tranchina, Castability's long-time Operations Coordinator, gets reacquainted with two of the original writers from our Castability Writers Room after surviving a devastating accident in Los Angeles. In this episode writers Thomas Ireton and Jenn O'Malley discuss what writing our sample scripts are like and how they feel watching their work come to life in the Winner's Gallery and on Instagram. Get to know some of the voices behind the app as we celebrate our writers and div

May 12, 2023 • 35:06

113: Best Practices & Pathways For Using the Castability App and Our Top Three FAQ

113: Best Practices & Pathways For Using the Castability App and Our Top Three FAQ

New to Castability and not sure where to start? This episode is for you. The Castability app is a data app, a self tape practice community, as well as marketing tool for actors. With many the facets of the app, you may not know where to start first. Join us as the Castability staff walks you through different pathways on how to get the most out of your membership and frequently asked questions! — How to Use Castability — Why Castability was Created — Deliberate Practice — Honing Skills — Growin

May 5, 2023 • 24:14

112: "The Artist Whisperer" KJ Rose on the Victory Mindset, Being Authentically You, and Overcoming Stage Fright

112: "The Artist Whisperer" KJ Rose on the Victory Mindset, Being Authentically You, and Overcoming Stage Fright

In this episode, Amanda sits down with special guest and co-host Jessica Sherman, CSA, to interview KJ Rose, who blew them both away during her time onstage with Misty Copeland at the Sundance Film Festival. KJ Rose is a performance coach who specializes with helping musicians conquer their nerves to deliver the performance of a lifetime. She helped Lil Nas X with his Grammy dance routine, and aims to unlock that same confidence in all the artists she works with. Before becoming a performance co

Apr 28, 2023 • 47:58

111: Everything Self Tape May + Leveling Up Your Career with Audrey Moore of the Audrey Helps Actors Podcast

111: Everything Self Tape May + Leveling Up Your Career with Audrey Moore of the Audrey Helps Actors Podcast

Audrey Moore is an accomplished actor, host of the hit Audrey Helps Actors Podcast, and creator of Self Tape May. In this episode we discuss unique ways to approach this year's Self Tape May, how Audrey developed her own self tape practice, and what she does currently to maintain her progress and continue to grow. You are not going to want to miss this episode if you are looking to up level your tapes this May! — What Started Self Tape May — The Value of a Self Tape Practice — Why People D

Apr 21, 2023 • 1:03:12

110: The State of the Union with Nawal Bengholam (Part Two) — Question & Answer

110: The State of the Union with Nawal Bengholam (Part Two) — Question & Answer

In Part Two of this State of the Union, Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA, continues her conversation with Nawal Bengholam to discuss the recent divide caused by self tapes within the entertainment industry. After polling the Castability community on questions that they had regarding self tapes, Amanda and Nawal answer questions and give their opinions. From requiring readers for a self tape, to losing a sense of community after not being in the room, to whether or not Casting Directors watch every tape

Apr 14, 2023 • 49:05

109: The State of the Union with Nawal Bengholam (Part One) — Craft, Business Acumen, and Mindset

109: The State of the Union with Nawal Bengholam (Part One) — Craft, Business Acumen, and Mindset

In Part One of this State of the Union, Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA, is joined by Nawal Bengholam to discuss the recent divide caused by self tapes within the entertainment industry. Amanda first discovered Nawal on social media, where Nawal's initial thoughts on the controversy made Amanda want to sit down with her and discuss the situation in full. The two have an open, honest, heart-to-heart about the industry and self tapes. In Part One of this Two-Part episode, — Understanding One Anothe

Apr 14, 2023 • 44:03

108: The New Triple Threat's Alyshia Ochse and Anna LaMadrid on Self Tapes, Being "Director-Proof", and the Validation Loop

108: The New Triple Threat's Alyshia Ochse and Anna LaMadrid on Self Tapes, Being "Director-Proof", and the Validation Loop

Anna LaMadrid and Alyshia Ochse are both working actors, creators of Put Me On Self Tape and The New Triple Threat, and are master coaches for actors everywhere. You may have seen Anna from her time on Hulu's This Fool or HBO's The Rehearsal, while Alyshia can be seen as Lucy on HBO's True Detective with Matthew McConaughey and on Quibi's #FREERAYSHAWN with Laurence Fishburne. Dedicated to actors everywhere, Anna and Alyshia are a dream team and hope to empower actors through tec

Apr 7, 2023 • 1:04:25

107: Cast Away Cancer Winner + Castability Power User, Amy Zubieta, on Parenting While You Self Tape!

107: Cast Away Cancer Winner + Castability Power User, Amy Zubieta, on Parenting While You Self Tape!

With over 100 tapes submitted on the Castability App, Amy is always at the top of the Castability List. She recently won a Cast Away Cancer challenge, and joins the Castability Staff to discuss balancing parenting a teenager while self-taping, how self-taping has enhanced her awareness of what she looks like on camera, and transitioning from music to theatre to Film and TV. She also shares how her self tape practice has influenced her current short film shoot, and gives her biggest piece of advi

Mar 31, 2023 • 47:14

106: What Are Archetypes?

106: What Are Archetypes?

Cronin Cullen breaks down the 12 Jungian Archetypes, giving an overview of each archetype's characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. He reveals why Castability breaks down scenes into archetypes, and how each character seen on TV and Film can fit into one of these 12 character types. Understanding which archetypes best showcase your acting skills helps you market yourself accurately to those around you, while being able to write for these archetypes allows writers to create well-developed

Mar 24, 2023 • 26:43

105: Defining Data Science with Castability Data Scientist Lauren Neal

105: Defining Data Science with Castability Data Scientist Lauren Neal

Lauren Neal is a working actor and director who has completed her Master's degree in Data Science in order to innovate ways to apply machine learning to filmmaking. Committed to using data to create actionable feedback for actors and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in casting, Lauren introduces the concept of Data Science in this episode. What is data science? What is big data? How is our data collected, and then used? Lauren answers all of this and more, and lets us all know what data

Mar 17, 2023 • 12:03

104: Showing Up with Castability Member, Christina Colgan

104: Showing Up with Castability Member, Christina Colgan

You may remember Christina from her episode on Audrey Helps Actors, where she and Audrey explore Christina's journey from 18 months of consistent self-tape practice. After completing over a year of 16 self tapes a month, Christina has seen the positive effects from her longterm practice, setting intentions, and forming routines that help in the daily pursuit of this career. Sitting down with the Castability team, Christina takes us through her journey from deciding to pursue acting to bookin

Mar 10, 2023 • 1:01:17

103: Jessica Sherman, CSA, on Her Career, Cast Away Cancer, and A Cause for Entertainment

103: Jessica Sherman, CSA, on Her Career, Cast Away Cancer, and A Cause for Entertainment

In this special 2 Part Episode, Amanda and Taylor sit down with Jessica Sherman, CSA, to talk all things acting. Jessica is an award-winning casting director, receiving the Casting Society of America's Artios Award as well as working on projects such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8, CBS’ Person of Interest, A&E’s Bates Motel, FX’s The Strain, Tell Me Your Secrets, and Willow on Disney+. In Part 1, they discuss Jessica's reasons for starting A Cause For Enter

Mar 3, 2023 • 1:02:09

102: Getting in the Right Mindset for your Castability Reports and Overcoming Perfectionism with Mindset Coach Joe Towne

102: Getting in the Right Mindset for your Castability Reports and Overcoming Perfectionism with Mindset Coach Joe Towne

Joe Towne is a Los Angeles based performer, award-winning writer, director, and teacher. He is also the CEO of The Performer's Mindset and the creator/host of The Better Podcast. For 20 years, he's coached business professionals, athletes, and actors – some of whom are selling that product you just bought or starring in that movie you Netflixed last night. As an actor, Joe has worked with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hillary Swank, Rebel Wilson, and he most recently starred as the lead in The Art of Ch

Feb 24, 2023 • 44:38

101: What is the Castability App and how can it help actors? With Castability Founder Jay Boyer

101: What is the Castability App and how can it help actors? With Castability Founder Jay Boyer

Castability Founder Jay Boyer opens up about the ways he hope to de-mystify and revolutionize the casting process by giving actors feedback based on objective data. We walk through what brought Taylor and Amanda onto the team, and what Jay's vision is for the future. — Jay's Story and What Created Castability — Practicing Before The Audition Room — The Competitive Mindset — How Castability Works — Why We Use The Archetype System — Jay's Vision for The Future of Castability ──────────

Feb 24, 2023 • 45:11

Introducing Castability: The Podcast!

Introducing Castability: The Podcast!

Welcome to Castability: The Podcast! The Castability App is the first ever data app for actors, using data science to empower actors and demystify the casting process. Hosted by Amanda Lenker Doyle, CSA and the Castability staff (all actors ourselves), we discuss the ins and outs of the creative decision-making process. Join us as we host conversations on our industry and craft, and reveal all the data we uncover along the way! ──────────────────────────── Learn more about the Castability app ri

Feb 3, 2023 • 1:30

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