Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry – Details, episodes & analysis

With 15 wins and 76 nominations, Bernard Telsey is one of the premier Casting Directors in the industry. Casting our favorite films, television shows, and Broadway shows, Telsey Casting is well known for excellence in casting. From the original production of RENT to NBC's This Is Us to Only Murders in the Building to Wicked (both the upcoming movie and the show), their office is constantly busy.

In this episode, we talk about:

• His first job as a casting assistant and building his rolodex of actors

• Casting RENT as an off-Broadway musical and why it was a difficult year long process

• Putting an ad in the Village Voice for a rock musician for RENT

• That ideally, he would like to be part of the early development process of a project

• Giving Casting their credit and how that has evolved

• How is the office doing post-pandemic

• What he sees in actors who shine with 4 lines or for a lead role, like in the case of Annaleigh Ashford

• How actors can get on their radar and what projects Telsey is working on now

Guest:

Website Wikipedia MCC Website

Instagram for MCC Theater

Instagram for The Telsey Office

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneMiller⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook page:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.michellesimonemiller.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mentorsonthemic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you like this episode, check out Becoming... Casting Director Susanne Scheel ("Past Lives," "The Wife")

LIVE on the Red Carpet of the World Premiere of the film "All That We Love."

Starring:                      

MARGARET CHO (Cast)

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON (Cast)

KENNETH CHOI (Cast) (Halloweentown, Captain America, Ironside, American Crime Story, The Wolf of Wall Street

ALICE LEE (Cast)

ATSUKO OKATSUKA (Cast)

DEVON BOSTICK (Cast) (Pppenheimer, Saw 4 and 5, Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies)

YEN TAN (Writer, Director) 

Missi Pyle (Just my Luck, Soul Place, A Cinderella Story (with Lucy Hale), Dodgeball, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Logline: Upon the loss of her beloved dog, Emma Gwon faces an empty nest and renewed feelings for her estranged ex-husband, as she navigates the joy and sorrow of starting anew.

Host: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneMiller⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.michellesimonemiller.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mentorsonthemic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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For more like this, try ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NYWIFT Muse Awards RED CARPET: Kyra Sedgwick, Alex Borstein, Tantoo Cardinal & more⁠

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Image: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: Devon Bostick, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Atsuko Okatsuka, Yen Tan, Alice Lee and Kenneth Choi attend the "All That We Love" premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 08, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

BRYCE NORBITZ is currently the Director of Artist Programs at Tribeca Studios, where they oversee filmmaker development programming. Prior to this, they served as the Director of the Stowe Launch Program at Stowe Story Labs. Bryce also has extensive experience at the Tribeca Film Institute, where they held various roles including Director of Scripted Programs, Manager of Artist Programs, and Coordinator of Artist Programs. Bryce supported both scripted and documentary programming, executed events, reviewed submissions, and provided creative feedback and mentorship to filmmakers.

In this episode, we discuss: Kickstart with Canva: A Creative Program in collaboration with Tribeca Session #1 (June 10th, 4pm at Tribeca Festival, max 90 creators - ⁠Register Here⁠) - Creating a Dynamic Pitch Deck with Canva Session #2 (July, remotely, max 300 creators) - DETAILS COMING SOON Session #3 (August, remotely, max 300 creators) - DETAILS COMING SOON THROUGH HER LENS THL Submissions email:  [email protected] AT&T Untold Stories Pitch Attendee program The 2023 winner’s premiere Guest: LinkedIn Host:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneMiller⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MentorsontheMic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MichelleSimoneM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.michellesimonemiller.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mentorsonthemic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Winter Dunn is an award winning producer, director and actress. She produced Numa Perrier’s debut feature film, JEZEBEL which premiered at SXSW 2019 and was awarded Best Narrative Feature at the American Black Film Festival that same year. JEZEBEL has been acquired by Ava DuVernay and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Previously, Winter served as a producer / director for media maven Condé Nast Entertainment. Her celebrity video features for Vanity Fair, Vogue, Architectural Digest, GQ, Allure and other media brands have garnered over 60 million views and counting.

Most recently, Dunn directed season one of SoulPancake, Overbrook and 206 Productions’ upcoming docuseries, “All Her with Angela Rye'' for Quibi. Check out Winter Dunn Productions’ debut film, JUNEBUG, which premiered at the 2020 American Black Film Festival, streaming on FoxSoul and Tubi.

She is a 2021 Project Involve Directing Fellow with Film Independent.

In this episode we talk about: 

•  Landing her first PA gig for a Black independent production company 

•  The making of Jezebel from concept and production, to post and delivery 

•  Manifesting Netflix and SXSW for Jezebel, including what it was like when Ava Duvernay's distribution company ARRAY acquired the film in January 2020 and released it on Netflix.  

•  Going to SXSW and how the Jezebel team set themselves apart to sold out theaters 

•  Learning how to be a producer 

•  Working at Conde Nast and understanding how to execute specific brand voices (including her work with Kim and Kanye (Architectural Digest), Billie Eillish (Vanity Fair's: Same Interview, The Third Year), and more. 

•  How creating web series content evolved into creating longer form series and features 

•  Authentic portrayals of POC and the importance of telling Black stories by Black voices 

•  Her thoughts on being a Directing Fellow with Film Independent 

IMDB Website Instagram

Host: 

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller 

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic 

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Bob Ellis is an American music executive and manager who has worked with musicians including Billy Preston, Chaka Khan, Meat Loaf, Rufus, Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and many others. Bob joins the show to spill about the music industry and how social media has impacted the industry and music quality. Stay tuned in to hear the crazy story of how Bob and Michelle met!

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Meeting and representing Billy Preston while working at a PR agency

•  The story behind Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good”

•  Opening Woody’s club that gave a stage to Spin Doctor, Dave Matthews, Red Hot Chili Peppers and other timeless artists in their early days

•  The evolution of music and how technology and Tik Tok has changed tour life and the music industry

•  Producing Chef Roblé and other shows

•  Being in the right place at the right time

•  How to manage different talent personalities

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ellis_Silberstein

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Jay Francis is the Vice President of Current Series and Diversity and Inclusion at Disney Television Animation. He has over 15 years’ experience in managing the creative direction of series’ production, and has worked on award winning shows including Phineas and Ferb, Big City Greens, and Amphibia. Jay plays an important role in driving the push for more authentic storytelling that represents the world in which we live.

In this episode we talk about:

•  The key to a great pitch

• Transitioning from independent animation production to recruitment for primetime animation television

•  How accessible a career in animation can be

•  Working for Disney and how the company has embraced Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in development

•  His first internship at a local ABC affiliate in Boston

•  His first animation internship at DIC Entertainment

•  Leaving his job to launch Little Gangster Entertainment

•  Animation networking opportunities for VO Actors, Animators and more

•  Finding a lucrative kickstart creating video games using what he learned from animation

•  The importance of diverse and authentic storytelling through animation

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-francis-81a3002

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Jenny Ravitz is a NYC-based casting director at Jonathan Strauss Casting. She is currently casting shows including NBC's hit shows Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med. She has years of knowledge of the casting industry after working at some of the top casting offices in New York City. Jenny is here to share her journey and provide an inside look at what it is like to help create a Chicago universe that reaches over 8 million home viewers per episode.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Finding her passion as a Casting Director through working as an Assistant Director

•  Working 80 hours a week while interning at Telsey + Company and Cindy Tolan casting offices and bartending at a local sports bar

•  The movie that connected Jenny and Michelle for the first time

•  The important role of identity, visibility, and authentic representation in casting

•  An inside look at how Jenny reviews auditions, makes selects, and presents an offer

•  How agent pitches can help or hurt an actor (and if she reads all of them!)

•  The benefit of self tapes over actor reels

•  Whether she likes slate shots

•  The national reach of the shows she casts

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5989503/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennyravitzcasting

If you like this episode, check out Episode 2.2 to hear about Emmy winning Casting Director Julie Schubert (The Departed, Marvel shows on Netflix, Devil Wears Prada, etc)

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Chris Mann is a vocalist, musician, and actor who has performed as the lead in just under 700 shows of “The Phantom of the Opera” during his first major acting debut. He got fourth place on The Voice in 2012 and has continued to soar through the music industry with Billboard charting releases of his studio albums Roads, Constellation, and his most recent release, Noise. Chris joins the show to share how he has achieved his success despite facing devastating setbacks along the way.

In this episode we talk about:

• Signing his first ever record deal with Sony Music Group
  
• His first session job on Glee
  
• His experience on The Voice, what happens behind the scenes, and singing with Christina Aguilera
  
• Creating his viral parody music video “My Corona” which has tracked over 14 million views and inspired a host of quarantine themed music videos
  
• Classical church singing and earning his degree in Opera
  
• The process of recording sessions
  
• Recording Disney soundtracks and hearing himself in amusement parks and grocery stores
  
• The point when he contemplated giving up on pursuing a solo career

If you like this episode, check out Episode 2.1 to hear about Emmy nominated Musician and Composer Beau Black (Disney's The Lion Guard, The Mickey Show, etc)

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Mann_(singer)

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4985711/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3

Website: https://chrismannmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialchrismann/?hl=en

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Jill Hoppenheim is the owner and creative director at Bagg Street Productions, an award winning creative content agency known for creating captivating marketing campaigns, branded content, and  scripted series for TV/Film including 24, Homeland, The Handmaid’s Tale, Glow, Family Guy and more. Jill has over ten year’s experience in entertainment marketing and breaks down her track to success.

In this episode we talk about:

• Her move from Montreal, Canada to Los Angeles while still on her student visa
  
• The job which introduced her to Entertainment Marketing
  
• The launch and inspiration behind Bagg Street Productions
  
• Getting her MFA in Documentary and production
  
• The process behind beginning to create original scripted content
  
• Jill’s top tip for anyone starting out as a content producer
  
• Her favorite kind of stories to tell
  
• Her mentor and inspiration

If you like this episode, check out Episode 1.14 to hear about Award Winning Producer Damon Lee.

Resources:

Website: https://www.baggstreet.com/

Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1673836/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-hoppenheim/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baggstreet/

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

13:57 starting a company is like a newborn you couldn’t take your eyes off of it

37:45 2 things that she learned and reminded and kept with her

38:38 your greatest thing as a producer to have is material. you have to love it

41:20 - be creative in pitching and getting meetings

Ben Giroux is an Actor, Director, and Producer best known for his role as The Toddler on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger and Danger Force. He is also known for voicing Mikey Munroe in the animated series Bunsen is a Beast on Nickelodeon. His other TV credits include Psych, NCIS, Bones, Sam & Cat, Hart of Dixie, FML, and The Big Show Show. His success carries off screen where he has amassed over 4.5 million followers on TikTok and over 100k on Instagram. In this episode we talk about: How he traveled across the country in the final months of his enrollment at the University of Southern California to audition for a Farrelly Brothers pilot on Fox. Being one half of a comedy hip-hop duo and creating a viral music video that landed him on the Billboard Top 100 charts Performing with the Backstreet Boys and other celebrities How TikTok has impacted his acting and creativity His transition from actor to director and how he believes the way he runs his sets has contributed to his success Becoming a writer and pitching projects in the industry Resources: Website: https://bengiroux.com/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Giroux IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1575638/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bengiroux/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bengirouxtv?lang=en Message Ben on Instagram to ask about his rates for Voiceover Coaching. Learn from the best! If you like this episode, check out Episode 2.1 to hear Beau Black's story, Emmy nominated Musician, Producer, VO Actor, and voice behind many Disney shows. Host: Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM Mentors on the Mic Facebook page Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle