Paladino Casting

10/16/2021

We have a heavy heart today with the sudden news of the passing of Jenevieve Brewer. She was one of the first agents that we connected with from the beginning. She always managed fiercely for her very talented clients and we trusted her instincts on that. She loved developing actors careers. Everyone that has worked with her or knew her could tell that her clients were so much more - they were friends and family. Thank you for being a genuine colleague through the years and a truly kind human. You will be missed 💔🙏🏼

We have a heavy heart today with the sudden news of the passing of Jenevieve Brewer. She was one of the first agents that we connected with from the beginning. She always managed fiercely for her very talented clients and we trusted her instincts on that. She loved developing actors careers. Everyone that has worked with her or knew her could tell that her clients were so much more - they were friends and family. Thank you for being a genuine colleague through the years and a truly kind human. You will be missed 💔🙏🏼

09/10/2021

Thank you to everyone who worked on this project and helped to raise awareness.

08/04/2020

Did you know that Jennifer Lawrence earned her SAG card shooting promos for MTV's ‘My Super Sweet 16?’ 🤯

What was the first "big" job that you booked?

07/23/2020

Is it just me or did we all get to know our neighbors *a lot* better during quarantine. 😂 ⁠
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This @blinds2go ad we cast understood the importance of a good window treatment way before we were all stuck at home. 🧘‍♂️

07/20/2020

Every actor is bound to face rejection. You might even hit a point where you feel like all you are hearing is “no.” But one way to master auditions is to keep doing them.

07/16/2020

It is absolutely crucial for actors to always find new ways to challenge themselves. Take a class, create new work, or simply ask questions. If you are not growing, you are standing still.

07/13/2020

Whenever you audition, be ready for anything. The director and CD might have you try a completely different take just to get a feel for what it is like to work with you. They look to see if you are listening, flexible, and able to take direction in the moment.

07/10/2020

Many decisions are out of your hands in this industry, but one thing you can always control is your effort.

07/08/2020

Hearing about all the high school seniors that did not get to have their prom this year got us thinking about this @falloutboy video we cast almost 15 years ago.

We’re sorry that you had to miss out, Class of 2020. Not every prom ends with a perfectly choreographed dance-off, but most are still pretty fun.

07/06/2020

If we want to see real and lasting change in our industry, we need to make sure that women of color have the opportunity to show off their talent on both sides of the camera.

07/02/2020

Last week, the US Open announced they would be holding this year's tournament without fans at the matches. Thankfully, John McEnroe makes it crystal clear in this spot that we cast a few years back that there are *lots* of different ways to watch the world's best when they come to Flushing.

06/29/2020

If you are ever in doubt about what to do in an audition, remember these three words: Keep. It. Simple. That advice applies to everything from what to wear to the acting choices that you make in the room. All we want to see is you. If we need more, we will let you know.

06/28/2020

#pride

06/12/2020

Our industry needs to make sure that the people on our screens look and feel like the people in the world around us. I am committed to doing everything I can to making that happen. - KP

06/05/2020

Ways To Help

If you want to help the #BlackLivesMatter movement, this link has lists of protests to join, people/offices to call, where to donate, educational resources, and a whole lot more. Please give it a look and do what you can. 💛 - KP

Ways To Help

06/02/2020

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.” - Angela Davis

We condemn the ongoing racism, discrimination, and violence against Black people and Black communities in this country. We stand in solidarity with those demanding justice.

We will continue to support and amplify the voices of Black talent and Black creators in our industry.

05/29/2020

There are lots of ways to fan your creative flames these days. 🔥⁠
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For example, The Public Theater is streaming some of their past productions online and Backstage is offering free classes and forums.⁠ And there are plenty more theaters and studios working to help actors out.⁠
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You could also read a play or challenge yourself to write or learn a new monologue. (If you need some inspiration, check out the actors who took part in our #showusyourselftape challenge on Instagram!)⁠
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Staying at home does not mean you have to stop learning, growing, or honing your craft.

05/28/2020

We love Bryan Cranston's mindset when it comes to auditioning. (And we think it is pretty good advice for life in general.)

Don’t worry about “fitting a role.” Concentrate on being true to yourself and showing everyone what you—and only you—can do.

05/21/2020

Penny Marshall’s ‘Big’ was the first film directed by a woman to make over $100 million at the US box office.

Penny proved that you don’t need to know every single thing about the industry to be successful. What’s most important is that you know your own strengths.

05/15/2020

Watch how Paul Spriggs is able to dial up his performance is our newest #SidesToScreen.

These casting sessions were super fun. Inspired by those old Richard Simmons workout tapes, the creative called for a magical fitness instructor that would suddenly appear to teach people heart-healthy habits.

In all of these setups, Paul did a great job slowly raising up the energy with each take. He showed his range by not going from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. He hit different levels and kept his control along the way, which was exactly what we were looking for.

Production: @cutterproductions

Director: Evan Savitt

#casting #castingdirector #audition

05/13/2020

Context is everything for an actor. Go over any and all of the material you get with your audition: script, character descriptions, project synopsis, etc. You may not always get a full script, but any information you have about your character and the piece will make your choices that much stronger and clearer.

A few minutes of research can make all the difference in your next audition.

05/08/2020

Helping a 12-year-old actor up his self-tape game

A few weeks ago, I partnered up with @backstagecast for a Q&A session and a series of virtual one-on-ones with talent. One of the actors I chose to meet with was Jonathan, a 12 year old living in Brooklyn.

He and his mom Regine wanted advice on a recent self-tape he submitted. After I gave Jonathan play-by-play notes, he sent me a new take. I was so happy to see how well he made the adjustments we had gone over!

I wanted to share this video of our conversation because we covered a few self-tapes tips that could help any actor improve their remote submissions. Jonathan’s before and after is a great reminder of how a few simple changes can make all the difference.

05/05/2020

It’s always nice to work on a spot for a product that I have been using very often, especially these past couple of weeks. It’s been a lifesaver since I have been wearing gloves and washing my hands multiple times a day. ⁠🧤💛⁠⠀
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Director: @jessicaedwards⁠⠀
Production Company: @cutterproductions⁠⠀
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#StaySafe #StayHome #Handwashing #AquaphorLove #SpreadTheLove

05/04/2020

I had a great time holding “Office Hours” on the @backstagecast forum last week. Wanted to share one of my favorite questions. You heard it hear first: your quarantine beard does not have to go if you do not want it to. 🧔

Big thanks to Backstage for having me and to everyone who asked questions. Hit the link below to see the rest of my Q+A:

https://www.backstage.com/forums/working-actor/office-hours-feat-kristen-9935/

(P.S. Backstage is holding all sorts of special events for actors while we are staying at home. Check them out!) -KP

05/01/2020

What’s your favorite movie or TV show where New York plays a “character?”
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New York plays an important role in a lot of the projects we work on. This Genesis spot we cast portrays the city as a character that exemplifies so much what of I love about New York: elegance, grit, ⁠beauty, aspiration, and community.⁠ 🗽⁠
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Director: @mj003⁠
Music: @andradaymusic 💛⁠
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#casting #castingdirector

04/30/2020

Did you know that The Globe was shuttered from 1605 to 1606 due to the plague? Shakespeare spent that time writing ‘King Lear,’ ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ and ‘Macbeth.’

Not holding anyone to The Bard’s standards, but what quarantine accomplishment you are most proud of so far?

04/30/2020

Right now, actors are auditioning through self-tapes, which means you don’t have the feedback or direction you normally get in the room. Our best advice: make a choice. Decision making is key in any audition, but it’s especially important with a self-tape. We want to see the actor choose a direction with the character and run with it.⁠
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Go for it. If you don’t like how it turns out, make another choice. (The nice part about a self-tape is that you get to call the cuts. 🎥🎬)

04/29/2020

In our third episode of #SidesToScreen—where we match up moments from our favorite projects with the auditions of the actors that booked it—we are looking at Rachel Niu’s (@niugirl) work in a spot for Disney Springs.⁠
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A lot of times in an audition with no dialogue, we will run actors through different emotions to get a sense of their range. Rachel does an incredible job hitting each of the reactions we called out in the room. She’s expressive, but not over the top, which was a perfect fit for the ad's fresh spin on ‘Alice in Wonderland.’⁠
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Rachel’s performance is proof that the old saying is true: less is more. I would rather redirect someone to give more than try and reel someone in once they’ve gone too big. - KP

04/28/2020

If you could give a new actor one piece of advice before their very first audition, what would it be?⁠
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Vida clearly knows rule #1: always hit your mark. 🎯

04/27/2020

New York feels different now. I took these pictures on my walk with Vida. What I love—and have always loved—about this city is the energy, the people, and the life it has. We are missing it now, but I know it will be back. ❤️- KP⁠

#staysafe⁠ #iloveny

04/24/2020

What a great turnout on the zoom Q&A and 1:1’s yesterday.

If you missed the talk, be sure to check out the Backstage forum for more of my insights and industry tips.

Thank you Backstage for all the support you give actors!

Have a great weekend, everyone! ✨😊

Join us on Zoom and YouTube Live for tomorrow’s The Slate lineup! NOTE: You must pre-register for Alison Franck’s webinar at https://bit.ly/AlisonFranck

Full schedule: bit.ly/3dhokrT

04/24/2020

Even when it’s on pause, NYC is still the greatest city in the world.⁠
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To all my fellow New Yorkers, what do you miss most about the city right now?⁠

(Super-inspiring image created by Guniz Engur at Organizma Branding 💛)

04/13/2020

Keep your passion. Keep your fire. 🔥

04/10/2020

Kitty O’Meara is a retired chaplain and teacher living in Wisconsin. We found her poem so comforting right now and thought that maybe you would too.

Stay home and stay safe. ❤️

04/06/2020

Our second episode of #SidesToScreen—where we match up moments from our favorite projects with the auditions of the actors that booked it—stars William Douglas Turner in a spot for Sabra.

Our casting reference was “the Billy Mays salesperson of hummus”—a fun, over the top pitchman who is totally in love with his product—and Will delivered right away. Even without the set or Amanda Finch's perfectly distressed lettuce chopping, Will made us feel like we were watching an “As Seen On TV” ad. (Sidenote for all actors: this is an example of when the “references” on your sides can be your best friend. And if you’re not familiar with a reference, please ask us!)

Oddly enough, Will’s callback was nothing like his first audition. Since he had nailed his Billy Mays so hard, we wanted to see his range and how well he would react to new direction. Of course, he knocked that out of the park, too. But when it came time to shoot, the director went with the energy that Will gave us the second he walked in the door.