What is The Casting Playhouse?

The Casting Playhouse offers private one-on-one mock audition technique classes, as well as group classes for all levels. The Casting Playhouse offers kids, teens, and adults the opportunity to learn and grow as performers in a safe, friendly environment. The goal is to provide students of all ages with the fundamental, career building knowledge of the industry so they may succeed outside of the classroom. The Casting Playhouse not only teaches audition technique, but self confidence and control in uncomfortable yet realistic audition situations. Before opening The Casting Playhouse, Jason was the CEO of Marketing The Actor for eight years, making a name for himself with his unique approach to the audition process. Now as the CEO of The Casting Playhouse in New York, Jason teaches “the formula” to beginning and advanced acting students, which is the only audition technique class taught entirely from the casting perspective. Jason Buyer began casting extras and commercials in his home town of Chicago, Illinois nearly twenty years ago. His casting background and experience is extensive. Jason was the senior casting coordinator at Warner Bros. TV, the casting associate at UDK Casting (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer), and the former casting associate at Weber and Associates Casting at MGM, working on and casting dozens of pilots and episodic television shows in Los Angeles. Jason continues to stay true to his roots, completing principal casting for the Columbia College and UCLA Directing & Writing Programs, as well as webseries, The Consultants, as well as the pilot presentation, Odds On The Acts, from creator Chris Bearde. Jason has also been the invited keynote speaker at numerous universities, (The Ohio State University, The University of Cincinnati, The University of Georgia, Clemson University, Columbia College, Chicago, Valparaiso University, etc.) conducting marketing seminars for their graduating seniors and theatre students. Now an author, Jason’s first book, Inside The Audition Room: The Essential Actors Handbook For Los Angeles is available at The Drama Bookshop in NY, Samuel French in LA, and Amazon.com. Last year, Jason was hired as an adjunct professor for Columbia College, Chicago, running the Semester In LA Acting Program, and currently teaches part time at The Network and Stonestreet Studios in NYC.

New eight week program begins 2/8/12

Classes @ The Network
242 West 36th Street.  3rd Floor
Wednesdays from 7:00pm – 9:30pm

Session 1 – (Half Hour Comedy; Single Camera)
January 4th, 18th, 25th + February 1st

Session 2 – (One Hour Drama/Feature Film)
Wednesday, February 8th, 15, 23rd, 29th

Wednesday, March 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th

*Class limited to 11 students
*No makeup classes

On-Going Audition Technique

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

February 17 – 20, 2012
*Minnesota Intensive -  Click on the
Minnesota Intensive tab now to register!
Comedy Sportz
3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN  55408
*No Refunds*

 

March 6, 2012
SAG NY
360 Madison Ave.  12th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Audition Technique Class

 

April 26, 2012
The New School of Drama
151 Bank Street
New York, NY 10014
Marketing The Actor Seminar

 

Inside The Audition Room – Marketing The Actor Seminar

Backstage Article

Check out the latest Backstage article about my book, Inside The Audition Room, The Essential Actors Handbook For Los Angeles.  Backstage Article

Book Excerpt

Read an excerpt from my book, Inside The Audition Room:


The first thing that happens in the casting process, if things are running smoothly and on time, is that the casting director will receive a script. After reading it, the casting director sends the script to Breakdown Services, a company that breaks down the script by character. Some casting directors prefer to have Breakdown Services write the breakdown, while other casting directors prefer to write the breakdown themselves, for individual roles or entire projects. Casting directors will then begin to create lists for each role. The first list will contain a list of celebrity clientele, who are “offer only” types of performers. The term, “offer only” refers to a small group of actors who have reached a certain level or status within the industry and no longer have to audition; they just receive offers. It is then up to those actors to accept or reject the roles they are offered. It is worth noting that a celebrity or name may be attached to a certain project prior to the start of casting. There are two advantages to this process. First, it gives filmmakers the opportunity to get funding or increase a pre-existing small budget. Secondly, having a name attached to your project can attract interest from studios and networks, as well as other high-profile actors whose name recognition can increase the odds the project will be made, bought, or put on the air. While waiting to hear if the “offer only” actor or actors have accepted their offer, casting continues. The second casting list consists of actors who would go straight to the producer session. Pre-reading or pre-screening is not necessary. The casting director already knows their work, and is confident they will be great in the audition room. Most importantly, these actors will still come in and read for the producers, and make the casting director look good in the process. And then there’s everyone else: actors who have been submitted by their agent, submitted by their manager, or who have submitted themselves – all in hopes of getting the opportunity to read and be considered for the role. Once the breakdown is released, thousands of online thumbnails will be submitted, as well as hundreds of 8-by-10 hard copy submissions, actor drop-offs, as well as countless phone pitches. Depending on the project, of course, you are talking about a pool of hundreds of thousands of actors that are submitted on a daily basis for any given show or role.

www.insidetheauditionroom.com

Real Housewives Of Orange County

Watch The Casting Playhouse CEO Jason Buyer on The Real Housewives Of Orange County. Jason was the resident acting coach in Season Three.



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