“Script Analysis” is an often misunderstood term that can result in an actor robbing a scene of its art by reducing it to mathematical calculations. Some actors love the idea of script analysis so they can “solve” the scene and control it. Other actors abandon the idea of script analysis altogether because they are afraid of adding any structure to their art. The truth of Script Analysis is more interesting and dynamic. BGB Master Teachers, Cate Cohen, Sydney Walsh, and Corey Parker, sit down with Risa and Steve to talk about the dance between structure and fluidity in your preparation, and how to use Script Analysis to find freedom and power in your work.

An actor who books work consistently is an actor who has the capacity to remain vulnerable in the face of intense rejection, to stay focused in a world full of distractions, and to stay sharp in one of the most competitive Industries around. The actor who books work consistently has found a way to stand out from hundreds of others. They have expressed themself in a way that makes them a singularity. In a hard industry and a hard world, that kind of singular expression must be supported by a lifestyle that nurtures their art and their career. Listen in as Risa and Steve talk about how to cultivate a lifestyle that offers you all that, and then share your thoughts and questions with us on social @BGBStudio or by emailing us at info@bramongarciabraun.com. We want to hear from you.

2023 was a really intense year. Two strikes, wars, a contracting Industry, inflation, lingering effects of the pandemic, etc. And that intensity revealed some powerful lessons that every actor must hear and understand in order to be a working actor in 2024. Risa and Steve delve into the lessons of 2023 that point to the new reality for actors and light the path to success in the New Year!

Ok, so the Industry is back. But it won't be business as usual. It can't be. Too much has changed. And if you want to book work in this new reality, you're going to have to change too. So listen in and let us know what speaks to you! You can meet this moment, but it won't be easy. Risa and Steve discuss where the Industry is at right now and the important first steps that every actor must take now that the strike is over.

This is a new world for actors. And the Industry that emerges on the other side of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will be different than anything we've ever seen. The ways in which Actors have thought about their careers for over a century are, in many ways, no longer relevant. So, what's an Actor to do? Risa and Steve shed light on this strange new world, offer insight into what it might look like, and discuss the action that Actors can (and must) take right now if they want to have a career on the other side of all of this.

John Levey loves his job. He loves actors. He loves storytelling. He loves diving into the worlds each character inhabits. He’s been loving it for 40 years and is one of the masters of this passion profession, having won multiple Emmys and Artios awards, putting actors into groundbreaking roles on some of the most popular television shows of all time- E.R., The West Wing, China Beach, and Shameless, to name just a few. Listen in as Risa & Steve have an honest conversation with the legendary John Frank Levey.

Generative A.I. is not the future. It is here. Now. And as the technology gets better and better, and audiences become less able to discern whether or not the actor on their favorite TV show or movie is human or A.I., the Industry will choose A.I. generated actors over human actors. A.I. actors are cheaper, less demanding, don’t have a union, and don’t require inconveniences like air, water, food, physical space, etc. But as Generative A.I. comes for your jobs, it forces all of us to ponder important questions that, left unanswered, could lead to the end of the acting profession altogether. What does it mean to be human? What is the actual difference between a human actor and an A.I. actor? Risa and Steve explore this new technology and the kind of work human actors will need to do to keep their jobs. Listen in!

We wholeheartedly support the writers as they fight for what they rightly deserve. And also, a strike means that the Industry is slowing/shutting down. For actors, that can mean fewer auditions and less hope of booking jobs. It can bring up fear and disappointment, especially after three years of pandemic-related uncertainty. In this episode, Risa and Steve offer tools to navigate it all, and reveal some of the incredible opportunities that present themselves when the Industry stops.

As an actor, your vulnerability and emotional sensitivity are not only tools of your art. They are your products. But being a sensitive person in an often cold, emotionally violent industry can be a train wreck waiting to happen. Risa and Steve explore the kind of consistent healing necessary to stay open enough to bring the fullness of your talent to your auditions, and not compromise your mental health while doing it. Your nervous system is your tool and your product. It’s also a sacred element of your being, through which you receive and process the world around you. Your past experiences and dormant emotions can fuel your work, but they can also make you miserable. You need to be sensitive to do great acting work and book acting jobs, but the industry in which you’re operating often offers emotional violence, disinterest and the inability to see to any of your needs. While the industry needs to be kinder and softer (even in the interest of finance). it won’t happen anytime soon. So, you are going to have to do the labor of looking at your pain and taking steps towards healing. Risa and Steve explore the way in which actors can heal and offer their own healing journeys.

In a business this competitive, navigating the slings and arrows to find happiness is a revolutionary act. Pursuing an acting career is hard. Heck, just being an actor, an artist in a violent world, is hard. You can feel unseen, discouraged and lost. There are challenges at every turn. And yet, amidst all the challenges, there is a way to be an actor, to pursue an acting career, and be a happy, whole human being. It takes focus and discipline but it’s possible. Risa and Steve sit down with BGB Master Teachers, Sydney Walsh and Cate Cohen, to discuss the path to happiness as an actor. Listen in and let us know what resonates with you. Email us at info@bramongarciabraun.com and comment on our IG posts!

Beyond the BS- mastering the latest audition/self-tape “trends,” getting the hottest agent or hiring the best personal trainer- there exist the real, less-talked about elements of success. After many decades in the business and a decade of guiding some of the best and most successful actors on the planet at the BGB Studio, Risa and Steve reveal the bad-ass practices that not everyone has the capacity for, but that are required for success. This is how amateurs become professionals. This is that Next level shit. Listen in.

An artistic community is an essential part of your success. In order to do amazing audition/self-tape work consistently, you'll have to combat the isolation and inhumanity of the Industry with the collaboration, connection, and care that you only find from community. The right artistic community lifts you up, challenges you to be better, keeps you accountable, reinforces your values, reminds you that you are an actor, and that art matters. On the 10 year anniversary of BGB, Risa and Steve explore the power of this artistic community, and how you can leverage artistic community for your own success.

Risa sat down to talk about the Commercial Casting world with not one- but two incredibly talented commercial casting directors. Danielle Eskinazi (to whom Risa gave her first job decades ago!) and Renita Gale (see bios below) are both long standing CDs who are passionate and talented artists and truly care about actors. We are excited to have you listen as they share how they got into the biz, why they have stayed, how the commercial landscape has changed and lots about the audition process these days. AND why we all must walk through the door when the universe opens it for us. Commercials are a major opportunity for actors to book work- and Danielle and Renita LOVE being dream makers.

Risa and Steve sat down to talk about the Self-Tape crisis- an actual creative and professional crisis that actors, casting directors, agents, managers, and others in our business are experiencing right now. Self-tapes are here to stay. But at this point in their evolution, they have the potential to consume you; to pull the entire focus of time and attention as you navigate the technical elements, the lack of collaboration, and the limitations of the process. We see a crisis in our Industry. The proliferation of this process has made actors forget about art. It’s time to take stock, to rework what the self-tape is, and stir up a Revolution in the process that places art first. And PS: that’s how you book work!

Richard Hicks is a Casting Director for film, television and theatre (see bio below). He’s done it all, he loves it all, and his work is beautiful. We’re excited to have you listen to our conversation with Richard, and we hope that it humanizes casting directors even more, which is one of our missions- to remind each other and our community always that we are ALL dancing between art and commerce, and we are doing it together. That the faces of the business are simply human beings, often vulnerable, navigating the Industry while making work the best they know how. And that casting directors love actors and are your champions. Richard has always been and will always be that.

Jason Clodfelter is hardly whom you might think of when you imagine a big Hollywood Studio TV (Co) President. He’s sensitive, caring, personable, charming, thoughtful, and an artist - a fantastic writer, director, actor, and collaborator. Risa got to know Jason in class every week where the work was intimate and intense, and he went all in. And, as he tells us here, his job at Sony TV became an act of artistry, something he needed if he was going to continue to work in what can be considered a soul-sucking job. But he found another way! And listen in to what Jason says about self tapes- what he knows and doesn't know about your experience with self-tapes. But mostly, we want you to listen to Jason’s humanity. He’s not some faceless power-broker executive. He’s a human being. Which gives us all hope for our Industry!

Nothing makes Risa and Steve happier than creating space and facilitating a path for actors to find their voices as creators: filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, etc. When they started BGB, Risa and Steve brought their love of the process of creating from theatre, film, and television into the work that they- and all our teachers- practice in class. And out of that, they have nurtured the fullest expression of each artist’s unique voice, along with the practice of artistic leadership. In and out of class, we all make films together and we continue to watch BGB actors take the reins in their work and collaborate together in the world. It’s been incredible to witness and to be a part of. Risa sat down with four BGB actors turned writers/producers/directors who have collaborated together in class and have evolved over the past few years as serious creative contenders in our business. Caroline Lindy, Dominic Burgess, Ellyn Jameson, and Johnathan McClain are the real deal. They are working TV professionals and filmmakers. And that’s because they have done the work of making work. They’ve written and directed and produced short films, feature films, and television shows, realizing their voices in ways they never imagined possible. They did it by doing it. They DO it by doing it. They also value collaboration and partnership in this process, because we are mostly not meant to do this alone. Out of those collaborations, more and more work has sprung. And here on The Acting Podcast, they each share how trusting their heart and gut have guided their talent. And the work has flowed from that. This is everything! Listen in to this conversation recorded in person at BGB- which was also a beautiful reunion for Risa and these four filmmakers. We know it’ll resonate with you as it did with Risa, and our hope for you is the same as it was and is for these four amazing artists: Do what you love, find more of what you love, realize the potential of your unique creative voice in acting and beyond, and love it all. Oh, and after they finished recording the podcast, Caroline, Dom, Ellyn, and Johnathan each shared some incredible news about the projects that are in the works that they can’t fully talk about because the final contracts are signed- but… there is a financed feature film, a deal to write a feature, a directing gig on an upcoming major miniseries, and several more scripts and films in the works. As it should be!

Every actor will inevitably find themselves in the desert, struggling to make it all work. At many points along the way, you will look at yourself in the mirror and wonder if it's time to step away from your passion, your pursuit. Is it time to give up acting? Risa and Steve discuss this important… and scary question. Listen in- we invite you to ask the question and find some answers in this episode!

Often we think of successful Industry folks as out of reach and fancy and intimidating- especially after decades of huge success. And here at BGB and on the Acting Podcast we try to dispel that belief and remind ourselves that we are ALL human in this, we all face challenges, we are all figuring it out day to day. Steve and I had great privilege to zoom this week with brilliant, acclaimed casting director, April Webster, and talked with her about the amazing work she has done over decades, how she approaches and has always approached the work- including the iconic franchises of Star Wars and Star Trek, how that’s all changed in the world of self-tapes and zoom auditions, what advice she has for actors, and what means the most to her about the work we do TOGETHER. We love the heart, humanity, intuition, deep love of the work, and a powerful mind-heart-body-spirit connection that April brings to her casting, and we’re thrilled to bring this inspiring conversation to you. Listen in, and stick with it; there is so much wisdom here from one of the greatest casting directors ever.

At their best, acting teachers have the ability to create a healthy space in which actors can engage in the consistent practice of their art, deepening their awareness and understanding of themselves and the world. And also, acting teachers have a legacy of falling short. There are amazing teachers doing the hard work of examining ego in the interest of facilitating growth in others. And on the other end of the spectrum there are actual abusive predators who leverage the unearned status and power that is sadly associated with the title "Acting Teacher." And in the middle there are all sorts of biases, ignorance of power structures, and social influences at play (often around gender, race, Queerness, ability), or even just a rigidity about what acting should be. We hear actors' experiences about acting teachers, and there are conversations that need to happen around the dynamics at play. Every acting teacher, studio, school, or academy must examine their beliefs and practices. No acting teacher or studio is above this conversation. That includes us. And every actor must be aware of the dynamics involved so they train and grow in a healthy environment. Listen to the conversation with Risa and Steve. It’s provocative.

Risa and Steve sit down in-person with Sam Valentine aka One Broke Actress. Sam is a working actor, a content creator, a coach, a podcaster, an actor’s advocate, the poster actor for the side hustle, with a significant social media presence and a foray into youtube, and the creator of One Broke Actress. They talk about what BROKE really means and how to embrace it. And they dive into what gets Sam up in the morning, what drives her and fires her up, and what continues to challenge her, even after all this new success. AND how One Broke Actress has changed how she approaches all areas of her career and her creative life, which we’re really interested in as it relates to all of you listening. So wherever you’re listening, take a page from Sam’s playbook and consider what steps you can take- steps that are authentic to you- to turn your talent into work. Sam’s journey is inspiring; we want yours to be as well!

In this conversation about that big topic: Self-Tapes- taking up most of the audition real estate- Risa and Steve offer ways in which you can move past all the (real, tangible) challenges of self-taping, even the trauma around it, and discover the freedom, joy, and deep curiosity you need to get the attention of any Casting Director and book work regularly. Your Self-Tapes don’t have to hurt anymore! We're excited to offer ways to shift your mindset, bring all of your talent to bear in your work on-camera- even if you’re home alone, turn your Self-Tapes into art, and return to feeling like an actor, always. And when you do that, you’re able to show up fully, confidently, and creatively free, again and again, and inevitably success follows. So listen, open your hearts and minds, and see how this discussion helps you re-imagine your Self-Tapes!

In this first episode of Season 3, Risa and Steve talk about how to navigate this new and challenging time in order to find your way in an Industry that’s also redefining itself. We’ve all changed in the past 2 years, and now, Risa and Steve invite you to start with the following: Stop, look inside, create space, and figure out who you are right now so that your acting can be current, an expression of this very moment. From there, you can offer your art with presence, vulnerability, listening, self-awareness, kindness, empathy, human connection, artistic leadership, and generosity.These are values that we practice and celebrate here at BGB, values and practices that will affect your audience on an emotional level and fill a great need in the Industry. Which is now- more than ever- a direct path to success. And yet success isn’t measured in jobs booked; it’s measured in the ups and downs of a career that happens over decades. So, your health (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual) is essential in order to take care of both you and your community and to become a whole, happy artist, your tank full, offering your voice, your talent, your art! Have a listen! We know this will resonate. Let us know what speaks to you. Email us and find us on social to continue the conversation.