This is the Full interview with Paul Schnee. PAUL SCHNEE is originally from Wilmington, Delaware and is a graduate of Kenyon College. After graduating, Paul worked at ICM for agent Sam Cohn, then as assistant to director Mike Nichols. He and Kerry formed Barden / Schnee Casting in 2008. Paul is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The British Film and Television Academy, and The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. He...
Jul 07, 2025•55 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Veronica Reyes-How is an award winning writer/actor/producer based in NYC. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.A in Mathematics, she left a career in technology consulting to pursue acting when an open-call audition resulted in her booking the national tour of Rent. Her big break came when she was one of ten actorschosen for the ABC/Disney Talent Showcase. Mentored by ABC/Disney, she then went on to book credits such as CBS’ Blue Bloods, NBC’s The Blacklist, CBS’ Person of Interest...
Jul 07, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Jeffrey Seller's shows have garnered twenty-two Tony Awards, including four for Best Musical, and his Broadway productions and tours have grossed more than $4.6 billion and reached more than 43 million attendees. Jeffrey is the only producer to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize–winning musicals—Hamilton and Rent. He also revolutionized theater accessibility with the $20 ticket lottery for Rent, making theater affordable for many. This passion for accessibility underscores his belief in the power o...
Jun 30, 2025•58 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Patricia Arquette is a 4th generation actor. She received the Academy Award for her work in “Boyhood,” the critically acclaimed 12-year project from Richard Linklater, for which she also won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics, and Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Patricia will make her directing debut this summer with GONZO GIRL , a feature film based on the best-selling novel by Cheryl Della Pietra, whic...
Jun 30, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 1
This is a 3 part mini Casting Director series, sponsored by Casting Networks. We're so excited to bring Emmy winning Casting Director Jule Tucker back on the podcast! Julie Tucker is a two time Emmy winning Casting Director (7 times nominated). Her list of credits include projects such as Queen Latifah’s "The Equalizer," "The Hot Zone, Anthrax," and the Jennifer Lopez feature film, "Marry Me." Past television credits include: "Damages" (Emmy and Artios Award), "Six Feet Under" (Emmy and CSA Arti...
Jun 02, 2025•39 min
This is a 3 part mini Casting Director series, sponsored by Casting Networks. Tara Rubin started her company, Tara Rubin Casting in 2001 after working at Johnson-Liff Casting for fifteen years. During that time she cast for Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Guys and Dolls, and the daytime drama Another World. At Tara Rubin Casting she continued those associations and cast other Broadway productions, including Mamma Mia!, The Producers, Bombay Dreams, Spamalot, Jersey Boys, Mary ...
May 26, 2025•29 min
This is a 3 part mini Casting Director series, sponsored by Casting Networks. PAUL SCHNEE is originally from Wilmington, Delaware and is a graduate of Kenyon College. After graduating, Paul worked at ICM for agent Sam Cohn, then as assistant to director Mike Nichols. He and Kerry formed Barden / Schnee Casting in 2008. Paul is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The British Film and Television Academy, and The Society of Stage...
May 19, 2025•27 min
Marketing Expert and Podcast Host Abby Zufelt walks us through the rebrand of her podcast, Working Girl Talk , sharing with us her tips on rebranding our projects. “Branding is one of my favorite topics and as somebody who just went through a really long branding journey, I’m happy to help and share my thoughts on this.” Some questions we went over include: 1. What is the mission? What do I do? What am I trying to convey to people? 2. Abby walks us through her three lists exercise so we can alig...
Feb 24, 2025•42 min
Ken Girotti has had a hand in the creation of hundreds of hours of television episodes, pilots, television movies and film and received multiple award nominations. His television movie MAYERTHORPE garnered the best director award from the Director’s Guild of Canada. Recently Ken has been Executive Producer/Director on FBI MOST WANTED (CBS). He served the same role on ANNE WITH AN E (Netflix). He Executive Produced and Directed both seasons of PURE (Hulu/WGN) and was a Producer and Director on th...
Feb 10, 2025•56 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Scott McCormick, has been an audiobook director, adaptor and narrator for over 10 years. In that time he has directed and adapted over a hundred books and narrated and provided voices for well over a thousand book. He has played many characters through the years including the lead roles in Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David and The Ishmael Jones by Simon R. Green. He has also lent his voice to dozens of audiocomic book characters including Venom, The Thing and most recently Hellboy. A native ...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Khaya Fraites is a voice and film actor based in New York City. She has narrated books such as the full cast versions of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from GraphicAudio and has performed in video games such as World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, and Blumhouse games’ first release: Fear the Spotlight. You can also catch her in animated shows such as Pokémon Paldean Winds, Quantum Heroes Dinoster and Rainbow High. Khaya is also a filmmaker and has made short films that have screen at festivals such as Virgi...
Jan 06, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Joshua : Joshua is a diverse, singing actor who has worked on Broadway and regionally at esteemed theaters such as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Theatre Under the Stars, Folger Theatre, Triad Stage, and Signature Theatre. His television appearances include "FBI," "Law and Order," "Law and Order: Organized Crime," "Law and Order: SVU," "Lincoln Rhyme," and HBO’s "Paterno." Joshua co-founded and served as Artistic Director of the Helen Hayes Award-winning No Rules Theatre Company in...
Dec 09, 2024•41 min
A graduate from Aberystwyth University, BEN THOMPSON left Wales and London to settle in New York. Soon after arriving he joined the Tribeca Film Festival where he is currently the VP of Shorts Programming. From the start of his career as a filmmaker Ben has always had a keen interest in short form storytelling and discovered while at Tribeca a passion for programming and presenting short films to new and engaged audiences. He is fascinated by the influence film has on our world and culture and t...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Presenting... Part 2 of my Filmmaker Roundtable at the Hampton International Film Festival. In this episode, we talk to the filmmaking teams of four short films. We delve into the process of creating their films and their experience at the festival. Including: Director Jack Kendrick and Producer Taylor Ervin for TORNADO: A struggling contractor risks his young sons’ wellbeing to cut a sweet deal. Director Geneva Peschka and Cinematographer Safiyah Chiniere for THE SOLACE OF SISTERHOOD: The Caram...
Nov 11, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Tom Nesher - Director & Writer Born in Los Angeles in 1996, Tom Nesher is a graduate of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School. She directed four award winning shorts, and has created dozens of unique freeform documentary pieces as a journalist at one of Israel’s most prominent networks. Come Closer is Nesher’s debut feature film. Logline: When Eden’s beloved brother suddenly dies, she takes desperate measures to fill the void. Once she discovers he had a secret girlfriend, these measures ass...
Oct 28, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Presenting... Part 1 of my Filmmaker Roundtable at the Hampton International Film Festival. In this episode, we talk to the filmmaking teams of two feature narratives and one documentary. We delve into the process of creating their films and their experience at the festival. Including: Delaney Buffet (Director, Lead Actress, Writer) and Katie Corwin (Lead Actress, Writer) for Adult Best Friends. Nothing holds a mirror up to your life more than the examination of a friend from childhood. While Ka...
Oct 21, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Carol Baum has produced thirty-four movies, seventeen of them independently. Before becoming an independent producer, Baum was co-president of Sandollar Productions, Dolly Parton and Sandy Gallin’s production company, for ten years, where she produced such hits as Father of the Bride; the Academy Award-winning HBO documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt; Tidy Endings; I.Q.; Jacknife; True Identity; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Gross Anatomy; Shining Through; Straight Talk; and Kicking an...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Cara Cusumano has been with Tribeca since 2008, during which time the festival has become a globally respected showcase for film and TV premieres, live music, talks, interdisciplinary events, and talent discovery. During her tenure as Festival Director, Tribeca has been called “an annual powerhouse” (Time Out), “reliably and inarguably excellent” (Village Voice), and “one of the most prestigious festivals of the new millennium” (Playlist). She has served on nominating committees for the Cinema E...
Sep 16, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Bryan Smiley is President & Chief Content Officer of Hartbeat, the global multi-platform media company founded by Kevin Hart. Named to Variety’s 2022 “New Leaders” and Hollywood Reporter’s 2018 ”Next Gen” and “Rising Executives 35 under 35” lists, Smiley oversees Hartbeat production, financing, and development, including the company’s 70+ projects in development and more than 20 projects released in 2022 across top tier partners including Netflix, Peacock, SiriusXM, Netflix, Audible and more...
Sep 09, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 11
ROB DECINA - In December of 2018, Rob Decina was named VP, Casting in NY for CBS Studios. He has contributed to the casting of many shows across several broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, including: Your Honor, The Comey Rule (SHOWTIME), Nancy Drew & The Dynasty (CW), Diary of a Future President (Disney+), Guilty Party & The Game (Paramount+) and Swagger ( Apple TV+). At CBS, he developed two programs: a Casting Fellowship, designed to encourage diversity and inclusion in the pro...
Sep 02, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 10
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 ac...
Aug 12, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 9
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 ...
Aug 05, 2024•14 min•Season 5Ep. 8
LIVE on the Red Carpet of the World Premiere of the film "Sacramento." Starring: Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, Michael Angarano, and Maya Erskine Written by: Michael Angarano and Chris Smith Interviews including Michael Angarano, Chris Smith, AJ Mendez, and Iman Karram Logline: Ricky, an energetic and free-spirited young man convinces Glenn, his long-time friend who's settled into domestic life, to go on an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Host: Instagram: @Mentors...
Jul 29, 2024•16 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Video Available on Spotify. This year, I achieved one of my goals of covering a Film Festival for my podcast. I interviewed big actors, incredible filmmakers, Tribeca programmers, and enjoyed myself immensely. In this special 4th Anniversary episode of Mentors on the Mic, I share: • What made me feel more confident and relaxed at this Film Festival in comparison to others • How I booked red carpets and big interviews with Lisa Edelstein, Margaret Cho, Gina Torres, Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton, Ti...
Jul 22, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Susanne Scheel is a New York-based casting director with a Bachelor of Science in Film and Television from Boston University. Susanne has won three Casting Society of America Artios Awards for Excellence in Casting and has been nominated for nine more. Susanne has had the honor of collaborating with several visionary creatives including Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Frances McDormand, Barry Levinson, George Clooney, Kasi Lemmons, Ryan Murphy, Jim Mickle, Cherien Dabis, John Lee Hancock, Peter Chelsom, ...
Jul 08, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 5
I had the opportunity to go LIVE on the RED CARPET at Tribeca for three movies. The first was interview the Duplass family for their film "Oh, Christmas Tree." This 11 minute short film was shot in their cabin in upstate NY. It truly was a family affair, written by Mark Duplass to star in with his daughter Ora Duplass, and directed by Katie Aselton, Mark's wife and Ora's mom. I asked them a couple of questions about shooting this short film and working together. It was Ora's first time in a film...
Jul 05, 2024•8 min
Nicole Frail is a senior editor at Skyhorse Publishing, a traditional publishing company based in New York City. She has been with the company more than a decade and currently works on both adult and children's titles in both fiction and nonfiction categories. She has worked with debut authors and illustrators, as well as New York Times bestsellers, James Beard Award winners, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians. In this episode, we talk about: • Getting a full time publishing internship in ...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Since 1994, Timothy Travaglini has worked in trade marketing for Scholastic, Inc.; been a bookseller for Books of Wonder, an all-children’s bookstore in New York City; and has edited for Henry Holt and Company, Walker & Company, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, and Open Road Integrated Media where he was the director of children’s acquisitions. Tim is now a Senior Agent at Transatlantic Agency. He primarily represents authors and illustrators of book for young ...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 1
TIM BLAKE NELSON - Actor, writer, director, and producer Tim Blake Nelson has appeared in over ninety feature films, including Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Ang Lee’s Billy Lynne’s Long Halftime Walk, Louis Letterier’s The Incredible Hulk, Jay Roach’s Meet the Fockers, Steven Gaghan’s Syriana, Miguel Arteta’s The Good Girl, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line, Andrew Davis’ Holes, and the Coen Brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou? Nelson also starred as the title ...
Jun 28, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 2
LISA EDELSTEIN - From her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the hit Fox series “House” to her star turn as Abby McCarthy in Bravo’s first scripted series “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” Lisa Edelstein’s range of roles are as diverse as her talent. “Girlfriends’ Guide” is a dramedy following a best-selling author of a self-help series who separates from her husband and must navigate big career changes and the dating world as a newly single mother. Edelstein also starred in the Golden Globe, Critics Choi...
Jun 17, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 1
