Learn from a working casting director with nearly two decades of experience, including credits on TED LASSO, ROYAL MOB, and AFRICAN QUEENS

Get direct feedback from Olissa during a live Q&A, plus practical takeaways on materials, self-tapes, and outreach you can put to use in your very next submission

Getting cast isn't just about talent — it's about visibility, professionalism, and understanding a process that most actors never get to see from the inside. You can be the most skilled performer in the room, but if you don't know how casting directors actually find, evaluate, and remember actors, you're leaving your career up to chance. This webinar pulls back the curtain on that process, giving you the insight you need to move from talented to castable — and to start showing up on casting directors' radars in the right way, for the right reasons.

If you're like most actors, you've probably run into some version of these obstacles — wondering why your submissions go unanswered, why your reel isn't landing callbacks, or why a strong audition still doesn't lead anywhere. Part of the problem is that most actors are working with materials that don't hold up: headshots that don't stand out, resumes with common and avoidable mistakes, reels that don't show what casting directors are actually watching for. Add to that an online presence that undersells you, self-tapes that lose attention in the first few seconds, and no real strategy for approaching a casting office professionally — and it's easy to see why so much talent goes unnoticed. You'll walk away from this session knowing exactly where those gaps are and how to close them.

You'll be learning directly from Olissa Rogers, a casting director with nearly two decades of hands-on experience across film and television. Olissa began her career in Germany in 2008, working primarily on TV series before joining Jeremy Zimmermann as a casting assistant on multiple films. From there, she worked with Kharmel Cochrane on commercials, TV, and film, then became an associate to Theo Park on major TV projects, including TED LASSO. She went on to work as a casting associate for Amy Hubbard and later for Fiona Weir, building a career at the highest levels of the industry. Since 2022, Olissa has cast projects including ROYAL MOB, AFRICAN QUEENS, and MY FRIEND MISTY  — giving her a rare, current perspective on exactly what casting directors are looking for right now.

Over six parts, you'll get a complete look at how casting really works — from understanding a casting office's day-to-day process, to building headshots, resumes, and reels that actually get attention, to approaching casting directors the right way and staying visible without overstepping. You'll learn what makes a self-tape stand out in the first few seconds, what happens behind the scenes after your audition, and how to build the mindset and habits that lead to repeat bookings — not just one-off opportunities. Olissa will also be sticking around for a live Q&A, so you can get your specific questions answered directly. By the end of this session, you'll walk away with a clear, practical understanding of how to get noticed, stay memorable, and build a sustainable acting career on your own terms.

Part 1: Understanding How Casting Directors Really Work

• The day-to-day reality of a casting office

• How projects are cast from breakdown to booking

• What casting directors are actually looking for

• The difference between being talented and being castable

• How casting directors discover new actors today

Part 2: Building Materials That Get Attention

• What makes a headshot stand out

• The biggest mistakes actors make with resumes

• Demo reels: what casting directors actually watch

• Why your online presence matters more than ever

• Creating materials that make casting directors want to learn more

Part 3: Getting On A Casting Director's Radar

• How to approach casting directors professionally

• The right and wrong ways to email a casting office

• When to invite a casting director to your performance

• Industry events and networking opportunities that actually work

• How to stay visible without becoming a nuisance

Part 4: Self-Tapes That Get Callbacks

• What casting directors notice in the first few seconds

• Common self-tape mistakes that hurt actors

• Following instructions like a professional

• Performance choices that help you stand out

• How to submit self-tapes that make casting directors remember you

Part 5: What Happens After The Audition

• Why talented actors don't always get cast

• How casting directors advocate for actors

• What producers, directors, and networks consider

• Handling rejection professionally

• Building long-term relationships that lead to future opportunities

Part 6: Creating A Sustainable Acting Career

• How to think like a professional actor

• The mindset that successful actors share

• Confidence without desperation

• Staying motivated between opportunities

• The habits that lead to repeat auditions and bookings

Q&A with Olissa

• Actors of all levels who want to understand how casting directors actually think, work, and discover new talent.
• Actors preparing to submit self-tapes and want to know exactly what makes a casting director stop and take notice.
• Actors looking to refresh their headshots, resumes, or reels and want to know what actually gets a casting director's attention.
• Actors and performers who want to build real, lasting relationships with casting directors instead of one-off submissions.