The Mandy Network: Facebook Live Sessions

The Mandy Network has been hosting Live Panel Discussions on Facebook with some of the top professionals in the industry. On this page you can watch all of our previous sessions including discussions with top casting directors from the worlds of TV, film and theatre, award-winning filmmakers, Covid-compliance officers (to ensure sets are safe) and so much more. This page will be routinely updated with new content.

Perfecting Your Self-Tape & Audition: Casting Directors Share their Advice

Watch our talk with with Nick Clinch, renowned industry expert and founder of voice reel and coaching studio, Notable Voices, for an insightful Facebook Live on how you can perfect your home studio and take on more remote jobs. You can check out our full session and read highlights of the session here.

How to Monetise Your Film & Find Distribution: Industry Expert tells us all

During this Facebook Live, we were joined by renowned film producer, writer, director and CEO of short film streaming platform Argo, Arcadiy Golubovich! Arcadiy has years of experience in the industry, wearing many distinguished hats, and he understands perfectly how the dynamics of filmmaking can pose many challenges and huge rewards for emerging filmmakers. You can check out our full session and read highlights of the session here.

Perfecting Your Self-Tape & Audition: Casting Directors Share their Advice

Join us as we discuss the ways in which you can boost your career with top casting directors, Kate Evans CDA and Sophie Holland CSA. Learn all the ways you can perfect your self-tape and audition during lockdown! You can check out our full session and read highlights of the session here.

How to get signed by an agent: your ticket to success

For this Facebook Live, we were joined by renowned agents Marlene Sutton, who is the Partner and Head of Adult Commercials at DDO Artists Agency, and Jennifer Goldhar, who is the President of The Characters Talent Agency in Toronto. They manage a successful roster of actors in film, TV, commercials and theatre, and they were on hand to offer their expert guidance on the inner workings of how actors can get signed by an agent, build a successful relationship with them and how their careers can soar to new heights. You can check out our full session and read highlights of the session here.

How Young Performers Can Succeed in 2020: Casting for Theatre

During our recent Facebook Live, we were joined by renowned casting director Debbie O'Brien! She has cast incredible theatre productions on the West End and international tours, TV shows, commercials and more. Debbie's focus is casting young performers, and so for this session she was able to share some great tips on how parents can support children, help them succeed, how the licensing process works, how to nail auditions and more. You can check out our full session and read highlights of the session here.

Casting Young Performers During the Pandemic: How to Master Self-Tapes & Virtual Auditions

The methods in which casting directors, actors, young performers and their parents work have never been so vastly different than in this climate. With many in-person auditions not moving forward, our industry is looking towards digital avenues to ensure productions can move ahead and professionals are cast in roles. During our recent Facebook Live, we were joined by renowned casting directors Tree Petts CDA and Emily and LJ of Keston & Keston! They have cast incredible theatre productions, commercials, TV shows and more and they were on hand to discuss the changes in casting during the current climate, how it has affected the industry and the long-term effect this period may have, as well as offering expert advice to performers on how they can best succeed. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

TV, Film and Streaming: Media in a Post Pandemic World with the Co-Founder of E! Entertainment

The landscape of the media industry has evolved immensely in the last decade. From the rise of streaming services to new avenues opening for emerging filmmakers and creative professionals, not to mention the effects ensued by the pandemic, we are connected to an industry that is defying all notions of normality. We hosted an incredible Facebook Live session with a titan in the industry, Larry Namer, who is the Co-Founder of E! Entertainment and currently heads Metan Global Entertainment Group! We delved into the pandemic’s effect on the industry, how projects are developed and the ways in which networks attempt to meet audiences’ insatiable appetite for content in the streaming landscape. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

Mental Health, the Creative Industries & Me: How to Cope in 2020

Working in the creative industries can be hugely rewarding for many professionals across the sector, but it can also be incredibly taxing, especially in the current climate. As the world battles a pandemic and our industry slowly begins to get back on its feet, the day-to-day realities for many have been difficult to adjust to. We endeavour to ensure our members feel supported and, with this in mind, we hosted a Facebook Live session with two renowned professionals in the industry: Dr Tamara, who is connected with the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and Mig Burgess, a Trustee for the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT)! Our discussion centred on mental health in the creative industries, recognising the signs of problems and the methods you can adopt to ensure your mental wellbeing is taken care of, as well as the support that is available to you. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

Production Post Pandemic: Industry Experts share their Visions

The landscape of commercial production has never been so diverse. With more ways than ever to break into the industry and projects evolving due to the current pandemic, now is an incredibly important time to focus on your career and learn from the experts. The Mandy community is filled with talented professionals, and we recently hosted a live panel session on Facebook, co-hosted by our friends at Shiny and joined by a panel of A-list production experts (The Ghettonerd Company, 72andSunny and Caviar), centred on how you can stand out to potential employers, how they make crewing decisions and more! Our panel shared their top tips and guidance for professionals, as well as exclusive insights into how the industry is adapting in the current climate. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

Get Your Film Seen: Award-Winning Filmmakers Tell Us How

Whether you are in the initial stages of planning a film project or are gearing up to the release of your finished product, the ways in which a production can achieve success and be seen are hugely diverse. As many Mandy members are busy working on their own projects, we hosted a session with two award-winning filmmakers! Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan are the minds behind the SXSW-winning fim Saint Frances, and they shared their tips and guidance on how to get an indie film seen, from funding to production, succeeding on the festival circuit and more. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

Safety on Set: Making Films & TV in a Covid-Compliant Workplace

In this climate it can be difficult to understand what makes a set Covid-compliant. With advancements in testing, zonal systems and Covid-related training, it is important to put the safety of cast and crew at the heart of productions. It is because of this that we were joined by two professionals, Marc Auerbach, a location manager, screenwriter, author and Covid-compliance officer, and Alex Pollak, a paramedic and CEO of ParaDocs. They discussed ways in which sets can be made safe, what constitutes the role of a Covid-compliance officer and how the entertainment industry is adapting. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

The Future of Casting: Self Tapes & Zoom Auditions

As our industry continues to adapt to the ‘new normal’, the ways in which actors, agents and casting directors work has never been so different. We had an exclusive conversation with two esteemed casting directors, Kate Evans CDA and Shakyra Dowling CDA CSA, and we highlighted valuable tips to ensure actors maximise their professional success in this climate. They offered a great deal of insight on how to perfect a self-tape and Zoom audition and you can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.

The Secrets Behind Casting a Blockbuster Movie

Do you wonder about the secrets behind the casting of blockbuster movies? We decided to lift the lid on the casting process and what goes on behind the scenes of huge film productions, and we were joined by two renowned casting directors: Manuel Puro and Jeremy Zimmermann! They provided insight into their casting process, as well as discussing how Covid-19 has affected their work and how they believe the industry will adapt and move forward, not to mention offering inspiring tips and advice for actors. You can check out our full session below and read highlights of the session here.