SYNOPSIS

Commercial Self-Direction with John McKinney Few things are as difficult or confounding to an actor as trying to interpret commercial copy. Between the vapid, ‘selly” language and the confusing or contradictory direction – assuming you get any direction at all – nailing exactly what the ad agency is looking for can seem like an impossible The good news is, commercial acting has its own set of rules and guidelines just as stage and film acting do. In fact, that copy you’re holding most likely contains a great many clues that will help you hit the bullseye dead center – once you know where to look for them Join commercial casting director and former advertising creative John McKinney as he unveils the secret codebook to commercial acting. As someone who not only created but also cast countless TV campaigns for national brands for over twenty-five years, John will dispel all the confusion and guesswork about commercial acting, allowing actors to approach their auditions with the kind of bold, artistic choices and richly nuanced performances ad agencies are looking for. 

Please note, this class is for experienced on-camera actors only.

RSVP'D Actors will receive a ZOOM Invitation to participate the morning of the class. 

CASTING DIRECTOR BIO

John McKinney

John’s diverse background in both acting and advertising began as a radio DJ, followed by a long and successful career as an advertising creative (think Mad Men but without the skinny ties and martini lunches) at various New York agencies such as Grey, Gotham and McCann Worldwide where he worked on over a hundred national brands. During this period he found himself increasingly drawn to the theatre world, first as an actor and then later as a playwright. This eventually led him to a new career path – commercial casting – beginning with a job as a voiceover casting director for a major midtown recording studio, then striking out on his own in 2019 to form John McKinney Casting, where he now casts or on-camera as well. All the while John would occasionally do voiceover work himself, booking national TV and radio spots, and today is held in high regard by the industry as a private voiceover coach and demo producer. As a published playwright, John is especially happy to work with seasoned stage actors, often drawing from the theatre world when casting commercial projects and vice versa.

REQUIREMENTS

You must have completed a Casting Access Application prior to registering for this class.

Please note that the 90-day frequency restriction applies to this workshop. Your last frequency-restricted workshop must have taken place no less than 90 (ninety) days prior to this event to be eligible to register

Only those participants who have received a telephoned or e-mailed confirmation message from staff will receive a link inviting them to the session. Waitlisted individuals who have not received such confirmation will not be sent the link to join the class.