Join us for a peak into how casting directors watch and analyze self-tapes to make casting decisions.
In this program, Bess Fifer, Danielle King and John Ort will watch self-tapes recorded especially for this program by a number of SAG-AFTRA members, and will give notes and thoughts that provide insight into their preferences and process.
These reservations are for Q&A participation and observation only.
Bios
Bess Fifer is a highly acclaimed casting director whose work on Apple TV’s 'Severance' earned her an Emmy nomination and solidified her reputation as a leader in the industry. Known for her dedication to authentic, diverse, and inclusive casting, Bess has also been recognized for her groundbreaking contributions to Netflix’s 'It's Bruno', for which she won the 2020 Artios Award for Excellence in Casting – Short Form Series. Operating from New York, Bess has significantly shaped careers across both film and television, bringing a fresh and inclusive perspective to independent features like 'Lingua Franca' and 'The Light Of The Moon', as well as major TV series including 'Escape At Dannemora' on Showtime. Her commitment to representation and inclusivity has made her a sought-after collaborator in the industry.
Danielle King is from Houston, TX and has been casting in NY for the last 6 years. She has quickly moved up from a casting intern at MTC where she worked on 'Choir Boy' (Broadway) to a freelance Associate Casting Director in TV/Film. She has worked on shows for several networks and streaming services including, Apple+, Amazon Prime, EPIX, (HBO)MAX, HULU, Showtime, and more. Currently, she is the Casting Associate on 'And Just Like That' (MAX) and 'Only Murders In The Building' (HULU). She is a proud graduate from Howard University's Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and a teamster member.
John Ort is a two-time Artios Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Casting - most recently for his work as a Casting Director on the 2nd season of the short form series 'State of the Union' for Sundance TV/AMC+, and previously as an Associate Casting Director for the first season of Netflix’s 'Ozark.' Credits include Will Gluck's comedy feature 'Anyone But You,' Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi feature 'The Creator', the Miramax horror film 'The Home', 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3', the international series 'The Swarm,' the last 5 seasons of CBS's 'Bull,' CBS’s 'Tommy' starring Edie Falco, several Tom Hooper directed commercial film spots, VO for Gen-Z Media’s scripted podcasts, feature films 'My Hero,' 'Love Island (Fire Island),' 'Last Ferry' and 'Anya,' short films 'Dérive,' 'The Water Song' and 'Etymology,' as well as the music video Evolution featuring SIREN. Previously John was Manager of Casting for ABC Primetime in NY casting series regulars for numerous pilots and currently running series.
