Casting Directors Up-Close and Personal

These are the folks with the power to get you hired on TV, in films, in commercials: the casting directors. And short of getting an audition with them, this is the format in which you'd like to see them: up close, talking about what they look for and how you can get seen by them. These dynamic informational sessions are held in small conference rooms seating no more than 50, so all your questions can be answered. Don't just bring your headshot?bring a notebook and have your pens ready. This is information and advice you don't want to miss.

Akua Campanella
Campanella has cast more than a dozen feature films, including The Beginning of Wisdom, starring John Perry and Mathew Perry; Playing With Fire, starring Vanessa Williams, Tangi Miller, and Mel Jackson, and A Private Affair, starring Vanessa Bell Calloway, Clifton Powell, Kym Whitley, and Casey Lee. Campanella also cast the pilot for Dakota Dogs, starring Duane Martin and Burt Reynolds.

Campenella's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Clark Gable Room at 11 a.m.

Mara Casey
As a casting assistant, Casey worked on several network pilots and series, including Gilroys, Grapefruit Moon, and George and Leo, starring Bob Newhart, Judd Hirsch, and Jason Bateman. Casey continued to cast television series as a casting associate at Kanner and Johnson, with shows such as Dawson's Creek and Zoe Duncan Jack & Jane, Lifetime's Oh Baby, and the feature film Playing Mona Lisa. Casey is currently the casting director for the WB's one-hour series The Gilmore Girls.

Casey will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the Clark Gable Room at 1 & 2 p.m.

Patrick Cunningham
Cunningham's casting credits include Boomerang, What's Love Got To Do With It, Blank Check, and Desperado. He has cast for Disney in the sitcom department, as well as for such independent films as The Woman in the Moon, Never Met Picasso, and the documentary Art City, which aired on PBS. Cunningham is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Casting Society of America.

Cunningham's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Marilyn Monroe Room at 12 noon.

Pam Dixon
After graduating from the University of Southern California, Dixon was hired by CBS Television. After a few months, she became assistant to the Head of Casting. Six months later, she left CBS Television to become vice president of casting for ABC Television Network. She oversaw the casting for all series, miniseries, television movies, and daytime soaps. Dixon left ABC television to become a production vice president for Paramount Pictures under Michael Eisner. For several years, she has been an independent feature casting director. During this time she has cast numerous features, including Zorro, City Slickers, The Waterdance, The Craft, Angels in the Outfield, Tremors, Dick, The Moderns, Goldeneye, The Music Box, Baby Boom, Cookie's Fortune, and The Playboys. Dixon has just completed casting on Investigating Sex, directed by Alan Rudolph, American Outlaws, directed by Les Mayfield, and Juwana Mann, for Morgan Creek Productions. Dixon lectures at USC, UCLA, the Los Angeles Film School, Harvard University, and high schools throughout California. She is on the board of trustees for Pacific Hills School in Los Angeles and is active in many fundraising organizations. She is an active member of the Motion Picture Academy.

Dixon's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Marilyn Monroe Room at 11 a.m. It is already sold out.

Christy Dooley
Dooley was born in Palo Alto, Calif., studied in San Diego, began her career in San Francisco, and is surviving in Los Angeles. She pursued acting and directing as a theatre arts major at San Diego State University and spent two years with a theatre company in Northern California, where she performed in and directed many shows. In 1984, she came to Los Angeles to get more involved in the entertainment industry. For two years, Dooley was an active member of American Theatre Arts, a repertory company in the heart of Hollywood. When an opening came up at CBS for a new daytime drama about to go into production, Dooley jumped at the chance. She is now the head of casting for The Bold and the Beautiful, after having been with the soap opera for almost 14 years.

Dooley's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Clark Gable Room at 10 a.m

Mali Finn
Finn's film credits include studio pictures?Wonder Boys, L.A. Confidential (winner of the 1998 Artios Casting Award for best Feature/Drama), Titanic, The Matrix, and The Green Mile?and notable independents like Tigerland, The Weight of Water, Sunday (winner of the 1998 Artios Casting Award for Best Low-Budget Independent), and the Dogma film The King Is Alive (U.S. casting). Finn recently cast the short-lived one-hour drama Gideon's Crossing, and she's currently casting Matrix 2 and 3 and K-19, starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson.

Finn's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Clark Gable Room at 9 a.m. It is already sold out

David Giella
Giella is currently a producer and the casting director on the TV series Touched by an Angel. He cast the family drama Promised Land for three years. Additionally, he has cast the feature films What's Love Got To Do With It?, Desperado, the Showtime film Riot, the Emmy award-winning TV movie David's Mother, and many other films and TV projects. His work on Touched by an Angel has contributed to the show's many awards, including multiple Image Awards (for the positive portrayal of African Americans) and the Imagen Award (for the positive portrayal of Latinos). In October, David was honored by Media Access for his innovative and creative use of disabled actors on both Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. In addition to his television work, David is currently completing his studies to become a psychologist, hoping eventually to work with families and teens.

Giella will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the Marilyn Monroe Room at 9 & 10 a.m.

Danny Goldman
Goldman began his show business career as an actor, appearing in such film classics as M*A*S*H and Young Frankenstein. He has directed more than 30 stage productions in Los Angeles, receiving awards from Drama-Logue and the L.A. Drama Critics Circle for his work. Goldman has been casting commercials for the past 20 years with Danny Goldman & Associates Casting. In addition to commercials, he has branched out into casting films, music videos, industrials, voiceovers and interactive media.

Goldman will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the Audrey Hepburn Room at 1 & 2 p.m.

Tara-Anne Johnson
Now a casting associate in Amy Lippens' Casting office on the series Once and Again, Johnson has worked as casting associate and casting assistant on such series as 3rd Rock From the Sun and That '70s Show, and as casting associate on Leap of Faith. Her credits as casting director include the independent short Food for Thought, the PSA Invisible, and a number of graduate student films.

Johnson will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the James Dean Room at 9 & 10 a.m.

Thom Klohn
Klohn first gained experience casting such feature films as A Fare to Remember, Legion, Susie Q, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Orgazmo, starring Matt Stone and Trey Parker. He has also cast a number of miniseries, including Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke, Cruel Justice, and Honor Thy Father & Mother: The Menendez Killings. Klohn is currently the casting director for the critically acclaimed television show, The District, starring Craig T. Nelson.

Klohn's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Marilyn Monroe Room at 3 p.m.

Shana Landsburg
Landsburg currently serves as casting director for Walker, Texas Ranger. Other casting credits include the TV movies Phantom of the Megaplex, Daydream Believers: The Monkees Story, In the Name of the People, Where the Truth Lies, Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol, Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story, A Father for Brittany, Flood: A River's Rampage, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and The Lottery.

Landsburg's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Clark Gable Room at 3 p.m.

John Levey
Levey has assembled a number of stellar ensemble casts, including those of ER, China Beach, Head of the Class, and Growing Pains. He got his start in theatre, starting as a director with credits including Shades at South Coast Repertory and The Dining Room at the Coronet Theatre. In addition to the daily casting of ER, Levey brought together a gifted multi-ethnic cast for the pilot of NBC's Third Watch, and he shares casting credit with Kevin Scott for the political drama West Wing.

Levey will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the Audrey Hepburn Room at 11 a.m. and 12 noon. They are both already sold out.

Lisa London
With Catherine Stroud, London is the casting director for the series Family Law. Previous credits include the TV series Teen Angel and Ellen, and the films McHale's Navy, Arli$$, Leprechaun, Howling V: The Rebirth, and Kiss Shot. She also did additional or local casting for the series Due South and the film A Very Brady Sequel.

London will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions," one in the James Dean Room at 11 a.m., and one in the Clark Gable Room at 12 noon.

Jamie Rudofsky
Rudofsky has cast several successful television shows, including Gilmore Girls, Boston Public, The Practice, Felicity, and Snoops. She was the casting assistant for Robert Duvall's film The Apostle, as well as for such TV shows as The Single Guy, EZ Streets, and Boy Meets World.

Rudofsky will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions," in the Marilyn Monroe Room at 1 & 2 p.m.

Marnie Saitta
Saitta is currently the casting director for the popular CBS serial The Young & The Restless.

Saitta will give two "Up-Close-and-Personal Sessions" in the James Dean Room at 12 noon & 1 p.m.



Brien
Scott was the casting director for Bramson and Associates, a full-service advertising and design firm, for more than 20 years. He has cast a number of commercials and infomercials, as well as television and feature films. Scott was the 1993 Telly Awards winner and a finalist for the Silver Microphone Awards. Films include The Last Request, Lunar Dreams, New York Cop, Naked Truth, Night Visitors, and In The Wind.

Scott's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the James Dean Room at 3 p.m.

Tony Sepulveda
Sepulveda, a seasoned casting director who also happens to be a member of L.A.'s renowned improv troupe the Groundlings, serves as vice president of casting for Warner Bros. Television. Among the projects he has his hand in currently is the new animated series The Oblongs featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Jean Smart, and Pamela Segall. Recent credits include casting the pilot of Jesse and the series Suddenly Susan, The Drew Carey Show, Hope & Gloria, Friends, Reasonable Doubts, Knots Landing, and Family Matters. He also served as casting director for the 1989 TV movie An Eight Is Enough Wedding.

Sepulveda's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Audrey Hepburn Room at 10 a.m.

Michael Testa
Testa has been the casting director for many independent feature films, TV series, and more than 70 movies-of-the-week. Feature film credits include The Assassination of Richard Nixon starring Sean Penn, Rachel Griffiths, and Don Cheadle, Love and Sex starring Famke Janssen, Jon Favreau, and Cheri Oteri, and Till The End Of Time, starring Linda Fiorentino, Ben Kingsley, Shirley Knight, and French Stewart. Television series include Roswell and Nightman.

Testa's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Audrey Hepburn Room at 9 a.m.

Sarah Thompson
An associate with Eve Brandstein Casting, Thompson works on the PAX-TV shows Mysterious Ways, and other credits include Mystery Wheel, The Rumfords, Doc, Christy, Beastmaster, Harlequin Romances, and countless pilots. She also worked as casting assistant on The Stephanie Miller Show and the Movies of the Week Dog's Best Friend and Dead End.

Thompson's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the James Dean Room at 2 p.m.

April Webster
Webster has been a casting director for more than 20 years in all aspects of entertainment, including feature films, movies of the week, TV, and theatre productions. Feature film credits include The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson; 13th Floor, with Gretchen Mol and Vincent D'Onofrio; Godzilla, starring Matthew Broderick, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, and Doug Savant; All The Queen's Men, Death Before Dishonor, and Bob Roberts, with Tim Robbins. Webster is currently the casting director for the Fox spin-off The Lone Gunmen and CBS's series C.S.I.

Webster's "Up-Close-and-Personal Session" will be in the Audrey Hepburn Room at 3 p.m.