9. The Business of Acting & Understanding the O-1 Visa Process with special guest, Ilona Smyth

Today on Casting Confidential the roundtable answers one of their most asked questions. "How to get an O-1 Visa and break into the US market of acting."The roundtable welcomes special guest and business of acting expert, Ilona Smyth to the podcast. Grab your notebook because this episode is packed with insight and advice you won't hear anywhere else!!With over 20 years of experience, Ilona's proven ability to discover rising talent, successfully book notable talent by leveraging good relationships with top agencies worldwide, negotiate and advocate for both productions and performers while remaining mindful of budgets and union rules, and neatly handle the tightest deadlines, has led to the successful casting of over 130 projects. Providing invaluable firsthand knowledge and insight, Ilona’s casting experience stretches from feature films to TV series, national commercials, reality TV, print campaigns, corporate videos, and events — both in Canada and internationally. She has her finger on the pulse of the best and upcoming talent available for projects of any size. As a regular guest speaker, Ilona has been able to share her experience in casting and entrepreneurship worldwide, and as a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion she has served as a mentor for the Reelworld Screen Institute’s Diversity Initiative and the Black Theatre Workshop Artist Mentorship Program. Ilona Smyth is a Casting Society of America member, Casting Director Society of Canada Executive Member, and is the founder and CEO of Smyth Casting. www.smythcasting.comCASTING CONFIDENTIAL:Join veteran casting director Rose Rosen and her dynamic panel of industry experts in a candid, no-holds-barred virtual round table discussion. Delve into the casting business in each weekly episode of the podcast, where we reveal  insights and stories from the fiercely guarded world of casting.Get ready to laugh, learn, and uncover the secrets behind the scenes that shape the creative content consumed worldwide. What do casting directors truly wish producers understood? What brings them the greatest joy? And how can actors elevate their craft to stand out? "Casting Confidential" pulls back the curtain on the reality of survival in show business. Do you have what it takes? Join the conversation and find out for yourself.Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Casting Confidential Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rose Rosen, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roserosencsa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kimberly Skyrme, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kimberlyskyrme⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cheryl Louden-Kubin, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@loudenkubin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kimberly Ehrlich, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kimberlyehrlich4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Robin Carus, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@robincarus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paisley Baker, CSA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@coatcheck3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Artwork by:Ace Anderson ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thestripedheart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by:Orville Wright ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ohyeahbeats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**The opinions expressed in Casting Confidential podcast reflect only the opinions of each individual casting director. They do not reflect the opinions of any other official group or entity. Additionally, nothing in this show should be construed as an offer of employment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.