Lana Veenker

What Casting Directors Are Looking For on Your Resume

When we glance at your resume, we’re looking for things we recognize: A production company, a director’s name, a well-reputed acting coach, etc. We’re also looking for credits that stand out.

12 Steps to Surviving Open Casting Calls for Parents

While we rarely conduct open calls, sometimes clients request them for specific reasons. And so it was that several hundred babies, kids, and toddlers recently tottered through our doors over the course of a long Saturday.

8 Tips For Networking at Film Festivals

On assignment at this year’s Berlinale, Casting Director Lana Veenker asked actors from a dozen countries for their top networking tips. Here is their best advice!

5 Things To Know Before Heading to Hollywood

If you’re dead set on moving to Hollywood, make sure you know the five things Casting Director Lana Veenker says actors MUST have before declaring California or Bust.

State Tax Credit Programs Give L.A. Actors Tough Choices

As states like New York, North Carolina, and Oregon strengthen their tax incentives for local film and TV production, actors may be tempted to leave L.A. for good.

The Secret to Guaranteed Success

A most cherished holiday tradition has formed among my friends—my inner circle, my Mastermind group—in which we come together to talk about the year that has past and the year yet to come.

6 Real Auditions Gone Horribly Wrong

Casting Director Lana Veenker reveals disastrous actor choices in the audition room…and what to do instead.

Think Hollywood Is The Only Place For An Acting Career? Think Again.

You may have better success outside Los Angeles. Learn from Casting Director Lana Veenker about the advantages of a regional acting career.

12 Questions to Determine Whether You’re Ready to Pursue Acting

Think you have the temperament and business sense to survive in the entertainment industry? Take Lana's self-evaluation quiz and see how you score.

8 Ways for Kids to Stand Out at a Commercial Audition

Lana Veenker, CSA, ICDN, founder and president of Cast Iron Studios, shares these eight tips on how kids can standout at commercial auditions.