Liz Ortiz-Mackes' LinkedIn Summary
This quote from Liz's LinkedIn page is rather astute in its summing up her professional priorities - namely, ensuring diversity in the projects she works on and allowing a strong creative partnership with her clients, which may go well beyond casting. The LinkedIn page also shows an impressively linear progression over the course of her career - in particular, her progression from her work with the Non-Traditional Casting Project (now known as the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts) to her opening a casting office that emphasizes diversity, Casting Solutions, and heading up her own production company, I Ain't Playin' Films. In the neat black and white order of a LinkedIn resume, it looked to me like some brilliant master plan all along, a perfectly planned path that was meant to lead to owning and operating her own production and casting company. Liz informed me, however, that it was quite the opposite. "Making it up as you go along" might not do justice to the supreme investment Liz has afforded to her professional career. But looking at everything she's involved herself in - from teaching to writing books - it certainly suggests that you're best served by keeping yourself, as Liz describes it, "open to discovery."
Liz is passionate about helping actors and creators find a platform for their artistry, and is a fierce champion for the projects she takes up, including securing financing. She teaches at several different institutions. And her book - "Ace Your Acting Audition" - is an efficient and effective read. Consisting of short, concise chapters on specific aspects of the audition process (and good acting in general), the book is a great tool in demystifying the art of auditioning.
The Most Bizarre Role Liz had to cast
Liz recalls a spot for HSBC that required a voiceover with very specific requirements. The actor needed to be Asian, with a neutral American accent - and with fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese, and could look Vietnamese. While casting the project, Liz came head to head with a few actors guilty of having some discrepancy between the dialect skills listed on their resumes and their actual command of the languages. Liz adds that on every production team for a project such as this, there's usually an "ear" that can judge how fluent an actor truly is.
Her Educational Background
Liz attained her BA in theatre from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She transferred to Emerson College, but her financial aid wasn't renewed after her initial year of study and returned to Fordham. Her time at Emerson was fruitful, however, in that it afforded her the opportunity to direct her first show and discover her love of directing.
A Unique Career Path
As a college student, Liz was working as a floating usherette at a Broadway theatre when she was asked to answer phones at a management office. She progressed from there to being a manager, a bicoastal talent agent, and a stage director. She was asked by a small NYC talent agency to open an office in LA. After discovering unsavory business practices within the office, Liz moved back to NYC and concentrated on theatre. An NYC native, Liz felt more comfortable in the east coast groove. "Everyone you meet in LA tells you they're a producer. I said I'm a producer, too, I produce estrogen."
Once back in NYC, Liz began working for the Dramatists Guild as a producer of special events. While directing shows there, she caught the attention of the Non Traditional Casting Project - a not-for-profit advocacy organization "established to address and seek solutions to the problems of racism and exclusion in casting" (per the organization's description on airnyc.org). They were impressed by the multicultural casts Liz employed in her shows, and offered a position as their Director of Artists Files On Line. Liz managed their online database. She explains that the NTCP (now known as the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts) wasn't a talent agency, but a support organization and a resource for inclusion. Liz's time with NTCP was a defining personal and professional moment in her journey.
Diversity as a Priority
Liz credits her time with the NTCP for "showing me what I didn't know I wanted to do all along." The quest for inclusion goes beyond ethnic, gender, and lifestyle lines, also addressing the frequent absence of people with mixed abilities (a preferred alternative to the term "disabled" which Liz learned from actress Blair Wing) in film and theatre. The final section of Liz's "Ace Your Acting Audition" is a message to mixed abilities actors that addresses the issue. "Most people (unless they've had a personal experience with disability) are completely clueless; they cannot conceive of or appreciate the challenges faced each day. The entertainment industry, for the most part, reflects this insensitivity." Liz's dedication to inclusion was a cornerstone principle for her casting office, Casting Solutions. Among the most inspiring projects Liz has supported is as producer of the currently in-development documentary Re-Walk-Me, chronicling actress/dancer Jamie Petrone's journey to walk again after having lost the use of her legs due to Stevens Johnson syndrome in response to an egregious medical error. Liz successfully attained fiscal sponsorship through the NY Foundation for the Arts for the documentary. In the short teaser for the film currently on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/68915273), Ms. Petrone eloquently summarizes the struggle for inclusion when discussing the reaction of her teachers: "Through the pain, fear, frustration, and confusion, I looked around at everyone's extravagantly normal lives, and I was convinced no one would ever understand what I was going through, having been asked by the director of our musical theatre program to leave the school and come back when I was better, because 'you can't be an actress in a wheelchair.'"
Casting Solutions and I Ain't Playin' Films
Liz had been getting requests to do casting independently while working at the NTCP, so she decided to "take the plunge" and start her own casting office which would allow her to integrate her passions and priorities. Liz's eagerness to get involved in projects beyond casting led to the organic development of I Ain't Playin' Films. The film company started almost as a joke, based off of Liz's frequent assertion that "I ain't playin'." It's existed as an official production/casting hybrid for 2 years, although Liz was acting as a producer prior to that through her involvement in projects she'd initially cast. "I love putting people together and strategizing," she says. One constant through all of the projects she involves herself in is good writing. "The script is the thing. If I'm gonna bust my ass for your micro-budget movie, the writing had better be good." Amongst the upcoming projects Liz is excited about is a script written by her producing partner, Lizbett Perez, whose Act Your Age (a Latino comedy) is in development.
Teaching and Writing
In being "open to discovery," as she described it, Liz learned the value of diversifying her skill set (and resume) to ensure success and longevity. "I didn't want to be in the trap of 'you're only as good as your last...'" She never actively sought teaching; the opportunities came her way, and she took advantage of them. Among the institutions she teaches at is The Performing Option, which was founded by Madelyn Burns, a pioneer in bringing in working casting directors to teach aspiring actors. The school, in its fourth decade, specializes in training children and young adults. Liz has been amazed in what she's learned from the talented classes of young actors she's taught. She's also part of the faculty at the New York Film Academy and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she teaches Career Preparation for the Actor and the Business of Acting. She's currently close to completion on the second edition of "Ace Your Acting Audition." She conducted an 8-question industry wide survey for the new edition which informed the new book's content.
Fiscal Sponsorship
In addition to Kickstarter and similar fundraising options for projects, Liz has utilized fiscal sponsorship to help fund projects such Re-Walk-Me. The process can be arduous, especially given the specific type of fiscal sponsorship one is applying for. Liz clarifies that fiscal sponsorship doesn't obtain money in and of itself, but rather legitimizes a project to grant writers and gains valuable assistance for a project, such as managing of the account and mentorship.
Mutually Beneficial Alliances
Liz advises actors to rethink the concept of "networking." As it is, many actors' efforts at "networking" can be empty and blatant gestures that invade space and seek a one-sided relationship, benefitting the actor only. Liz suggests instead looking at forming mutually beneficial alliances that will benefit both parties. "Put yourself in an intelligent, detailed context," Liz says, when approaching casting directors in hopes of beginning a relationship.
The Liz Ortiz-Mackes Movie
Title? "This is not a Porn Tape."
Portraying Liz? "Tina Fey - if she was Latina."
Mainstream or Art House? "Art House."
MPAA Rating? "Rated R for using 'f---' too many times." (This response was frighteningly similar to Brette Goldstein's. When I told Liz this, she laughed and said they were pals.)
Thanks to Liz, and thanks to you for reading!
Liz is passionate about helping actors and creators find a platform for their artistry, and is a fierce champion for the projects she takes up, including securing financing. She teaches at several different institutions. And her book - "Ace Your Acting Audition" - is an efficient and effective read. Consisting of short, concise chapters on specific aspects of the audition process (and good acting in general), the book is a great tool in demystifying the art of auditioning.
The Most Bizarre Role Liz had to cast
Liz recalls a spot for HSBC that required a voiceover with very specific requirements. The actor needed to be Asian, with a neutral American accent - and with fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese, and could look Vietnamese. While casting the project, Liz came head to head with a few actors guilty of having some discrepancy between the dialect skills listed on their resumes and their actual command of the languages. Liz adds that on every production team for a project such as this, there's usually an "ear" that can judge how fluent an actor truly is.
Her Educational Background
Liz attained her BA in theatre from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She transferred to Emerson College, but her financial aid wasn't renewed after her initial year of study and returned to Fordham. Her time at Emerson was fruitful, however, in that it afforded her the opportunity to direct her first show and discover her love of directing.
A Unique Career Path
As a college student, Liz was working as a floating usherette at a Broadway theatre when she was asked to answer phones at a management office. She progressed from there to being a manager, a bicoastal talent agent, and a stage director. She was asked by a small NYC talent agency to open an office in LA. After discovering unsavory business practices within the office, Liz moved back to NYC and concentrated on theatre. An NYC native, Liz felt more comfortable in the east coast groove. "Everyone you meet in LA tells you they're a producer. I said I'm a producer, too, I produce estrogen."
Once back in NYC, Liz began working for the Dramatists Guild as a producer of special events. While directing shows there, she caught the attention of the Non Traditional Casting Project - a not-for-profit advocacy organization "established to address and seek solutions to the problems of racism and exclusion in casting" (per the organization's description on airnyc.org). They were impressed by the multicultural casts Liz employed in her shows, and offered a position as their Director of Artists Files On Line. Liz managed their online database. She explains that the NTCP (now known as the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts) wasn't a talent agency, but a support organization and a resource for inclusion. Liz's time with NTCP was a defining personal and professional moment in her journey.
Diversity as a Priority
Liz credits her time with the NTCP for "showing me what I didn't know I wanted to do all along." The quest for inclusion goes beyond ethnic, gender, and lifestyle lines, also addressing the frequent absence of people with mixed abilities (a preferred alternative to the term "disabled" which Liz learned from actress Blair Wing) in film and theatre. The final section of Liz's "Ace Your Acting Audition" is a message to mixed abilities actors that addresses the issue. "Most people (unless they've had a personal experience with disability) are completely clueless; they cannot conceive of or appreciate the challenges faced each day. The entertainment industry, for the most part, reflects this insensitivity." Liz's dedication to inclusion was a cornerstone principle for her casting office, Casting Solutions. Among the most inspiring projects Liz has supported is as producer of the currently in-development documentary Re-Walk-Me, chronicling actress/dancer Jamie Petrone's journey to walk again after having lost the use of her legs due to Stevens Johnson syndrome in response to an egregious medical error. Liz successfully attained fiscal sponsorship through the NY Foundation for the Arts for the documentary. In the short teaser for the film currently on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/68915273), Ms. Petrone eloquently summarizes the struggle for inclusion when discussing the reaction of her teachers: "Through the pain, fear, frustration, and confusion, I looked around at everyone's extravagantly normal lives, and I was convinced no one would ever understand what I was going through, having been asked by the director of our musical theatre program to leave the school and come back when I was better, because 'you can't be an actress in a wheelchair.'"
Casting Solutions and I Ain't Playin' Films
Liz had been getting requests to do casting independently while working at the NTCP, so she decided to "take the plunge" and start her own casting office which would allow her to integrate her passions and priorities. Liz's eagerness to get involved in projects beyond casting led to the organic development of I Ain't Playin' Films. The film company started almost as a joke, based off of Liz's frequent assertion that "I ain't playin'." It's existed as an official production/casting hybrid for 2 years, although Liz was acting as a producer prior to that through her involvement in projects she'd initially cast. "I love putting people together and strategizing," she says. One constant through all of the projects she involves herself in is good writing. "The script is the thing. If I'm gonna bust my ass for your micro-budget movie, the writing had better be good." Amongst the upcoming projects Liz is excited about is a script written by her producing partner, Lizbett Perez, whose Act Your Age (a Latino comedy) is in development.
Teaching and Writing
In being "open to discovery," as she described it, Liz learned the value of diversifying her skill set (and resume) to ensure success and longevity. "I didn't want to be in the trap of 'you're only as good as your last...'" She never actively sought teaching; the opportunities came her way, and she took advantage of them. Among the institutions she teaches at is The Performing Option, which was founded by Madelyn Burns, a pioneer in bringing in working casting directors to teach aspiring actors. The school, in its fourth decade, specializes in training children and young adults. Liz has been amazed in what she's learned from the talented classes of young actors she's taught. She's also part of the faculty at the New York Film Academy and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she teaches Career Preparation for the Actor and the Business of Acting. She's currently close to completion on the second edition of "Ace Your Acting Audition." She conducted an 8-question industry wide survey for the new edition which informed the new book's content.
Fiscal Sponsorship
In addition to Kickstarter and similar fundraising options for projects, Liz has utilized fiscal sponsorship to help fund projects such Re-Walk-Me. The process can be arduous, especially given the specific type of fiscal sponsorship one is applying for. Liz clarifies that fiscal sponsorship doesn't obtain money in and of itself, but rather legitimizes a project to grant writers and gains valuable assistance for a project, such as managing of the account and mentorship.
Mutually Beneficial Alliances
Liz advises actors to rethink the concept of "networking." As it is, many actors' efforts at "networking" can be empty and blatant gestures that invade space and seek a one-sided relationship, benefitting the actor only. Liz suggests instead looking at forming mutually beneficial alliances that will benefit both parties. "Put yourself in an intelligent, detailed context," Liz says, when approaching casting directors in hopes of beginning a relationship.
The Liz Ortiz-Mackes Movie
Title? "This is not a Porn Tape."
Portraying Liz? "Tina Fey - if she was Latina."
Mainstream or Art House? "Art House."
MPAA Rating? "Rated R for using 'f---' too many times." (This response was frighteningly similar to Brette Goldstein's. When I told Liz this, she laughed and said they were pals.)
Thanks to Liz, and thanks to you for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment