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Empower Your Career And Connect With The Creative Industry.

 

In partnership with CasAzul and Casting Workbook, Vancouver Film School presents a two-day online event for new and experienced actors to learn from industry experts and enhance their careers. This conference is open to actors of all experience levels, whether you’re just beginning your journey or already have professional credits under your belt.

The virtual event will include guest lectures, industry discussions on a variety of topics from ‘filming during a pandemic’ to ‘virtual casting’ and numerous opportunities to network with the creative industry. Stay tuned for additional session and guest speaker information, which have yet to be announced! Final schedule will be released closer to May 14.

 

Note: This event will be hosted by both English and Spanish-speaking guest speakers. Sessions may not be available in both languages.

Translations made possible by the Canadian Embassy Mexico.

 

Date:

May 14-15, 2021
*Daily session times are subject to change.

Location:

Online (via Hopin)

 

How It Works:

 
  • Save your spot for the Actor's Expo by filling out the registration form below.
  • We will send you detailed instructions on how to log into the Actor's Expo hosting platform prior to the event.

Get Free Tickets:

 

 

 

 

Day One:

 

*General Exhibition Booths are open from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. PDT / 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. CDT*

 

I Want to Act: A Performing Arts Education

Presented By: 

With special guests Damián Alcázar, Karina Gidi, Barbara Martinez & Jennifer Clement

Spoken in English, simultaneous translation to Spanish

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. PDT / 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CDT

The acting craft is always evolving. From the fundamental basics to new trends that have arisen during the pandemic, hone your craft for a career as an actor by building a set of skills that every successful performer carries with them in their toolbelt.

The New Normal: Self Tape & Virtual Casting

Presented By: 

With a special guest Christopher Bennett

Spoken in English Language

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CDT

While the days of in-person casting auditions may currently be on pause – the show must go on! Learn to master the art of the virtual self-tape, preparing you for your big close-up wherever you are.

Kissing Your Co-Star

Presented By: 

With special guests Arturo Sedano, Jerry Roriguez Burckle & Monica Vizzi

Spoken in Spanish Language

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. PDT / 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. CDT

Guest speakers share how to work around the restrictions of a pandemic with the help of VFX, along with the challenges they have faced and lessons they have learned.

Actor-preneurs (Canada)

Presented By: 

With special guests Vincent Tong, Mayumi Yoshida & Bill Marchant

Spoken in English Language

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. PDT / 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. CDT

Like running any business, managing your career as an actor requires focus, determination and a clear understanding of the evolving industry. Actors can be empowered to create their own work and often wear many hats -- writer, director, producer, voice artist. Find out how you can expand your opportunities by building your skills and kickstarting your entrepreneurial spirits.

Actor-preneurs (Mexico)

Presented By: 

With special guests Lucía Uribe, Anton Araiza & Karina Gidi

Spoken in Spanish Language

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. PDT / 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. CDT

CasAzul alumni from different classes speak about their own careers and start-ups – as producers and casting directors – and reflect on how performing artists can develop different skillsets as entrepreneurs.

From CasAzul to VFS to Hollywood

Presented By: 

With special guests Eréndira Ibarra, Jack Duarte & Andrés Tena

Spoken in Spanish, simultaneous translation to English

4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. PDT / 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. CDT

Professional actors were once students too! Join a panel of former students as they share their individual journeys of self discovery, including the transition from education to Hollywood, and the most important lessons they learned in school.

Damián Alcázar

Actor | Narcos, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Damián Alcázar is an award-winning Mexican actor, best known for portraying Colombian drug lord Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela in the Netflix series Narcos.

Karina Gidi

Actor | Abel, An Unknown Enemy

Karina is a theater, film, and television actor with 30 years of experience and currently serves as the Director of CasAzul’s School of Acting.

Barbara Martinez

Director for Latin America | Vancouver Film School

An International Admissions Advisor, Barbara is the Latin America Director for VFS, assisting prospective students in pursuing their post-secondary education.

Jennifer Clement

Actor & Head of Acting for Film & Television | Vancouver Film School

Jen has acted in over 100 projects in the course of her career and has been teaching for ten years at VFS.

Arturo Sedano

Managing Director | Cinematic Media

With 20 years of industry experience, Arturo has been involved in post-production for thousands of hours of film and television for various studios.

Monica Vizzi

Actor | Lord of the Skies

Monica is a film and television actor best known for her roles in Lord of the Skies and Aurora boreal.

Lucía Uribe

Director & Actor | Desenfrenadas, Solteras

Lucía is a film and television actor best known for her roles in Desenfrenads and Un munbdo secreto.

Anton Araiza

Actor | Te acuerdas de mí, El Secreto de Selena

Anton is a film and television actor best known for his roles in The Amazing Catfish and Te acuerdas de mí.

Eréndira Ibarra

Actor | Sense 8

Eréndira is an actor and screenwriter. She made her acting debut in 2005 (Alivio) and appeared as Daniella in Netflix’s original series Sense8.

Christopher Bennett

President/CMO | Casting Workbook

Christopher Ian Bennett is the President & Chief Marketing Officer for Casting Workbook.

Bill Marchant

Actor | Stargate-SG1, Davinci's Inquest

Bill Marchant is a writer, actor, producer, and director, best known for his recurring roles on Stargate-SG1 and Davinci's Inquest.

Jack Duarte

Actor | Orisha, Igobernable, Welcome to Acapulco

Jack Duarte is a trilingual actor known for Orisha and Ingobernable. He is also an internationally recognized musician.

Jerry Rodríguez Burckle

Creative Director | Argos Media Group

Jerry Burckle is a creative director, producer, and showrunner with more than 20 years of industry experience.

Vincent Tong

Actor | Ninjago, Nexo Knights

Vincent Tong is a Canadian voice actor and voice director, known for his roles in Iron Man: Armored Adventures and Sushi Pack.

Andrés Tena

Theatre Actor/Director

Andrés Tena has appeared in numerous plays such as “Café des-k-feinado” & “La Ilusión” and is currently part of the theater company “La Máquina de Teatro”.

Day Two:

*General Exhibition Booths are open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. PDT / 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT*

 

Platforms & Pandemic

Presented By: 

With special guests Francisco Ramos, Epigmenio Ibarra & Verónica Velasco

Spoken in Spanish, simultaneous translation to English

10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. CDT

Gain insight into the trends, opportunities, and challenges currently facing Latin-American audiovisual performers, writers, directors, and creators.

The Future Now: Evolving with Technology

Presented By: 

With special guests Karin Konoval, Graham Qually, Charles Douglas & Jennifer Clement

Spoken in English Language

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. PDT / 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. CDT

Successful actors understand the importance of collaboration. From casting to execution, learn how a performance is truly co-created by actors, VFX artists, and performance capture technicians alike.

Teatrix

Presented By: 

With special guests Mirta Romay, Alejandra Maldonado & Marina de Tavira

Spoken in Spanish, simultaneous translation to English

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. PDT/ 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. CDT

Teatrix is ​​an at home subscription platform for high-quality theatrical plays filmed for the Spanish-speaking market. Learn more about this platform, launched by Mirta Romay in 2015, and how it has grown and expanded during the pandemic.

Embracing Diversity in Acting

Presented By: 

With special guests Kiomi Pyke, Mayumi Yoshida, Andrés Soto & Omari Newton

Spoken in English Language

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. PDT / 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. CDT

Diversity is what truly makes acting one of the most unique industries in the world. Learn about the importance of accurate and informed representation in the future of the industry, as well as the vital work and lasting solidarity among Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Where Are We Going? The Disruption & the Hopeful Future

Presented By: 

With special guests Simon Barry, Christopher Bennett & Jacquie Gould

Spoken in English Language

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. PDT / 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. CDT

This closing seminar will bring the experience of a Director and Showrunner who have been creating, developing new content and shooting through the pandemic. They will speak to the changes they have witnessed and help us all to see "where we are going" in this industry. Industry trends have changed in this new landscape and we will all need to learn to connect in this virtual world before we step on a set. Through it all, this time has made us all aware that storytelling is alive and well, emerging on new platforms around the world. Let's all be ready.

Francisco Ramos

VP of Spanish-language Originals | Netflix

As the VP of Content Latinamerica at Netflix, Francisco works to bring unique, local and authentic content to audiences.

Epigmenio Ibarra

Founder & Owner | Argos Comunicación

Since 1992, Epigmenio has been the General Director of Argos Comunicación, a production company in Mexico.

Mirta Romay

Founder | Teatrix

Mirta is the Founder of Teatrix, a Latin American streaming service that brings the big screen to your small screen.

Marina de Tavira

Actor | Roma

Marina is theatre, film and television actress, best known for her Oscar-nominated role in Roma.

Andrés Soto

Actor | Riverdale, The Man in the High Castle

A graduate of the VFS acting program, Andrés is known for his roles in The Man in the High Castle and Riverdale.

Omari Newton

Actor | The Dragon Prince, Marvel Super Hero Adventures

Omari Newton is an award-winning actor, writer, director/producer, and a senior instructor at VFS.

Graham Qually

Owner | Beyond Capture Studios

Graham’s studio provides world-class Motion Capture and Performance Capture services for VFX, Video Games, and Animation.

Charles Douglas

Actor & Movement and Fight Director

Charles is a Canadian actor, movement & fight director, and educator who has trained and worked internationally.

Kiomi Pyke

Actor | Siren, DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Kiomi Pyke is an actor and writer, known for Past Never Dies, Siren and Legends of Tomorrow.

Simon Barry

Director, Producer, Writer | Warrior Nun, Van Helsing

Simon Barry is a Canadian screenwriter, director, and film and television producer.

Jacquie Gould

Writer, Director | Van Helsing, Strange Empire

Jacquie Gould is a Canadian writer and director based in Vancouver. She is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.

Karin Konoval

Actor | Planet of the Apes franchise, Snowpiercer, The Good Doctor

Karin has appeared in guest starring roles in numerous TV series and supporting lead roles in many feature films.

Mayumi Yoshida

Director, Writer, & Actor | Man in the High Castle, Tokyo Lovers

Mayumi is known for her role in The Man in The High Castle which earned her a Best Emerging Actor nomination at the UBCP Awards.

Alejandra Maldonado

Multidisciplinary Performer

Alejandra Maldonado is a Mexican actor with multidisciplinary training in acting, dance, saxophone, and history.

The Exhibition

The Exhibition will be open on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 throughout the entire event. All event partners will have an individual booth featuring general information as well as exclusive offers. We look forward to speaking with you!

Additional exhibitors to be announced. Stay tuned!

Casting Workbook

Casting Workbook's philosophy has always been about innovation and over-the-top service. Being a leader of the pack since 1994, Casting Workbook has fought for what it believes in and provides the entertainment industry with a software solution that is focused on adding value. Today, amidst the changing industry, Casting Workbook has evolved into one of the most esteemed online breakdown services in the world; not because it was the first, but because it fully integrates with the casting process. With a high level of integrity and imagination, Casting Workbook remains a global leader in the development and design of online casting software.

CasAzul

CasAzul is a performing arts and audiovisual school based in Mexico City. They offer Acting, Directing, Dramaturgy and Screenwriting careers aimed at actors of all ages and levels. Stop by and find out how CasAzul can help you in your journey as an actor.

Vancouver Film School

In 1987, Vancouver Film School introduced the world’s first true immersion film program. Today, VFS is Canada’s premier entertainment-arts centre, offering an immersive curriculum in film, animation, video game production, VR/AR development, motion and interactive design, programming, art/production foundation, and other related programs. VFS is known for providing high-quality education in accelerated timeframes. VFS alumni are consistently credited on the most successful products in the entertainment economies.

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