@jbtcat You’re welcome!
Pilot and straight-to-series bookings are announced on Deadline.com in the TV section. https://deadline.com/v/tv/
I follow them as they come up and do a series of targeted Google searches for those whose headshots pass the eyeball test as being in the young adult category. Sometimes it’s easy and their birthdates and complete resumes pop right up. Other times it takes more digging. Some sources that come up might be their social media accounts, IMDb Pro, Wikipedia, Famousbirthdays, Broadwayworld which may lead me to old playbills, agency website rosters, interviews, studio and college brag sheets … any number of places.
Given that, it bears repeating from last year that unless I found a complete resume or know the person and his background, the information is just what I was able to piece together and may not be complete. Just because I couldn’t find any training info for some should in no way be construed to mean that they haven’t had it. Same goes for those showing bare BFAs, MFAs, or conservatory certificates. For instance, if you knew my real name and Googled me, you would immediately see where I went to college and high school. But you would not see the places I have studied since because my online resumes are not publicly available. Even if you hacked into those, you still wouldn’t see that I have a coach with whom I usually consult when I read for movie roles that will shoot during hiatus and yet another with whom I have been working via Skype on a semi-regular basis on difficult tv material from his advanced class to stay ahead of the game and keep my chops sharp for when my show inevitably gets cancelled and I find myself back in the fray - which may be soon.
To build on that, as an example of the continued training most actors need even after coming out of top BFAs, there is a great interview on the Kahnversations podcast with Tyler Poelle who is at the top of the assistant faculty at Lesly Kahn and Co. which happens to be one of the studios that I recommend for new graduates coming to LA. He is a Carnegie Mellon graduate and likens his early days in town to wearing a superhero suit, but still flying into walls because he didn’t have a clue about what he was doing in tv auditions. He is also a self-described journeyman working actor and a wealth of information about what that life entails. He can’t talk without teaching you something, so it’s a valuable listen. The host of the podcast is Ryan Bailey who is big in the sketch comedy world and has a BA from Arizona State. I guess I should say that listener discretion is advised because f-bombs fall freely around the Kahnstitute. haha https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ryan-bailey/kahnversations/e/49300546
While I’m at it, the heads of the four main studios that I recommend have given podcast interviews in the past year. All of them to some extent go into their own transitions into the real world of tv and film from academic training as well as what their experiences have been in helping others make that transition.
Lesly Kahn has a two-parter on “Industry Standard” with Barry Katz. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fake-mustache-studios/industry-standard-w-barry-katz/e/56193230 https://player.fm/series/industry-standard-w-barry-katz-1792963/ep-288-lesly-kahn-part-2-of-2
John Rosenfeld on “Speak LA.” https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/speak-la-the-podcast/e/55787744?autoplay=true
Billy O’Leary on “Box Angeles.” https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mike-box-elder-2/box-angeles/e/54931118
Stan Kirsch on “Outlander Rewatched” in which he mostly talks about his time on that show but gets into detail about what he now does at his studio in the last 10-15 minutes. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/highlander-rewatched/e/50742185?autoplay=true
Sorry if I’m going overboard and throwing in the kitchen sink with hours and hours of listening material (or if links to podcasts are not allowed on this forum.) I’m always finding stuff that I wish I had when I was coming along and podcasts weren’t yet a thing. I got lots of good info from online sources that helped me get a fast start in the industry and I think it’s good to try to pay it forward. I realize that it’s mostly parents here, but those resources can be great for getting an idea of what your kids will be going through when they graduate.