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Meet Stacey Pianko of The Casting Fairy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Pianko.

Stacey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in Suburban Detroit, I didn’t know much about the TV & Movie industry. All I knew was that I adored actors, and had a passion for knowing what my favorite actors were doing and where I could see them. At a time before even VHS recorders (imagine that if you can!) I would sit in front of the TV with a tape recorder, recording favorite shows like Welcome Back Kotter, SNL, One Day at a Time….the list goes on. I became hooked on storytelling, especially comedic stories, but had no idea how my passion would influence my future career path.

I was fortunate to land my first casting gig as the assistant on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. That experience had me more smitten with actors and their ability to make a story come alive. After that, I worked with many respected CDs as well as in Disney/Touchstone’s Film Casting Department when they were cranking out about 15 movies a year. Although it was a great experience working at a major film studio, I felt the itch to be independent to be more creatively engaged in the casting process. I moved on as an Associate CD to several respected Casting Directors. All the while joyously gaining knowledge about all the actors I liked, keeping them filed away in my head.

Soon I was recruited by The Disney Channel as The Executive in Charge of Casting during a fun time when stars like Shia LaBeouf, Kaley Kuoco, Hilary Duff, Kat Dennings, & Lindsay Lohan. Although putting a cast together can be very collaborative, it was great having an influence on decisions to hire certain actors that didn’t necessarily fit the “Disney Style”. Here, I felt that I was able to impart a little of my sensibility on each project that I was involved in. For me, that’s the exciting part of casting – helping people to show their uniqueness within the realm of the character they portray.

That, and prompting from an actress friend, is what brought me to start The Casting Fairy. In helping my friend prepare auditions this pilot season, I found it such a pleasure to witness her get closer to each character by delving deep into the scripts and scenes and deciphering what made each character tick. When my friend thanked me she said – “I haven’t felt this excited or confident about my acting in so many years, you really are a Casting Fairy”. So, I can’t even take credit for the awesome name, but it fit perfectly. I so enjoy helping actors by being their Casting Fairy (God) Mother.

Recently, one of my most exciting projects was the worldwide kid search for James Cameron’s Avatar Sequels due out in 2021. Meeting such fantastically talented young actors and interviewing them on tape for Mr. Cameron was a privilege. To have had a small part in changing those kids lives by helping them bring their best to that first impression taped audition & interview…well, I’m kvelling.

Now I am happily working on several independent films and television projects. I especially love working with filmmakers who respect my input as well as the effort and skill that goes into casting a project thoughtfully.

Has it been a smooth road?
Anyone who has been in the TV & film industry for as long as I have will tell you it’s a lot like a roller coaster. The highs are exhilarating, but the lows make you want to jump off the ride.

Being a Casting Director is a lot like being an actor in a sense. We interview for jobs, get our hopes up if we love the project, they can feel pretty devastated if it doesn’t go our way.

There are also plenty of challenges especially in casting a television show. You have the Director, Producer and many Studio Executives involved who all have opinions. Sometimes the decision arrived at is not what we (the casting director) thinks is best for the project. When that happens, it’s hard to not feel disappointed.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Casting Fairy story. Tell us more about the business.
With 25 years working as a prolific Hollywood Casting Director, I’ve witnessed countless times how the art of compelling storytelling is anchored in the actor’s ability to understand the character and the context in which they live. My focus as The Casting Fairy is to help the actor make the audition choices that will make them stand out from the crowd.

My passion to support actors helping them do their best work has driven me to serve as a GPS through the Entertainment industry as a personal audition coach.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I love how companies like Netflix, FX, HBO, AMC, etc. are concentrating on single artists’ visions and don’t muck it up with too many studio/network notes. The future of TV looks like there will be more streaming channels and more specialized content specific to each channel. The future of film, well more tent-pole franchises are coming our way because that’s what puts asses in the seats. I also imagine there will be a shift towards more realistic programming and hopefully away from diversity for diversity’s sake and towards a more organic approach to storytelling.

Pricing:

  • $90/hour for Coaching + Self-Taping session in my home studio in Tarzana
  • $100/hour for Reel Enhancement – Many young actors don’t have enough content on their reel to show their range in all genres. I’ll help you pick out a scene/s coach you and record it professionally for your reel. *Mobile sessions available at additional charge **Email me at thecastingfairy@gmail.com for an appointment

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

1 Comment

  1. Monique Barry

    July 19, 2019 at 05:51

    Fascinating article! So interesting to learn about that facet of the industry.. Stacey seems like a much needed gem

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