The Vermilion Podcast

In this unprecedented moment for Hollywood, self-submitting is an essential form of marketing. Just five minutes a day, five days a week can change the entire game for you. Misha explains how to strategically use key platforms—Actors Access, Backstage, and Casting Networks—in order to get more auditions. Booking work is still entirely possible, but when the industry gets quieter, you must get loud...

Are you on hour ten of editing your reel? Take a break and get some tips and tricks from our host Misha on what will make yours stand out. A reel is an important tool used by people in the film industry to show off their skills and talent. In this episode Misha provides practical advice about what to include in your reel, how to get it to reach the right people, and a great example of one working...

Everyone once in awhile we meet a casting director or agent who says the first and most important thing they look at with an actor is....that's right....their resume! Are you prepared for such a meeting? Your resume is more than a list of credits. It's a marketing tool that tells industry folks a years-long story about your training and work From industry-standard formatting to show...

Do you know the most important marketing materials for an actor? It’s simple, and yet so many actors are not up to date with these things. Headshot. Resume. Reel. In this episode, Misha shares why these three essentials matter, why consistency beats talent alone, and how simply showing up and doing the work can put you ahead of most people in the industry. We also discusses what it reall...

This week, our host Misha Calvert covers one of the most important parts of an actor's career: headshots. Drawing from her own experiences as an actor, Misha discusses why headshots remain an essential marketing tool, how to find the right photographer, and what makes a headshot stand out to casting directors. She also shares some cautionary tales about "headshot trauma," the importance of se...

This week, our host Misha ventures into the forest on a mini writer's retreat to work on her latest screenplay. She offers some encouragement and support on the idea of creativity and how to start to value your work as an artist more. Did you know that 98% of us are testing at the "creative genius" level at age five? Where does it go? Why do we stop imagining and expressing? Returning back to your...

Did you know that your acting is not the only thing you need to think about in your audition? Many actors thing their craft is the deciding factor in whether they get a part or not, but it goes way beyond craft. This episode includes a candid list of some of the hidden things that directors (and casting directors) actually look for when deciding whether to cast an actor. Hopefully y...

If your memory of film only goes as far back as Jurassic Park, this is an episode you don't want to miss! The history of filmmaking is fascinating, and it turns out that diversity, equity and inclusion was a part of filmmaking from the beginning. In this episode, Misha goes into some of the fascinating backstory of Hollywood, including how the studio system went from the underdog to the Goliath th...

Big news today! Misha is honored to have been asked to include one of her recent films in the Tribeca Film Festival. Between this and her upcoming class with Sundance Collab, plus some of her other projects in development, it's a busy time! So we are putting it to you: our audience. Do you love the podcast? Do you want it to continue? If we hear demand from you the listeners (and watchers), w...

We are lucky enough to have grabbed Shannon Gisela for an episode before she completely blows up! Her new crime show M.I.A. on Peacock, from the creator or OZARK, is an absolutely stunning vehicle for Shannon’s talent. In this episode, Shannon talks us through her amazing journey from “normal” actor auditioning and living life, to being #1 on the call sheet in a brand new TV show. Be sure to tune...

The creative industry is by nature collaborative…but that doesn’t mean that every collaboration is fun. Sometimes they are incredibly difficult! The stress of production can bring out the worst in people, and also the best. It's up to you to decide who you want to work with, and how you want to handle situations as they arise, and when to walk away. And make sure you're not the difficult coll...

Have you been wondering how to get involved with "verticals," i.e. vertical films and series? it's one of the fastest growing sectors of the film industry, and a great way to make a nice day rate while getting experience on set. This week host Misha Calvert interviews prolific verticals director Nancy Pop. Nancy gives you some stunning secrets about what it's like to audition for and get cast in v...

Are you a screenwriter looking for an opportunity to get feedback from a professional production company? Here’s your shot! The Vermilion Writing Challenge runs from now until the end of the year and offers you the chance to send in up to 20 screenplay pages for a producer on our development team to take a look at and give you feedback. Misha is challenging YOU personally...

Slate shots. They’re the simplest part of an audition, and yet they can feel impossible to get right. It's actually a question we get asked a lot about here at Vermilion, so this week Misha breaks down slate shot basics and gives you the cheat sheet for nailing them. This should be *most* everything you need to know about slate shots coming from the perspective of a working film director. Act...

Who hasn’t dreamed of premiering at Sundance, the largest film festival in America? But have you ever spoken with someone who actually works for Sundance? Behind the reputation and prestige is a fleet of genuinely kind and passionate people including Sara Murphy, who serves as legal counsel to Sundance. This week, Misha and Sara discuss what it takes to get into the festival, the creative process,...

Do you have dreams for the future? Are you on track to living them out? This week, Misha talks about one of the critical steps in achieving your dreams: creating a clear vision of them. You'll be guided through an exercise that helps you visualize your dream life and begin to embody that future self. By refining the vision of your dream life, you will be able to believe it more easi...

The old Hollywood gatekeeping system is dying thanks to technology. Gone are the days where artists were barred from entry by iron gates and an army of assistants. Anyone can contact anyone now! Artists have direct access to executives, directors, producers, and investors at the highest level…but what do you say when you write to them? Welcome to the art of the pitch: each and every email should b...

The first time Misha sold a TV show she was calm and confident. It wasn’t because the show was and is great (which to brag, it is) but because she didn’t know it was possible to sell a TV show in a cold pitch meeting! That confidence helped her sell not just one, but two projects to a streaming service. In this week’s episode, our host Misha Calvert gives you her secret to selling work as a film a...

In this sobering episode, Misha walks you through some of the very real dangers of AI for people working in film and television. The flip side of the rise of generative AI is the increased need for creativity, not only as an industry but as a personal practice. Join Misha as she delves into some new ways to approach your art on the frontline conversation on what the future of AI is for creatives,...

This week, the Vermilion podcast hosts an exciting guest: actor, director, and producer Nicole Ansari-Cox. Not only does she have a credits acting in three languages, but she heads up ‘The Climate Reality Project’: a non-profit focused on finding real-life solutions to the rising climate crisis. Nicole truly is a shining example of how to combine art and activism with grace and success. Listen thi...

You’re paying too much for your phone bill! With so much competition in the phone plan market, you should be paying $30 a month maximum! Misha tells you which phone plan provider she uses and gives you some practical tips on how to negotiate down your monthly phone bill without switching providers. She also touches on your internet bill, which may also be over-charging you. As a creative you shoul...

Do you have one big, scary thing that you know you need to do, but you’ve been putting it off for days, weeks, or even years? This is your “Final Boss.” It’s not just a test…it’s what’s standing directly in the way of your dreams. In this mind-altering episode, Misha lays out the "Final Boss" paradigm as a clear roadmap for personal growth. She explains that when you dodge the big, scary challenge...

Our guest this week is actor and influencer Sarah Pribis — you know her from Instagram and TikTok, but there’s a lot more to her! In Sarah and Misha’s candid conversation, she pulls back the curtain on maintaining a professional acting career while leveraging a successful social media presence. They discuss sobriety, workaholism, the definition of success, and how mental health can either make or...

In this episode, Misha tackles one of the most isolating aspects of the creative journey: the feeling that your work is being sent into a "black hole." Even though rejection is a big part of being an artist, sending email after email and never hearing back takes a huge toll on your mind. Misha offers a practical solution to reclaim power through email tracking, which you can use selectively to at...

In celebration of the new year, we are reposting one of our top-downloaded episodes of all time! This incredibly helpful episode gives you the top three ways we have seen actors book work. Misha takes you through "the triangle" of strategy as an actor to get you from zero auditions a week on up to ten auditions a week. And if you're doing all three tactics at once, you are almost guaranteed to boo...