VIDEO: Hollywood Casting Directors are 'obSETHed' in Web Series

Seth Coltan knows how to lose friends and alienate people. At least, he lost agents and alienated casting directors in his first few years auditioning in Los Angeles, when he thought being pushy, dishonest, and offensive were the best ways to get noticed.The actor says he eventually realized he "was doing everything wrong" as an intern for casting directors Nan Dutton and Scott David. He quickly learned about proper audition etiquette, the value of professionalism, and the importance of the relationships between casting directors, actors, and agents."Casting directors and actors really are on the same team," Coltan says. "Casting directors are rooting for the actors."Now more experienced and self-aware, Coltan can find humor in the often awkward and uncomfortable situations he got himself into as a young actor. He has turned his horrible audition mistakes into funny sketches for "obSETHed," a web series he created. He even recruited casting directors like Mark Teschner, Michael Donovan, Geralyn Flood, Krisha Bullock, Nancy Nayor, and more to guest star as themselves."I knew nothing about the industry when I first arrived in L.A.," Coltan says, "but every morning I would jump out of bedor the blow-up pool raft on the floor I was sleeping onso excited for the day. To me, the possibilities were endless. I could be discovered anywhere at any time. I really believed my dreams were about to come true. As far away from reality as I was back in those days, they were the best times of my life."Watch some episodes of "obSETHed" below, with commentary from the casting directors.Mark Teschner, CSA in "Generally Hospitable": Teschner is the casting director for ABC's "General Hospital," for which he has won multiple Emmy and Artios Awards. He says that he participated in this video because it was "hard to say no" to such a creative and unique idea. "It was an example of an actor creating an opportunity, and I really respect that," he says.Teschner adds that it was not a challenge to play himself on camera: "I mean, who better? Talk about type casting! As for the scene itself, I was better prepared than Seth. I basically carried him on my back. Please tell him I said so."Geralyn Flood, CSA in "Flood Gates": "I am not very comfortable being in front of the camera," admits Flood, the casting director for Nickelodeon's "Big Time Rush" and the Disney Channel series "Good Luck Charlie." "But I realized it would be an excellent and relatively safe way to learn what it's like to be on the other side of the camera, and so I said yes, with great fear."It was an incredible challenge for me and I have even more respect for actors and what they do," she adds. "It's not just being honest and real in the moment. There were all these technical aspects that actors do that they make look effortless that I had to figure out. I had to remember where I put my hand take after take, and make sure I matched it in each take, while still trying to be spontaneous and present. My shoot was only an hour or two, but I was exhausted by the end. And I was being me!"Krisha Bullock, CSA in "Heart & Soul": "I think the most important thing all actors can learn is to have humor and not take themselves too seriously," Bullock says. "Love what you do, have fun, and laugh a lot."Bullock has been the casting director for many Nickelodeon television series, including "iCarly," "Victorious," "Drake & Josh," and "All That." Have any of her real-life audition experiences matched the scenarios in "obSETHed"? "I once had a young actor vomit at a network callback, all over the conference room floor," she recalls. "He came back in the room 20 minutes later and booked the part."Tamara-Lee Notcutt, CSA in "Olde English": "I initially wanted to be an actor," Notcutt says, "until I realized that I was a control freak and didn't like the fact that I had zero control over whether or not I booked the job. In my career now, I get to have a little fun acting with actors in the room and seeing what they can do, with none of the pressure on me."Notcutt began her casting career as an assistant in London, and has since been part of the team at Randi Hiller Casting in Los Angeles as both a casting associate and casting director. She says the acting lessons in "obSETHed" are very simple: "Don't do what Seth does."Coltan plans to shoot more videos for the series, and also hopes to develop a TV series around the character. Watch more 'obSETHed' episodes online at obsethed.net.

N.Y. Philharmonic rides 'Carousel'

BaldwinGilbertA manufacture of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical "Slide carousel" is probably the choices on tap included in the 2012-13 season in the NY Philharmonic.The mainly music-centric selection in the Philharmonic includes an interdisciplinary staging of ballet "Petrushka" in the creative team behind the Philharmonic's 2010 buzz-magnet version of opera "Le Grand Macabre." Alec Baldwin, meanwhile, is placed to come back because the host from the company's regular radio broadcast, "The NY Philharmonic Now.InchThe "Slide carousel" production, set to air on national TV included in the skein "Live From Lincoln subsequently Center," reunites helmer James Brennan and conductor Take advantage of Fisher, the duo also behind the Philharmonic's 2007 staging of "My Fair Lady" toplined by Kelsey Grammer and Kelli O'Hara. No cast has yet been introduced for "Slide carousel," which will get a fast run in the Philharmonic February. 27-March 2, 2013.The brand new version of Stravinsky's "Petrushka" originates from director and designer Doug Fitch and troupe Titans are Small, inside a staging that includes animation, video forecasts, puppetry and dance. Show, paired on the double-bill having a performance of Stravinsky's "The Fairy's Hug," runs June 27-29, 2013.Brought by music director Alan Gilbert, the Philharmonic begins its 2012-13 season in September with a number of concerts featuring work by Stravinsky, Kurtag and Mozart. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Science greenlights 'Oddities' spinoff

Science is moving towards the West Coast using its "Oddities" franchise. The Invention cabler has greenlit spinoff "Oddities: Bay Area,Inch in which the action will center at eccentric-goods store Loved to Dying. Shop hosts 1000's of obscure products, and also the skein will concentrate on both wares in the shops and also the clients who are available in and study. Skein is created by Brent Montgomery's Leftfield Pictures. Original "Oddities" is a hit for that internet within the 25-54 demo, and last week's two telecasts came a combined series-record 743,000 audiences. New back-to-back episodes air at 9 p.m. Saturdays. " 'Oddities' opened up Science to some huge subculture of audiences who desire the odd and unusual," stated Science topper Darlene Adler Myer. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

D. Thomas Burns dies at 86

D. Thomas Burns, who, in the capacity as leader from the CBS Television Stations Division within the seventies assisted launch "The Muppet Show," died of cardiac arrest on Thursday, February. 9, in Cohasset, Mass. He was 86. Throughout the seventies, local stations searched for syndicated programming to fill the access hour beginning at 7 p.m. since the Primetime Access Rule limited network programming to 3 hrs from 7-11 p.m. Burns saw potential in Jim Henson's puppet variety show and introduced the idea to CBS chairman William Paley. CBS backed "The Muppet Show," that was offered in distribution, running from 1976-81. Burns began in broadcasting being an assistant research director at ABC Tv and radio and held positions at CBS, Harrington Righter & Parsons and ABC in the past from the television industry. After becoming gm of WLS-TV in Chicago from 1963-66, Burns rejoined CBS in 1967 as Vice president of broadcasting for that NY Yankees once the network possessed they. In 1968, he was named Vice president and assistant towards the leader, CBS Broadcast Group. Burns grew to become the leader from the CBS Television Stations Division in 1970. He was Vice president of technical assets in the CBS Broadcast Group from 1977-79 and Vice president of recent endeavors from 1979-85. David Thomas Burns was created in Chicago. Throughout World war 2, he offered like a navigator bombardier within the U.S. Military Air Forces like a second lieutenant. Burns receiving his undergraduate degree from Loyola U. in Chicago in 1950 and did publish-graduate work on the U. of Chicago. He received a Physician of Humane Letters in Communications from St. John's U. in 1974. He offered around the board of company directors of organizations such as the Worldwide Radio & Television Society, the Advertising Council and also the Television Bureau. Younger crowd offered around the board of advisors to St. John's U. Communications School. Burns is made it by his wife, Miriam three sons and 2 kids and numerous grandchildren. A funeral mass is going to be celebrated on Thursday, February. 16 at 11 a.m. in St. Anthony Chapel, Cohasset, Mass. To have an online guestbook, visit Mcnamara-sparrell.com Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Tracy Lilienfield and Shaun Meshel Form New Casting Office

Casting company directors Tracy Lilienfield and Shaun Meshel have created a new partnership, Back Stage has confirmed.Both Lilienfield and Meshel are longtime TV casting company directors with multiple credits for their names.A number of Lilienfield's newer credits range from the CBS comedies "$#*! My Father States" and "The Brand New Adventures of Old Christine" and The best spinner's comedy "My Boys." She also cast NBC's lengthy-running sitcom "Will & Sophistication."Meshel, formerly joined with Robin Lippin, cast the CW dramas "Existence Unpredicted," which went for 2 seasons, and "The Gorgeous Existence," which went for 2 episodes. He's also cast several telefilms.Meshel and Lilienfield are presently casting the CW drama pilot "Dakota." By Pete Keeley Feb 10, 2012 "My Boys" PHOTO CREDIT The best spinner's Casting company directors Tracy Lilienfield and Shaun Meshel have created a brand new partnership, Back Stage has confirmed.Both Lilienfield and Meshel are longtime TV casting company directors with multiple credits for their names.A number of Lilienfield's newer credits range from the CBS comedies "$#*! My Father States" and "The Brand New Adventures of Old Christine" and The best spinner's comedy "My Boys." She also cast NBC's lengthy-running sitcom "Will & Sophistication."Meshel, formerly joined with Robin Lippin, cast the CW dramas "Existence Unpredicted," which went for 2 seasons, and "The Gorgeous Existence," which went for 2 episodes. He's also cast several telefilms.Meshel and Lilienfield are presently casting the CW drama pilot "Dakota."

Courteney Cox: I have Not Had Sex Since Splitting From David Arquette

Courteney Cox It's been nearly 18 several days since Courteney Cox and David Arquette split, nevertheless the Cougar Town star states she's still not ready so far yet - and he or she hasn't had sex with anybody since her separation."I'm not really ready," Cox mentioned Wednesday round the Howard Stern Show. "I'm not ready. I'm not to imply I'm not ready to experience a make-out session, I'm not ready to - I am unsure. I'm not lounging. ... I haven't stood a guy since David."Courteney Cox on separation from David Arquette: "This is not like we're getting divorced"Cox, 47, states she's "built with one guy" since her October 2010 split from Arquette and contains "sexual feelings," but she doesn't act inside it with another guy. "There [are] ways to handle that," she mentioned.The prior couple, that are parents to 7-year-old daughter Coco, have ongoing to become friendly - so friendly that Arquette has advised her to move on. (The actor is presently dating Christina McLarty, Joe Francis' ex-wife.) "He even states in my opinion, 'Courteney, you are prepared to get available,'" Cox mentioned. "He's at ease with whoever that could be with."That even includes her Cougar Town co-star Josh Hopkins. The Two are actually rumored to become product inside the this past year, but Cox states that they're just excellent pals. "Well, I'm deeply deeply in love with him ... It's real existence or around the program?Inch she joked. "I'm deeply deeply in love with him, as well as on this program I'm deeply deeply in love with him - no. In solid existence we've traveled together. We travel perfectly together." David Arquette to guest-star on Cougar Town finaleShe added: "We made a decision, once we ever were rising to now, which we won't ... I buy too personal, and so i am just prone to hang on a minute.InchWhen Cox has the capacity to are more than pals getting a man, she hopes to satisfy her show's title."I used to be married to someone for a number of, a very long time, somebody who was seven years youthful than me," she mentioned. "It's my job to considered myself lucky to be capable of pull in the youthful guy. I still like youthful males."