New Shows Are Premiering!

MysticArt Pictures is preparing for a busy season...of premieres! We always look forward to seeing the people we cast on shows that are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. MysticArt has spent decades giving undiscovered talent a platform to launch a career and everyday people the chance to appear on the show of their dreams. Thank you to all who auditioned for these series, both the new and the returning shows! 

ANNOUNCING ELLEN'S HOME CHALLENGE! 

MysticArt is THRILLED to share the official title for America's Home Challenge, ELLEN'S HOME CHALLENGE! As promised, one of the biggest celebrities in the world, who we are so excited to say is Ellen DeGeneres, has teamed up with HGTV for a new furniture design competition series! We LOVED meeting each and every designer and carpenter who auditioned for this show. 

Check out the official announcement for ELLEN'S HOME CHALLENGE on HOLLYWOOD REPORTER!

RELATIVE INSANITY PREMIERES THIS FRIDAY! 

This Friday, April 25th, our show RELATIVE INSANITY premieres on Lifetime at 10 PM! You may know this brand new series from the producers of Big Brother as FAMILY ROOM, and we cannot wait for you all to check it out! The series will focus on two families who are each locked in a room with their loved ones in a bid to compete for a $25,000 cash prize. 

Check out an exclusive sneak peek on the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER! 

If YOU and your family want to apply for Relative Insanity, go to www.mysticartpictures.com, click on "Apply for a Show," and choose RELATIVE INSANITY!

WIPEOUT IS COMING BACK WITH A SPECIAL 2-HOUR PREMIERE!

We are getting ready for SEASON SEVEN of WIPEOUT! The very special 2-hour premiere will be Sunday, June 22nd at 7 PM on ABC, and we just know this season is going to be better than ever! 

If you would like to be considered for a future season of Wipeout, go to www.mysticartpictures.com, click on "Apply for a Show," and choose WIPEOUT!

NOW CASTING BALLROOM'S BEST! 

Do the 8-11 year old ballroom dance students at your studio pull off a perfect tango and a flawless foxtrot on the competition circuit? We are searching for a dance studio that has what it takes to star in a TV show! FOX Television Studios and MysticArt Pictures are now casting dynamic coaches, choreographers, dance parents and owners of ballroom studios who are determined to see their kids become champions in ballroom dance! Email ballroomsbest@gmail.com if you are ready to become a household name in ballroom dance! 

NOW HEARING STORIES FOR NEW HIT SHOW SEX SENT ME TO THE ER ON TLC!

Have you been watching TLC's Sex Sent Me to the ER? Do NOT miss these crazy fun episodes every Saturday at 9/8c AND an extra dose every Monday at 9/8c on TLC! Everyone is talking about this series that takes a look at what happens when love goes wrong - check out an inside scoop from the couple who brought a sweet surprise to the premiere on HUFFINGTON POST!

If romance has ever landed you and your partner in the ER, email us at castingfunnystories@gmail.com!

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Ellen DeGeneres and HGTV Announce Home Challenge!

MysticArt is so excited to share the official title and announcement for America's Home Challenge, ELLEN'S HOME CHALLENGE! Talk show host and producer Ellen DeGeneres is teaming up with HGTV to launch Ellen's Home Challenge, a furniture design competition series in which contestants will be paired with expert carpenters to complete their assigned tasks. MysticArt has LOVED meeting each and every designer and carpenter who auditioned for this show! 

Check out the exclusive announcement on Hollywood Reporter! 

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: Advice from Casting Producer Sammy Amiransari

Sammy Amiransari has been an on-staff Casting Producer at MysticArt Pictures for four years. Sammy started out her career in entertainment as a talent agent after receiving her MBA. In 2003, she began her career in casting and has worked on many game shows, docu-series, and scripted series, as well as casting hosts for series of every variety.

1. Where did you go to school, and what did you go to school for?

I got my BA in Visual Communications at American Intercontinental University in Los Angeles, near Marina Del Ray. I continued on there and got my MBA in Business. I thought I was going to do A&R in the music industry, but life took me down a different path...I'm a big music lover and always will be. 

2. Where did you work before getting in to the casting world? How did you make the transition to casting?

After college I got an internship at Interscope Records because I thought I was going the music route, and from there I got a job at Premiere Talent & Modeling Agency. I started out as a booker, handling the promo-models and slowly worked my way up to agent, and during my last year there was agency director. I was young and learned fast, but slowly realized I wanted to do more creative and less business, so I left the agency. Shortly after, a casting director friend of mine asked me if I wanted to try reality casting. She was working at "Extreme Dating" for FOX and could use another person. I started as a casting coordinator, which is what associates were called back then, and loved it! By my next show I was senior casting coordinator and a few shows later was a casting producer. 

3. As someone raised in Los Angeles, what advice would you have for someone moving to LA with no contacts who is hoping to break in to the industry, on the talent or business side?

I was born in Tehran, Iran, but moved here when I was just one year old. So in my heart and mind I am a Los Angeles Native. I’ve always felt that LA was a city that welcomed everyone, and the way you succeed in all the beauty and Hollywood drama is based on how much you believe in yourself, how driven you are, and why you are doing what you are doing. If you want to be an actress, reality star or even work on the business side of the industry for instant fame and disposable money, you will get eaten alive. If acting/reality casting is what you want to do, start by taking classes or workshops – this will help you connect with people with the same passion...don't just start going to bars and clubs hoping to make connections, because you will meet all the wrong people.  If you want to get into the business side, get into an internship program at a company that interest you. We have one here at MysticArt and have promoted so many from within the program. My advice would be to make the right connections, surround yourself with the right crowd, and make sure your passion is real and not an illusion of what you think the industry is about.  

4. As a casting producer, you talk to some of the most unique people across the country. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be on a show or star in their own television show? How should they show off their personality and world to a production company?  

The one line I hear more than any other is, "Everyone tells me I should have my own show"...yet they can never tell me why. If you have a business that makes you unique, or if your family is unusual and entertaining, you should really be able to pinpoint why. Stand out...what makes you so different from anyone else I may have interviewed?! Why would I not change the channel when you are on, and how would you keep the viewer interested? We are always looking for characters, but sometimes I'm just looking for someone to be real and be who they naturally are. So read the fine print on a casting call and give them exactly what they are asking for...no fluff...no lies...just be real and fun to watch!

5. As someone who works in development, what advice do you have for someone who wants to pitch a show idea?

Really have your idea flushed out. What is the show? Who is the audience? What network do you see your show airing on? If your idea is similar to something that is already on air, why is yours different? One mistake I see more than any other is someone will have a great idea, but they haven't done their research, they don't have a cast, and they haven't taken the time to perfect their pitch. Really sell your show – ultimately if you are not excited about your show, how can you expect me or any network to be?

6. What can actors/actresses do to make an impression when they are auditioning for a scripted series?

Get as familiar with the project and character as you can. Do your best to be off book. I want to be able to see your face and eyes when you are reading for me, so if you are looking down at your sides, there is no connection. Most of all, don't go in for a part you are not excited about or not interested in; taking an audition just to make a connection is the worst career move ever...you are wasting my time, your agent’s time, and your own time. If you feel you are wrong for the part, be upfront and honest with your agent.

7. You have cast many unscripted series for MysticArt. What are some things that people who end up appearing on unscripted series have in common? What did they do in their interviews to stand out?

When their interview was over, I remembered everything about them! They kept my interest from the moment the interview started whatever the topic may have been, and had a personality that was hard to forget.

8. You have worked with many celebrities throughout your career. In your opinion, what should actors/actresses just starting out do to help jumpstart their careers and obtain long-term success?

The celebrities I admire the most are the ones that have stayed humble and really were driven by their passion for their art. Be a constant student...you can always continue to grow and learn. Make sure you are grounded and stay real, and don't lose yourself in the game.

9. What makes MysticArt Pictures unique?  

We’re unique because we’re like a “one-stop shop.” If you work with MysticArt, you are working with a company that can carry a project from inception to completion, whether it is scripted or unscripted TV or film. We also have something that absolutely no other casting company has – a massive database of people from all over the world and of all walks of life, which really helps when we are looking for those “needle in a haystack” personalities. 

Three of MysticArt's Television Series Are Set to Premiere!

We are so excited to share the premiere dates of three television series!

TLC's Sex Sent Me to the ER returns this Saturday, April 12th at 9 PM! Tune in for an all-new real-life and hilarious stories of what happens when passion turns to panic and leads to the ER! 

A show we LOVED working on, Relative Insanity, is premiering April 25th at 10 PM on Lifetime! From the producers of Big Brother, this 10-episode series will focus on two families who are each locked in a room with their "loved ones" in a bid to compete for a $25,000 cash prize!

This summer, Wipeout Season 7 will premiere on June 22nd on ABC! Can you find the Big Balls in this photo? 

Another MysticArt Pictures TV Series Is Premiering!

We are SO EXCITED to announce that another one of our television series is set to premiere this month! For those of you who may remember it as Family Room, the official title is Relative Insanity, and it is set to premiere FRIDAY, APRIL 25th at 10 PM on Lifetime! 

Check out the official press release and sneak peek on The Hollywood Reporter!