Welcome to The DMF — Discovering Meaning in Film and Acting. I'm Justin Younts, and this is part three with casting director Tiffany Little Canfield of Telsey Company.

This one is about something that's been a long time coming — the Academy Awards is finally establishing a casting branch, officially recognizing casting directors for their contributions to film. Tiffany has been part of the push to make that happen, and she talks about what that fight looked like, why it took this long, and what it actually means for casting professionals who have been working behind the scenes for years without that acknowledgment.

We get into what the casting branch means going forward, how casting directors can now advocate for themselves and educate the industry about their role, and why every casting decision — not just the stars — is a creative one that shapes the entire film. Tiffany also talks about upcoming projects including Only Murders in the Building and Paradise.

We close with Inside the Actors Studio questions.

In this episode we discuss:

• The Academy finally recognizing casting directors
• The establishment of a casting branch within the Academy
• Why casting directors have been overlooked for so long
• The creative role of casting in shaping a film's narrative
• Collaboration with directors, producers, and actors
• Upcoming projects: Only Murders in the Building & Paradise

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:05 - Recognition of Casting Directors 00:00:28 - The Role of a Casting Director 00:01:18 - The Process and Challenges 00:02:22 - The Journey to Recognition 00:02:38 - The Casting Branch 00:04:34 - Future Projects 00:05:12 - Inside the Actors Studio Questions 00:11:57 - Conclusion

#DMF #TiffanyLittleCanfield #CastingDirector #Academy #Oscars #TelseyCompany #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding #Acting #Casting #Filmmaking #Podcast

Welcome to The DMF — Discovering Meaning in Film and Acting. I'm Justin Younts, and this is part two with casting director Tiffany Little Canfield of Telsey Company.

This one gets into the specific casting stories behind some of the biggest films Tiffany has worked on — and she doesn't hold back. We talk about how Cynthia Erivo was cast as Elphaba, how Ariana Grande landed the role of Glinda, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and Bowen Yang. We also get into the casting of A Most Violent Year, Miss Sloane, and Margin Call.

Tiffany also shares her thoughts on AI and storytelling — why she doesn't believe technology will ever replicate what a human can convey in a moment, especially in the room. We talk about the art of auditioning, staying in character, and what it looks like to work inside the Telsey office on projects of this scale.

In this episode we discuss:

• The casting of Wicked and the stories behind each role
• How Ariana Grande was cast as Glinda
• Casting Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh & Jeff Goldblum
• Casting A Most Violent Year, Miss Sloane & Margin Call
• AI and the future of human storytelling
• The art of auditioning and staying present
• What it's like working at Telsey on major productions

00:00:00 - Introduction & AI in Storytelling 00:00:37 - The Art of Auditioning 00:01:33 - Staying in Character 00:02:21 - Working with Telsey Office 00:03:37 - Casting 'A Most Violent Year' 00:10:11 - Casting 'Miss Sloan' 00:12:54 - Casting 'Margin Call' 00:15:14 - Casting 'Wicked' 00:15:38 - Casting Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba 00:15:47 - Casting Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible 00:19:03 - Casting Ariana Grande as Glinda 00:26:44 - Casting Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard 00:29:11 - Casting Bowen Yang

#DMF #TiffanyLittleCanfield #CastingDirector #Wicked #ArianaGrande #MichelleYeoh #CynthiaErivo #JeffGoldblum #TelseyCompany #Acting #Casting #Podcast

Welcome to The DMF — Discovering Meaning in Film and Acting. I'm Justin Younts, and in this episode I sit down with casting director Tiffany Little Canfield for part one of our conversation.

Season 6 is here. Tiffany Little Canfield is the perfect way to kick it off — a casting director who's been on both sides of the table and has a lot to say about what actors are getting wrong.

Tiffany's path into casting wasn't a straight line. She started in acting, moved into directing — including work with opera singers — and eventually found her way to casting, where her directing background changed how she reads actors and scene work. That experience in the room as a director is something she brings to every project.

We get into what a casting director actually does day to day, what it looks like to interview for those jobs, and how Tiffany thinks about actors differently because of her background. We also talk about the misconception around acting and fame, why continuous training is non-negotiable, how subjective casting really is, what self-tapes mean for the audition process now, and the biggest challenges actors are facing in the industry.

In this episode we discuss:

• Tiffany's path from acting to directing to casting
• What casting directors actually do
• Working with opera singers and how it shapes her approach
• The misconception of acting and fame
• Why continuous training matters at every level
• The subjectivity of casting and what that means for actors
• Self-tapes and how auditions have changed
• The biggest challenges in the acting industry today

00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:00:28 - Early Life and Influence on Career 00:00:39 - Journey into Acting and Realization 00:01:57 - Transition from Acting to Directing 00:03:10 - Transition from Directing to Casting 00:09:02 - Understanding the Role of a Casting Director 00:09:45 - Interviewing for Jobs as a Casting Director 00:11:52 - Working with Opera Singers 00:13:21 - Understanding Actors and Scene Work 00:13:37 - Influence of Directing Degree in Casting 00:15:01 - Closing Thoughts on Actor Expectations 00:15:30 - The Misconception of Acting and Fame 00:17:08 - The Importance of Continuous Training for Actors 00:18:47 - The Subjectivity of Acting and Casting 00:22:04 - The Role of Self-Tapes in Auditions 00:24:29 - The Biggest Challenges in the Acting Industry

#DMF #TiffanyLittleCanfield #CastingDirector #Acting #TelseyCompany #ActingTips #SelfTape #Audition #Filmmaking