Hi, thanks for joining us today! This is Bonnie Wallace, author of Young Hollywood Actors and the upcoming Top Hollywood Acting Teachers, and today my guests on the Hometown to Hollywood podcast are award-winning casting directors Amber Horn and Danielle Aufiero, of Aufiero/Horn Casting.

Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn immediately made a splash in the entertainment industry when they opened the doors to Aufiero / Horn Casting over ten years ago. Their longstanding relationships with studios, production companies, and filmmakers have allowed them to cast for a variety of projects.  

With over 75 feature films, television pilots and series collectively; the pair have earned multiple award nominations and recently won a 2020 Artios Award for their casting work on Disney Channel’s Andi Mack. Other notable projects Aufiero / Horn have cast include On My Block (Netflix), The 100 (The CW), The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix), Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform), 13 Reasons Why (S4, Netflix), and Awkward (MTV), among many others. A number of their buzzy films have been a hit on the festival circuit, taking home top honors at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF).

Powerhouse companies such as Amazon, Netflix, ABC, Disney+, Disney Channel, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, MTV, The CW, and Freeform have entrusted the expertise and the outside of the box mentality that Amber and Danielle have to offer when it comes to casting their projects and bringing the characters to life.

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Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

• “The most important thing in comedy is making it feel real.”
• “Be sincere. If you believe your performance, we’ll believe it.”
• “Be truth seekers.”
• “We look under every single rock—worldwide—you never know where you’re going to find the perfect diamond in the rough.”
• “We’re not looking for what you think we’re looking for. We’re looking for what YOU think is the character.”
• “We love to see something that we’ve never thought of before for a character.”
• “Your eyes need to be the brightest thing on the page in a headshot.”
• “When you come in, we’re looking for you to bring your authentic self to that situation.”
• "If you’re constantly working—whether that’s in classes, or improv, or putting together a project with a friend—then the wheels are oiled, and you’re ready.”
• “Consider an audition your ‘coverage.’ Your job is to connect to the person you’re talking to, and make it about them.”
• “If you’re not evoking emotion from the person in your scene, how are you going to evoke emotion from the audience watching?”You have about 30 seconds before I decide if I want to keep watching you or not.”
• “When we get a bad report card, we don’t ask that actor back.”
• “A lot of people are wiling to mentor you. So reach out.”
• “If you’re having fun, then we’re having fun watching you. Even if it’s a sad scene.”
• “If you’re enjoying the work, it’s going to show, and it’s going to be contagious.”

Follow Amber Horn and Danielle Aufiero HERE:

Instagram:

Amber Horn:              @amberhorn

Danielle Aufiero:       @anamelikedanicalifornia