First a disclaimer: these 4 blogs are in no way shape or form the most "influential" blogs in this category. The reason I chose these blogs is because of their content – information that I feel can further inspire and motivate you regarding your career while shedding light on the industry.

The Casting Director by Matthew Lessall - as part of the Film Industry bloggers network, Lessall publishes this blog once a month and provides a birds-eye-view (sometimes ranting) into his life as a casting director.

Excerpt from The Casting Director: "At another audition this week, an actor came in and did a very good job at his audition for the Director. After he left the audition room, I asked the Director what he thought. The Director thought he was good, but something was wrong. “It’s his hair,” I said, nonchalantly. When he was auditioning, he kept looking down at the page and on the top of his head was a shiny bald spot. His hairstyle was also not enhancing his acting; it was kind of covering up the imperfections. The actor is in his 20’s so, when auditioning for a leading action hero, the bald spot and bad hair style got in the way, it will subliminally make the Director (or me) feel like something is just not right."

The Actor's Voice by Bonnie Gillespie – as one of Showfax's featured columnist, Bonnie's musings on the industry while shedding light on her experiences as a casting director makes this blog a must read. I love her direct and honest tone.

Excerpt from The Actor's Voice: "This is a business, folks. And those who treat it as such will have a much easier time navigating it. In fact, maybe it's a nice little bit of Actor Darwinism that helps the more successful actors succeed, that there are so many actors out there who just can't be bothered with doing what it really takes to "go pro." But I assume if you're reading this, you're interested in going pro (or staying pro, or returning pro), and that's a great start. So, if producers and directors are your buyers, casting directors are the buyers' personal shoppers, and agents and managers are the salesmen, that makes you one thing that connects all of us. None of us works without you. Yet most actors don't put a bit of thought into deciding who would be their best sales rep. It takes research to know your buyers, know their personal shoppers, and know which sales reps are going to have the best access to those personal shoppers (and therefore buyers)."

Casting In the City by Destiny Lilly and blog archive – Destiny's blog provides information and insight into topics that most actors would want to know about such as "The Fine Art of the Industry Showcase," "Facebook for Actors" and "Resume Rules." Although it may appear as information that you'd probably get in "Acting 101/102," Destiny's information is still relevant. Even for established actors, I guarantee you'll still learn a thing or two.

Excerpt from Casting in the City: "5 Questions Every Actor Should be Able to Answer. In my profession, I have the pleasure of meeting tons of actors. Some actors are always on their game, but others struggle to express themselves and make a good impression. Last week, I attended AFTRA Open Door in New York. It’s a wonderful program where AFTRA brings in talent agents and casting directors to meet one-on-one with AFTRA actors. It’s kind of like speed dating. The actors have 5 minutes to make an impression. When I meet a new actor, I tend to ask the same 5 questions and the answers to these questions can tell me a lot about the actor sitting across from me."

Answers for Actors by Paul Russell – Paul is an industry vet (30+ years) and has been a casting director for projects in TV, Film and Broadway. Although he often plugs his merchandise (books) and uses his own content to support his insight and strong point-of-view, his knowledge about the industry is undeniable and definitely one to heed.

Excerpt from Answers for Actors: "'… and scene!' Amateurs — and those poorly taught by similar who have no place in teaching actors — are often vehemently instructed that at the end of a screen audition (or God forbid a theatrical try) to turn to whomever is casting and say ‘scene’. They bastardize a noun forcing it into a verb that the innocent five-letter possessor of setting and story should never be. Here is my vehement retort. Don’t do it. You needn’t announce the obvious. How often have you sat on a toilet, forced a bowel blowout, and then announced to anyone within ear shot your accomplishment by screaming “and shit!” (If you have you’re a sick puppy with fetishes we’d rather not delve into.)"

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