Tech & Talent: Ep 9 -- Erica Arvold -- What Casting Directors REALLY Look For!

In this episode of Tech and Talent, Brett Newton (Executive Producer with over a billion world wide views ) and Jonathan McFadden (full time host and talent) sit down with casting director, director, educator, and all-around industry genius Erica Arvold — and fair warning: when Erica starts talking about actors, creativity, process, and what actually makes performances work… Jonathan goes full fanboy. Completely and unapologetically. And honestly? If you’re an actor anywhere — especially in the Southeast — and auditions matter to your career, you need to watch or listen to this entire episode.  Erica brings decades of experience from Chicago theatre to L.A. to the booming Southeast market, and the conversation dives deep into what actually makes actors bookable, how casting decisions are really made, and why empathy and humanity still matter in an industry racing toward AI and automation. They talk about approaching auditions and self-tapes without overthinking, the difference between audition acting and on-set acting, building your “acting muscle” across genres, and how actors can make stronger, more authentic choices in the room. Erica also shares practical advice about protecting your likeness, understanding AI-related contract language, and why technology may change the business — but won’t replace human instinct anytime soon. The episode also explores Erica’s directing and coaching philosophy, actor preparation, storytelling, creative longevity, and how artists can maintain both agency and adaptability in a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape. Bottom line: this isn’t just a conversation about acting. It’s a conversation about what makes great performers memorable — and how actors can build careers that actually last. Learn more about Erica, her classes, coaching, and her book at Arvold.com.  Sponsored by: RehearseNow.ai and ProdigyTalentTraining.com