Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry

Jason Ensler is an Executive Producer and Director of some of your favorite TV shows. After graduating USC with an MFA in Cinema/Television production, Jason directed PSAs for a friend's marketing company and his alma mater, Brandeis University. That led to being part of a creative team at NBC 2000, promoting campaigns for NBC shows like The West Wing, Scrubs, Frasier, The Olympics and The NBA. Eventually, he started directing and producing shows such as The West Wing, The Newsroom, Scrubs, Gossip Girl, Franklin & Bash, The Passage, The Exorcist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Red Band Society, and most recently, Love, Victor on HULU (to name a few).

In this special mini Bonus episode, we talk about:

Resources:

Website

Wikipedia

IMDB

Twitter: @Jason_Ensler Instagram: @jensler43

Recommendation: If you like this episode, check out:

- Episode 1.16 for his full interview

- Bonus Episode on Social Media Tips for Actors

- Bonus Episode on Advice for Guest Stars

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Her novel, The Bachelorette Party was translated into 12 languages.

She attended James Madison University, in VA.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  How she and her writing partner started working on their first major film, the screenplay for 10 Things I Hate About You

• Being pitched twice in the same day to write Legally Blonde and the changes they made from the original manuscript

• How she taught herself to write screenplays and 3 tips she would give to ANYONE starting right now

• The viral Legally Blonde theory: was Elle and Vivian supposed to get together in the end?

• Helping out on the screenplay for Ella Enchanted

• Pushing for Channing Tatum's casting after watching his self tape before he was famous

• How The House Bunny with Anna Faris came about, starting with a billboard and a coffee date

• Who she is still in touch with on The Ugly Truth and how delighted she was to make the movie Rated R

• What's next for her and how many projects actually get picked up

Book recommendations for new writers:

Resources to read scripts:

Outstanding Screenplays

WGA

Karen: “Read as many scripts as you can!”

Twitter      : https://twitter.com/karenmccullah1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmccullah

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

5 Essentials to Storytelling 5 tips that will make you a better storyteller.

I teach Storytelling tips to clients all of the time. I have corporate and private clients, one day intensives, and 3 week workshops where I teach tips to tell engaging and powerful stories. Sometimes I talk about how we tell stories, but I also focus on teaching the content of our stories. How do we shape our stories for maximum impact?

The 5 Essentials we discuss in this episode are:

Check out this link to get my 5 Essentials to Storytelling Checklist and Sensory worksheet for FREE.

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Lucas Keller, is a veteran manager and CEO and Founder of Milk & Honey Music + Sports + Ventures, one of the biggest global management company for Songwriters, Producers and DJ’s in the world. Keller has over 25 employees, offices in Los Angeles, London, New York, Nashville, Dallas, Amsterdam, Australia/New Zealand and recently launched a sports division that manages 15 athletes in the NFL.

Keller’s clients have had some of the biggest global hits his year including Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” (co-produced by client Stuart Price) and BTS’ chart-topping “Butter” as well as “Dynamite” and “Permission to Dance,” from client Jenna Andrews. The Milk & Honey roster has collectively sold over half a billion records and the company has market share on the pop charts that normally only the major publishing companies have. In addition, Keller has sold over 9 figures in music publishing catalog assets in 2021 and the company is considered to be experts in the space.

Keller has been featured on the Billboard Top 100 Change Agents, Billboard Power 100 Heat Seekers, the Billboard 40 Under 40, Billboard Pride 100 most influential LGBTQ, Out Magazine’s New Hollywood Leaders and has been listed across music trades as of the most influential people in the modern music business. INC magazine rated Keller’s Milk & Honey in the upper 20 percentile of the Top 5000 fastest growing companies in America.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Two tips he would give to artists without any connections in the Music business

•  How he got Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years  placed in Twilight and how that song, in addition to Nick Jonas’s Jealous, provided a proof of concept in starting his company

•  The importance of Business Mentors and not just Artist Mentors

•  Why he advocates for songwriters and producers

•  How he has never signed a contract for representation, all handshakes

•  How he discovers a majority of new artists

•  The importance of diversifying your business with assets and services

Guest:

Wikipedia Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

Music Business Summit Worldwide's article on Lucas Keller: My Manifesto

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Aliza Licht is a digital and brand marketer with over two decades of experience. She is also the Founder & President of LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC; a multi-media brand focused on career development and personal branding. As a global mentor, LEAVE YOUR MARK currently includes a best-selling book, podcast, community, and live mentorship events. The book has been translated into Spanish, Chinese, and Russian. It is ranked in the Book Authority's "100 Best Career Development Books of All Time" and is required reading in many universities across the country. Licht was dubbed one of America's "Next Top Mentors" by The New York Times and Business Insider's Most Innovative Career Coaches. Currently, Licht is the Head of Social Media and Brand Experiences at Warby Parker, a new role for the company which she assumed in June 2021. Licht is most known for her work as the creator and voice behind the award-winning social personality DKNY PR GIRL. Recognized as a pioneer in digital, Licht was one of the first people in the fashion industry to launch a social media personality on Twitter. As DKNY PR GIRL, she organically built a multi-platform community of over 1.5mm followers. Licht is a founding board member and Vice President at American Influencer Council, the only recognized trade organization for creators in the U.S.

In this episode, we talk about: 

•  How she finagled her first internship at Harpers Bazaar without any relevant experience and an unrelated major 

•  Assistant Accessories editor at Marie Claire to moving to Public Relations at DKNY 

•  What you have to do to pitch yourself for a job without any relevant experience 

•  How she helped create DKNY PR girl, a play on Gossip Girl, which became HUGE and really started fashion in Twitter 

•  Launching Leave your Mark podcast and why it’s the best networking tool 

•  What happened when Sandra Bullock doesn't wear her "confirmed" DKNY dress 

•  Being recruited for Alice & Olivia as Global Marketing Communications 

•  Her tremendous book launch strategy of Leave Your Mark, 8 million impressions of support 

•  Her advice for networking: remember to close the loop 

Guest: 

Website Twitter Instagram LinkedIn 

Articles in Forbes 

Leave your Mark podcast 

Aliza's Bestselling book Leave your Mark 

Join Aliza's 25 Day Personal Branding Challenge 

TEDx Talk: The Power of Being Real 

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Jason Ensler is an Executive Producer and Director of some of your favorite TV shows. After graduating USC with an MFA in Cinema/Television production, Jason directed PSAs for a friend's marketing company and his alma mater, Brandeis University. That led to being part of a creative team at NBC 2000, promoting campaigns for NBC shows like The West Wing, Scrubs, Frasier, The Olympics and The NBA. Eventually, he started directing and producing shows such as The West Wing, The Newsroom, Scrubs, Gossip Girl, Franklin & Bash, The Passage, The Exorcist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Red Band Society, and most recently, Love, Victor on HULU (to name a few).

In this episode, we talk about:

- What he feels Guest Stars should come in with

- What the "Musculature" things are and how they should be second nature

- "Art is the process of creating a place where art is possible"

- The 40 Year Old Virgin

- Being ready to play and open to surprise

and more

Resources:

Website

Wikipedia

IMDB

Twitter: @Jason_Ensler Instagram: @jensler43

Recommendation: If you like this episode, check out:

- Episode 1.16 for his full interview

- Bonus Episode on Social Media Tips for Actors

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Shin Cho is the head of K-pop and J-pop and marketing director for Asia/Korea at Warner Music Group. He is an experienced marketing expert with a demonstrated history of working in the music industry in International, Asian, K-pop, and J-pop. Shin is skilled in management, marketing, international marketing, marketing strategy, and digital marketing. He is also a strong marketing professional with a Bachelor’s degree focused in Information Technology from Rutgers University.

Join Michelle Miller with Shin Cho as they chat about working his way up the music industry as an intern. Shin is Warner Music Asia’s head of K-pop and J-pop. He shares his marketing strategy of making Western artists, bands and groups collaborate with their Eastern counterparts. He also discussed the growing and post-pandemic market and the return of tours.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in this episode:

•  Shin’s journey into the entertainment industry

•  Promotion of international artists in the Korean market, and vice-versa

•  Importance of storytelling and brand-creating as an artist

•  How collaborations between Western and Eastern artists are made, including the story behind Way Back Home’ from Korean DJ/artist SHAUN with UK artist Conor Maynard and EDM giant Sam Feldt.

•  Lessons from projects in Shin’s career that did not turn out as expected

•  How Shin works with others on creating collaborations and strategizing for a new year

•  How Tik Tok is seen differently in Korea than NY still (when it comes to music)

•  And so much more!

~

You can find Shin Cho on . . .

Rolling Stone Feature: https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/warner-music-asias-head-of-k-pop-shin-cho-future-25-1079707/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shin-cho-110395169/

~

Connect with Michelle!

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Jason Ensler is an Executive Producer and Director of some of your favorite TV shows. After graduating USC with an MFA in Cinema/Television production, Jason directed PSAs for a friend's marketing company and his alma mater, Brandeis University. That led to being part of a creative team at NBC 2000, promoting campaigns for NBC shows like The West Wing, Scrubs, Frasier, The Olympics and The NBA. Eventually, he started directing and producing shows such as The West Wing, The Newsroom, Scrubs, Gossip Girl, Franklin & Bash, The Passage, The Exorcist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Red Band Society, and most recently, Love, Victor on HULU (to name a few).

In this episode, we talk about:

- Do actors need a social media presence?

- Do followers matter?

- When do directors and producers look at social media? For what sort of roles?

- What does he like to see? What does he not like to see?

- How can you curate your social media to get the roles you want?

Resources:

Website

Wikipedia

IMDB

Twitter: @Jason_Ensler Instagram: @jensler43

Recommendation: If you like this episode, check out Episode 1.16 for his full interview

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Julie Tucker is a two time Emmy winning Casting Director (7 times nominated). Tucker/Meyerson Casting recently worked on projects including Queen Latifah’s "The Equalizer," the final "Dexter," Chapter, "The Expanse," "The Hot Zone, Anthrax," and the Jennifer Lopez feature film, "Marry Me." Past television credits include: "Damages" (Emmy and Artios Award), "Six Feet Under" (Emmy and CSA Artios Award for NY Casting), "Rescue Me" (CSA Artios Award), "Hunters," "The Affair," "Nurse Jackie," "Sneaky Pete," "White Collar," "The Following," Fringe," "The Big C," "The Americans," "In Treatment," "Lincoln Rhyme," "The Baker and the Beauty," "Tell Me A Story," "Sleepy Hollow," "Limitless," "Black Box," "Those Who Kill," "The Michael J. Fox Show," "Sirens," "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll," "Allegiance," "Canterbury’s Law," "Love Monkey," "The Book of Daniel" and the first three seasons of "Law and Order: SVU." 

In addition to television and film, she has been on staff and cast for The Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theater Club, and The Williamstown Theater Festival. Before casting, Julie directed Off-Broadway and assisted directors Terrence Malick and Martin Charnin.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  What actors should be doing right now to best prepare them for going back to in person auditions

•  First roles in Entertainment including actor, assistant stage manager at La Mama, internship at The Public, casting assistant, and agent assistant.

•  What she would give up her Emmy for

•  Forming Tucker/Meyerson with Ross Meyerson and why they compliment together

•  What self tape tips she recommends to actors that would help for future in-person auditions

•  How self tapes help her see 65% more actors and if she watches the whole self tape

•  Lightening round on shows she’s worked on including Six Feet Under, The Following, Nurse Jackie, etc.

•  Incredible tips for what to do when you’re nervous (and more about her upcoming book)

•  How you can still book work with nervous energy and a red face

Resources:

Audrey Helps Actors

Sponsors:

Lights Camera Rolling Mom podcast

We Audition - Promo Code MICHELLE25 for 25% off monthly or annual plans

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Everyone tells you to create your own work, but what actually works?

In this bonus episode, I discuss three ways my Mentors have created their own work.

Mentors include:

- Actor/Director Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, King Richard, The Hot Zone: Anthrax, Tarzan)

- Film/TV Director Rosemary Rodriguez (The Walking Dead, The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU)

- Director/Actor Ben Giroux (Henry Danger, Hart of Dixie, Big Nate, Danger Force)

PLUS inspiring words from Director Jason Ensler (Love, Victor; The Exorcist, The Passage)

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle