COACHING TESTIMONIALS
LET OUR CUSTOMERS DO THE TALK FOR US
Hinta Chambers
"Words cannot describe the incredible impact Ilona Smyth's Coaching has had on my two daughters' auditions. Both girls have either booked or received callbacks for almost all the auditions that Ilona has coached, including an Apple series episode lead after a North-American-wide search. Ilona is absolutely amazing with children. She is patient while providing a variety of views to interpret the scenes and adding another level to each audition. She provides detailed notes that can be later reviewed while filming a self tape. We highly recommend Smyth Casting services and are excited to have found her. Thank you so much Ilona"
Sarah Cleveland
"I met Ilona through her online classes and she had so much expertise and knowledge to share, that I knew I wanted to spend more time with her one on one. I started coaching with Ilona last year, and she has given me so much more confidence, both as a person, and as an actor. She creates a safe and comfortable learning space that enables you to grow and truly feel as yourself within the character. Ilona has not only helped me with character development and self taping in our one on ones, but she has also assisted with business planning. This has included setting goals, creating timelines, selecting headshots, and more. I am truly and forever grateful to her for her kindness, honesty, and guidance.
Eric Arsenault
“After meeting Ilona for the first time, she told me her goal with coaching was to unveil the veil in this industry. For myself, she has done just that, and has guided me to explore the whole new world of my passion. The entire team at Smyth Casting is exceptionally knowledgeable, receptive, nurturing and most of all kind. ”
Eva Redpath
“Knowing Ilona’s reputation and expertise, I was most welcoming of her feedback and sought to coach with her as I was coming out of a 12-year hiatus from the industry.Ilona teaches you to understand the project, break down sides, fall into character, make smart choices, and find those moments that will make you stand out in your self-tapes and ultimately book the job!In addition to the work, she also helps you see the industry as a business and shares strategies for taking steps to get you from where you are to where you want to go.”
Sam Ashe Arnold
Whenever I get an audition request for a self tape, the first thing I do is book an appointment with Ilona – before I even see the breakdown and sides! I show up off book and with a couple of ideas, and then we run with it for an hour or so. Ilona is an expert at scene and character analysis – knowing where to put the beats, when it’s better to be more subtle than obvious, how to use the space around the camera to fill in the scene, and how to capture the widest range of my acting abilities with the material we’ve got. Sometimes we do 30 takes! As a certified casting director herself, Ilona knows exactly what impresses and she won’t settle for anything less. It’s fast-paced hard work, but it’s also like a fun acting class! I completely trust her and know my performance is 100% better than it would be without her coaching. That’s how I booked the lead role in the feature film, The Adventure Club (one tape – no callback!). Honest truth: I’m heading to Smyth in an hour to tape for an L.A.-based TV pilot. Wouldn’t dream of doing it without Ilona.
