Danielle Eskinazi has been in the film industry for over 20 years. Throughout her career, she has worked with Hank Azaria and Milla Jovovich, David Bowie, Woody Harrelson, Buck Henry and Rosanna Arquette, among many others.

She is an award-winning casting director who is able to spot talent from afar.
Danielle was nominated for the Talent Managers Association prestigious Seymour Heller Award for Best Commercial Casting Director of 2009, and was a runner up twice for Favorite Commerical Casting Director in BackStageWest

AVIVA: You have been in the film industry since 1988, what do you feel has been your favorite part of your career?
DANIELLE ESKINAZI: My favorite part of my career? Has been the industry in itself, it’s ever changing business and nothing remains the same-that’s what makes it so exciting… New products pop up all the time. About 7 years ago it was all about .coms and now it’s a lot of Internet and webisodes which can be very creative if done right. I just cast a car webisode/commercial with Justin Timberlake that was so creative for me.

AVIVA: What inspired and motivated you to become involved with films?
DE: I have always wanted to cast films and commercials ever since I could remember. I love the quick turnaround of casting. We get a project on a Monday, by Friday we are in callbacks and the week after it’s shot and out on TV. It’s quick and the results are right there in front of you. I love instant gratification.

AVIVA:If you weren’t a casting director, what else do you see yourself doing? (other passions, interests)
DE:I would love to direct/I tried my hand in directing a video for a Band called Kid Moxie a French Video called “Ma Romance D’hiver” (my winter Romance) we did it on a $500 budget and it was an awesome experience for me. The song was featured on the “L word”. I also directed a short called “Atmosphere”, a comedy about glorified extras. So directing is something I may pursue when the time is right.

AVIVA: What do you believe has been your greatest accomplishment in your career?
DE:The greatest accomplishment is an on going thing for me. I mean I can look back now and see how I created this life for myself but to look in the future and see what more I can do is more exciting for me.
I mean I put Milla Jovovich in her first film when she was 12 in a film called “A night Train to Kathmandu” and also found Hank Azaria and cast him in a film called “Deep Blue” with Woody Harrelson. I could say that was pretty cool but my best accomplishment is yet to come.

AVIVA: What is one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring actor/actress?
DE: Stay focused, don’t let yourself esteem get lost in a sea of rejections, get into workshops, never stop learning, be passionate, and it will happen. Acting is a 9 to 5 job, 8 days a week. Don’t leave it all up to your agents. Do your homework and network.

AVIVA:Could you tell me more about your new website, ACTVICE?
DE: www.actvice.com came to me when I was on Twitter. I would do Q&A’s 2 or 3 times a week to help actors have a more accessible reach to a casting director, but I realized I could only give them 140 characters back when they would ask me a question which required a much longer answer. So I came up with actvice-it’s a site for an actor to go to if they have an audition for a scene for an agent, manager, or a film where they can upload their scene and I would give back critiques. I also included if an actor has a reel and needs a cd’s eye to help them edit it down to the most important scene to show off themselves. We just added a link for 8×10’s as well.
Actors seem to love it and it has been very successful.

AVIVA:Do you have any funny/crazy/exciting casting story that you would like to share?
DE: Well, I was casting a film once and I was reading. An actor came to my office, the scene was about a thug and his victim, well the actor pulled out a gun and pointed it right at my head I was speechless..I freaked. After the scene, he said it was a fake gun and I politely asked him to leave my office and told him to NEVER do that again. Not a good move for an actor in this day in age. I called his agent and I’m sure they gave him a tongue lashing because he came back to my office with flowers.

AVIVA: What are some of your upcoming projects that we should be on the lookout for?
DE: I just did a Reliant commercial, Nokia commercial, playstation and, skittles and Capri Sun amongst others.

AVIVA:Do you have any additional comments?
DE: I would just tell actors to stay true to themselves keep motivated and don’t lose yourself in the process.
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I would like to thank Danielle for this interview. I wish her all the best in every project that she takes on.

You can check out Danielle’s website, twitter, as well as Actvice.

Cheers,
Aviva

Natalie Minh is a Los Angeles-based fitness model and photographer. Her dedication to fitness and extensive knowledge of the industry, exotic looks, “can do” attitude, in addition to intelligence all have contributed to her success as an ambitious female entrepreneur who serves as a role model to many young women.

Natalie is definitely someone to admire, because in addition to graduating from school with honours, earning two masters’ degrees in 2.5 years, and excelling in athletics, she was able to win the WNSO FAME European Fitness Model Championship as well as get featured in countless print media both as a model and photographer.

She is a beautiful, intelligent, and driven entrepreneur and it was a huge honour for me to be able to interview her.

AVIVA: How long have you been involved in the modeling/fitness industry?
NATALIE MINH: I’ve been involved in the fitness industry since November 2007, when I started seriously training and I signed up to my first physique competition – the FAME European Championships. To my surprise, I won 1st place in Fitness Model, 2nd place in Bikini Model and earned my Pro status. Quickly following the European win, I also competed in FAME World Championships in Toronto where I placed 3rd in Swimsuit Model – Open. The following year in 2009 I continued to compete and in the MuscleMania European Championships, I won 1st Place Ms. Bikini, 1st Place Model and 3rd Place Figure.
During this time, I landed a modeling contract with W Fitness Models, the premier fitness modeling agency in London and appeared in numerous magazines and TV features as a model and fitness personality in Europe and America.

AVIVA: What excites you about fitness? What is your biggest motivation?
NM:The drive comes from within because I am making myself the person I always wanted to be – a worldly, successful woman who also happens to have a rockin’ body. This is my goal for improving myself and it’s so satisfying to achieve this step-by-step.

Image by Natalie Minh.
AVIVA:How did you get started in modeling?
NM:I started modeling a few years ago when an amazing NYC fashion photographer, Davide, discovered me. I became his muse that year and he taught me so much. Since that first year working together, I started to specialize in fitness/swimsuit/lingerie modeling in the Europe and North American markets.

AVIVA: What is your favorite workout?
NM: My favorite exercise is tricep kickbacks, straight legged deadlifts and kettlebell front swing squats.

AVIVA:You are also a photographer, can you briefly describe your accomplishments in photography and how you got started?
NM:I started working in the industry as a model and learned the craft of photography over the years. I trained under renowned fashion, glamour, commercial photographers in Paris, Milan and Belgium. Over time, this turned into a career and my images are being used by well-known modeling agencies throughout Europe, advertising campaigns in Australia and United States, published in a number of international magazines and publications such as Muscular Development , Marathon Muscle Magazine, Ultra-Fit Magazine, etc.

Above Image: Hollywood and Champagne with French Actor Anthony DuprayAVIVA:Do you have a few words of advice for aspiring models?
NM: Perseverance and treat it like a business.

AVIVA: If you weren’t doing modeling/fitness/photography, what else would you be doing?
NM: Prior to modeling/photography, I was a corporate girl working primarily for automotive companies. I held roles within the Treasury offices doing risk management, structured finance. Prior to this I was, for 7 years, a UNIX System Admin specializing in CAD/CAE Environments.

Image by Natalie Minh; Model Anthony Dupray
AVIVA: What are some of your favorite things to do in spare time?
NM: I read magazines/books, socialize, go to the gym, and surf the net.

AVIVA: Do you have any funny/weird/crazy photoshoot story that you would like to share (if any stands out to you)?
NM: On my move back to the States from Europe, I stopped in Paris to spend time with good friend and fashion photographer, Joel Dart. It was during the Holiday time and decided to meet up with French actor, Anthony Dupray, and film/shoot a short film based on a story of him being paid to kill his sister. We were running around in the cool Parisian air, through the Champs Élysées, Georges V, Eiffel Tower, etc doing impromptu story lines. Since then, we both moved to LA and continued to collaborate together on projects in Hollywood.
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I would like to thank Natalie for this interview and I wish her continued success in the future. To see more of Natalie’s work, check out her WEBSITE, Lifestyle Magazine, Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Amazing Interview, Natalie!

Aviva