UA-167299338-1 1117517095042706 Casting Director Secrets: Vertical Dramas, Self-Tapes & How Actors Get Noticed - LIYANNE MARIE - The Business of Show Business

Episode 6

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Published on:

1st Apr 2026

Casting Director Secrets: Vertical Dramas, Self-Tapes & How Actors Get Noticed - LIYANNE MARIE

Jamie Body sits down with multi-genre casting director Liyanne Marie to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood roles in the entertainment industry and to explore the format that's quietly reshaping it.

Liyanne is one of the first casting directors in the UK to be seriously working in vertical drama — the short-form, portrait-mode content exploding on mobile — and she gives an honest, insider view of where it's heading and what it means for working actors right now.Whether you're a performer trying to get in the room, a dancer wondering how to pivot your career, or just curious about where the industry is going, this one is packed with practical, no-nonsense advice.In this episode:

- What a casting director actually does (and why the role is so undervalued)

- What vertical dramas are and why the UK industry is taking notice

- How to email a casting director without getting ignored

- What your digital kit should look like — headshots, showreels, social media

- Why getting seen is already a win, even if you don't book the job

- The self-tape mistakes actors make again and again

- How Liyanne went from dancer to one of the UK's leading casting directors

Vertical dramas cast by Liyanne: Mafia Lover, The Mafia Obsession, Pride and Prejudice (vertical), Saving Nora

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#CastingDirector #VerticalDrama #ActingTips #UKActors #ShortFormDrama

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About the Podcast

The Business of Show Business
Unpacking the skills, stories, and side hustles behind the entertainment and creative industries.
A podcast to help unpack the skills, stories, and side hustles behind the entertainment and creative industries.

So if you're ready to thrive, not just survive, in the showbiz and arts & culture sectors, you're in the right place.

A series of solo shows and interviews to help creatives with the business of show business.

Learn how to market yourself as a creative and how to boss your social media and online presence.

Great for actors, dancers, singers, producers, writers and those in the creative industries.

About your host

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Jamie Body

Jamie Body comes from a performance background having worked in TV, Film, and Theatre for 13 years. Since then Jamie has gone on to be a published entertainment journalist, worked in entertainment marketing for some of the leading shows in the West End and has covered some of the biggest events in the entertainment calendar.

Jamie gives you a 360 look at the entertainment industry with insider knowledge and expertise.