Testimonials
What Our Students Say
Video & written testimonials
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Marc Natoli
What a great casting workshop! I’ve been to quite a few and this one really gave me some extra tools to really help and tweak my performance. The team at the Hollywood Initiative where extremely professional, warm and welcoming, it was a great turn out with a great bunch of people and Scotty was just awesome! and so informative right down to the smallest detail.
Thanks to The Hollywood Initiative I now live in Los Angeles on my O1 visa. They helped me with the process, and I can’t thank them enough!
Gabriela Rodriguez
Couldn't be happier with my experience with The Hollywood Initiative. The programs they offer truly work whether you're a newcomer or an experienced actor. They have something for everyone! I landed an Agent and Manager with multiple other interested parties.
Jorja Lindsey
Thank you so MUCH, Nancy and Geo, for a wonderful week.
The International Intensive is a great program, I honestly wish I did it when I first came here to LA. I have learnt not only about the industry but myself, which is huge personal growth.
Thank you for all support, patience, love and guidance thought the program. I am a lot more open and free from just that one week.
It's great the program introduces you to different teachers, from that I have made so many contacts.
Hope Beale
I recently underwent the August 2019 Hollywood Initiative and can honestly say it was the most life changing week of my life. The week not only prepared me as an actor but helped me reach a clearer understanding of my own goals as a person and how to be a more confident human being in general! We started out the week prepping our actor’s toolbox with new headshots from an incredible photographer and working on demo scenes for our reels with an amazing production company. We then honed our US accent with one of the best dialect coaches in the game as well as met with people to get a clear understanding of how to obtain our visas if we want to one day work in the US. Pair that with casting director workshops, acting classes and improv sessions, we were fully and 100% ready to smash our showcase for industry professionals! Nancy and Geo put in so much of their own blood, sweat, time and tears into making sure each and every one of us taking the course reached every goal we set and then smashed right through them! Cannot say how helpful it was having people who knew what they were talking about teach you the ways to break into this incredibly difficult market and how thankful I am for all the late nights, extra hours, and genuine care they have for their students. The best value for money I have ever seen and covers absolutely every base! So, if you're an actor looking to take the next step in your career, trust me when I say that this course is it and more!
Jimena Díaz Pinelo
I did want to thank you both again for everything... for me things REALLY changed after the international week and working with you. I found my path, sometimes you don’t realize how much impact you can make in a person’s life just by saying the right words or giving them a little trust.
George Triplett
I recommend attending the Casting Director workshops and Agent/Manager showcases. This is the best way to meet these industry professionals on a one on one basis. The Hollywood Initiative coordinates these meetings which have given me insight into the world of casting, and an excellent way to be seen by Casting.
Todd Risby
Your orchestration of the Hollywood Initiative is very nice and it’s a lot of fun. As I’ve gotten a chance to meet you and the other Actors, from Australia. It’s my first time participating in The Hollywood Initiative and it is wonderful. You are doing an outstanding job and I’m very glad that I have had the opportunity to participate in it. I’m truly looking forward to keeping in contact with you, and the other Actors.
Duane Angelvette
First of all, I want to thank Nancy and GEO for putting so much heart into this International Program. This event was so well planned comprehensive, but most of all was COMPLETELY DEDICATED to the success of each and every actor who enrolled!!
The true class of NANCY and GEO was shown the night before yes Friday night as they both worked late into the evening helping all of us prepare and helping us all perfect our pieces! That dedication payed off as all the actors triumphed big time in the final showcase!! There are no words to describe how much heart and support the two running this program gave ALL THE ACTORS!! Personally, I learned many valuable lessons from them but 2 stand out-- NOTHING is hard when u have the PASSION to do it and being pushed beyond YOUR COMFORT ZONE is a GOOOOD thing!!
Rachael Wegener
"Thanks again for these amazing workshops so we can showcase, learn tips (which i am) and connect. It's really putting me in my "happy" place and making COVID-19 fun and breezy. Your guest CD's have all been amazing, with great industry experience, passion to teach, share and play - thank you ! "
Michaela Shuttleworth
“The Hollywood Initiative have put me back out into the world of acting and I cannot thank them enough! Not only was Nancy the most amazing soul I’ve ever communicated with, she was so supportive, so understanding, and went every extra mile to help. I don’t say this lightly at all - but every step of progress from now until that red carpet, I owe to my coach, my agent, and The Hollywood initiative. Without them I wouldn’t have an agent to even add to that list haha. Thank you for creating opportunities in an industry that starves for them!!!!”
Michael G Hartcher
"Since you made AGAS and then Corff studios available to us Aussies, I have gone forward
in leaps and bounds. I've worked my butt off for sure, but without that high quality coaching
I would not have progressed so much in such a relatively short time.
Words cannot express my true gratitude, but thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
Kathleen Forte
“The best thing about acting is that you can be any age and jump into it. I had taken a short break from the industry for a couple of years when I was ready to go back and make new connections. I had heard of The Hollywood Initiative and took their very first workshop with Scotty Mullen. Now I have worked in entertainment a long time, but I learned so much from Scotty in those couple of hours than I had in the past few years. I also never felt more comfortable as an actor since I hadn’t performed in front of a group in a long time. THI has connections with the best casting directors who provide crucial insight to the working actor. I was so pleased with my experience; I joined another one in my uber ride home. I highly recommend every actor in LA to try The Hollywood Initiative. You won’t regret it."
Bobbie-lee Rainey
"It was such an amazing experience doing Hollywood Initiatives Casting Director workshop's. Nancy Rizk, Mike Page and Gary Zuckerbrod were so nice, encouraging and welcoming. I really learnt so much and it was so interesting. I gained so much knowledge and gained knew goals for in my acting. It really was worth it and one of the best things I have done. Thankyou Hollywood Initiative."
Dulcie White
"The best thing about Covid has been doing John's classes online. I loved listening to John's stories about his own experience in the industry. John made me feel really comfortable and I feel like because of his advice and encouragement I am now a better actor. I hope to one day come over and do classes with John in person and I can't wait till classes start up again."
Sofia Harrop
"The Hollywood Initiative allowed me to take my acting training online and to the next level during 2020-2022, at a time when most actors were unable to find work or even train. I feel truly blessed to have discovered THI and the amazing team that work tirelessly to organize and deliver such high quality classes and workshops. I've been able to meet and train with some of the best casting directors and acting coaches currently working in LA. The biggest highlight for me was undertaking the Standard American Accent course with dialogue legend Bob Corff! Not only did I learn and perfect my US accent over this time, but the camaraderie and support I felt working with my fellow actors and Bob made it such an amazing experience and motivated me to keep developing my skills over multiple lockdowns. It really does feel like being part of a family with THI! Nancy and her team are so supportive and always striving to give us every opportunity to become better actors and people. I now feel ready to use my US accent to smash auditions in 2022!"
Nicholas Bisa
I have nothing but positives to express from the brief period I’ve been in the hands of Nancy and the Claire at The Hollywood Initiative. And I say brief with a gleamingly positive connotation, as in such a small amount of time (under a year) I’ve experienced such intense, fulfilling progress in both my dialect work and industry connections.
Claire’s compassion and experience is evident from day 1 and it’s extremely beneficial for people as insecure about failure as myself. She makes you feel safe, secure, and makes sure to personalise her teachings to cater for a variety of learning types. I myself am a very visual learner and she effortlessly catered to that from the word “go”. I thought I was pretty good at the Standard American accent before I started with Claire; I was so sorely mistaken. She’ll completely transform the way you think about dialect work. The truth is it’s such a complex beast, but with Claire by your side, it feels logical. And once you get on a roll… it becomes like clock-work. I didn’t even realise how far I'd progressed until the only notes I was getting was for singular consonant sounds within full sentences.
Nancy has continued to be there for me and is extremely flexible as well as understanding to everyone’s individual circumstances. She also is a fantastic resource as both a mentor and industry connection. She got me in the door with US representation and was directly responsible for me being signed by American management. Her driven, determined attitude really gets results and I’m forever grateful for her compassion. She never fails to champion her clients.
The Hollywood Initiative is incomparable. I’m in debt to both Nancy and Claire. I’d highly recommend it to any actors looking to improve their accent work and make a dent in the industry. If you put in the effort, you’re in the safest of hands.
- Nick :)
Daniel Hurst
"I had been working my way through Bob and Claire Corff’s Achieving the Standard American Accent for about a month when The Hollywood Initiative offered the opportunity to work with Claire directly. I thought my accent was already pretty good, but wanted to be sure I was practising correctly. It was very worth it, because for six weeks, Claire pointed out every little incorrect sound I didn’t even realise I was making. She taught me that learning the accent isn’t just about making different sounds, it’s also about setting your jaw in a different position, and using muscles I didn’t know existed. The audio tapes are excellent for understanding the sounds, but working directly with Claire brought it to a much higher level."
Dilara Foscht
"I just wanted to let you know that I love love love, the THI classes,
and when looking back at my earlier tapes I can see HOW big the
progress was/is. Also my friends, family, agent and acting coaches
told me that the accent is almost gone (besides some tiny slips
sometimes)! And that really means a lot to me since at the beginning,
when Bianca and I came to Canada, I thought I would not get any
auditions besides the "German/Austrian/ Nazi" roles. But I am happy to announce that the better our accent got the bigger the roles we
were asked to self tape for were. :) (recently several series lead
roles or supporting roles in features! :)
So again, I just really wanted to acknowledge my gratefulness & to let you know as well how much we appreciate Bob's teaching).
The THI accent class is definitely a unique one, and I have made
friends on the different side of the globe without even being there.
(Who btw all offered to hang out and show us the city when we travel
to Australia one day ;)
And of course, Bianca and I will be the first people on the sign up
sheets for next year!!"
Melanie Hanley
"I signed up for Bob Corff’s Foundation American Accent Class with the intention to feel more confident with my American accent. Little did I know I’d be part of an online family and be rewarded with continuous growth in the advanced classes too! Bob doesn’t give up on you. His kindness and encouragement allows you to feel comfortable pursuing the accent and finding your true American. So grateful!"
Trung Le
Basically, other than my agents of course, I owe a really huge chunk of my career success and craftsmanship to you, Nancy. If it wasn't for you reaching out to my agents with the Hollywood Initiative those years back, I'd have never heard of anything like this. I have so many seasoned actor friends in SA who go to so many classes and American accent courses too. But every time I've stepped into the room, with the training from HI, I've always been asked if I've been an actor for a long time. Every time they're surprised by my answer. It's honestly only been 3 years, professionally.
I'm still such a sapling in this industry and I know it just from seeing the talent in Bob's and Anthony's classes. However, the Hollywood Initiative has quite genuinely put me at the top of the list in my pool. I've been booking commercials and short films constantly, while I auditioned for this TV series, with a lot of local producers/agents/directors now knowing my name. Way more than I'd ever anticipated.
I can appreciate I've also been fortunate enough to be at the right place, at the right time in regard to entering the industry. Although, you've quite seriously helped my career grow beyond what I thought was possible for little ol' me in little ol' Adelaide. Regardless of what I book or don't book in the future, I'll always be indebted to your creation.
You've created one hell of a machine and I hope, and feel, that the Hollywood Initiative will be one of the huge leaders in the industry in the future. Like the Amazon of the acting industry.
It was a stroke of good fortune and condition that I ran into you and the Hollywood Initiative, and I'm so glad I have! You're the best, Nancy. Truly. I can't even find the words to express how amazing your work has been without sounding cheesy, haha. I just hope I will be able to spread your work to more genuine people so they can all marvel and benefit from the magnificent beast you've created.
Nancy’s integrity to her brand & craft is so inspiring. Nancy sit’s in every single class. Has built a relationship with us all & makes it her mission to guide us.
This is why I so highly recommend THI to everyone I run into. I should cut this short, or I could honestly go on about Nancy & her work ethic for ages hahaha.
Thank you so much again for offering us your support net. It makes us feel we can launch sky-high with no fear of falling down.
(Since this testimonial, Trung has booked a series regular role on a Netflix show & secured U.S. representation from our Online Showcase.)
Dylan Joyce
Nancy is one of the most passionate creatives I have been blessed to meet and work with. She is highly driven to bringing out the best of each and every actor and the programs she shares, introducing her audience to incredible industry insiders is absolutely incredible.
Completing the Pilot Season Intensive in February 2023 was unlike any training I have done before and I was working alongside incredible artists that just raise the stakes.
If you are looking to advance your US accent, get in front of amazing Casting Directors and really hone in on your craft, The Hollywood Initiative is where you need to go!
Highly, highly recommend!
Thank you for everything Nancy and THI xx
Jessica Marchi
Fantastic experience. Everything ran smoothly, on time, and the support was fantastic. Nancy is wonderful and she really cares about the actors! Highly recommend!
Oviya Sabashan
Wow! What an experience!
This program has taught me so much! Not only about acting but about myself as well!
I have never come across a program where the coaches care so much where they are with you every step of the way! Nancy was there for us everyday and made sure we were receiving the best care! She was continuously supporting and encouraging us so we could perform our best at all times! I got to participate in so many amazing classes! These classes were so valuable and eye opening!
If acting is what you’re passionate about, this program will motivate and help you to expand your talents!
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