Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As larger production studios continue to explore Buffalo's viability, Casting Buffalo hosted their second annual Actor's Expo on Saturday as a way to help bolster the local film community.
Co-founders of Casting Buffalo, Harry Lipsitz, Kyle Mecca and Peter Johnson, all wanted this year's expo to be bigger than the previous year.
"This area, as we know, is poised to have a lot of major activity and a lot more uptick and work here in the coming years", Lipsitz said in an interview with WBEN. "It's events like this that we really hope people will take advantage of. And really, it's our way of showing and showcasing to these big productions, that are gonna come here, what we really have."
Stephen McKinley Henderson answering question in front of crowdZach Penque - WBEN
The expo featured a variety of vendors, workshops, and guest speakers. One of those guest speakers was longtime Buffalo resident and acting legend Stephen McKinley Henderson, as he shared why he believes it's important for up-and-coming talent to attend events like this one.
"It's very important to be prepared for what's coming to town, to know what the order is because a lot of people they say, 'Oh, they're here they're coming bringing a movie to town.' Well, sometimes by the time it gets here, all the decisions are made. You just heard about it, by the time you see it on the street, it's too late," Henderson stated. "It is very important to find out where you can begin. That is the thing, you know? You can start right where you stand. You work on your craft anywhere you work on your career. This is the kind of thing you have to attend to make the connections that can help you know how to work on your career."
Aaron at the Film Neighbor Network tableZach Penque - WBEN
Aaron from Film Neighbor Network, who was also at last year's expo, says he is happy to see that even more people showed up this year, and that the attendance really outlines the local community's drive to be involved in film.
"It's great to see the Buffalo community come together for this and really be part of something that is larger," Aaron shared.
Executive Director and President of the Syracuse International Film Festival, Michelle DiBernardo, says having a strong community support system like this one is hard to come across.
"The only way we're going to build is to build the infrastructure together. Teamwork, dream work, you know? We can't have little cliques. It's important to work together and collab and basically be that frontline army together," DiBernardo said.
