Winsome Sinclair, 25yr Casting Director, Launches New ATL Office, Talks The Film Business & Gives Valuable Advice to Young Actors [Exclusive]

On Tuesday, October 29th, Winsome Sinclair, an established and well-respected casting director from New York, held an exclusive launch party and personal birthday celebration at Bar One Tapas Lounge. The event was to kick-off the new office placement for Winsome Sinclair & Associates here in the Atlanta area. Many of her industry friends came out to celebrate this special occasion. There were plenty of drinks flowing, dancing, and networking among Atlanta’s entertainment insiders and industry veterans from the East Coast and other parts of the U.S.

Partaking in the festivities were Debra Atney (Mizay Entertainment), Nicci Gilbert (Singer/”R&B Divas”), Yung Joc (rapper), Ramona Debreaux (V-103FM), Peter Thomas (Owner of Bar One/”Real Housewives of Atlanta”), and many other industry movers-and-shakers.

Deb Atney & Winsome Sinclair

Ramona Debreaux & Winsome Sinclair

Winsome Sinclair is part of a recent wave of film and television business owners that are moving into the Southern market. With Georgia’s fast growing film production industry, many job and tax-incentive opportunities have opened up that will help keep the economy strong. As such, Winsome Sinclair & Associates will join the directory of other companies that will create jobs for the African-American and Latino communities. Sinclair and her associates already have a list of planned events for the Atlanta area that will promote excellence and business know-how. One in particular is the The Blueprint Series.

The Blueprint Series is business acumen. We bring in accountants. We bring in people to talk about doing taxes, investing, wealth, because we don’t want to see them make that mistake. You may have great fame. But, if you can’t sustain yourself, then you still have an issue and it will affect your work. So, we teach them the business of doing business better because it’s 10% show and 90% business. And, we ride that home.

 

It’s a family thing that we do. My brother is a CPA and an attorney. So he comes in and teaches that course and helps them be prepared for where they are going. We will launch the Blueprint Series in Atlanta in January.

 

As a 25-year film and television veteran, Sinclair definitely has the knowledge on how to create an opportunity in the film industry. While many young adults choose to use a 4-year institution as a gateway into the entertainment field, others make the right connections and hop right on in – many times as interns. Because college courses and opportunities for minorities were rarely offered back when Sinclair started, she was lucky enough to join Spike Lee’s camp. Through experience gained while working with one of the best in the business, Sinclair began to pay-it-forward to other young interns.

I will definitely suggest a Business course. As far as being a casting director, this is my 25th year going into the industry, so there was no course when I was in school. What I have done though, for the 25 years I’ve been doing this, I make sure every job that I’m on I take on an intern. So I can train somebody else to do this because no one is teaching “our” people to do this. Coming up in Spike Lee’s camp, that’s one thing that Spike stressed, he wanted the department heads ALL look like him. So, he took good care of us in that way. And I pay it forward in the same way. Actually, in 2009, we launched a production company called Legacy Media Group (LMG). LMG is composed of myself and the people who interned with me over the years. We got together and started to things for ourselves. So, I’m really proud of that.

To be a casting director, you have to have an eye for great talent. Sinclair has proven that she is one of the best and has a long list of film, television, and video credits to show for it. In the past 25 years, she has collaborated with such directors as Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone and John Singleton, casting principals and extras for the films Amistad, Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale, She Hate Me, Inside Man, Too Fast Too Furious, Black Snake Moan, Cadillac Records and Precious, among others. Her most recent projects include For Colored Girls, Violet & Daisy, and the recently released remake of the classic Sparkle, starring the late Whitney Houston.

Her repertoire is quite impressive. But, with it she shares her knowledge so others too can excel in this business. One thing that she is most fond of is helping actors and actresses reach their full potential. As a casting director, she sees first hand where improvements can be made. Therefore, Sinclair stresses the importance of being confident as an actor. Sometimes she says “confidence” is the very thing that hinders people from doing their best in the audition room.

I love smart actors. You need to have your lines and have your lines memorized if possible. But, you always got to come with a headshot, a resume so we know what you’ve done – what kind of work you’re used to. And just…I teach another course called “Start Owning Your Audition Room”, and that’s how to give actors confidence – because you have to walk into that room like you already own it. If you walk in apologetically or not strong, it will hinder your performance. As a casting director, I try to teach actors that I’m on your side. If you look good, I look good. So, I want you to be the best you can be because then my director will hire me again. [laughs]

 

It’s that simple.

Sinclair also gives hope for future actors or newbies that are found off the street. She credited Spike Lee as being someone who made it his duty to find actors with less experience (or none at all). It is raw talent that can captivate the audience in ways a well-trained actor or actress can’t do. But, although she love working with smart actors, she also loves to discover new talent.

Winsome Sinclair understands her job is to make others dreams come true. She’s been committed to that for 25 years and has no plans on stopping. With this new location in Atlanta, the sky’s the limit for her and her team.

For more information on Winsome Sinclair and/or Winsome Sinclair & Associates, visit www.WSACasting.com or contact her via email at wsacasting@gmail.com. You can also follow her firm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @WSACasting.

Winsome Sinclair & Ms. Bels (Owner,STACKS Magazine)

Special thanks to Raychelle LeBlanc, of SheNotes for the invite!