Karen Maseng began her career as an actress in Los Angeles. Not long after she co-produced and co-starred on stage in Eastern Standard starring Bryan Cranston, she met Melissa Martin on the set of a commercial they both starred in. Melissa went on to become one of LA's top casting directors, while Karen's love of the acting process led her to running camera and directing actors in casting sessions. Years later she founded Pogo Casting with the goal of catering to discerning clients who demanded a casting director who was deeply involved in every aspect of the casting process.

 

Karen is now directing her own projects and you can catch her latest, ‘Unraveled’, on her YouTube channel

Zero Budget Productions. The goal of this project is to show actors and industry that quality projects can be produced on a tiny budget with a couple of IPhones.

 

Teaching is her way of giving back. As the audition process evolved and transitioned to Virtual Auditions and Self-Tapes, Karen came to realize that One-on-One Coaching gives her the ability to focus on each actor’s individual needs in a way that classes never could. Bringing an actor's experiences and truth to the role is crucial in a field that is incredibly competitive. Most actors worry too much about what they think casting directors want, losing their natural creativity and the freedom to use their authenticity in the audition. Directors, producers and casting directors are looking for actors who can insert themselves into the character. Having a coach who has auditioned actors for over twenty years and has worked with numerous directors, gives Karen’s clients an insider's advantage in the casting process, and the edge they need to take their career to the next level.