RWS Entertainment Group's Binder Casting Adds Film, Commercial Hires To Lead New Divisions

By: Feb. 07, 2018
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RWS Entertainment Group's Binder Casting Adds Film, Commercial Hires To Lead New Divisions Binder Casting, a subsidiary of Emmy Award-winning RWS Entertainment Group (RWS), today announced the appointment of three new hires set to lead the newly formed commercial and film casting divisions. Anthony Pichette, Kyle Coker join Binder as Sr. Casting Directors and Chad Eric Murnane joins as a Casting Director. The announcement was made today by Ryan Stana, CEO of RWS Entertainment Group.

With over 35 years of experience in the Broadway casting world, the 12-time Artios Award-winning casting office recently opened two new divisions-commercial and film. Pichette, Coker and Murnane will spearhead these divisions and work side-by-side with Binder Casting's Mark Brandon, Justin Bohon and Katie Zanca as well as RWS Casting to provide new opportunities for actors on film, television, radio, and commercials in addition to regional theater, national tours and Broadway.

"RWS and Binder Casting are deeply committed to giving actors and performers around the world access to the best opportunities while providing our clients with a massive, unparalleled casting pool," said Ryan Stana, CEO of RWS Entertainment Group. "RWS acquired Binder Casting in 2016 in order to help the company become a one-stop-shop for clients, actors, producers, and performers. As RWS continues to expand, we look forward to seeing our commercial and film casting divisions grow. We couldn't ask for a better team than Anthony, Kyle and Chad to head up those efforts."

Pichette brings 20 years of commercial casting to Binder. He has cast top level talent for network campaigns, regional commercials, industrials, promos, print and digital media. Pichette has cast notable commercial campaigns for clients including Golden Corral, Garmin, Olive Garden and Six Flags. Additionally, he's worked with in-house casting departments at networks such as Nickelodeon (Blue's Clues), Sci-Fi, Food Network, Spike and MTV.

Pichette teaches at studios throughout the city including One on One, Actor's Connection, AGR, The Network, The Performing Option, NYU Stone Street, BIH Studios. He has worked with major colleges and universities across the country including the University of Miami, College of William and Mary, Rutgers University and College of Charleston

Coker brings more than 13 years of commercial casting experience having cast over 1,000 commercials, voice overs, print projects, industrials, video games, and new media projects. He has worked on projects for clients including Target, Apple, IBM, Kiehl's, State Farm, Exxon Mobil, Crayola, Pebbles, L'Oreal, Chase, and more. Additionally, he provided additional casting for Beyoncé's Lemonade performance at the 2016 VMAs, various projects as a NY associate for 20th Century Fox, and has worked for acclaimed directors such as Joe Pytka and Mark Romanek.

Prior to Binder Casting, Coker was a partner in the commercial department at Donna DeSeta Casting. He's also an adjunct professor at Pace University in Commercial Acting and has taught many master classes at acting schools and universities throughout the country. He recently completed the book: "Commercial Acting: A No Nonsense Guide to the Business, Working with Commercial Copy, and Becoming a Smarty On-Camera Principal Performer."

Donna DeSeta shared, "It is with joy and love that I wish Kyle Coker all the best as he joins Binder Casting. Kyle is well equipped and more than prepared for this next chapter in his career, and he will surpass all expectations in this new position."

Murnane, CSA, brings six years of experience to Binder having cast theatre, television and film in New York and Los Angeles. Chad has many studio and independent film projects under his belt including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows," the reboot of "Friday the 13th," CBS's "No Tomorrow," "Stan Against Evil" for IFC, "Full Circle" (conceived by Neil LaBute), "200 Hours," and more. His casting experience also lies in regional theatre, off-Broadway, national tours, video games, network, cable and streaming television.

Prior to Binder, Murnane was the casting associate at Lisa Fields Casting in Los Angeles and he's also worked with Marc Hirschfeld, Geralyn Flood, Barbara Florentino, April Webster and Erica Bream. Chad is committed to diverse, inclusive and intelligent casting and has a passion for discovering new talent. His casting mission is to eliminate artificial boundaries between theatre, television and film. He believes a great actor is a great actor. He understands how to connect the commercial with the artistic, seeking polished, provocative artists that have the education and skill to deliver.

The appointments come on the heels of RWS's recent announcement of a major expansion that includes the launch of a Theatrical and Development Department at RWS. Together with the addition of the new casting divisions, the innovative expansion transforms RWS into a one-of-a-kind company that brings producing, creative development, general management, production management, casting, wardrobe, rehearsal studios and other production services under one roof, saving producers time and money.

RWS is now able to leverage current staff, relationships, brand partnerships, and resources to develop new content and IP for the commercial theatre on Broadway, on the road, and in non-traditional spaces around the world. RWS will now be able to utilize its vast resources to not only provide shows and experiences to 32 theme parks, 17 cruise ships, 10 resorts and over 100 corporate events in 2018, but also develop and produce commercial theatre and arena shows for Broadway and touring markets.

Operating out of a 40,000 square foot office and rehearsal studio complex together with performer housing in New York City, Emmy Award-winning RWS Entertainment Group is North America's largest provider of branded stage shows and experiences.

Founded in 2003, led by Ryan Stana, CEO & Bruston Manuel, COO, the multi-award winning live entertainment Production Company has produced innovative productions and custom brand experiences for top resorts, cruise lines, theme parks, corporate events and NYC fashion events for an impressive roster of clients that include Holland America Line, Hard Rock Resorts, Prada, NBCUniversal, Cedar Fair, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, Westfield, Macy's, Vera Wang, Mattel, to name a few. RWS is now the foremost turn-key solution in the industry, providing full design and installation services for interactive experiences, theming, décor and more, to create unparalleled immersive experiences.

In July 2016, RWS acquired 12-time Artios Award-winning Binder Casting, a leading casting firm for Broadway, film, television and commercials. For more information about RWS Entertainment Group, please visit rwsnyc.com, bindecasting.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.





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