E. Mills on What It Takes to Be a Successful Casting Director
Self-made casting director, entrepreneur, and thriving creative E. Mills is no stranger to the uphill journey of hustling to bring his vision to life. He used his desire to surpass the competition as fuel to excel in his chosen industry. Despite knowing the odds were against him, he knew his story was just beginning. Today, he has built a brand that is undeniably an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry, delivering results day in and out for all of his celebrity clients and creating a multimedia empire.
Mills is the CEO and founder of his own company, Mill Ticket Entertainment which has cast countless chart topping music videos throughout the last decade. He has worked with many iconic artists from Drake to Lady Gaga to Lil Wayne and more. Today, the Mill Ticket brand has expanded to many other branches of the entertainment industry. It is a multimedia company that is broken down into four major components: music, fashion, sports, and film.
His film division is currently his biggest earner, dominating the casting industry and eventually helping transform Mill Ticket Entertainment into one of the biggest casting companies in the country today.
The team has successfully cast models and actors for commercials, films, music videos, TV Shows and print projects, to mention a few. At present, E. Mills and his team have diversified into marketing, doing digital influencer campaigns for top music artists and brands. By partnering with social media stars, he provides content creators for record labels and brands to curate their advertisement on all platforms. He and his team have been instrumental in helping big artists sell millions of their records and take home several recognitions along the way. These projects include multiple platinum plaques for Tyga x Nicki Minaj for the hit single “Dip” and Tyga featuring Offset for the song “Taste.”
Mills has even opened a creative compound in downtown Los Angeles, which provides ample space for all the divisions of his company, from a storefront to office space, podcast/Youtube studio, photography studio, and recording studio. This provides a creative space for up and coming or existing talent to make music and content.
He and his team offer music management, producers, writers, and even a record label of its own to anyone looking for an opportunity to launch a music career.
The fashion division of Mill Ticket Entertainment offers a merchandise line that spins off into a vibrant clothing line that suits all personalities from all walks of life and is available for purchase at his storefront and online.
“How I got to where I am today is not by chance. I designed a plan and I executed,” E. Mills shared. “Being the only young black aspiring casting director was not an easy journey. It took a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of sacrifices. I trained myself to wake up on East Coast time, three hours ahead of the West, as I knew we were competing for the same dollar. There were definitely a lot of closed doors in the beginning, but I’m a very persistent person. I was determined to turn every ‘no’ into a ‘yes.’”
Despite his current success, E. Mills does not see himself slowing down anytime soon. He is already thinking about expanding and bringing Mill Ticket Entertainment to the next level by transforming it into the industry’s go-to company for the best talents for any project. For example, on the sports side of the industry the company plans to get into the gaming world and managing popular gamers. Eventually, E. Mills intends to manage professional athletes as well. He remains optimistic that he has what it takes to elevate his company’s output as he has done in the past.
“My ability to stay level headed in a chaotic industry has helped my journey to run a lot smoother,” E. Mills revealed. “The first challenge most entrepreneurs come across is not knowing the right people and not having the capital to get to the next level. Those were definitely key factors that slowed my progression. Though, my impeccable grind and persistence helped me conquer these challenges in time.”
Unafraid of what challenges the future brings, E. Mills stays focused on his goal to be the best in the industry.
Learn more about E. Mills by visiting this site. Follow him on Instagram for updates on his latest projects.
