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Beth Maitland and I have written a great deal about the importance of the first year of your career looking for acting jobs in TV and Film. You have to be prepared to pay your bills for at least a year to give yourself a chance at a career.
Now, you may walk into a casting office and be just what they are looking for, or impress someone at a restaurant that knows the head of casting at Warner Brothers Television. It’s not only possible, these things happen all the time in Hollywood. One chance encounter can lead to an entire career.
It’s possible. But not probable. Read the rest of this entry »

Theatrical auditions are often quite different in terms of content and acting style from commercial auditions or stage auditions.  Theatrical auditions refer to those projects that are filmed or video taped for theatrical purposes on television and for films.  These may be independent films, tv shows, reality shows, major motion pictures, daytime dramas, or other theatrical projects.  The word theatrical does not refer to live theater, stage or plays. Read the rest of this entry »

There are as many types of acting techniques as there are actors, and the best course of action is to learn several approaches and find the one that works for you, or take bits and pieces of several and apply them to your own style. The same applies to auditioning style. Find what works and stick to it.

In preparing an audition, you should first get as much information as you can about the project you’ll audition for. Look online for production information, especially if it is an existing television series, for example. Look up on IMDB the names of producers and directors to see what other projects they have done and to show you their basic styles of material. Any information you can get from your agent, or the casting assistant, or the break down service will be helpful in making decisions while you prepare your scene. Read the rest of this entry »

Soap opera actors jokingly refer to what they do every day as the Minute Rice School of Acting.  There is an enormous amount of material that must be learned and delivered competently on a daily basis, and the character and scene intentions must be clear and instant.  When auditioning for a Soap Opera, you must show that you are able to meet the challenge as an actor. Read the rest of this entry »

Rudeness

It happened today on the way to a meeting.  A guy in a hurry cut me off in the parking lot, and skidded in to the parking place I had waited for as the previous inhabitant backed out…I even had my turn signal on.  The guy screeched into the spot, slammed his door and ran for it before I could say or do anything at all.  I am non confrontative by nature, but there are a few things like this that will insight my dark side.
I made another couple of loops around the lot, found a spot and parked and went in for my commercial voice over call, on time, but a little amped from my temper and the utter rudeness of humanity.

Guess who was pacing back and forth in the lobby.  I heard several scraps of lame excuses as he tried to apologize to the casting assistant for being late, and saw that he was in much worse shape than I was in terms of frustration and adrenaline.  There is no way that guy in that condition was going to give a good audition.  He was obviously a flake.  Bad timing, bad planning, disorganization, and traffic had ruined his chances to make a good impression, and perhaps ever be called back to this casting office again.  All those things could have been avoided.

Don’t let yourself be him!  Please be professional about choosing acting as your career.  Treat it as a respected profession and you will be treated as a respected professional, not a flakey creative type who can’t keep an appointment, and who can’t be trusted to be given a job.

And as you walk along your path as a creative professional, remember a little common courtesy and consideration for your fellows, and it will pay off.  People notice.  I could have been the casting director in that parking lot coming back from lunch.  Believe me, I wouldn’t have hired that guy on a bet.  Happy parking…

Beth

Joel Brooks has written several great articles on the experience a new actor will have in Los Angeles trying to break in to television and film.  He has even told his amazing and unusual story about his first day in Los Angeles and his first acting job here.

I have been asked to write about my early time here.  It is also a strange story.  We tell new actors about these experiences to illustrate the point that no way is the right way to break in to show business.  YOUR way will be the only and best way for you. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a new actor to Hollywood and you have no agency affiliation and want a job, what do you do?  You have to be seen in order to be considered.  An odd concept, but let me say it again:  In order to be seen (interviewed, given a meeting) at an agency or management, you need to be seen in some sort of performance capacity.  Sometimes it is a theatre workshop, sometimes acting schools have scene showcases, sometimes it is through doing student films, sometimes it is as simple as meeting someone at a party or on the street and so impressing them with your personality that they recommend you to someone they know.  It can be as random as that. Read the rest of this entry »

In many previous articles Beth Maitland and I have stressed the importance of being seen by industry professionals in order to get an agent or manager.  
The best way to come to Hollywood would be with representation in place.  Many New York actors arrive here with representation, and many Chicago actors also have agents who are affiliated with agencies here is Los Angeles.  Obviously those actors have a great advantage and can be sent out immediately for acting jobs. Read the rest of this entry »

Beth Maitland and I have an online seminar on “Marketing For The Actor” and one of the things we discuss is: The resume.
Your resume is your calling card along with your photo.  We will discuss the photo is other articles, but let’s concentrate on your resume.
Do not lie.  Never.  Do not exaggerate.  If you say you can play the trumpet and ride a horse, you’d better be able to play Dixie at a gallop because you might get hired to do just that. Read the rest of this entry »

An acting student asked me recently how to prevent him from clenching his fists when he did angry in his scene work. He said he noticed on tape in playback after class that every time he had to be mad in a scene, all these other physical things occurred that he couldn’t control.  Things like the clenched fists, and raising his eyebrows when he spoke angrily, were getting in the way of pure emotion.  They were becoming distractions and habits, and he didn’t know what to do. Read the rest of this entry »