To my surprise, each one of them had visited this website, and they were all very enthusiastic.  The most common comment was that they were happy to see a site that offered advice and education that was accurate and informed for the Los Angeles market, and specifically dealt with customs and common courtesies that they feel have been lost among most of the new actors they see.  Their favorite blog was “The Casting Assistant” which deals with being professional and courteous to ALL the casting staff you meet an any audition; be on time, appreciative, respectful to your fellow actors and support staff atthe audition, and follow up with thank you note or email.

That came as another surprise, that in their collective view, actors are not as courteous, not as professional in their manner as they used to be even ten years ago.  Interesting, and something to learn from.

I used the opportunity to invite several casting professionals to be a part of our new subscription/membership service in development right now.  We will be offering shortly the chance for you to sign up for a subscription to our site, which will include several perks and information packages available only to members.  This will include one of our educational lecture videos each month, as well as other special offerings sent to members only throughout each month.  We will be interviewing casting people, directors, and other industry professionals about their pet peeves, their advice for actors, their experiences and careers in show business, and other information we think you’d advantage from.  These interviews will be sent monthly as part of your subscription.

So…things to look forward to, but for now, review the blog “the Casting Assistant” and at your next audition, take your behavior seriously…it really does have impact on whether or not you are hired or called back.

Till next time,

I had a couple of thoughts.  First of all, I think it depends a lot on the amount of experience you have as an actor on a TV or film set.  If you’ve done lots of plays, but have no on camera experience, what better way to get a feel for a working set?  To actually be there and watch and see how it all flows, what’s expected of actors and the crew, what are the rules and how to navigate the schedule on a set…all these things are necessary to know to be a professional.  If you want to learn in a relatively non threatening way, this is the ticket! 

I know that there is a lot of discussion in acting class and at theater group that you should never take extra work, but I would have to say not everyone books big roles right off the bat.  It’s something to consider that you can end up being a permanent professional extra (I think the proper term is atmosphere artist), but there is a lot to be said for learning on the job, and actually  being on a working set can not be taught, duplicated, or read about.  The choice is yours, of course.  But don’t be a snob and cheat yourself from being ready when your speaking part comes along.

Just do it.

Beth

Likewise, you can create and expand on your picture and resume on websites or blog spots you create for yourself on free space provided by most Internet service providers like Earthlink and the like.  Many of these providers, as part of your service fee, give you several email boxes (profiles) as well as your own small web page that you can send as a link to interested parties, or post on your profile page on various social network sites.

For a small fee, you can use a template based webhosting company to create a little more sophisticated website for yourself and purchase your own domain name (your name.com) through these companies as well.  This can be simple, or more dimentional with several pictures posted and even your demo reel as a video file for visitors to view.  There are several actor friendly companies you can find by using Google or other search engines to locate the one that suits your needs.  You can also find a good one by searching for specific actors by name and see what companies they use (there will be a logo usually on the home landing page that says something like:  website sponsored by…, or website built by…).

Chat groups and blog spots are another amazing resource.  By posting comments and leaving contact info for others who visit these spots, you can set up a network of like minded community members who can offer advice, info, and encouragement.

To find out about more of these resources, click around on the sites listed above, and create space on the free sites if you haven’t already.  Ask your peers where they are listed, join actor groups when possible.  See what your friends recommend and go from there.  Please use caution and common sense, and do not reveal any dangerous or accessible information about yourself…for example, use a dedicated email address for contact from these website communications, not your personal one.  Never give out home or other personal contact information that can be viewed by strangers.  Get yourself a P.O. Box if some of your Internet activities include snail mail contact with others.

But take advantage of these amazing and mostly free places to promote yourself, while building up a supportive group of advocates and peers.

Let’s get clicking!!

Beth

So give some thought to how you want to sell YOU, and start now to develop that.  Make it a habit.  Take care of yourself, your clothes, your car, your health, your outlook.  You never know who’s watching.

Be your best,

Beth

There are varying opinions on whether or not to join a union unless you have to for a job.  This website does not endorse a formal position, but my intention here is to review the options.  If you are serious about being an actor, and working in the industry in a serious way, it will be necessary for you to join these two key unions.   AFTRA is for video tape contracts, on camera and radio, acting, voice over, singing, etc. under a very specific tape domain.  SAG is for film, on TV or on the big screen, the medium must be film for this union’s jurisdiction.  AFTRA is still an open union, which means you can just take your money down there and sign up.  Many feel this is a good way to start being serious about your field, and there are many programs, educational and networking, that AFTRA sponsors, which is a place for you to meet your peers.

SAG is closed, which means you cannot join unless you are required to for a job.  There is a difficult catch here, since you generally can’t get a job unless you are already in the union, but there are some special circumstances, like being hired for special skills under the Taft Hartley Act, that will allow membership.  Let’s say you are a sky diver…and an actor…and a movie needs a skydiver who can act, not just a stunt man for some reason.  This would be a reason for a casting director to hire you over someone else, and for you to have your chance to join SAG.  That is also why we recommend you put all your special skills on your resume under the categories of your actual acting experience.  These skills may take you over one of the biggest hurdles of a new actor.

As in all things that affect your success, be aware of fees, membership dues, rules of membership and initiation costs so when you can afford it, and when it becomes available to you, you are in a position to become a member of the unions that will allow you to work in your field.

Check it out!  You are in charge of your destiny.  Good luck!

Beth

Eventually you will have a friendship base of those also in the industry in a position to help each other as well as share common interests and discussions that keep you grounded and up to date in your field.

Go to acting classes.  Go to seminars.  Go online to union sites like SAG and AFTRA and take advantage of their programs and symposiums whenever possible.  If you are not yet a member, find someone in class who is and who will take you as their guest.  Do plays, join theater groups.  Use every opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

I don’t think it needs to be said, but for the record, this should not be a completely self-serving approach.  Expect to give back, help others, share, trade, and return those favors.  This is an industry of ego, but also of great heart and generosity.  Be a part of the latter, pay forward and you will not regret it.  You never know where a job may be hiding, or a learning experience, or a chance to meet people you will never forget.  Be a part of what makes show business one of the most charismatic and rewarding fields in which to express your creativity, hone your skills, use your talent, and display your unique essence.

Put it out there.

Beth

As we watch the upcoming list of new movies in theaters now and in the next few weeks, it’s time to get out there and see what your industry is providing…and where you fit in that industry!
Never before have there been such advancements in computer generation, special affects, equipment, cameras and directing techniques, and at the heart of it all is the performance of the actor.
As a professional, you have to be current on what is happening in your professional world.  See the films, support your industry, think about what you see and be able to discuss that.  Learn about the different styles of directors, producers, genres.  Be proficient in how those styles look so if you get the chance to participate in your professional world (even just a discussion at an audition or acting class) you are informed.  And on a more personal note, keep these things in mind as you watch:
Are there roles I could play?
Are there roles in my category (ingénue, character actor, age range, type, etc.) that I am right for?
Are my skills up to the job?  Keep your eyes open.  Every opportunity to learn is one not wasted!
Have fun at the movies!!

Beth

I recently went to an audition and walked into a waiting room full of women in my same age range, my similar type, dressed in the same general professional fashion…and it reminded me to talk to you all about being honest in representing yourself in your picture, resume, and in your type category and age range.  And to be confident that you have something that they do not.

It can be mind blowing to see 10 or 15 other “you’s” in the room with you, but don’t let it rattle you.  There is no one there with just your performance, your essence.  So commit to it, and bring your best job to the reading, and you’ll be fine.  But…

Susan Sarandon can still play a young Speed Racer’s mother, but I’m pretty sure most people her age cannot.  If you are even tempted to be unrealistic about your look, your type, your age…please think about it again.  If you walk into a casting office and are not the same person as the picture they have in front of them, you’re doing yourself a lot of damage.  Some casting directors will never have you back.  Your picture should be YOU.  Your image of that “you” should be realistic to the extreme.  The casting process is pretty fast.  They usually release the breakdown to agents, take submissions, and start reading people within a couple of days, then they thin the list and take the short list to the director and producers.  That’s at most another day or two, and especially in TV, it has to happen now.  The casting process has no room for wasted time.  If you are 50 and come in for a 30 year old young mom, you better look 30.  If you’re 19 and they need a sultry late 20’s call girl, you better be able to make that happen too…and look the part without too much imagination required.  And don’t come to the audition in costume…as we’ve discussed in other articles.  Just a suggested idea of how that character would dress and look, and that should be enough.  It is more important to make that character you, and commit to an intelligent and inventive reading.  That is something to remember.  Not the fact that you did not look the part, and did not have a representative headshot, and wasted 15 minutes apologizing.

So…get out there and give them the real thing.  Honestly.

Beth

Sometimes, I am struck with the reality that there is nothing new under the sun.  My dreams, and yours are likely very similar.  What actors set out to do, what they hope to become, all make us a part of an exclusive, creative and enthusiastic club.  It’s been many years since I first came to Hollywood all dewey and full of dreams.  I tend to get a little jaded after all these years, which is why it’s always a pleasure to teach talented young people.  They remind me of why I came here, and what I intended, against all odds, to do.

I now know that if I had not followed my dreams and my heart, I would probably still be happy somewhere, but I would never have known if I could have “done it.”  So I encourage you all to try.  Be realistic, don’t put yourself in want or in danger.  Don’t impose on others or take advantage elsewhere, but if it is possible to give yourself a chance to realize what you dream and desire, you should do so.

Others have already said it so much better than I can…so:

‘Whatever you can dream you can do…begin it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.’
Johann von Goethe

Get busy.

Beth

After you have the perfect headshot, that represents the “you” that will walk through the door into the casting meeting, and after you have constructed an organized and thorough resume, that clearly represents your experience and abilities…it’s time to construct a basic bio.  This is not a press release.  This is a longer version of what you would put in the Playbill if you were starring in a play.
It is less about what you’re doing now, and more about how you got here.  Where you were born, your training, your early experience, what brought you to Los Angeles, interesting hobbies, humanitarian works, special skills, unusual background (let’s say you studied cooking in Paris, and therefore speak fluent French and can bake a perfect baguette) all should be included to make a verbal picture of the well rounded you.  This is a tool your agent and/or publicist will use to introduce you to perspective interviewers, writers, magazines, etc.  It is also something that can go along with your picture and resume for general interviews and general casting meetings, to introduce you to new potential employers.

If you are a hustler, you may even generate your own press from time to time in hometown newspapers, on friends’ websites, on websites of theaters you’re working with, etc. and this will be a good starting place for more personal articles to begin.

With all the Internet opportunities for actors and marketing, this is also a good way to start thinking about how to present yourself in an interesting light that strangers (especially those who will hire you) will be encouraged to take a second look.  This will hopefully come as an interview or audition.

Be honest, but be colorful.  On our “about Joel and Beth” page, you can see samples of our bios, as well as clicking on our personal website links and seeing longer versions at our personal sites.  There are also examples on some Facebook fan pages and some IMDB pages.  Google actors you’re interested in and see what you can find about them…it will also give you ideas about how to promote yourself.

It’s so odd to adjust to the idea that YOU are the product…but commercial marketing principles apply, and those who are good at marketing have an added shot to success.

Get writing…

Beth