The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

DRESSING FOR CAMERA

There is quite a difference between the clothing we choose to wear as a society in everyday life and the clothing we find attractive on camera.  Learning the difference can be a key advantage!

Street clothing is usually dictated by trends.  These trends usually affect women more drastically than men.  The last few seasons have, for example, focused on flowing tops and dresses.  Frills, ruffles, and flowing fabrics hide the body shape.  Although they may be comfortable and popular in everyday life, these styles do not lend themselves well to camera.  The more interesting and unusual pieces in our wardrobe should are best utilized for parties and live functions!

Both video and still photography showcase a talent best when the clothing is fitted and simple.  Solid colors tend to work best in the casting room.  Prints and stripes are distracting and can cause nightmares for editors later in the production process.  A talent’s wardrobe should show the figure and call attention to the waistline and neckline in a flattering manner.  When dressing, keep it simple and allow YOU to be the camera’s focus!

SET THE STANDARD!

The recent blog post covering Alberta Ferretti’s spread shot by Steven Meisel garnered some strong responses and opinions on the subject of health and beauty.  It was great to hear so many people speak out, although privately, in support of healthy models and the mass media.  But it raises the question, “who is setting the standard?”

The industry standard for both models and actors is lead by the overwhelming physical judgment placed on artists and their work.  For models especially, the world of fashion has had some outspoken proponents in the effort of redefining how women view themselves and their body image.  It’s a serious concern and one well-worth exploring, but we’ll save that for another blog.  If we stick with the facts, we know that the industry standard for models is, for women, taller than 5’ 8” who have measurements near a size 0-2 and perfectly symmetrical features.  Contrast that fact with the average woman, who is a size 14 and stretches to reach 5’ 4” and we admit to circulating unrealistic body styles in our national media. 

So who decides that the size 2 is beautiful?  Before we take a stab at answering such a loaded question, let’s consider the chain reaction of the marketing world.  The #1 rated supermodel internationally right now is Lara Stone who is 5’10” and has a 35 in hip with a 24 in waist.  Does this suggest why Lara is rated the top female model today?

The bottom line is that advertising agencies want to sell product.  If a cover model spawns high sales, she will continue to be featured.  Who buys the magazines?  We do, as a population.   If we are the ones purchasing and therefore leading the advertising agencies to continue the trend that we are also attacking as being unhealthy, who can we say is setting the standard?

My personal beliefs on the industry standard are not expressed in this blog post, but I am acknowledging the outcry for healthy body images.  As a company, The Avenue is also partnering with The Network, whose focus is to change the world and industry by promoting models who can act as role models.  Setting a standard of healthy body styles and giving back to the community are two important aspects of beauty, too!  As a decision maker, you have a choice, too.  Will you choose to continue the trend or will you choose to be an agent for change?

SELF EVALUATION

New York Casting Directors know that talent are complex individuals.  But do you know yourself?  Taking the time to do a self-evaluation once or twice a year can help keep you on the fast(er) track to success.  See advice from CD Scott Powers below.

(And, no, self evaluation is not like self medication.)
 
Incredible as it may sound, all professional agents, casting directors and managers all want YOU, the talent, to succeed.  That is how we earn our keep, by providing well-qualified talent to the client.  If you look good, we look good.  Keep in mind that we, and now that includes you, ALL work for the client.  We're all in the same boat; we just sit in different seats.
 
With all this encouragement, it is shocking how many actors fail or never get beyond the movie extra level.  It is time wisely spent to take a few minutes to put together one's thoughts, pro and con, on the subject, a little self-evaluation to make sure you are not inadvertently hurting your career.
 
Take a pen and fill in the following blanks:
 
MOST ACTORS FAIL BECAUSE:
1.            _________________________________________
2.            _________________________________________
3.            _________________________________________
4.            _________________________________________
5.            _________________________________________
6.            _________________________________________
7.            _________________________________________
8.            _________________________________________
9.            _________________________________________
10.          _________________________________________
 
WHAT I HAVE GOING FOR ME THAT SOMEONE WILL HIRE ME FOR IS:
1.            _________________________________________
2.            _________________________________________
3.            _________________________________________
4.            _________________________________________
5.            _________________________________________
 
SPECIFIC STRONG SKILLS & TRAINING THAT WILL GET ME HIRED ARE:
1.            _________________________________________
2.            _________________________________________
3.            _________________________________________
4.            _________________________________________
5.            _________________________________________
 
 
AREAS THAT I NEED TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT ARE:
1.            _________________________________________
2.            _________________________________________
3.            _________________________________________
4.            _________________________________________
5.            _________________________________________
 
 
This should start to make sense now.  It is easy to stray, like in any relationship.  Bring yourself back in focus.  It's harder in this business because we live partially in a make believe industry.  But, we all have to grow up a little bit once in a while; but don't worry, it's not permanent!

WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET?

Are you dressing for success?  An actor or model with too limited a wardrobe is like a chef without a knife!  We work in an image industry and talent who present themselves in person the way that the industry likes get farther and work longer. 

For those beach bum readers, my heart does go out to you.  I’m a bum at heart and making myself dress up on days when I will be seeing clients is challenging.  (One of the high points of being an agent is being comfortable when it comes to style!)  But the bottom line is that every human being – that’s right, EVERYONE – makes judgments within the first five seconds they lay eyes on you.  Is that client’s judgment going to be in or against your favor?

I can see you thinking now . . . “Of course I look nice for my castings and bookings” and I’m glad to hear it.  But what about those times that you run into a casting director meeting your girlfriend for a sob story breakup over coffee?  And what sort of permanent judgments will the producer you met at your son’s soccer game remember the next time (s)he sees you on tape?

No one is going to look glamorous all the time, granted.  But taking into account how you appear every time you are in public is important.  As humans, we are drawn to other healthy looking people.  Since there are production people who could be hiring you in many of the same places you frequent, leaving them with a positive impression is to your advantage!

CAN A PLUS SIZE MODEL BE A VOGUE MODEL?

Not only is plus size model Robyn Lawley talented and beautiful, but she's also featured on the cover of Italian Vogue (shot by Steven Meisel)!  Here she speaks with Betty Sze (models.com interviewer) about her start in Australia, moving to New York, and embracing the phrase "plus size model" in any industry of waifs.  Cheers to Robyn for not only being beautiful to look at, but also for courageously going against the grain to show the world healthy beauty.  And equal cheers to the cutting edge Italian Vogue for embracing the full figured vigorous model!

 

 

IS YOUR GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

Terry Berland is an award-winning Casting Director for on-camera, television, voice-over, and hosting. Her casting awards include Clio, The Houston International Film Festival, Art Director's Club, Addy, and the International Film and Television Festival. Her former casting staff position for Madison Avenue giant BBDO/NY has lent to her deep understanding and involvement in the advertising industry. She is known throughout the country for her talent development and is the co-author of the how-to industry book,"Breaking Into Commercials".

 

The Competitive Edge by Casting Director, Terry Berland

Many times I’m an industry panel guest and questions come up that reek of an actor approaching his career from a negative position rather than a positive one. I hear shares such as “there aren’t as many parts for my ethnicity”.   “I have an accent, there are not as many parts for me”, “I can’t get as many appointments as others in my category”, “I’m very short”, “I’m very tall”,  “more parts are being given to name actors”.  The actors are upset and want to know how they can get ahead with these limitations.

The mere fact that someone is disturbed by facts such as these is going to hold them back from the possibility of surging forward to their greatest potential.  The trick is to be aware of certain limiting characteristics, but not focus on them and give them power.  On one hand the reality of a particular characteristic will limit you from certain parts, but on the other hand there are many other characteristics that will bring you possible opportunities. 

To be concerned rather than aware is placing your focus in the wrong place.  To move forward with ease, you have to think positive, not negative.  I’m not talking about positive thinking or affirmations.  Focus on what you can control which is actually your biggest strength---your craft of acting. You are in a risky, unpredictable business.  The better you are at your craft, the greater possibility of roles that will come to you along the way. 

Let’s look at a few celebrity and semi-celebrity prototypes whose acting has broken the rules of what could be thought of as limiting characteristics.

Did Morgan Freeman think of himself as an African American who could only do certain types of roles?  I highly doubt that.  Morgan Freeman thought of himself as an excellent actor.  He has played detectives, husbands, cops and Shakespearean characters with no ethnic identity attached to the role.  In addition, he has a voice over career as an intelligent, elegant sounding man unattached to any ethnic identity.

Linda Hunt who is short gets cast as intriguing, sometimes mysterious characters.  Not short intriguing characters. Her acting continues to overpower any physical characteristics. 

Steve Valentine, who has a Scottish accent, played a sarcastic and witty criminologist in Crossing Jordan.  That part was not written for anyone with an accent.  Steve won the role because of his acting and other comedic and charming characteristics.

Peter Dinklage, is a small person who was cast in an off -broadway show called Things We Want.  This play is a dark comedy about three brothers.  Dinklage, Paul Dano and Josh Hamilton played the brothers.   His part never referred to him as being a little person.  He was simply one of the brothers.

I encourage you to be aware of your characteristics and embrace them.  Think of yourself as an actor first and become as strong as you can be.  Do whatever you can do to not get in your own way and trust the right parts will evolve.

RAW

MODELS.COM recently launched a daring online exhibition in honor of Viva Model Management's new London office by featuring their models in the raw.  The Dove campaign video shown in the earlier blog "Who Am I As a Talent?" exposed the power of marketing, makeup, photography, and editing.  Here, we get to see the natural skin, personality, and even catch the twinkle that makes these models note-worthy.

Train your eye to see what the industry sees.  None of these faces have makeup.  Nor have these models been styled or had their hair done.  Some faces are downright beautiful, whereas others are interesting.  The models featured in the original article on models.com are commercial, lifestyle, fashion, and editorial faces.  Natural clean skin and hair, which leaves only their personality to stand out!

 

 

 

As a model, have you tried taking raw digitals like these images above?  Even if the client likes your book, they will ask for digitals.  If your digitals don't compare to these, take note of the differences and try, try again!  Practice makes perfect, but what makes a perfect natural, beautiful, and raw digital image like these?

WRITTEN OFF PART 2

First and foremost, consult your accountant about new regulations and safety precautions to avoid IRS scrutiny, but then maximize the graces legally given!  As of today, these are 5 more simple things that can be written off:

6)         DEPRECIATION.  Use your computer to track your business growth and balance your books?  It’s a write off.  Your accountant may use it as depreciation or may write the whole amount off at once, so ask about the best way to handle it in your individual situation.

7)         HOME OFFICE SPACE.  Some talent have space in their home devoted solely to business use.  If you have a home office (there are parameters to what the IRS recognizes as a home office space, so be sure to check them out), there is a certain percentage of your home expenses that can be written off, including your mortgage payment and utilities.

8)         HOME OFFICE SUPPLIES.  That handy printer/scanner/fax is a hefty write off when used for your talent business.  Everything used in the home office for your talent business down to the paperclips and staples can be deducted!

9)         ONLINE ACCOUNTS.  Growing businesses have growing expenses as they expand and become better known.  Talent uploading reels or paying for online submissions can deduct the little things in their online profiles that also give them an advantage over other talent.  Get ahead and get a write off!

10)     MARKET RESEARCH.  This one can be tricky, so be sure to consult your CPA before being aggressive with market research, but I have heard that anything related to your business is considered market research.  That could be your television service (if you do film, tv, or commercial work),  your dining (if you have credits from working on restaurant spots or as a server), or anything else that may be related to researching your business. 

Take advantage of the things that big corporations use every day to get ahead and keep a little more of that hard earned money while helping your business prosper at the same time!

WRITTEN OFF?

Being written off doesn’t have to be a negative term.  Those shoebox receipt keepers may need to be a full filing system to maximize your tax return!  So what can you write off?  Just about anything you use for your business of acting!

First and foremost, consult your accountant about new regulations and safety precautions to avoid IRS scrutiny, but then maximize the graces legally given!  As of today, these 5 simple things are some of the most common write offs talent can take:

1)         MILEAGE.  My understanding is that the IRS now wants proof of where your automobile started the year mileage-wise.  A dated image or written record of service (that includes your current mileage) at the beginning of the year should suffice.  Mileage must be tracked every time you get behind the wheel for any talent purpose.  Going to study a character in their natural environment for an upcoming role?  Write off the mileage from your starting point to your destination and back home.  (Any interim stops or detours for personal purposes won’t count.)  Mileage can be tracked to auditions, bookings, visiting your agent, dropping off packages, picking up necessary items, and even maintaining your professional appearance.  That’s just the beginning, so ask your accountant if you are unsure about an event.  And be sure to check with them about how to document your mileage, as this is the first thing the IRS will require you prove in the case of an audit.

2)         WARDROBE.   There has never been a better reason to go shopping!  Even those scrubs you picked up at Goodwill can be a write off if you keep your receipt and note the purpose.  Need a business suit for an audition or shoot?  The shoes, the pantyhose, the socks, the hairpin -- whatever you are asked to provide for your work as a talent would be considered wardrobe and can be considered a write off.

3)         FOOD.  Providing yourself something to eat while on set – even if it’s a resume-builder student film – can be written off.  In this case, it may only be a certain percentage of the total, so be sure to consult your accountant.

4)         MATERIALS / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  Your marketing materials are a common known write off, but did you know you can also deduct the classes you invest in to build your business?  You work in an image business, so anything you do to maintain your daily image for castings and bookings is fair game!

5)         CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.  Giving has never been so sweet!  Use the opportunity to get a write off and make a public appearance in the name of your business (and including your agent adds brownie points!).  Show up to support your favorite charitable organization to encourage support from donors or participants.  Acting as a talent not only means you can write off your gift personally, but also gets you great publicity coverage in local news media!

Watch for the next post, which will add 5 more common write-offs.  Work on getting these in order for now.  What do you find is the most beneficial write-off you keep records for?

THE TAXABLE TALENT

Taxes.  It’s a scary word and rather nerve-wracking part of the year, that April 15 deadline.  Reporting to the IRS as an independent contractor can be confusing.  Some of your work may include withholding, which you will want to have opportunity to get refunded.  Some of your work may not have any amount withheld, so how do you know what to pay in?

The best advice I was ever given as an independent contractor was to take 1/3 of all my earnings and put them in a separate bank account if taxes were not withheld.  The highest tax bracket is 28% currently, so even if you hit the jackpot and become a Donald Trump type overnight, you won’t have to pay in more than 28% at the end of the year.  Having a safety net in case you are one of the unfortunate individuals who owes the IRS come April 15 is a wise way to live.  No stress . . . and if you come in at a lower tax bracket (and even if you don’t – 1/3 is 30% whereas the highest tax bracket is 28% -- that leaves you 2%), you’ll have money left over to splurge as a reward!

That’s the down side, but every cloud has a silver lining!  The up side to taxes are the write-offs you can claim as an independent contractor.  Keeping records is key here, though.  You can’t write it off if you can’t prove it, so save receipts, log miles driven to castings and bookings, and keep all the paperwork in a shoe box for at least 7 years.  (Ok, it might be several shoeboxes, but you can write the shoes off if you use them for work, so it’s a win-win!)