The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

GOSSIP & GREED

Let's concentrate on the Gossip part for today. It's part of the business - agents, casting directors, directors, producers and mangers do it. Actors do it, too.
 
Just be careful if you choose to gossip that it doesn't do you in. I've seen agents, casting directors and managers at industry events behave scandalously - especially after a few free drinks. And what do they blab about? Actors. Don't add fuel to their fire. I had the recent unpleasant experience of being on a six-hour flight sitting next to a manager from a well-known agency who took advantage of the time to rip apart almost every model in his agency.  The casting director beside him knew a couple of the models he was raking over the coals. Two things become apparent here: 1) the manager shouldn't be so unprofessional as to behave this way, but you can only control your own actions -- not those of other people; and 2) the models who were included in the tirade shouldn't have behaved in a such poor manner in the past to give the manager, or anyone, for that matter, ammunition to be shot with.
 
Moral of the story: Don't Make Enemies! Don't badmouth anyone! Tough to do in this business. Zip the lip. You don't know who can help you and who can hurt you - we all wear many hats in this business. The person being trashed today could be the agent two years from now who decides to take a pass on representing someone. Or one day the actor walks in an audition room and there they are, now the casting director. Memories are long. More people know you than you know them - and they know a lot about you. Bridges once burned here are permanent. There is never a kiss-and-make-up. If something bad is said about someone it is almost guaranteed that that person will hear about it, including the source. This can be why phone calls and emails can start to fall off or a career never proceeds past doing background work.  One photographer made an astute observation: "We don't have to eliminate actors, they eliminate themselves." If this doesn't make a talent paranoid, I don't know what will!

I've heard coaches tell stories about the actors under their tuteledge.  Frequently they are bragging on a stellar performer, but sometimes they are just venting frustration with an actor unwilling to be fully prepared or who crossing the professional life and shares too much personal information not pertaining to the coaching experience.  Who are they sharing that with?  Other actors, agent and manager acquaintances, or worse, maybe casting directors! 

If you want to vent, that's what therapists are for . . . although a good jog in the park might be healthier, not to mention cheaper!
 
The bottom line is that sharing positive experiences is better for everyone's emotional, mental, and long term well being.  Avoiding being the gossip, promoting the gossip, or being the subject of gossip due to a poor choice is in every entertainer's best interest!

WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

Excuse:  v.  seek to defend or justify; to attempt to lessen the blame attached to an offense or fault.

Life is full of unexpected events, and frequently we let the weight of financial woes, lost relationships, or someone's doubts get in the way of our happiness.  Each time a talent disagrees with something I've suggested, no matter how mundane the topic, there is an effort to justify their actions.  Cue our unfortunate friend, Excuse.

On one hand, it's completely healthy to learn to say no when the timing is not right.  But saying no doesn't mean you have to offer an excuse.  We apologize too often for things that could have been controlled or prevented and the end result is our effort to defend our actions, despite the fact that we know most often we are the responsible party.

Learning to own our choices is a behavioral pattern that will take time to learn, but well worth it for the health of your career in years to come!  You have choices -- thank goodness!  So when you make a choice, make it confidently!

Are you available for the casting?  If you can't say yes, confidently [and politely] say no.  Justifying your no with a long story about how your boyfriend needs a ride to work and you have to sacrifice your desires and commitments to help him achieve his . . . is an excuse.  On the flip side, saying no and letting someone know you've recently had a death in the family, is a simple answer and alerts the other person to your emotional state.  The last thing any agent wants is to send a shaken talent into the casting room and have them fall apart due to a serious personal event.

Excuses from actors and models are commonly car problems, an inflexible boss, headaches, unchecked voicemail/email, etc.  All of these things are manageable if planned for ahead of time and should not be the reason you look back on your career ten years from now wishing things had been different. Take control now and be proactive to make your experiences the most positive they can be!   After all, an excuse is driven by a sense of guilt.  Release yourself from the guilt by planning ahead of time.  There will be extenuating circumstances unexpectedly, but you will have done everything within your power and won't feel the need to defend yourself.

It's a known fact that if a person REALLY wants to do something, we will find a way to get it done.  Have an untrustworthy car?  Learn the local public transit system as a backup.  You won't be the first talent to use public transit for reliability!  Get headaches from stress?  Carry ibuprofen or tylenol on your daily commute.  Forget to check your voicemail every day?  Set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself!

You can work in entertainment without excuses . . . and that fact alone will set you ahead of all your competition!  What was the last excuse you used with an agent, casting director, or manager?  What can you do RIGHT NOW that will help you proactively overcome it next time?

IT'S ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION

A man approaches a woman in a coffee shop.  She looks slightly shocked, then relaxes and smiles at him.  He sits down and they proceed to talk.  Without warning, the woman quickly grabs her purse and runs out of the building.  What happened?

As humans, we would naturally make an inference.  Maybe we would assume he said something hurtful.  Maybe we would assume she got an urgent call.  Maybe we would wonder if the food is bad and rethink scarfing down the plate in front of us.  The point here is that our experience is all about our perception!  Your career as a talent is no different.  How you perceive what is happening around you is likely different than how the casting director, agent, or manager might perceive the same event.

Where a talent might think:  I'm really serious about this business.  The industry professional might think, Her actions suggest this is a hobby and she only does it when she feels like it.  When was the last time she did something proactive to advance her career?

Where the talent might think:  I've been working long enough in this business that I should be treated much better than other actors and given special priviledges.  Look at how much I've done!, the industry professional perceives, Best not to trust this loose cannon with my client.  An attitude like that could really hurt my reputation.  We'll pass.

Where the talent thinks:  I like my headshot.  My mom like my headshot and so do my friends.  The industry professional has made it clear that this headshot is out of date . . . not flattering to what you have to offer as a talent . . . is ok for extra work.

The talent could be thinking:  There's nothing wrong with my attitude.  If they want great acting, they'll hire me.  It doesn't matter what I do off camera, as long as I'm a good actor in front of the camera.  What the industry is really thinking, however, is:  Who wants to pay for a cesspool of negativity and an over-inflated ego?  We want people around us who are going to make production problems less stressful and who don't need to be babysat.

When the talent says:  Sorry, I'm late!  or Sorry, I didn't check my email; return your phone call; etc., the industry hears is, I don't want the job bad enough to bother being responsible.  We'll be polite, but the job will go to a responsible and responsive talent instead.

I have enough training and know what I'm doing, the talent thinks.  What the industry perceives is this talent shows a lack of business savvy.  If a star making 20 million on a picture sees the need for training, an out of work actor should get the hint.

If we as industry professionals had a dime for every time we heard, Another actor said I should . . . Unless that actor is an established celebrity, no one other than your agent and/or manager should be advising your career needs.  Taking advice from another actor is like asking for help financial planning from someone standing in the umemployment line.

Every negative here that stands in the way of a career can be changed.  Some of the needed changes are simple and quick, such as getting a proper resumé. Others require behavior modification and more time, such as changing a negative personality. Don't be your own worst enemy.

Work everyday on the "perceptions" category so they don't ultimately and fatally sabotage you. Heed what "The Industry" thinks and feels about you. They make the decisions and they do the hiring.  You're the one that they really want to hire, right?  Show them why!

First, start by telling us.  If you can't identify why someone wants to work with you, you won't know how to sell yourself in the casting or audition setting.  How are you perceived? 

 

OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION

Timothy Pychyl is the author of Ending Procrastination--Right Now! and has this to say about how to get the upper hand on self-sabotaging behaviros to take back control of your career or life!

One of the simplest and most effective solutions is to just get started—anywhere on a task. The moment you think "I'll feel more like doing this later" or "I work better under pressure," recognize that you're just about to procrastinate—to give in to feel good.

Don't think too far ahead. Just aim for a little progress. Research indicates that establishing a low threshold to task engagement fuels motivation and changes perception of the task. You'll find it's not as bad as you thought, and "a task begun is a task half done!"

A good simple task to start with might be updating your resume or putting that near tear sheet into your portfolio.  If your resume needs updating, open your document and do it NOW.  (You're already sitting at your computer reading this blog, right?  Take action and then enjoy the euphoric feeling of knowing it's no longer looming in your future!)

How to transform feeble intentions into effective plans for real action? We need to move past general goal intentions to specific intentions for action: "In situation X, I will do behavior Y to achieve goal Z."

Such predecision to act increases success by shifting the cue for action to the environment. When situation X arises, we don't have to rely on further thought and planning; it's more about responding. Tell yourself exactly when and where you will act.

The solution to distraction lies in recognizing what distracts us and then either deciding to eliminate the menace ("Shut off Facebook while I'm at the computer") or declaring an intention to indulge it at a specific time once some work gets done. Again, research indicates that a little strategic planning helps "pre-empt that which tempts!"

Acting in a timely manner on tasks requires active choice and the exercise of will. Recognize the enemy within and you'll move forward doing what you intended, becoming the person you want to be.

What has been on your to-do list for too long now?

SELF-SABOTAGE: BREAK FREE FROM THE PATTERN!

You don't have to be a prisoner to self-sabotage.  And YES, you CAN have that career you dream about!  How do you stop the vicious cycle of self-sabotage?  Practice!

Keep a record of how you handle stressful situations: Each time you are stressed, write down the source of the stress, what behaviors you engage in, and their consequences, good or bad. You may need to keep such a record over many days, as patterns can be difficult to identify.

From there try to determine whether your behaviors match the reasons people tend to self-sabotage-holding mistaken beliefs about the behavior or because a behavior feels right.

Then train yourself to act in a new way. Don't just stop the self-sabotage behavior; replace it with something new and healthy-something that doesn't add more problems to an already difficult situation.

Dr. Selby recommends activities that distract people from thinking about their problems-getting physically active, developing a new hobby, engaging in conversation with others (about things other than personal problems).

The final step is ensuring consistency. Trying a recommended fix (getting social or active when sad, doing something distracting when angry) once or twice doesn't work. Well, going to the gym a couple of times doesn't make you fit, either. Self-sabotage is a learned pattern; you have to take corrective action again and again if you want the changes to stick.

Practice makes perfect, so expect to repeat your efforts for a while.  The average habit takes 90 days to break, so give yourself at least 3 months to practice and try again if it doesn't immediately fix your desire to procrastinate.

I recently had an actor say, "Ya know, I took all the time I had from the moment you gave me my sides until I walked into the casting itself to really figure out who my character was. It was the first time I really focused on the homework side of acting and I booked it!"  Putting your best effort forth won't always result in getting the gig, but it's the only sure way to always instill confidence in the people working around you and open doors to the future.  Procrastination can be detrimental to building those same relationships.

What habit are you going to work on creating for the next 90 days?

SELF-SABOTAGE: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

One way to know whether a behavior is self-defeating is to examine it in the context of your long-term goals or desires and determine whether it is consistent with them.

Take the case of excessive reassurance-seeking. It occurs when people experience self-doubt and desire strong relationships but, in order to feel more confident and connected to others, ask friends and family for signs of love and acceptance ("You still like me, right?"). There's nothing wrong with asking for reassurance now and then, and most people are happy to provide it.

But many people go overboard and ask over and over again. They wind up pushing people away or aggravating them, and the reassurance stops, which creates even more self-doubt.

Excessive reassurance-seeking can potentially cause depression and relationship problems, and it often works in a cyclic fashion: Once doubt sets in, people seek more reassurance more often, alienating others, compounding relationship problems, and exacerbating depression.

People also self-sabotage due to mistaken beliefs about a behavior. It's common knowledge that when you're angry you should scream into a pillow or punch a punching bag and "get the emotion out," right? But studies find that venting anger actually makes people angrier!

Hitting a punching bag makes you more likely to scream at or even attack someone. As researcher Brad Bushman puts it, venting anger is like "using gasoline to put out a fire-it only feeds the flame."

Connecting a behavior to problematic consequences does not guarantee the ability to disengage from the behavior. Think of self-sabotage as a pattern developed over time, rather than one instance here or there.

Are you not getting updated headshots?  Are you waiting until the day of to prep for a casting?  Are you not testing to build your book as a model? 

Which behaviors do you practice that aren't lining up with your long term goals as a talent? 

SELF-SABOTAGE: WINNING THE MIND GAME

You know that guy -- the one who seems to consistently have great things are on the horizon, but always does something to ensure it doesn't end up coming to fruition.  Maybe you've described yourself as that person in the past?  We all get in our own way occasionally and some people do it repeatedly. Self-sabotaging behavior results from the same cause, a misguided attempt to rescue ourselves.

Everyone does it sometimes. Some do it regularly—shoot themselves in the foot or put obstacles in their own chosen path. Behavior is self-sabotaging when in attempting to solve or cope with a problem, it instigates new problems, interferes with long-term goals, and unsettles relationships.

Comfort eating is a common form of self-sabotage, especially when a person has weight concerns; self-medicating with drugs or alcohol is another common form, although procrastination may be the most common of all. Less common is self-injury/cutting to escape painful emotions, or going on shopping sprees when one can't afford the merchandise.

People don't always realize they are sabotaging themselves. This is in part because the consequences of many actions are not immediate, which makes it hard to connect behavior X to bad outcome Y.

That doesn't mean self-sabotaging behavior is something innate.  It is not connected to any certain personality type or individual.  Self-sabotage is a learned behavior; and like any learned behavior, it can be unlearned with some effort.

Are you sabotaging yourself? Some people drink, some procrastinate, others are just way too modest. How do you get in your own way?

This blog contains excepts from published psychologist Dr. Selby, who wrote "Dodging Emotions:  The Help That Harms"

BREAKING DAWN with CD Debra Zane

An intimate interview was conducted with CD Debra Zane who recently cast the hit movie BREAKING DAWN from the Twilight series based on the best selling novels by Stephanie Meyer.  BREAKING DAWN is set to be released in theatres this November.

 

Can you provide a brief overview on how the casting process went?

DEBRA ZANE: The casting process on Breaking Dawn, Part One was not unusual in terms of the day-to-day work. It was more hectic because of the large fan base; because so many people were desperate to be a part of it. But the roles are so specifically drawn. We were able to release a Breakdown and we diligently selected actors for auditions. We did have a large team to report to (in addition to our director), so we would prepare audition links to email and the producing team and Bill and I would get on numerous conference calls to go through choices and creatively discuss all options.


How different is it to cast two films that are being shot back to back?

DEBRA ZANE: There wasn't anything special about casting two movies that were scheduled to shoot simultaneously. It only meant the cast was a bit larger than usual. Most of the actors I cast are in Part Two. Only a handful of actors I cast appear in both movies. The other difference was really for the actors who ended up working an extra long schedule. There was no returning to a specific location so once the cast and crew were assembled at a specific site, they would shoot anything and everything that needed to be filmed there for both movies.


When you’re doing location casting how much do you rely on regional casting directors?

DEBRA ZANE: I work very closely with the regional casting director (if the film shoots on location). I've worked with the Fincannons in the Southeast numerous times and we have compatible taste in actors. On BREAKING DAWN Part 1, I also worked with Stuart Aikins in Vancouver. He worked on casting the past TWILIGHT films, and was easy to collaborate with.


If you are casting a movie that was a book do you ever read the book for extra inspiration or just the script?

DEBRA ZANE: It always helps to read the book if a film is an adaptation. It's not so much about inspiration, it's more about capturing the tone. Stephenie Meyer was very helpful in steering us toward types she had in mind and we worked very closely with Bill Condon the director to make sure our cast all shared the correct qualities required for each role.


You’ve been casting films for over 20 years now, how much has changed?

DEBRA ZANE: Much has changed since I began working in casting. Obviously, the biggest change would be all of the advancements in technology. I remember when I was a casting assistant typing up sessions on a typewriter. "White-Out" was my best friend. I remember working as a casting assistant at 20th Century Fox. I used to walk to the administration building at 5:00 each day to wait to use the one and only fax machine in someone's office to fax 'sides' to agencies for actor's appointments. It was common for actors or agents or managers to swing by the casting office to drop off submissions or to pick up 'sides'. Again, this wasn't all that long ago! So to be able to send auditions in a link to a director who might be scouting in the jungles of Hawaii, or on location in Toronto, or on a plane and to hear back from them within an hour makes for a very different casting process. Videotaped auditions are commonplace, expected. Self-tapes get actors jobs all the time. It's really different. And probably better, too.


What is your favorite part of the casting process?

DEBRA ZANE: Easily my favorite part of the casting process is auditioning actors. Especially with beautifully written material. When the writing is good, all the auditions are a pleasure. Because good writing takes care of so much. It then becomes about isolating the very best actors, the ones most clearly appropriate for the roles. Some of my favorite actors have been referred to me by other actors -- friends of theirs who put in a good word because he or she doesn't have an agent yet.

In addition to serving as Casting Director for Breaking Dawn Parts 1 & 2, Debra's casting credits include critical and box office smashes like Men in Black, American Beauty, Ocean's Eleven, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and The Hunger Games (2012).  A list of her full credits can be seen on her IMDB page.

LITTLE EFFORTS

Perhaps we are saving our best effort for the "big break." When such and such happens, then I'll give it my best shot. What we don't realize, however, is that success comes from doing a lot of little things well. Learning to live means learning to manage all our daily responsibilities.

If we can't keep our clothes clean, take out the garbage, or get up on time, how can we expect to handle promotions, marriages, and crises? Daily effort may seem inconsequential, but our big break is the result of all our todays well lived.

GET OFF TO A GOOD START (Part 3)

Exercise is not only a great way to release endorphins and warm your mind up to jump the improvisational hurdles of having an entertainment career, but it's also a way to look forward to a longer and healthier career!  After you exercise, though, here are three more ideas of things to try that might be just the thing for you!

1. Start with tea

Two thoughts here: first, even if you're a hard-core caffeinator, it can be good to ramp up slowly. I know a lot of people enjoy a cup of strong coffee in the morning, but the way a weak cup of tea warms from the inside cannot be replaced with anything else.

 

Second, there is something simple but very self-nurturing about making something nice for yourself to ingest. Sort of a ritual act for the temple that is you.  Creating a morning map that gives your day consistence and habit is very calming.  Try putting on the kettle, making my bed, then sitting down with your mug to read for a bit.

2. Start with writing

If you've read The Artist's Way, you know all about this. Again, there's something magical you get to tap into if you get in touch with your deepest self first thing, and that's what Morning Pages are designed to do. They're like meditation for people who hate meditating. Ahem. There is a lot of clarity that can come from allowing yourself to write down stream-of-consciousness thoughts, too.  First and most importantly, though, is that you can learn more about yourself.  What you need, what you want, what you struggle with, and where you excel.  Knowing yourself as the product is crucial to knowing how to sell yourself as the best person for the gig!

3. Start with ONE thing for you

Most talent work survival jobs that weren't much fun.  Even now, doing things I love as my work, there are difficult stretches to get through.

 

There is something very powerful about me putting my stake in the day by choosing to do one thing only for me before I start in on the myriad items I've agreed to do for others. Pick one thing for you, and it's likely that the good feelings will follow you throughout the day.  Self-care is not selfish, but it is necessary in order to give the best care to those people and projects around you. 

 

What is that one little thing you want to do in the morning?  Do it today!