The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

DOES YOUR FACEBOOK HELP YOUR CAREER?

Social media becomes a bigger factor in booking on almost a daily basis.  Repeatedly in the past few months, I have heard producers, directors, and photographers say things like, "I wanted to know more about [insert your name here], so I checked out his/her facebook page and saw . . . "   That lead in has ended with some really positive statements and translated into a booking for the named talent.  It has also sometimes began a displeasurable rant about politics, sexuality, religion, and other topics. 

Social medias are a new front for marketing, entertainment, and communication.  Like most new things, we are going to have to learn some lessons the hard way before the younger generations are coached on how to use them effectively.  Since most of us are already adults and making an effort to join the technological era, these words from BackStage blogger Mercedes Rose are well-timed.

Social media does make a difference. A producer in the room for final callbacks recalled a recent very negative Facebook posting one of the actor had recently done. The producer immediately said he wasn't "overly excited" about the prospect of that negative energy coming to set. Now, I totally understand that one negative FB status does not a negative actor make. The point is: this producer didn't want to take that chance. And that is his right as the one doing the hiring.

In his new book, Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide To Raising Kids in the Digital Age, Steyer explores some of the effects of digital media and outlines strategies for avoiding what he calls RAP — relationship issues, attention/addiction problems and privacy pitfalls — while navigating the digital world.  "Young people in particular often self-reveal before they self-reflect," Steyer tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies. "There is no eraser button today for indiscretion."

There is a place for personal discussions in life - it is between those involved and in private.  There is also a time for venting and bouncing ideas off of trusted sources - it is again, between those involved and in private.  Social medias are too easily accessible, too quickly completed, and too likely to not be filtered based on statistical analysis noted in the book, Talking Back to Facebook. 

There are ways to make certain posts visible to a specific group of friends; say, your family of origin, for example.  Keep in mind, though, that the information you posted may only be immediately visible to those you choose, but it is still accessible out there on the worldwide web.  No need to have haunting things pop up later when you make it big, right?

 

How are you using your social media positively?  What results have you seen?

THE BEST VS THE BOOKED!

Casting directors come to auditions to decide who will book the role for that commercial, TV series, or feature film.  You probably think that they’re going to pick the person who had the best audition.  And this is true—but a lot more goes into an audition besides reading your lines.  Mercedes Rose, blogger for Backstage Unscripted provides perspective on other things the casting directors look for.

The "best" actor that auditions doesn't always get the role. We saw many talented comedians. A few that so totally nailed what the director was looking for. The couple that actually got cast were good but not the ones we initially thought were going to be cast. So much went into the casting decision that had NOTHING to do with the actual audition given in the room that day.

This is also a great reason to calm your fears about CDs having favorites.  Being more drawn to one person or another for outside reasons can help (or hurt) your chances of being seen, but doesn't mean that you will be granted a callback or book the job.  Play up the things you can control (being likeable, flexible, friendly, and fun to work with), but don't fret about the things you cannot control.  Next time you walk into the casting room, ask yourself if you are walking down Opportunity Lane or a dark alley.  (And then change direction if you chose the latter.)  What other things do you practice to maintain a healthy approach to your career?

OPEN ANY MAJOR FASHION MAGAZINE . . .

 

Open any major fashion magazine this month and you will see the face of The Avenue's Meghan Wiggins in Guess' latest campaign.  Elle Magazine features a full spread in the front cover!  Watch for more Meghan in future weeks on your local billboards and store campaigns.

SPEAK UP, BE HEARD!

 

Surprising as it is, there are a lot of models and actors in entertainment are rather quiet when off screen.  These introverts can be successful in the industry, even if they aren't peppered throughout the tabloids for spouting off in public.  Being heard is important, but more important still is being understood.

As an actor, the audience can't follow your character if they don't understand your speech (as well as movement and expression).  For those who aren't naturally going to project their voices, learning how to be heard effectively can be as simple as a little practice.

Susan Berkley is not only a voice over artist (you know her as the voice of AT&T), but also the author Speak to Influence: How to Unlock the Hidden Power of your Voice and the president of The Great Voice Company.  Her advice?  Start by believing that you deserve to be heard.  Insecure people often speak softly.  Remind yourself that your ideas are as important as anyone else's. 

Then start weight lifting with your lips!  One very simple exercise Susan recommends is using tongue twisters to polish your clear vowel and consanant sounds.  Try these several times a day for the next week and give your lips and tongue a good workout, too!

Green tea ice cream is a treat to eat

Mean men may cause harm

Go with the flow to stay in the know

Ed said get into bed

She lost her poise after hearing the noise

I knew the crew in a blue canoe

The next time you're in front of the camera, your lips will be primed and confident -- and everyone will know exactly what you are being hired to share (which will get you hired again soon)!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

HBO's Documentary, "About Face:  Supermodels Then and Now" debuted in New York City.  Director and producer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders brought the faces that launched the fashion industry together in his documentary to explore their lives and the complex relationship between physical appearance and the business of beauty.  He disspells rumors, myths, and even conquers the tough realities of aging and it's effects on women worldwide.

You can read HBO's full interview with Timothy Greenfield-Sanders here, including some stories about designers and models like Calvin Klein, Eileen Ford, Isabella Rossellini, Paulina Porizkova, Beverly Johnson, Jerry Hall, Christie Brinkley, Christy Turlington, Carmen Dell'Orefice.

"About Face: Supermodels Then and Now" premiered on July 30, 2012.  You can watch this film and other documentaries at HBO GO® or request it on Netflix (release date TBD).

 

THE NEW SUPERMODEL

 

A few years ago, models were griping that celebrity actors had taken over a significant amount of their opportunity through campaigns, endorsements, and magazine covers.  Like any industry professional with a will to survive, the modeling industry has launched itself full force into on camera work.  Models are no longer just pretty faces and symmetrical features for a posed still camera (although, those in the industry would know they were always more than they appeared to the public anyway).  Designers like Prada are blazing a new path for models (and maybe actors alike)!

Supermodels are taking on camera work seriously and bringing new life to campaigns like this one for Prada's Fall/Winter line.  Famed photographer, Steven Meisel creats a somewhat Matrix-like chess game with Vanessa Axente, Magdalena Frackowiak, Madison Headrick, Elza Luijendijk, Iselin Steiro & Anne Vyalitsyna.

Knowing how to move for the on camera model and actor will be imperative to building a career.  Years ago, actors were thrust into learning how to work the still camera and they opened a whole new income source.  Will models hear the call and follow suit to reclaim their lost opportunities?

What can you do as a model or actor to learn the other side of the talent world and become more sought-after?

HOW TO DO A SCOTTISH ACCENT

If you read the blog earlier this week, you might be playing in three leaf clovers with your new irish accent.  Next up, the scottish accent! You might be thinking "but aren't these basically the same thing?" NO!  To the untrained ear, they may sound similar, but the difference is important. So what better example to showcase a scottish accent than with Disney's new movie Brave which takes place in Scotland.

It's all in the pronunciation you say? Why yes, it totally is. For example, the scottish only emphasize and roll one "r" and words ending in "ing" are pronounced normally but the "g" is dropped. Also, The letter "i" is spoken like "ayt" as in "right" and "fight". All of these rules might be hard to learn by by reading text, so check out this video where Gareth Jameson, an actor and voice coach, teaches the basics of a Scottish accent:

 

Are you BRAVE enough to learn the Scottish accent?

 

VOLUNTEER YOUR WAY TO THE TOP

These days it isn't necessarily what you know, it's who you know. With that being said, networking is one of the most important things in the entertainment industry. It can actually make or break your career! Having trouble finding ways to network? Think about volunteering! Lisa Dempsey from  AuditionArt.com writes about how volunteering can actually get you cast. 

A great way to make those connections and become a familiar face is volunteering. Every show, every theatre, every company could use another body helping out. Whether that be in the box office, ushering, painting, or building sets, if you’re there meeting people and networking, then you are helping yourself get cast in their next production.

By bringing up in conversation that you are an actor, maybe mentioning names of people or theatres you’ve worked with, and by being a joy to be around, you’re marketing yourself and getting your foot in the door. If they like you, can rely on you and know that you are a credited actor looking to work, they will most likely think of you if they have last minute auditions or need a replacement.

Volunteering can also just make you a “familiar face”. Being recognizable is incredibly important in the audition room as it can spark the question: “Where have I seen you before?” This conversation starter can allow you the opportunity to let your sparkling personality shine! Win them over; tell them you’re volunteering for them, maybe even mention how you’ve become good friends with the producer or house manager. They’ll be flattered and impressed that you are so active and involved, and will also have a person to connect you to and remember you by.

Taking one night out of the week to volunteer at a theatre, local festival or even on a low budget movie set can really improve your chances in this industry and build your long term network. Its not free work if you enjoy doing it and make new relationships out of it, right? Volunteering can be fun, it's all what you make out of it!

Have you ever volunteered or done a project without pay and then watched those connections turn into paying work later?  Tell me your story.  We all need inspiration!

FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN OH MY!

Ever find yourself overwhelmed by the abundance of social media outlets that are available today? Ever wonder what the do's and don'ts of social media are? As a model or actor, it's extremely important to know that you (maybe more than most people) are always in the public eye. Agents, casting directors, and managers have free reign of the internet so lets just say they have a little free time during the day and they decide to search for you on twitter, would your tweets be appropriate? You don't want them basing a casting decision off of your tweets or facebook posts, so its time to learn some social media etiquette. Below is a simple guide to social media etiquette from NAACT.

1. Don’t bash other people on your social media accounts. It doesn’t matter whether you refer to  them by name; it makes you look petty. Once in a blue moon, people will forgive and forget. Do it all the time, and you’re [labelled] a whiner.

2. Be considerate when you decide whether to post, Tweet or share. I hear people saying “it’s my account, I’ll post what I want” all the time. To a certain extent, that’s true. You should be yourself. But you should also remember that other people have to sift through five million YouTube videos to see what their other friends said – just because you were in a Metallica kind of mood. Bombarding people’s news feeds with anything (whether it be videos or game updates) just isn’t polite.

3. Engage other people in conversation. Don’t just post updates and have conversations on your own wall, comment on your friends’ pictures and status updates, retweet their tweets and share their news stories. That’s the whole point of social media: to be social.

4. Don’t post embarrassing pictures and videos of your friends and then tag them. That’s just mean. Sure, sometimes they deserve it, but you can be the better person, can’t you? On the same token, don’t post embarrassing pictures of yourself either. Eager to show off a new tattoo in an inconspicuous place? Social media is not the venue.

5. Don’t share uber-personal details about your life.   Remember that you’re sharing this info with people you used to work with or went to high school with and haven’t seen in 15 years. I don’t know you like that, and no offence, but I don’t want to know you like that.

In the video below, casting director Michael Cassara, currently casting a movie in our market, gives his opinion on how actors should use today's social media.

 

Hopefully these tips will make you think twice about what you post on your social media pages. What Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter posts do you enjoy seeing most?  Are you posting things like that?

PLAYING WITH BLOCKS

We all face mental blocks both in our personal and professional lives.  We develop coping mechanisms to work through or avoid them, but inevitably, we end up facing a few that leave us frustrated and without an answer.   What can you do when your initial efforts to overcome it aren't working?

 

 

Mental hurdling should be an olympic sport!  Once we learn to make it over something that was tripping us up, we feel empowered and encouraged.  Looking back on the situation, we frequently think the answer was so simple.  But putting mind over matter is one of the most challenging obstacles the creative mind faces.

A recent fall left me with several broken vertebrae and a traumatized perspective of the passtime that invited the injury.  Now that my body has healed enough to get back up on a horse again, I find myself facing a mental block with a seemingly simple activity I was practicing when I got hurt.  Logically, it seems so elementary, but the fact of the matter is that when my mind tells my body to do it, my muscle memory takes over and I am unable to follow my mind's direction.  While replaying my inability repeatedly, I realized the physical circumstance is very similar to the talent facing a professional trauma.

After you've had a negative experience as a model or actor -- be it on set, in the casting room, or while networking in a social setting -- it can be scary to revisit that place or to see that person.  The first thing one has to do when overcoming a physical or emotional trauma, is to acknowledge it's presence and power. 

The second step is to practice facing the trauma in a safe environment.  If your negative experience happened in the casting room with a specific director or casting director, reenact the audition with a friend (and have them play the other person's role as you experienced it).  If you did not like your response to the circumstances, change it.  Practice a new and better response.  Then practice a positive ending, instead.  Continue to heal by practicing the same positive choices with a different director or CD. 

A third option would be to work with someone who you trust to help you grow through the trauma.  A coach might be a good person to get advice or feedback from.   Keep in mind that mental and emotional hurdles aren't something that can be fixed in a single try.  You may have to revisit the coach multiple times to feel you've achieved success!

Training my muscle memory to do the right thing will take time; it will also frustrate me in the interim.  Persistence and patience are the keys to overcoming and retraining our muscles to follow our brain.  What techniques do you find most effective to overcome mental and emotional hurdles?