The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

SURFACE EMOTIONS

It may be hard for an actor to control all of his or her emotions when going to auditions and castings since those emotions need to be readily available. But is it taking it to far when they say actors are struggling to resolve their emotional problems? In an article posted by The Guardian, a British website, they bring up this new research.

A new study shows that actors are more likely to struggle with dealing with past traumas, and that they might find it harder to resolve emotional difficulties.

The study, conducted by researchers at California State University, revealed that “there is a psychological cost for participants engaged in the creative arts.”  The researchers also noted that “more actors were unable to maintain narrative coherence when discussing memories of past trauma and loss.”

In an article by The Guardian, researchers Paula Thomson and S. Victoria Jaque said that actors are more likely to “display signs of confusion, prolonged silence or unsuccessful failures to deny a traumatic or loss event.”  They believe this indicates a greater vulnerability for psychological distress.

The good news?  Actors have “higher than usual imaginative facilities than members of the control group.”  Thomson and Jaque said, “Actors may have enhanced their imagination through the practice of acting or they may have entered a career that supports their heightened predisposition for fantasy.”

As a talent in the "creative arts" field, can you identify with these feelings?

BRANDED

Everybody has, or should have, a brand that they live by. If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what would they be? Do you portray your brand to the people that you come across, especially in your career? Who else has a similar brand to you? How can you develop your brand? Erin Cronican, acting coach, has some advice as to how to create and develop your brand:

 •Start by thinking about what kind of medium(s) you want to work in: film, TV, theater, musical theater, commercials, industrials, etc... What are the similarities between the actors in this medium? What are the differences? Where do you fit in?


• What kind of genre(s) are you interested in: comedy, drama, horror, thriller, romance, etc... Again, look at the main players and then see how you compare. Is there anything lacking that you think would be useful?

• Who are some of the people who have the career you could easily step into? What do they have going for them that you could add to your arsenal? How are you different and, thus, will be able to stand out?


Ignoring typecasting is not going to make your career any easier - the more you can take control over your career and present yourself in a clear, unique, and easy to understand fashion, the easier it will be for you to do the kind of work that inspires you.

Think about what direction you want your career to go in, and try to create a brand for yourself. 
What does your brand say?

 

THE BUSINESS OF BRANDING

A common word thrown around the industry is “branding”. You probably hear it in passing conversations with your agent, casting directors, etc. But what exactly is branding? Erin Cronican breaks it down for us.

Branding, or “the brand” is the company's message to its customers/clients. What are they trying to say? What is their position in the industry? What do they have to offer? For many companies, this includes their logo, the colors on their website, the slogans they use, and how they choose to position themselves. Think of one of your favorite products, and then think about all of the things that make you love it. What do you think/feel when you see their logo? How do you describe the product to your friends? This is their brand - and their job is to a) make sure it always stays positive and favorable, and b) to communicate this to their customers.

As an actor, your job is to figure out what it is that you have to offer that is unique and valuable, and then communicate that to the industry. Your brand is not just your talent, but also your point of view, your connections, your tenacity, your willingness to try anything. It includes the roles you choose to play, the clothing you wear to auditions, what wording you use on your website, how you choose to answer questions in interviews... all of these things reflect your brand. And like all other businesses, in order to be effective in the market your brand needs to be developed and honed before you take your message to your audiences.

If you didn’t create a brand before jumping into talent work, it’s not too late!  Start now by sitting down and answering these questions. Then review them before you put yourself in any entertainment situations (castings, bookings, networking events,etc.) to be sure you are focused on building your brand moving forward.  How do people view you now?  How would you like them to view you differently?

Make sure to check back on monday for more specific ways to go about building your brand but if you want to start now, check out this website:http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/your-personal-branding-worksheet/. Provided for you is a personal branding worksheet to guide you through the process of creating your brand!

YES!

What goes through your head right before you walk into an audition? You probably experience some
sort of excitement, nervousness, and maybe for some, even nausea. I’ve heard talent even call themselves a failure if they don’t end up booking the job. Acting coach Erin Cronican has a different
perspective that you should think about.

When I coach actors on setting goals, I teach them how to look for results that are manageable and empowering. Instead of "My goal is to be cast" (which you cannot control) I encourage actors to strive to be put in the “YES pile." YES means that you have what it takes to compete, and they'll keep giving you chances until something connects perfectly.

As someone who has cast a fair number of shows, I can tell you that getting into my YES pile is ultimately more important than getting cast. If I like your work and your spirit in the audition room, I will do whatever I can to get you cast in my projects because you are going to make me look good- bringing in good actors impresses the producers and means job security for the casting director. So I would bring you in every time a role is right for you until something clicks. 

So, strive to be in that YES pile - go into the audition prepared, listen to what is being asked of you and act accordingly, be respectful and HAVE FUN! You'll find that if you show up to auditions using these principles you will be a much happier actor and you'll quiet that little negative voice inside you!

Instead of treating an audition as a make-it-or-break-it move for your career, focus on making the casting director’s job easy.  I’ve seen casting directors go out of their way to audition the same talent they obviously like over and over until they are booked . . . and even then continuing to bring that talent back in again.  A talented individual is worth a lot, but a friend in the casting room is priceless. What will you do to make it into the “YES” pile at your next audition?

Check out Erin’s blog here: http://erincronican.blogspot.com/

R-E-S-PECT

How many times when you were growing up did your parents tell you that you needed to respect other people, or cooperate with others?  Well, it's good advice and you should apply that to your agent!  Scott Powers (http://www.scottpowers.com/), Acting Coach, expands on this topic.

If it's one thing for years that agents, managers and casting directors say in interviews, at forums, seminars and classes all over town and agree upon, it's that they want personality from the talent. Talent and good looks figure in somewhere down the list, with talent sometimes near the bottom.
 
More recently, two more attributes have been making enough repeated mentions to make them eligible to join the firmament: Respect and Cooperation. Perhaps this is a manifestation of the current dismal, unresponsive economy and the corroding desperation that is seeping into our society. As a result, there has been a marked increase in surliness and meanness. While it is never welcome in any circumstance, in our industry it can be especially damaging.
 
It would be wise to have Respect for those who can hire or represent you. It has always been a buyer's market and always will be. To quote a prominent agent: "We only work with the people we want to." Remember, these industry professionals are here to help you and guide you. They want you to succeed. And, of course, they benefit as well. Resisting their well-intentioned efforts never ends well. Keep in mind that agents, casting directors and managers all work killer hours, don't make as much money as you think, work with unreasonable clients, and you should be a bright spot in their day, not yet another source of friction. Do not treat them like dirt. Similarly, they don't have to be put on a pedestal, either. I recently watched in amusement as an actor tried to have an argument with a director. The results were as expected. Director won, actor lost. More precisely, actor fired. Moral of the story: Do not argue with "them." If they make a suggestion, it's for your own good, and for the good of your relationship with them. Do not practice the "tell me the truth as long as it's what I want to hear" syndrome. That actor went on to make snarky comments about the incident. It only served to make him more of an untouchable in the eyes of those who could hire or represent him in the future. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
 
Cooperation is also becoming more and more an issue. This industry is based on projects: a show, a commercial, a film, etc. All different skills must mesh together seamlessly to produce the final product. An actor should stand out by fitting in. There is no "I" in team. Being a team player is critical. Being a rock in the stream of progress is a quick way to no-pay-land. I once had a discussion with an actor who claimed he wanted to act in films and said the reason he wanted to be an actor because he didn't want to be a team player. Needless to say, he didn't last long in this business. If somebody asks something of you, please do it. Everything you do must make their job easier. Asking, "What can I do to help you" is music to their ears. It's no different than any other job, except you're still hoping to get the job or representation after each short term job won. For all of those who have had the experience of working n the "real world," if you can't (or won't) work with the boss, you're SOL. No different here. Is someone is still intent on alienating everybody around them, the best answer is to put together a one-man show and head off to Don't Tell Mama's with relatives and any friends in tow to provide the comfort blanket star reassurance. If that's not in your career game plan, cooperation might come in handy.
 
All the agents, casting directors and managers we work with here have huge respect for actors. They all know the incredibly tough job an actor has, day in and day out. "They" are all hired in one way or another to get the best output from the actor. Collectively, actors are "the money." An individual actor may not be.
 
A close cousin of Respect and Cooperation is Be Nice. As always, you don't know who can help you or who can hurt you. You may never know who really gave the nod to hire you. Or said, "Mmmmm, we'll pass." It's easier to hire a nice person than a thundercloud looking like the world owes them a living. Have you ever noticed that successful people tend to smile a lot? There's a lesson there they've learned a long time ago.
 
The next time you interface with "them," think about how you can add just a little bit of Respect in the interface. Then add, How can I introduce Cooperation into this equation? No, you're not going to be a suck-up -- that's easily detected. Every interaction should be a positive experience, initiated by you. You're being professional and you're making yourself easily hired. Add in a dollop of Be Nice and that's a winning actor out there.
 
You'll notice them; they're the ones always working.

 

If you want to be successful, take your parents age-old advice--it will get you places.  What can you do to be more respectful and cooperative?

READY, SET, LISTEN!

How often do you get advice that you just don’t want to hear?  Whether solicited or not, people want to give their opinions on just about everything.  So how do you determine who to listen to and what advice to take? It’s hard to know when there are so many diverse and subjective opinions around us.  The blog team at IZON Agency shares this advice:

For a model or actor, the influential people in your inner circle are your agents, managers, coaches and, to an extent, family members. Yes, this is a business. Yes, agents and managers are in this business to make money. But, if you are smart and have surrounded yourself with people who are truly working with your best interest at heart, then what they have to say is not something that should be taken lightly. LISTEN!

We often seek counsel in many outside our inner circle, searching for the answer we so desire. Advice has been given. Direction has been given. An answer has been given. But, it is not the answer we want. So we keep searching. It is then that we often find ourselves in trouble, trusting the wrong people and heading down the wrong path. LISTEN!

Trust your inner circle of advisors. If you’ve got a good agent/manager, be careful not to jeopardize that relationship by undermining their expertise and knowledge. They know what their clients want and they know their business. There is nothing that will upset an agent more than if you go the opposite direction of the advice given because a friend, hairdresser, boyfriend, or whomever told you otherwise. Don’t wait until it’s too late and have to scramble to repair the damage done. It could be more than just your relationship with your agent or manager that is marred. It could be your career or your one chance that falls victim.  In this business, the lifespan of the average actor or model is very short. Very, very short. Windows and doors typically only open once. Be smart. Be diligent. Be ready. But most of all, be LISTENING!

So next time you ask for advice, or someone just chooses to give it to you, think about whom you are talking to.  If the source is someone you have partnered with in the industry, listen to and then act on what they’re saying.  What has been the most difficult advise from someone on your team that you followed through on? 

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Ask yourself this question: are you a risk taker?  Do you stay in your comfort zone when you go to auditions?  Acting coach Mark Westbrook says that if you want to succeed in this industry, you need to leave your comfort zone and take major risks in your auditions.

The fear of over-acting and under acting is present in every actor I have ever worked with. From school kids to professionals.

They don’t trust themselves to play, to risk and release and let the director [or in the case of an audition, the casting director] rein them in if necessary.

Actors must play, must take risks, or everything ends up a very beige kind of Middle Ground.

You must trust your director, your teacher or your coach to help you and not hold back.

Don’t be afraid. No one wants to embarrass themselves, but you must be beyond embarrassment, willing to make a fool of yourself, and give it another go.

It won’t hurt you.

What can you do to break out of your comfort zone and take a risk in your next audition?

ROCKING YOUR AUDITION

How do casting directors know who to choose for certain roles? What sorts of preparation can you do in order to make sure you are in contention for the roles you want?  Rock of Ages Casting Director Seth Yanklewitz explains what he looked for when he held auditions for this flick.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the star-studded cast of the upcoming movie musical "Rock of Ages," based on Broadway's jukebox hit of the same name, is "Can they sing?" Tom Cruise, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston, Malin Akerman, and Will Forte are not exactly known for their musical prowess, but they'll be belting out '80s hits such as "Paradise City" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" on big screens this summer.

Casting director Seth Yanklewitz, who worked with longtime casting partner Juel Bestrop and director Adam Shankman to cast the film, says, "Nobody wanted to make a fool of themselves." So although some of the biggest names in the cast never stepped into the audition room, it was because he already knew they could sing. Alec Baldwin's theater background, Catherine Zeta-Jones' Oscar-winning performance in "Chicago," and Mary J. Blige being, well, Mary J. Blige were proof enough for Yanklewitz.

On the other hand, "if you couldn't sing, there was no point in seeing you act," Yanklewitz says of the casting process. "So it kind of doubled the length of the process, because we had singing auditions, then acting auditions."

Akerman and leading lady Julianne Hough were among the actors who had to prove their singing ability in their auditions. "The second she did the first scene, you knew she was the girl," Yanklewitz says of Hough. "Full-body chills, the sky goes clear, and you just say, 'We're done!' "

So did Tom Cruise have to audition to prove he could hit the high notes?

"Noooooo," Yanklewitz breathes. "No. No. I mean, no. No."

He also acknowledges that the idea of using the original Broadway cast for the film version was heavily debated, but in the end the producers made the difficult decision to start over. "They wanted to age it down, which basically aged all those people out of it," Yanklewitz says.

To fill the leading role of Drew Boley, originated by Constantine Maroulis in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, Yanklewitz and Bestrop widened their search with a nationwide call for online video auditions. They found Mexican pop star Diego Boneta, a relative unknown who had appeared in episodes of "Pretty Little Liars" and "90210" in the U.S. "I didn't know who he was," Yanklewitz says, "and many people didn't know who he was. I guess you could say I gave him his break, but I didn't discover him."

A year before the months-long online search that produced Boneta, Yanklewitz and Bestrop had also combed through thousands of online video submissions for "Project X," the recent "found footage" film from producer Todd Phillips ("The Hangover," "Old School").

Jonathan Daniel Brown was one of the actors cast after he submitted his audition online. "Granted, he then went through 11 rounds of auditions in person," Yanklewitz says. And Bestrop had noticed Dax Flame in YouTube videos a couple years earlier, so she brought him in for a small part in "Project X."

Each year Yanklewitz attends college graduation showcases in L.A. and meets with students from schools such as Yale, Juilliard, USC, and NYU to evaluate talent and offer advice. "I always tell young actors to get demos and put material of themselves online," he says. "If they're comedy people and they're just starting out, produce a sketch, or do a bit. Just get it up online. Because now more than ever, obviously, the Internet is a way in."

Watch the "Rock of Ages" trailer below:

 

What will you do to stand out and book that big role?

VIBES

Have you ever had an awkward encounter with that person who just won't open up and sends a very closed-off signal? Have you ever been that person? Scott Powers, casting director, has something to say about the signals people give off.

Everybody sends out signals to other people. There are clear,  positive winner signals and negative, loser signals. Too often the sender may not be aware of how they are affecting the sendee.

It's easy to spot the one that brings in bad vibes into a room. They seem to have that perpetual thundercloud above their head, complete with a permanent bolt of lightning. The emotional vampires; black holes, absorbing all light and energy within 100 yards. Other people tend to move away from them. Then there are those who light up a room. People want to be around them, for the positive, uplifting experience. "Stars" as we know them in our business and in the heavens, coincidentally, give off light and energy.
 
A winner or star can walk down a street and all heads turn in their direction. They command attention. They look important, like a somebody - a somebody that might be able to do something for you. Conversely, a loser everybody looks through them; just a fuzzy blur never in focus.
 
What kind of signals do you give off? How do you change the feel of a room by you being in it?  Did you know you DO have the capacity to change the feel of a room?   Did you know you have the capacity to affect a number of peoples' day? That's pretty powerful. Just make it for the better!
 
Agents, casting directors and managers all interface with hundreds of actors as part of their job. What kind of signals do you give them? Somebody they want to work with? Do you look happy? Giving off a good vibe? Like a winner? Somebody they'd like to some spend time with?  Somebody to send out and you'll make them look good? And possibly come back with the job? And even if you don't come back with the job, they'll want to send you out again, because they KNOW you'll eventually get the "big" one!
 
On a clinical side, some clients we work with when we have a casting demand we put on the stat sheet an actor fills out and brings in the audition room with them, the numbers 1 - 10 in the smallest type size possible at the bottom of the sheet. We are then told to look at that actor: how do they enter the room? What are their clothes like? Their hair? Their complexion? Do they look you in the eye? Happy to be there? Focused? Have their act together? Own the room? Own the copy? And after the read, how do they exit? Strong? Like they already have the job? Like you'd want them around for eight hours on a set? Then we're asked to assign them a number: 1 to 10. The sum total of what we have received from the actor It's all part of the audition. Some clients say keep 8s and above, toss 7s and below. Very surgical; no time for humanity. Thank you, Mr. or Ms. Client!
 
Everybody has the capacity to determine the signals they send out. You are the captain of your own ship and you can do with it what you want. What a marvelous position to be in! If something needs "recalibrating," get to it. It is behavior modification - and not necessarily done overnight: it takes work on a consistent basis and it can definitely be accomplished. And the interesting thing of all this is that not only will you positively affect everybody your coming in contact with (and significantly advance your career), but you'll feel better for the effort as well. And all this doesn't cost any money! Talk about a win - win situation!
 
Game plan:
 
Write down five "signals" you think just might need to be "recalibrated."
 
 
So when do you start this potentially life-changing "signal recalibration?"
 
How about right now.

What kind of signals do YOU send out?

WHAT'S THE MAGIC WORD?

New York Casting Director Scott Powers has some great advice to give about succeeding in this business...check it out!

We often get asked, What's the secret to succeed in this business? How do I make it? What are the magic words? We've always said, No such quick answer. BUT, after a recent "aha!" moment, there IS an answer. And it is:
 
DO WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU.
 
No excuses. No "yeah-buts." No "extenuating circumstances." No nothin'.
 
Simple? No, deceptively complex. It turns out, every "issue" or "challenge" or literally everything that occurs that is wrong, a disappointment, a letdown, not getting the job, getting fired or losing representation, revolves around if somebody has not done what is expected of them. That goes for actors, agents, casting directors, managers, you name it.
 
What is expected of actors? Without much effort our office came up with a list of 25. You write down just 10 below that you feel are most expected of actors.
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Can you do what is expected of you? If you can, we have seen those before you succeed, sometimes spectacularly.
 
If you can't do what is expected of you? We have seen those results, too.
 
We all write our own books.   And there's nothing wrong with starting a new chapter. Like right now.

What do you feel is expected of you?