The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

THREE OF THE BEST TIPS

 

Amy Jo Berman, a successful Casting Director for 18 years in Los Angeles shares these three acting tips using the great actress Lena Dunham as her muse and inspiration.

1. Be Yourself. I know you’ve heard that a million times. But truth, isn’t Lena just the embodiment of that? She doesn’t have the traditional size 0 body that most female leading women have in Hollywood. (By the way, when did 0 actually become a real size? That just seems wrong.) In fact, she regularly parades around naked on “Girls” despite the fact that she’s not “perfect”. And yet, she doesn’t seem to have a care in the world about it. And it certainly has not limited her success in any way.

She doesn’t think, act, look, or talk the way our common perception of a leading lady in Hollywood “should." And yet, there she is. So how is it that she is such a success? This leads us to…

2. Follow Your Passion. Lena did not sit idly by and complain about her crappy agent and wonder why she was NOT a success. What she did do was CREATE. She wrote and created shorts and did creative projects. This led her to create her indie film “Tiny Furniture” which she wrote, directed, and starred in. That film led her to her deal at HBO, which led to “Girls” and here we are.

What is YOUR lesson in this? Do what you’re passionate about while being yourself. Maybe that’s filmmaking. Maybe it’s writing. Maybe it’s totally outside of entertainment. Maybe you like baking pies. Whatever it is, do it passionately and with joyful enthusiasm while being you.

As a casting director, what I noticed from meeting thousands of actors over the years, was that many of the ones that were the most successful always had something else fulfilling and creative in their lives. I’ve talked to actors who had antique businesses, who are passionate about doll-making, skydiving, owned and rented out villas in the Italian Riviera, record MP3 meditation CDs, etc. The list goes on and on.

So, do those passions guarantee a successful career as an actor? No. There are no guarantees in show business. The only thing they guarantee is that you will be way more interesting, more passionate, and more creative and connect with way more passionate, interesting, and creative people in your life AND career.

Do you think that that passion and flowing creativity might give you an edge in your next audition or meeting over the other actors out there who aren’t?

My experience says a resounding YOU BETCHA!

3. Make Authentic Connections When Meeting “Players." When I was working on the L.A. casting of the pilot for "Girls," there was one thing that certain actors did that lit Lena up like a Christmas tree. If you do this regularly, you will give yourself a great advantage in this business.

Find out a little about the people in the room BEFORE you get in there. Sure, it's easy to know about the Aaron Sorkins and JJ Abrams of the world and all their projects.

But many times, when you audition for a pilot, the Creators are NOT that well known, like Lena Dunham when we did the “Girls” pilot. For goodness sakes, GOOGLE THEM! IMDB THEM! Find out what you can.  

Will it get you the part? Probably not. But will it make the beginnings of a CONNECTION with a mover/shaker in this industry? Abso-freakin-lutely!

Lena lit up like a Christmas tree when someone came in to our producer sessions to audition and genuinely told her what a fan they were of "Tiny Furniture."

Genuinely.

Be genuine.

Be authentic.

Don't kiss up.

Just do your homework and find a bridge to make a connection or just make someone's day.

Keep planting seeds like that and watch the amazing harvest you will have in your career.

These three simple ideas can change your perspective; can change how you are received and viewed; and can change the direction of your career to a smoother and more fulfillling road!  Which idea might be the most difficult for you to implement?

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UNDERSTANDING RESUMES AND HEADSHOTS

Commercial Print Instructor, Scott Powers provides us with an understanding of the resume and headshot controversy.

There has been this lingering great controversy/debate simmering under the surface that needs to be addressed once and for all.  Closure.  End of discussion. 

Namely, how to attach your résumé to your headshot.
 
Assuming you have a dynamite glow-in-the-dark headshot that looks just like you on your best day AND is 8"x10", in color, matte finish (not glossy), with borders and name on front; you would like to keep the elegance of your promotional material.  Interestingly enough, a bad job of attaching your trimmed 8"x10" résumé can gum up the works, pun intended.  And cheapen the product - you.  What are the options, plusses and minuses?
 
1.       Glue stick.  No.  Glue sticking a   résumé can dry out and a résumé separates and floats to the bottom of a file drawer, joining the other orphan résumés bearing traces of glue stick.
 
2.       Rubber cement.  Will create more wrinkles and lumps than you ever thought.  Old before its time.  How you will look when you're 85.
 
3.       Staples.  Long considered the industry approach.  Often because they are not aware of a better, simpler, more elegant alternative. [Coming up on that.]  Think about this: you have a beautiful headshot and it gets punched through by clunky staples.  AND, if you update your résumé and remove the old staples, then add more staples and more holes.  Starts to look a bit chewed up.  Also, a hard copy headshot/résumé could get filed in a file drawer usually overstuffed with other headshots/ résumés.  Forced in, ripped out.  And every other one in front and behind yours gets the same treatment.
 
What, oh, what to do in these perilous times to solve this crisis?
 
4.       Permanent double-sided Scotch tape.  1" on each corner is all it takes.  No lumps, no bumps.  If you have to replace your résumé, just peel off the old one, put the new one on.  AND, it preserves the elegance of your costly headshot.   Beware: there is now a removable double sided Scotch tape version now on the market.  Be careful not to buy this by mistake.  It will not hold your resume and make for résumé rage.  Make sure what you buy is permanent double sided Scotch tape.  Staples has it; Duane Reade has the one you don't want.
 
As they say, the devil is in the details.  People are either consistently superior on all fronts, or consistently mediocre on all fronts, or consistently substandard on all fronts.  Being consistently superior on all fronts presents a professional actor, one that shows that they are competitive and hirable.  This is just one little contributing factor that cumulatively adds to your luster.
 
Of course, this advice is only helpful generally speaking.  There are always cases where a particular casting director will rather you use staples or some other method, so always follow the advice of your agent prior to an audition. 

Does your presentation meet the standard that makes us happy to pass your headshot along to the decision maker?

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OUTSIDE OF ACTING

You mean to tell me there are other jobs in entertainment besides being an actor or model?  Yes, Virginia, this industry is not run by Santa Claus!  You may realize there are people working with and for your benefit as the talent, but are you aware of what their daily grind is like?  Most likely, you have misconceptions without knowing it.

What does that CD who always seems so stressed out (or nonchalant) deal with every day?  Find out from our fellow industry professional Scott Powers!

It is vital that performers know not only how to act and market themselves, but how the business works from all sides.
 
One of the approaches that we have recommended with great results to abolish this situation is - ready? - go for an internship or be a reader.  Internships are basically unpaid or low-paid or transportation/meal stipend paid positions.  They can be a few hours a week, on a daily basis or for a specified period of time.  Interns open the morning mail and email, field phone calls, file headshots, watch the actors/models coming in and out of the office, interface with the industry, discover what problems the business has to grapple with day in and day out, maybe even sit in on the decision making process.  You will have a great first-hand to generally/specifically observe how the industry - the "other side" - REALLY works.  What a great opportunity you created for yourself!  And if you know THAT, your pursuits and career will absolutely benefit.
 
Being a reader for auditions at a casting company gives an actor first-hand experience on how the casting process works.  What works and what doesn't.  Talk about an eye-opening experience!
 
Are interns all really young?  No.  If you're, say, over 30++, don't worry about it.  You bring to the position certain life experiences and approaches that someone younger hasn't had yet.
 
Be pro-active.  You contact them.  Most offices have a continuous need for interns.  You can approach a company in general or target a specific person.  Want to get in good with an agent?  Offer to intern for them.  Want to get in good with a casting director?  Offer to intern; be a reader for them.  Send them your headshot via email or snail mail and on the outside, mark "INTERN APPLICATION" or "READER APPLICATION" (or on the Subject line if email) and inside have a BRIEF cover note. Tell them what qualities you can bring [to the potential partnership].  Tell them what times/days of the week you are available and how long you can be available.
 
[An experience like this can] change your outlook forever.  Not only will you have a much better understanding of the business, but you will have a much better appreciation of it as well (and there would be a lot less moaning and groaning out there!)
 
Of course, if we could only get the agents and casting directors out on a few auditions and go-sees to see what the actor/model goes through, we might have a nearly perfect world....

And that reminds me of a bet I lost once with an actor.  My pay up was to take Caroline Locorriere's scene study workshop for a month.  It was mostly fun, but also great insight into what our actors grapple with every day.  Learning can go both ways, but you can only choose to learn for yourself!  Internships aren't limited, so think outside the box and find something that interests you as well.  It may be photographry, television, publicity, management, etc.  Your options are only as limited as your imagination!

Where could you intern and how could having done so help you in the casting room or on set?

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LETS GET PERSONAL

All too often I hear actors and models make comments about things they wished they had said or done in the casting room after the fact.  Actors get caught up in trivial things, like missing a line in a script or interchanging words.  The truth is that no one cares if you miss a line or forget to say thank you when you leave.  What you should REALLY be focused on is whether or not you are presenting the character we are interested in watching -- both on the screen and the runway!

So how can you make your character more personal and relatable?

Brian Timoney says that personalization is a technique used by method actors to help them give ‘real’ performances without the need for imitation or inspiration. By simply fueling your performance with real feelings and real emotions, you are able to give performances that can be more convincing than if you had months to invent these feelings and emotions.

Let’s imagine a common scenario. You are in an audition and you are required to play a character who’s in a complicated relationship with a member of the opposite sex. You are required to play a scene in which the relationship is coming to an abrupt end. Now, this would be very difficult to prepare for in just a few minutes, especially if the actor opposite you was someone you’d never met before. However, by using personalization you would project the personality of someone from your own past onto your fellow actor. By carefully and accurately projecting the image of someone you’ve been in a doomed relationship with and recalling your own feelings at the moment it all came to an end, you will be able to give a thoroughly authentic performance at almost a moment’s notice.

This is a great technique for any acting scenario but it’s particularly useful for auditions. One of the best things about this technique is that it can be completely internalized. This means that those that see your performance won’t know that you are using personalization to fuel your performance. They won’t know whose image you are projecting onto your fellow actor and they won’t know about the raw, evocative emotions that you felt as you gave your performance.

All they will see is an actor giving a great performance with only a few moments to prepare!

How can you maintain your focus on the emotional life of your endeavor rather than the trivial things?

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AND THE WINNERS ARE?

With only a couple of days away from the 85th Academy Awards, the intensity is at a high. As showtime is quickly approaching and viewers plan for Oscar parties, the Red Carpet, and performances, nothing can compare to the moment the winners are announced. The question is, who amongst the nominees has what it takes to take home the gold?

Here is a list of the Nominees:

Actor in a Leading Role

• Bradley Cooper in "Silver Linings Playbook"
• Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln"
• Hugh Jackman in "Les Misérables"
• Joaquin Phoenix in "The Master"
• Denzel Washington in "Flight"

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Alan Arkin in "Argo"
• Robert De Niro in "Silver Linings Playbook"
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in "The Master"
• Tommy Lee Jones in "Lincoln"
• Christoph Waltz in "Django Unchained"

Actress in a Leading Role

• Jessica Chastain in "Zero Dark Thirty"
• Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook"
• Emmanuelle Riva in "Amour"
• Quvenzhané Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
• Naomi Watts in "The Impossible"

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams in "The Master"
• Sally Field in "Lincoln"
• Anne Hathaway in "Les Misérables"
• Helen Hunt in "The Sessions"
• Jacki Weaver in "Silver Linings Playbook"

Animated Feature Film

• "Brave" Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
• "Frankenweenie" Tim Burton
• "ParaNorman" Sam Fell and Chris Butler
• "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" Peter Lord
• "Wreck-It Ralph" Rich Moore

Cinematography

• "Anna Karenina" Seamus McGarvey
• "Django Unchained" Robert Richardson
• "Life of Pi" Claudio Miranda
• "Lincoln" Janusz Kaminski
• "Skyfall" Roger Deakins

Costume Design

• "Anna Karenina" Jacqueline Durran
• "Les Misérables" Paco Delgado
• "Lincoln" Joanna Johnston
• "Mirror Mirror" Eiko Ishioka
• "Snow White and the Huntsman" Colleen Atwood

Directing

• "Amour" Michael Haneke
• "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Benh Zeitlin
• "Life of Pi" Ang Lee
• "Lincoln" Steven Spielberg
• "Silver Linings Playbook" David O. Russell

Documentary Feature

• "5 Broken Cameras"
  Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
• "The Gatekeepers"
  Dror Moreh, Philippa Kowarsky and Estelle Fialon
• "How to Survive a Plague"
  David France and Howard Gertler
• "The Invisible War"
  Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering
• "Searching for Sugar Man"
  Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn

Documentary Short Subject

• "Inocente"
  Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
• "Kings Point"
  Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
• "Mondays at Racine"
  Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
• "Open Heart"
  Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
• "Redemption"
  Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill

Film Editing

• "Argo" William Goldenberg
• "Life of Pi" Tim Squyres
• "Lincoln" Michael Kahn
• "Silver Linings Playbook" Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
• "Zero Dark Thirty" Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Foreign Language Film

• "Amour" Austria
• "Kon-Tiki" Norway
• "No" Chile
• "A Royal Affair" Denmark
• "War Witch" Canada

Makeup and Hairstyling

• "Hitchcock"
  Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
• "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
  Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
• "Les Misérables"
  Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Music (Original Score)

• "Anna Karenina" Dario Marianelli
• "Argo" Alexandre Desplat
• "Life of Pi" Mychael Danna
• "Lincoln" John Williams
• "Skyfall" Thomas Newman

Music (Original Song)

• "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice"
  Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
• "Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from "Ted"
  Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
• "Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi"
  Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
• "Skyfall" from "Skyfall"
  Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
• "Suddenly" from "Les Misérables"
  Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best Picture

• "Amour" Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz, Producers
• "Argo" Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
• "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
• "Django Unchained" Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
• "Les Misérables" Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
• "Life of Pi" Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
• "Lincoln" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
• "Silver Linings Playbook" Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
• "Zero Dark Thirty" Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Production Design

• "Anna Karenina"
  Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
  Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
• "Les Misérables"
  Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
• "Life of Pi"
  Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
• "Lincoln"
  Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Short Film (Animated)

• "Adam and Dog" Minkyu Lee
• "Fresh Guacamole" PES
• "Head over Heels" Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
• "Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"" David Silverman
• "Paperman" John Kahrs

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Asad" Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
• "Buzkashi Boys" Sam French and Ariel Nasr
• "Curfew" Shawn Christensen
• "Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)" Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
• "Henry" Yan England

Sound Editing

• "Argo" Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
• "Django Unchained" Wylie Stateman
• "Life of Pi" Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
• "Skyfall" Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
• "Zero Dark Thirty" Paul N.J. Ottosson

Sound Mixing

• "Argo"
  John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
• "Les Misérables"
  Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
• "Life of Pi"
  Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
• "Lincoln"
  Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
• "Skyfall"
  Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

• "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
  Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
• "Life of Pi"
  Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
• "Marvel's The Avengers"
  Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
• "Prometheus"
  Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
• "Snow White and the Huntsman"
  Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• "Argo" Screenplay by Chris Terrio
• "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
• "Life of Pi" Screenplay by David Magee
• "Lincoln" Screenplay by Tony Kushner
• "Silver Linings Playbook" Screenplay by David O. Russell

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• "Amour" Written by Michael Haneke
• "Django Unchained" Written by Quentin Tarantino
• "Flight" Written by John Gatins
• "Moonrise Kingdom" Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
• "Zero Dark Thirty" Written by Mark Boal

All nominations are selected by a panel of the Academy. This year that panel ensured a diverse showing under each category.

Do you think there is a nominee missing from any of these categories?

 

ARGO AND THE OSCARS

 

Argo which is based around the Iran hostage crisis of 1980, is the true story of six Americans who barely escape the United States embassy after being overrun by an army Iranian rioters.

After escaping, the Americans take refuge inside Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor’s (Victor Garber) house. They remain stuck there for two years before CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) developes a plan to get them out as a American film crew scouting for shooting locations.  [Read the full review on Shorthorn.com.]

Critics have said that Argo is probably one of the best drama films of the year. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with its suspense, drama and humor.  Considering its success, Argo is nominated for seven Oscars for the 85th Academcy Awards show. It's comes as no surprise that Argo has its number of nominations, however; I question whether or not they will win all seven. To find out if they do, tune into the ABC Channel on Sunday February 24th, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Is Argo going to win all seven nominations?  If not, which nominations should Argo win?

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FOUR SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOK MORE WORK!

What can you do to book more jobs?  Every talent asks this question and although a lot is dictated by outside variable and other decision makers, some of the easiest things a talent can do are frequently overlooked or dismissed as unimportant.  You are already working on your skill set, building your resume or reel, and developing a bigger network of contacts.  What else matters?

Here is a list of simple things that successful talent do on a daily basis that set them apart from their peers:

1.)  Pick up the phone.  The talent on The Avenue's roster who book the most work consistently answer the phone when the agency calls.  It may sound trite, but being able to access a talent quickly means being able to respond to the client more quickly -- and in many cases, the early bird books the job.  Case in point, last week I called a talent and left a message early in the morning.  I didn't hear back from the talent until very late that night.  The job had already been booked and the late caller not only lost the opportunity, but lost a little of my confidence.  As an agent, we want to know to that we can count on the talent to do their part of our partnership, so the talent who readily respond are always going to be our go-to pick when we are in a pinch!

2.) Follow directions.  You always follow directions right?  Of course, you do!  Well, you mean to anyway.  Best intentions aren't good enough when it comes to following directions.  As an independent contractor, you have many different clients asking for similiar things with different details.  Should you bring 1 headshot or 3.  Did you wear black pants when you were supposed to wear khaki?  Can the CD count on you to listen and then nail their direction in front of the director?  I recently witnessed a well-meaning and very talented actor submit a taped audition for a big role.  The audition was phenomenal, but the file was not sent according to the directions that had been given.  Casting did not realize the tape was there until after the role had already been cast.  A very sad day for the talent who nailed the audition and was never even considered for the part -- and now has created the impression with casting that he/she can't follow directions. 

3.)  Be able to submit a taped audition from home -- immediately!  Our digital age is exciting and has opened up opportunity to a lot of actors outside of the biggest markets.  Those who are self-reliant and respond quickly are booking work all over the place!  The talent who rely on another person, another person's technology or expertise, or even someone they hire for help are missing the boat.  Sure, your agent may be willing to tape you, but do you really WANT them spending time burning down audition tapes?  No, they should be working to get you more opportunities!  Self taping has become so simple that every home has access to some sort of video recording and computer burning device.  It may vary from person to person, but the end result is the same.  The talent who don't make excuses and figure out a way to make it work are the talent who are working.  They are also the talent who the agent is going to call first and when under pressure or time deadlines.  Don't you want to be that first call?

4.)  Be willing.  This is an industry of unknowns.  Models are doing taped submissions for jobs today as often as actors are.  The models who are willing to try working with a video camera instead of a still camera are the models who are working.  And the added bonus is that a lot of them are booking jobs that pay residual, which means they are making a lot more money than they have in the past.  Being flexible and willing to try something that you

Sometimes your bottom line profit is about more than your abilities as a model or actor.  In this high drama industry, everyone is looking for the easiest way to keep their set functional and friendly.  Are you making their life easier and giving yourself an advantage?

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YOUR INNER DEMONS

NYC and Nashville casting director Kim Petrosky shares her perspective on Risa Bramon Garcia's blog post on BackStage.

"Great article by Risa Bramon Garcia. My personal #1 most important thing an actor can do -
Do you your own personal work. YOU are who you bring into every audition, every situation, every relationship in your life. By making the choice to be an actor you are choosing to be in relationship…with other actors…script…director...with all the other creative and technical aspects of the experience. If you have personal issues that may be holding you back (and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t) become aware and do whatever you need to do to explore them…heal them…find the tools or whatever is the right choice for you. Self-exploration is a life long process and cannot be overlooked. Because trust me…I see this as the biggest obstacle in every actors success," said Kim Petrosky in her Casting Facebook post recently. 

Risa Bramon Garcia's "15 Things Actors Do That Make Me Happy" full article is pasted below.

1. You show up every day. You make no excuses.

2. You love the work wherever and whenever you’re doing it and you don't complain. None of the “I’ve been a series regular for six years, and I’m only working one day/week for $40,000.” Or “I’m so ready to work, but I’m home all day with nothing to do.” You bring your love of acting to the audition room, set, rehearsal, class, and you carry your love of the work into every experience. You relish it.

3. You do everything you can to be prepared. You know your lines. You do your homework. You do it to get out of your own way.

4. You’re generous to each other, and you’re generous to yourselves. You give yourselves a break. You manage your expectations.

5. You don't apologize, and you’re willing to applaud yourself. You turn limiting beliefs into empowering ones.

6. You focus on others, not on what they think of you but on what their needs might truly be. We are all your audience, and you’re there to offer yourself and your work to us in performance, in collaboration, in a shared adventure.

7. You train. You study. You work out. You continue to develop your craft. You get that being in shape is what gives you the edge to compete and the freedom to fly.

8. You live full lives.

9. You’re proactive and deeply creative. You take responsibility for your work, your success, and yourself.

10. You’re willing to fight for it.

11. You understand the power of fear, that it’s a force, not an impediment. You take risks in spite of your terror. You let it fuel you. You do what Yoda says: “Feel the force!”

12. You’re courageous. You embrace the struggle and find a way to love it, knowing that the creative spirit grows from battling through the night, that this is the force with which we create. You're willing to do whatever it takes.

13. You’re about the work first, knowing that career will follow and not the other way around. Dedicated work leads to good work. Good work leads to great work. Great work is thrilling. Great work is noticed. Celebrated. Hired. And money follows bliss. As Steven Pressfield wrote in "The War of Art," "The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying."

14. You know how damned lucky you are to have chosen this thing, this thing that is generated from the fire within you. You’re blessed to be on this journey.

15. You have faith.  My happiness isn’t really determined by an actor’s decision to take care of him or herself. This is my own checklist for artistic sanity and success. However, when I do see fellow artists show us and embrace these actions, I’m gratified. We conspire together in our pursuit of happiness. 

There’s further to go in the exploration of each of these commitments... For now, let's embrace them. Let’s look at where each of us shows up, where we might have to recalibrate how we approach our creative lives. Our careers and our joy depend on it.

Risa Bramon Garcia has just started up a new Studio in L.A. with partner, Steve Braun, called The Bramon Garcia Braun Studio, dedicated to actors’ whole journey, connecting craft with career. Visit Risa’s website, active and inviting for actors and other artists alike is:Risabg.com.

For the past 30 years Risa has worked consistently as a director, producer, casting director, writer, and teacher, collaborating with some of the most groundbreaking artists in the world.  Having directed two feature films ‐ the cult classic, "200 cigarettes," and most recently, "The Con Artist" in Canada - Risa’s also directed for television, including multiple episodes of "The Twilight Zone" for New Line/UPN, and shows for HBO, Lifetime, and Comedy Central. She’s directed dozens of plays in New York (The Ensemble Studio Theatre, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club) and in Los Angeles. Risa’s casting résumé includes more than 65 feature films, classics such as "Something Wild," "At Close Range," "Angel Heart," "Fatal Attraction," "Wall Street," "Talk Radio," "Jacob’s Ladder," "Born on the Fourth of July," "JFK," "The Doors," "Sneakers," "The Joy Luck Club," "True Romance," "Speed," "How To Make An American Quilt," "Dead Presidents," "Twister," "Benny and Joon," and "Flirting With Disaster;" and numerous television shows, including "Roseanne," "CSI:NY," "The Cape," and most recently "A Gifted Man" for CBS and the pilot "Rewind" for Syfy. She’s about to start casting the Showtime series, "Masters of Sex." Risa served as a producer on Oliver Stone’s films "Heaven and Earth" and "Natural Born Killers," movies she also cast.

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ONE OF ATLANTA'S TOP TEN

Recently The Avenue's Quentin Plair was honored as one of Atlanta's "Top 10 People in the Film Business You've Probably Never Heard Of But Should".  Quentin has spent the last year building strong relationships with powerful casting directors and is repeatedly asked into their casting rooms.  From an agent's perspective, Quentin is reliable, easy to work with, and goes out of his way to make sure he does his part, allowing the agency to continue putting it's full force efforts behind his endeavors!

Written by Darla Clarkson: Posted on Monday, December 31, 2012 8:03 AM

So this is the time of year to make lists...things I'm going to do differently in the next year, people I want to work with, things I want to accomplish, etc. But, I thought I would take a few minutes and list some of the people I know in the film business who you may or may not know, but you need to! These are quality people who do their job extraordinarily well and give Atlanta a good name in the film game:

Quentin Plair, Actor

It is so rare to find that combination of good looks, acting chops and the ability to cry on queue that Quentin deserves mention here. I think he is a true undiscovered talent in the industry and you will be seeing more of him very soon. His IMDB is pretty sparse, but after having worked with him on two different projects, I can tell you he is a complete professional and has all the right stuff to go ALL the way!

To view the full article, visit No Fear Blogs.

THE BIG WINNERS!

Each year, The Avenue Agency gives away valuable prizes to the talent who have set themselves apart from their peers in some way.  There are those who are brave enough to be competitive at the holiday party games, as mentioned in earlier blogs.  But more importantly, there are the hand full of talent who go the extra mile to give 100% to their career.  These talent are known to submit requested materials without having to be asked.  They frequently track details on their opportunities and approach their craft as an organized business professional.  They have the initiative to seek out advice and support their skill set with great marketing materials.  They do not offer excuses when things don't go their way.  These talent not only bring value to our partnership, but they also bring peace of mind to me as an agent when pitching them.

Some have worked for years and finally seen their preparation met with opportunity as they reap the rewards of success.  Others came on board ready to go from the start and were quick out of the gate.  The annual MVPs may change from year to year as we cannot honor ALL of the special partnerships at one time, but their work ethic and determination are consistent across each year.   I'm so thankful to announce the winners and MVPs on The Avenue's roster in 2012:

Emily Landham will receive a free one hour personal training session with Jennifer McCoy, BS ACSM, of One Body. One Life. Health Fitness Specialists & Personal Trainers (to contact Jennifer, email jennifer@body1life.com)!  Emily's earlier year was wrought with challenges when she broke her foot while giving back to her community on set for a non profit, but she still finished strong ending the year with multiple feature films, industrials, and a principal role in BET's The Game!

Joel Diggs will receive a complimentary three look modeling photoshoot with photographer Michael Gomez.  Joel came onto The Avenue's roster with a strong presence and has shown commitment and follow-through that put him among the top money earners in his demographic.

Steve Caviness will receive a complimentary space in acting coach Caroline Locorriere's The Actor's Studio in Nashville, TN.  Steve started 2012 traveling for an ad campaign that padded pockets and kept him busy in the new year.  He showed that he knows how to build relationships, as clients continue to come back to him and ask for him by name.

Rusty Whitener will receive a complimentary two look actor's headshot session from Michael Gomez.  Rusty took a hiatus in the first half of the year as his Christy Award winning novel was made into a movie.  In the latter part of 2012, he showed his strength and presence by booking principal roles in the hit series "Nashville", and leading roles in several movies to be released in 2013-2014.

Stephanie Gamonet will receive a complimentary 30 minute private coaching via skype with Casting Director and coach Holly Allen (a $60 value).  Stephanie's dedication and persistence are proof that hard work does pay off!  The past year saw her book the lead female role in a feature film as well as a national commercial spot!

Diana Moseley was 2012's child MVP and will receive a complimentary "Acting in Commercials" workshop with acting coach and working actor, Alan Dysert, of The Actor's School (a $125 value).  Diana was quickly welcomed into the market when she started, but this year faced her most challenging role -- playing a tomboy.  She'd rather be in pink dresses, but says "it wasn't so bad."

Alice Raver will receive a complimentary 60 minute massage from massage therapist to the country stars, Deanna Porterfield, of Balance Massage.  Alice's incredible flexibility and focus has brought her business of acting to a new level in 2012 by booking commercials, print work, and feature film roles.

Jared Carter will receive a free one hour personal training session with Jennifer McCoy, BS ACSM, of One Body. One Life. Health Fitness Specialists & Personal Trainers (to contact Jennifer, email jennifer@body1life.com)!  Jared has maintained an established career for years alongside The Avenue.  His most exciting role in 2012 was playing David Byrne in the movie CBGB (set to be released in 2013), alongside legendary actor Alan Rickman.  Getting his picture and an interview in the Rolling Stone wasn't so bad, either!

Congratulations to our recipients in 2012.  The Avenue is excited about helping invest in your career to continue your success into 2013!  Contact Melinda via email for details on how to go about collecting your prize.  Were you not one of the celebrated MVPs?  Stay focused in 2013 and be sure to schedule your End-of-Year Review so Melinda can give you personalized attention and help you set goals for the new year!

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