The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

WHAT THE CD DOESN'T TELL YOU (Part 2)

After having had time to recenter yourself from Caroline Liem's early advice, here she continue to challenge you to move past the moments in the casting room and build a more interesting (and hence, valuable) YOU.

6. Be like the reed. Ever have a day when you get to your appointment and find out there were notes never received, new sides, and awkward camera set up, and an extended wait time? How can we do our best under such circumstances? Be flexible, and keep it positive. Look, stuff happens every day that’s out of our control, but how it’s handled is what will be remembered.

7. My reader was a zombie. A tough room = A chilly reception. The audition process is already awkward without these additional bumps in the road. Still, it’s your job to create your environment and show us what you’ve carefully prepared. An Academy Award-winning actor once told me she made a game out of it. The goal was to get the reader to look up. It’s still about connection and taking it off of yourself.

8. Yes, your degree counts. It shows steadfast determination. But class is how you keep sharp, develop additional skills, and stay current. Be open to taking selective classes or seminars continually. Training never ends.

9. Tell a friend. Refer people for jobs you can’t work. It always comes back in a positive way.

10. No car = no work. If you’re [going to make it to the audition], for Pete’s sake, have a working car!

Caroline Liem is a casting director, audition coach and teacher based in Los Angeles. Her highly acclaimed film/TV audition and text analysis classes have been taught throughout the U.S. both privately and at universities. She has cast indie films, studio features and television pilot/series for Disney Studios, Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, WB, and Fox. You can see her latest casting on Nickelodeon's Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. You can find more information on Caroline and classes at www.CarolineLiem.com and like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @CarolineLiem.

WHAT THE CD DOESN'T TELL YOU (Part 1)

Casting Director, Caroline Liem, takes the time to spell out the things that you don't hear in the casting room, but are nonetheless true every time as a BackStage Expert.  Read them after each casting, whether you were sure you nailed it or bombed it, and trust that the unsaid is real!

Your teachers, mentors, friends, casting directors have trained you, taught you, listened to you, and brought you back over and over again because you’re terrific in the room. But there are always some things you wish they’d told you sooner.

1. “No” does not equal failure. Casting is working at a heightened pace - creating a family, recasting because the male role became female, the location changed for the role due to budget or local hire, executive orders, nepotism - do you get the picture? It’s not about you. Casting directors are not required to give you closure or cushion the blow. So, what will they do? Though you weren’t right for the role, you were so prepared and confident and brought something unique to the character that they added a role just for you. They loved you so much because you were personable and professional that they remember you and bring you in for another show they’re casting and tell their casting/director/producer friends to meet you.

2. Take big risks. You got the appointment because you satisfy the role. But standing out in the room and landing the role, requires more than satisfactory choices. You didn’t play it safe by choosing this career. What’s the rhythm of the dialogue? What’s happening in-between the lines? What is the world you are creating? What do you want from the other person? And make it bold. Again, it’s not about you.

3. Work smart. What’s your goal? What’s trending? How does it fit your brand/casting? Who knows about what you want to do? Where are the gaps artistically and in business and who can help you fill them?

4. Nurture your love of your art outside the business. It matters that you are a fully developed human being. What are the other things you have in your life which bring delight, purpose, challenge and growth? We are all more than our resumes, and that person is the one we want to know about in the room and on set for the next three months. So try something new or revisit some long lost passion and tell us about it when we ask “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

5. Mom was right! We never hear about struggling doctors or struggling attorneys. Mom begged us to get a business degree or take a class, but most us decided, “I don’t think that way. I am an artist. I’ll never use that degree.” There is a real way to earn money, pursue your dream, and still have the creative life you deserve. Acting is your career. Bartending, teaching pilates and yoga, or dog walking may help create schedule flexibility and supplements to your career, but they are NOT the reason to change or cancel an appointment. Your reps tell us you’re sick. We know better because of social media. If you have your team already – agent, manager, attorney - listen to their guidance. You have chosen them.  You are the CEO of your corporation and its star.

Soak in this helpful advice and ponder it over the next few days.  Repeat these ideas out loud to yourself in the mirror so they stick when times get a little tough.  Pick up the weight where you might have been slacking off, if it becomes apparent.  And watch for a few more pointers from Caroline Liem to follow in the next blog!

DO YOU HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA?

From the BackStage Experts blog, coach Bill Howey asks us to take a step back and look at ourselves from a different perspective.

A Hidden Acting Agenda is a new term to describe an old phenomenon. These agendas - formed when you, the actor - hide some behavior, attitude or trait because they were the source of criticism or embarrassment in the past.

Let’s say that you were told that “you cry too much and it’s annoying.” So you decide to avoid crying because crying is bad. This decision becomes a Hidden Acting Agenda that subsequently changes every character choice you make.

There may be a list of behaviors or physical traits that others might have disapproved of, such as: talking too loudly, talking too softly, making too many faces, a too even temper, weird-looking eyes, and so on.

Or, you might have come to the conclusion, all by yourself, that you have a specific flaw. Such as telling yourself you can’t do comedy because no one laughs at your jokes.

Hiding traits you feel (or have been convinced) are "wrong" guarantees that your character will not be as complete or as interesting as possible. You may feel safer by avoiding a sensitive area, but the character you portray will be weaker without your hidden vulnerabilities.

Hidden Acting Agendas prevent you from fully discovering your full potential. This is because every character will be missing these “undesirable traits” that make you unique. But you will never know the effect your Hidden Acting Agendas could have if you avoid confronting the discomfort of revealing your “flaws” by thought or deed.

You must think like an adventurer and risk exploring each and every “flaw,” whether it came from someone else or from inside yourself. Adventuring into and uncovering your Hidden Acting Agenda is essential to developing your acting to the highest level possible.

The rewards for exposing your Hidden Acting Agenda can be enormous. Once you stop hiding those traits, your acting can blossom in unexpected ways. Connecting with, and then developing what you may consider your flaws are life giving to characters. Your unique qualities are what differentiate you from other actors.

You arouse feelings in an audience, a casting director, or anyone because you are tapping in to the parts of yourself that you have kept hidden. These flaws resonate with an audience when you allow them to exist as part of your character presentation. When we see an actor reveal herself and allow us to observe what we sense to be an imperfection, we are moved.

Interestingly, your faults and shortcoming can often become the most affecting elements of your acting. The best acting ingredients are always personal and real, and they should be used as the tools they are, not hidden away.

So take some time, be honest with yourself, and write down your Hidden Acting Agenda(s). This will give you a map for this adventure. As you explore those traits, bringing them out of the shadows, you will find yourself growing as an actor.

Bill Howey teaches “Scene Study with Emphasis on Auditioning.” He began a professional acting career at the Cleveland Playhouse. He moved on to
television, film production, produced and directed independent films and worked as a dialog coach for TV shows.

BEST ACTRESS AWARD

Drum roll please!    And the winner is . . . .

It's impossible to flip through the Nashville Scene without noticing the depth behind these eyes.  Emily Landham, a working on camera and theatre actress was presented with the BEST ACTRESS by Martin Brady in the Scene's "Best of Nashville 2012" issue.  What did Martin have to say about Emily's year thus far?

BEST ACTRESS: EMILY LANDHAM
Landham recently fractured her leg rehearsing Shakespeare. If that doesn't attest to her all-out approach to her craft, then her performances in three major shows in the past year certainly do. Her brilliant Juliet in the 2011 Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo and Juliet was followed by a classy turn in Tennessee Rep's major effort with Arthur Miller's All My Sons. Then Landham starred in Studio Tenn's acclaimed 2012 revival of The Miracle Worker as Annie Sullivan, a role that's as strenuous as they come. (Fortunately, Emily was working with two good legs at the time.) We hear she's on the mend, positive news for Nashville theatergoers. (But so much for "break a leg.") —MARTIN BRADY

Emily may have been slowed a tad over the summer due to her big break, but in the past few weeks, she has been busy reading for multiple movies, episodics, and commercials continuing to pursue her on camera endeavors.  She is also launching a non profit locally, so watch for more to come on how you can be a part of giving back!  Emily's well rounded business approach in building her craft, her community, and the lives of others is worth watching and following for any aspiring actresses / actors.

To read the full article, including other accolades, visit the Nashville Scene's Arts, Music, and Culture article.

 

I'M SO SORRY . . .

Agents, managers, and casting directors find it amazing that actors and models so frequently start a conversation with the words "I'm so sorry . . . "  Insert any completion to the sentence.  We've heard them all!

 . . . I didn't get the message.

 . . . I haven't checked my email.

 . . . I'm not off book (e.g., I didn't memorize my sides).

 . . . I'm late.  It's the a) traffic; b) I was up really late last night; c) nobody called me; d) my alarm didn't go off; e) I didn't know I had to be on time.

 . . . I forgot my a) headshot; b) resume; c) pen to take notes

 . . . I'm too busy right now to write down the info.  Shoot me an email!

 . . . My headshot is still black and white.  I've been meaning to . . .

 . . . I didn't return your phone call the other day.  Can casting still see me?

According to one New York casting director, these excuses send the deal-breaker signal to those who could hire a talent.  The industry doesn't hear whining excuses daily -- we hear them hourly.  No one with money behind them cares how great a talent looks or how skilled they are if the first thing we hear is multiple reasons why someone isn't up for the job.  There is always another option in the talent pool!

So knowing what NOT to do is only half the battle.  Should you ever find yourself in a circumstance where you feel compelled to start with an apology, bite your tongue.  Apologizing at that point -- after you've already done something blaringly wrong -- will not fix the mistake.  Acknowledge your failure and move past it.  Choose to hear whatever frustration is shared with you from the inconvenienced professional and then choose to only say, "Yes, I hear you.  It won't happen again."  After that, you can move on and give them reasons to change their impression (because you'll nail it despite the stress, right?).  The words "I'm sorry" have no place in entertainment.  After you leave, be sure that you follow through on never letting the mistake happen again -- at all costs.  Actions speak louder than words.  Make yourself heard through people's experiences working with you and your mouth never has to even open!

In this business, the savvy talent must remember that in order to pursue significant well-paying work, there are NO excuses.   Period.   The actor who got the job had no excuses.  Did you?

WHAT SUSTAINS THE CREATIVE MIND?

New York actors were asked what sustains them day after day working in their creative endeavor.  Their answers were uninhibited.

CD Scott Powers says:  Wow! Nobody should look at actors the same way again! The clichéd actor stereotype has bit the dust. Thanks for all the well-thought-out replies - everyone one of them inspiring in their own way. And THAT'S what we mean by us being special - you just proved it.   Below are all the replies; please read all of them, you are sure to pick up some that resonate with you and will sustain you.

 
Writing down all of the things I've accomplished in the past year, and looking at that list frequently.

Doing something everyday, no matter how small, to move forward in creating contacts and making myself more visible.

Saying affirmations while looking at myself in the mirror. It's really hard to do at first, but I think it helps.

Getting involved with projects I care about and being with other artists I care about.

God and His grace are what keep me breathing

Every time a casting goes well

Watching myself improve and gain confidence

Knowing that I am not "just" an actor. To know that if this all goes to hell, I have intrinsic value and so much to offer besidesgives me strength to "go for it" without inhibition.

Loving what I do.

Less is more...If I can't fully commit to something. I simply don't do it. I go in 100 % and sometimes i fall on my face but at least I know I gave my all with no regrets. My time is my most valuable asset and if I'm not going to give it my ALL than it's not worth it.

I watch inspiring documentaries, inspiring bio pic films, visit the museum, reading moving books that feed my spirit. I do work on myself and always work from integrity because it's foundation of life. Without Integrity nothing works. Honoring my promises I make to myself first.

Being connected to the source of my gifts and my life.

Understanding that before I am an entertainer I am a light.

Knowing how to come back home to myself.

Looking for love and acceptance within my own heart.

Faith to stay in the present moment.

The sound of applause after a good improv show. Doing a good improv show is such a success.

Seeing my friends succeed in this business encourages me not to stop trying.

Creating my own work; making things happen on my own.

Meeting industry that already "knows" me.

My parents, who believe in me, and still call me their little star!

Hearing the laughter from the audience when you've just nailed a funny line!

The rehearsal process, joy, laughter, and comraderie

Several community theaters in New England are refurbished churches; and it is so fitting because Theater, like all art forms, feeds the soul.

It took a great deal of maturity, but knowing NOT to take it personally if I don't get a part.  I've done the work. I can act. I just may not be what they are physically looking for. 

I never gave up on anything. I refuse to lose. I dont give up. Ever

When your daughter says, Dad, I was watching a movie last night on TV and all of a sudden You popped up on the screen, WOW. you didn't tell me you were in that one.  Hey, we went to the movies last night and there you were right in the middle of things as big as life. What a thrill to see someone we know personally in a movie.

Hello Peter, This is casting calling to see if you are available tomorrow for a featured spot in 'What's Your Number' as "Uncle Charlie' ?. Ah, let me check my calendar.

Morgan Freeman called me over shared his heater with me on the first cold day of the season. At the end of the shoot when he was leaving the set, he walked by me and shook my hand and said, "It was great working with you."  I said to myself, Wow, What a Class Act."

An understanding of what I bring to the world - bridge building.  I look to connect people, connect "situations" with solutions or resolutions and provide clarity to otherwise confusing and daunting tasks.

Loving the things I do in life which sustain me (even when they're annoying, like my survival jobs and the fact that I, HAVE THEM).

Always seeking a new thing to learn every day.

Mind games with myself.  For example, when someone asks how I'm doing, my normal response usually is "Another day in Paradise".  Most folks usually scoff at that, to which I retort "that's my story and I'm sticking to it."  The responses usually shift to amazement.

Throw folks a curve ball in life that's unexpected.  For example, one of my joys is driving a bus.  I drive a line run to Atlantic City on weekends whenever I'm not doing a show or other artistic endeavors.  When a (female) passenger boards my bus and informs me it's their birthday today, I usually say "oh, that's nice, happy birthday" then they take their seat.  What they don't know is when I reach my last pick-up and make my announcements about Atlantic City protocol, I will walk the length of the bus towards where that person is sitting and just before I finish my announcements, I'll ask the question "Oh, by the way, what's you name again?" to which they'll tell me, then I belt out HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  The responses I get amongst the passengers: PRICE-LESS.

PRAYER/FAITH. These go hand in hand

Optimism- for each No, i'm closer to my Yes.

Determination- there is nothing else for me. Been workin since 14yrs old and I believe Ive been in almost every field from food service to nursing to finance to law enforcement. Since I was 7 I knew I was an Actor/character.

Passion- I eat, sleep, breath my craft and know that its my gift from God.

Perserverence- my drive to excel and never quit. Don't focus on how many ppl doin the same thing but concentrate on the unique talents I have to offer.

No Sense- not enough to even think For one minute that I won't make it. As long as I stay dedicated, there is no failing.

Physical well-being: having a gym, yoga, dance class, etc. routine. Maintain a good diet.

Mental well-being: keeping an audition journal, having an understanding friend/roommate/partner that you can vent to without getting negative feedback, writing your memoirs or an anonymous online blog. Join a book club, check out novels from the library for your daily subway commute.

Creative well-being: watching local TV shows. Taking acting class, voice lessons, etc.

Emotional well-being: making sure you keep up a social life/dating life! Keep it in check (going out is expensive!), but do make time to see your friends and go on dates (or take your partner out if you're in a relationship) - doesn't have to cost money, and you can combine them with other goals such as going out to see a show or taking a walk in the park.

Financial well-being: having a flexible day job or side catering/waitering job. Unemployment. Barter with friends for mutual coachings if you're short on money for lessons.

Weekly one-on-one coaching keeps me audition-ready at all times.

Always maintain curious attitude without being intrusive.

Bringing everything I work on to a higher level.

Seeing I've played my position on the team (shoot) to the best of my ability and have had fun doing it.

Learning for forgive -- especially myself .

I got in this by the back door -- through looking to better express emotions like vulnerability. Finding out I had talent was a major surprise. I learn something new every day which is a hoot!

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to Prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Heb.11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

1 Cor. 2:9 - No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Isaiah 30:18 - The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Ecc 5:19 - Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy with his work---this is a gift of God.

Faith

Belief in myself

Belief in the Universe and Natural Law

Family

Friends

Recognizing the strengths of others and knowing I have the ability to surpass what has already been proven possible.

Recognizing the weaknesses in others and knowing i am nothing like them and will never be like them.

The joy and happiness that comes from setting and obtaining goals.

Being lucky and grateful of having the people who inspire me most in my life.

Realizing my potential and refusing to do it injustice.
 

 

What sustains YOU day in - day out?

SAVANT OR PROBLEM CHILD?

So much of a talent's time is focused on trying to book the job that we rarely consider the ramifications of work afterwards.  Nailing the audition or go-see is always a good start, but it doesn't end there.  The Virtual Channel Network's Inside Casting interviewed Mean Girls Casting Director Marci Liroff about her experience casting and what followed after the actors had been offered the roles.  Click the link below to watch more and hear her tell the story.

TABLE READ FOR MEAN GIRLS

Truth be told, we all have bad days.  We could even admit that we all suffer from a bad attitude from time to time.  But being outright bulligerant to a CD, Director, or Producer''s request will only end up hurting you in the end.  With or without Mr. Grumpy-Pants, the movie Mean Girls was a success.  The producers made money.  The director was praised.  And the actors went home from the screening feeling very good about their work . . . well, most of the actors, anyway.

Who do you think the unnamed drama queen was?

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).

 

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?

JUST GOAL FOR IT!

It takes the right kind of attitude, persistance, hard work and maybe even a little luck to pursue your goals. Sometimes they can be hard to find; sometimes they're just handed to you. The one thing to remember is that if you're motivated enough, you can and will achieve them! Below are some tips on how to create, commit and stick to your goals. 

Creating Goals

• Goals are a dream – be free to imagine
• Goals create excitement about ourselves and the future we can create
• Goals are specific, realistic and achievable
• Goals should be set slightly beyond your grasp so you personally stretch and grow

 Commit To Your Goals!

• Write down your goals for the next six days, six weeks and six years
• Write down why you want to achieve these goals
• Prioritize your goals – put your daily efforts in order
• Write down the hurdles you will encounter while working toward these goals. How will you handle the hurdles?
• Discuss your goals with your family and friends. This is optional but it always helps to have a support group or person to cheer you toward your goals.

 Stick to your Commitment!

• Visualize daily the completion of your goals
• Allow for flexibility and re-evaluation of your goals
• Prepare how to respond to disappointments and setbacks. It’s not what happens to us but how we handle it!
• Review your progress and alter your plans but not your goals! 

What goals did you set early in the year that have been achieved?  What are some of your current goals for the coming weeks or months?