The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

2012 HOLIDAY PARTY!

This year's holiday party was a blast.  We celebrated a roster of talent who had amazing years, break-through moments, and of course, of MVP money makers!

A special thanks to the generous professionals who donated their services for prizes this year, including:

1. Michael Gomez Photography, who donated a free 2 look headshot shoot and a 3 look full modeling portfolio shoot. (Check out WestLight Studios on Facebook.)
2. Alan Dysert, who gave a free commercial workshop class. (To work with Alan, visit The Actor's School.)
3. Caroline Locorriere, who opened a spot on her wait list for her scene study workshop at the Actor's Studio in Nashville. (to work with Caroline, visit www.nashvilleactingstudio.com)
4. Holly Allen, [Casting Director, Actor, and Coach] who donated a free 30 minute skype coaching for audition prep.
5. Steve Flanigan, who opened a spot in his 12 week acting workshop class.
6. Deanna Porterfield of Balance Massage gave two free 60 minute massages to relax those nervous & tense muscles. (To relax with Deanna, contact Balance Massage on facebook.)
7. Jennifer McCoy BS ACSM, personal trainer at One Body One Life, who agreed to work with two talent for free 30 minute training sessions. (To work with Jennifer, email her at jennifer@body1life.com.)

The Avenue Agency's talent who stood out this year include Alice Raver, Holly Allen, Stephanie Gamonet, Emily Landham, Diana Moseley, Jared Carter, Steve Caviness, Rusty Whitener, David Ditmore.  Each one of these talent stood out as a high money earner, had a break through that brought them to the next level in their career, or booked a major project, so keep an eye out for them on your favorite tv shows and moves yet to be released!

Check back for updates on who the lucky winners of our holiday party prizes will be!

Thank you to each talent, producer, director, freelance staff member and industry professional who graced us with their presence this past weekend.  We look forward to another great year in 2013 with each of you!

The Avenue Agency's David Ditmore and Stephanie Gamonet.

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THE GATE KEEPER

Before you storm the castle with swords ablazing, do know who guards the gate?  He or she is more than you might give them worth!  Who is the gate keeper, you ask?  He or she is the person you go through in order to get in contact with the actual person you are seeking.  This might be a coach, a casting director, an agent, a director, or someone at an ad agency.   That person answering the phone, responding to emails, or setting appointments can be your best friend or worst enemy.  Usually, that choice is up to you!

We encounter gate keepers in our every day life, which is a great forum for practice.  If you trip up and lose your temper, it's better done with a postal worker than with someone that might hold the power to help move your career forward.  Keep in mind that whomever you are first exposed to when seeking someone's attention, they are not just a receptionist or assistant.  Anyone who has ever had an assistant or similar help can tell you how important that person becomes to the employers' daily success.  In sales, one of the first things we are taught is how to communicate with our friend, the gate keeper.

An industry professional shared this story with me recently:  My assistant was out on leave temporarily, so I was answering her emails.  One of them was from [names will be spared, so we'll call him/her Tracy].  The email was very hateful and demanding about why they hadn't been able to set an appointment with me.  The emailer accused my assistant of being incompetent. 

Of course, this simple action put Tracy immediately in bad graces with his/her hopeful new relationship.  If and when they ever meet, every action afterward will be tainted with the reminder that Tracy lacked tact and professionalism.  If they never get to meet, it will only be Tracy's own fault.  Sadly, Tracy probably won't ever know why.

We all tend to be on our best behavior with those people with whom we want to maintain a positive relationship and show our best face.  Sadly, we don't always share that same respect with their staff and helpers.  Change your perspective to approaching those who can help your career -- right along with their entire staff and circle of acquaintances -- with the utmost respect.  A friendly gate keeper on your side can ease the transition to getting what you really want in the end!

GOOD ACTORS. BAD CHOICES.

One of my personal favorite bloggers is Back Stage's Secret Agent Man.  In the following post on his blog, Secret Agent Man poetically clarifies why good actors do bad things . . . and how it ends up sabataging all their best efforts and intentions.

I met Lucifer in a bar the other night, and he confessed that he likes to put bad ideas in the heads of smart actors. Curious, I asked why he did this. The author of all sin smiled. “Creative people annoy me. Just look at the so-called great works of art that claim to capture my image. You would be upset too.”

Lucifer had a point. The man in front of me wasn’t a horned monster with a red tail. He actually looked a little like Jeremy Irons.

We ordered another round. My new friend went on to explain that actors are especially open to suggestion because they’re such desperate beings. “Convincing them to get in their own way requires little more than a whisper in their ears.”

I was stunned. Actors are always cutting their own throats for no apparent reason. Could the devil himself be the root of all that self-destructive behavior?

Just last week, a client shocked me by ruining an opportunity I created at her request. Clara, an established actor in her 40s, had been begging me to get her in the room for one of her favorite TV shows. So when the right part crossed my desk, I convinced the casting director to give her a shot.

The show’s office was on the Universal lot, up in the Valley. Since it was hard to find, casting sent me a detailed map with parking directions. I told Clara to leave early, just to be safe.

After the audition, she was in a state of shock. Everything went wrong, and it was all her fault.

Here’s what happened. Clara barely glanced at the map before leaving her home. She just assumed it would all make sense when she got there. Well, it didn’t. Clara couldn’t find the right parking structure so she left her car in the wrong place, a spot which was half a mile away from the casting office. And this was on a summer afternoon when it gets past 100 degrees in the Valley.

So she arrived at the audition 20 minutes late, covered in sweat. There was no time to waste because the director had to leave, so casting rushed her into the office. Naturally, the audition didn’t go well, and now it’s going to be a hundred times harder for me to get her back in the room.

When I asked Clara why she had behaved in such an unprofessional manner, she wasn’t able to give me an honest answer.

I finished my drink and turned to Lucifer.

“Was that you?”

He grinned.

My mind started to race. I remembered the time I had to drop a young client because he was badmouthing me in public. The idiot had been at a workshop, waiting for his scene partner, when he decided to talk some trash. A passing casting assistant heard him and called me in the morning.

Then there was the time an actor followed me into a restaurant, interrupted my dinner, and begged me for a meeting.

And what about those clients who passed on auditions because they didn’t think they were right for the parts? Why wouldn’t they allow the casting director to make that decision? 

Or worst of all, how about all the actors who write in to Backstage, begging for a meeting with Secret Agent Man when they don’t even know who I am or where I work?

Lucifer stood up. It was time to move on. He explained that Hollywood was keeping him busy.

I had to ask.

“Will I see you again?”

“Perhaps.”

As the Prince of Darkness strolled off into the night, I made a mental note to pick up some holy water and a few crosses on my way home.

To see more of Secret Agent Man's blog posts, visit his site. 

Are you listening to the angel or the demon sitting on your shoulders?  Choose wisely!

PATRICK HIGG'S NEW SHOW ON CMT!

The Avenue Agency's Patrick Higgs, an Evansville man, and his family are the focus of a new CMT Channel series "Redneck Rehab," which premieres Saturday.

Patrick Higgs is an aspiring actor who grew up in Newburgh but has spent the past 10 years in Evansville. Higgs has long sought the drama limelight,from the days when he dressed in drag for showings of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show,"first in the 1980s at Ross Theatre and eventually at Mesker Amphitheatre. In the process, according to the show description, he alienated his family.

For the past six months, however, Higgs has refocused on his acting career.

Courtesy CMTPress.com On board to join his family for a camping trip, Patrick must adjust to his new surroundings of dirt, guns and beer. While he may complain along the way, thereís no denying the redneck in his blood as his family welcomes him back with muddy arms and reminds him that thereís no shame in this rowdy lifestyle.

 

Contributed photo / Erin Ivie Patrick Higgs has a redneck intervention on the new CMT series.

 

 

Higgs says his ultimate goal is to make it big in the world of acting and lead the luxurious lifestyle while remaining true to himself.

"My agent is trying to focus on films, TV series and just trying to take it to that next level for me," Higgs said. "I haven't really worked (in the business) for the last 20 years, so I'm still a fresh face."

The road to that has him scouring casting calls for opportunities. It was on one of his regular visits with his Nashville agent at The Avenue Agency that he learned about the CMT show.

To read more about Patrick, CMT's Redneck Rehab, and Patrick's family, visit the full article in the Evansville Courier & Press.

Higgs will be with his family to watch the episode, which will air at 9 p.m. CDT Saturday on CMT.

"I'm very proud of it," Higgs said. "We're just one big, strange, happy family."

Check out Patrick tomorrow night and let him know what you think of the premiere!

INDIAN VS. THE CHIEF

No, we're not talking baseball here.  We are talking the leaders vs. the followers.  The most important note to make is that as a talent, you must learn how to be both.  The next step after that is learning how to know when to lead and when to follow.

Casting Director Scott Powers shares his advice on the subject of how to follow and when to lead. 

The hallmark of a good actor is "takes direction well." Makes adjustments. As performers, we are many times on the receiving end: being told what to do by a director, photographer, agent, casting director, your teacher. Mom might even figure in there somewhere.
 
What can happen is that the actor insidiously falls into a trap: the permanent mode of always expecting to be told what to do. And can't move until. This is where obviously an actor runs into trouble. And can't quite understand why things aren't clicking, especially after being so obedient. Remember: only you can advance your career. So much has been written about the necessity of being pro-active [get-off-your-butt] that we won't re-hash that one more time. But what is most important is: knowing how and when to shift out of the Follow mode and into the Lead mode.
 
A good rule of thumb: in the in-between times of their not telling you to do something, you should automatically be telling yourself to do something.
 
Taking this concept one step further: know when to think and when not to think.   Many actors have been in acting classes where the instructor says, "Don't think," "Get out of Your Head," "Don't Intellectualize," "Be in the Now." They are correct when trying to get a truthful performance out of an actor. Here's what's forgotten: when you're finished acting, turn your thinking switch back on and then continue to be able to take care of yourself. Some actors, in learning the craft of acting, have little by little unlearned how to think, dumbed themselves down and have insidiously become helpless, hopeless individuals requiring the care and supervision of friends, family and the kindness of strangers. Do not do this to yourself.
 
Knowing when to shift gears is a big key to success and longevity. If you're looking for an industry that runs on yin/yang, right brain/left brain, lead/follow, think/don't think, passive/aggressive, and an undercurrent of S/M thrown in for good measure; congratulations, YOU'VE FOUND THE RIGHT BUSINESS!

When should you take the lead?  And when should you take direction?

LABOR DAY

Happy Labor Day!  What are you doing in front of a screen?  You should be celebrating all the hard work you've put into your career by kicking back, relaxing, watching a football game, or lounging by the lake (or ocean for those lucky few)! 

While Labor Day might be a relaxing break for most of us, Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and Tobey MaGuire are hard at work on a new movie called . . . that's right, LABOR DAY!  It may conjure up thoughts of fun, laughter, and good times with friends for most of us, but the movie has us in for a surprise.  Set to release in 2013, the drama tells the story of a depressed single mother who offers to help someone else.  Sadly, the person in need is not who she assumed and things turn unfortunate for Kate. 

Keep an eye out for Labor Day to hit theatres . . . and make your Labor Day holiday more of a safe comedy!

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?

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.

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?