The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

FINDING CENTER with Kristina Anapau

Finding Center (In Your Life and Acting Career)

By Kristina Anapau 

As I embarked on writing this article, I abandoned my plan to discuss goal-setting as it pertains to one’s acting career. Instead, I thought I should address what must take place first, in order to make one’s goals a reality. The concept of finding your ‘center’ is expounded upon around the globe, through an endless stream of New Age masters, ancient belief structures, yoga classes, self-help books, and so on. I am a proponent of engaging in any activity that brings you a modicum of peace and clarity, and it is important for you to seek out the avenue that best resonates with you.

But who (without trying to sound too esoteric) are ‘you’? That is really what you must contemplate before finding your ‘center’. Some call it the soul. I have a very easy time thinking of it in this way, but – living in a city (LA) with enough spiritual jargon to make your head spin - perhaps we should refer to it as the animating force that is beyond your physical body and mind. Creates a slightly more inclusive description. My boyfriend is an atheist neuroscientist, so this description was a necessary element in our relationship.

You may be wondering what all of this ‘finding center’ business actually has to do with your acting career. It has everything to do with it. Can one succeed in this business without having attained this? Certainly. Your chances of reaching all of your goals and continuing to constantly expand even after you have reached them are much higher if you do, however. Or at least attempt to. You will be able to accomplish what you desire with greater ease, have greater depth to offer on stage and screen, and have a sense of peace and certainty that will affect all you come in contact with. All of which helps you book the acting jobs you want.

In many ways, if you are immersing yourself fully in each character you audition for or portray, you must temporarily relinquish a portion of who you are in order to serve that character. Even if the character is very similar to you, I think most professional actors would agree that this process takes place on some level. This can be a dangerous game if you don’t have a solid center to come back to. In addition, as I previously mentioned, your acting will be even more multidimensional if you have a solid center to expand from.

With the time for New Year resolutions fast approaching, this is a great opportunity to explore that ‘you’ within the you that walks around the world. While I am in no way going to sell you on the teachers, practices and knowledge that I have incorporated into my life with wonderful results, feel free to contact me on the twitter page below if you have any questions or would like some guidance.

More on detailed goal-setting next time. In the meantime, contemplate what you really want to accomplish while you are here in this life. I think you all would agree, we are meant to be more than just amoebas checking things off a to-do list. It is due time to inject a bit of consciousness into our lives… and our careers.



Photo Credits: Half-face Kristina is Mike Ruiz. Kristina looking down is Paul Smith. Kristina smiling is Paul Gregory.

Born in Hawaii, Kristina Anapau spent her youth studying classical ballet, music and theatre. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, and that same year began her studies at The University of Hawaii.

Proving to be a true triple threat to Hollywood, Anapau has wowed audiences on the big and small screen. She plays “Galina” in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, in which she starred opposite Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, and Barbara Hershey. Kristina recently completed the starring role in the feature film, Sighting, directed by Tedi Sarafian and will be seen next on Alan Ball’s HBO series, True Blood.

[This blog has been reposted from The Network's Talent Community.]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

The Avenue wishes you and your family a very happy holiday season!  This year has given us much to celebrate.  We are looking forward to the agency party on Saturday and some down time with the most talented people in the southeast! This year brought a 21% increase in new clientele, more movie bookings than ever before, and one of the highest profit margins since 2001.  We want to celebrate some individuals who had exceptional years or grew by leaps and bounds in 2011, too!

This year we are celebrating JEREMY JONES who booked the lead role in the movie LUKEWARM with John Schneider.  He also made a cameo appearance in DECISION, which aired last month on GAC.  Watch for the release of LUKEWARM in 2012!

We are also celebrating JACQUELINE STEELE who booked a supporting role in the television series THE GAME.  Jacqueline has also worked on HOUSE OF PAYNE and the movie DEADLINE shot in 2011.

HOLLY ALLEN has stayed book practially year around in principal roles on camera and on stage.  Her 2011 credits add up to several movies including the Nashville-based production, DEADLINE, the lead in multiple commercials (BCBST), and major on stage theatre productions at the TN Rep (ALL MY SONS and PARALLEL LIVES).

The Avenue's cover models this year include KATIE HANCOCK, HALEY TRACY, MELODIE THOMAS, ROBERT MITCHELL, SIDNIE TIPTON SIMS, LEVI MILLER, STEVE FLANIGAN, KAREN KAGHA, PRESTON DOUGLAS, and ANNE SWANSON!!

 

Congrats to all the talent who made 2011 such a great year to partner in entertainment!  I'm looking forward to an astounding 2012 with you, too!

COUNT DOWN #9

"Honesty is the best policy."  It's an age old adage, but there must be a reason that it has stood the test of the time!

#9 - The Lie.

There are so many versions of this problem, I hardly know where to begin.  Yes, this is acting and as actors, you will play characters who are not truly YOU.  That is not an example of a lie.

In an industry ripe with untruths, we are inundated with inaccurate statistics, credits, and even sometimes representation.  Please do not list an agent who has not agreed to represent you.  It's one of the most puzzling choices we see talent make and inevitably, word will get back to the agent, who will clarify the misunderstanding.  It's only that talent who ends up looking sheepish! 

Lying about jobs booked with certain clients is also a good way to be caught red handed.  I once sent a talent to see someone I assumed they had already worked with, as listed on their resume.  After the talent left this photographer's studio, he called me to inquire about the job that he was listed as having shot.  The photographer had never shot the campaign listed on the talent's resume.  Maybe we can give him the benefit of the doubt and say that the photographer's name was a typo, but the point here is that the photographer now wants nothing to do with the talent or any set he is connected with -- a permanently burned bridge.

The most common lie on a resume is sometimes intended well and is found in the special skills section.  Actors and models both tend to inflate their abilities.  Even those who are modest can be caught off guard if they don't keep their skills section up-to-date!  If you once yodeled in Switzerlrand over a decade ago, putting "yodel" on your resume may be a stretch.  If you list a skill on your resume, be prepared to do it right now.  In my interview process, I frequently as talent to talk to me in the accents they have listed.  I am most impressed when someone flips from one accent to the next in mid sentence!  [I will definitely be sending them out!]  But I am most annoyed when the response I get is, "Oh, man.  I haven't done that in while.  Lemme see . . . I, um  . . . "  Usually what follows is quite the disappointment.

Be honest with your skills.  They are a great conversation starter and set you apart from your competition, but listing things inappropriately can do more damage than good.  Only use special skills, credits, and other information as you truly can follow through on should someone ask!

Take a look at your resume -- what might be something you should practice in order to keep listed?

CRYSTAL RENN TAKES ON VOGUE JAPAN

Japan remains on the cutting edge of fashion, expressing a darker side to beauty.  Models.com featured the dark beauty of supermodel Crystal Renn in Vogue Japan's latest spread shot by superstar photographer Giampaolo Sgura.  When it comes to content, Vogue Japan is always audacious: diva themed editorials are par for the course, but Crystal Renn never fails to add her own panache. With bright makeup by Jessica Nedza and a host of equally vibrant ensembles chosen by Anna Dello Russo , Crystal looks stunning in Giampaolo Sgura‘s lush images.

Breaking rules can lead to some really great ideas, not to mention a fun campaign!  Editorial shoots are known for their serious and dark portrayals of fashion models.  But take model Kristina Salinovic's fun new spread in Vogue Paris, for example.  The usual brooding demeanor she's known for was replaced with personality to boot and featured on models.com's Daily Feed!

Kristina Salinovic brings her dimples to the pages of Vogue Paris in an unusually upbeat story by David Sims. Cheerful girls smiling and jumping seems worlds away from what we expect to see in VP, but we can’t help but be won over by Kristina’s enthusiasm. Emmanuelle Alt‘s precision styling hones in on a series of coveted pieces, from Dolce & Gabbana omnipresent star prints to a chic Balmain jumpsuit.

THE FASHION MODEL

The fashion model is the most publicized type of model in mainstream society.  She is the awkwardly tall and unnaturally thin figure missing the usual female curves.  The point in this body style walking the runway is to keep the focus on the clothing being showcased – and what better way to do that than to find a human wire hanger?

Fashion models are not all Gisele look-a-likes, though.  A beauty model may have enticing features, be perfectly symmetrical, and have the statuesque figure.  Editorial models, on the other hand, are likely to have more unique or interesting features.  Both fashion models can be found gracing major ad campaigns or walking the runways.

Female fashion models generally start working in their mid to late teens and are already at 5’9” or taller.  The average working model has balanced measurements (34-24-34 for example).

The fashion industry, although the smallest percentage of modeling work, is the most publicized and advertised, making it the most coveted form of modeling for it’s prestige and exposure.

Quick!  Know the answer?  How much did Cindy Crawford get paid to be on the cover of Mexican Vogue recently?

THE CATALOG TYPE

Another type of model is used for catalog work.  These models can also be referred to as lifestyle models.  Models who are used in print media such as billboards, brochures, retail catalogs, and store décor, come in a variety of looks and sizes.

Catalog work is frequently done in both the major markets (NYC, LA, etc.) and secondary markets (Miami, Chicago, etc.).  The type of catalog will dictate the style of model most often used.  If you want to be a catalog model, pick up your favorite retailer’s catalog and study the types of models they use.  Stores like Macy’s tend toward the higher fashion body styles, while JC Penney offers a more well-rounded age and demographical range of models. 

Catalog models are selling styles and products to the general public, and therefore, can have quite diverse appeal.  Frequently, catalogs have a plus size division for the full figured woman.  The salt & pepper haired dignified man in his middle age is another hot look for catalog work.  Young men and women, children, babies, and even retirees all work as lifestyle or catalog models.

More important than the model’s age, however, is the proportions of their body.  Balanced measurements for women photograph well in the average designer’s clothes.  Catalog models must also have symmetrical facial features, nice teeth, and clear skin.  These are the attractive and believable models that we as consumers are more likely to relate to . . . and, in turn, purchase the clothes they’re wearing or product they are promoting.

Catalog models can make a nice living without ever becoming celebrities.  Look at the images from store to store and you just might notice some similar faces!

GROOMING

Monkey’s do it!  Humans should, too.  And although it should go without saying, apparently it needs to be said.  The basics of grooming are imperative to any talent’s success.

We’ve beat a dead horse discussing all the visual ways in which a talent is judged.  Although no one likes it during the casting process, the talent chosen for any booking is usually first narrowed down by physical appearance.  Our physical appearance is forefront in publicity, in portrayal of character, in marketing, and in everyday life.  Psychology studies have found that humans make judgments based on what they see within five seconds.  The scene will be set in that 5 seconds for the next 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days you will spend with that client.  Oddly, talent focus so much on other details that sometimes grooming habits take a back seat.

Before walking into a casting or onto a set, check your teeth.  The breakfast you ran out of the door eating may not highlight those pearly whites.  Brush your hair.  It’s not uncommon to see talent with tangled locks or frizzy ends.  Wash your hair.  Snapshots are likely to be taken and shared with decision makers later on.  Oily hair or skin is likely to be what they are looking for.  Paint your nails.  Women with chipped polish or unattractive feet who dare to wear strappy sandals anyway are not putting their best foot forward – literally.  Maintain your skin.  Dry and flakey skin is unattractive no matter where it is.  Using lotion and plucking unsightly hair growth is a must.  (That goes for the men, too!)  And please shave!  Cultures may differ, but entertainment maintains clear boundaries on body hair across cultures – it’s not acceptable.  You don’t have to like it, but you do have to do it if this is the business you are building.  Underarm hair, five o’clock shadows, gruff that hasn’t been cleaned up well, and even out-of-control eyebrows need to be manicured.

There.  I said it.  We are all guilty of letting something go when we get busy, but don’t let it be your grooming before an audition or shoot!

When have you seen a talent auditioning or on set who needed the grooming patrol to step in?

WARDROBE’S FINISHING TOUCHES

A simple outfit on a dramatic fashionista can feel rather bland and unenthusiastic.  Talent sometimes try to overcompensate for their simple wardrobe by accessorizing, which can be counter-intuitive.

Keeping accessories simple and minimal is also important to not distract from the product being pitched (that’s you, in case you’re confused).  Unless the occasion specifically calls for a necklace, keep the neckline free of clutter.  A bracelet and stud earrings give just enough bling to twinkle, but don’t divert the viewer’s mind away from the person. 

So the basics you can ask yourself after getting dressed, but while looking in the mirror that one last time before you walk out the door are:  (1)  Can my figure be seen easily?  (2)  Is my outfit simple and flattering?  (3)  Are my accessories distracting or disguising any of my best physical features?  (4)  Are my accessories what people will see and comment on?  If you answered yes to the first two questions and no to the second two, then you can (as I tell my talent before an audition) “go be wonderful!”  Any other answer combination of answers should send you back to the closet or jewelry box.

Dressing for camera is likely not the way you’d dress on a daily basis.  Many actors and models like to keep a wardrobe for work purposes and another for daily purposes.

What things do you think about when getting dressed for an audition or go-see?

 

SET THE STANDARD!

The recent blog post covering Alberta Ferretti’s spread shot by Steven Meisel garnered some strong responses and opinions on the subject of health and beauty.  It was great to hear so many people speak out, although privately, in support of healthy models and the mass media.  But it raises the question, “who is setting the standard?”

The industry standard for both models and actors is lead by the overwhelming physical judgment placed on artists and their work.  For models especially, the world of fashion has had some outspoken proponents in the effort of redefining how women view themselves and their body image.  It’s a serious concern and one well-worth exploring, but we’ll save that for another blog.  If we stick with the facts, we know that the industry standard for models is, for women, taller than 5’ 8” who have measurements near a size 0-2 and perfectly symmetrical features.  Contrast that fact with the average woman, who is a size 14 and stretches to reach 5’ 4” and we admit to circulating unrealistic body styles in our national media. 

So who decides that the size 2 is beautiful?  Before we take a stab at answering such a loaded question, let’s consider the chain reaction of the marketing world.  The #1 rated supermodel internationally right now is Lara Stone who is 5’10” and has a 35 in hip with a 24 in waist.  Does this suggest why Lara is rated the top female model today?

The bottom line is that advertising agencies want to sell product.  If a cover model spawns high sales, she will continue to be featured.  Who buys the magazines?  We do, as a population.   If we are the ones purchasing and therefore leading the advertising agencies to continue the trend that we are also attacking as being unhealthy, who can we say is setting the standard?

My personal beliefs on the industry standard are not expressed in this blog post, but I am acknowledging the outcry for healthy body images.  As a company, The Avenue is also partnering with The Network, whose focus is to change the world and industry by promoting models who can act as role models.  Setting a standard of healthy body styles and giving back to the community are two important aspects of beauty, too!  As a decision maker, you have a choice, too.  Will you choose to continue the trend or will you choose to be an agent for change?