The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

RAW SOLSTICE-ANNE HARTLEY

On June 21st, 2012 RAW Nashville put on an event at Mercy Lounge that showcased the work of independent local photographers, fashion designers, artists, singers and film makers. One of the local talent showcased was April Nicolaides, owner of Ferocity jewelry.  The Avenue's Anne Hartley walked in Ferocity's show and we asked her a little about her experience.

Was this your first time walking in a fashion show? How was it?                                               

    This was the 2nd fashion show I've done. It was great! I had a lot of fun and met a lot of really cool people there. 

What was your favorite part?

    My favorite part was walking! I love the rush it gives me! I also liked getting my hair and makeup done, because it's mostly a surprise--they don't show you what it looks like until you're done, and I didn't look anything like myself. It was awesome!

As a model, how does this compare to the other jobs you've had in the fashion industry?

    Runway is more exciting than other things I've done as a model, because unlike photoshoots, it goes by quick and it's less standing around and having your picture taken--which is great too! it's more nerve racking though, because there's tons of people watching and you have to be careful not to fall.

Is fashion a big part of your life? Are you always up to date on the current trends?

    Fashion is a HUGE part of my life. an entire wall in my room is covered top to bottom with fashion photography shots from Vogue and Teen Vogue magazines. I love reading fashion blogs and I'm always shopping!

How was working with the designer, April Nicolaides? Did you enjoy modeling her jewelry? 

    I really enjoyed working with April. she was really nice and I loved her jewelry--it was so edgy and unique!!

To keep up with everything Ferocity, follow April on twitter, or like her on Facebook! And keep an eye out for Anne Hartley on the runways! Cant wait to see what the future holds for these talented young ladies!

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry in your closet?

 

 

SEE YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS!

A lot of celebrity singers and actors get their start on the big stage in their little towns. I bet you’re wondering what that big stage is? Well, it’s the Theatre stage! These celebrities are examples of what can happen if you give theatre a shot: Nick Jonas, Jesse McCartney, Kristin Chenoweth, Al Pacino, Jennifer Aniston and Emma Stone just to name a few. Kristin Chenoweth, a southern gal from Oklahoma with Nashville roots, recently sat down with Nancy Rosati of Talkinbroadway.com (http://www.talkinbroadway.com/) for an interview.

 When asked “Did you want to act too or just sing at the time?”

 

Chenoweth responded: I thought that I wanted to be a recording person. I was really into ballet too. I went to college and got my undergraduate degree in Musical Theater and that's when I started doing plays. I did a drama in high school, but really it was in college where I gained so much experience and started getting hired to do summer stock. I was very lucky because I got roles. That's the best teaching tool that you can get - by doing it. That’s sort of what happened to me.

 

 

 You heard her-get out there and do it! Have you ever been in a play?

 

Check out a local show coming up:

Event: Totally 80’s, Totally Murder- A murder mystery dinner

Location: Chaffin’s Barn Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221

Time: 6:00 pm Dates: 5/4/2012-7/22/2012

Website: http://www.grimprov.com/Nashville-Dinner-Theater/

 

THE TIME HAS COME

A recent about the SAG-AFTRA “It's About Time” campaign to create fair working conditions and practices for talent. It is time to celebrate because a deal has been reached! According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is the first-ever industry-wide agreement covering dancers in music videos. Here are some key terms of the agreement:

• A minimum daily rate for dancers (the union did not indicate the rate)

• Reuse fees (the formula was not described)

• A 12.5-percent contribution to AFTRA health and retirement for all covered performers

• Guaranteed production conditions, including water, toilets, chairs and shelters

• Improved audition conditions, including notification to performers (or their representatives) of start times; individual audition times no longer than four hours; suitable shelter provided during auditions; and fees for scale and reuse.

• 12-hour rest periods between call times, including rehearsals, makeup and wardrobe

• Safety protections and additional compensation for hazardous performances

• Wardrobe allowance

• Union access to auditions, rehearsals and productions

• A binding grievance and arbitration process

• A joint labor-management committee to resolve issues as they arise and to assess employment patterns and other matters over the term of the contract Union members reached out and started a campaign that made their voices heard.

The union responded to negotiate these terms. Does the final agreement between production companies and SAG-AFTRA make union members happy?

 

ROCKING YOUR AUDITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch the "Rock of Ages" trailer below:

 

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

NEED AN INCENTIVE?

Tennesseans have worked hard these past few years to get the capitol’s attention in an effort to bring more film and television work to the state.  It continues to be a concerted effort, but every little pay off is worth the struggle.   Recently, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris has given us something to hope for.

Jan Austin, from the Association for the Future of Film & Television Tennessee says, “As the Legislature prepared for adjournment, Senator Mark Norris (Memphis) was able to secure $2 million per year RECURRING funds to go to the present film fund, Additionally, the fund will raise the percentage of rebate for qualifying projects from 17% to 25%. As a result of this appropriation, the HQTS incentive overseen by the Dept of Revenue was repealed. Any further changes in qualifying criteria will be made by the film commission and ECD.”

Take a moment to write Senator Norris a thank you note for supporting the film community and encourage more positive efforts from our state legislature!

IT'S ABOUT TIME

In September, 2011, SAG-AFTRA launched a campaign calling for a contract providing for safety, fair pay, and other benefits for professional performers.  They are unhappy with the response they have gotten, and feel that conditions are worse now than before they began the campaign.  Check out their latest video, called "The Time Is Now".

 

 

What do you think about the campaign?

THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIP

New York Casting Director, Scott Powers, shares his insider's view of the client's perspective after the audition.

An interesting and unavoidable pastime in this business is observing actors commit career suicide. 

Rushing headlong into the buzz saw, with not a clue or a care of what they're doing, not heeding warnings. Happens everyday. It's a given that an actor's plight is to always be looking for a job. In doing so, you never know who can help you get a job or influence a "we'll pass." The hiring process can involve a number of people; if one has a slight negative comment about a select, that often is enough to stop the consideration in its tracks. This we have witnessed more times than we want to. It can be made by a network executive vice president in charge of Primetime Programming or the summer intern. To see an actor lose a big role because of an offhand casual remark is a chilling experience.
 
Moral of the story: Don't make enemies. And its close cousin: be nice. Don't badmouth anyone. Tough to do in this business. Zip the lip. We all wear many hats in this business. The assistant being trashed today by an actor could be the agent two years from now who decides to take a pass on representing that actor. Or one day the actor walks in an audition room and there is the casting director the actor treated badly as an intern. Memories are long in this business. More people know you than you know them . It's very incestuous how agents, managers, casting directors, directors, producers, etc. all mix and mingle with each other. What's a common topic of conversation? You guessed it. The unfortunate part of our business is that once bridges are burned, it's permanent. Time does not heal all wounds here. There is no kiss-and-make-up as in other industries. Somebody wronged ten years ago still lies in wait, waiting for that opportunity to settle the score. If something bad is said about someone it is almost guaranteed that that person will hear about it, including the source. This can be why phone calls can start to fall off or a career never proceeds past doing background work for paid work. One photographer we work with a lot made an astute observation: "We don't have to eliminate actors, they eliminate themselves." Sometimes newcomers just have to find out for themselves and by that time, it's too late. Time for that Plan B.
 
Sherry Lansing, former head of 20th Century Fox and earlier in her career, a model and actor, famously said about the people who gave her shabby treatment on her way up to becoming one of the most powerful people in our business: "I remember them. And they remember me." Way to turn a phrase.
 
As casting directors, we have to work with clients, some are nice and some not so much. We are equally professional to all. They are the beginning of the food chain. Agents may have to work with clients, managers and casting directors they may not be in love with, but professionally are civil to all. This does not always extend to actors. To quote a big commercial agent, "We're very fortunate, we only work with the actors we want to." It doesn't take much to give someone a reason not to hire or represent an individual actor. And there are quite a few actors to go around in a buyer's market.
 
Stories abound about the casualties. Two new ones are especially poignant:
 
One actor recently mouthed off to an important film director. In front of several other people. The director never flinched and no one else did. The director just never hired that actor, and never will. Nor will anyone else who witnessed the display of self-importance. It came as no surprise that actor is never considered for anything substantial . The only paying work he gets is background work.   Principal work? Yes, in student films for free. But he can't progress beyond that. Has a glass ceiling and his resumé confirms it. He became his own worst enemy and his career paid the price for it.   Is he willing to change? No. He's convinced himself he's right and everybody else is wrong. Whatever the case is, he will not get the work he thinks he entitled to. Next!
 
One young actor was doing background work on a TV show that hires a lot of background. She made a snarky comment about an agent. An actor behind her heard it and it was about her agent, and she tweeted the agent word for word. The targeted agent made a casual call to the background casting director about the offending actor.   The offending actor was not invited back to the show the next day. Or ever. And calls from the background casting director dried up. In a twist of irony, two weeks later the offending actor attended a meet-and-greet and guess who was one of the agents? Yep. When it came time for the actor to meet the agent, she was reminded word for word what she said about that agent. Imagine the shock on the actor's face! By the end of the evening, all the other agents and casting directors at the meet-and-greet knew what happened. A very efficient career crash and burn. And the unfortunate actor probably never connected the dots as to what caused this calamity.
 
Actors who have managed to stay in this business for a number of years have learned a number of survival skills. A big one is the accumulation of connections and good will for the care and feeding of their career. And a big way of building that group is being nice to everybody. Never a negative word. They've been around long enough to know even Godzilla may come in handy some day. And for the nod for that big series regular role.
 
To end on a positive note, the industry wants you to succeed, to get the job, to make everybody glad they made the decision to hire you or represent you.  Everyone is plugging for you. Just give them a reason to do so.

KATIE GROSHONG WITH SEAN YOUNG

The Avenue Agency's Katie Groshong was cast in the new independent film Jug Face along side celebrity Sean Young.  Jug Face is currently being shot in Nashville, TN, and is directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle. 

Keep on eye on it in the months to come!



A DEBUT FEATURING TALENT EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE AVENUE!

Darryl Worley's newest single and video, "You Still Got It" debuted this week on CMT.com with the full cast rostered from The Avenue Model & Talent Agency!  Watch the video below for a feel-good song and check out Janaka Laine, Jeremy Jones, Jack Cook, and Betty Lentz as the faces that Darryl's team chose to put to his poetic tune!

 

Get More: You Still Got It, Darryl Worley, Darryl Worley Videos

 

ONE UNION

“With this historic vote, members of both unions have affirmed one of the most basic principles of unionism: Together we are stronger,” Howard, one of the now co-presidents of SAG-AFTRA said. “This merger, the result of months – really years – of planning, brings together the best elements of both unions and positions us well to thrive in the changing 21st-century media landscape.”

Both unions voted separately and in favor of the merger by over 80% each.  (A majority of 60% was needed to merge SAG and AFTRA.)  In the past, AFTRA showed high interest in uniting, while SAG members fell short of the needed majority each time.

The results of the merger vote were live streamed at sagaftra.org, a campaign website that presumably will become the online home of the new union. More than 6,000 viewers watched the announcement online.

SAG-AFTRA now represents actors, announcers, broadcasters, journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voice-over artists and other media professionals whose work can be seen and heard in theaters, on TV and radio, sound recordings, the Internet, games, mobile devices and home video.

Curious about dues?  That has already been broken down for you.  Read WILL SAG-AFTRA DUES GO UP OR DOWN to find more detailed information.

Although a lawsuit is still in the court system threatening to fight the merger in years to come, SAG-AFTRA is moving forward starting Monday morning.