The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

CAN YOU HEAR IT?

 

Our acting friend, Colleen, will tell you that the third common way that talent mistakenly get in their own way is by not being able to listen.  Most talent can hear, but being able to take what we hear and then actively listen is a different matter.  She refers to this as "Special Snowflake Syndrome," and it comes down to being able to acknowledge an idea, think critically about it, and then take action on the idea (or parts of the idea) that will help you move forward in your career.  In her words . . .

I am about as stubborn as they come. And there's a place for all kinds of stubbornness, from grim determinism to relentless optimism—it takes grit and a certain willingness to overlook the overwhelming odds against success in this crazy business of show.

But failing to observe protocol or established rules of etiquette is dumb. At best, it makes you look foolish; at worst, it angers people. People have lo-o-ong memories when they've been angered.

Sometimes, doing the wrong thing happens out of ignorance (which is another good reason not to move too fast). If you know you're doing the wrong thing and decide to do it anyway—which is totally your prerogative—don't be surprised if you end up paying a price.

No one who supports your career wants you to "pay any price;" least of all yourself!  We all go to great lengths as humans to avoid pain or negative repercussions.  Your career is no different. 

Made a mistake due to being naive?  Address the issue directly with the person who was harmed or affected by your malevolence and ask directly how you can make it right.  Then be willing to go the extra mile to repair the damage and acknowledge that it isn't going to be a quick fix.  Feelings take time and continued effort to be repaired when a relationship has been hurt.  Be willing to take action for as long as it takes to show your changed ways.

If harm was done by choice, it may be a different scenario and the harmed individual or company may be less receptive to your well intended efforts.  In this case, the best you can do is commit to make it right should the opportunity arise and change your ways before enemies become common.  There are talent whose name is mentioned along with an eye roll or deep sigh merely because everyone in the industry around them knows what kind of person they are to work with.  Will they not get work?  Not necessarily.  They may still be hired, but only as a last resort and no one will go out of their way to make their day on set any more positive than they absolutely must, which continues the bad wrap. 

Advice isn't always warranted.  It isn't always easy to hear.  And it doesn't always give us confidence and motivation.  What advice DOES, however, is give you room to grow and build a career.  Heed it only from industry professionals and don't miss the opportunity to take action and show commitment to your professionalism and craft!

SAG AFTRA MERGER -- GOOD OR BAD?

You don't have to speak with the agency national directors of both SAG and AFTRA to understand how the impending merger between the two unions grows more intense with each passing day.  The ballots are scheduled to be counted on March 16, 2012.  The last time this effort was made by both unions in 2003, AFTRA members overwhelmingly chose to merge the unions.  However, SAG members fell only a few hundred votes short of pushing the merger through, which stopped the merger in it's tracks.

Are you a SAG or AFTRA member?  Have you submitted your ballot?  Zino Macaluso stressed to me this morning that although there is a lot of positive talk around the benefits of having only one union, there is enough opposition that the chances of this merger not passing needs to be considered. 

Union members who receive a ballot from their respective union NEED to return their ballot so that their voices can be heard!  Research from the failed merger in 2003 show that members who did not return their ballot within FOUR days never registered a vote.  Their opinions were not heard, and more importantly, their silence may have caused the ability of the union to negotiate strong rates for the talent since 2003 to suffer.

If you have questions about what one union will look like . . . questions about the benefits and strength in having only one union . . . or fears that it might change your dues or healthcare, log onto www.sagaftra.org.  It is the ONLY site that is regularly updated with accurate information on what one union will look like if it is passed by the members.  Get answers and make your voice heard!

What are your thoughts about the merger?   Are you for it . . . against it?  Why?

LIVING A LIFE OF UNCERTAINTY

In the days before the Academy Awards, Hollywood began to vibrate with excitement. People scurried like busy bees getting ready for what has always been referred to in this city as, ‘The Big Night.’ It’s not just a palpable time for those nominated or invited to the events and parties, but also for actors who are aspiring or retiring from the business. They plant themselves on a comfy couch in front of the TV and wait for the glamour to unfold. So many rewards come attached to the award, leaving us wondering: Who will be this year’s lucky honorees?

The delightful ingredient that makes the Academy Awards so thrilling, besides seeing the million dollar mini treasures dangling from Angelina’s earlobes on the red carpet—is the uncertainty of who will receive the Award and who won’t. We are thrill seekers by nature, and the mystery of the Academy Awards doesn’t disappoint, keeping us on the edge of our seats from the time the show starts till the end credits roll.

A good drama always contains some suspense. It’s not surprising that the longest running play in theatrical history is a mystery, Agatha Christie’s, ‘The Mouse Trap,’ which ran for 60 years. So, how can it be that the very element we are tickled by when watching theater or the Academy Awards is unbearable to tolerate when it happens to us on a personal level?

Uncertainty is an enormous part of an actor’s world. There are the auditions, callbacks, putting your heart and soul into a role not knowing whether the reviews will be harsh or kind, and trying to be in the right place at the right time so you can be seen by the right people. Uncertainty is an inherent part of being an actor, so rather than waiting for it to go away, you can learn to take control and navigate through the discomfort of it.

How can you take control of your life and better handle the fear of the unknown?

WILL SAG-AFTRA DUES GO UP OR DOWN?

The unions SAG and AFTRA have been in discussions to merge for what seems like forever.  As they actually approach a final resolution to generate more union power for talent, what will change?  Combining two powerful and independent entities is no easy task, but The Hollywood Reporter is finally projecting answers for current union members and those looking to join the union in the near future.

There's been a lot of discussion about how dues will change if SAG and AFTRA  merge, but no one's made it easy for you to know exactly what will happen to your own. For a detailed breakdown -- and a graph that encompasses earnings from $0 to $250K, see The Hollywood Reporter. Whether you're SAG-only or a dual cardholder (or if you're AFTRA-only or even a broadcaster), the graph will show you exactly what will happen to your dues if merger passes.

If the link above does not work, you can see the report here:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sag-aftra-merger-dues-decrease-296663

MOVIE PREMIERE



 

The Avenue Model & Talent Agency's very own David Ditmore, Jacqueline Steele, and Holly Allen walked the red carpet earlier this week at the world premiere of the movie Deadline, starring Eric Roberts and Steve Talley.  After the movie, VIP guests had the opportunity to speak directly with the actors, producers, and director, Curt Hahn.  Portraying the events based on the true story from the American South in the 1970s (and the novel Grievances), tennessee actors have launched Deadline's release tour on the big screen.

Watch for Deadline coming soon to a city near you!

 

 

ARE YOU HEADED FOR A BRILLIANT NEW YEAR?

by Bonnie Katz, MFT Manifesting a Brilliant New Year Each New Year brings an opportunity to make a fresh start and begin again. Actors get busy setting goals, tackling bad habits and figuring out new and improved ways to succeed. Procrastinators are nudged to get fresh headshots, find a new agent, and enroll in a great acting class that will push them out of their comfort zone and into success. It’s also the perfect time to reevaluate strategies and see if your dream is still intact, especially if circumstances may have shifted over the past year. Unforeseen experiences could have swayed you off course a bit and instead of signing up for that great improv class, you paid off your credit card bills. Maybe you feel disappointed that you aren’t where you thought you’d be when you set out on this journey. Obstacles thrown on your path are a normal part of life, they force you to continuously recalculate your route just like a GPS gets you to your destination when you’ve made a wrong turn. When the road is filled with wrong turns, ups and downs and setbacks, remember that all worthwhile destinations come with a cost. View the difficulties as labor pains; a necessary part of the creative process. Your passion and love for your craft can act as your guide no matter where you end up. Is your heart and mind with you as you set out on your career path towards joy and happiness? That was the attitude Glenn Close had when she set out to make the film, “Albert Nobbs.” In Deborah Vankin’s L.A. Times article, about Close’s Obie award winning passion project, Vankin stated: “She co-produced it and co-wrote the screenplay, penned the lyrics of the movie’s theme song (Nominated for a Golden Globe), invested “quite a bit” of her own money in the movie and after tapping every possible financial resource in Hollywood, she took to out-of-the-box fundraising and traveled to Dallas in 2010 and after an evening of Close singing the tunes from Sunset Boulevard and South Pacific, received a million dollars from an investor.“ This woman’s got moxie!! “Even after the money was in place and Rodrigo Garcia was hired to direct, the 34 -day Dublin shoot was riddled with problems. Chief among them: a vicious winter storm that had the actors clutching hot water bottles between takes and which resulted in Close’s getting pneumonia during filming.” ‘It was nerve-racking to the bitter end,’ “Garcia said,” ‘There were many times where we thought, ‘This movie is not gonna get made.’ But I’d jumped on a bandwagon that was already fiercely committed – Glenn’s bandwagon.’ “Garcia said,” ‘ that her focused fervor was contagious and helped the production land actors like Pauline Collins and Jonathan Rhys Meyers for smaller roles. So many people wanted to do it, at any cost, just because it was Glenn’s passionate dream.’” In this case, not only did Close’s passion and devotion help her over the hurdles thrown on her path, but they attracted formidable artists who desired to be a part of her vision. Close’s dedication to “‘Albert Nobbs,’” became the wind beneath her wings, enabling her to weather each storm and create an honorable and touching work of art. Without her relentless determination this project would have never happened. Twyla Tharp’s balanced view of discipline and passion is eloquently stated when she says that: ”Without passion, all the skill in the world won’t lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life.” The fuel necessary to sustain your dreams is devotion, discipline, courage, creativity and strength. Along with developing a strategy of success for the New Year, don’t forget to nurture these elements also. They are needed to help you stay focused, especially when the going gets tough. They are just as important to your success as a great agent and talented acting teacher. Here are some thoughts on how to make this happen.

BEING ON SET PAYS OFF!

"Mom, I'm the one in the T-shirt!"
 
 
Almost every actor has experienced being on a set with lots of downtime waiting . . . waiting. What happens too often? Lots of moaning, groaning, gossiping, spreading negativity, and staring out into space.
 
Look, you can't go running around town, or be in a workshop or otherwise do the myriad errands we always have to do. So what's the best solution? Turn lemons into lemonade, as the saying goes. Turn this "paid confinement" shoot to your advantage. So by the end of the day, you'll have a great sense of accomplishment, while given the opportunity (hopefully) to do some fun work and earn (somewhat of) a salary, too. Can't beat that!
 
(1) Bring your laptop - if you can keep it in a safe place when you're on set and if WiFi is available. Work on your career. Check out the casting notices, look at Actor's Access and your other online profiles. Visit some totally trashy website (set a time limit on this one!)  Work on that long-overdue new monologue. See #2 below.

(2) Need to get a new or additional monologue? Now's the perfect time to work on it. It's recommended that actors have four monologues always at the ready for auditions. Two comedic (one classical) and two dramatic (one classical). This is also a good opportunity to time their length. If you need a one-minute monologue, make sure you have one that is! Nothing destroys an audition quicker than being called "TIME" during an actor's monologue and seeing the embarrassed offender slink off.

(3) Read the trades. The trades should also include Variety, The Hollywood Reporter - to set your acting aspirations higher (the "go to" people read them, the stars read them, shouldn't you?) and even Advertising Age - to get a feel for upcoming trends in commercials and print ads.  Know who's doing the hiring and getting the jobs.

(4) Always had a hard time finding time to send out your headshots (with those pesky cover notes) or picture postcards? Not now! What better time to get that chore done.

(5) Watch the shoot! The big name actors and models you recognize know every detail about how a shoot is done. Now it's your turn. Think of it as paid education. And they put this who production on just so you can see how things work!  And, be politely in front, if possible. Let the decision makers see you showing interest. When the time comes to think of who would be a good stand-in, photo double or upgrade, that face time of yours will come in pretty handy.

(6) Quality of Thought. Use this time to focus -- a clear channel of white light -- on your career and strategize on its future and how you're going to get there. Really have that inner dialogue with yourself - which is especially difficult for actors because they work mostly in the land of make believe. But, we all have to do it once in a while and this is as good a time as it gets.
 
With these options, you'll be amazed how fast the day goes, how much you have accomplished and even made a few bucks in the process. Now that's working smart!

What do you spend doing during your down time on set?

WHAT DOES 'ON TIME' MEAN ANYWAY?

Production only sees two types of talent.  One talent type is always early . . . while the other talent type is always late.  Surprisingly, both quandaries cause issues for production.

Obviously, we all know that being late ruffles feathers in the casting room and on set, but what qualifies "late" exactly?  If your call time is 10:20 and you arrive at 10:19, you're late.  It may sound harsh, but call times are the hard and fast dial on the clock when you are expected to be entering the casting room.  What will cause you to be late walking in the door at 10:19 is administrative - paperwork, snapshots, signing in, etc. 

The stuff that most talent enjoy the least, right?  But consider if you don't take time to sign in, fill out your paperwork, and submit your headshots/snapshots, what might happen a few hours later.  Without that administrative step, the director(s) and producer(s) and/or ad agent(s) aren't able to communicate about who they want to book -- it might have been you!  But you would never know because you wouldn't get the job.  I make a ridiculous point because you know you have to help everyone stay organized, but don't make the mistake of undervaluing it's purpose.

What some talent don't realize, is that showing up early is a big problem as well!  A call time is set for a reason -- to keep the day flowing smoothly and everyone on task.  Executing a flawless casting or production is nearly impossible!  When a talent shows up to a casting or a set 30-45 minutes early, some of the same challenging problems arise.  They create a distraction for those talent who are trying to stay focused.  They take up space that is too limited in everyone's world, cramping those who are trying to stay focused.  They blow their agents phones up because no one is there yet or they interrupt something important because no one is expecting the extra body, noise, presence, distraction.

On time is tricky, but not impossible.  A wise talent knows that arriving early is never a problem.  Where they convince everyone else they are a professional is by not entering the call space until 10 minutes before their call time.  They sit in their car and read a book, play a game on their iphone, listen to music, and use the time to focus on their character.  They don't make their presence known until it's time to do administrative tasks that will prepare them to do their job as a professional.

So the blog begs to ask the question -- are you a professional?

THE NEW YEAR

 

As we enter 2012, most people are excited about the opportunity of a fresh start.  The new year is a great time to recap the past and set your sights on the future, but tackling such immense and abstract ideas can be challenging to the creative mind.  How are you going to make the most of 2012?

At The Avenue Model & Talent Agency, this time of year is one of my favorites!  We reach out to our talent and get one-on-one time with every face on the roster to help them recap the year and prepare for the future.  The talent who make the most of their time reviewing the prior year and setting goals for the new year consistently show the highest earnings in the next 12 months of work.  As an agent whose income is directly proportional to my partners, I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to pad both of our pockets!

Your review and goal setting can be just as effective on your own!  You can make it as elaborate or simple as you feel comfortable doing -- and the bottom line is that you will reap the benefits of having done so!  Here are the basics of what we find most effective during this season of out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new.

First, take time to really measure the prior year.  (If you do this in the middle of the year, set a clear start and stop time line for consistency.)  I ask talent to clearly tell me what their highest moment and lowest moment were.  These triumphs and challenges are personal.  Sometimes they involve monetary gain; sometimes they are simply personal fulfillment.  However you judge them, they are YOUR high and YOUR low.  Write the down to make them tangible!  Then also make note of any other significant events in the given time-frame.  Did you get new headshots?  Did you have a break-through booking?  Again, make it tangible by putting it on paper for you to see!

Second, take time to really set specific and well-defined goals for the new year.  The hardest part of this step is making the goals specific and measurable.  Common knee-jerk responses are usually, "Make more money" and "Book more jobs."  Well, you can make those your goals if you so choose, but more streamlined -- and therefore, more effective -- goals would be specific steps you can take to get there.  Think about what the year is likely to hold . . . or maybe some time last year where you were unable to meet the demand.  Did you lose a casting opportunity because your English accent comes and goes?  Are you embracing your stereotype?  (Red heads better have good Irish and Scottish accents!!)  Is there a hobby specific to your region in which you don't excel?  In the midwest, riding horses might be important!  Adding to your skills, hobbies, and experience will always help you book more jobs which will in turn, make you more money.  Be specific with your goals so that when you look back at the end of 2012, you can honestly pat yourself on the back for completing the things you said you would.

New Years Resolutions rarely stick -- just don't bother!  Put your hand written list of no more than 3 goals (maybe four for those who are self-starters with high drive) on your bathroom mirror or inside your closet door.  Pick a place where you will see it daily to be reminded of your aspirations.  Then be inspired to accomplish them and dare to launch your career!

How are you going to make the most of 2012?

COUNT DOWN #5

#5 -- Poor or Mediocre Marketing Materials

Cutting corners on your marketing materials can sink a ship faster than almost anything else.  A professional photographer is worth hiring not because they have a cool camera, but because they have an eye to impress . . . they know lighting and angles . . . and because they have experience with what works and what doesn't!  Anyone can take a picture with a digital camera, but the question is whether or not someone is going to present that medicore image to their client. 

We all want to impress the people we could potentially work with.  As an agent, I won't submit a talent whose marketing materials make our agency look anything less than stellar and professional.  But thinking even farther into the process, what casting director would present a poor headshot to the director that pays their bills?  In the talent world and the business world, ladders are climbed the same.  If we impress those in a position to move our careers forward, we will likely get promoted [or book the job, in this case]. 

Talent who cut corners -- knowingly in the hopes that their skill set will compensate or just because they are naive -- commonly get pushed into the "we don't have time for you to waste our time" pile.  Professional materials tell casting directors, agents, and directors that this is a serious endeavor; that you have something worth experiencing; and that you want to make quality films, television series, editorials, advertisements, etc. 

If you were investing you bank account in another person's work, who would you choose to partner with?