The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

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 As a result of this appropriation, the HQTS incentive overseen by the Dept of Revenue was repealed.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!

THE COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO CLEAR SKIN

Beautiful skin matters in almost every aspect of entertainment.  Beauty may only be skin deep, but there are still things we can do to help our skin radiate a healthy glow.  Surgeries, medicinal prescriptions, and abrasive washes bombard us every day via marketing.  What about an oldie and goodie home remedy?  The cucumber!

Cucumbers are 96% water and almost 1% soluble fiber.  But the remaining 3% is where the cucumber packs it's punch!   This raw vegetable has enough water content to rehydrate the skin if thin slices are applied directly to problem areas, plus the right amount of sulfur to build healthy skin cells, nails, and hair.  And while doing all of that on the outside, the cucumber cleanses the blood stream, too.  Our skin is dictated first by the health of our blood according to research published in The Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Powers. 

In this video, skin care specialist Keeley Selvage teaches us how to make a homemade cucumber mask.  She's endearingly off-beat in her delivery, but dead-on in her science!
 

You may feel goofy for a second when trying it for the first time, but it won't take long to relax and give into the cool sensation they create on your skin.  And in this business of quick first impressions, clean skin can get you off to the best start possible!

"HI! I'M WORKING!"

Does everyone in the industry know you on a first name basis?  Perhaps not since there are so many professionals around the world.  But Barbara offers the talent some advice on how to get results and use your efforts effectively!

Barbara Kerford who works for The Actor’s Key says “I always thought I was doing what I needed to be doing, taking the occasional workshop, getting new headshots, doing the occasional mailing, but until my marketing became consistent I didn't have any results. It wasn't until I started doing monthly postcards-- that I started to really see results. Now I audition weekly. For a while it was just to people I knew, but now I am also auditioning with people I've never met. Marketing is a key part of this industry. I was talking to another actor and she was asking how I was going out on so many auditions. She complained that she had just booked two guest star roles and did not see an increase in her audition activity. I asked how she was telling people about it and she told me she was leaving it up to her manager--that is one way of doing it, but it is up to the individual actor to be out there hustling for themselves.

A postcard, no matter what it says, tells the industry that you are working. Find something to brag about or to congratulate a CD about. Take any business course and they will tell you lack of marketing is why so many businesses fail.”

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE APRICOT

The industry always talks about what it calls the "it" factor -- that special something that no one can teach, but is so evident in talent who reach celebrity status.  It's also commonly referred to as a "twinkle" in one's eye.  It draws us all in effortlessly and could be responsible for what sometimes seems like someone becoming famous almost overnight.

Maybe you can't be taught the "it" factor, but that twinkle in your eye be found in your diet?  Perhaps! 

Apricots are one of the most widly traveled foods the world has to offer.  The apricot tree originated in China; was transplanted from Greece to California; and ended up with US astronauts in space.   

Despite the good things apricots have to offer in the diet, including being low in sodium and high in potassium and iron, the most imporant nutrient in the apriocot is provitamin A.  And this is where the apricot might give you an edge over your competition!  Provitamin A maintains good vision . . . and is credited with "giving the sparkle and beauty to the eyes that are characteristic of good health," according to The Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power.

That sparkle isn't the only benefit to consuming this fruit, though.  Ripe or dried, apriocots also help those suffering from anemia, night blindness, and loss of visual acuity, plus disorders on the skin (e.g., eczema) and increase resistance to infections in the sinuses.  Dr. Valnet is responsible for studies that show that apricots maintain equilibrium within the nervous system to help with depression and nervousness credited to it's trace elements, too.

The sweet taste of apricots is readily available in the summer, but can also be found in jellies and dried forms during the winter.  Add apricots to your regular diet . . . and twinkle your way right into that next booking!

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?

THE PROMOTIONAL TYPE

Knowing where one fits in the industry is the first step to success.  Once a talent can embrace their physical characteristics and where they will be most readily accepted, a career can begin to prosper.

One of the most common and accepting types of work in the modeling world is home to the promotional model.  Promotional models are almost always attractive, but are not discriminated against due to height, dress size, or features.  Typically, promotional models are pleasing to the eye, have engaging personalities, and feel comfortable conversing with strangers.  

These models are most often found in convention centers as representatives of major corporations, but can also be at other live events, such as fairs, seasonal festivities, and even your local mall.  Mall fashion boards utilize attractive teenagers as freeze models in store windows and runway models for home-town shows.  Promotional models are also sought after for live product demonstrations, where the model may have extensive script to memorize or become the subject to showcase an infomercial product.  More high profile examples would include the Budweiser girls or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  Promotional models can be booked for a day, a few weeks, or even employed full time to travel for corporations like Ford or Honda.

Promotional modeling is a facet of entertainment where a girl (and in some cases, even guys) with above average looks and an open personality can stay busy.   Outside of those minimal requirements, promotional modeling has very few limitations and much opportunity.

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?

I NEED HELP ON SET! (In a “For Dummies” style series)

Once again, stripping the panic back in a scary situation and sticking to the universal truths set up to protect the talent are easier to identify when things are simplified, as the “For Dummies” series focuses on doing in so many other fields of work. 

Things don’t always go smoothly in the production world.  A talent doesn’t show up.  Some key individual ends up with the stomach flu.  Permits on a location can be pulled unexpectedly.  Last minute fires are a way of life in entertainment, which not only makes flexibility an asset in this industry, but can also put talent in a less than desirable situation on a moment’s notice.  When your bat signal needs to go up and nerves start to flutter, who you gonna call?  Your agent or manager!  (Sometimes we feel like the Ghost Busters, but we wouldn’t go so far as to give ourselves superhero status.)

Basically, any question that starts with, “When _______ happens to me as a talent, who should I contact” can be answered with the phrase “your agent or manager”.  When you are panicked about something unrelated to your work as a talent, we probably can’t help, granted.  Keeping your agent or manager in the loop when anything out of the expected happens is vital to your partnership and career.  If it isn’t an immediate emergency, a simple follow up email might suffice, but knowing all the little things can help you both walk the path of least resistance together.  And less resistance means more open doors, which of course translates into more opportunity!