The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

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.

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!

THE ROYAL FAMILY

"Nashville's" Connie Britton in her most recent series, Friday Night LIghts.

In the past few months, the television pilot "Nashville" has been under close watch, after casting and shooting it's initial series in the self-named Tennessee city.  The Hollywood Reporter released this description of the cast: "Nashville": This family soap is set in Nashville and chronicles an aging country music star (Connie Britton) battling against (and forced to collaborate with) an up-and-coming sensation (Hayden Panettiere). Eric Close has been cast as Britton's husband and Powers Boothe ("Deadwood," "Tombstone") is her disapproving father.

This powerhouse episodic has been picked up officially as ABC's first official 2012-2013 season addition.  The charm and mystery of the country music industry doesn't stop at our own back door, though.  Reba McEntire's new series, Malibu Country, has also been picked up by ABC for this season.  Malibu Country, which also did casting in Nashville, will call Hawaii home during production. 

Local talent who have been traveling for episodic and film work now have a small share of it in their own back yard.  And with all the buzz and romance of the country music industry lighting up the screen, there is bound to be more opportunities around the corner.  Now is the time to get those acting chops sharpened and to stay focused on your craft for when Nashville starts casting day players!

Will you be on Nashville?

"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!

AUDITIONING CAN BE MARKETING . . .

. . . If you know how to sell yourself.  Elementary grooming, focus, and preparation go a long way in making favorable long term impressions with decision makers.

1.)  Look good. Like this audition means something to you. Wrinkle-free clothes are a good start; a non-greasy face helps, too.

2.) Come in dressed evoking the part you're auditioning for. You don't have to be literal, but give the essence of the part.

3.) Your audition on camera is on camera until the CD says cut. Don't you stop the audition prematurely when you've come to the end of your copy, stay in character until the CD says cut.

4.) Make strong choices, there are no bad choices. If they aren't looking for your choices, they'll give you a re-direct. Also, don't try to mimic the previous person's audition.

5.) Know a strong slate.  Be prepared to not only for this project, but also with the ability to show who you are appropriately in the setting.  A strong slate is confident, interesting, simple, and effortless.

AUDITIONING CAN BE SIMPLE . . .

. . . If you don't try to make it difficult.  Sure, there's a small chance that someone else might through a curve ball, but generally speaking, it's rare.

 

 

"So you want this with a Dutch accent, the way Kramer would say it. OK...."
 
Occasionally, it's a good idea to communicate to actors certain things that go on in an audition that will help/prevent you getting the job. These observations change from time to time, some may be repetitive, but they all are worth taking to heart the next time you walk in....

1.) Bring a couple of headshots with you, even if not requested.  A casting director recently had a client show up unexpectedly with the director -- both wanted headshots from the auditioning talent.  An astounding 75% didn't bring in two headshots. Even more astounding were those who didn't bring in any headshot!  The client was not impressed. Telling the client, "Nobody told me to bring one" lands with a thud. [FYI, the person the client gave the nod to, had two headshots.]

2.) Have a great headshot that glows in the dark. You are being evaluated on many different angles. Don't start off from a position of weakness. That is difficult to recover from.  Professional actors have professional headshots.

3.) Have your résumé with you, attached to your headshot, trimmed. It doesn't look good in front of those who can hire you to be asking for a pair of scissors to trim, a stapler, or the classic, wanting someone else to download and print out a résumé. We saw firsthand an actor give an audition worthy of possibly booking, but didn't bring his résumé with him and the client had questions at the end of the day.  They chose to pass and go with an actor they felt they could trust.

4.) Do your research on the product or service. That helps let you come in more focused. "What's this all about?" to the client is an automatic pass.

5.) Similarly, asking the client who he is and what he does is not cool.

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. 

WHAT'S YOUR SPEED LIMIT?

We've broached several ways that actress Colleen Wainwright sees actors around here tripping themselves up, including being overly needy, not accepting responsibility for moving their career forward, and refusing to listening to the sage advice.  Sometimes you can find the excitement you're looking for in some other vehicle than you might expect, as Top Gear's host, Jeremy Clarkson, shows us.

 

In our society, we are quickly trained to expect what we want, when we want it.  Breaking that expectation is much easier said than done!  Even those who show extreme patience have a hard time not wanting their big break to happen right now. It's understandable, since everything a talent works for is so abstract and seemingly intangible.  There will always be something bigger to continue working for, which makes the journey seem endless.  The good news?  It is endless!  Allowing yourself to accept the fact that the journey itself is the continuum of pursuing your craft could relieve some pressure and anxiety.  Reminding yourself every day of that fact is a must in order to keep the focus and avoid the fear.  In Colleen's words . . .

4. Moving too fast.

The worst thing may be nothing ever happening for you, but the second worst thing is having the exact, right thing happen to you before you're ready.

It's good to keep stretching; it's dangerous to go too far, too fast. Practice patience. Take the time to ground yourself—in your work, in your process, in your tools, in your life. You want your breaks coinciding with readiness.

Every time a talent presses to move farther than their skill set and experience allows, long term damange is done.  As an agent, I've watched talent demand to audition for roles they were not suited for or able to deliver on.  Not being able to see that is frustrating from the talent's perspective.   Hearing a casting director say they no longer want to see a talent for any role is heart-breaking from the agent's perspective. 

Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that there is a time and place for everything.  Your determination and willingness will allow your craft to grow . . . and those great opportunities for which you pine will present themselves when the timing is right.  And only then, will you be ready to use them as a stepping stone to something bigger and more exciting.   Until then, continue to appreciate the opportunities you have and the time to build your skill set and knowledge.  Growing isn't always easy, but it will always find reward!

ARE YOU IN YOUR OWN WAY?

Everyone agrees that choosing to live and work in a completely subjective industry is at the least daunting (and most often entirely overwhelming).  Few people sympathize with talent moreso than actress Colleen Wainwright, has been hitting the payment for over three decades.  Colleen would tell you that over that time she has seen talent make the same five mistakes to the detriment of their careers. 

Desperation is an extreme state and we can all smell it from a mile away.  Talent can smell it on other talent, so of course we as industry professionals sense it coming, too.  There are few things listed as a bigger turn off than coming across as needy.  (Take dating for example.  The good guy rarely gets the girl not because he isn't as wonderful as the bad boy, but because the bad boy just does his thing, regardless of whether or not the girl ends up being "his".  When it comes to human nature, being chased is always better than chasing!)

Here, Colleen shares the #1 mistake all too common for the well-meaning talent . . . being needy.

It's no secret that many of us gravitate to this business because we're a little bit wonky inside. For whatever reason, we need more love, approval, and attention than the average civilian, and we think that waves of love from strangers will fill that big, black hole inside.

Well, relax, because I'm not going to try to talk you out of this one. Chances are good you already know it's nuts, and are in some state of working through it. What I'm talking about, need-wise, is the stuff that gets between you and getting the job.

Need is a gigantic turnoff when it comes to moving your career forward. Yes, you need/want the gig, no matter how poorly paying it is. But while that need might fuel you, it gets in the way in the room.

So do what you can to address it. Financially, it may mean a Stupid Day Job that pays well enough or reducing expenses. Physically, it means making sure your body is in good working order. Emotionally—well, that's kind of up to you and your particular mess. Be gentle as you work on this, but work on it.

 

The one thing that makes my heart sink when I hear a talent say it -- "I really want to get this one!"  In a decade of booking, I have yet to see a talent who really wanted a gig, get booked on it.  I'm sure one day it will happen, but the reason why a talented model or actor wouldn't book a job they really want is simple.  Those nerves that keep you focused and on par in the casting room go on overdrive and then you come across as desperate.  They can smell you coming!  Learning to approach each opportunity from a level perspective is not something learned overnight.  But the bottom line is that you should put the same amount of effort into auditioning for local director Joe Blow's music video as you do when going to read for Steven Spielberg or meet with Tommy Hilfiger.

After all, you may know their name, but they are still just people like you who have worries, fears, and challenges, and are just doing their best to make it through the day and do their job, right?

 

 

Are you getting in your own way?