The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

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. 

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?

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?

YOUR 10 REASONS WHY?

A Casting Director out of one of the biggest cities in the world commented that the most draining part of their day was pitching who they thought was the best talent for the job to the client on the other end of the phone line.  In rapid fire successession, the ad agent demanded 10 reasons why they should choose "Jessica", the talent in question, for the job.  As the CD blurted out 9 out of the ten answers, the client made it evident that (s)he was moving on to another subject and ask he finished his tenth reason, the client blurted, "Next!"  They moved on to another talent in question for the same role.  The CDs final sentiment was, "It's exhausting, but better that they are raking me over the coals than the talent themselves."

That thought led me to consider if my talent were equipping the CDs with the top ten reasons the CD should go to bat for our partnership.  If the talent cannot make the top 10 reasons why they should be hired evident for the CD, is it reasonable to expect to be on the short list at the end of the day?  Probably not.

You likely agree that showing the CD how amazing you are is invaluable, but the first step to doing so is to know what your top 10 reasons to be hired really are.  So tell me quickly, what are the top ten reasons you should be hired on any set?  Go ahead and write them down.

1._______________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________________________________

5._______________________________________________________________________________

6._______________________________________________________________________________

7._______________________________________________________________________________

8._______________________________________________________________________________

9._______________________________________________________________________________

10.______________________________________________________________________________

If you have blanks, it's time to start creating some skills that people can't live without!  And if you filled all ten spaces easily, post them on your fridge and commit them to memory.   Then be sure to showcase them every time you walk into the casting room or on set.  Pretty soon, you may just have the ad agent singing your praises and answering the top 10 question for his/her client!

1._______________________________________________________________________________

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!

PAY DAY!

Green talent rarely think about the payment process when jumping into the talent world, but working talent find the payment process to be a hot topic of discussion.  So how does the payment process work?

Production companies build long-standing relationships with agencies.  One of the benefits of working with represented professional talent is having a go-between in the payment process when dealing with talent (and even the crew sometimes).  Union work is simple and regulated by the specific union governing the production agreement.

Non union work, on the other hand, is more subject to market, production, and type of work.  The non-union talent will usually work the commercial, film, etc, and leave the set.  Agents invoice for all their talent on that set once work is completed.  In some cases, production has specific requirements in the process and the agent must follow that system.  This may mean that the agent waits for a PO Number or access to an online payment system, which may take a few days to receive.

There seems to be an unspoken (or universally understood) rule when it comes to the time frame for payment.  Productions decide on their individual payment time line, which is frequently based on the project completion.  In the industry, the accepted time frame to complete most non union projects is said to be 90 days.  Thus, there are some production companies who choose to operate on a 90 day turn around for invoices.  On the flip side, there are other companies who pay upon receipt, which means that the talent could be paid within a few weeks.

Once the agency receives payment from production, most agencies require a time lapse for the bank to clear the deposited funds.  This can take up to 10 business days in some cases.  In the end, a talent can expect to receive payment from their shoot anywhere from a few weeks to a few months (90-120 days) afterwards.   The agent will typically withhold the agency commission and cut a check to the talent for the balance.

KNOW THE DECISION MAKERS

All too often I am asked the one question that makes the agent in me cringe – who was that [director, photographer, producer] I worked with on the [company name] shoot?  Forgetting names in this business is like trying to cash a check that isn’t signed . . . your personality and good looks will only get you so far!

No matter how highly respected we are in our field, it’s human nature to want to be recognized.  Keep in mind that directors and photographers are artists, as well, and struggle with a lot of the same aspirations and desires that you might as a talent!  You can call it stroking an ego or just giving them the respect that they are due – the end result is still the same for the talent who can recognize and make conversation with the individual who will sign their paycheck at the end of the day.

Performer Track Online, a subsidiary of Hold On Log is a private company that helps talent keep all their ducks in a row.  One of the most amazing facets of their interface is the ability to keep track of whom the talent saw at a go-see or casting and where they might have seen that person in the past.  Making that connection between the set or audition room sets the talent up to build more positive long term relationships.   Note keeping may not be the typical talent’s strength, but committing to tracking what you’ve done and who you’ve met means you are aware of your business and working it to the full potential.  There isn’t a successful business person or talent in the world that doesn’t keep records.

As an individual, I struggle with remembering names and connecting them to the right faces, so I can sympathize with the quandary talent find themselves facing.  Like most hurdles in entertainment, it may not be your forte, but that doesn’t make it a “get out of jail free” card, either.   It means you need to practice.  Use an interface like Performer Track Online if that helps you keep records.  [Blog readers can get discounted rates by clicking on any of the Performer Track Online links and entering the coupon code “MEFR9”.]   The more aware you are of the challenge, the more focus you can put on improving.  And the next time you run into your local version of Mario Testino, you can be cool, calm, and collected as you greet him or her confidently!

MARKETING 101 FOR TALENT

In the world of marketing, messages can be sent and received in myriad ways.  The best PR and advertising firms have an edge up on their competition because they know which ways are the most effective.  So the question must be asked . . . are your marketing materials effective?

 

The question begs to be asked, but few want to verbalize the answer when they are in the hot seat themselves.  So what is it exactly that makes some materials effective where others are not?  Some simple answers are things like clarity, lighting, expression, and print quality.  Images that are blurry or do not clearly show the talent’s face or body are not as effective since the client is unsure of what they will end up working with on set.  Poor lighting or print quality can also be damaging to a talent’s opportunity if skin tones are not even or shadows darken an image.  Printers know how to make color pop off of paper, but images printed on poor paper stock or with bad color presses can actually make skin, hair, and even eyes odd shades of their true color.  And what does your expression say?  Or, perhaps we should ask, does it say anything?  Images without personality are certain to be passed by – no one wants to work with a dud! 

 

A truly great image hides imperfections and accentuates physical assets.  It also captures something in the actor or model’s eyes, body language, and/or personality that we can read into farther.  In great headshots, we can imagine what you were thinking, saying, or could be doing. 

 

How do you know if you have a great image?  The most telling factor is whether or not you are being booked directly off of it.  Direct bookings only happen when talent have created a brand clients ask for by name or when an image is strong enough that the client feels confident in putting money on the line.  Another confirming factor might be the amount of go sees or auditions you go on.  One image can open or close doors that you never realized were possibilities!

 

If you aren’t convinced that your materials are the most amazing version of YOU possible, start back at square one and get some that make you feel like a rock star.  You don’t need to look like someone other than you, but you do need to look like the BEST possible version of you.