What have I been doing since we last talked? Study, study, study (OK and a couple of auditions thrown in).
I have immersed myself in the study of acting. In essence, I'm going to school. Besides regular sessions with my Hollywood acting coach (the most recent one this morning) I have been participating in a number of casting director workshops, a fairly inexpensive way to (1) do some scenes with a quality actor, and (2) be seen by casting directors who cast major TV and Films. I have been in workshops with Michael Testa (Cold Case), Paul Weber (Head of casting at MGM). Sherri Henderson (many films), Mark Bennett (also many films) and four of five other top flight casting directors.
And then there is my every Sunday afternoon workshop with Craig Campobasso, a delightful man who cast the TV show "Picket Fences", a number of films, and with several more films in the works, currently.
Being in LA for an actor at its best means you work fairly steadily and get an education in acting on the set, in classes and private lessons, and through the before mentioned casting director workshops. At it's worst, you don't work, but you still get a hell of a good acting education. I am in the middle ground between those two in that I have found some work, and I am getting a wonderful Hollywood actor education, plus I'm networking.
Many of you know that I was in a episode of the NBC series, "The Office". I had a good amount of screen time but all my lines were cut (along with another actor), as in post they changed the ending a great deal from the shooting script. However, I have found that still photos of myself and others from those deleted scenes (the wedding ceremony, itself) have appeared all over the Internet, in newspapers and magazines, and I was just told that I am in photos in TV guide this week. Alas, fame is fleeting........
I have had one commercial audition recently and I have an audition for a film tomorrow.
I recently had new commercial headshots taken, but am sticking with my same theatrical headshots, as they seem to be working.
Monday the 21st I will be on a plane for Seattle to spend nine days with my wife over the Christmas Holidays....some R&R in my favorite city. As I tell people, my home is in Seattle....I just work in LA.
On the 30th it's back to LA and who knows what lies ahead. I have some big decisions to make early in 2010 as to the direction I want to take my acting career. Stay tuned, and I'll let you know how it all shakes out as soon as I know.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all, and to all a good night.
Later............
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
All Is Well (So To Speak)
No, my lack of blog entries does not mean I have fallen of the edge of the world. I just don't have anything all that interesting to report. I am taking private lessons, and a ton of casting director workshops. The bottom line is, I'm learning, getting seen by working casting directors, and networking a lot. That's sort of the name of the game down here....learn, improve, be seen, and network.
At the request of my commercial agent, I'm getting new commercial shots taken this coming Friday.
My wife will be in town next week for Thanksgiving, and I will be in Seattle over Christmas.
Oh, there's one more thing....Southern California weather is truly magnificent.
Folks, as I said. that's pretty much it. When I have something more exciting to report, I'll dash off another entry.
Until Then.............
At the request of my commercial agent, I'm getting new commercial shots taken this coming Friday.
My wife will be in town next week for Thanksgiving, and I will be in Seattle over Christmas.
Oh, there's one more thing....Southern California weather is truly magnificent.
Folks, as I said. that's pretty much it. When I have something more exciting to report, I'll dash off another entry.
Until Then.............
Monday, October 26, 2009
Learning To Be an Actor
I will have been in LA eight months at the end of October. Was it as I expected it would be? I realize an answer of "yes and no" says nothing but still, that is the answer I must give. I say that because in some ways my time in LA has exceeded my expectations, while in other ways it has been quite difficult.
The roles in which I have been cast have gone far beyond what I had thought would happen in eight months. The craft of acting, however, is much more complex than I first thought. Perhaps that requires some explanation.
Actors who come to Hollywood can be separated into three major groups. I know some will say there are many more groups than that, but I am speaking of three very basic groups.
First there is the smallest group, which is those actors who are incredibly gifted. Some have much training, while others have almost none. It makes no difference, as these actors have talent and success written all over them, and the ability to immediately back it up. It's an exceptionally small group, but it does exist.
The next largest group, but still relatively small, is the actors who shouldn't be here. They usually have great looks and think they can simply show up in town and be movie stars in a few months. They almost always have little training, and lack the desire to really dig in and work at the craft. Ninety nine percent of this group hits town, runs into reality, and are gone in six months, or less. As one actress so accurately put it on her website, "An acting career is a marathon, not a dash."
The quite large group that is left contains the rest of us. All of us have some talent (in varying degrees to be sure, but some), and probably have a good deal of training. We came to Hollywood because we believed we could make it here. Whether or not you do make it here, if you don't come to town with that attitude, you really shouldn't be here. Most of us also realize there is a lot of hard work, dedication and focus ahead of us.
However, here is one thing that many of us didn't count on. We all figured we knew how to act before arriving. Many of us had experience in films and TV before we came here, as well as some good solid training. Well, here is the unvarnished truth....many of us did know how to act before we got here, but will have to learn how to act at a level conducive to working in Hollywood.
It's an entirely different ball game with higher expectations for actors from those on the other side of the camera, fierce competition, and an industry where being at the top of your game isn't unusual, it's required.
In my lessons with my Hollywood acting coach I have found that in many ways I have to learn how to act all over again. As the old saying goes, "What was good enough to get you here probably won't be good enough to keep you here." As said before, my acting coach is always tough and honest with me. I would expect nothing less. He expects my best at all times and we both expect my best to keep getting better. He and I both agree that I am a better actor than when I got here. We also agree that I must get better still, to keep up with the marketplace in Hollywood. Finally, we both see a measurable increase in my acting ability from month to month, and that is probably the most telling yardstick of them all.
So for all actors who aspire to come to Hollywood and ply your wares, come prepared with all the experience and training you can possibly have, and then swallow you pride, dig in, and learn how to be a Hollywood level actor. The saving grace in all of this is that for all actors who love to act, the journey can be great fun.
Until next time.............
The roles in which I have been cast have gone far beyond what I had thought would happen in eight months. The craft of acting, however, is much more complex than I first thought. Perhaps that requires some explanation.
Actors who come to Hollywood can be separated into three major groups. I know some will say there are many more groups than that, but I am speaking of three very basic groups.
First there is the smallest group, which is those actors who are incredibly gifted. Some have much training, while others have almost none. It makes no difference, as these actors have talent and success written all over them, and the ability to immediately back it up. It's an exceptionally small group, but it does exist.
The next largest group, but still relatively small, is the actors who shouldn't be here. They usually have great looks and think they can simply show up in town and be movie stars in a few months. They almost always have little training, and lack the desire to really dig in and work at the craft. Ninety nine percent of this group hits town, runs into reality, and are gone in six months, or less. As one actress so accurately put it on her website, "An acting career is a marathon, not a dash."
The quite large group that is left contains the rest of us. All of us have some talent (in varying degrees to be sure, but some), and probably have a good deal of training. We came to Hollywood because we believed we could make it here. Whether or not you do make it here, if you don't come to town with that attitude, you really shouldn't be here. Most of us also realize there is a lot of hard work, dedication and focus ahead of us.
However, here is one thing that many of us didn't count on. We all figured we knew how to act before arriving. Many of us had experience in films and TV before we came here, as well as some good solid training. Well, here is the unvarnished truth....many of us did know how to act before we got here, but will have to learn how to act at a level conducive to working in Hollywood.
It's an entirely different ball game with higher expectations for actors from those on the other side of the camera, fierce competition, and an industry where being at the top of your game isn't unusual, it's required.
In my lessons with my Hollywood acting coach I have found that in many ways I have to learn how to act all over again. As the old saying goes, "What was good enough to get you here probably won't be good enough to keep you here." As said before, my acting coach is always tough and honest with me. I would expect nothing less. He expects my best at all times and we both expect my best to keep getting better. He and I both agree that I am a better actor than when I got here. We also agree that I must get better still, to keep up with the marketplace in Hollywood. Finally, we both see a measurable increase in my acting ability from month to month, and that is probably the most telling yardstick of them all.
So for all actors who aspire to come to Hollywood and ply your wares, come prepared with all the experience and training you can possibly have, and then swallow you pride, dig in, and learn how to be a Hollywood level actor. The saving grace in all of this is that for all actors who love to act, the journey can be great fun.
Until next time.............
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Cutting Room Floor
The episode of "The Office" I was in has come and gone. When we filmed it, I had seven or eight lines, as I performed the ceremony that married Jim and Pam. I say seven or eight, as the director wanted me to do some improv lines in addition to the scripted lines. I've been acting for awhile and I know that in the final edit actors sometimes lose a few lines, particularly in television where the length of the show is a definite factor.
What happened was, I didn't just have a few of my lines cut....I had ALL of them cut. While the inside of the chapel in which we shot the scene was a very important part of the episode, the actual wedding ceremony was not shown. In the script Pam and Jim were actually married twice....once by my character, and once by the captain of a tourist boat near Niagara Falls. The actor playing the boat captain also had all of his lines cut, as well. The end result was that Pam and Jim's exchange of wedding vows was shot twice, with neither of the ceremonies making it into the final edit. The producers/directors/editors of any production (film/TV/etc.) have to produce a final product which they feel is the best one possible from the footage which has been shot. While disappointed that my character's lines did not make the final edit, I fully understand and accept that this is what they must do.
By the way, while the phrase "The cutting room floor" is still used in the business, it is a throw back to the old way that films used to be edited. In the past (quite a few years in the past) the actual film which had been shot was run through editing devices whereby the film's editor would physically cut and splice section of the film together until they had the final edit. Pieces of film that the editor had cut from the film fell to the floor of the cutting room, and this is where the phrase came from. Today, all editing is done digitally, and there is no film to fall onto the cutting room floor.
Looking back at my experience on "The Office" I have to say that, other than having my lines cut, it was a wonderful and very beneficial experience. I got to work with a wonderful cast, crew, and director. My appearance in the episode made m SAG eligible. the payday for a non union actor was quite good, and I have a very nice credit to add to my resume. Being SAG eligible means that while I am still technically non union, I am eligible for, and must join SAG the next time I am cast in a SAG production. Becoming SAG eligible in LA is not the easiest thing to do and being in "The Office" cleared a big hurdle for me.
My Hollywood acting coach put it best I think when he said "This is not only your first SAG job, but a credit that ANY actor in LA would covet." Of course, he's right.
So life moves on. Today, I am attending another casting director's workshop at Actor's West. Next Thursday I am flying to Seattle for a few days of R and R, during which my wife and I will attend the Seattle Seahawks/Arizona Cardinals NFL game. After that, it's back to LA to see what the acting life holds in store.
More when I return from Seattle.................
What happened was, I didn't just have a few of my lines cut....I had ALL of them cut. While the inside of the chapel in which we shot the scene was a very important part of the episode, the actual wedding ceremony was not shown. In the script Pam and Jim were actually married twice....once by my character, and once by the captain of a tourist boat near Niagara Falls. The actor playing the boat captain also had all of his lines cut, as well. The end result was that Pam and Jim's exchange of wedding vows was shot twice, with neither of the ceremonies making it into the final edit. The producers/directors/editors of any production (film/TV/etc.) have to produce a final product which they feel is the best one possible from the footage which has been shot. While disappointed that my character's lines did not make the final edit, I fully understand and accept that this is what they must do.
By the way, while the phrase "The cutting room floor" is still used in the business, it is a throw back to the old way that films used to be edited. In the past (quite a few years in the past) the actual film which had been shot was run through editing devices whereby the film's editor would physically cut and splice section of the film together until they had the final edit. Pieces of film that the editor had cut from the film fell to the floor of the cutting room, and this is where the phrase came from. Today, all editing is done digitally, and there is no film to fall onto the cutting room floor.
Looking back at my experience on "The Office" I have to say that, other than having my lines cut, it was a wonderful and very beneficial experience. I got to work with a wonderful cast, crew, and director. My appearance in the episode made m SAG eligible. the payday for a non union actor was quite good, and I have a very nice credit to add to my resume. Being SAG eligible means that while I am still technically non union, I am eligible for, and must join SAG the next time I am cast in a SAG production. Becoming SAG eligible in LA is not the easiest thing to do and being in "The Office" cleared a big hurdle for me.
My Hollywood acting coach put it best I think when he said "This is not only your first SAG job, but a credit that ANY actor in LA would covet." Of course, he's right.
So life moves on. Today, I am attending another casting director's workshop at Actor's West. Next Thursday I am flying to Seattle for a few days of R and R, during which my wife and I will attend the Seattle Seahawks/Arizona Cardinals NFL game. After that, it's back to LA to see what the acting life holds in store.
More when I return from Seattle.................
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Maximum Exposure
I've heard it said that you can invent the greatest widget in the world, but if no one knows about it you won't sell any. That was true when I was in computer system sales, it was true earlier when I was a professional musician, and it is certainly true as an actor.
This Thursday I will be playing the role of The Minister on NBC's "The Office". Obviously I can't discuss anything pertaining to the plot (even though hints of it have been all over the fan sites of the show, on the Internet), as the producers take a dim view of anyone who does, I and I don't blame them one bit.
However, I can publicize my appearance on the show to those in the industry who I feel need to know. Along those lines I have been busy preparing self marketing material to distribute this week. I have created, addressed and stamped 90 postcards. These cards (which will be mailed tomorrow) will go to talent agencies and casting directors in LA. I am still seeking theatrical representation and need to market myself and my role on "The Office" to agencies. Also, sending postcards telling casting directors about an appearance, be it television, a film , or on stage is always a good idea. Not all will be interested, but some will. Postcards need to have a very short message and address on the back and your photo, or photos on the front.
Also, to the talent Agencies only, who are receiving postcards from me, I sending my headshot, resume and short cover letter. Again, not all will be interested, but my hope is that some will.
Marketing of one's self in LA is an ongoing procedure. Actors either trying to break into this market, or those who already have, need four things (and possible a fifth). They need at least some talent, good training, experience, and a strong self marketing effort. The fifth thing is some luck, which never hurt anyone. By luck I mean meeting the right person, or simply being in the right place at the right time. I have had my share of good luck since arriving in LA.
In addition to regular private lessons with my Hollywood acting coach, I am continuing my participation in casting director's workshops, having taken one last Wednesday with another one scheduled for the 10th of this month. I do this through an organization called Actors West, run by two very nice and qualified people, Stan and Mike. For a smaller fee than one might think, Actors West provides top working casting directors conducting workshops for actors. Most run three hours (with a few scheduled for longer periods) and they are a great tool for any actor to improve their audition skills, and to network.
What will be the result of my latest marketing efforts? I have no idea, but I do know that marketing is a necessary and continuing part of the game plan for any actor in LA.
I hope all of you will be able to watch "The Office" this coming Thursday.
More later....................
This Thursday I will be playing the role of The Minister on NBC's "The Office". Obviously I can't discuss anything pertaining to the plot (even though hints of it have been all over the fan sites of the show, on the Internet), as the producers take a dim view of anyone who does, I and I don't blame them one bit.
However, I can publicize my appearance on the show to those in the industry who I feel need to know. Along those lines I have been busy preparing self marketing material to distribute this week. I have created, addressed and stamped 90 postcards. These cards (which will be mailed tomorrow) will go to talent agencies and casting directors in LA. I am still seeking theatrical representation and need to market myself and my role on "The Office" to agencies. Also, sending postcards telling casting directors about an appearance, be it television, a film , or on stage is always a good idea. Not all will be interested, but some will. Postcards need to have a very short message and address on the back and your photo, or photos on the front.
Also, to the talent Agencies only, who are receiving postcards from me, I sending my headshot, resume and short cover letter. Again, not all will be interested, but my hope is that some will.
Marketing of one's self in LA is an ongoing procedure. Actors either trying to break into this market, or those who already have, need four things (and possible a fifth). They need at least some talent, good training, experience, and a strong self marketing effort. The fifth thing is some luck, which never hurt anyone. By luck I mean meeting the right person, or simply being in the right place at the right time. I have had my share of good luck since arriving in LA.
In addition to regular private lessons with my Hollywood acting coach, I am continuing my participation in casting director's workshops, having taken one last Wednesday with another one scheduled for the 10th of this month. I do this through an organization called Actors West, run by two very nice and qualified people, Stan and Mike. For a smaller fee than one might think, Actors West provides top working casting directors conducting workshops for actors. Most run three hours (with a few scheduled for longer periods) and they are a great tool for any actor to improve their audition skills, and to network.
What will be the result of my latest marketing efforts? I have no idea, but I do know that marketing is a necessary and continuing part of the game plan for any actor in LA.
I hope all of you will be able to watch "The Office" this coming Thursday.
More later....................
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Back To Work
Like recharging the batteries in your cell phone, digital camera and other portable devices, people need recharging ever so often, as well. And so it was recently for my wife and me.
She came down from Washington State and we spent eight days seeing some of the sights of LA, as well as spending a few days in Las Vegas. It was wonderful having her here and playing tourist in LA, where the sights and attractions to see are endless. Travel Tip: When in LA you must visit the Getty Center, as it is a wonderful experience.
In Las Vegas we arranged our trip to coincide with a visit from Texas of an old Air Force friend of mine who I had not seen, literally, in decades. Visiting with he and his wife, taking in a show, and a couple of excellent dinners was great fun. Seeing them just proved the point that good friends really are forever. In the gaming area, we came away from Vegas with a few more dollars than we started with, and that doesn't happen all that often.
It was a wonderful time, but now it's time to get back to work for both of us. My wife is back at her job, and I am back at mine.
In line with that I have an acting lesson with my long time acting coach in Hollywood scheduled for tomorrow. That is followed next week with a workshop from one of the two casting directors that cast the CBS drama "Cold Case".
The episode of "The Office" I'm on is still scheduled for October 8th, and I will proceed that with a round of headshot and resume mailings, and postcard mailings. Two days after it is broadcast I have another casting director workshop scheduled.
Some sad news came to me yesterday, as I learned that a man I considered a good friend had passed away. His name was Bill Hitchcock, and through the Internet I re-established contract with his wife, Sherry. Bill was one of the good guys in the world, and I am deeply saddened by his passing. My sincere condolences go to his wife, daughter, and other survivors.
As I have said before, all actors are essentially looking for their next job, and I am no different. However, securing theatrical representation is still quite high on my priority list, and that will be my main focus right now.
So, stay tuned and I'll let you know what happens.
Until then...........
She came down from Washington State and we spent eight days seeing some of the sights of LA, as well as spending a few days in Las Vegas. It was wonderful having her here and playing tourist in LA, where the sights and attractions to see are endless. Travel Tip: When in LA you must visit the Getty Center, as it is a wonderful experience.
In Las Vegas we arranged our trip to coincide with a visit from Texas of an old Air Force friend of mine who I had not seen, literally, in decades. Visiting with he and his wife, taking in a show, and a couple of excellent dinners was great fun. Seeing them just proved the point that good friends really are forever. In the gaming area, we came away from Vegas with a few more dollars than we started with, and that doesn't happen all that often.
It was a wonderful time, but now it's time to get back to work for both of us. My wife is back at her job, and I am back at mine.
In line with that I have an acting lesson with my long time acting coach in Hollywood scheduled for tomorrow. That is followed next week with a workshop from one of the two casting directors that cast the CBS drama "Cold Case".
The episode of "The Office" I'm on is still scheduled for October 8th, and I will proceed that with a round of headshot and resume mailings, and postcard mailings. Two days after it is broadcast I have another casting director workshop scheduled.
Some sad news came to me yesterday, as I learned that a man I considered a good friend had passed away. His name was Bill Hitchcock, and through the Internet I re-established contract with his wife, Sherry. Bill was one of the good guys in the world, and I am deeply saddened by his passing. My sincere condolences go to his wife, daughter, and other survivors.
As I have said before, all actors are essentially looking for their next job, and I am no different. However, securing theatrical representation is still quite high on my priority list, and that will be my main focus right now.
So, stay tuned and I'll let you know what happens.
Until then...........
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Time Out
A workshop tonight and then a time out for rest and relaxation.
Tonight, I will be attending a workshop held by casting director Ricki Maslar. I have heard good things about her and I'm looking forward to tonight.
Tomorrow evening my wife flies into town and we are then starting a eight day vacation, seeing the sights of LA and spending a couple of nights in Las Vegas. It's recharging the batteries time.
After vacation, I ramp up my search for theatrical representation into high gear, and I have a couple more casting director workshops scheduled.
Like most actors, be they famous or not, I am always looking for my next job. Such is the lot of an actor. Still, we probably wouldn't change it if we could, as each day ahead of us is unscripted and full of surprises. That's part of the fun.
I'll talk with you soon after I return from vacation.
Until then................
Tonight, I will be attending a workshop held by casting director Ricki Maslar. I have heard good things about her and I'm looking forward to tonight.
Tomorrow evening my wife flies into town and we are then starting a eight day vacation, seeing the sights of LA and spending a couple of nights in Las Vegas. It's recharging the batteries time.
After vacation, I ramp up my search for theatrical representation into high gear, and I have a couple more casting director workshops scheduled.
Like most actors, be they famous or not, I am always looking for my next job. Such is the lot of an actor. Still, we probably wouldn't change it if we could, as each day ahead of us is unscripted and full of surprises. That's part of the fun.
I'll talk with you soon after I return from vacation.
Until then................
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Looking Forward
August is gone and September is upon us. Today, marks six months exactly that I have been a Southern California resident.
August, by any standard, was a very good month for me, and while I enjoyed it greatly, it is time to focus my attention forward, and not live in the past.
My immediate goal is to secure theatrical representation from a quality agency, and now being SAG eligible can only help. There are many such agencies in LA. Yes, there are also a few who are not reputable and make their income chiefly by selling things (classes, headshots, etc.) to the talent they claim to represent. This violates acceptable ethics and in many cases, the rules for being a SAG franchised agency. Most of these agencies are proceeded by their reputation and are fairly easy to steer clear of, but newer actors in LA need to know that they exist. Remember, the only way a talent agency or agent should make money is when you make money. Having said that, there are many, many reputable, and hard working agencies and agents in LA. However, all good agencies may not be a good fit for each individual actor, so my immediate job is to find not only one of the good agencies, but also one that is a good fit for me.
Postcards are a necessity for an LA actor (and not at all a bad idea for non LA actors). They can be used in several ways. First, after an audition, it is a good idea to send a postcard to the casting director or casting agency thanking them for that audition. Postcards, by the way should have one or more headshots on the front and your name, address, and other pertinent information (email address, phone number, website) on the back, plus of course, space for a brief message and an address. If you have computer skills and can design and print them yourself in a professional looking manner on blank stock, that's great. If not, there are many services in LA who will do that for you, and I'm sure non LA actors can also find such a service in their area, as well.
Postcards can also me used to bring attention to some upcoming production you will be in, such as a TV show, film that is about to be released, or play. They are sent usually to casting directors, but in my case I will also send postcards about the date and time of my appearance on The Office to selected talent agencies, as well as to casting directors.
There are literally thousands of actors in LA who are actively seeking work. No matter your talent level or credits, you can get lost in the shuffle if you do not market yourself to the industry. There are simply too many actors for casting directors, agents and others to remember, and postcards are an excellent way to keep you name and face in front of them.
I am continuing to take selected casting director's workshops from Actors West. These are very economical ways to (1) get instant feedback from a working casting director, and (2) be remembered by them for future projects which they are casting. I have two such workshops scheduled for this month.
However, a little playtime is good for the soul (and body), so come mid September my wife and I are going to take an eight day vacation. We have not begun to see the sights and attractions of LA and we plan to do a good deal of that, as well as spend a few days in Las Vegas.
After that, it's back to work for both of us.
Filming an episode of The Office was a wonderful experience, but now it's time to look ahead. By the way, the air date of October 8th for the episode I'm in still looks good. It will be an hour episode instead of the usual thirty minutes for most episodes of the series. I'll let you know if there is any change in the broadcast date.
CORRECTION: In a past blog entry (I'm not sure which one), I said that when a SAG production hired a non-SAG actor, that production had to pay a small monetary penalty. That is not so. To hire a non-SAG actor, the production has to fill out the Taft Hartley papers to properly authorize the actor to work in that SAG production, but there is no monetary penalty to be paid. It costs the actor nothing, and all it costs the production is some extra paperwork. Sorry for the misinformation.
More soon............
August, by any standard, was a very good month for me, and while I enjoyed it greatly, it is time to focus my attention forward, and not live in the past.
My immediate goal is to secure theatrical representation from a quality agency, and now being SAG eligible can only help. There are many such agencies in LA. Yes, there are also a few who are not reputable and make their income chiefly by selling things (classes, headshots, etc.) to the talent they claim to represent. This violates acceptable ethics and in many cases, the rules for being a SAG franchised agency. Most of these agencies are proceeded by their reputation and are fairly easy to steer clear of, but newer actors in LA need to know that they exist. Remember, the only way a talent agency or agent should make money is when you make money. Having said that, there are many, many reputable, and hard working agencies and agents in LA. However, all good agencies may not be a good fit for each individual actor, so my immediate job is to find not only one of the good agencies, but also one that is a good fit for me.
Postcards are a necessity for an LA actor (and not at all a bad idea for non LA actors). They can be used in several ways. First, after an audition, it is a good idea to send a postcard to the casting director or casting agency thanking them for that audition. Postcards, by the way should have one or more headshots on the front and your name, address, and other pertinent information (email address, phone number, website) on the back, plus of course, space for a brief message and an address. If you have computer skills and can design and print them yourself in a professional looking manner on blank stock, that's great. If not, there are many services in LA who will do that for you, and I'm sure non LA actors can also find such a service in their area, as well.
Postcards can also me used to bring attention to some upcoming production you will be in, such as a TV show, film that is about to be released, or play. They are sent usually to casting directors, but in my case I will also send postcards about the date and time of my appearance on The Office to selected talent agencies, as well as to casting directors.
There are literally thousands of actors in LA who are actively seeking work. No matter your talent level or credits, you can get lost in the shuffle if you do not market yourself to the industry. There are simply too many actors for casting directors, agents and others to remember, and postcards are an excellent way to keep you name and face in front of them.
I am continuing to take selected casting director's workshops from Actors West. These are very economical ways to (1) get instant feedback from a working casting director, and (2) be remembered by them for future projects which they are casting. I have two such workshops scheduled for this month.
However, a little playtime is good for the soul (and body), so come mid September my wife and I are going to take an eight day vacation. We have not begun to see the sights and attractions of LA and we plan to do a good deal of that, as well as spend a few days in Las Vegas.
After that, it's back to work for both of us.
Filming an episode of The Office was a wonderful experience, but now it's time to look ahead. By the way, the air date of October 8th for the episode I'm in still looks good. It will be an hour episode instead of the usual thirty minutes for most episodes of the series. I'll let you know if there is any change in the broadcast date.
CORRECTION: In a past blog entry (I'm not sure which one), I said that when a SAG production hired a non-SAG actor, that production had to pay a small monetary penalty. That is not so. To hire a non-SAG actor, the production has to fill out the Taft Hartley papers to properly authorize the actor to work in that SAG production, but there is no monetary penalty to be paid. It costs the actor nothing, and all it costs the production is some extra paperwork. Sorry for the misinformation.
More soon............
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Office
Thursday evening, August 20th, 2009
You may remember my mentioning in my last entry that I had auditioned for a role in the NBC Television series, The Office. The audition was on the 11th of this month. Today, I received an early afternoon email telling me that I had been selected to play the role. I read the email once, and thought, “well that can’t be.” Then I read it again and realized that is exactly what it” be”. The scene I’m in shoots this Saturday.
In many ways this defies the odds. While I am represented by a commercial agency, I have no theatrical representation yet, nor am I yet a member of SAG. Of course, this will help with both in the long term, as agents like representing people who have worked, and, also, by working in an episode of The Office, I become SAG eligible, which makes it all that much easier to be hired for another SAG production. It doesn't make the auditions any easier, but it does mean that when chosen for a SAG role it will make it easier for the production company to hire me.
I had a bit of other good news recently. I auditioned for the television pilot episode of a series about political campaign workers. I was chosen to play the role of the Governor of Wisconsin. It’s a small role and the character will appear in the pilot only, if the series is picked up. The majority of the pilot will be shot on location in Madison Wisconsin. It’s a non-union project with a modest budget, but the role was interesting, fun to play, and the director was quite sharp. I shot that scene last night, and enjoyed it immensely.
Friday afternoon, August 21st, 2009
I have just returned from my wardrobe fitting. The scene I am in is not being shot at the Sunset Gower studios in Hollywood where much of “The Office” is shot, but instead is being shot on location in Sherman Oaks. The "base Camp" for the location, is a schoolyard is full of about 15 trailers ranging from equipment and lighting trailers to wardrobe and dressing room trailers. I reported to the wardrobe trailer to be fitted with my costume (Yes, my character requires a sort of a costume….nothing garish, but a costume never-the-less). The wardrobe people were quite nice and a pleasure to work with.
Earlier today, I received the script via email. Each page had KREPS splashed across it in background style gray letters. All shooting scripts for most films and TV shows do that so if a portion of the script is copied or leaks out, it’s easy to see which script it was.
Once you have been to wardrobe and received a script with you name emblazoned across every page, you start to feel like you are part of the show, at least for one episode. I’m looking forward greatly to tomorrow. It should be fun.
Oh, and by the luck of the draw, the location where we are shooting (very near where the equipment and wardrobe trailers are all parked) is only five miles from where I live Sometimes you just get lucky!
Sunday Morning, August 23rd, 2009
Yesterday was a day that all actors dream of….a speaking role on a hit TV series. It was a day of waiting , as are all days on set for actors, a day of joy at being part of the experience, and a day of whiling away the time by talking with other actors, the two most notable being Kate Flannery who plays Meredith on “The Office” , and Rick Overton (a guest star for this episode), who has appeared in many TV shows and films. Kate was a wonderfully friendly lady, and Rick was as outgoing as anyone could be. Both were great people to chat with.
The director decided no costume was necessary so I wore a dark suit provided by the wardrobe department. The director, by the way, was a very good person to work with.
Doing this show just about concludes my first six months in LA. Besides The Office, I have appeared in roles in one film, one TV series pilot and one commercial. I have a commercial agent, a wonderful acting coach, and recently started taking workshops from some fine LA casting directors, with my next workshop scheduled for this coming Thursday. Best of all, I have climbed one steep hurdle for any new actor in LA, and that is to become SAG eligible. This first six months has greatly surpassed my expectations.
That having been said, there is much work to be done in the future. I said in a previous entry that to compete in the LA market, I would have to be a better actor in six months than when I got here. Six months later, I am a better actor. That means nothing if I am not a better actor in six months than I am now, and better still six months after that. Today was a wonderful experience, but it doesn't guarantee any future success. It is, however, a nice step in the right direction.
To the best of my knowledge, the episode of The Office, a part of which we filmed today, will air on October 8th. That, however, is always subject to change and I will give you a definite date before it airs.
Until we talk again…………………..
You may remember my mentioning in my last entry that I had auditioned for a role in the NBC Television series, The Office. The audition was on the 11th of this month. Today, I received an early afternoon email telling me that I had been selected to play the role. I read the email once, and thought, “well that can’t be.” Then I read it again and realized that is exactly what it” be”. The scene I’m in shoots this Saturday.
In many ways this defies the odds. While I am represented by a commercial agency, I have no theatrical representation yet, nor am I yet a member of SAG. Of course, this will help with both in the long term, as agents like representing people who have worked, and, also, by working in an episode of The Office, I become SAG eligible, which makes it all that much easier to be hired for another SAG production. It doesn't make the auditions any easier, but it does mean that when chosen for a SAG role it will make it easier for the production company to hire me.
I had a bit of other good news recently. I auditioned for the television pilot episode of a series about political campaign workers. I was chosen to play the role of the Governor of Wisconsin. It’s a small role and the character will appear in the pilot only, if the series is picked up. The majority of the pilot will be shot on location in Madison Wisconsin. It’s a non-union project with a modest budget, but the role was interesting, fun to play, and the director was quite sharp. I shot that scene last night, and enjoyed it immensely.
Friday afternoon, August 21st, 2009
I have just returned from my wardrobe fitting. The scene I am in is not being shot at the Sunset Gower studios in Hollywood where much of “The Office” is shot, but instead is being shot on location in Sherman Oaks. The "base Camp" for the location, is a schoolyard is full of about 15 trailers ranging from equipment and lighting trailers to wardrobe and dressing room trailers. I reported to the wardrobe trailer to be fitted with my costume (Yes, my character requires a sort of a costume….nothing garish, but a costume never-the-less). The wardrobe people were quite nice and a pleasure to work with.
Earlier today, I received the script via email. Each page had KREPS splashed across it in background style gray letters. All shooting scripts for most films and TV shows do that so if a portion of the script is copied or leaks out, it’s easy to see which script it was.
Once you have been to wardrobe and received a script with you name emblazoned across every page, you start to feel like you are part of the show, at least for one episode. I’m looking forward greatly to tomorrow. It should be fun.
Oh, and by the luck of the draw, the location where we are shooting (very near where the equipment and wardrobe trailers are all parked) is only five miles from where I live Sometimes you just get lucky!
Sunday Morning, August 23rd, 2009
Yesterday was a day that all actors dream of….a speaking role on a hit TV series. It was a day of waiting , as are all days on set for actors, a day of joy at being part of the experience, and a day of whiling away the time by talking with other actors, the two most notable being Kate Flannery who plays Meredith on “The Office” , and Rick Overton (a guest star for this episode), who has appeared in many TV shows and films. Kate was a wonderfully friendly lady, and Rick was as outgoing as anyone could be. Both were great people to chat with.
The director decided no costume was necessary so I wore a dark suit provided by the wardrobe department. The director, by the way, was a very good person to work with.
Doing this show just about concludes my first six months in LA. Besides The Office, I have appeared in roles in one film, one TV series pilot and one commercial. I have a commercial agent, a wonderful acting coach, and recently started taking workshops from some fine LA casting directors, with my next workshop scheduled for this coming Thursday. Best of all, I have climbed one steep hurdle for any new actor in LA, and that is to become SAG eligible. This first six months has greatly surpassed my expectations.
That having been said, there is much work to be done in the future. I said in a previous entry that to compete in the LA market, I would have to be a better actor in six months than when I got here. Six months later, I am a better actor. That means nothing if I am not a better actor in six months than I am now, and better still six months after that. Today was a wonderful experience, but it doesn't guarantee any future success. It is, however, a nice step in the right direction.
To the best of my knowledge, the episode of The Office, a part of which we filmed today, will air on October 8th. That, however, is always subject to change and I will give you a definite date before it airs.
Until we talk again…………………..
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Workshop
Last night was another new experience in my acting journey in LA. There is an organization in LA called Actors West. They don't post audition notices, nor can you post your resume or headshot on their website. What they do offer are a multitude of workshops conducted by some prominent casting directors in town.
I attended my first such workshop last night conducted by a lady who is well known in LA casting circles. All actors know that when you do a live audition, you get zero feedback other than thank you, or possibly "That was very nice." There is no critique of how you really did....what you did right or wrong. In a workshop held by a casting director, that is not the case. there were probably 20 actors at last night's workshop. Each of us were part of a two person assigned scene which we did in front of the casting director and the entire workshop. My scene partner and I did our scene three times, taking different direction from the casting director after each time. Our scene went well with some positive feedback from the casting director. The casting director also collected headshots from each actor and jotted down some notes as she watched each scene. The lady who was my scene partner was a good actor, and it always helps to work with a person like that. Best of all, it was great fun. The workshop was attended by some very good actors, and most scenes went well. Of course, this is LA, and finding you are in a room full of good actors is not at all uncommon.
The casting director also took questions from the actors in a Q and A session, where we got a chance to understand how a casting director thinks, what they are looking for, how casting decisions (or recommendations to the director) are made, and as I have stated before, the many items outside of the actor's control which might, and often do, influence who is cast and who is not.
Having had one positive experience, I will be attending more casting workshops at Actors West. While primarily holding workshops conducted by casting directors, they occasionally have events where agents come in to look at actors. An added plus is that all their workshops and events are very reasonably priced, and it's a short 25 minute drive on Highway 101 for me to get to their location. Also, I have taken only private lessons since being here, and it was great to interact with other actors.
As an added bonus, Actors West has what they call a wall of headshots in their office, where anyone is free to tack up their headshot, which I did. It can't hurt, and you never know.
Other news? This past Tuesday, I auditioned for a small role in the NBC series, The Office.
It's cooler here now, with only a high of 88 expected in the San Fernando Valley, today. 88, depending on where you live, may seem cool or not, but it's a pleasant relief for this area.
More later.........
I attended my first such workshop last night conducted by a lady who is well known in LA casting circles. All actors know that when you do a live audition, you get zero feedback other than thank you, or possibly "That was very nice." There is no critique of how you really did....what you did right or wrong. In a workshop held by a casting director, that is not the case. there were probably 20 actors at last night's workshop. Each of us were part of a two person assigned scene which we did in front of the casting director and the entire workshop. My scene partner and I did our scene three times, taking different direction from the casting director after each time. Our scene went well with some positive feedback from the casting director. The casting director also collected headshots from each actor and jotted down some notes as she watched each scene. The lady who was my scene partner was a good actor, and it always helps to work with a person like that. Best of all, it was great fun. The workshop was attended by some very good actors, and most scenes went well. Of course, this is LA, and finding you are in a room full of good actors is not at all uncommon.
The casting director also took questions from the actors in a Q and A session, where we got a chance to understand how a casting director thinks, what they are looking for, how casting decisions (or recommendations to the director) are made, and as I have stated before, the many items outside of the actor's control which might, and often do, influence who is cast and who is not.
Having had one positive experience, I will be attending more casting workshops at Actors West. While primarily holding workshops conducted by casting directors, they occasionally have events where agents come in to look at actors. An added plus is that all their workshops and events are very reasonably priced, and it's a short 25 minute drive on Highway 101 for me to get to their location. Also, I have taken only private lessons since being here, and it was great to interact with other actors.
As an added bonus, Actors West has what they call a wall of headshots in their office, where anyone is free to tack up their headshot, which I did. It can't hurt, and you never know.
Other news? This past Tuesday, I auditioned for a small role in the NBC series, The Office.
It's cooler here now, with only a high of 88 expected in the San Fernando Valley, today. 88, depending on where you live, may seem cool or not, but it's a pleasant relief for this area.
More later.........
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Endless Summer
Who knew that 87 degrees could feel cool. That's what it was here, yesterday, and it did indeed seem cool after a series of 100 plus and near 100 degree days. We're not out of the woods yet, as it will climb back up into the high 90's this coming week. However, the title of this entry, "The Endless Summer", doesn't just apply to the prevailing weather.
The Summer has seemed long for a number of reason. Sure the heat was one, but it has also seemed long because of my impatience. All actors need to see signs of progress. This progress can manifest itself in many different ways. Auditions and being cast in roles is always the best yardstick, but a good, or even outstanding lesson with your acting coach can also serve as a milestone. As I stated in a recent blog, I didn't feel that July went all that well as far as my performance in acting lessons. Yes, there were some good sections of some lessons, but overall, not what I had hoped for.
Both my acting coaches have been preaching the same thing to me...."Let go, take a risk, and let it fall where it falls." They each used different words and phrases, but said almost the same thing. A few days ago I had an hour lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach. I had to do three scenes in that lesson....one commercial and two theatrical. While going over the copy I essentially said, "To Hell with it." No, that doesn't mean I didn't care about the results, but that I had decided I would let go, be myself, take a risk, carry no preconceived notions, be in the moment for each character, remember that less is more, and let whatever happened, happen.
I do not say this lightly, but it was the very best acting lesson I have had since arriving in LA. All three scenes went extremely well. I knew it and my acting coach knew it, and said as much. I just let it go and became whatever character I was playing. It felt great, and as most actors know, when that happens it seems like the easiest thing in the world. Conversely, when it is not going well it's like dragging a bag full of rocks around with you.
One of my all time favorite actors, Spencer Tracy, said this. "Acting is fine, as long as you don't get caught at it." I'm finally starting to understand what he meant.
Chuck Norris (Walker Texas Ranger) had worked in films as a stunt man long before he turned to acting. When he did so, he asked Steve McQueen for some tips. McQueen told him, "Always bring a part of yourself to the role." That's wonderful advice for any actor.
So, the weather is cooler (at least for a bit) and my progress as an actor is beginning to show. It's a milestone, but not an end result, as there is much further to go and much more to do. It's also well documented, as my downtown Hollywood acting coach puts each lesson on a DVD and gives it to you before you leave. Reviewing the DVD is almost like taking the lesson all over again. That is a very valuable tool to have.
The endless Summer is showing signs all around of not lasting forever.
Talk with you soon..............
The Summer has seemed long for a number of reason. Sure the heat was one, but it has also seemed long because of my impatience. All actors need to see signs of progress. This progress can manifest itself in many different ways. Auditions and being cast in roles is always the best yardstick, but a good, or even outstanding lesson with your acting coach can also serve as a milestone. As I stated in a recent blog, I didn't feel that July went all that well as far as my performance in acting lessons. Yes, there were some good sections of some lessons, but overall, not what I had hoped for.
Both my acting coaches have been preaching the same thing to me...."Let go, take a risk, and let it fall where it falls." They each used different words and phrases, but said almost the same thing. A few days ago I had an hour lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach. I had to do three scenes in that lesson....one commercial and two theatrical. While going over the copy I essentially said, "To Hell with it." No, that doesn't mean I didn't care about the results, but that I had decided I would let go, be myself, take a risk, carry no preconceived notions, be in the moment for each character, remember that less is more, and let whatever happened, happen.
I do not say this lightly, but it was the very best acting lesson I have had since arriving in LA. All three scenes went extremely well. I knew it and my acting coach knew it, and said as much. I just let it go and became whatever character I was playing. It felt great, and as most actors know, when that happens it seems like the easiest thing in the world. Conversely, when it is not going well it's like dragging a bag full of rocks around with you.
One of my all time favorite actors, Spencer Tracy, said this. "Acting is fine, as long as you don't get caught at it." I'm finally starting to understand what he meant.
Chuck Norris (Walker Texas Ranger) had worked in films as a stunt man long before he turned to acting. When he did so, he asked Steve McQueen for some tips. McQueen told him, "Always bring a part of yourself to the role." That's wonderful advice for any actor.
So, the weather is cooler (at least for a bit) and my progress as an actor is beginning to show. It's a milestone, but not an end result, as there is much further to go and much more to do. It's also well documented, as my downtown Hollywood acting coach puts each lesson on a DVD and gives it to you before you leave. Reviewing the DVD is almost like taking the lesson all over again. That is a very valuable tool to have.
The endless Summer is showing signs all around of not lasting forever.
Talk with you soon..............
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Crossroads
Tomorrow, I will have been a resident of the greater LA area for exactly five months. It has been somewhat of a whirlwind of activity, a blur in some cases and agonizingly slow in others. Overall, I would say it has gone fairly well. I have two good acting coaches (more about them later), a quality commercial agent, and I have even managed to find a bit of work in these five months.
I should feel on top of the world about what has happened since I have been here. Truth is, I don't. My downtown LA acting coach says I am too impatient. Maybe he's right (he usually is), but inside I have this gnawing feeling of wanting more....more signs of progress, more auditions, more bookings, more everything that an actor needs as milestones to judge how things are going with their career.
I don't feel my impatience is necessarily a bad thing, if kept in control. A good football coach will tell you that he wants his number two quarterback chomping at the bit to play, yearning to show the coach that he is the man for the job. That impatience is one of the key ingredients which fuels that quarterback's drive. I believe it's the same with me, or any other actor who wants to excel in a major market.
I have two quality acting coaches that anyone would be happy to have, and that's exactly the way I feel about both of them. However, I may have been rushing it too much, in that I am taking a private lesson from one coach one week and the other, the next week. While they come at you with different personalities, they say pretty much the same things. I think however, that I may be (by taking a private lesson each week) overloading my senses, in that I am pushing and trying too hard. As all actors know, trying too hard is not the way to deliver a smooth and natural performance. I thought about taking a month off from acting lessons entirely to regroup my thoughts about the techniques of acting. I decided against that because I didn't want to go a full month without acting lessons.
Before adding my second (Hollywood Hills) acting coach (at the urging of my commercial agency) I was taking a lesson every two weeks from my original acting coach in downtown Hollywood. I believe the two weeks between lessons were beneficial in digesting, utilizing, and incorporating into my acting, what I had learned in each lesson. With that in mind I am strongly considering alternating acting coaches in the following manner. I will take a lesson every two weeks one month from one coach. The follow month I will do the same with the other coach. I believe this will give me more time to more fully understand, and to practice what I had learned in the most recent lesson. This will have the effect of alternating each coach on a monthly basis. This may be a workable scenario or not, but it should only take two months to find out. I haven't made up my mind fully on this, but I am strongly leaning that way.
In with these private lessons, I need to schedule a weekly improve course, and various acting seminars, as they arise. I am taking a one evening seminar from a well known casting director on August 13th.
In the world of Academia, the bylaw for professors is "Publish or perish," For actors it's "Study or perish." I am fully aware that I need to study. It's just that my study schedule may need a bit of tweaking, as I feel I am at a crossroad as to how I continue my studies. Not with whom, just how. I need to continue them in what I deem to be the best way to further my acting skills, and more importantly, my acting career. Perhaps, as my downtown Hollywood acting coach said, I do need a bit more patience. I need to understand that taking a private acting lesson every week may not speed me towards my goal any faster that taking one every other week. The progress of an actor is far more important than the number of acting lessons they have taken.
There is also one other thing which, while I have been doing it frequently, I need to do even more. It is probably best illustrated by an old joke that was in vogue back in my days as a professional musician. A man is walking down the streets of New Your City when he spots a musician coming towards him, carrying a horn case. He stops the musician and says, "Excuse me, but can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" The musician looked at him for a moment and then replied, "Practice, man, practice." That's good advice for an actor as well. I have exercises and copy to practice in front of a full length mirror, plus filming certain segments with my video camera, so I can study and review my look, actions, etc later. As I said, I need to spend even more time doing that. As a professional musician I spent hours upon hours practicing techniques until they became second nature. As an actor, I need do no less.
Finally, actors all over Hollywood (Using the name Hollywood to mean all of the LA acting community) are complaining that there is lees work than before. That can be attributed to two factors. (1) there is always a noticeable slowdown in work in July and August, and (2) the economy has affected the number of film and TV projects, as well as the budgets of some of the projects that have been given the green light. I have discussed before the fact that there are some things which are directly under the actor's control (being on time, being professional, being prepared for the audition, Being prepared for the role once you are cast, etc.), and there are a number of things over which the actor has no control. The economy is one of those things, and is not something I choose to worry about.
We will talk again, soon...............
I should feel on top of the world about what has happened since I have been here. Truth is, I don't. My downtown LA acting coach says I am too impatient. Maybe he's right (he usually is), but inside I have this gnawing feeling of wanting more....more signs of progress, more auditions, more bookings, more everything that an actor needs as milestones to judge how things are going with their career.
I don't feel my impatience is necessarily a bad thing, if kept in control. A good football coach will tell you that he wants his number two quarterback chomping at the bit to play, yearning to show the coach that he is the man for the job. That impatience is one of the key ingredients which fuels that quarterback's drive. I believe it's the same with me, or any other actor who wants to excel in a major market.
I have two quality acting coaches that anyone would be happy to have, and that's exactly the way I feel about both of them. However, I may have been rushing it too much, in that I am taking a private lesson from one coach one week and the other, the next week. While they come at you with different personalities, they say pretty much the same things. I think however, that I may be (by taking a private lesson each week) overloading my senses, in that I am pushing and trying too hard. As all actors know, trying too hard is not the way to deliver a smooth and natural performance. I thought about taking a month off from acting lessons entirely to regroup my thoughts about the techniques of acting. I decided against that because I didn't want to go a full month without acting lessons.
Before adding my second (Hollywood Hills) acting coach (at the urging of my commercial agency) I was taking a lesson every two weeks from my original acting coach in downtown Hollywood. I believe the two weeks between lessons were beneficial in digesting, utilizing, and incorporating into my acting, what I had learned in each lesson. With that in mind I am strongly considering alternating acting coaches in the following manner. I will take a lesson every two weeks one month from one coach. The follow month I will do the same with the other coach. I believe this will give me more time to more fully understand, and to practice what I had learned in the most recent lesson. This will have the effect of alternating each coach on a monthly basis. This may be a workable scenario or not, but it should only take two months to find out. I haven't made up my mind fully on this, but I am strongly leaning that way.
In with these private lessons, I need to schedule a weekly improve course, and various acting seminars, as they arise. I am taking a one evening seminar from a well known casting director on August 13th.
In the world of Academia, the bylaw for professors is "Publish or perish," For actors it's "Study or perish." I am fully aware that I need to study. It's just that my study schedule may need a bit of tweaking, as I feel I am at a crossroad as to how I continue my studies. Not with whom, just how. I need to continue them in what I deem to be the best way to further my acting skills, and more importantly, my acting career. Perhaps, as my downtown Hollywood acting coach said, I do need a bit more patience. I need to understand that taking a private acting lesson every week may not speed me towards my goal any faster that taking one every other week. The progress of an actor is far more important than the number of acting lessons they have taken.
There is also one other thing which, while I have been doing it frequently, I need to do even more. It is probably best illustrated by an old joke that was in vogue back in my days as a professional musician. A man is walking down the streets of New Your City when he spots a musician coming towards him, carrying a horn case. He stops the musician and says, "Excuse me, but can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" The musician looked at him for a moment and then replied, "Practice, man, practice." That's good advice for an actor as well. I have exercises and copy to practice in front of a full length mirror, plus filming certain segments with my video camera, so I can study and review my look, actions, etc later. As I said, I need to spend even more time doing that. As a professional musician I spent hours upon hours practicing techniques until they became second nature. As an actor, I need do no less.
Finally, actors all over Hollywood (Using the name Hollywood to mean all of the LA acting community) are complaining that there is lees work than before. That can be attributed to two factors. (1) there is always a noticeable slowdown in work in July and August, and (2) the economy has affected the number of film and TV projects, as well as the budgets of some of the projects that have been given the green light. I have discussed before the fact that there are some things which are directly under the actor's control (being on time, being professional, being prepared for the audition, Being prepared for the role once you are cast, etc.), and there are a number of things over which the actor has no control. The economy is one of those things, and is not something I choose to worry about.
We will talk again, soon...............
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Audition
OK, I couldn't resist The title of this post is a play on the old stand-up comic line of "A funny thing happened on the way to....." In this case, that happens to not be entirely accurate. Actually, a funny thing happened at the audition.
While casting directors vary somewhat in their methods, the audition process itself is fairly standard in LA, Seattle or in any other location. For the non actors among you, here's how it works. You are either sent the sides (a small portion of the script) via email, or you are told that it is a cold reading, and you will get the sides a few minutes before the audition (the email option is much more in vogue now). If you received the sides by email, you study them, make choices as to how you will play the character, and in general, prepare for the audition. If it's a true cold read, you and all the other actors must do this same process in ten to fifteen minutes before you audition.
This past Monday, I had an audition, for which I was sent the sides in advance. What happened when I arrived is when the structure of the audition varied greatly from the norm. Traditionally, when you arrive at an audition, you sign in, and take a seat in the waiting room. One of the casting assistants checks the sign in sheet frequently and calls you, one at a time, to enter a separate room for the audition. Next, you audition, you thank them, and you leave. As I said, that is fairly standard in the business.
For this audition, however, there was no waiting room, and the room to which you entered was the same room were all the actors waited and auditioned. This meant you were able to see the auditions of all the actors who came before you on the sign in sheet. This is highly unusual
I was amazed at the lack of preparation of some of the actors. One punctuated his audition with maniacal laughs, even though the script mentioned nothing about the character exhibiting that sort of behavior. Another spoke in a monotone, even though the script did indicate that the character was somewhat animated. One drew the dialogue out so that it took twice as long as normal. One actor gave quite a good audition, and was obviously prepared.
How did I do? They say the desired result for an audition is to walk away feeling good about your performance; feeling that you captured the character as the script indicated. That is the best you can hope for, and that is what I did. I was also prepared, had a good audition, and walking back to my car, I felt good about how it had gone. Will, I get cast? There are so many variables in an audition, that is impossible to answer. First, I only saw a small segment of the actors who auditioned for the role. Secondly, there are intangibles that are totally out of the control of an actor at an audition, yet often have a direct bearing on who is cast. These include your look, and how all the other actors did in their auditions for the same role. Still, walking away from an audition feeling good about how you did is the desired result, and being able to watch other actors audition for the same role is a rare bonus.
The process of acting in LA continues, as I have a theatrical audition (film) in Burbank this afternoon, and a private lesson with my Hollywood Hills acting coach, tomorrow.
Being a new actor in Hollywood is a work in progress. I attended an acting seminar this past Saturday, and with two audition and an acting lesson this week, that's pretty much par for the course.
Until next time..........
While casting directors vary somewhat in their methods, the audition process itself is fairly standard in LA, Seattle or in any other location. For the non actors among you, here's how it works. You are either sent the sides (a small portion of the script) via email, or you are told that it is a cold reading, and you will get the sides a few minutes before the audition (the email option is much more in vogue now). If you received the sides by email, you study them, make choices as to how you will play the character, and in general, prepare for the audition. If it's a true cold read, you and all the other actors must do this same process in ten to fifteen minutes before you audition.
This past Monday, I had an audition, for which I was sent the sides in advance. What happened when I arrived is when the structure of the audition varied greatly from the norm. Traditionally, when you arrive at an audition, you sign in, and take a seat in the waiting room. One of the casting assistants checks the sign in sheet frequently and calls you, one at a time, to enter a separate room for the audition. Next, you audition, you thank them, and you leave. As I said, that is fairly standard in the business.
For this audition, however, there was no waiting room, and the room to which you entered was the same room were all the actors waited and auditioned. This meant you were able to see the auditions of all the actors who came before you on the sign in sheet. This is highly unusual
I was amazed at the lack of preparation of some of the actors. One punctuated his audition with maniacal laughs, even though the script mentioned nothing about the character exhibiting that sort of behavior. Another spoke in a monotone, even though the script did indicate that the character was somewhat animated. One drew the dialogue out so that it took twice as long as normal. One actor gave quite a good audition, and was obviously prepared.
How did I do? They say the desired result for an audition is to walk away feeling good about your performance; feeling that you captured the character as the script indicated. That is the best you can hope for, and that is what I did. I was also prepared, had a good audition, and walking back to my car, I felt good about how it had gone. Will, I get cast? There are so many variables in an audition, that is impossible to answer. First, I only saw a small segment of the actors who auditioned for the role. Secondly, there are intangibles that are totally out of the control of an actor at an audition, yet often have a direct bearing on who is cast. These include your look, and how all the other actors did in their auditions for the same role. Still, walking away from an audition feeling good about how you did is the desired result, and being able to watch other actors audition for the same role is a rare bonus.
The process of acting in LA continues, as I have a theatrical audition (film) in Burbank this afternoon, and a private lesson with my Hollywood Hills acting coach, tomorrow.
Being a new actor in Hollywood is a work in progress. I attended an acting seminar this past Saturday, and with two audition and an acting lesson this week, that's pretty much par for the course.
Until next time..........
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Into The Great Postal Void
Those of you who are regular readers of this blog may remember me talking about something I call Phase II. Phase II has two parts....first a mailing of headshots, resume, and a short cover letter to talent agencies, and secondly, doing the same with casting directors.
Part one of phase two had the result of my signing for commercial representation with a very well respected LA agency. I am still seeking theatrical (film & TV) representation.
Now for part two....yesterday I sent out mailers, again with headshot, resume, and a short cover letter to twenty-one casting directors who are currently casting films. The same organization that puts out the Casting Directors Guide every two months, also has a web version which is far more up to date. Since the Casting Directors Guide costs $13 every two months and the on-line version costs $5 per month, signing up for the online version was pretty much a no brainer, as it is less expensive and updated weekly instead of every two months.
What will be the result of those twenty-one mailers to casting directors? In truth, I have no idea, as this is virgin territory for me. As the title of this blog entry says, these mailers went into the great postal void. Maybe I will get no responses, or maybe I will get three or four responses. Still, for an unknown actor, it is market or perish in LA, so sending mailers to casting directors is a must. Also sending mailers to casting directors is somewhat of an on-going process, as in a week or two I will do the research to find out what new productions are casting and send mailers to those casting directors. A week or two later I will do the same, and so on. By the way, these mailers went (and will go in the future) only to theatrical casting directors, as the very nice lady who is my agent with my commercial agency informed me in a recent phone conversation, that commercial casting directors rarely, if ever, even bother to look at mailers sent to them from actors.
There have been a few developments in union status desirability in the LA market, particularly on the television side. It is still quite desirable for an actor to first become SAG eligible, and then at the proper time join SAG. However, because of the recent uncertainty as to what the SAG membership was going to do about a new contract (and the length of time this deliberation went on) many national TV shows have switched from being SAG affiliated to being aligned with AFTRA. This has several ramifications for actors, casting directors, producers, etc. AFTRA has no eligibility or waiting period. To join AFTRA you simply visit their office, tell them you want to join, pay the fees, and presto!, you are a member of AFTRA.
The Taft-Hartley law says that within 31 days after you do your first AFTRA job you must join AFTRA, or as I said in the paragraph above, prior to doing your first AFTRA sanctioned job you may join any time you wish.
Now, one correction to something I said in an earlier blog entry about contacting talent agencies. I said some require you to drop off your headshot and resume in person. That was in error. Although a very few will still allow you to drop by and leave these items in person, none that I have found require you to do so. The mail is still the method of choice for contacting most talent agencies, with some accepting electronic submissions.
Tomorrow I have a private lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach. It's always an intense one hour workout with him, and one that I look forward to and enjoy a great deal. Whether it goes well (which some have), doesn't go well (which others have) or is somewhere in between, I always leave my lesson feeling I am a better actor than I was when I arrived.
The same holds true with lessons from my Hollywood Hills acting coach, and that is, of course, why I continue to take private lessons from both gentlemen.
We'll talk again, soon......................
Part one of phase two had the result of my signing for commercial representation with a very well respected LA agency. I am still seeking theatrical (film & TV) representation.
Now for part two....yesterday I sent out mailers, again with headshot, resume, and a short cover letter to twenty-one casting directors who are currently casting films. The same organization that puts out the Casting Directors Guide every two months, also has a web version which is far more up to date. Since the Casting Directors Guide costs $13 every two months and the on-line version costs $5 per month, signing up for the online version was pretty much a no brainer, as it is less expensive and updated weekly instead of every two months.
What will be the result of those twenty-one mailers to casting directors? In truth, I have no idea, as this is virgin territory for me. As the title of this blog entry says, these mailers went into the great postal void. Maybe I will get no responses, or maybe I will get three or four responses. Still, for an unknown actor, it is market or perish in LA, so sending mailers to casting directors is a must. Also sending mailers to casting directors is somewhat of an on-going process, as in a week or two I will do the research to find out what new productions are casting and send mailers to those casting directors. A week or two later I will do the same, and so on. By the way, these mailers went (and will go in the future) only to theatrical casting directors, as the very nice lady who is my agent with my commercial agency informed me in a recent phone conversation, that commercial casting directors rarely, if ever, even bother to look at mailers sent to them from actors.
There have been a few developments in union status desirability in the LA market, particularly on the television side. It is still quite desirable for an actor to first become SAG eligible, and then at the proper time join SAG. However, because of the recent uncertainty as to what the SAG membership was going to do about a new contract (and the length of time this deliberation went on) many national TV shows have switched from being SAG affiliated to being aligned with AFTRA. This has several ramifications for actors, casting directors, producers, etc. AFTRA has no eligibility or waiting period. To join AFTRA you simply visit their office, tell them you want to join, pay the fees, and presto!, you are a member of AFTRA.
The Taft-Hartley law says that within 31 days after you do your first AFTRA job you must join AFTRA, or as I said in the paragraph above, prior to doing your first AFTRA sanctioned job you may join any time you wish.
Now, one correction to something I said in an earlier blog entry about contacting talent agencies. I said some require you to drop off your headshot and resume in person. That was in error. Although a very few will still allow you to drop by and leave these items in person, none that I have found require you to do so. The mail is still the method of choice for contacting most talent agencies, with some accepting electronic submissions.
Tomorrow I have a private lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach. It's always an intense one hour workout with him, and one that I look forward to and enjoy a great deal. Whether it goes well (which some have), doesn't go well (which others have) or is somewhere in between, I always leave my lesson feeling I am a better actor than I was when I arrived.
The same holds true with lessons from my Hollywood Hills acting coach, and that is, of course, why I continue to take private lessons from both gentlemen.
We'll talk again, soon......................
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A Wise Saying Comes Home to Roost
Before becoming an actor, I had a long stretch of making my living, first as a computer programmer, then as a systems analyst, and finally in computer system sales. Just a few weeks into my information systems career I took my first course called Introduction to Data Processing (the term information systems came along a few years later) at the IBM education center in San Francisco. What does this have to do with acting, you ask? Stay with me and I think you'll see where I'm going.
In that first class, I met a young man (we were all young men back then) named Marty Dupont. Marty and his family owned a rental car agency in Hawaii, and Marty had been given the task of running the data processing end of their business. Marty and I had dinner and drinks a few times during the week long course, and I liked him right away. The instructor was a "take no prisoners" type of guy who spewed out information a mile a minute, as we all struggled to keep up with him. Somewhere along the middle of the second day of the class, the instructor stopped long enough to ask if there were any questions. What happened next has stayed with me over the years, as Marty raised his hand and when called upon said, "I'm not sure I understand everything I know."
I never saw Marty again after that class, but I remember him to this day because of that remark.
That remark (which I have come to view as one of life's wise sayings) certainly applies to my acting studies in LA. There is a great deal more urgency in the approach to private acting lessons in LA, both from the acting coach and the actor. There are roles out there (a lot of roles) in which actors are going to be cast, and both the acting coach and the actor are doing everything in their power to prepare the actor, as quickly as possible, to be one of the people who are cast in those roles, be they theatrical or commercial.
The pace is faster, and you are given an increasing work load by your acting coaches, with frequent (often daily) exercises to do. I have two excellent acting coaches, one in downtown Hollywood, and the other in the Hollywood Hills. Both are tremendously personable, as well as quite demanding, and the actor has to sift quickly through various methods, and procedures designed to make a role or character you are doing, natural, believable, and real. When getting into a role is not working, it is an extremely difficult process, yet when it is working, it seems as easy as a walk in the park.
Sometimes I think back to what Marty said about not understanding everything you know. The understanding does come, but sometimes it's a few days or even the next lesson before it all falls into place.
I had a lesson, today with my acting coach in the Hollywood Hills. It was quite productive, I learned, I applied what I learned, and took another small step on the way to where I want and need to be as an actor equipped to compete in the LA market. Next week, I have a lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach, and the week after that it's back for a lesson in the Hollywood Hills.
If I fail, it won't be because I did not listen to and learn from these two men and give it everything I have. If I succeed, it will be because I did.
Finally, LA weather may be great most of the year but not this month in the San Fernando Valley where I live. It is supposed to around a 100 (plus or minus a degree or two) for the next 4 or 5 days, and after that who knows. I can hear my friend in Phoenix (and you know who you are) laughing as she probably thinks a temperature around 100 is a cold snap. They say the winters are nice in Southern California and I can't wait to find out.
Until next time.............
In that first class, I met a young man (we were all young men back then) named Marty Dupont. Marty and his family owned a rental car agency in Hawaii, and Marty had been given the task of running the data processing end of their business. Marty and I had dinner and drinks a few times during the week long course, and I liked him right away. The instructor was a "take no prisoners" type of guy who spewed out information a mile a minute, as we all struggled to keep up with him. Somewhere along the middle of the second day of the class, the instructor stopped long enough to ask if there were any questions. What happened next has stayed with me over the years, as Marty raised his hand and when called upon said, "I'm not sure I understand everything I know."
I never saw Marty again after that class, but I remember him to this day because of that remark.
That remark (which I have come to view as one of life's wise sayings) certainly applies to my acting studies in LA. There is a great deal more urgency in the approach to private acting lessons in LA, both from the acting coach and the actor. There are roles out there (a lot of roles) in which actors are going to be cast, and both the acting coach and the actor are doing everything in their power to prepare the actor, as quickly as possible, to be one of the people who are cast in those roles, be they theatrical or commercial.
The pace is faster, and you are given an increasing work load by your acting coaches, with frequent (often daily) exercises to do. I have two excellent acting coaches, one in downtown Hollywood, and the other in the Hollywood Hills. Both are tremendously personable, as well as quite demanding, and the actor has to sift quickly through various methods, and procedures designed to make a role or character you are doing, natural, believable, and real. When getting into a role is not working, it is an extremely difficult process, yet when it is working, it seems as easy as a walk in the park.
Sometimes I think back to what Marty said about not understanding everything you know. The understanding does come, but sometimes it's a few days or even the next lesson before it all falls into place.
I had a lesson, today with my acting coach in the Hollywood Hills. It was quite productive, I learned, I applied what I learned, and took another small step on the way to where I want and need to be as an actor equipped to compete in the LA market. Next week, I have a lesson with my downtown Hollywood acting coach, and the week after that it's back for a lesson in the Hollywood Hills.
If I fail, it won't be because I did not listen to and learn from these two men and give it everything I have. If I succeed, it will be because I did.
Finally, LA weather may be great most of the year but not this month in the San Fernando Valley where I live. It is supposed to around a 100 (plus or minus a degree or two) for the next 4 or 5 days, and after that who knows. I can hear my friend in Phoenix (and you know who you are) laughing as she probably thinks a temperature around 100 is a cold snap. They say the winters are nice in Southern California and I can't wait to find out.
Until next time.............
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sign Here, Please
There are milestones in every endeavor....a baseball pitcher's first win, a sales person's first sale, a boy or girl's first date, The birth of your first child. Each of these by nature of being the first will never happen again. To be sure the pitcher will savor each win thereafter, the sales person will celebrate all their future sales, the parent will love the rest of their children just as much, but etched deeply into all their minds will be the memory of their first.
And so it was today, when I sat down in the conference room of my commercial agency and signed all the necessary contracts and forms. I am now officially represented by my first Los Angeles talent agency. Sure they have already sent me on two auditions, but never the less, if I said I didn't enjoy today, I would be lying. It felt great.
It was a milestone in my LA acting quest. This is a top flight agency and I feel quite fortunate they agreed to represent me. However, in the overall picture it is but one of a succession of necessary milestones if I am to have any success. This agency will get me auditions, but I have to do well in them, and book some of the roles for which I audition. Not all of them of course, as no actor, even well known actors do that, but I have to have some hits when called upon to bat.
I still need a theatrical agency to represent me. I need my SAG card. I may need to join AFTRA (which, unlike SAG, one may join anytime they wish) There are so many more milestones to reach, but forgive me if I enjoy this one at least for the rest of today.
This past Wednesday, I returned to the studio of my downtown Hollywood acting coach to try and alleviate the bad showing I had two weeks ago. I was partially successful in that, while I was vastly improved on the same copy on which I stumbled badly two weeks ago, I still have some improvement to do with it.
Next week, I have my second lesson with my Hollywood Hills commercial acting coach. He gave me daily exercises, which I have been doing, and we'll see how that goes.
So life goes on, one milestone, one audition, and one acting lesson at a time.
We'll talk again soon.......
And so it was today, when I sat down in the conference room of my commercial agency and signed all the necessary contracts and forms. I am now officially represented by my first Los Angeles talent agency. Sure they have already sent me on two auditions, but never the less, if I said I didn't enjoy today, I would be lying. It felt great.
It was a milestone in my LA acting quest. This is a top flight agency and I feel quite fortunate they agreed to represent me. However, in the overall picture it is but one of a succession of necessary milestones if I am to have any success. This agency will get me auditions, but I have to do well in them, and book some of the roles for which I audition. Not all of them of course, as no actor, even well known actors do that, but I have to have some hits when called upon to bat.
I still need a theatrical agency to represent me. I need my SAG card. I may need to join AFTRA (which, unlike SAG, one may join anytime they wish) There are so many more milestones to reach, but forgive me if I enjoy this one at least for the rest of today.
This past Wednesday, I returned to the studio of my downtown Hollywood acting coach to try and alleviate the bad showing I had two weeks ago. I was partially successful in that, while I was vastly improved on the same copy on which I stumbled badly two weeks ago, I still have some improvement to do with it.
Next week, I have my second lesson with my Hollywood Hills commercial acting coach. He gave me daily exercises, which I have been doing, and we'll see how that goes.
So life goes on, one milestone, one audition, and one acting lesson at a time.
We'll talk again soon.......
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Pursuing Acting On The Side Of A Mountain
Today, I had another acting lesson, but not with my usual Hollywood acting coach.
My new agency, which represents me commercially, has a favorite coach for commercial acting to which they send most of their adult clients (They also represent child actors in a number of areas). After one lesson with him, I see why he is their favorite. He has successfully done commercials and taught for years and knows exactly what it takes to get callbacks and to get bookings. Let me be very clear about one thing. Studying with this new acting coach is not, by any means, instead of studying with my other acting coach, who I have mentioned numerous times in this blog, but is in addition to studying with my long time coach.
The new coach, Like my other coach, is very personable, but brutally honest and direct in his approach. He gets right to the point of what, how, why, and when. This is Hollywood. This is the big leagues. These are big league acting coaches, and I listen to every word both men have to say about acting in general and my acting in particular. I would be a fool not to.
The truth is, they both know what it takes to work in this town, and they both know how to impart that knowledge to their students. Like money, you can never have too many quality acting coaches. I now feel very fortunate that I have found two.
My long time acting coach has a studio in a building in downtown Hollywood. My new acting coach also teaches in Hollywood, but far from downtown. He teaches in a studio in his home, which is perched half way up the mountain on which sits the Hollywood sign. His house is on a winding narrow, often one lane road (due to cars parked on the side). There are houses on both sides of the road and at times, around blind curves, you must drive no more than five miles per hour in case you meet someone coming the other way. If that happens, one car has to give ground so the other car may pass. It's a very adventurous road.
The lesson today showed areas where I need work. I welcome the challenge and know that I am up to it. I have daily homework which I will, of course, do. I have a lesson scheduled with my long time acting coach next week, and one again with my new acting coach the week after that.
For the cherry on top of the cake, I received an email shortly after my lesson concluded, which informed me of an audition I have early tomorrow afternoon. This audition is for a commercial and came through my new agency.
So acting lessons and auditions continue, and hopefully sprinkled in among those will be some bookings. Of course I haven't forgotten that I still need to find a quality theatrical agency to represent me in that area. How will it all shake out? We'll find out together.
Stay tuned.........
My new agency, which represents me commercially, has a favorite coach for commercial acting to which they send most of their adult clients (They also represent child actors in a number of areas). After one lesson with him, I see why he is their favorite. He has successfully done commercials and taught for years and knows exactly what it takes to get callbacks and to get bookings. Let me be very clear about one thing. Studying with this new acting coach is not, by any means, instead of studying with my other acting coach, who I have mentioned numerous times in this blog, but is in addition to studying with my long time coach.
The new coach, Like my other coach, is very personable, but brutally honest and direct in his approach. He gets right to the point of what, how, why, and when. This is Hollywood. This is the big leagues. These are big league acting coaches, and I listen to every word both men have to say about acting in general and my acting in particular. I would be a fool not to.
The truth is, they both know what it takes to work in this town, and they both know how to impart that knowledge to their students. Like money, you can never have too many quality acting coaches. I now feel very fortunate that I have found two.
My long time acting coach has a studio in a building in downtown Hollywood. My new acting coach also teaches in Hollywood, but far from downtown. He teaches in a studio in his home, which is perched half way up the mountain on which sits the Hollywood sign. His house is on a winding narrow, often one lane road (due to cars parked on the side). There are houses on both sides of the road and at times, around blind curves, you must drive no more than five miles per hour in case you meet someone coming the other way. If that happens, one car has to give ground so the other car may pass. It's a very adventurous road.
The lesson today showed areas where I need work. I welcome the challenge and know that I am up to it. I have daily homework which I will, of course, do. I have a lesson scheduled with my long time acting coach next week, and one again with my new acting coach the week after that.
For the cherry on top of the cake, I received an email shortly after my lesson concluded, which informed me of an audition I have early tomorrow afternoon. This audition is for a commercial and came through my new agency.
So acting lessons and auditions continue, and hopefully sprinkled in among those will be some bookings. Of course I haven't forgotten that I still need to find a quality theatrical agency to represent me in that area. How will it all shake out? We'll find out together.
Stay tuned.........
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Riding The Hollywood Roller Coaster
On thing an actor learns early in their career is that it is wise not to get too down when things don't go well, and not to get too elated when they do. In other words, a middle of the road, even keel approach is best for your sanity. Last week was a prime personal example of that fact.
I returned from Seattle on a flight into Burbank Monday evening. The trip was great, spending time with my wife, our two cats, catching a few of the new films which are out, and just relaxing and recharging the batteries for a few days. I greatly enjoyed every minute of it.
On my second full day back in LA I had a previously scheduled private lesson with my acting coach in Hollywood. It did not go well. As he usually does, he sent me the sides (via email) the day before. I worked on the them night before my lesson and thought I had a pretty fair handle on the role. I was wrong.....dead wrong! I could not get into the role, and while some takes were better than others and a few sentences of my delivery were right on, over all it was one of the worst lessons I have had with him since moving to LA. Needless to say we are doing that same role in my next lesson with him.
That was the bad part....now the good. After my lesson I drove home, and while having lunch, received a call. It was about a role for which I had submitted myself through one of the on-line services I subscribe to. They wanted to know if I could be in Glendale to audition in a little over an hour. I said I could, gobbled down the last few bites of my lunch, and from the time of the phone call until I walked into their offices was one hour and ten minutes. The traffic gods on the Ventura freeway were kind to me that day.
I auditioned, and it went well. I have heard nothing yet and have no idea if I am in contention for the role or not. Still, I was pleased with the audition, and when an actor can walk away from an audition and feel good about how it went, that is the best they can hope for. After the audition, the rest is out of the actor's hands.
I mentioned in my last post that I had secured representation on the commercial side from a quite well regarded LA talent agency. Friday afternoon, I received an email telling me I had an audition this coming Monday morning (the 29th) as a result of being submitted by my new agency. The audition is in Sherman Oaks, less than ten miles from where I live. I'm looking forward to it. Some of my acting friends in Seattle used to look at me like I was a two headed Martian when I would say this, but I enjoy auditions, and have since the very first one.
So The roller coaster ride last week had it ups and downs. I suppose that's why they call it a roller coaster. The acting lesson wasn't what I had hoped it would be, but the nice thing about an acting lesson, as opposed to an audition, is that, if necessary, (and, boy, is it necessary this time) you get a chance to do the lesson over. With an audition you get one at bat (and maybe a second, if you get a callback).
Get your tickets early. The roller coaster leaves for another trip next week. Hang on!
More later...........
I returned from Seattle on a flight into Burbank Monday evening. The trip was great, spending time with my wife, our two cats, catching a few of the new films which are out, and just relaxing and recharging the batteries for a few days. I greatly enjoyed every minute of it.
On my second full day back in LA I had a previously scheduled private lesson with my acting coach in Hollywood. It did not go well. As he usually does, he sent me the sides (via email) the day before. I worked on the them night before my lesson and thought I had a pretty fair handle on the role. I was wrong.....dead wrong! I could not get into the role, and while some takes were better than others and a few sentences of my delivery were right on, over all it was one of the worst lessons I have had with him since moving to LA. Needless to say we are doing that same role in my next lesson with him.
That was the bad part....now the good. After my lesson I drove home, and while having lunch, received a call. It was about a role for which I had submitted myself through one of the on-line services I subscribe to. They wanted to know if I could be in Glendale to audition in a little over an hour. I said I could, gobbled down the last few bites of my lunch, and from the time of the phone call until I walked into their offices was one hour and ten minutes. The traffic gods on the Ventura freeway were kind to me that day.
I auditioned, and it went well. I have heard nothing yet and have no idea if I am in contention for the role or not. Still, I was pleased with the audition, and when an actor can walk away from an audition and feel good about how it went, that is the best they can hope for. After the audition, the rest is out of the actor's hands.
I mentioned in my last post that I had secured representation on the commercial side from a quite well regarded LA talent agency. Friday afternoon, I received an email telling me I had an audition this coming Monday morning (the 29th) as a result of being submitted by my new agency. The audition is in Sherman Oaks, less than ten miles from where I live. I'm looking forward to it. Some of my acting friends in Seattle used to look at me like I was a two headed Martian when I would say this, but I enjoy auditions, and have since the very first one.
So The roller coaster ride last week had it ups and downs. I suppose that's why they call it a roller coaster. The acting lesson wasn't what I had hoped it would be, but the nice thing about an acting lesson, as opposed to an audition, is that, if necessary, (and, boy, is it necessary this time) you get a chance to do the lesson over. With an audition you get one at bat (and maybe a second, if you get a callback).
Get your tickets early. The roller coaster leaves for another trip next week. Hang on!
More later...........
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bingo!
This morning I had my interview with the last of the three agencies who contacted me after my mass mailing two weeks ago. This agency is one of the more well known agencies in the commercial end of the LA acting business. I had investigated them thoroughly before today, and found them to be one of the more respected agencies in their field in LA. I could not find one person who had a bad word to say about them. Based on that investigation, I was prepared to say yes, if they offered to represent me commercially. They did and I did, and I now have an excellent commercial agent.
I am still looking for a theatrical agent, and that is not an unusual situation for relatively new actors in LA. Many, many actors, have two agents....one commercially and one theatrically (for film and TV). Of the two, the commercial agent is a bit easier to obtain, as they are more willing to take non-union talent that appeals to them.
I'm not saying I will not find a quality theatrical agent before becoming a member of SAG, but working towards my SAG card remains a top priority for me. Acting in commercials may also lead me to joining AFTRA, but you can join AFTRA any time you choose by telling them you want to, and paying the hefty initiation fee. AFTRA also offers another avenue to getting a SAG card, as after being an AFTRA member for one year, and doing some AFTRA contract work during that year, you become eligible to join SAG. I'm not sure of all the fine details involved, but in capsule form, that's how it works.
I guess I could best sum up my visit to the agency this morning this way. It was a good day....a very good day.
I was quite fortunate in that all three of the agencies I visited offered to represent me. The first two agencies I visited are smaller than the one I visited this morning, and are what is known as full service agencies, in that they cover both the theatrical and commercial side. It is doubtful that either would want to represent a non union actor who already has a commercial agent. Both of the other agencies have a lot to offer, but unfortunately I will have to call them and decline their offers of representation. These are good agencies, staffed by good people, but I feel I will be best served by the commercial agent I visited today, while I continue to look for a theatrical agent.
Tomorrow, I'm off for some R&R in my home near Seattle, returning to LA next Monday, the 22nd.
Talk with you next week.................
I am still looking for a theatrical agent, and that is not an unusual situation for relatively new actors in LA. Many, many actors, have two agents....one commercially and one theatrically (for film and TV). Of the two, the commercial agent is a bit easier to obtain, as they are more willing to take non-union talent that appeals to them.
I'm not saying I will not find a quality theatrical agent before becoming a member of SAG, but working towards my SAG card remains a top priority for me. Acting in commercials may also lead me to joining AFTRA, but you can join AFTRA any time you choose by telling them you want to, and paying the hefty initiation fee. AFTRA also offers another avenue to getting a SAG card, as after being an AFTRA member for one year, and doing some AFTRA contract work during that year, you become eligible to join SAG. I'm not sure of all the fine details involved, but in capsule form, that's how it works.
I guess I could best sum up my visit to the agency this morning this way. It was a good day....a very good day.
I was quite fortunate in that all three of the agencies I visited offered to represent me. The first two agencies I visited are smaller than the one I visited this morning, and are what is known as full service agencies, in that they cover both the theatrical and commercial side. It is doubtful that either would want to represent a non union actor who already has a commercial agent. Both of the other agencies have a lot to offer, but unfortunately I will have to call them and decline their offers of representation. These are good agencies, staffed by good people, but I feel I will be best served by the commercial agent I visited today, while I continue to look for a theatrical agent.
Tomorrow, I'm off for some R&R in my home near Seattle, returning to LA next Monday, the 22nd.
Talk with you next week.................
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Visiting The Agencies
One week ago yesterday, I sent out fifty one envelopes containing a headshot, resume, and cover letter to talent agents in the LA area. To date, I have heard from three of those agencies asking me to come in for an appointment/audition.
I met with one agency last Friday morning and another one this morning. I will be visiting the third agency a week from today. So far the results have been extremely gratifying, with both the agencies I have visited so far, offering to represent me. While I am pleased, it is really not something I thought would happen so quickly.
I will make a decision as to which agency I will go with after visiting the third agency next week. It too is one which people in the business recommend highly. This third agency is somewhat larger than the two I have visited so far, but size in this town is not a good criteria for evaluating an agency. Smaller agencies (or boutique agencies, as they are known in the business) have less talent agents and less clients, while larger agencies have more agents and more clients. Both types can do well, and all three of these agencies have a reputation of doing just that for the actors they represent.
Of course, getting representation by a quality agency is just the start for an actor in Hollywood. Next, you must get auditions (through your agent, and on your own), and then you must do well enough in those audition to get booked. Never the less, being represented by a quality agency is a vital first step, and it appears I have managed that first step, as I will be choosing an agency before the month is over.
I mentioned getting auditions through your agent and on your own. Having an agent in this town (or any other town for that matter) doesn't mean sitting by the phone, letting them do all the work, and waiting for them to call. You must work the other side of the street, so to speak, and constantly submit yourself for auditions through one of the local reputable services (NOTE TO ACTORS: They are not all reputable), send headshots and resumes to casting directors (the second half of my phase II which I will complete before month end), appear in showcases that casting directors attend, and continue to do all the marketing efforts you did prior to having an agent. You don't have an agent to take the place of your self-marketing efforts....you have an agent in addition to your self-marketing efforts.
A final note. The agency I visited today is literally at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. I parked in a lot directly across from the Capital Records building and on the way to and from the agency, traveled down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in which hundreds of large gold stars are embedded in the sidewalk with the names of famous actors and entertainers from the past and present. I walked by stars for Greer Garson, William Holden, Francis X Bushman, Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, and many, many others. I have to admit, I still get a big kick out of the tradition and landmarks of Hollywood and the rest of the LA area.
See you soon......
I met with one agency last Friday morning and another one this morning. I will be visiting the third agency a week from today. So far the results have been extremely gratifying, with both the agencies I have visited so far, offering to represent me. While I am pleased, it is really not something I thought would happen so quickly.
I will make a decision as to which agency I will go with after visiting the third agency next week. It too is one which people in the business recommend highly. This third agency is somewhat larger than the two I have visited so far, but size in this town is not a good criteria for evaluating an agency. Smaller agencies (or boutique agencies, as they are known in the business) have less talent agents and less clients, while larger agencies have more agents and more clients. Both types can do well, and all three of these agencies have a reputation of doing just that for the actors they represent.
Of course, getting representation by a quality agency is just the start for an actor in Hollywood. Next, you must get auditions (through your agent, and on your own), and then you must do well enough in those audition to get booked. Never the less, being represented by a quality agency is a vital first step, and it appears I have managed that first step, as I will be choosing an agency before the month is over.
I mentioned getting auditions through your agent and on your own. Having an agent in this town (or any other town for that matter) doesn't mean sitting by the phone, letting them do all the work, and waiting for them to call. You must work the other side of the street, so to speak, and constantly submit yourself for auditions through one of the local reputable services (NOTE TO ACTORS: They are not all reputable), send headshots and resumes to casting directors (the second half of my phase II which I will complete before month end), appear in showcases that casting directors attend, and continue to do all the marketing efforts you did prior to having an agent. You don't have an agent to take the place of your self-marketing efforts....you have an agent in addition to your self-marketing efforts.
A final note. The agency I visited today is literally at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. I parked in a lot directly across from the Capital Records building and on the way to and from the agency, traveled down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in which hundreds of large gold stars are embedded in the sidewalk with the names of famous actors and entertainers from the past and present. I walked by stars for Greer Garson, William Holden, Francis X Bushman, Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, and many, many others. I have to admit, I still get a big kick out of the tradition and landmarks of Hollywood and the rest of the LA area.
See you soon......
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
More About Phase II
In a previous blog entry, I mentioned Phase II in my journey as an actor in LA. Essentially, Phase II is a mass mailing, first to talent agents, and then to casting directors. Monday (two days ago), I completed the first half of Phase II and mailed out fifty one envelopes to local talent agencies. In each envelope was my headshot, resume and a cover letter explaining some things about me, and that I was seeking representation. Mailing them was just the tip of the iceberg, as it literally took hours to prepare those fifty one envelopes.
First, I took my headshot (in digital form on a USB storage device) to a company in LA called Reproductions, and had them print 200 headshots. While I was waiting on the headshots to be ready (only a two day turn around) I took my monthly copy of "The Agencies" and selected the fifty one agencies which I would contact. A good part of my selection criteria was that they would accept submissions from non union actors. Next, I used MS Word's mail merge to create a database from which the fifty one mailing labels, as well as the individually addressed cover letters were printed. You can buy pre-printed mailing labels for all the talent agencies if you do not want to create them yourself, but of course, there is a cost associated with that.
Once the headshots were ready, I printed my resume on the back of fifty one of them. These headshots are on heavy duty stock and are designed to have a resume printed on the reverse side. Printing resumes on the back of headshots far in advance is not a good idea, as your information can change over a period of time, but doing so just before you send or hand a resume to someone eliminates staples and makes for a cleaner looking headshot.
Sunday afternoon, I put all the contents in the envelopes, put the labels on, and was ready to mail them on Monday.
Today, I received phone calls from two of agencies I had contacted. I have an audition with one this coming Friday, and the other next Tuesday. Will more agencies contact me? Don't know. I'll keep you posted.
Until next time............
First, I took my headshot (in digital form on a USB storage device) to a company in LA called Reproductions, and had them print 200 headshots. While I was waiting on the headshots to be ready (only a two day turn around) I took my monthly copy of "The Agencies" and selected the fifty one agencies which I would contact. A good part of my selection criteria was that they would accept submissions from non union actors. Next, I used MS Word's mail merge to create a database from which the fifty one mailing labels, as well as the individually addressed cover letters were printed. You can buy pre-printed mailing labels for all the talent agencies if you do not want to create them yourself, but of course, there is a cost associated with that.
Once the headshots were ready, I printed my resume on the back of fifty one of them. These headshots are on heavy duty stock and are designed to have a resume printed on the reverse side. Printing resumes on the back of headshots far in advance is not a good idea, as your information can change over a period of time, but doing so just before you send or hand a resume to someone eliminates staples and makes for a cleaner looking headshot.
Sunday afternoon, I put all the contents in the envelopes, put the labels on, and was ready to mail them on Monday.
Today, I received phone calls from two of agencies I had contacted. I have an audition with one this coming Friday, and the other next Tuesday. Will more agencies contact me? Don't know. I'll keep you posted.
Until next time............
Monday, May 25, 2009
Shades of Gray
It has now been almost three months since I made the move to the LA area. My acting coach said that I would spend the first few months here learning "how the film industry in LA works", and he was dead on in that statement.
I've been far more fortunate than some in my first three months, auditioning for small roles in two NBC series, doing a commercial, as well as a small role in an independent film, which was produced by a solid company in the LA independent film community. Through those experiences and others, and as my acting coach predicted, I have began to learn how LA works, and oh boy, "We're not in Kansas anymore Toto."
Not yet having an agent, I have a service that emails me audition notices. They are on the up and up and have supplied me with good information. My role in the film was the result of an audition call I received from them. I also have a few other sources for auditions. One of the things I have learned is that when you get or see an audition call, you must respond to it immediately, not later, as fifty, one hundred, or more people are also responding to it within hours of it being posted. He who hesitates is quite literally lost when it comes to audition calls in LA.
Next, we come the title of this blog entry, shades of gray, which is a term my acting coach has used more than once. Here's what that means. The talent pool for any type category (young, old, heavy, thin, tall, short, what have you) in LA is populated with a multitude of good actors. When a casting director sits in his or her studio and has fifty or more actors come before them, all reading for the same role, they are not simply looking for the one or two actors who show they have the chops to do the role. Of those fifty plus actors, maybe a few are simply wrong for the role, or do not have the acting ability to handle it, another ten to twenty give OK auditions, but fall short of what the casting director is looking for, but of the rest....many give quality auditions and clearly have what it takes to do the role. What then causes that one individual to rise above the rest and to be cast in the role. That's where the shades of gray come into play. It can be the simplest nuance in an actor's audition that separates them from the rest. A raised eyebrow at the proper time, a look in their eyes that conveys what the character is feeling, a sneer, an unexpected smile, a struggle as the character fights to to find the right words, playing the role totally against the expected type, anything that makes the character believable and real, and makes the casting director take extra notice. One shade of gray less, or one shade of gray more in the actor's audition can make the difference in booking a role or not. Still, as I said in my last blog entry, if you are just one shade of gray away from booking the role, that means you did well and will probably be asked back to audition for other roles with that same casting director in the future.
Here is a highly immodest statement. I am a better actor than I was six months ago. And to that I say, so what! Being a better actor than you were six months ago in a town overflowing with good actors is certainly no guarantee for success. I will need to be a better actor in six months than I am now, to be competitive, and six months after that I will need to be still better.
There is an old saying that goes like this: "What was good enough to get you where you are today may not be good enough to keep you there". How true that is for an actor in LA.
If you are an actor thinking about making the move to LA, remember, more actors who try it fail than succeed. If that fact doesn't stop you then by all means move here, but when you do, be prepared to elevate your game and to learn about and utilize the shades of gray.
More later.......
I've been far more fortunate than some in my first three months, auditioning for small roles in two NBC series, doing a commercial, as well as a small role in an independent film, which was produced by a solid company in the LA independent film community. Through those experiences and others, and as my acting coach predicted, I have began to learn how LA works, and oh boy, "We're not in Kansas anymore Toto."
Not yet having an agent, I have a service that emails me audition notices. They are on the up and up and have supplied me with good information. My role in the film was the result of an audition call I received from them. I also have a few other sources for auditions. One of the things I have learned is that when you get or see an audition call, you must respond to it immediately, not later, as fifty, one hundred, or more people are also responding to it within hours of it being posted. He who hesitates is quite literally lost when it comes to audition calls in LA.
Next, we come the title of this blog entry, shades of gray, which is a term my acting coach has used more than once. Here's what that means. The talent pool for any type category (young, old, heavy, thin, tall, short, what have you) in LA is populated with a multitude of good actors. When a casting director sits in his or her studio and has fifty or more actors come before them, all reading for the same role, they are not simply looking for the one or two actors who show they have the chops to do the role. Of those fifty plus actors, maybe a few are simply wrong for the role, or do not have the acting ability to handle it, another ten to twenty give OK auditions, but fall short of what the casting director is looking for, but of the rest....many give quality auditions and clearly have what it takes to do the role. What then causes that one individual to rise above the rest and to be cast in the role. That's where the shades of gray come into play. It can be the simplest nuance in an actor's audition that separates them from the rest. A raised eyebrow at the proper time, a look in their eyes that conveys what the character is feeling, a sneer, an unexpected smile, a struggle as the character fights to to find the right words, playing the role totally against the expected type, anything that makes the character believable and real, and makes the casting director take extra notice. One shade of gray less, or one shade of gray more in the actor's audition can make the difference in booking a role or not. Still, as I said in my last blog entry, if you are just one shade of gray away from booking the role, that means you did well and will probably be asked back to audition for other roles with that same casting director in the future.
Here is a highly immodest statement. I am a better actor than I was six months ago. And to that I say, so what! Being a better actor than you were six months ago in a town overflowing with good actors is certainly no guarantee for success. I will need to be a better actor in six months than I am now, to be competitive, and six months after that I will need to be still better.
There is an old saying that goes like this: "What was good enough to get you where you are today may not be good enough to keep you there". How true that is for an actor in LA.
If you are an actor thinking about making the move to LA, remember, more actors who try it fail than succeed. If that fact doesn't stop you then by all means move here, but when you do, be prepared to elevate your game and to learn about and utilize the shades of gray.
More later.......
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Casting About
First a word of warning: While the actors among you might find the subject matter of this entry interesting, those of you who are non actors may find it about as much fun as watching paint dry. With that disclaimer out of the way, I'll proceed
In the LA Casting Director's Guide, which is published every two months, there are literally hundreds of casting directors listed. Besides all the pertinent contact information, the guide lists most casting director's likes and dislikes (more about that later), as well as what project(s) they are currently working on, and what projects they have worked on. In essence, it's a capsule of what each casting director is all about.
I have had several discussions with my acting coach, as to what is an actor's objective when you audition for one of these casting directors. At first look, it might seem like there is only one reason to audition, and that is to be cast in the role for which you are auditioning. Well, yes and no. Actually, there are two objectives.
To be sure, you want to be cast in the role, and through your talent, preparation, and professional conduct you do everything in your power to be into the character, give a good audition, and to make that happen. Of course, there are often conditions concerning an audition which are not within your power to influence. I am reminded of the experience of one of my past acting coaches. A very talented actor, she went into an audition and did exceedingly well. She was not cast, and then one day when talking with a friend who had been at the audition as an assistant to the casting director, she found out why. Yes, the friend said, she clearly had the best audition for the role, but she reminded the director (who was acting as the casting director for the film) so much of his ex wife that he couldn't stand to be in the same room with her. Actually, she was doomed the moment she walked through the door. Actors have no control over things like that and should only concentrate over what the can control.
If giving a good enough audition to be cast in the role is one objective, what is the other? Quite simply, it to earn the right to be considered by that casting director in the future when roles which fit your type arise. You may not be cast in the role for which you auditioned for a number of reasons. However, if you do a good job at the audition, and if you are confident and professional at all times (remember, an audition starts from the moment you walk through the door of the casting director's studio, and not when you say your first line) the casting director will have a favorable impression of you and will be willing to see you for other roles in the future.
As I said, in the Casting Director's Guide are listed the likes and dislikes for many (but not all) of the casting directors listed. They vary some, but there are several fairly universal dislikes, and one trait they all seem to like.
As for the dislikes, one is actors coming before them who have had the sides long enough to be prepared for the audition, but are not. They have not sufficiently studied the scene, or broken it down. They shoot from the hip, and hope that will be good enough. They have not done their homework. This is not a way to win a role, or to be asked back for future projects. A second dislike is being touched. Remember, casting directors may see fifty people a day and being pawed by fifty people is not something that any of us would want. At an audition for a film in which I was later cast, the director offered his hand at the end of the audition, and I shook hands with him. If a director or casting director makes a gesture like that, of course follow through with it, but don't touch them uninvited. A third dislike is obvious. Casting directors dislike actors who are not on time. There is an old adage for actors which goes like this: If you are early, you're on time....If you are on time, you're late....if you are late, you're fired. Good advice.
Again, while there were other things that casting directors like, this one was mentioned more often than any other. Casting directors like actors who are confident. This doesn't mean smug or over the top, just actors who exhibit a calm, confident manner. If you think about it, we all feel more comfortable with confident people than with those who are not.
One final thought about casting directors. Some actors seem to feel that a casting director is the enemy, when in truth, just the opposite is true. Their job is not an easy one and they are quite pleased when an actor comes before them and does the audition in a way that knocks their socks off. They want you to succeed, not fail. Many will offer some direction, and cast in the role or not, an actor should regard each audition as a learning tool. Our moms used to tell us to "Do our best, and have fun." Mom was right, as that's excellent advice for an actor in an audition.
See you soon...........
In the LA Casting Director's Guide, which is published every two months, there are literally hundreds of casting directors listed. Besides all the pertinent contact information, the guide lists most casting director's likes and dislikes (more about that later), as well as what project(s) they are currently working on, and what projects they have worked on. In essence, it's a capsule of what each casting director is all about.
I have had several discussions with my acting coach, as to what is an actor's objective when you audition for one of these casting directors. At first look, it might seem like there is only one reason to audition, and that is to be cast in the role for which you are auditioning. Well, yes and no. Actually, there are two objectives.
To be sure, you want to be cast in the role, and through your talent, preparation, and professional conduct you do everything in your power to be into the character, give a good audition, and to make that happen. Of course, there are often conditions concerning an audition which are not within your power to influence. I am reminded of the experience of one of my past acting coaches. A very talented actor, she went into an audition and did exceedingly well. She was not cast, and then one day when talking with a friend who had been at the audition as an assistant to the casting director, she found out why. Yes, the friend said, she clearly had the best audition for the role, but she reminded the director (who was acting as the casting director for the film) so much of his ex wife that he couldn't stand to be in the same room with her. Actually, she was doomed the moment she walked through the door. Actors have no control over things like that and should only concentrate over what the can control.
If giving a good enough audition to be cast in the role is one objective, what is the other? Quite simply, it to earn the right to be considered by that casting director in the future when roles which fit your type arise. You may not be cast in the role for which you auditioned for a number of reasons. However, if you do a good job at the audition, and if you are confident and professional at all times (remember, an audition starts from the moment you walk through the door of the casting director's studio, and not when you say your first line) the casting director will have a favorable impression of you and will be willing to see you for other roles in the future.
As I said, in the Casting Director's Guide are listed the likes and dislikes for many (but not all) of the casting directors listed. They vary some, but there are several fairly universal dislikes, and one trait they all seem to like.
As for the dislikes, one is actors coming before them who have had the sides long enough to be prepared for the audition, but are not. They have not sufficiently studied the scene, or broken it down. They shoot from the hip, and hope that will be good enough. They have not done their homework. This is not a way to win a role, or to be asked back for future projects. A second dislike is being touched. Remember, casting directors may see fifty people a day and being pawed by fifty people is not something that any of us would want. At an audition for a film in which I was later cast, the director offered his hand at the end of the audition, and I shook hands with him. If a director or casting director makes a gesture like that, of course follow through with it, but don't touch them uninvited. A third dislike is obvious. Casting directors dislike actors who are not on time. There is an old adage for actors which goes like this: If you are early, you're on time....If you are on time, you're late....if you are late, you're fired. Good advice.
Again, while there were other things that casting directors like, this one was mentioned more often than any other. Casting directors like actors who are confident. This doesn't mean smug or over the top, just actors who exhibit a calm, confident manner. If you think about it, we all feel more comfortable with confident people than with those who are not.
One final thought about casting directors. Some actors seem to feel that a casting director is the enemy, when in truth, just the opposite is true. Their job is not an easy one and they are quite pleased when an actor comes before them and does the audition in a way that knocks their socks off. They want you to succeed, not fail. Many will offer some direction, and cast in the role or not, an actor should regard each audition as a learning tool. Our moms used to tell us to "Do our best, and have fun." Mom was right, as that's excellent advice for an actor in an audition.
See you soon...........
Friday, May 15, 2009
Ebbs and Flows
I have mentioned before that even though breaking into the business of acting in LA is a full time job, there will be some down time when not much is happening, and so it is for me right now.
Quite some time ago (before being bitten by the acting bug), I spent a number of years selling information systems to hospitals. I once had a great run of selling a system to a different hospital, each month for six months in a row. That won me the salesman of the year award. I also had a run where I sold no systems for six months. That won me a trip to the sales manager's office to answer the question, "What's the problem?" Ebbs and flows.
I have had no auditions in the last month. One could get down over that, but the key is to not get too high when things are up ("Hey, just got a part in a good film."), or too low when they are down, like they are now. An even keel is a much better approach, plus the knowledge that slow times do not last forever, nor do the good times, as more than likely, they alternate.
My wife was here last weekend. She was attending a conference at Pepperdine University in Malibu and then stayed for three more days. That was the good news. The bad news was that at the exact same time she was here, I came down with the worst cold I have had in several years, and our plans to play tourist in Southern California, had to be postponed until her next trip down. It was wonderful seeing her, even though the circumstances were not the best.
The cold, of course, is why I haven't entered a new post in this blog in a while. I'm fine now, with only the irritating aftermath we all have from a cold, and I'm now back to my daily routine of audition board checking and again picking up my efforts to secure an agent, as well as putting my headshot and resume in front of as many casting directors as possible. It's good to "be back to work", and to put that miserable cold behind me. I have an acting lesson with my acting coach scheduled next Wednesday, and then I will really feel back in the swing of things.
Ebbs and Flows.
Talk with you later...........
Quite some time ago (before being bitten by the acting bug), I spent a number of years selling information systems to hospitals. I once had a great run of selling a system to a different hospital, each month for six months in a row. That won me the salesman of the year award. I also had a run where I sold no systems for six months. That won me a trip to the sales manager's office to answer the question, "What's the problem?" Ebbs and flows.
I have had no auditions in the last month. One could get down over that, but the key is to not get too high when things are up ("Hey, just got a part in a good film."), or too low when they are down, like they are now. An even keel is a much better approach, plus the knowledge that slow times do not last forever, nor do the good times, as more than likely, they alternate.
My wife was here last weekend. She was attending a conference at Pepperdine University in Malibu and then stayed for three more days. That was the good news. The bad news was that at the exact same time she was here, I came down with the worst cold I have had in several years, and our plans to play tourist in Southern California, had to be postponed until her next trip down. It was wonderful seeing her, even though the circumstances were not the best.
The cold, of course, is why I haven't entered a new post in this blog in a while. I'm fine now, with only the irritating aftermath we all have from a cold, and I'm now back to my daily routine of audition board checking and again picking up my efforts to secure an agent, as well as putting my headshot and resume in front of as many casting directors as possible. It's good to "be back to work", and to put that miserable cold behind me. I have an acting lesson with my acting coach scheduled next Wednesday, and then I will really feel back in the swing of things.
Ebbs and Flows.
Talk with you later...........
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A Salute, Long Overdue
Every actor, in fact most people in most professions, have a person or two who helped guide them to whatever level of success they occupy, and I'm certainly no different in that regard.
In this blog I have written much about my acting coach in Hollywood and what he has meant, and continues to mean to my acting career and aspirations. This is all true, and I owe him a great deal.
However, in my thirteen plus years of acting there is one other person, whom without their guidance and help, I would have never reached the point of even thinking about trying the LA acting market. I am careful in this blog not to mention many names, as I feel that protecting the privacy of the people in my professional life is important. However, in this one case, I am going to suspend that rule because this person deserves to be named and given the credit she deserves.
It all began one weekend morning, years ago, in Seattle, as I was reading the Sunday paper. In the entertainment section was a small notice, about a three hour introduction to voice-over class which was being offered that same afternoon, downtown. It sounded interesting, so I drove downtown, paid the course fee (not all that much, as I remember), and attended the class. I didn't realize it at the time, but that afternoon was to have a profound influence on the direction of my life.
At the end of the class, the instructor said there was a more advanced introduction to voice-over class the following weekend. I attended that as well. next, I asked the lady teaching the two classes if she had other classes. It turned out she was a full time acting coach who taught classes for actors of all levels. I quickly enrolled in her course for beginning actors, and thereby began a relationship with not only a fine acting coach, but a wonderful human being, as well.
That coach's name is Pat French, an institution among Seattle acting coaches. Pat is a fine actor, with many credits over her distinguished career. She has taught a number students over the years who have gone on to do some outstanding work in the theater, films, television, and voice-over.
I have taken a number of classes from Pat, as well as private lessons. Also, through her contacts in the business, I have attended workshops conducted by such renowned people as acting coach Tony Barr (his book, Acting For The Camera, is a must for all actors), and such highly regarded LA casting directors as Mark Malis and Paul Weber.
Pat, like my current acting coach, is no pushover, gushing with compliments every time you do a scene in her class or in a private lesson. If you did well, she will tell you, and if you didn't she will also tell you that, plus why and what to do to correct it. She makes you work, she makes you stretch your abilities, and best of all she constantly challenges you as an actor.
Here is an absolute fact. Without the guidance, the pushing, the influence of Pat French, I would never have been prepared to study with my current acting coach, and make the move to Southern California. In fact, if she had not entered my life, I wouldn't be an actor at all.
Pat is not only an influential acting coach, but she is also my friend. Both she and her husband (Jim, an extremely talented man in his own right) took me under their wing (Pat for acting, and Jim for writing) and for that I will be forever grateful
So to both Pat and Jim, I say thank you for your kindness, your friendship, and for all you have done for me.
More to come..........
In this blog I have written much about my acting coach in Hollywood and what he has meant, and continues to mean to my acting career and aspirations. This is all true, and I owe him a great deal.
However, in my thirteen plus years of acting there is one other person, whom without their guidance and help, I would have never reached the point of even thinking about trying the LA acting market. I am careful in this blog not to mention many names, as I feel that protecting the privacy of the people in my professional life is important. However, in this one case, I am going to suspend that rule because this person deserves to be named and given the credit she deserves.
It all began one weekend morning, years ago, in Seattle, as I was reading the Sunday paper. In the entertainment section was a small notice, about a three hour introduction to voice-over class which was being offered that same afternoon, downtown. It sounded interesting, so I drove downtown, paid the course fee (not all that much, as I remember), and attended the class. I didn't realize it at the time, but that afternoon was to have a profound influence on the direction of my life.
At the end of the class, the instructor said there was a more advanced introduction to voice-over class the following weekend. I attended that as well. next, I asked the lady teaching the two classes if she had other classes. It turned out she was a full time acting coach who taught classes for actors of all levels. I quickly enrolled in her course for beginning actors, and thereby began a relationship with not only a fine acting coach, but a wonderful human being, as well.
That coach's name is Pat French, an institution among Seattle acting coaches. Pat is a fine actor, with many credits over her distinguished career. She has taught a number students over the years who have gone on to do some outstanding work in the theater, films, television, and voice-over.
I have taken a number of classes from Pat, as well as private lessons. Also, through her contacts in the business, I have attended workshops conducted by such renowned people as acting coach Tony Barr (his book, Acting For The Camera, is a must for all actors), and such highly regarded LA casting directors as Mark Malis and Paul Weber.
Pat, like my current acting coach, is no pushover, gushing with compliments every time you do a scene in her class or in a private lesson. If you did well, she will tell you, and if you didn't she will also tell you that, plus why and what to do to correct it. She makes you work, she makes you stretch your abilities, and best of all she constantly challenges you as an actor.
Here is an absolute fact. Without the guidance, the pushing, the influence of Pat French, I would never have been prepared to study with my current acting coach, and make the move to Southern California. In fact, if she had not entered my life, I wouldn't be an actor at all.
Pat is not only an influential acting coach, but she is also my friend. Both she and her husband (Jim, an extremely talented man in his own right) took me under their wing (Pat for acting, and Jim for writing) and for that I will be forever grateful
So to both Pat and Jim, I say thank you for your kindness, your friendship, and for all you have done for me.
More to come..........
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Phase Two
After two months in LA, it is now time to begin phase two. That's probably a bit misleading as going to phase two doesn't mean stopping phase one at all, but instead, now phase one and two will run concurrently. Are you confused? I know I am so maybe I had better explain it to both of us. Phase one is taking lessons from my Hollywood acting coach and scouring the audition notices and services to see what film and/or TV work I might find. This has gone fairly well with one commercial (shot a couple of weeks ago), an audition for an infomercial, in which I was not cast, a small role in a film (which I shot on location,today), and of course my auditions for small roles in two NBC series, which I was fortunate to do several days after I arrived in town.
Today's shoot was only six miles or so from where I live (a rarity in LA to be working that close to home) and the director and crew couldn't have been nicer or more professional. It was a fun experience. The director has done some nice work on sci-fi films, although this film isn't sci-fi.
So, in addition to continuing what I have been doing, I must start exploring (phase two) the world of agents and casting directors via submissions of headshots, resumes and a short cover letter. Most are mailed, but some must be dropped off in person (oh goodie, more LA freeway driving. Don't you love it!). There are two magazines which are a great help. One is called "The Agencies" and list all agents, who they are looking for, are they SAG franchised or not (the "or not" being those who will work with non-union actors). "The Agencies" comes out on the first of every month. The other magazine comes out every two months and is called The "Casting Director Guide". It lists all casting directors, what they are working on, what they have worked on, and what type they are looking to audition in the near future. The magazine even lists the personal likes (showing confidence, being prepared, etc.) and dislikes (strong perfumes or shaving lotions, touching the casting director, etc.) of some of the casting directors. Finally in the front of the magazine is an alphabetical listing (a number of pages) of every TV and film project in town, and its status.
Samuel French bookstores (Studio City and Hollywood) are the major acting bookstores in the area and the magazines may be purchased there, or you may also subscribe to them and have them mailed to you. I drove to Studio City yesterday to buy both.
For phase two, I will need to have headshots printed. I brought about thirty with me (and have used eight or nine since being here.), but for phase two I will need at least a couple of hundred. I will also need to prepare mailing labels. You can buy them pre-printed, but I have decided to enter the information myself (from the two magazines) and prepare them on my computer. Finally, there is the cost of postage, which wont be small, since before it's done (over the course of several months), I will be mailing a hundred to a hundred and fifty headshots. The purpose of all of this is to find an agent to represent me, and to put my face in front of as many casting directors as possible. it's all part of the marketing side of being an actor, and believe me when I say, represented by an agent or not, you must market yourself non-stop in this town, so as not to be buried by the thousands of actors all jockeying for agents, auditions, and roles in film, TV, and commercials. If you are planning on making the move to LA, bring a computer and printer, and know how to use them. Hitting town and quickly getting a top agent and landing a big role may happen in the movies, but very seldom in real life.
Last Wednesday, I had my best lesson ever with my acting coach. He had me do four cold reads (no preparation the day before). The first one went really well and he said it was "book it" quality, both the first and second times through. The second cold read, went very well, but not quite as well as the first, the third was again right on target, and the fourth one was only slightly below that. My acting coach does not give out compliments left and right, and when he tells me I did something that was the 'book it" quality that most casting directors are looking for, I have to believe him. Each lesson with him is an insight into what it takes to succeed in acting in LA, and it also tells me how close I am to that standard. It's my yardstick, and it was a highly encouraging hour that I spent with him, last week, as I moved a few inches higher on that stick.
More later...........
Today's shoot was only six miles or so from where I live (a rarity in LA to be working that close to home) and the director and crew couldn't have been nicer or more professional. It was a fun experience. The director has done some nice work on sci-fi films, although this film isn't sci-fi.
So, in addition to continuing what I have been doing, I must start exploring (phase two) the world of agents and casting directors via submissions of headshots, resumes and a short cover letter. Most are mailed, but some must be dropped off in person (oh goodie, more LA freeway driving. Don't you love it!). There are two magazines which are a great help. One is called "The Agencies" and list all agents, who they are looking for, are they SAG franchised or not (the "or not" being those who will work with non-union actors). "The Agencies" comes out on the first of every month. The other magazine comes out every two months and is called The "Casting Director Guide". It lists all casting directors, what they are working on, what they have worked on, and what type they are looking to audition in the near future. The magazine even lists the personal likes (showing confidence, being prepared, etc.) and dislikes (strong perfumes or shaving lotions, touching the casting director, etc.) of some of the casting directors. Finally in the front of the magazine is an alphabetical listing (a number of pages) of every TV and film project in town, and its status.
Samuel French bookstores (Studio City and Hollywood) are the major acting bookstores in the area and the magazines may be purchased there, or you may also subscribe to them and have them mailed to you. I drove to Studio City yesterday to buy both.
For phase two, I will need to have headshots printed. I brought about thirty with me (and have used eight or nine since being here.), but for phase two I will need at least a couple of hundred. I will also need to prepare mailing labels. You can buy them pre-printed, but I have decided to enter the information myself (from the two magazines) and prepare them on my computer. Finally, there is the cost of postage, which wont be small, since before it's done (over the course of several months), I will be mailing a hundred to a hundred and fifty headshots. The purpose of all of this is to find an agent to represent me, and to put my face in front of as many casting directors as possible. it's all part of the marketing side of being an actor, and believe me when I say, represented by an agent or not, you must market yourself non-stop in this town, so as not to be buried by the thousands of actors all jockeying for agents, auditions, and roles in film, TV, and commercials. If you are planning on making the move to LA, bring a computer and printer, and know how to use them. Hitting town and quickly getting a top agent and landing a big role may happen in the movies, but very seldom in real life.
Last Wednesday, I had my best lesson ever with my acting coach. He had me do four cold reads (no preparation the day before). The first one went really well and he said it was "book it" quality, both the first and second times through. The second cold read, went very well, but not quite as well as the first, the third was again right on target, and the fourth one was only slightly below that. My acting coach does not give out compliments left and right, and when he tells me I did something that was the 'book it" quality that most casting directors are looking for, I have to believe him. Each lesson with him is an insight into what it takes to succeed in acting in LA, and it also tells me how close I am to that standard. It's my yardstick, and it was a highly encouraging hour that I spent with him, last week, as I moved a few inches higher on that stick.
More later...........
Monday, April 27, 2009
Potpourri
The Jerry Seinfield show used to say their show was a show about nothing. The same might very well be said about this blog entry, as it is somewhat of a jumbled collection of thoughts, happenings, and other things that move through my life.
LA weather is usually great until it isn't. I found that out last week when on two successive days the high temperature was ninety eight one day and over a hundred the next. Then, just as quickly as it started, it was over, as the daily high temperature quickly fell into the sixties.
Day after tomorrow I have another acting lesson in Hollywood. It may be my last one for a few weeks, as my acting coach will be out of town for a while pursing his interests in Seattle and Chicago. As always I can expect the lesson to be fairly intense, as he is not at all shy about putting you through the paces. If one is looking for an easy "Oh that was so wonderful" type of acting coach, he's not it, and that is exactly why I like him, and why I feel I progress as an actor with every lesson I take from him. As I have said before, I don't often reveal names in this blog, such as acting coaches, casting directors, product names in commercials, and so forth. However, some of my actor friends know who my acting coach is, and to them I say, study with this man every chance you get, and you will become a better actor for having done so.
This past Friday I had a very enjoyable evening with Bill Thomson and his wife, Bill being a very influential music professor from my college days. Bill went on to serve on the faculty of several universities, before becoming the Dean of Music at USC. Bill gave a talk to a large audience about the history of jazz in the LA area. His talk was fascinating, and was followed by a buffet, and then by a good jazz quartet, fronted by an excellent alto sax man. I finished the evening back at the Thompson's house (in Pasadena), where over a glass of good wine, the three of us talked about music, college days, jazz, and what have you. It was a fun evening.
This coming Sunday, I shoot my scene (yes, I have but one) in the film in which I play an embarrassed priest. I got very lucky in the location for Sunday's shoot, as it's in Sherman Oaks, which is less than ten miles from where I live. I could easily travel sixty or seventy miles from where I live and still be in the LA area. Sometimes life hands you a little luck, I guess.
Well, you were warned that this was really a blog entry about nothing, but the good news is that it's fairly short. Perhaps I'll have more pertinent things to say in my next entry.
Later........
LA weather is usually great until it isn't. I found that out last week when on two successive days the high temperature was ninety eight one day and over a hundred the next. Then, just as quickly as it started, it was over, as the daily high temperature quickly fell into the sixties.
Day after tomorrow I have another acting lesson in Hollywood. It may be my last one for a few weeks, as my acting coach will be out of town for a while pursing his interests in Seattle and Chicago. As always I can expect the lesson to be fairly intense, as he is not at all shy about putting you through the paces. If one is looking for an easy "Oh that was so wonderful" type of acting coach, he's not it, and that is exactly why I like him, and why I feel I progress as an actor with every lesson I take from him. As I have said before, I don't often reveal names in this blog, such as acting coaches, casting directors, product names in commercials, and so forth. However, some of my actor friends know who my acting coach is, and to them I say, study with this man every chance you get, and you will become a better actor for having done so.
This past Friday I had a very enjoyable evening with Bill Thomson and his wife, Bill being a very influential music professor from my college days. Bill went on to serve on the faculty of several universities, before becoming the Dean of Music at USC. Bill gave a talk to a large audience about the history of jazz in the LA area. His talk was fascinating, and was followed by a buffet, and then by a good jazz quartet, fronted by an excellent alto sax man. I finished the evening back at the Thompson's house (in Pasadena), where over a glass of good wine, the three of us talked about music, college days, jazz, and what have you. It was a fun evening.
This coming Sunday, I shoot my scene (yes, I have but one) in the film in which I play an embarrassed priest. I got very lucky in the location for Sunday's shoot, as it's in Sherman Oaks, which is less than ten miles from where I live. I could easily travel sixty or seventy miles from where I live and still be in the LA area. Sometimes life hands you a little luck, I guess.
Well, you were warned that this was really a blog entry about nothing, but the good news is that it's fairly short. Perhaps I'll have more pertinent things to say in my next entry.
Later........
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Actor's Ladder Of Success - LA Style
Not only do actors in LA come in all shapes sizes, nationalities, and ages, they all stand on different rungs on the ladder of success. I'm not going to try and tell you how many rungs are on that ladder, as quite frankly, I don't know. I suspect the number of rungs on that ladder change depending on who is discussing them. I have also been in LA long enough to know that how I see things now, may not necessarily be the way I will see things, as I become more experienced in the ways of Hollywood.
However, I can identify some of the major rungs on that elusive ladder of success so many of us are climbing. First, and most obvious are the top and bottom rungs of the ladder. At the top, are the established stars. They command huge salaries per picture, they sometimes delve into the production end of things (like George Clooney), and they sometimes direct (like Clint Eastwood). They have arrived. They are the standard. They have set the bar. At the opposite end of that ladder, is the bottom rung of people who almost never get cast in anything. Bless their hearts, they try, sometimes for years, but for whatever reason, it just never falls their way. I'm excluding newcomers like myself from being on any rung, since it takes probably at least a year to find even your starting place in this town. So we newcomers must first find the ladder and then begin our climb.
On the next rung up the ladder are those people who work in various projects (usually non union) like small commercials, independent films (short and feature) and so forth. As I said, I don't yet consider myself to be standing on any rung on that ladder, but I may at least have a hand hold on the rung I just mentioned, on the strength of a commercial I recently shot, and because of the small part I have in a non union film, which is shooting over the next two weeks.
Above that rung are the people who work fairly regularly. Some may be non union, but most are union, and they have carved out a reputation for themselves which keeps casting directors bringing them in for auditions and often casting them in small parts, sometimes in major films and television productions, other times in lesser productions. Strangely, there are a few in this group who do mainly extra work. Again, they have become known by the people who cast extras, they have an interesting look, and they are reliable. They are professional extras (almost all of whom are SAG, AFTRA, etc.) and work quite steadily.
On the next rung are the people who work larger parts in films and TV shows. They are not the guest star on a TV show, or even the second guest star, but play the judge, the girlfriend or wife, the detective asking questions, the bartender with the friendly ear, the doctor talking with the family after an operation, the first lieutenant to the crime lord, and so forth. They work enough that you recognize their face when you watch television or go to the movies, but you just can't quite remember their name.
Next, are the guest stars on television, and maybe they also are seen as the third lead in a film, or in a strong character role. You certainly recognize these actors and many times you do remember their names. They have become known quantities. They have arrived, but are still a couple of rungs from the top.
Then you have the recognizable actors who get the second billing in films. Most do well financially, are respected actors, and are just a short stones throw from the top rung. Some are older character actors, while others are lead types who will be the next generation on that very top rung.
Of course being on any rung is not permanent. All of us who are not on the top rung, are striving to get to the next rung, and then the next and so forth. The people who occupy the top rung are striving to stay there. And, of course, a few icons, are on the top rung for as long as they care to be. They are permanent fixtures. Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, and many others are permanent residents of that rung. Paul Newman was a permanent fixture there until his death.
Some people go up the ladder, some go down, some fall off, and some get off the ladder by choice, as their interests change. Occasionally, a newcomer to town hits the ladder and whizzes straight to the top. It's rare, but it happens.
So, with my feet still on the ground, but with a hand clamped around one of the lowest rungs on that ladder of success, I am but one of thousands determined to see if I can climb it, and if so, how far. Whatever the outcome, I have already learned, it's quite an amazing journey.
More to come........
However, I can identify some of the major rungs on that elusive ladder of success so many of us are climbing. First, and most obvious are the top and bottom rungs of the ladder. At the top, are the established stars. They command huge salaries per picture, they sometimes delve into the production end of things (like George Clooney), and they sometimes direct (like Clint Eastwood). They have arrived. They are the standard. They have set the bar. At the opposite end of that ladder, is the bottom rung of people who almost never get cast in anything. Bless their hearts, they try, sometimes for years, but for whatever reason, it just never falls their way. I'm excluding newcomers like myself from being on any rung, since it takes probably at least a year to find even your starting place in this town. So we newcomers must first find the ladder and then begin our climb.
On the next rung up the ladder are those people who work in various projects (usually non union) like small commercials, independent films (short and feature) and so forth. As I said, I don't yet consider myself to be standing on any rung on that ladder, but I may at least have a hand hold on the rung I just mentioned, on the strength of a commercial I recently shot, and because of the small part I have in a non union film, which is shooting over the next two weeks.
Above that rung are the people who work fairly regularly. Some may be non union, but most are union, and they have carved out a reputation for themselves which keeps casting directors bringing them in for auditions and often casting them in small parts, sometimes in major films and television productions, other times in lesser productions. Strangely, there are a few in this group who do mainly extra work. Again, they have become known by the people who cast extras, they have an interesting look, and they are reliable. They are professional extras (almost all of whom are SAG, AFTRA, etc.) and work quite steadily.
On the next rung are the people who work larger parts in films and TV shows. They are not the guest star on a TV show, or even the second guest star, but play the judge, the girlfriend or wife, the detective asking questions, the bartender with the friendly ear, the doctor talking with the family after an operation, the first lieutenant to the crime lord, and so forth. They work enough that you recognize their face when you watch television or go to the movies, but you just can't quite remember their name.
Next, are the guest stars on television, and maybe they also are seen as the third lead in a film, or in a strong character role. You certainly recognize these actors and many times you do remember their names. They have become known quantities. They have arrived, but are still a couple of rungs from the top.
Then you have the recognizable actors who get the second billing in films. Most do well financially, are respected actors, and are just a short stones throw from the top rung. Some are older character actors, while others are lead types who will be the next generation on that very top rung.
Of course being on any rung is not permanent. All of us who are not on the top rung, are striving to get to the next rung, and then the next and so forth. The people who occupy the top rung are striving to stay there. And, of course, a few icons, are on the top rung for as long as they care to be. They are permanent fixtures. Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, and many others are permanent residents of that rung. Paul Newman was a permanent fixture there until his death.
Some people go up the ladder, some go down, some fall off, and some get off the ladder by choice, as their interests change. Occasionally, a newcomer to town hits the ladder and whizzes straight to the top. It's rare, but it happens.
So, with my feet still on the ground, but with a hand clamped around one of the lowest rungs on that ladder of success, I am but one of thousands determined to see if I can climb it, and if so, how far. Whatever the outcome, I have already learned, it's quite an amazing journey.
More to come........
Friday, April 17, 2009
First Blood
After being in LA for almost seven weeks, I have my first paying job....actually my first two paying jobs. Since I am not yet a member of SAG or AFTRA, both are of course, non union. One is a commercial for an electronic scooter, in which I play an oil company CEO talking about how much oil we use in this country, and about how we need to drill for even more. This is cleverly superimposed (I have seen a prototype of the commercial) over the information about the scooter, which uses no oil. I shoot the commercial tonight.
I also have been cast in a small role in a film as a priest who is caught in a compromising position. It's a scene played for laughs, and should be fun to do. Shooting starts tomorrow for several weeks, and I have not as of yet received my call times. I did receive a call from the wardrobe mistress of the film yesterday, asking about my sizes, and an email this morning saying that my call times would be coming shortly.
I by no means will be getting rich off either part, but it's paid work and it's a start.
My last acting lesson with my acting coach earlier this week, was a real eye opener for me, and I need to practice and use the things he pointed out to me in that lesson. Here's a solid fact for all of us already in the Hollywood area, and for any of you who are thinking about making the move. What was good enough to get you here, is not necessarily good enough to keep you here. By that I mean you must elevate your game, so to speak, to the next level, or perhaps even the next two levels to be competitive in this area. This is certainly true for major studio film and television work, and is even true to a lessor degree for non union work. The television commercial I am shooting tonight received over fifty submissions for the part in which I was cast, within twenty four hours after it was posted. I heard that straight from the producer, and that is a relatively low number, as it is not at all uncommon for a single role to receive hundreds of submission from agents and actors. Every role in LA, Union and non union, is highly competitive. So whatever was good enough to get you work in Seattle, Phoenix, San Antonio, or Little Rock needs to be taken up a notch or two once you get to LA, and that is exactly what I'm working on with my acting coach. I'm still very much a work in progress, with progress being the key word. Yes, he and I can see that progress in each lesson, but more is needed if I am to be really successful in the LA acting market. Time will tell.
Until next time.........
I also have been cast in a small role in a film as a priest who is caught in a compromising position. It's a scene played for laughs, and should be fun to do. Shooting starts tomorrow for several weeks, and I have not as of yet received my call times. I did receive a call from the wardrobe mistress of the film yesterday, asking about my sizes, and an email this morning saying that my call times would be coming shortly.
I by no means will be getting rich off either part, but it's paid work and it's a start.
My last acting lesson with my acting coach earlier this week, was a real eye opener for me, and I need to practice and use the things he pointed out to me in that lesson. Here's a solid fact for all of us already in the Hollywood area, and for any of you who are thinking about making the move. What was good enough to get you here, is not necessarily good enough to keep you here. By that I mean you must elevate your game, so to speak, to the next level, or perhaps even the next two levels to be competitive in this area. This is certainly true for major studio film and television work, and is even true to a lessor degree for non union work. The television commercial I am shooting tonight received over fifty submissions for the part in which I was cast, within twenty four hours after it was posted. I heard that straight from the producer, and that is a relatively low number, as it is not at all uncommon for a single role to receive hundreds of submission from agents and actors. Every role in LA, Union and non union, is highly competitive. So whatever was good enough to get you work in Seattle, Phoenix, San Antonio, or Little Rock needs to be taken up a notch or two once you get to LA, and that is exactly what I'm working on with my acting coach. I'm still very much a work in progress, with progress being the key word. Yes, he and I can see that progress in each lesson, but more is needed if I am to be really successful in the LA acting market. Time will tell.
Until next time.........
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Learning LA 101
No, the title of this entry doesn't refer to the freeway, which I live near in Southern California, but rather to this basic 101 courses we all took in college, no matter what our major.
My acting coach, told me that for the first few months after moving here, I would be learning how Hollywood, and the film and TV industry works in LA. I didn't give it all that much thought when he first mentioned it, but now I am beginning to see what he means.
In an earlier entry I explained how getting your SAG card as as an extra works. While what I told you wasn't incorrect, it was incomplete. It is true that if you work as an extra on three SAG films, and get a voucher for each film, you are then what is known as SAG eligible , and can join SAG whenever you want. However, here's the straight skinny on that. First, SAG films are required to hire so many SAG extras before they hire any non union extras. That, in essence, reduces the number of non union extras needed for each film. Secondly, voucher's for non union extras are not automatic, but instead are very subjective in that the First AD and the director have the absolute final say as to who, among the non union extras who have worked on a film, get a voucher and who does not (or in many cases, simply are not considered, and, therefore, left out). Conceivably, you could work many more SAG films as an extra than three, to finally get your three vouchers.
There is another route (several routes, actually) in getting your SAG card. You can join AFTRA. This takes no eligibility and anyone may join AFTRA any time they choose (with the initiation fee being roughly half of what the SAG initiation fee is). Then after one year, and providing you have had a principal role in an AFTRA sanctioned production, you are also considered SAG eligible, and may join at any time. I am not a stage actors, but members of Actor's Equity have that same rule about becoming SAG eligible.
Another way is to audition for, and be cast in a speaking role in a SAG film. This also makes you SAG eligible. However, this means you would have to be cast over the SAG actors who audition for the same role, and for casting a non SAG actor, the production company must pay a fine to SAG. It's not a huge amount, but it does add to their production costs. Does this ever happen? Sure, but not all that often.
So my education as a new actor in LA continues. In the meantime I am continuing to audition for roles in non union films (of which there are many), as I think about and plan for getting an agent. Speaking of auditions, I have an audition for the role of a priest tomorrow in a feature film. It's a small role, but newbies like myself audition when and where they can,
Yes, I know I have mentioned this before, but for those of you who read this who are musicians, you will particularly understand my feeling, as I drive by the Capitol Records building, as I take the Gower Street exit each time I drive to my acting coach's studio in Hollywood. Of course famous entertainment business locations and buildings are sprinkled all over this area. In Burbank you drive by NBC studios (the Tonight Show, with Jay Leno), Warner Brothers studios, and the Disney Studios. And of course nearby are Universal studios, and in Hollywood there's Sunset Gower Studios. While not as well known as the others it is the home to some well known TV shows (Heros and The Office, being two of them). Just a couple of blocks from the Sunset Gower Studios is the famous intersection of Sunset and Vine, and the Hollywood walk of fame.
Well, that's it for now. Talk with you soon............
My acting coach, told me that for the first few months after moving here, I would be learning how Hollywood, and the film and TV industry works in LA. I didn't give it all that much thought when he first mentioned it, but now I am beginning to see what he means.
In an earlier entry I explained how getting your SAG card as as an extra works. While what I told you wasn't incorrect, it was incomplete. It is true that if you work as an extra on three SAG films, and get a voucher for each film, you are then what is known as SAG eligible , and can join SAG whenever you want. However, here's the straight skinny on that. First, SAG films are required to hire so many SAG extras before they hire any non union extras. That, in essence, reduces the number of non union extras needed for each film. Secondly, voucher's for non union extras are not automatic, but instead are very subjective in that the First AD and the director have the absolute final say as to who, among the non union extras who have worked on a film, get a voucher and who does not (or in many cases, simply are not considered, and, therefore, left out). Conceivably, you could work many more SAG films as an extra than three, to finally get your three vouchers.
There is another route (several routes, actually) in getting your SAG card. You can join AFTRA. This takes no eligibility and anyone may join AFTRA any time they choose (with the initiation fee being roughly half of what the SAG initiation fee is). Then after one year, and providing you have had a principal role in an AFTRA sanctioned production, you are also considered SAG eligible, and may join at any time. I am not a stage actors, but members of Actor's Equity have that same rule about becoming SAG eligible.
Another way is to audition for, and be cast in a speaking role in a SAG film. This also makes you SAG eligible. However, this means you would have to be cast over the SAG actors who audition for the same role, and for casting a non SAG actor, the production company must pay a fine to SAG. It's not a huge amount, but it does add to their production costs. Does this ever happen? Sure, but not all that often.
So my education as a new actor in LA continues. In the meantime I am continuing to audition for roles in non union films (of which there are many), as I think about and plan for getting an agent. Speaking of auditions, I have an audition for the role of a priest tomorrow in a feature film. It's a small role, but newbies like myself audition when and where they can,
Yes, I know I have mentioned this before, but for those of you who read this who are musicians, you will particularly understand my feeling, as I drive by the Capitol Records building, as I take the Gower Street exit each time I drive to my acting coach's studio in Hollywood. Of course famous entertainment business locations and buildings are sprinkled all over this area. In Burbank you drive by NBC studios (the Tonight Show, with Jay Leno), Warner Brothers studios, and the Disney Studios. And of course nearby are Universal studios, and in Hollywood there's Sunset Gower Studios. While not as well known as the others it is the home to some well known TV shows (Heros and The Office, being two of them). Just a couple of blocks from the Sunset Gower Studios is the famous intersection of Sunset and Vine, and the Hollywood walk of fame.
Well, that's it for now. Talk with you soon............
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Seeing LA For The First Time, All Over Again
I have, in the past, made many trips to LA. Most were business trips for various companies for which I toiled, prior to going into acting some thirteen years ago. As all of you know who have traveled on business, you see the airport, your hotel, your client or prospect or convention, a few restaurants and the freeways, and that's about it. As I used to tell people, business travel is like flying to another city so you can get up at 6:00 AM and go to work.
Now that I live in the greater sprawl called LA, it's like seeing it for the first time. Most cities have one, maybe two famous landmarks (The Space Needle, The Alamo, The Golden Gate Bridge, and so forth). LA, on the other hand, has a multitude of them, which you pass in your everyday travels around the area.
On the way to my acting lesson in Hollywood this past Wednesday, I passed the famous circular Capitol Records building, The distributor of records (and then CDs) for Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton (for you jazz fans) and many other great musical artists.
Besides the famous Hollywood sign above Hollywood, there are Warner Brothers Studios, The NBC studios, Disney Studios, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, Disneyland, the Santa Monica Pier, The Venice Ocean front walk, Mulholland Drive (with fantastic views), The Rose Bowl, all manner of museums and art galleries, The Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many, many more.
I mentioned in earlier entries that while I must never forget the reason I'm here, or my goal, one has to take some time to see and enjoy the many sights and activities available in LA. A little relaxation is good for the soul and keeps you balanced. So next week I am going to the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, where some 160 plus Hollywood celebrities have left foot prints, hand prints, hoof prints (Gene Autry's horse) and other assorted prints. Oh yes, they also show first run films. It should be easy to find as it is on Hollywood Blvd., less than a mile from my acting coach's studio, which by the way, I can now find without using my GPS.
In my acting lesson last Wednesday I was far less rusty than I was in the one before, and it went pretty well. My acting coach puts each lesson on a DVD for you, and watching it later makes a great review of what you did in the lesson (both right and wrong).
No matter the training, experience, or level of talent an actor had before coming to LA, they must push it up a level or two in order to be competitive in this marketplace. There is an old adage which says "What was good enough to get you where you are today, may not necessarily be good enough to keep you there." That is quite true of the acting scene in LA. While there is tons of work for actors in LA, there are multitudes of good actors vying for that work. For every role you will be competing with the best. It's a challenge which I welcome, and my acting coach is helping me to move towards meeting that challenge.
Well, I've rambled on long enough for one day. Saturday chores await, and then maybe I'll get out and about some, and discover more about LA.
Later...............
Now that I live in the greater sprawl called LA, it's like seeing it for the first time. Most cities have one, maybe two famous landmarks (The Space Needle, The Alamo, The Golden Gate Bridge, and so forth). LA, on the other hand, has a multitude of them, which you pass in your everyday travels around the area.
On the way to my acting lesson in Hollywood this past Wednesday, I passed the famous circular Capitol Records building, The distributor of records (and then CDs) for Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton (for you jazz fans) and many other great musical artists.
Besides the famous Hollywood sign above Hollywood, there are Warner Brothers Studios, The NBC studios, Disney Studios, Paramount Studios, Universal Studios, Disneyland, the Santa Monica Pier, The Venice Ocean front walk, Mulholland Drive (with fantastic views), The Rose Bowl, all manner of museums and art galleries, The Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many, many more.
I mentioned in earlier entries that while I must never forget the reason I'm here, or my goal, one has to take some time to see and enjoy the many sights and activities available in LA. A little relaxation is good for the soul and keeps you balanced. So next week I am going to the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, where some 160 plus Hollywood celebrities have left foot prints, hand prints, hoof prints (Gene Autry's horse) and other assorted prints. Oh yes, they also show first run films. It should be easy to find as it is on Hollywood Blvd., less than a mile from my acting coach's studio, which by the way, I can now find without using my GPS.
In my acting lesson last Wednesday I was far less rusty than I was in the one before, and it went pretty well. My acting coach puts each lesson on a DVD for you, and watching it later makes a great review of what you did in the lesson (both right and wrong).
No matter the training, experience, or level of talent an actor had before coming to LA, they must push it up a level or two in order to be competitive in this marketplace. There is an old adage which says "What was good enough to get you where you are today, may not necessarily be good enough to keep you there." That is quite true of the acting scene in LA. While there is tons of work for actors in LA, there are multitudes of good actors vying for that work. For every role you will be competing with the best. It's a challenge which I welcome, and my acting coach is helping me to move towards meeting that challenge.
Well, I've rambled on long enough for one day. Saturday chores await, and then maybe I'll get out and about some, and discover more about LA.
Later...............
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