Have you ever submitted something to a CD, or an agent, or even a producer; then called to get feedback and didnt get an answer? How many times did you ask your team (agent/ manager/ director) a question only to get ignored or even worse just a vague approximation to an answer?
Sometimes we stop asking because we fear our persistence will be seen as an annoyance. We think that if we keep insisting they will get tired maybe even to the point of “dropping” us, so we get frustrated thinking they arent taking us seriously. But here is the truth; you are just as responsible as they are for this vicious cycle. If when you dont get a reply you merely let it go, thinking well, I will find out eventually. Then you are giving the message, through your actions, that its OK for them NOT to answer you.
If on the other hand you insist (without ever becoming offensive or insulting) they will get the message, again through your actions, that you are someone who has to be answered. Someone who demands a response. The easiest way to do this? To simply hit the RESEND button. Your agent hasnt gotten back to you in over 2 hours responding to your question? Simply take the last email you sent with the question and click resend. Its been 4 hours? Simply Simply hit RESEND again.
Not only will you get a response if you keep doing this, but you will prevent future uncertainty (which is a cause for major stress and frustration in most actors). From now on the thoughts in their mind will be more along the lines of: “We better answer this because he will not just forget”.
And heres the funny part. All those worries about whether or not they would be annoyed by your persistence will vanish as soon as you get an answer and see the results of your assertiveness. Keep in mind that every successful filmmaker or actor WAS annoying until he could afford to pay someone to be annoying for him. And no one will think of your persistence as annoying when you are making them money, or when you are winning awards on a stage. All they will know is that moment.
Normally one shouldn’t have to wonder if the person beside them, carrying out the same job, is getting paid the same. But curiosity killed the cat as they say, and we have all been there before. You look at another actor with similar amount of text as you and question if he’s getting the same amount of money. Or another writer on the same show as you, or a director…whatever the case. The answer is most likely: NO. Lets take the first as an example: Salaries for actors have a set minimum if the project is unionized, and you will never be taken advantage of being paid less than established, but once the minimum is set, there is no bar or law that establishes equality among cast. So he or she may be earning more than you. It mainly depends on two things: Experience and representation. Experience is more about your popularity among the industry or, in special cases, the lack of other capable of carrying out the job. If you have been in very popular shows, and your face or name is one the audience knows, then the more likely they will want you as opposed to an "Unknown". Representation all depends on how well your agent can negotiate your contract. Generally it is something we cant or don’t play a part in, but simply must trust our agent does his or her best on. After all, the more money they get us, the more money they get themselves. If they can sell you well, and know when to take a risk asking for more pay, then the more likely you will get a higher paycheck. The one mistake we can make is to ask others on the job how much they get paid. It is more likely to cause problems (for you, your agent, theirs, the producers or anyone else) than it is to satisfy our curiosity. If you want to know about the average paycheck, and you feel it is not (Pay attention this is crucial), I repeat NOT inappropriate because the relationship is not strictly proffesional, then you may ask how.. Continue reading AVOID THIS COMMON MISTAKE IN BUSINESS AT ALL COSTS…
Let alone being honest and listening to a Casting Director or the reader. The worst part about this particular problem comes when the role strictly requires a certain dialect. Obviously NOTHING, not even a casting director you says they want a Standard British Accent should make you compromise the level of work and talent you put into the actual performance, so if push comes to shove, ditch the accent and make sure the performance is so good they are willing to oversee that detail. If they really love you they might work with you once you have the part.
But what is certainly very clear, is that investing in a good vocal coach and feeling comfortable with a few "type" appropriate dialects is well worth the investment either way. Some of the most common include: RP, Standard British, Russian, French, Italian, Mexican and Spanish, Southern or African.
For example, here we have a woman who feels confident enough in 21 different ones;
So I finally gave in and spent 15 dollars to go see AVATAR this weekend.The visual effects of the movie are in no doubt in a league of their own and so will not be the focus of what I am going to discuss. To the thousands of graphic artists involved from sketching and concept, to animation 3-D or lighting… BRAVO!.
Now, what I really wanted to review is the "substance or lack-there-of" of this multi-million dollar investment. AVATAR rumors and hype have circulated the net and subsequently our TV screens for months. Fans have written reviews before even seeing it, and not-so-fans hated it likewise. Honestly, if forced to choose… I was in the latter group. Not that I am not a fan of James Camerons previous work. I loved Alien (all of them), Terminator, The Abyss, Titanic, and even had a soft spot for Jamie Curtis doing her awkward strip-tease in True Lies…BUT after reading and hearing so much about AVATAR I pretty much decided prematurely that it was a retold combination of "Ferngully" and "Dances with wolves" starring some very large smurfs!
Little did I know how only 15 minutes into the movie I would come to find Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of a snarky scientist with a die-hard smoking habit mildly amusing. Even the typically bland Sam Worthington gained life when inside the avatar body with the help of the FX people! And the parts of the storyline you expect and can get "cliche" (and there are plenty) were easily overlooked. Zoe Saldana (although the least recognizable of the cast) was also funny and suprisingly exciting to watch.
Hype normally becomes a problem for moviegoers (not for the studios) because high expectations are usually not met. In this case, I think it somehow set me up for disappointment in that it made me believe it would be another substance-lacking boring-as-hell blockbuster in the same league as "Transformers 2" or "Surrogates" has been this year. And so I was almost blown away when presented with a movie I would actually want to go pay for and see AGAIN. Here is a filmmaker who, albeit not exactly "artistic" in the pure sense, has proven me wrong in thinking all Hollywood needs to make good action movies are bombs, robots and A-listers. To Mr Cameron; I congratulate you on another great action flick.
On one of my first auditions the casting director told my manager I was good, but I was "a bit green". So, What the hell does that mean? Well, its still not very clear. For some its a simple excuse not to get into detail about WHY they didn't like you. For others it means your lack of experience is preventing them from hiring you even though you have talent, and for others, its a matter of a "lack of talent" or not having learnt to use it.
After this, I asked around to everyone I could: What does being green mean?. Every single actor has gotten it at some point. The beginning ones get it as soon as they hand in their resume. The more experienced ones get it when they present themselves without a certain confidence generally associated with someone of their experience.
Soon “Fame” will be coming to a theater near you. It was a classic, they are making it into a disgrace. Next thing you know they will be remaking “Grease” or “Pajama Party”. Listen, I know we need more musicals in film, but not cheesy, formulated, unoriginal teen productions without pazazz! I love that modern days have good movies that integrate music like: Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Hairspray, Sweeny Todd…(have you noticed the best musical features come from really good theatrical musicals?)… and on the other end of the spectrum we get the Step up (1 and 2!!!!)
Here is a great article from Creative Review about the opening titles of clasics and modern day jewels when it comes to film. Personally I have to say the 2 most iconic opening sequences from the list are any of the Bond Movie titles (who can forget those intricate and beutiful graphics and patterns intertwines with silhouettes?) and surprisingly the Pink Panther; mainly due to the catchy tome but also to the playfulness. Dudum Duddum, Duddum duddum duddum, Duddum Duduuuuuuuum.
If only for the brilliance of Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges this movie is a definite “Must -See”. And among SOOOO many remakes or unoriginal movie concepts (Somebody say: Final Destination 4, Wolfman…) its good to see that we are also still getting those great jewels (admittedly they are mainly based on Novels so its not exactly the screenwriters who get the credit). Here is the new Ewan McGregor and George Clooney movie: The Men Who Stare at Goats
As actors we are stuck with alot of “in-between gigs” periods. All that time when there arent many auditions and bills still need to get paid. When your career seems at a standstill sometimes you need to find new ways to CREATE opportunities. The most common and well known example of how this works is Sylverster Stallone, who wrote “Rocky” with the intention of creating for himself a good role that would showcase his talents. Im not saying your next script will be a big hit, but isnt it worth a try? It might even open up a new side of you that you werent aware of.
The other day I was reading this article on Unclutterer (for the full article…click here.) and it really struck a chord. In the extremely competitive business that is acting…auditions anyone?… how often do we feel the need to best others? To look better, perform better, act better, prepare better…basically BE better?
In this video, professional voice instructor Jennifer Rutherford of International School of Music, and private teacher in Bethesda Maryland, describes how to prepare for a competition like American Idol, or any other audition. Some tips on preparation, vocal health, song choice, and audition etiquette are covered. Warm ups are also suggested and demonstrated with student and model, Mair. The video assumes that candidates will have some level of training or natural ability, but would also be useful for the amateur interested in pursuing training for a career in singing.
Like every week we post a book review on a subject related to acting, health, personal growth or anything related to the showbiz industry. This time it’s the highly acclaimed “Practical Handbook for the Actor” whose authors (all of who are young actors) include: Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto and Scott Zigler.
Generally speaking, actors are normally too apologetic about themselves or their craaft. We tend to victimize ourselves somehow (specially at auditions) because we feel lucky to be given a chance, or time, or a meeting, so we value other peoples time more than our own. How many times have you been at an audition, had to start over or simply been given feedback and started by saying: "Im sorry". Or, "Im sorry I couldnt memorize the lines, I got the script last night…etc." Chances are, very often. When it comes down to it, 90% of apologies are done for one of two reasons: Justify and make Excuses, or To seek sympathy or pity by becoming the victim. NEITHER of these will help you in your career or to become a better actor. SO STOP doing it.
On the other 10% of the spectrum, we are human, and we all make mistakes, and…
Here is a simple yet effective article on Readers Digest. Its a compilation of the basic rules to look good in pictures. This is actually advice some celebrities have to pay for when red carpet events start happening. The posing, the look, the feet position…all things to keep in mind.
Like every week we post a book review on a subject related to acting, health, personal growth or anything related to the showbiz industry. This time its about how to take and give more positive criticism.
At the end of the day, a character is fully created when it is no longer seen as a character, but a person. But how do we make this change? Where do we get the necessary information and tools to make this possible?
Several readers have asked if I was going to post about Michael Jacksons death. Ive held out and restrained from making any comment so far because of the utter overload of fake/real/rumors/news on his death, his state of mind and body prior to, and his life in general. I believe most sites (including some news sites of reputable name) have turned Michaels’ death into pure sensationalism. I know regardles how controversial his life had been, if I were his family I would not appreciate so many people not involved with him speculating and causing new and worse rumors to arise. There have been very few sites and programs that have treated his death as what it is: a tragic loss of an incredibly talented artist.
No matter what artistic form; music, acting, writing, directing, painting…etc. Losing someone who has made such a difference in the world, the industry…
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." -Vincent T. Lombardi
Have you ever submitted something to a CD, or an agent, or even a producer; then called to get feedback and didnt get an answer? How many times did you ask your team (agent/ manager/ director) a question only to get ignored or even worse just a vague approximation to an answer? 
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So I finally gave in and spent 15 dollars to go see AVATAR this weekend.The visual effects of the movie are in no doubt in a league of their own and so will not be the focus of what I am going to discuss. To the thousands of graphic artists involved from sketching and concept, to animation 3-D or lighting… BRAVO!.
On one of my first auditions the casting director told my manager I was good, but I was "a bit green". So, What the hell does that mean? Well, its still not very clear. For some its a simple excuse not to get into detail about WHY they didn't like you. For others it means your lack of experience is preventing them from hiring you even though you have talent, and for others, its a matter of a "lack of talent" or not having learnt to use it.
Generally speaking, actors are normally too apologetic about themselves or their craaft. We tend to victimize ourselves somehow (specially at auditions) because we feel lucky to be given a chance, or time, or a meeting, so we value other peoples time more than our own. How many times have you been at an audition, had to start over or simply been given feedback and started by saying: "Im sorry". Or, "Im sorry I couldnt memorize the lines, I got the script last night…etc." Chances are, very often. When it comes down to it, 90% of apologies are done for one of two reasons: Justify and make Excuses, or To seek sympathy or pity by becoming the victim. NEITHER of these will help you in your career or to become a better actor. SO STOP doing it.
Several readers have asked if I was going to post about Michael Jacksons death. Ive held out and restrained from making any comment so far because of the utter overload of fake/real/rumors/news on his death, his state of mind and body prior to, and his life in general. I believe most sites (including some news sites of reputable name) have turned Michaels’ death into pure sensationalism. I know regardles how controversial his life had been, if I were his family I would not appreciate so many people not involved with him speculating and causing new and worse rumors to arise. There have been very few sites and programs that have treated his death as what it is: a tragic loss of an incredibly talented artist.
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