Is it Okay to Take a Break?

I've seen many actors burn out because they don't give them selves a break.  Wanting to go all in makes sense when following a dream that probably took you away from home, away from your friends and families.  I've seen friends take that to an extreme forsaking any kind of social life for classes, workshops, and only their careers.

Of course you should be focused on your career and you all know how important I think classes are, but don't forget to have a life as well.  Remember, your career is a marathon not a sprint.  I've seen friends spend nearly everyday going from class to their day job and then back to class without stopping.  Often those are the ones that give up because they can't maintain that level of energy. 

Beyond not having the stamina to keep up, it's important for actors to experience life.  Recently, John Hawkes gave seven tips to survive the film industry.  He spoke about how much he learned about acting by hitchhiking a thousand miles.  He also said that it's important to loaf occasionally.

I believe that stepping back sometimes is okay.  Get a hobby.  Find something else that you love other than your career.  It gives you perspective.

I love traveling.  When the opportunity came up for me to go to Israel and Jordan, even though it was the middle of pilot season, I jumped at the chance.    The trip was a dream come true (I got to go to Petra, which was a bucket list thing for me.)  I don't regret it.  There will be other pilot seasons, other opportunities to work.

Yes, it's important to work hard, go to class, and do what you can for your career.  But, remember this is also your life.  So, don't forget to live it.

How to Navigate the Casting Director Workshop Dilemma

Right now, the idea of Casting Director workshops is a very divisive issue in Los Angeles.  I'm a bit nervous to even bring it up because the passions can be so high on both sides.

Most actors will tell you it is very tough to get into casting offices these days and virtually no offices hold "general meetings" with unknown actors unless you have a very persuasive agent.  What workshops do is give you a way to meet with casting directors without having to be selected for an audition.  For those of us who aren't getting the auditions we want or for those who don't have an agent it seems like a great way to get your foot in the door.

But, there are some downsides.  Workshops are expensive and if you go to multiple workshops in a month, it really adds up.  Also, workshops are not really supposed to be an audition and if you read the fine print on any workshop website you'll see the ubiquitous disclaimer that this is just for educational purposes and there is no guarantee of employment.  Of course we KNOW that, but let's be honest, we go to these workshops because we want the casting director to eventually hire us. 

Plus, we've all heard the stories from friends who have gotten called in or even booked a role from doing a workshop.  If it can happen to them, it can happen to us, right?  Well, I'm here with some bad news - the numbers are not in your favor.  The percentage of actors who actually get called in and book work off of workshops is very small, but there is always that chance.

What I suggest is to attack workshops in a methodical way.  Figure out what TV shows or movies you WOULD be cast in very easily and who casts those.  From there you have a target list of casting offices you should try to see.  Make a budget each month of how much you are willing to spend on workshops and limit yourself to seeing only those offices that are on your list.

Try to see the decision makers in the offices - sometimes it is the head CD who calls people in, but in other offices it might be the associate who generally works on the submissions.  To find out who the decision maker is - speak to your agent or ask friends who have been in that office in the past.

There are a lot of different types of workshops out there.  I know quite a few people who prefer intensives that go for multiple weeks with the same casting director.  Personally, I like workshops that allow you to prepare your scene in advance and provide you with a reader instead of a random partner when you get there.  Feel them out and see what is best for you.

Please tread carefully.  There are a lot of people in Hollywood whose only job it seems is to separate actors from their money.

Lastly, remember workshops are not really considered classes and should not take the place of your regular training.

Does Anyone Out There Know How to Network?

I need to admit something to you guys.  I am terrible at networking; I have no idea how to go about it.  Any actor who gets an agent while working as a bartender or cast in a movie after meeting a director at a party impress me.  I'm especially terrible at parties because I tend to just stand by the food (cheese is my downfall) and find it difficult to "schmooze."

No matter how difficult it is to network, Hollywood is a people business and who you know does matter.  If schmoozing at parties isn't your thing and the idea of approaching someone at your day job with a headshot makes you feel sick to your stomach, how do you get to know the right people?

Maybe it's just the word "networking" that bothers me so much.  It just sounds disingenuous.

Quite a few actors have taken to twitter and follow directors, producers, casting people.  I don't know if this has led to any successful business relationships, but I think the key is to engage sincerely and don't try to kiss up as so many people seem to do.  Twitter may be a start, but I don't think you should let it be the only way you try to connect.

What you should be doing is making friends, not "connections" and you don't make friends by worrying about how they can help your career.  You make friends by being there when they need you.

Here are some of my ideas on non-network-networking:

• Help out at a film festival.
• Volunteer at something you feel passionate about, like at an animal shelter or Habitat for Humanity.
• When you meet a casting director at an audition or workshop, offer to be a reader for them.
• Offer to help on your friend's film sets (even if they didn't cast you.)
• Get involved in hobbies you love. 

Do you guys have any other ideas?  How have you all made contacts in the "biz?"

The truth is you never know who you might meet or where you might meet them.  So, never be afraid to say you are an actor, but remember you are a whole person with other interests and those other things may be the key to making a new friend.

Is Your Demo Reel Helping or Hurting You?

Every actor I know is constantly talking about the need to get tape on themselves, so they can put together a demo reel.  They say things like: "Hey, lets go shoot that scene from that super famous play we did in class that everyone said was really good" or "Tape me doing this monologue in front of my curtains."  Okay, so maybe they don't actually say those things, but if you look at their demo reels you'd think that they had said that at one point.

Yes, it can be very helpful to have a demo reel.  It can help you get an agent and it does put you to the top of the list for submissions on the Breakdowns.  But, having a bad demo reel is much worse than not having one at all.  In my agency and at casting offices, I've seen actors not get a meeting because of a bad demo reel.  The following tips are things I have heard directly from casting directors and agents.

First of all, just because you have tape of yourself acting doesn't mean you need to put it on your reel.  Let's be honest lots of those student films and webisodes you did, don't always look great.  Even if your acting is stellar, poor production value will distract anyone watching it and reflect poorly on you.

When choosing footage for your reel here are a few hints that will make you look good:

1. Do you have professional footage from a professional set?  One thing casting is looking for in your reel is: can you act effectively in all the craziness that is a professional set.  In their mind this will help to ensure that you will not make them look bad if you get the part, that you know how to handle yourself professionally.  In Hollywood, most people don't want to be the person that takes a chance on a newbie and gets burned by it, so that's why they want evidence of your credits.
2. Is there someone famous in your scene?  It seems very silly, but if you have a scene with someone recognizable, even if you just have one or two lines, make this scene one of the first ones on your reel.  It shows that you can hold your own with someone considered very good, it shows that someone trusted you to have this scene with  this person, and if the viewer likes this famous actor then some of that may rub off on how they think about you.
3. Do you have very, very, very good looking non-professional footage?  Of course, there are some short films that you've done that look really nice.  The lighting is nice, the shots are professional, and there is even a score.  All of that will help sell you.

Now that you've chosen your footage; here are some other basic rules about demo reels.

1. The length of your demo should be between 2 and 3 minutes.  A good length is about 2 minutes and 15 seconds.  The truth is that most people won't watch the whole thing, if you're lucky they'll get all the way through the first minute.
2. Since most people only watch the first minute, make sure your best stuff is at the beginning.  I recommend starting with any scene with a famous actor, then professional stuff, and ending with the amateur work.
3. Start with you.  Even if the other actor is famous or if they have the first line in the scene, always start with the camera angle that is on you.  This way they know who they are supposed to be looking at and you are highlighted.
4. The scenes in your demo reel don't have to make sense.  No one is watching for context, they are watching to see your acting ability.  So, cut as much of the scene that the camera is not on you as possible.  Don't cut the other people out completely, just make sure you are the focus. 
5. Don't waste time with pictures of you.  It's an annoying trend I've noticed where people feel the need to spend the first 20 seconds of their reel as a montage of pictures of themselves set to music.  It is just wasting the viewer's time and now they are probably going to spend less time watching your actual footage.  If they wanted to see a picture of you they would look at your headshot.
6. It is appropriate to have your headshot at the beginning with your name and contact info that you display for 3 seconds.  It's not too long, but it's long enough for them to read.
7. Montages in general have no place in your demo reel.  We don't need to see you playing basketball or knitting or running.  Any of that sort of thing is what your "Special Skills" section of your resume is for.  If you do have an extreme special skill like Parkour or Belly Dancing, then I recommend having a separate tape of just that.
8. Post your reel on Vimeo or YouTube so they don't have to download it.  That way they can just watch it streaming.
9. If you are posting your demo on Actor's Access or the Breakdowns, I recommend breaking it up into individual scenes.  That way when submitting to casting you can be specific in what video would be right.  Plus, it costs the same, the charge is only for the amount of time not the number of clips.
10. In general avoid anything that seems fancy or artsy.  Casting just wants to see you and if you can act, not how skillful your editor is.

Editing your own demo reel is not that difficult.  If you have Final Cut or even just iMovie, you can put it together easily.  I just fiddled around with the software til I figured it out.

Wanna check out my demo reel?  Check it out here:  Michelle's Demo Reel

Star for a Day

Okay, so maybe I wasn't the star, but I was a co-star for a day on the set of a pilot last week.  For the non-Hollywood peeps out there: being a co-star means that you have at least one line and usually no more than one scene on a TV show.  It doesn't have an exact definition, but if a guest star on CSI is the primary person accused of the crime with a full character arc and multiple scenes then the co-star is the actor who brings them the coffee in the interrogation room and says "Would you like cream and sugar?"

Co-stars often don't even have names and are usually defined by their occupation.  In the script it will simply say nurse or secretary or waiter.  I had the role of Flight Attendant with one line and one speech.  But, as with any job in Hollywood it is extremely competitive and difficult to get even a small role like this one.  Most actors will even tell you these roles are the hardest to audition for and here I wrote some hints on how to tackle these auditions.  One thing that I think helped me book this role was to make a very specific choice on how I felt about the character I was speaking to and decided to make the very boring, exposition type dialogue as a way to flirt with him.

I know an actress that spent a year getting to know the casting directors for her favorite show.  After that year of going to workshops and sending postcards she finally booked that much coveted co-star role.  The day after she shot it, she quit the business.  Decided it wasn't worth all the work she put into it.

Not every role is going to take as much work as your first one.  But, remember as an actor your day job is to network and audition because that is what you'll be doing much more often than actually getting to act.  If you can't enjoy that then you'll never be happy in this business.

So, now that I filmed a co-star role, was all the work worth it for me?  Yes, a million times over, yes.  I love being on set, I love the actors, and I love the crew.  I am never happier than when I get to act.  Even though I only had two lines, I worked on them the same way I would any script.  The best part was after we filmed the director gave me a hug and thanked me for bringing so much to such a small role.

In front of the door to my trailer.

Plus, it was nice to feel like star for a day with my own trailer.  (Okay, so it was only a 6th of a trailer, but I had a couch and a toilet that I didn't have to share.)  I even had my own stand-in, which made me laugh because I am perfectly happy standing on set while they adjust lights and such.  But, I think make-up was happy I wasn't under the lights sweating off my foundation.

Now, if I could just book some more!

You Are a Terrible Judge of Yourself

I am a very harsh critic, not of other people, just of myself. 

I can't think of a single audition, play, or day of filming when I have left thinking "I nailed that!"  There are always moments missed, some fault that made me feel less than perfect.

Even worse is me watching tape of myself because all I see is how much I hate how my face looks when I turn my head that way or why didn't anyone tell me how bad my hair looked in the back.  These things that don't really matter, things that aren't related at all to my ability to act.  But, when I'm editing my own footage, darn it, if that isn't all I see.

This past week I had another reminder to not judge how I did in an audition.  Because I totally thought I blew one this week and it was kinda a big audition.  So big that the fact that I thought I'd blown it actually had me crying in my car.  Embarrassing but true.

Even more embarrassing is that I was totally wrong.  I booked the job.  It's not set in stone yet so I'm not sharing with you guys what it is.  Once I have the deal memo signed and all that, I will tell you all about it!  But, it is kind of a big one.

Remember you can't see how others see you and don't spend your time worrying how you think you did.  Because no matter what you think, it is probably wrong.

Don't Talk Yourself Out of a Job

 Last week I was helping out at an audition and the scene we were using was only a page.  Most of the actors that came in to read were pros who had been in the business a long time and many of them would add a tiny improv to the end of the scene.  This is perfectly acceptable in most cases, especially in a pre-read when the writers aren't in the room.

But, make sure you know when to stop.  Adding one line is appropriate, but a page long monologue is not. 

One very talented comedian came in to read and added over a minute of dialogue after the scene was over.  The casting directors tried to get the actor to stop by saying thank you and he just kept talking.  Then as I was trying to escort the actor out of the room he did a whole schtick about me.  It was like he didn't want to leave the room and it was super uncomfortable for all of us. 

I know actors like to be the center of attention and that is especially true for comedians.  But, take the temperature of the room and know when your audition is done.  One good hint that they want you to leave is when the casting director says, "Thank You."  In casting director terms thank you means good bye.

This particular actor talked themselves out of even getting a callback.  Their read of the scene was actually one of the better ones, but the casting directors couldn't trust the actor in front of producers.

Don't lose a job because you don't know when to stop talking.  Casting directors aren't going to be impressed with your schtick, they just want to see your acting.

What Class is Right for Me?

There are so many classes for actors in Hollywood that it's difficult to know which one is the right one for you.  There are business of acting classes, technique classes, and commercial classes.  Then if you decide to do a technique class, what kind?  Do you want a heavy Meisner class or lighter cold-reading class?

A newer phenomenon in the category of business of the business are these classes specifically geared towards marketing.  Some are taught by people who seem to have little to do with show business and can cost up to $500.  Of course, marketing is important and clearly these teachers are very good at marketing to actors since many are willing to pay the money to take these classes.  Perhaps that does translate for actors marketing to producers, but I'm suspicious.  A few of my friends have taken them and felt like they got a lot out of it.  But are these classes worth all that money?

The same thing can be said for lots of technique classes out there.  So, how do you know if a class is worth taking?

My recommendation is to try it out.  Most places allow you to audit a class for free (and in general if a place doesn't let you do that I would question if it was the right place for me.)  Even some of these marketing classes offer free tidbits online. 

I take every free class offered to me because one thing I believe in wholeheartedly is: free stuff is good. 

Try it out, see if the teacher is right for you.  What's good for me may not work for you, so you can't always just rely on what classes your friends adore.

Recently, I went to audit a commercial class and I knew pretty quick that I would not like this guy as a teacher, but plenty of others swear by him.  If I had just gone by recommendations I would be spending way too much money on a class I would hate.  That allowed me to find another class that was right for me.

Here are a few good websites to find free classes, but be warned some are just trying to sell you on a much larger class:
www.sagfoundation.org
www.actorrated.com
freeworkshops.info

Pay Attention You Might Learn Something

One of my goals for the 2012 was to intern at three casting offices this year.  This particular goal is going along good because today I got to be a reader at a casting office working on an exciting new webseries. 

As a reader you get a great insider look into the casting process and if you pay attention you will learn so much more being a reader than you would ever learn at some cold reading workshop.

Today the lesson I learned was that even if you don't think your doing enough you are probably doing too much.  So many of the actors came in with all these planned out movements and pantomimes, like knocking on a door or making a kissing face.  None of this type of extraneous stuff helped their acting.  You could see them trying to remember what they had planned instead of actually listening and responding.

The best actress of the day, the one that gave everyone goosebumps, didn't move from the chair.  She spoke quietly, but loud enough for us to hear.  Everything was there in her eyes.

You don't have to pad your performance with all that extra stuff.  The most important thing is that you are natural and that you listen and respond to the reader.

On a side note, as the reader I hear all the notes that casting has given to the actors that came in before you.  I know what they are looking for and will do my best to direct your performance with my read, so it helps you to pay attention to me. 

Remember casting is on your side.  They want you to be so amazing that they don't have to see anyone else for the part.

A New Year and New Goals

New Years is fast approaching and people will start asking you what resolutions you made, like that question isn't the least bit nosy and intrusive.  My answers are the same as everyone else: to work out more, eat healthier, stop procrastinating, blah blah blah.  They are all good ideas but they lack specificity and for that reason I'm making the same resolutions every year.

One of my teachers at Playhouse West gives out a great goals assignment every year that helps with those pitfalls.  The first step is to create goals not resolutions.  Goals are something that have a finite end point and they are only goals if it is something that you can do on your own without the approval of someone else.

So, how do you create goals?

I start with my dreams.  You know those things that you want so bad and seem so far away that saying them out loud makes your stomach go into knots.  (I talked a bit about that here.)  This is one of my dreams: to become a series regular in a hit TV show.  The reason this is a dream and can't be a goal is because I cannot do it wholly on my own.  I need other people's approval to get cast and an audience to watch. 

The next step is to break your dream down into smaller dreams that lead to it.  In the case of getting a series regular role the steps before that would be booking some guest stars and before that would be some co-star roles.  That is a more manageable place to start, but it is still a dream and not a goal.

What goals would help me book some more co-star roles? 

• Always attending acting class unless I have an acting gig or am sick and I will always be working on a scene.  Perfecting my craft will make sure that when I get an audition I am 100% prepared to be my best.
• Communicate with my agent at least once a month about what I need to be doing to make it easier for them to pitch me.  Make sure they know what my dreams are so they can help me achieve them.
• Attend one workshop a month with the casting directors who work in the type of TV shows that cast my type.

These are just a few ideas of the type of goals you can make that are specific and are something you can achieve.  The best thing to do is write your goals down in a place you see everyday as a reminder and then revisit your goals a few times during the year to adjust them as you achieve your dreams.

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year filled with success.  Keep Dreaming!

Should I Send a Postcard? (Or how do I advertise me?)

Every year at the Holiday time since I moved to LA, I send out cards to Casting Directors.  The first year out here I bought the giant box of cards at Costco, printed a few hundred postcards of my face, and got the Casting Director book at Sam French.  I sent a card to every CD listed in the book. 

Since then I have cut way back.  This year I am only sending cards to the CDs I have met over the past couple years.

So, are postcards or other cards worth sending?  Some people equate mailing postcards to driving from Los Angeles to San Diego and throwing a headshot out the window at every mile marker.  I don't necessarily agree with that, but I think mailing postcards is something you should do judiciously. 

Before mailing a postcard ask yourself, do I have something to say?  I don't consider I changed my hair cut or I got new headshots to be postcard mailing worthy.  If you are in a play or got a co-star coming up on CSI then that might be worth it to you. 

For me, I only like to send postcards to the people that already have an inkling of who I am.  The CD's who have called me in or who I've met at a workshop are always on the top of my list.  A few other top casting folks who I really, really, really want to meet might sneak in there as well.

I heard some wonderful insight about postcards from the casting director, Bonnie Gillespie.  She compared them to a billboard for Coke on the highway.  That billboard is not designed to make you immediately pull over and find the nearest gas station with Coke.  It's there to leave an impression so that the next time you're thirsty and shopping for a beverage you will want a Coke.

When CD's go through their mail, they will glance at the postcards for a split second and then throw them in the trash.  That's okay.  They don't need to save the postcard and tape it to their computer for you to make an impression.  But if you make enough impressions maybe the next time they are casting your type they will think of you.

Here are a couple more helpful hints about postcards.  Some CDs tell their interns to toss any postcards without a handwritten note on them.  So, even if you just throw on a "Thanks for reading this" and sign your name it may help get your postcard seen by the right people.  Another CD suggests putting them in a nice envelope so it looks like a card or something else they'd want to open.

Postcards should just be part of any plan to advertise yourself.  The most important thing is to keep doing stuff that is postcard worthy and keep creating!

What I Learned at ActorFest

This past Saturday I went to ActorFest, a free event for actors from Backstage.  There were casting director meet and greets, panels (those cost extra), and lots of booths for things that might be of interest to actors, like Scientology and psychotherapists.  It's a lot like ComicCon minus cosplay and Kevin Smith. 

This is what I learned at ActorFest 2011:

1. There are a lot of companies that seem to exist for the sole purpose of separating actors from their money.
2. Actors will do anything for a chance to talk with a casting director, including standing in line for over 3 hours to have a two-minute chat.
3. However, most actors are not willing to get up before 9am. 
4. I have no idea what to say to a casting  director in a two-minute general meeting.
5. Casting director's also have no idea what to say to actors in a two-minute general and their go-to question is "So, where are you from?"  Better than, do you come here often?  I guess.
6. There are some very sketchy people out there trying to be actors.
7. There are people who look gorgeous at 8am standing outside in the freezing cold.  I assume these people are genetic freaks.
8. If you are going to be standing in line for most of a day, bring snacks.  And if you ask me, peanut butter cups have protein and are therefore good for you.
9. High heels make your butt look pretty and your feet hurt.  If you are going to be spending all day in line, bring flats.
10. Apparently, Irish-American doesn't count as diverse to NBC.

I'm always pro going to free events when you have nothing else going on.  You never know who you are going to meet or what you'll learn.  This weekend I got to meet some cool actors and chatted with a few casting directors.  I'm not sure how much can be learned about someone in two-minutes, but it is more than they knew about me before this weekend.

Yeah, I waited in lines for most of the day, but all in all a fairly productive way to spend a Saturday.  Now time to write the follow-up thank you notes.

How to Help your Agent Help You

I always say how important it is to not sit on your tush waiting for your agent to call.  But, agents are an important part of the business.  There are doors they can open that you can't by yourself.

This is why having a good working relationship with your agent is so important.  I hear so many actors complain about how their agents aren't working for them or how their agents never get them auditions.  But, how many of these actors actually talk to their agents about these problems?

I intern at my agent's office once a week.  It keeps my face in their mind and I get to see what's going on out there.  I know what's casting and if it really is just slow.  But, interning isn't the only way to have a better relationship with your agent.

When was the last time you went to agent's office just to say hi and see how they are doing?  One visit goes a long way, it makes them think of you and want to pitch you.  Bringing baked goods never hurts either.  Plus, you can take this as an opportunity to talk with them about what you need to do to get out more.

Don't hold back from talking to your agent because you're worried about bothering them.  If there is a project casting that you really want to be in, or you know you are right for something, or you know the casting director, you absolutely should email or call your agent and let them know.  If you don't feel comfortable enough to call and email your agent then ask yourself why you're in a relationship with them.

Your agent is your partner, but remember they only make 10% so you should be doing 90% of the work.  Make your own movies, help out at casting offices, research what's currently casting on websites like castingabout.com, go to classes, network, and all that other good stuff proactive actors do.  Make sure your agent has all the tools they'll need to be able to work effectively for you.

Don't Fear the Competition

I have a bad habit of walking into the lobby of an audition and immediately sizing up the room.  I look over everyone and find the person who by looks alone, I would give the part.  In my head, they are my main competition.

Jenna Fischer talks about being at the studio test for "The Office" and there were two other women up for the role.  She says one was gorgeous and obviously not right for Pam and the other perfectly fit her image of what Pam should look like.  She figured she had already lost the part.

You can see how trying to guess what they are looking for is wrong and if you let it get in your head it could hurt your audition.

A casting director once said to me that there really is only one person right for every role and it's their job to find that perfect person.  What that means is that you are never in competition with anyone else for a role.  You are either perfect or you aren't.

Besides it is not your job to book that one part, it is your job to book the room.  Never worry about getting one role in one film.  Instead focus on making fans of the casting director and anyone else in the casting room.  If they become your fan they will call you in for everything they can, eventually finding that role that you are perfect for. 

It is time for actors to stop looking at each other as the competition.   This is a tough enough business as is, we should all be supporting each other.

TV is Back (or why I love Fall.)

Fall is officially here.  The DVR is cleaned out and prepared for the onslaught of new television shows.  I can't tell you how happy this makes me.  The magical light box in the living room that tells me stories is pretty much my favorite thing ever.

My love for television may be genetic.  I've had entire conversations with my mother and sister about Ross and Rachel, Rory and Lorelei, Jack and Kate, and Quinn and Finn.  Deeply etched into my memory are final episodes of shows in the same way as a lost loved one.  Oh yeah, at 10 years old I sobbed inconsolably when "Family Ties" went off the air.  And who didn't shed a tear when Sam ended "Cheers" for the final time with the line Sorry, we're closed?  Well, I did.  In fact, I am pretty sure that my love of television is a big part of why I chose to become an actor.

This may be why one of my biggest pet peeves is when actors say with that super pretentious attitude I don't watch TV.  It makes me want to scream why on earth are you in this business then?  I don't actually scream that because I am a polite person, but truthfully there are lots of good reasons for actors to watch TV shows.

If you are an actor in LA and want to work then chances are you are going to go out for television series co-star and guest star roles.  The best way to prepare yourself for these auditions is to watch the shows.  That way you'll know the tone and look of the show.  Plus, you should be familiar with the main characters.  Don't be the guy that goes into an audition for "Community" asking, who is Jeff Winger?

If it's an audition for a show that hasn't aired yet, you can figure out a lot about what a show will be  based on what channel it's on and knowing other shows written or produced by the same people.  For instance, the new Aaron Sorkin show will probably involve walking and talking - at a very fast pace.  By watching TV you'll also know what shows are likely to cast your type so you can target those Casting Directors.  Basically watching television is necessary research for any actor that wants to work.

Plus, we should all be supporting scripted television by watching it because we want to keep those jobs coming for all of us actors.  I've been through a few non-existent pilot seasons because of the strike and all the reality shows that came out of it.  Let's not go back to that.

If you are still confused about how awesome television is, just watch Jane Lynch's intro to the 2011 Emmys.

How to Tackle those One-Liners.

Ask any actor and they will tell you the most difficult auditions they go on are for one line roles.  You see these on every TV show: the paramedics, nurses, waiters, receptionists with lines like, "Your table is right this way" or "The stab wound is in curtain two."

I went in for the role of "Assistant" on a TV show a few years back and the line was "Your dinner reservation is at 8."  At the audition, I walked into the room and said my line.  The casting director looked up at me and gave this direction: "Great.  Now say it like you're the assistant to a scientist."

What the hell does that mean?!  I mean, how would the assistant to a scientist say anything?

So, I turned around, took a breath, and just said the line again.  Did I say it like the assistant to a scientist?  I have no idea.

The problem with one-liners is that you don't have much to work with and how are you supposed to make yourself stand out with just one line?  A few weeks ago I went to a workshop with a casting associate who spent years casting a procedural drama that required a lot of your typical one-liner roles.  She had some great tips on tackling these roles.  Here are a few of them:

1. Don't over think it.  Generally, these roles are jobs and you do this job everyday.  It doesn't need to be dramatic.  Keep it simple.
2. Don't drag the line out with lots of unnecessary pauses.  I know it's a short line and you want to be seen for as long as possible, but it's more important to be truthful.
3. Give yourself a moment before you start the line.  You can turn or step into it.  This is a good moment for you to relax, but also practical because it gives the casting director time to find your name on her list so she can actually watch your audition.
4. Remember every part and line is important.  If it wasn't it wouldn't be in the script.  Put as much work into as you would any other audition.  And it's just one line, so please have it memorized.

Now that you've booked that one line role, what should you do?  Exactly what this guy did in his video, One Line on the Sopranos.  (I know I've posted this video before, but it's an awesome video and I'll take any excuse to watch it again.)

How many times can you face rejection and still keep going?

Recently, I read an article about how Kathryn Stockett's novel "The Help" was rejected 60 times by publishers before finally being bought by Amy Einhorn Books.  She never gave up, even at rejection 59 she kept pushing. 

Not to take anything away from her amazing resilience and perseverance, but most of us actors face this amount of rejection or more in any given year.

Mark Ruffalo went on 800 auditions before someone finally said yes to him.  That's right he had over 800 rejections and still kept on trying.  Finally, his persistence paid off and now he is not only one of the most talented actors out there but also very successful.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I had friends who thought I would try this for a bit and when it didn't work out just go back home and get a regular job.  Some still ask, "when are you coming home?"  The answer is: I'm not.

After Melissa Leo was let go from her breakthrough role on "Homicide: Life on the Streets" she didn't book another part for a few years.  If she had taken that as a sign that she needed to give up and go home she wouldn't have an Oscar today.

Actors have multiple opportunities for rejection every day from your agent's submission on a breakdown to the preread to the call back to the studio test.  For every actor you see on an episode of CSI think of how many actors were rejected for that part. 

Why do we keep putting ourselves through so much rejection?

Because someone has to get the part and there will be that moment where you are the right person at the right place at the right time and the part will be yours.

On the days you feel like you can't face another rejection those are the days you have to push the hardest.  So, keep on pushing guys!

Are you your worst enemy?

Each of us find ways to sabotage our own careers.  The trick is to figure out what it you are doing to hurt your career and then work everyday to fight that.

Personally, I often question my abilities and especially my looks.  I will say to myself I am not pretty enough for that part or I don't have enough credits so they will never call me in.  This prevents me from going after roles I really want and then I will never be given a chance in the first place.

Have you ever been called in for something and then thought, this character doesn't look like me or I'm not the type of person they would cast in this role?  What do you do then?  Do you go to the audition and tell the casting director you aren't right for this or even worse do you not go to the audition at all? 

Both of these are the absolutely wrong choice.  Don't do the casting director's job for them.  You can't know what they are looking for, so go in, don't make excuses, and do the best work you can do.  Let them decide that your ears are too big, or your nose is crooked, or that your credits aren't enough.

Woody Allen famously said, "Eighty percent of success is just showing up."  Talking yourself out of trying for things that may seem difficult or out of your reach can be a self-protecting device to prevent you from being rejected.  But, I guarantee someone else will get 100% of the jobs you don't show up for.

Who the heck booked Pilots this year?

Now that the upfronts are pretty much over and we know which pilots got picked up and which ones didn't, there are those of us actors who didn't even get to go out for pilots much less book one.  So, of the pilots that got produced who did get those jobs? 

James J. Jones owner of The Premier Talent Group did the math for those of us not good with numbers:

“2011 PILOT SEASON stratification by the numbers
Of the 529 Series Regular Roles (assuming that named
doing recurring roles):

112 or 21.2% Went to NAMED ACTORS
262 or 49.5% -­ Went to KNOWN ACTORS
374 or 70.7% -­ Went to NAMED AND KNOWN ACTORS

*Of the additional 27.3% of the bookings, almost all of them had significant credits
as series recurring actors or series regulars in shows that did not last long. Only 7
bookings (2.0%) would be considered truly developmental received series regular
roles, and many of these went to the under 18 category.

In short,

21.2% of series roles went to bonafide star names (ie Ethan Hawke and Christina Ricci).
49.5% of series regulars went to former series regulars of major shows.
27.3% of series regular roles went to heavy working actors with numerous.
series recurring roles and/or series regular roles of shows that did not last.
2.0% of series regular roles went to true developmental actors."

I spent a number of days helping out at my agent's office during "pilot season" and can tell you that no matter how much he pitched it was hard to even get an audition for any talent who did not already have significant credits.  One of my agents was pitching me for a co-star role and they told her it had gone to an offer.

On top of all the roles going to offers many of the Pilots were filmed outside of LA.

"As of April 18th, Variety was reporting that confirmed Pilot Shoots will occur in:

United States
48 Los Angeles
11 New York (Unt. Susannah Grant, Over & Under, Unt. Redlich/Belluchi, Prime
Suspects, Smash, Weekend at Bellevue, Georgetown, Persons of Interest,
Ringer, Rookies and Pan Am)
4 Florida (Bad Mom, Magic City, The Finder, Angels)
4 Illinois (Cooper and Stone;; Boss, Playboy)
2 Georgia (Hail Mary, Partners)
2 New Mexico (Reconstruction, Longmire)
2 North Carolina (Revenge;; Hart of Dixie)
1 Oregon (Grimm)
1 Louisiana (Wild Card)
1 Texas (Good Christian Bitches)
1 Pennsylvania (Locke and Key)

Outside of the United States
5 Vancouver, Canada (17th Precinct, Secret Circle, Alcatraz, Heavenly and Once
Upon a Time)
2 Toronto, Canada (Awakening, Poe)
1 Prague/Rome/Vienna (Missing)
1 Puerto Rico (The River)
1 Montreal, Canada (Identity)"*

That tells me it is time to either marry a Canadian so I can legally work up there or make some magic happen with the local hire casting offices outside of LA. 

Now you can either take all this information and chose to be discouraged, but I don't think that is the right response.  I think it is even more evidence that you can't rely on other people to give you opportunities to do your art.  Create your own films!

Need some inspiration? See what your colleagues are creating by joining us at the Playhouse West Film Festival to be educated and inspired.


*See the complete 2011 PILOT REPORT from The Premier Talent Group

There is No Vacation from Following Your Dreams.

For my birthday this year I took a vacation.  I left LA for a week and did my best to not look at the breakdowns or obsess over what I wasn't getting called in on.  This week I tried to have a break where I didn't have to think about all this acting "career" stuff.  Sounds easy, right?

It isn't.  I already told you in my last post, It's Your Audition, Own It, I had to self-tape an audition while I was away. The truth is that I loved that I had to do that.  Whenever I take any break from my work towards my dreams, I am filled with regret.  I fear missed opportunities.

That is what makes pursuing your dreams so much different from so many other professions.  There are no true vacations and you always take your work home with you.

Since it is the last day of my vacation and blog writing is not my dream, I will keep this post short and end it here.