Are You a Professional?

I recently saw this quote from Stephen King:

If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.

Of course he is talking about authors, but it also applies to any artists including actors.  How good does it feel to get paid to do this job you love so much, even if it is just a $100 a day film that requires you to change in an In-N-Out restroom.  Feels even better when you cash that check and it doesn't bounce.

Nice to feel valued as a professional in your chosen career.  But, the trick is to act like a professional even when you are not being paid.

So, what does it mean to be a professional actor if it isn't a paycheck?

• KNOW YOUR BUSINESS  You should make it your job to know what is in production, who is producing what, what casting directors are working on what show, what shows you are right for (and everything is not a good answer.)  How do you find out this information?  Read the trades like Deadline Hollywood, get a CastingAbout account, watch television shows, and talk to your agent - which leads me to my next point ...
• TALK TO YOUR AGENT  and the other people on your "team" regularly.  Let them know when you are dying to go out on a project or if you just saw a casting director at a workshop.  Not only will this help them to get you on a new project, it also shows them that you are working for yourself as well.  Look, I'm not saying call your agents everyday just to chat, but if you have a legitimate reason to reach out to them then do it.  Ask them if there are any particular casting directors they want you to reach out to or what more you can be doing.
• BE ON TIME  LA folks I am looking at you hard about this one.  Why is it so hard to be on time to places?  I mean, I've seen people late to class, auditions, even to plays - what did you think? That they were going to hold the curtain on "Book of Mormon" for you because you hit a bit of traffic on the 101?  Okay, okay, okay I get traffic is bad here, but you know what, it is always bad!  That means you leave an hour early and if you get to where you are going early then hang out a Starbucks (you know there has got to be one nearby).
• KEEP UP WITH YOUR TRAINING  Professionals in nearly every field from doctors to airline pilots will take classes, go to conferences, read the latest trade magazines to keep themselves sharp.  Don't allow your instrument to go dull by not improving on yourself.  I once heard: if you aren't moving forward then you are going backwards, there is no such thing as a plateau in acting.  There are always improvements to be made and you can't allow yourself to slip backwards.  If you aren't in classes right now, you should at the very least do something everyday for your acting.  You can read a play, watch some of the great actors work, write a script, etc.

Look, don't be one of those actors that are just playing at this career.  You know the ones who think going to Hollywood parties is all they need to do to be a great actor.  Maybe it will get them a job on a film and they may even get paid as an actor from it, but that certainly doesn't make them a professional.

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.

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!

Proper Etiquette for No-Budget Filmmaking

I know filmmaking with little to no budget is difficult, stressful, and exhausting.  You are super busy and have no time for politeness.  But, when you have people helping you for free there is some proper etiquette that you should follow:

1. Be grateful.  Yes, your actors and crew may be getting something out of being there like experience or IMDb credit, but they are still giving you their time for free. Thank them every chance you get.   
2. Be prepared.   There is always going to be a certain amount of waiting on a set: while lights are being set up or actors are rehearsing or the set is being decorated.  Don't make your crew and actors wait on you because you didn't do your homework.  Know what you want to shoot and as much as possible know how you want it to look and do test shoots.  Things can change on set, but have a starting point.
3. Be open.  Filmmaking is a collaboration, always be willing to take advice from others on set.
4. Be humble.  No one is more important than anyone else on a set, especially on a no budget set.  I don't care what you think you're title is, if a job needs to be done, do it.  Even if it's just washing dishes between takes.
5. Be flexible.  Things never go as planned.  Don't freak out when a shot doesn't work or the neighbor's dogs won't stop barking or you're behind schedule and the sun is setting faster than you thought possible.  In the end it will all work out, I promise.  Besides so many wonderful moments in films have come from the unexpected happening on set.

What this all boils down to is when people are working for you:  BE RESPECTFUL! (Especially when they are working for free.)

Respect their time and their talents.  People will be happy and willing to help you out if they feel respected and know that they are an important part of the process. 

This is dedicated to all the actors and crew who came out to help me on my shoot over the last few days.  You are all amazing and this little film is going to be great because of all your hard work!

Can the actors out there please stand up?

When someone asks you, what do you do?  Do you spout off a list of survival jobs before eventually mumbling under your breath that you are an actor, if you even say actor at all? 

I know you worry how they'll look at you, especially in LA where being an "actor" can have some bad connotations.  I know what it is to dread the next question that'll be coming out of their mouths: Have you been in anything I would've seen?

But, if you can't stand up and proudly say you are an actor then how do you expect anyone else to think of you as an actor.  A couple years back I took a seminar about creating a business plan for actors.  At this seminar we each had to write down our ultimate dream goal in this profession, then we had to put down the paper and say it to the person sitting next to us.  You can't imagine how the words "I want to win an Oscar" get stuck in your throat when you are forced to say it to a complete stranger.  The point was if you can't say this dream of yours out loud to someone then how will you ever be able to reach it.

According to SAG, you are a professional actor when you have headshots, a resume, and are actively seeking acting work.  It has nothing to do with you being paid as an actor or if you have a SAG card, but simply if you are pursuing work as an actor.  So, for all you out there that are going to classes, submitting on Actor's Access and LACasting, or making your own movies: YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR! 

Don't shy away from it.  Stand up and be proud for pursuing this crazy career.

And as far as that horrible question "Have you been in anything I would've seen?"  I answer by grabbing my iPhone and pulling up my website, MichelleCoyle.net.  There I have links to all the shorts I've made and my demo reel.  Now they've seen something I've been in.

Where is your Craft at?

I am amazed how many people in Hollywood say they are following their dreams but don't find the time to go to classes or even read about the craft of what they are trying to do.  If you can't find the time for your dream then how can expect anyone to give your dream time. 

Why do so many people choose to not work on their craft?  I see three main reasons: they get too busy, they get too lazy, or they think they know everything already.

Today I want to talk about the latter reason because I think it is the most detrimental.  I know some people who think they are going to change all the rules of filmmaking, photography, writing, or whatever it is they want to do without ever even learning what the rules are in the first place.  They want to change the world, but discount everybody who came before them.  If you truly love to do something then you should want to learn as much as you about it as you can. 

If you love acting then you should be reading plays and books by the masters all the time.  If you love photography you should be studying photos by the greats and reading about the techniques they used.  If you love filmmaking then you should watch the classics and learn about the intricacies of telling stories through moving pictures.  This goes for anything that you want pursue on a professional level. 

Would you go to a doctor who hadn't studied?  Would you want to fly on a plane with a pilot who had never learned in a simulator first?  Would you want to be represented by a lawyer who didn't study the precedents in your case?

If you want to be a professional why would expect anything less from yourself?