Tag Archives: Actors

May.12.2012
15 Comments
Acting/Producing

First TV Credit

This has been the year of changes. Towards the end of December and beginning of January, I was feeling majorly stuck and unproductive. My old representation was sending me out for parts that were way to young for me (sorry, but 13 is really a stretch), Actors Access was dried up like an old biscuit, and it felt like I would be 90 before I ever saw any footage from recent projects .

But frustration isn’t always bad. It pushed me to take some risks, make some changes, and things have really turned around. I set out this year with the goal to book 1-2 Guest Stars on a TV series; I’ve already met my goal and the year isn’t even half over.

Almost two weeks ago, my first guest star on a major television network aired. Exciting? Yes. Nerve-wrecking? Definitely.

For the first 30 minutes of the episode, even after seeing my name in the opening credits, I couldn’t help but entertain the idea that they might have cut me. It’s a valid fear, and I’m sure most actors have this worry– you never know what will go to the final edit.

But sure enough, 30 minutes in, they kept my scene! (They did cut a few lines, but the majority of it was there.)

It was really sort of surreal. I mean, I’ve been working hard at this, giving it 100%, and it was just… cool. Cool to finally be one step closer and see that the work is paying off.

A few days after it aired, I posted a new reel to my site. Which will have even more new footage once Superseeds and “Red Scare” release. More updates on those hopefully soon…

In the meantime, here’s a little reminder to everyone else chasing their dreams to celebrate their wins. Celebrate and enjoy all the steps along the way. The ups make any down worth it.

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Jan.7.2012
2 Comments
Acting/Producing

Self Promotion

I’ve never really sent post cards. Except for like 1 week randomly. I always just sort of expected that they got thrown in the trash.

But with Superseeds and Red Scare coming up in the next few months or so, I want to be ready to reach out, both to established connections and people I want to work with.

I started doing some digging, and what did I find? Casting directors (with blogs!) who wrote whole articles on the art of post-carding. Sweet!

And let me say this right up front. Yes, ultimately we toss them. Ultimately we toss your headshots, too. That’s just practical. I can’t store all your headshots in a warehouse forever. You send us your materials. We consider you. Eventually we toss your materials in the trash. Nothing personal… If someone looks interesting and I like their resume I might pull them out and put the post card with my submissions…

– Mark Sikes, “Post Cards“

… success because a relationship went from stage one (she knows me but I don’t know her) to stage two (now I’ve seen her commercial, so I know her work, but I don’t know her name so it’s not terribly helpful yet) to stage three (I’ve gotten her postcard, so now I know her work and her name) to stage four (we’ve met in person and now I know she’s not a “whactor”…

– Bonnie Gillespie, “Cross Pollination“

And not just that, but both Bonnie Gillespie and Mark Sikes have blogs dedicated to helping actors, with tons of secrets and tips:

Bonnie’s blog: The Actors Voice

Mark’s blog: The Casting Corner

I also highly suggest checking out Bonnie’s article “The Delicate Art of Self Promotion”.

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Oct.10.2011
1 Comment
Acting/Producing

Why Wait?

A friend of mine shared this clip of Ryan Gosling talking about actors empowering themselves and taking their careers in to their own hands. Yes, the clip is a little low quality, but his advice is spot on.

There are so many actors now days and even fewer jobs (especially, with all the stars moving to TV), that it really isn’t realistic to wait around for someone to put you in a project. I cannot tell you how many talented actors I have seen that move to LA and just sit around waiting for their agent to send them out, and they end up not working for years.

And honestly? It’s sad and frustrating to see. At the very least, they should be submitting themselves through Actors Access and LA Casting every day, and networking with people they already know and trying to meet new film creatives in their close circles. And to really step it up and take matters in to your own hands, writing/producing/creating your own projects.

I’ve come up with a sort of metaphor:

Your work should be like hot chocolate: the bulk of what you do should be the actual hot cocoa, consisting of writing/producing/creating your own projects, networking, submitting yourself, and marketing yourself. Then, agents are just like the whip cream on top; whatever they get you through your agents is an added plus and enhances the hot cocoa experience, however, not a necessity to have a delicious hot cocoa experience, because the hot cocoa is still exciting and sustainable on its own. And eventually there will come a time that that hot cocoa is high in demand, and the whip cream will be able to help enhance the flavor even more.

Okay, yes. Kind of a crazy metaphor. But what I’m really saying is take control and make things happen for yourself, so your career and success is not dependent on an outside force.

Don’t wait around. If this is your passion and dream, go at it full force!

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