Auditions Are The First Impression
Auditions. First impressions are important. If there is a representative or assistant in the lobby, they are not just there to help you out. They are taking notes and will pass them on to the Casting Director, Director, etc.
So if you are rude and don’t acknowledge them, that behavior does not go unnoticed. If you walk in without your sides or seem unprepared, that behavior does not go unnoticed. If you arrive late and full of excuses, yep, you guessed it, that behavior does not go unnoticed either.
Grab someone’s attention for the right reasons. Ultimately, you will be rewarded for being prepared, for being aware of others and for giving 150%.
Get Better
By Melodi Erdogan
There's always room to grow when it comes to acting. No matter your experience, your resume, or your network. The bottom line is, you'll book gigs if you're talented. So continue to work on your craft, including in ways you haven't before. Try improv if you haven't already; register for an intense Meisner class. Step outside your comfort zone, and remember, even A-list actors still train. There's no end to learning and growing.
Remember It's Still Business
When you signed up to become an actor, you were probably mostly thinking about the awesome scripts, the acting choices, and all the juicy creative awesomeness that goes into the entertainment industry. But they don't call it show business for nothing.
As necessary, remind yourself throughout this year that you're the president of your own company. Make decisions and changes as you see fit. For example, if your taping studio submitted your audition to casting with the wrong specs, it might be smart to take your business elsewhere. And although it'll be hard to turn down a friend asking you to fill a role in a play, you make the decision if want to be there or be available for TV/film gigs. In many ways, you create your own destiny.
Practice Patience
All in all, an acting career is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself because the desperation will reflect in everything you do. Follow these guidelines to truly expand on everything you can control in your career, this year and beyond. Results will follow!
Resources, Resources, Resources
There are a lot of great resources out there for actors. Be sure you are tapping into them and using them to your advantage. One of my favorites is called: tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com
There is GREAT info here. In fact, you really want to be checking it every week or so. It gives the latest on network and cable shows and what their success is as well as predicting how episodics are doing and which ones are likely to be renewed or cancelled.
Now, not all of the information is important. You want to focus on projects being shot in the SE predominantly.
So FOX’s The Resident is doing really well. It is being said that it will likely be renewed by May 2019. This information is not only awesome for the SE in general, but it flags the show for you. If you stopped watching it, start up again. Be ready for it to come back next season and for you to book it!
Be Your Own CEO: Why You Should Keep A Spreadsheet
By Melodi Erdogan
Ahh, the spreadsheet. They may seem like an unlikely pairing, but spreadsheets and acting go together like peanut butter and jelly.
You're starting the year off with a clean slate. With every opportunity that comes your way in 2019, input every piece of information you can to keep yourself organized and track your progress.
For example, let's say you're a new actor trying to find an agent and also self-submitting yourself for projects wherever you can. Create two spreadsheets or documents (whatever floats your boat - both are free with Google Docs and a Google account, so no excuses), and begin gathering information you can find to create a record for yourself. Let's say you submit your materials to agencies - you would create a list of the agency, their primary TV/Film agent, the email you submitted your materials to, the date you submitted, which headshots you submitted, etc, etc. And for projects you self-submit for, you'd follow a similar pattern, also keeping track of dates, roles, projects, casting directors - any pertinent information you can find.
If you're a working actor, it's a similar process. Your resume outlines which projects you've shot and who has cast you in what, but auditions are a different ball game. Maybe you never realized you hadn't booked with a certain casting director until you kept track of how many times you've auditioned for them. Or maybe you never realized you hadn't booked a show on a certain network. OR maybe you never realized how many callbacks you actually attended with or without booking the gig.
All the information you have access to is vital to expanding your opportunities. Having it all organized in one spreadsheet can do wonders for achieving your goals and really focusing your career on attainable, realistic steps. When you get an audition, get excited to input all the information you have into your spreadsheet - the date you got it, what project and role it's for, which network it's on, who the casting director is, who the producers/directors are, when it shoots, and even the date/time you submitted your audition - and if you booked the job, the dates you worked (wardrobe fitting, rehearsals, shoot dates, everything) and your check numbers and payments. Not only will this give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on your craft, but it will also present you with a better overall view of your acting career and help attack areas you know you might be missing.
You thought that if you'd become an actor you wouldn't have to deal with spreadsheets. It's true, to a certain degree. But by utilizing what you have in front of you, staying organized with information, and tracking your progress, you truly become the CEO of your company, allowing yourself to focus on what you're really here for: acting.
Setting Goals For The Year Ahead
BY MELODI ERDOGAN
Set Realistic, Attainable Goals
This business is incredibly competitive and cutthroat. As to focus on your talent and not the competition, set realistic goals for the year that you know you can strive towards. If you're dying to audition for a specific series, create a demo reel and/or headshots to the style of that show. Desperate to get one-on-one time with a Casting Director? Follow them on social media and catch them at their next public event.
Becoming a series regular or lead in a film would be great, but don't set yourself up to fail. Focus on what you can actually do yourself to expand your opportunities and forward your career. Your team (agents, friends, taping studio, teachers) will all use that to help push you forward.
Focus On Your Goal
--Write it out, meditate on it, think of it often.
But don't get too specific since that can put you at a dead end. Let your overall career goal for 2019 be something like, "to get paid to act," or perhaps, "book a network gig," or even, "audition for everything." Save a few exceptions, stick to your goal. If you're an actor who wants to pursue acting full-time (and not just fame and fortune), these examples are key to staying focused.
Your Top 5 For The New Year
It’s a new year and as always, there needs to be some reflection, some assessment.
How often do you go back and look at past auditions? I’m certainly not suggesting that you spend hours going over each one, but it is not a bad idea to do a little self-examination.
Think about all of the auditions that you did this past year. Which ones were you the most proud of? They may not necessarily be the ones that got you a booking. So choose your TOP 5. Go back and take a look at them. What worked really well? What did you like about them? Looking at them today, do you still believe the performances? Are there things that do not seem totally authentic as you view them with a little more perspective? Assess and analyze. This process will make you a better actor. By the same token, you can choose 5 auditions that you were not as crazy about. Maybe you will see some real positives when you watch them again. Or, this can be an opportunity to see how much you have grown as a performer. Use this exercise to help you evaluate and set goals for the new year.
Assessing your body of work is a pretty crucial step, so you can move forward in a positive new direction for the New Year!
Motion Capture #themoreyouknow
There is a reason why so much attention is on the southeast and specifically the state of Georgia in the entertainment industry right now. We are on the cutting edge of some pretty exciting things.
Motion Capture. You may or may not know what this is right now, but you are guaranteed to in the future, and you have access to this knowledge and technology right here in Atlanta through the GSU and the Creative Media Industries Institute.
What is Motion Capture?
Merriam-Webster defines it as “a technology for digitally recording specific movements of a person (such as an actor) and translating them into computer-animated images.”
Some of the most beloved movies and actors have used this technology in recent years, and most of us do not know it is even being used.
Seth MacFarlane as Ted (2012), Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (2013), Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in 'The Avengers' (2012), Sam Worthington in 'Avatar' (2009), Bill Nighy as Davy Jones in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' (2006).
All of these performances were captured as a result of motion capture technology. If you are an actor, stunt performer, dancer, and you want to know more about this incredible technology that is right here in Atlanta, then check out the workshop below. Learn more about cutting edge technology and how it will continue to change the face of the industry as we know it.
If you want to learn more, check out the amazing workshop happening right here in Atlanta soon: https://thearts.gsu.edu/educational-outreach/mocap/
Auditions - Bring It!
I will be auditioning actors over the next couple of weeks, and a few had reached out with questions, which made me think it might be worth it to take a minute to talk about auditions.
There is not a Casting Director out there that does not want you to walk in the room and knock it out of the park on your audition. Remember, the faster we get something cast, the happier EVERYONE is! So that means that we want you to SUCCEED! I am rooting for every actor that ever stands in front of me. In fact, I silently sit there in the seconds before someone begins an audition with fingers and toes crossed, thinking, let this actor be the one. Let this actor be the one who makes my draw drop. Let this actor be the one who brings something into the room that no one else has today.
If you’re going to let your nerves get the better of you in an audition, then you may as well stay home. Your job is to have the training and resources to know how to overcome those obstacles. Use that amazing adrenaline rush that you get when you audition to fuel you in the best of ways, not overcome you and drown your power as a performer.
Tomorrow or next week, the next time you audition, when you have that opportunity to be in a room with a Casting Director--BRING IT!
The DOs and DON’Ts Of Episodic Season
If you haven’t already noticed, episodic season is upon us. Your favorite TV shows are back in production, and fortunately (or unfortunately), all at the same time. Whether this is your first time at the rodeo or you’re a seasoned pro, it doesn’t hurt to have set guidelines on how to attack the busiest time of the year. Follow this advice if you want to see results.
DON’T email your agent and ask to set up a meeting. Trust your agent - they’re working around the clock to find you realistic opportunities. Taking their attention away from that only hurts you.
DO update your materials on your actor profiles. Make sure your resume is updated and correct, your demo reel is tight, and your headshots are versatile.
DON’T send your agent hundreds of headshot proofs and lengthy video footage. Again, they’re busy. Narrow them down and make your top choices (5-10 photos per look, and clips cut down under 1 minute) and present them in a convenient manner. I guarantee your agent will get back to you faster.
DO stay in classes and workshops. Scope out casting director workshops and events where producers and CDs may be present.
DON’T commit to a class that requires attendance. If you’re busy actually auditioning and booking, you’ll want something more flexible.
DO read your audition emails thoroughly. If your audition follows all of casting's specific requests, you’ll look better than your competitor who didn’t pay attention to them.
DON’T request a general meeting with a casting director. They’re busy, too!
DO make every effort to audition in-person. If you have the chance to be in the room with one of Atlanta’s major casting directors, why would you turn it down? Just because you don’t want to deal with traffic or reschedule your dentist appointment? Relationships are best built in person.
DON’T ask your agent why you’re not auditioning for something, or if you can audition in the room for a particular casting director or project. There’s always reason you weren’t selected by your agent or casting, but other opportunities may come.
DO submit a different take. Casting doesn’t always know what they want until they see it, so submitting a couple of takes making totally different acting choices gives them options and also shows your range.
DO include your demo reel. If you’re auditioning for a network you’ve already been approved by, or a casting director who’s booked you, or even a producer/director you’ve worked with before, your demo reel can help your agent and the casting director pitch you to producers and/or network executives.
DON’T compare yourself to your friends in the industry. Even if you have a friend in your category who got an audition, and you didn’t (or vice versa), being supportive and encouraging goes a long way. We’re friendly here in the south - they’ll return the favor.
DO have a support team around you. Whether that’s a couple of reliable taping buddies, a friend you can talk to, or an acting coach/teacher - if you have a question or need to vent, sometimes it’s helpful to just talk it out.
DON’T dwell on auditions. Be confident, and believe in the work you’ve submitted. Always look forward, or your curiosity and anxiety will hold you back.
DO keep your schedule open. Avoid committing to a theatre production or any major recurring events. You won’t want to turn down auditions or bookings.
DON’T get cocky. If this episodic season is more fruitful than it ever has been for you - congrats! But don’t think that means casting directors will start offering you roles, or that LA is suddenly throwing money at you to act.
And finally, DO stay humble & honest. They provide longevity for positive relationships like no other.
Enjoy The Journey
The paths of our lives rarely play out in a straight line.
It only follows that our careers will also twist and turn, soar one way, and then come back another.
I recently met with a client who had spent a huge amount of time and effort on creating a specific program that he thought would take him in a new direction with his career. He was concerned because it seemed to lead to a dead end. I nudged him to consider that all the effort was not lost, and he may very well find himself coming back around to it in the months or even years to come.
#ADVICE
Continue to enjoy the journey. --Try not to be too tough on yourself.--Doors can open at unexpected times. --Life’s greatest challenges can make us wise beyond our years.
