Written by Jamison Haase, L.A. On-Camera Training Center

Don’t miss out on Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3

The Four Principles to Captivating On-Camera Work

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television.  But have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your auditions now. Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you worked in theater.  But it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work.  It’s the fourth that most actors never learn. And it’s the fourth that can make or break any film or television audition.

Finally, here we are with the most important principle that every film and TV actors needs to utilize.  4. Maximum Exposure of the Eyes

Maximum exposure of the eyes means just that; not complete, not total, not absolute, just maximum. As much a possible, the audience needs to see your eyes. I’ve mentioned before that film and television is a medium of intimacy. When you think of those people that you are intimate with, what do you think about? What do you see in your mind’s eye? When you connect with someone, you connect with their eyes.

• We need to see your thoughts and feelings

As they say, “The eyes are the window to the soul,” so it stands to reason that your eyes are your biggest tool as a film and television actor. It’s through your eyes that the audience will see your thoughts and feelings. If they can’t see your eyes, it can only be guess work as to what you’re thinking and feeling. As an extreme example, imagine if your encountered a friend with their back turned to you. Could you determine what their thoughts and feelings might be? Of course not because you can’t see their expression: their eyes.

• Make it easy for the audience

As actors we want to make it as easy as possible for our audience not only just to see our eyes, but to connect and get drawn into what we are experiencing. We don’t want there to be anything else that will distract or cause the audience not to focus on our eyes and our performance. So what do we as actors need to do to make that intimacy happen as easily as possible, so that the audience doesn’t even realize they are being drawn in until it’s too late? The answers are simple in theory, but they can be challenging in practice.

• Nervous Ticks and Movement

Movement catches your eye; it’s simply instinct built in from evolution. 10,000 years ago, that movement might have been something that wanted to eat us, and so it instantly draws our attention. The same thing happens when an actor has a nervous tick or too much movement in their performance, it becomes a distraction and it draws the audiences’ attention away from where it should be — the eyes. Almost everyone has a nervous tick. Something that they do that they don’t even know that they do. It could be tension or repetitive movement in your forehead, your mouth, your eyebrows, wherever — but those little uncontrolled movements distract the audience from your eyes, and now the audience has to work to keep that connection with you. It’s same when there’s a lot overall head or body movement — now the audience has to chase your eyes around the frame. We want to make it easy. Your on-camera performance should always be two things: simple and relaxed.

• Adjust your volume and enunciation

When you’re performing for theatre it’s imperative that everyone in the house can hear and understand you, from the guy in the front row to the lady all the way in the back sitting in row XX. But in film and TV, the audience is only as far as the microphone and camera, so there’s no need to speak up or to even enunciate more than you would in a regular conversation. When you bring the volume down, when you allow yourself to relax and simply just say the words rather than chew them, you allow the audience a little closer, immediately establishing intimacy.

I’ve tried to make the four simple principles that I have laid out in these columns, as simple and clear as possible, and I guarantee that you will see results if you use them to their full effect. But you’re not done yet, you still have one more thing to do: PRACTICE. If you only read some articles about riding a bike, I should hope that you would have sense enough not to jump into the Tour de France. You would get killed, because you need to practice. The same is true here. The author and sociologist Malcolm Gladwell says that in order to be truly great at a skill someone must spend 10,000 hours practicing exactly that skill… better get started.

Jamison Haase opened L.A On-Camera Training Center in 2007. At LAOTC Jamison and the rest of the staff teach a simple, hands-on approach at acting for the camera developed by working actors directors and producers, geared specifically towards the audition. Would like more information about classes? Find several ways to connect with us, including our newsletters here: http://about.me/laoncamera.

I just can’t make this sh*t up.

Once I was recruited to participate in a Reality Show about actors for a big, big studio and network (let’s call them Studio X).  It actually aired very briefly and eventually pulled mid-season. 

In the pre-production stages, I was asked to be one of the acting teachers and would be on camera to work with the actors to rehearse their scenes before being judged, and the ‘drama’ attached to ‘the process’ would be the hook of America’s voyeurism in to the back alleys of the acting world.

At first, I was told I’d be given payment, a small fee, substantially lower than a Union rate, but not low enough to dismiss.  Then I was given a series of phone calls.  The first asked that I agree not to be paid and instead donate my salary to the Marketing and Publicity Department of Studio X . . . in exchange for national exposure and a “plug” every episode for the acting school I was then employed. 

Key words:  donate my salary. 

In further discussion, they argued that although I was a Union member, I didn’t deserve a Union contract because I wouldn’t really be acting, just teaching acting  . . .  (even though I’d be in every episode and frequent closeup).  As there wasn’t hard Union contract language to cover reality television at that time, there didn’t seem to be much room for me to move.  I knew this was big trouble: I was setting myself up for big fines from the Union working as a union member on a non-union set. 

Plus, it just BUGGED ME that this enormous studio wanted me to DONATE my salary . . . !!?!?!  They aren’t a charitable organization saving puppies and feeding the blind, they’re a multi-billion dollar worldwide corporation.  Besides, I also knew the producers attached to this project and those individuals were famous and wealthy before this brainchild.  So my mind (and my mouth) went back to the essential reason of  WHY THERE ARE UNIONS:   I DESERVE TO BE PAID TO WORK.  And, that’s where I took the conversation.

I very politely asked if the Producers were donating their salary?  Shocked, she laughed, “Certainly not, he’s [famous actor] , and the Executive Producer!”.  “Okay, how about the ‘little people’ then?  Is the camera operator donating his salary?  How about the DP, the stage manager, or the wardrobe department?”  “No”, she replied, stumbling and offended.  “Then, I deserve to be paid to work, and if they get paid, so do I.  Union contract or not”.  I ended the conversation and hung up.

This was a few, short years ago.  Currently, there is much more knowledge and contract language available regarding reality television shows.  Now many celebrities are given a Union sanctioned contract and paid a rather decent amount to appear.  I’m not a celebrity, so that made me a sucker?  This incredible tale and experience is simply a testament to the fact that there are still people (and big studios) willing to snooker you.  There are no victims, only volunteers.  And I’m proud to be a Union Gal.

Bev Leech is a 30+ year veteran of stage, film, and television, and studied with the late, great Stella Adler. For more information, visit Actor Muscle

Written by Sean Pratt

Actors are constantly worrying about what is going on in the mind of the director at the audition…they shouldn’t.

There are certain aspects of the audition process that actors control and certain aspects that they can’t control. Unfortunately, most actors skip over the areas that they have any power over and spend all their time fretting over the things they are powerless to manage. A favorite example of this tendency is the obsession with, “What does the Director want?!” To further illustrate this problem, here is a short show business anecdote.

The Story of Shane and the New York City Audition

Once there was young redheaded actor in NYC named…Shane, who was to audition for the role of Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was for a big regional theatre and he was very excited about the possibility of working there. Now Shane had been to a number of big auditions and this one was no different; they were calling in a large number of actors for each role. Still, having been in the city for about a year, he thought he had seen it all…then he opened the door to the casting office.  A Short Aside

To digress for just a minute…let’s talk about going to an audition in New York City. We all know that New York, along with Los Angeles, is the place to be if you want to move your career into overdrive. And we all know that there are thousands of actors in these cities, each looking for that one big break. Now, remember when you were little and your mommy told you how special you were? How there was no one else in the world just like you? Well, when Shane walked into that room full of 40 other redheaded guys who looked just like him, all reading for the role of Demetrius…he realized that his mom had been lying to him! Anyway, on with the story…

The Nervous Newbie Who Wouldn’t Shut Up

After Shane got over the shock of seeing 40 other doppelgangers, he found a place to sit and introduce himself to the guys seated around him; each of them remarking on how strange it was to see a room full of redheads all reading for the same part. Then Shane noticed this one young actor, we’ll call him Gus, who was seated right next to the door to the audition room. As each actor exited the room, having finished their audition, Gus would pop up, and pepper them with questions.

“What did the Director ask you to do? Is he very talkative? Did he want you to be serious? Did he have you do the scene a couple of different ways? Tell me, what is he looking for? What the hell does the Director want?!”

“Well somebody just came to town straight from college,” Shane said to the guys around him. They all laughed because they’d been there, too. Finally, an actor named Mark, from Shane’s ad-hoc group, went in. When he came out, Gus popped up to yet again shower him with questions. But before he had a chance to get one word out Mark turned to him and said, loudly, “Dude, the director wants me! That’s what he wants.” Needless to say, the room erupted into gales of laughter.

The Moral of the Story

The fact is no actor can know what the director is “looking for” at the audition; truth is, most directors don’t know what they’re looking for either! In this story, it was obvious that the director wanted Demetrius to be a tall young redhead but that was really all anyone could know going into the audition.

Ultimately, what the director wants is…the most talented actor whose essence is right for the role, fits into their overall concept of the show and with the other actors that they end up hiring. Your job, your challenge, is to deliver such a strong audition that you define for the director how that role should be played and who should play it…You! By the way, Shane didn’t get the part, but he did learn a valuable lesson.

Sean Pratt, (AEA / SAG / AFTRA), has been a working actor for over 20 years. Sean was a member of the resident acting company at The Pearl Theatre, an Off-Broadway classical repertory theatre and has also performed at numerous regional theatres around the country.  Major films include – Gods and Generals, Tuck Everlasting and Iron Jawed Angels. Television work includes – The host of HGTV’s, Old Homes Restored, and supporting roles on Homicide, The District and America’s Most Wanted.  Audiobooks – He’s narrated for 15 years and has recorded nearly 550 books in just about every genre.  He also teaches classes on and writes articles about the business of the Biz.

Written by Gywn Gilliss

Ok, so you finally get that call from the boutique agency on your wish list asking you to come in for an interview with the “dream” agent you’ve always wanted to work with.

Don’t blow it! Go prepared!

Here are three things to remember for your Agent Office Interview:

1. Dress Right- go for the gold in your personal PRESENTATION.

It’s NOT the time for sloppy jeans or hip east village thrift shop clothes (unless that is YOUR TYPE). Dress with confidence like a movie star so that’s how they remember you and for Heaven’s sakes-if you’re female- wear make-up. I recently experienced seeing an actress with a gorgeous head shot-red hair, beautiful face and a movie star quality- arrive for an interview with no make-up in dowdy clothes looking shlubby because her roommate had told her to go “clean”, unmade-up and casual. If I were a casting director, I would NEVER call her again EVER, EVER! She would have lost dozens of potential jobs and a career from following that stupid misinformation! Look like you already booked a major film/TV job and are ON THE SET shooting it! LOOK FABULOUS. 

2. Talk about your “Marketability”- your Unique qualities and how PASSIONATE you are about your career.

They can read your credits on your resume, your skills, hobbies and teachers, but what they NEED to know is HOW TO MARKET YOU. How are theygoing to make that paltry 10% commission for all the work they do to get you out to meet the industry and BOOK a job? Tell them! Make it easy. Even if you are not earning a lot currently as an actor, talk about the future, project your goals and dreams. Or talk about the most recent successful call back, something that says you are a Winner and LOVE what you do! After all, you are there to work together for your mutual successful future not your past.

We’ve interviewed dozens of agents in our Industry Tele-seminars and they almost all said the same thing. Strong credits and training naturally help but they don’t always care if you have an MFA in theater. They’re going on their own instincts. Do you have a unique personality, “look”, “quality” and passion about what you do? Most all overlook lack of experience in favor of the latter. So go prepared but be honest, sincere and have fun! If you’re afraid to talk to THEM how do you think you’ll fare talking to a tough Casting Director, a major Film Director or Producer to whom they’ll send you when you’re a client? They need to see your personality, persistence, enthusiasm and CONFIDENCE! Can you handle this career? If yes, then fine, they can work with you. Forget about the credits and training…that’s NOT the focus. IT’S ABOUT YOU.

3. Connect. Be yourself- let your PERSONALITY come through.

During the interview, if the conversation is going dry and you’ve run out of things to say about your “ideal roles” or goals in theater, TV and Film, LOOK AROUND THE ROOM. Is there anything that attracts your attention? Do you have anything in common with this person? Do you like their taste in Artwork? The Style of their office? What they’re wearing? What you’re wearing. Yes! this can be the tipping point. Talk about a recent show or film that you saw- maybe one of their clients was in it! The interview isn’t just about your credits, training or talent. It’s about YOU as a person. Are you likeable? Can they work with you on a daily basis-i.e., are you EASY to communicate with? And what are you interested in? (besides your career). Tell them. Bond. Find common ground about which you can talk. Enjoy the moment and the conversation. Everyone works with, supports and helps those they like, trust and know.

Get to know them! LET THEM GET TO KNOW AND LIKE YOU!

And THAT’S how you get a great agent!

Gwyn Gilliss is the Founder and Executive Director of TAM, The Actor’s Market, a marketing firm for actors. They provide monthly FREE seminars/teleseminars, FREE weekly marketing tips as well as access to top photographers, graphic artists and videographers who provide every marketing tool an actor needs. Gwyn’s acting career spans several decades during which time she appeared on and off-Broadway, in classical roles in American Repertory companies in over 18 contract and recurring roles in Daytime/Prime time TV, Films and dozens of network commercials/V.O.’s. As the foremost Marketing/Career Coach she is available to work One-on-One with ready-to-succeed actors.

written by Benson Simmonds

Yes, there are a few essential qualities that an actor needs to become a star and today we’re going to focus on…. well, let’s just say it’s something permeates every aspect of our culture. It’s everywhere – on billboards, in print, on the streets, in the office, in the home, and of course on TV and film…. did you guess yet?

Yes, it’s sex!  It’s not just that sex sells but as my longtime acting teacher and mentor Ivana Chubbuck taught me, a “star” actor can always find the SEX and the HUMOR in their work.  We’re not talking about looks here, because there are many beautiful people who just aren’t that sexy. If it were just about looks, then every good -looking actor would make it, but they don’t because it’s about much more than that!  Regardless of what you look like as an actor, to be successful you need to be comfortable with your sexuality and comfortable being playful and yes…seductive. I’m not talking about being sleazy or crass or dirty but learning to enjoy and be comfortable flirting and getting someone else to feel sexy and/or getting someone else to find you sexy. Is Jack Nicholson a handsome model type? Uh..no, but he’s played romantic scenes with so many beautiful women. Why? Because he is able to be playfully seductive in a genuine organic way.  Seduction is fun but it needs to be playful otherwise it’s a turn off to the other actor and the audience.

It’s called being able to generate SEXUAL CHEMISTRY or heat in a scene with another actor. Now of course there are many stars who may not be great at seduction, but they have other key qualities necessary to inspire us such as authenticity, depth, humor, passion and likeability. But without understanding how to enjoy your sexual energy it is a lot harder to become a star….or just be able to make all of your money from acting.

I recently came across this video in which John Cusack is being interviewed by a very hot Israeli model for Israeli TV.  Watch this video and then continue reading

Do you notice how freely he flirts with her? Ladies, do you find it sleazy or kind of charming.  Most of the youtube comments indicated the latter. Also notice that CLASSIC GUY move….I remember this one from high school. You know which one? Yup, the one where he asks to get a closer look at the chain she’s wearing around her neck so he can get close to her.  It’s so much fun to watch because they both seem to be having fun being playfully seductive with each other.

Now of course the challenge for an actor is generate that kind of attraction with whoever your co-star is..even if they’re not your type. For the purposes of the play, movie or TV, you need to learn how to make them your type. That’s what I teach the students who study with me and I explain it on my Master Your Audition video. So if you’ve bought the video and have questions, write to me and I’ll try to explain. And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

One of the specific ways to generate heat with someone is to start to sexually fantasize about them. Even if they’re not your usual type, imagine that they are really good at doing something that you like or that they’re willing to do something you’ve fantasized about and never done.  Though you can use a substitution in a scene for an emotional connection, you need to use the person right in front of you, i.e. the other actor, for the seduction part , to generate sexual energy.

Another tip is  to take a simple line that seems innocent enough like “I think we should close up shop”. Now in your mind think of a really juicy sexual image for what “closing up shop” is. Just think the thought and then say the line and see how it reads. Be specific. Think of something  sexually exciting that you’d like someone to do to you or something you’d love to do to/with someone else. Then say the line and see how it feels.

So have some fun this week!  Watch yourself or other people at a bar or in public and watch the physical signals we give each other when we’re attracted to one another. It’s often subconscious body language, but as actors we need to program that subconscious behavior in our work.

So have some fun this week and be little bit of a flirt..even if it’s just in front of the  mirror or …..the cat!?

For more info and FREE AUDITION tips go to www.masteryouraudition.com

Don’t miss out on Part 1 and Part 2!

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television.  But have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your auditions now. Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you worked in theater.  But it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work.  It’s the fourth that most actors never learn. And it’s the fourth that can make or break any film or television audition. 

3. Seamless Acting

The third principle needed for a captivating on-camera performance is one of the most simple to understand, but one of the most challenging to put into practice: Seamless Acting.

• We can’t see you working

What do I mean when I use the word “Seamless,” you might ask?  Think of a magic show. A great magician seems to effortlessly make things appear and disappear, and it’s amazing to watch. If you saw how each illusion was created, however, it would no longer be as interesting — you would lose interest.  The same is true of on-camera performances; if the audience can see you working, they will no longer care, stop watching, change the channel, or call in the next auditioner, as the case may be.

• Theater vs. Film & TV (again)

In the previous few columns we have discussed the differences between working in theater and working in film and TV.  Seamless Acting is one of the most crucial. When you attend the theater, you expect a certain amount of “pushing” from the actors; after all they have to reach the back of the house.  But there is no back of the house when acting on set or in an audition — you only have to reach the camera. Remember, film and television performing is all about intimacy. As Michael Caine says, “You don’t have to push like you do in theater, you just have to ‘Be.’”

• Just think thoughts and feel emotions

Think about the really great performers out there, you know who I’m talking about: Streep, Denzel, Pitt, Clooney, Foster, whomever.  They could look out a window and it would be riveting, simply because they are thinking and feeling something.  There’s no “acting” needed for film & TV — there’s just thinking and feeling.  It does, however, take a tremendous amount of courage to do merely that. Your brain will scream at you to “do more.”  But consider that if you’re already listening, thinking and feeling, any more would be too much. Sir John Gielgud said it best – the most difficult part of acting is: “Making it simple.”

Actors often forget that acting is not about being big, it’s about when life gets big. The best thing that you can do when working is to give a subtle and simple performance; you want to take the audience with you, not shut them out.  Ben Kingsley said in every take he does, he strives to do LESS. Be fearless, be honest.

In our next column I’ll tell you about the one thing most actors need to be effective in film and television… something most of them aren’t even aware of.  Stay tuned.

Jamison Haase opened L.A On-Camera Training Center in 2007. At LAOTC Jamison and the rest of the staff teach a simple, hands-on approach at acting for the camera developed by working actors directors and producers, geared specifically towards the audition. Would like more information about classes? Find several ways to connect with us, including our newsletters here: http://about.me/laoncamera.

Some actors will write down their thoughts or impressions in a journal or dairy, but without some kind of structured method, their observations will lack focus. Without focus there will be no clarity of analysis and then no way to truly learn from the experience. But you can overcome this with the “Plan, Act, Reflect” method.

Plan

Before the project begins you must do three things: set very clear goals; create a yardstick to measure you’re success and growth; fashion a detailed plan of action. Let’s use the example of you playing a lead role in an upcoming musical-comedy production. Among the several issues you might have during the course of this project, let’s pick just one to focus on – the vocal challenges of playing this role. Here’s what you might be thinking about. 

• The goal – To maintain my vocal strength throughout the entire run of the show.

• The yardstick for success and growth – Not losing my voice due to fatigue, overexertion or illness.

• The action plan -To start working with a voice coach concerning this issue; rest my voice as much as possible; be aware of strain during rehearsals and performance; get plenty of rest.

 Act

Now you’re ready to implement this plan but you must also monitor the results attentively. What you’re setting up is feedback loop during the rehearsals. Specificity is important here. The greater the number of detailed observations you make, the better you can adjust the direction of your upcoming performance in relation to your goal. For instance:

• “I don’t have the stamina to get through the big dance number. I’m really out of breath. Perhaps I need to back off on going to the gym every morning before rehearsal.”

• “It’s really dry in the dressing room. I’ll ask the other actors if I can bring in a humidifier.”

• “I’m straining during the last phrase of my big solo. I’ve got to work with my coach on this.”

 Reflect

The best actors take the time, once the show has opened, to review all their notes, evaluate what is working and what isn’t and continue to challenge themselves throughout the run of the show. You can do this by creating a new plan to deal with any problems that come up…there will always be problems, what counts is your reaction to them. Remember to focus, in detail, on what you can control instead of the things you can’t.

• “I need to ask the costumer to adjust my Act One outfit. It’s not staying on correctly and it’s distracting me during my first song.”

• “I’ve got to find a place to catnap between shows on the weekend in order to rest my voice.”

• “I’m still not comfortable with my Act Three song because of the changes in blocking and the new props. I’ll need to rehearse that scene a few times before the next show.”

Finally, when the show closes, take a little time to go over the whole experience in relation to how you dealt with the challenge of that one particular issue. Where did you succeed? What could you have done differently? What were the unique circumstances of this show that either helped you meet this goal or created roadblocks? And lastly, how will you use this experience to make your next performance even better? Plan…Act…Reflect!

Sean Pratt, (AEA / SAG / AFTRA), has been a working actor for over 20 years. Sean was a member of the resident acting company at The Pearl Theatre, an Off-Broadway classical repertory theatre and has also performed at numerous regional theatres around the country.  Major films include – Gods and Generals, Tuck Everlasting and Iron Jawed Angels. Television work includes – The host of HGTV’s, Old Homes Restored, and supporting roles on Homicide, The District and America’s Most Wanted.  Audiobooks – He’s narrated for 15 years and has recorded nearly 550 books in just about every genre.  He also teaches classes on and writes articles about the business of the Biz.

But, out of all the things I liked, there were 2 things that bugged me.

The first was something about the show in general. As SAG member Pam Munro pointed out to me in an email, the tickets for the awards were, according to their website, $800. “Who can PAY that? Certainly not most of the rank & file!” she said.

I absolutely agree. For most of us, $800 is a lot of change. That’s headshots and prints. Rent. 3 Months of acting classes. One drunken night on Sunset. It’s almost like the powers that be want to keep you and me from attending by keeping the price high, isn’t it? 

I know these things cost a lot to put on but you can’t tell me that SAG doesn’t make money off of the broadcast.

I have an idea for next year: SAG (and presumably AFTRA now) should keep a block of tickets allocated for each branch. Each branch could then take their top 10 earners (actors who made the most that year) and offer them tickets to the awards for $150 (or $300 for two – we have to take out dates, right?). If those actors decline, put those tickets back into the ticket pool and charge their $800.

What do you think of that idea?

The second thing was something that truly annoyed me. It was the salute to the branches around the country. In the segment, they featured working actors from branches like Texas and Chicago. Loved it! In fact, they should have featured more branches.

In the final part of the video, they showcased the Las Vegas branch. Who did they feature? That hard working, yet unknown actor Mike Tyson.

Huh?

We have over 200,000 members and they give a shout-out to Mike Tyson?

I like Tyson. I really do (plus, if I don’t, he could come to my house and hit me in the face) but come on, SAG. You couldn’t spotlight another actor who’s night or even career, could have been made from 10 seconds of screen time on the show?

Yeah, they were probably trying to be funny but seriously, who benefits more? The one’s who pay the dues. The one’s who’ve studied and struggled to do something we love?

Or Mike Tyson?

Written by Jamison Haase, L.A. On-Camera Training Center

Read Part 1 of The 4 Principles to Captivating On-Camera Work

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television.  But have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your auditions now. Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you worked in theater.  But it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work.  It’s the fourth that most actors never learn. And it’s the fourth that can make or break any film or television audition. 

2. Emotional Availability and Vulnerability

The second principle needed for a captivating on-camera performance is Emotional Availability and Vulnerability.

• You need stakes

In our last discussion, we talked about how if an actor is Actively Listening, they will begin to have real genuine emotions; but it’s their Emotional Availability and Vulnerability that will carry those emotions through. As an actor, you must be able to emotionally go where the scene needs to go. If in the scene your character is desperate, then you need to call upon your Emotional Availability and Vulnerability to bring as much desperation as possible to that performance.

• You are human

Your Emotional Availability and Vulnerability is what makes you human. Think of Anthony Hopkins’ performance in Silence of the Lambs; was Hannibal Lector an emotionally vulnerable person, the kind of person who might have the same hopes and fears as you or I? Of course not, he’s a serial killer! He kills and eats people for fun! He wasn’t “human” and that’s what made him so scary. It’s our Emotional Availability and Vulnerability that keeps us human, which brings me to my next point.

• The audience will identify with you

You’re heard the saying before, “It’s more interesting to struggle NOT to cry than to actually cry.” There’s a reason that the saying is true. You’re trying to keep a brave face, trying to hold it together when… BAM! Suddenly the emotions get the best of you and you’re fighting back sobs. The audience will identify with your struggle and find themselves much more emotionally affected. It’s the Emotional Availability and Vulnerability that the audience identifies with — their hearts go out to you, and now you got ‘em!

What can you do to be as Emotionally Available and Vulnerable as possible? WORK.  Stretch your range and work on roles and scenes that are outside your comfort level. Work on giving yourself easy access to those emotions so that you can bring them up on a whim.  Truly feel the feelings – don’t push them, or show them to us.  Be present.

Next time? We’ll discuss Seamless Acting.

Jamison Haase opened L.A On-Camera Training Center in 2007. At LAOTC Jamison and the rest of the staff teach a simple, hands-on approach at acting for the camera developed by working actors directors and producers, geared specifically towards the audition. Would like more information about classes? Find several ways to connect with us, including our newsletters here: http://about.me/laoncamera.

This is a guest post by

This year, many of us are facing financial uncertainty unprecedented in our lifetimes, both for ourselves and the nation as a whole. This can lead to a lot of questioning and soul searching, particularly for those of us who have chosen to follow a career in the arts, a career known for financial instability even during the best of times. Sometimes the voices in our heads can get very loud. We might look at our wallets and ask, “What am I doing with my life?” We might look at our work and ask, “Does any of this really matter?”

So now that the holidays are over, and we are getting back to day-to-day business, I’d like to share some of the thoughts that percolated through my eggnog-and-shopping-crowd addled brain throughout the season.

For me, at times of stress, general questions about goals and ideals in life become more focused into questions about the value and purpose of what we as actors do with our careers. After all, we’re really just storytellers, purveyors of entertainment and diversion. There are serious problems in the world. What are we, artists, doing about these problems? We’re not curing cancer, or housing the homeless, or feeding the hungry.

Or are we? 

December, 2001 in New York City. The first holiday season since the towers came down. 9/11 had thrown everything into sharp contrast for me, and like so many others, I was having a crisis of faith. I wasn’t sure what I could grab onto to keep me steady when the world was rocking so violently. Prior to the attacks, my role as father and provider gave me an identity. After the attacks, when my then wife and my child were feeling afraid and insecure in a world that had always seemed safe to them, that role felt more like a burdensome weight than an anchor that kept me moored in a turbulent sea. I was being looked to for strength, context and answers that I didn’t have. At the time, I had not developed a strong spiritual practice or connection to anything, and so I didn’t feel I had those things to give. And though finances were pretty good — I was working steadily as an actor, lots of theater, a recurring role on a television drama, tons of voiceover work — a career in the arts is always tenuous. It was an unsettling time.

One day I was making my rounds in the city, pondering these questions. Cheerful holiday advertisements were a painful and hollow contrast to the questioning and mournful mood of the city’s residents, who were not yet ready to celebrate, so soon after the tragedy. Riding the subway, hurrying to my next appointment, the rattle of the cars was a welcome relief after the cacophony of carols blaring from every open store, shallowly proclaiming the joy of the season. I got off at my stop and was walking down the platform toward the exit when a young woman caught my sleeve and said, “Excuse me, but I have to tell you that you saved my marriage.”

I stopped short, confused. I must have looked dumbfounded. I had never seen her before. I may have said “What?”

“I’m sorry,” she continued, “I saw you on the subway, and I just had to let you know.” We stood there on the platform as trains came and went, and she told me her story. She and her husband were both actors. They had been married for a couple of years, both of them struggling to make a living at their craft, studying, holding down menial support jobs so they could go after their dreams. After a while, things had started to go better for her. She was getting a good amount of paying work, and no longer had to do anything else to bring money in — was, indeed, too busy to do other things. But the same was not true for her husband. Instead, for him, things were getting worse. Nothing was happening in his career, and he had to devote himself more seriously to something else in order to make the necessary amount of money. Construction, I think it was, or perhaps carpentry. Although he was happy for her, it was difficult for him, watching her success grow, and he became demoralized. He was working so hard, for longer hours and for so much less money than her, at something with so much less “prestige,” whatever that is, and his ego was taking a hammering. There was tension between them. She suggested counseling, for him and for them as a couple. He was resistant. The tension grew into friction and, as she put it, their marriage was circling the drain. Still he would not agree to counseling, and she started to wait, with resignation, for the end.

Then one day a friend offered them two tickets to “Dinner With Friends,” a play I was doing in New York at the time. It is a wonderful play about, among other things, the difficulties a marriage can face as romance melts into comfort and then congeals into mere routine. They took the tickets, and at intermission, in the lobby, this young woman’s husband broke down in tears, told her he had been a fool, that he had been forgetting what they had, that he would do whatever he could to save their marriage. They got into counseling, and now, two years later, she told me, they were going to make it.

Now I am under no illusions about this story. I know that I didn’t save this woman’s marriage, any more than the paramedic who uses a defibrillator saves someone’s life. Hundreds of people save the life of a heart attack victim — all the people who play a part in the system: The donor who buys the defibrillators for the hospital, the councilman who votes for the funding for the paramedics, the man who invented defibrillators in the first place. But the point is that without each link in that chain, the heart attack victim dies. Likewise with the events that saved this woman’s marriage. I was merely doing my job to the best of my abilities. I was playing my part in a process — I was a link in a chain.

I believe that the work that we do as actors and writers sends energy out into the universe, and we can never know where that energy is going to go, or what it is going to do when it gets there. Meditating on this simple fact can be very freeing in your work. It will help you to get your focus off of yourself. It will make your work about something outside yourself, and your petty concerns. That will make you a better actor. It is ironic, but true, that the less you think about yourself, the more of yourself you can bring to your work. Of course, so many of the jobs that we do to survive seem to have no redeeming value other than the money that they bring us. This is true even of many high paying acting jobs: the Tide commercial, the 3 episode arc on Gossip Girl — probably not going to save a marriage with either of those. But again, links in a chain, and work that enables you to go out and pursue all the other jobs that do have the potential to be a gift in someone’s life. Think of the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who does liposuction, breast augmentation, botox and collagen injections, and then volunteers at a low income medical care clinic and fixes a child’s cleft palate. One job supports the other, and a life is changed.

A friend of mine once told the following story, particularly apt to this discussion. When she was a student in college, her family situation was difficult, and her social life at school was not going well. She was afflicted with a serious illness from which she would never recover, leaving her with some permanent physical challenges. As the holidays approached, her sense of loneliness and isolation increased to the point where she resolved to end her life. She gathered the necessary supplies, and was setting them up on the table in her small apartment, with only the noise of the television to keep her company. At around one o’clock in the morning, as she was preparing to take her pills, the opening credits of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life began to roll. She had never seen the movie, but she watched it then, start to finish, and when it was over, she flushed the pills down the toilet.

The Talmud tells us “And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” I think about this often. Now of course we never know how our work plays out in the grand scheme of things. I don’t know, for instance, if the people whose marriage I “saved” will go on to have a kid who discovers the cure for cancer. But I also don’t know that they won’t. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I did my part. It’s not up to us what happens after we have followed our dreams and done our best. What is up to us is the decision to use the gifts that we are given, and trusting that a power greater than us has a design that we can’t see.

When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren’t told or books weren’t written, man would live like beasts, only for the day. Today we live, but tomorrow today will be a story. The whole world, all human life, is one long story.  – Isaac Bashevis Singer

Matthew Arkin is an actor, author and acting teacher. He received a Drama Desk nomination when he originated the role of Gabe in Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer Prize winning Dinner With Friends. His Broadway appearances in The Sunshine Boys and Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and he has extensive stage, television and film credits. He teaches Technique and Scene Study in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.matthewarkin.com, or subscribe to his Technique and Scene Study Newsletter.

Written by Anthony Meindl

6) Know The Power of “No” Which Can Really Be A “Yes.”

Life is all about saying yes. But sometimes we have to say no to something externally, but which internally, is an affirmative (“yes!”) declaration of self.

But we’re so often scared to say no to someone because we think they won’t like us or we’ll be rejected for doing so. So we end up compromising our ideals, our integrity, and disregard our inner voice’s knowing, all because of what we think others will think if we follow it. Saying no can be healthy, empowering and self-affirming.

Those people who we’re scared to say no to are not the people who really care for us anyway. So trust your inner voice. Be brave and say no. Look at how often you’re expending energy toward wanting people to “like you.” Spend less time trying to be liked by others and like yourself more.

As Dr. Seuss would say, “Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

7) Know That It’s Up To You.

The things you want to see happen in your life require you to make the first move. It’s not up to your mom or dad or teacher or sister or spouse. You have to take the step, and when you do, there are all sorts of unforeseen magical forces that will come to your aid. All sorts of synchronicities and information and dynamic relationships will unfold and become available to you but you first have to take the step.

Lao Tzu said it best, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

The Moment Always Wants To Show Us The Truth.

The moment always wants to show us the truth because the moment is truth. But often, we don’t look at what the moment is really trying to show us. That’s understandable. We feel we’re not equipped to face it or it’s too scary or we’re not strong enough. But those are just the conditioned ramblings of our left brain that want to keep us stuck and cut off from the real power we possess that the moment, ironically, is trying to forge out of us.

9) The Moment Always Wants To Show Us The Truth, But Sometimes You Have To Wait For It.

The other part of this is that sometimes it takes a while for us to catch up with what the deeper part of us already knows. The voices in our head are so loud and disconnected that they often don’t allow us to simply be with our feelings and express them. So be patient and wait for the head noise to quiet down and when it does, be brave enough to express the real feeling that’s going on for you. It’s rarely what our head was telling us it was.

10) Know That All Of Your Knowing Comes From Stepping Into The Unknown.

All of your victories in life have come by you stepping into something unfamiliar, uncomfortable, new. When you get to the other side of what the unknowingness is, you then have experience (which Einstein said), equals knowledge. But that’s gained by stepping into the complete unknown.

We’re naturally hardwired to do this, but as we get older we start to avoid that which is unknown because our ego tells us it’s unsafe.

Think of babies. They are seekers, adventurers, curious explorers. They’re not scared of the unknown. They just play and explore millions of mysterious micro-worlds. But what happens as adults is we start seeking comfort, safety, familiarity – we become seduced by what we know and that’s a sort of death. We stop playing.

Everything you want is in there. So step into the unknown more often. Get back to the spirit of who you were as a child. You wanted to seek. You wanted to play. You didn’t care about failure or how things looked.

The unknown wasn’t scary. It was home.

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor whose first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, was the Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2007. Prior to this accomplishment, Meindl was responsible for the production of an array of award-winning projects. His background in acting, training, and performance has afforded him the opportunity to create what has become a thriving artist community in Los Angeles.

Written by Jamison Haase, L.A. On-Camera Training Center

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television, but have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your audition, tomorrow.

Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you are theatre trained, but it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work, it’s the fourth that most actors never learn, and it’s the fourth that can make or break you in any film and television audition. 

 1.     Active Listening

 We start with Active Listening because as the great Morgan Freeman said,” Most of acting is reacting, and you can only react if you’re listening. I think that if you have a talent for acting, it is a talent for listening.”

• Keep the focus on them

When you are involved in a real conversation you are already actively listening; your attention is on the other the person, not on yourself; and their focus is on you, not themselves. Full attention is given to the other person and what they are saying.  You’re not thinking, “How should I show this person that I’m thinking this thought or feeling???” You just have opinions, think thoughts or feel emotions. This is the core of Active Listening, you must forget yourself and stay over with you scene partner.

• You’ll have real reactions

Active Listening is exactly that: ACTIVE listening. When you are actively listening, you will hear and perceive things that you wouldn’t normally notice. You’ll take in when your scene partner changes the delivery of their line, and your performance will also change, because you are present.  In life, you can tell when someone you’re talking with is distracted or not paying attention; you can hear it in their voice or see it in their eyes, right?  Same rules apply to the screen.  You will lose your audience without this element – they simply won’t believe you.

• Strong opinions and real emotion

Actively Listening also generates real, honest emotions, and strong opinions.  One of the biggest challenges that we face as actors in the audition environment is generating real emotions in an imaginary (read: audition) environment.  The reason you are AMAZING in the car while running your sides is because you are able to be present and in the scene, instead of in your head!

How do we stay present?  How do we actively listen when the pressure is on?   Keep the focus on the other person, and remember that you’re hearing this for the first time.  That alone will keep you ahead of the game. 

Next time? We’ll discuss Emotional Availability & Vulnerability

Jamison Haase opened L.A On-Camera Training Center in 2007. At LAOTC Jamison and the rest of the staff teach a simple, hands-on approach at acting for the camera developed by working actors directors and producers, geared specifically towards the audition. Would like more information about classes? Find several ways to connect with us, including our newsletters here: http://about.me/laoncamera.

Written by Mark Macias

Put yourself in the position of a casting agent. You need to hire an actress for a commercial shoot. She should have a comedic style and must be strong enough to carry a 30-second commercial. Her age and ethnicity can vary, so the actress search is broad.

I’ve posted similar actor ads on Craigslist and received more than 300 emails in the first 10 hours. After the first 20 emails, I have to be honest all CVs and headshots run together – with the exception of one group: actors with a reel.

I will never understand why actors don’t email a reel when they are applying for an audition, yet less than 3 percent of the actors who have applied for jobs that I posted emailed me a video reel. The rest emailed me multiple attachments with headshots and resumes, assuming I had the time to open 5 attachments.

It doesn’t make any sense. A video reel showcases an actor’s presence, acting skills, delivery, voice and style. A headshot just tells me what you look like, but even that isn’t always accurate. 

My actor friends have given me a million excuses why they don’t have a reel.

It costs too much money.

The camera distorts how I look.

I’m worried my reel won’t showcase my true acting abilities.

I don’t trust the editor to sell me to an agent.

I’d prefer to sell them on my abilities once I get the audition.

And if you don’t have a reel, I’m sure you have your own reasons for not getting one. My actor friends openly admit they are not the savviest when it comes to marketing themselves as actors, but a reel isn’t marketing. A reel is an opportunity to speak directly to agents and directors, showing them what you have to offer.

In my former TV career, I produced reels that got me up the ranks of NBC, CBS and King World Productions. As an Executive Producer with WNBC, I hired producers, talent and screened more reels than I could ever count. If you think Craigslist postings get a ton of responses, imagine what an on-air posting for NBC will produce.

Here are a few tips to help you understand what your reel needs to stand out from the pack.

1) The first 10 to 15-seconds are crucial. This is when the agent and producers are watching with their gut. Does she have what it takes? What does he look like? How are her expressions? How is her voice? Does his charisma come across the screen? Does she speak to me? This is why you should begin your reel with a close-up of you, talking directly to the camera. In TV news, all reporters start their reels with several standups and there is a reason why this is the standard in news. It works. A General Manager and News Director can see instantly what this reporter looks like. It’s no different for an actor. Start your reel with a snippet of you.

2) Your reel shouldn’t be more than 3.5 minutes, but if you have several minutes of great content, go up to four minutes. It’s highly unlikely an agent, producer, ie will watch more than that amount of time when screening for an audition and here is why. You are one reel in a pile and the casting agent doesn’t have hours of time to screen for an audition. It’s more likely the hiring agent has already made up his/her mind within the first minute of watching your reel. This is another reason why you want to showcase your close-up scenes at the beginning of your reel. This should go without saying (but actors do it, so it must be stated), put your best material first and go down the list. Don’t start with a wide shot where you are one in a crowd.

3) Shorter and stronger is better than longer and weaker. I’ve produced some reels for talent where they didn’t have more than 2 minutes of material. In a way, screening for an actor is like online dating. Sometimes, you see too many pictures of the single person and you realize why he/she is on this dating site. If you don’t have enough good material, then keep your reel short.

4) Present original content with your reel. A few actor friends have asked me why they shouldn’t add theatrical roles to their reel. Yesterday, someone asked me if he could perform a role from Brokeback Mountain for his reel. No matter how good your acting is, you can’t compete with Heath Ledger, so don’t even try. If you don’t have any original screenplays, then pull a script from an off-theater production. You want them to remember you, not the role someone else played.

Finally, don’t put too much pressure on your reel. You’re not producing a reel to land the role. You are producing a reel so that you can get an audition and be seen by the right people. Technology has enabled us to do this, so put it to your advantage. Likewise, get yourself a website so everything can be seen on one page. No one wants to open an attachment, so don’t give them a reason to dismiss your dreams.

Mark Macias is the founder of ReelFactor.com. His company, 3M Media Group, has produced videos and commercials for all kinds of projects, including retailers, programmers, restaurants, hotels and personalities.

by Emily Grace

I’ll let you in a secret…when it comes to your acting success, thinking like an actor is probably stalling your career.

How can this be, you may be wondering.  I’m an ACTOR.  That is my job.  How can thinking like an actor be stopping me from BEING an actor?

Well, my friend, I’ve got some news for ya that you may not want to hear.  But, just like a bandaid, we might as well just rip this thing off quick and get it over with.

If you don’t have the auditions, bookings, clout, opportunities or financial security you want from your acting career, than being an actor is not your job.

Your job is to be a producer.

Now – you may literally be a producer of your own content, but you don’t have to be.  What I’m talking about is being a producer of results.  Results like more auditions, more bookings, great connections, and ultimately getting the industry to come to you.

If that ain’t happening, but you’re spending tons of cash on acting class, improv, scene study, on-camera technique or any other class that only focuses on craft, it’s time to put on your producer hat and get serious about treating your career like a bidness.  

Because none of that technique can land you a job if you can’t get in the room to show ‘em what you got.

I’m going to share my trusty 7 steps to think like a producer so you can act for a living. 

But FIRST…

Let’s cover why thinking like an actor will NEVER lead to a sustainable career.

Here’s the deal.  There is a time and a place when thinking like an actor is required (and will serve you very well).  Places like rehearsal, auditions, or in performance.

And then there are times when thinking like an actor is really going to mess you up, and eff up your success rate.

Like when it comes to treating your career like a business, meetings, networking events, and so forth.  Did you ever read “A Marriage Proposal” by Chekhov?  In one of the translations this character always said “And so forth!” when he couldn’t think of anything else to say.  I’ve always gotten such a kick out of thinking of  ”and so forth!” as an expletive.  But I digress…(see, that was a prime example of how thinking like an actor can seriously derail the train).

So let’s get back to business and show you why you’re actor-brain is not the one to use on your acting business.

First of all actors are emotional creatures.  Open hearted, reactionary, vulnerable, sometimes a hot mess.  Great for class, performance and the audition. But you don’t want to be a hot mess when you walk into the audition waiting room.  Ya know?  That shit will get you tagged as crazy pants.  And no one wants to hire a crazy pants.  (Except maybe recently fired Oscar-producer Brett Ratner. But the douche-baggery running rampant in Hollywood is another article for another time).

How else do actors think?  Very short-sighted. They look for the short-term results like landing ONE audition, or putting all their energy into getting the agent meeting. But when they actually get to the meeting, they have no idea how to handle it because they didn’t think that far ahead.

Actors tend to get mired down in obstacles like nobody’s business.  But you can’t run a good business when you’re down in the self-loathing dumps.  

Ever had this broken record play out in your head?

“It’s so hard to get an agent, I can’t get work with out an agent, it’s a catch-22, I didn’t book that audition, I must really suck, everyone hates me, this is never going to happen, it’s too hard I should just quit acting and wait tables for the rest of my life wah wah wah wah wah…”

You know you’ve been there.  It’s an unraveling of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and once those flood gates open all you can see is how IMPOSSIBLE this business can truly feel.  But if it is truly impossible, get out now sister, because life is short and there’s no point doing something you already know cannot be done.

And if you’re not ready to give up on yourself and your dreams, then how about jumping onto the track of what is possible?  Because there is always possibility if YOU believe there is (even if no one else does).  And the major difference between the dreamers and the wildly successful is the willingness to show up and do the work.

Bethany Hamilton comes to mind (the ONE ARMED champion surfer).  I had the pleasure of being behind the scenes with the executive producer when the film Soul Surfer, based on Bethany’s book was being distributed.  If this chick can get back on the board after a shark bit her arm off and go on to become one of the best surfer’s in the world, then there is hope for you to act for a living.  Just sayin, there’s hard, and there’s HARD.  The difference is your attitude.

So are you ready for these steps?  Let’s go then!

The 7 steps to think like a producer so you can act for a living:

1. What’s your happy ending?

Nope, I’m not talking about a funky massage parlor (get your mind out of the gutter – geez!), I’m talking about your career.  Where are you heading?  What specifically do you want your career to look like?  

 Think about when you go to the movies.  Don’t you love a happy ending?  Especially when it’s a well-deserved one where the underdog has to fight to get what s/he wants.  You leave that theatre feeling uplifted, inspired, giddy with possibility.  Good producers know that a script with a kick-ass ending is a million times more likely to get made than a script with a mediocre ending that needs a lengthy rewrite.

When it comes to your career goals – it’s up to you to get specific about what equals a happy ending.  Get clarity on what kind of work YOU are most excited about.  Is it film?  Ok cool. So is that indie film, big budget film, action films, rom-coms, a mixture of all of the above?  Are there specific directors or filmmakers you want to be hired by?  The clearer you are on your specific goals, the easier it will be to make them happen.

Take Action!  Imagine what you want your career to look like 3 years from now.  What specifically are you working on?  What accomplishments are under your belt?  What is your team like?  Paint a clear and specific picture based on what would give you a happy ending (not a sad one).

2. Assets and Liabilities

So let’s imagine that you have attached yourself as the “producer” of your career results.  You with me?  What that means is that you are now in charge of that production.  And productions are formal legal entities – or in other words, they are run like a business.

And every profitable business became that way by knowing their assets and liabilities.  If you don’t know what you’re good at, it’s hard to get hired for your strengths.  And if you don’t know what you’re bad at, you can get in over your head.

So now that you’re in business for yourself, let’s take a cold hard look at what’s working for you (your assets) and what’s working against you (your liabilities).  Keep in mind that just because something is a liability (or a disadvantage) today doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.  There is always room to turn it around.

Think about your 3-year goal from step one.  Now take a look at what you have in your arsenal that is already working to support that goal.  These would be your assets.  (To stick with the above example -let’s say feature film is the goal.  And I already have an SAG card – so that would be listed among my assets.)

Now take a look at what’s missing.  What do you need to address that is in the way of getting your goal?  These would be your liabilities.  Maybe I need to update my reel footage, or create some if I don’t have any.  For a film actor, that’s a serious liability!  So get clear on what’s missing or what needs to be worked on so that you can make that happy ending a reality.

Take Action!  Make a list of your assets and liabilities as they relate to your happy ending goal.

3. Give it a Greenlight

When a producer gets a greenlight – it’s all systems go.  Take a look at your handy dandy new list of liabilities.  Which one of these can you begin to work on right now?  What is going to make the most sense for you to tackle to get you closer to your happy ending?

To keep on rolling with our feature film example, the greenlight project might be to produce the reel footage.  With today’s availability of amazing cameras, this is easily done.  Seriouslßy, have you seen the iphone 4S camera?  It’s amazing!  So no overthinking it and no excuses.  Remember that wearing your producer hat means you are looking for HOW you CAN, not WHY you CAN’T.

Take Action!  Choose ONE liability from your list to turn into an asset.  This is your greenlight.  All systems GO!

4. Make a Strategic Plan

Now you know WHAT you’re working on, the question becomes HOW?  How do you turn your liability into an asset?  It all comes down to the plan.

No vagueries, no half baked notions, we are going to sit down and plan out step by step exactly what you’re going to do to make this happen.  Just like a director creates a story board before shooting a film, we are going to plan your.

Break it down into step by step.  I’m not even joking here.  This may seem oversimplified, but most of us get overwhelmed in the details and things get overlooked.  Literally take your greenlight project, and break it down into baby steps.  That way, all you have to worry about is the next little step, and I know you can handle that.

So our greenlight project example is to create a reel.  How can I break that into steps?  

Like this:

Step 1 Choose scene(s)
Step 2 Get a crew (director, lighting, sound, editor – whatever you decide you need)
Step 3 set a shoot date
Step 4 rehearse
Step 5 Film it
Step 6 Edit
Step 7 Upload to web

Sweet.  You’re done.  Nice work!

Take Action! Break your greenlight project down into a step-by-step plan.  Pretend you’re explaining it to a 4^th grader to keep it super simple and obvious.

5. Take Action

You did such a great job putting that plan together.  Now you’ve got to put that purdy plan into action, cowgirl!  Just knowing what you need to do doesn’t actually count.  It’s the action-takers who make it happen.

Take Action! Well, I guess that one’s pretty redundant.  But just to be clear – take your strategic plan and get going on step one!

6. Persist Persist Persist

Here’s the deal – this shit takes time.  And you have to keep going to get over the hump of procrastination, obstacles, set backs, feeling crappy and wondering if it’s all going to pay off.  It IS going to pay off – but only if you take action long enough for that to happen.  

Do not be deterred by “No.”  It happens to all of us.  Even Brad Pitt gets told no sometimes.  It’s not a sign from the universe that you shouldn’t be doing it.  It’s just the way it goes.  Any good producer knows that getting a film made is nothing short of a miracle (every single time!) and the secret sauce is in the persistence.

Keep reminding yourself of that happy ending – let your passion fuel you through the rough patches.  

Take Action!  Keep that plan going until your liability is an asset.  Do not stop.  And if you’ve stopped, pick the ball back up.  You can do this.  I believe in you.

7. Wrap Party

Every project ends with a wrap party – whether or not that project was “successful.”  The fact that projects get made at all IS successful.

It is so important that you give yourself credit where credit is due!   And I’m not talking about the times when big stuff happens.  Of course you celebrate that stuff.  But that big stuff only happen after a series of tiny little actions along the way.  The fact that you take action at all is a HUGE DEAL.  

I bet you look at the results of your actions and start getting all down on yourself.  ”It’s not what I expected, I should be farther along, I didn’t get what I wanted so that means I suck.”  Sound familiar?  It’s easy to compare where you currently are and where you want to be and find all the things wrong with that picture.  

You deserve better than that.  You’ve gotten this far!  You’re still here!  You’re going for your dream!  That is big big stuff, and you are important and wonderful.  So cut yourself some slack, stop beating the crap out of yourself emotionally, and celebrate all that you have done and are doing now.  It’ll lead to feeling good, which will inspire you to take more action which will lead to more results.

Wooh!

Take Action!  Make a list of the actions you have taken in the last 3 months toward your career.  Wow!  Look how much you did, that’s amazing!  Make time this week to do something really nice for yourself.  It doesn’t have to be lavish or expensive, just something that would put a smile on your face.  Celebrate all that you’ve done in the service of your career, because you are awesome and you deserve that.

Emily Grace helps actors get in the driver’s seat of their career with marketing plans that get results.  She is an award winning actress, a writer and producer.  Want to hear more from Emily?  Be sure to sign up for her weekly newsletter full of useful tools to navigate the entertainment industry at www.emilygrace.tv

Written by Anthony Meindl

Part of life is about owning up to the fact that we know more than we think we do.

We’re sometimes not aware of our inner-knowing because we’ve spent a lot of time playing outer roles in life (the dumb blonde, the slacker, the jock, the weirdo) that often got us what we wanted in the short-term, but in the long-term robbed us of the deeper, more connected and empowered truth of who we are. The truth that we do actually know more than we let on.

So, here’s 5 of what you know (but sometimes forget) in 2012.

1). Know Your Self-Worth

How can you ever know what you deserve in life if you don’t have a sense of self? And how can you ever ask for what you need if your sense of worth is too low to allow yourself to ask?

2). Know Your Value

This may sound similar because it does have to do with the intrinsic sense of self. But I’m also talking about how your value shows up in the outside world. Look at how much value you bring to people without you even realizing it? Certainly, in your family and friendships and jobs, but also in the seemingly inconsequential events that occur every day: you smile at your neighbor, you ask a stranger how they’re doing, you take the time to really listen to someone. Your value is in who you are. Not in what you do. 

3). Know That Real Supporters In Your Life May Bend You But They Don’t Want To Break You

Simply, you don’t have time for people who don’t make you feel good about yourself. The people who wish to break your spirit for some inexplicable reason? You don’t have time to sit there and try to figure them out. Why do they do it? Who knows? Who cares? Life’s too short. Move on.

4). Know When You’ve Got The Lesson

How many times do you say to yourself, “Well, rats! I’ve been here before. And I didn’t like it in 1987 and I like it even less now!” If you got the lesson once, there’s no reason to repeat it again, except that you’re a sadomasochist and enjoy the pain! Then you should revisit #1.

5). Know When Enough Is Enough

We compromise our ideals and principles. We let others poison our thoughts. We listen to the junk truck depositing negative thoughts and we subject ourselves to it because we think we have to. Know where your line is and be willing to not cross it this year. No matter what.

“Don’t just talk about it. Do it.” ~ Richard Dreyfus

Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor whose first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, was the Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2007. Prior to this accomplishment, Meindl was responsible for the production of an array of award-winning projects. His background in acting, training, and performance has afforded him the opportunity to create what has become a thriving artist community in Los Angeles.

If you haven’t noticed… Los Angeles is a film and television town. Hell, that’s why the city was made. But many actors have a problem — most trained heavily as theater actors, and thus received extremely limited experience (if any) working in film prior to coming to Los Angeles. Then, once arriving here, can’t figure out why they’re not booking jobs like they used to in theatre.

You must understand the difference between these mediums, because If you don’t, chances are the only feedback you’ll hear is, “Good, thanks… Next!”

However – if you understand the differences between the two, then you can make CRUCIAL adjustments to your performance and truly shine in your film and television auditions. And that’s how you book.  Differences between Theater and Film/TV

1. Intimacy

Firstly, and most obviously, there is a huge difference with regards to an actor’s distance to his or her audience. In theater, the audience could literally be hundreds of feet away, and those audience members still need to hear, see, and understand everything that is occurring on stage. But ask yourself, how far away do you sit from your television? Or your computer, when streaming a movie? And a camera can get even closer – think of an extreme close-up – and you’ve come across the first major difference between stage and screen: INTIMACY. You must make one essential adjustment with regards to this fact — your performance on screen MUST be simple, quiet, honest, and subtle. The camera reads thoughts, and will catch any moment that isn’t pure honesty; honesty and subtlety that wouldn’t work in a theater setting, as those moments would simply be lost. Precisely as you’d lose an audience (and a casting director) performing on-camera if you give a theater performance.

2. Story

In theater, the audience receives information through dialogue. If an actor doesn’t say “I’m feeling/thinking this,” then how would the audience, hundreds of feet away, know that information? Most audience members can’t see that the character’s expression or thought, so that information needs to be stated in order for the audience to know what’s happening. However, in film and television, the story is told with pictures. The actor doesn’t need to tell you what they are thinking or feeling, you can see it on the screen. If you think the thoughts, and experience the emotions of the character, then you don’t need you to state (or telegraph) those thoughts or emotions, we can see them.

3. Performance

This heading refers not to your emotional performance, but your technical performance. While performing in film and television, you have to keep in mind camera placement, where your marks are, the blocking you received only minutes ago, etc — and all of it is imperative. If you slip with regard to just one of those components in a take, the entire cast and crew has to reset and start all over again – because of YOUR mistake. If you don’t exactly hit your spotlight on stage, it’s no big deal, you take a slight step to your right — the audience forgives you, and everyone moves on. Not so on camera. Time is money, and you need to be a professional with the kind of reputation people want to work with, not known as an actor who burns time and money.

4. Stage directions

Who writes the vast majority of the stage directions in theater? Typically, the Stage Manager. What kind of information you they give you? Usually, it’s information about what the set looked like, or that Character A walked stage right at this moment, etc. But who writes the stage directions in film and television? The screenwriter. They’ll give you some description of the character, and the location, but most often those stage directions tell you what a character is thinking and feeling. The stage directions are a guide telling exactly what the writer, director and producer need from you to tell the story properly. You don’t need to follow them exactly, but every choice that you make MUST be within the writer’s intention, or else you’ll be working against the script and story. And actors working against the script and story do not get (or keep) the job.

NEXT: THE FOUR PRINCIPLES FOR CAPTIVATING ON-CAMERA WORK!

Jamison Haase opened L.A On-Camera Training Center in 2007. At LAOTC Jamison and the rest of the staff teach a simple, hands-on approach at acting for the camera developed by working actors directors and producers, geared specifically towards the audition. Would like more information about classes? Find several ways to connect with us, including our newsletters here: http://about.me/laoncamera.

Written by

When I was a kid, I had this clown that I could punch as hard as I wanted and it would go down and pop back up just as fast as it went down.

That clown actually became a great metaphor for me in my life.

When you get hit and go down… it’s not the hit that counts… it’s how long you stay down there.

I truly believe that your character is defined by how you deal with the hits in life.

How strong are you? Are you strong enough to do what it takes to make it in what you believe is your life’s purpose? Can you take a hit and not take it personally, but instead get up, brush yourself off and spend some time figuring out why you were hit to begin with?  So many people wallow in their pain for months; years and sometimes their whole lives. You do not want to be a shoulda, coulda, woulda person! Figure out a way to deal with all the information, get up, seek it out and do it. There is help out there for you to find the answers. Take the “do over.”

That’s what I love about New Years. New Years to me was never about the party or the food or getting drunk – I could do that any time. What I love about New Years is that it gives you a chance to take a “do over.” If you feel that you are in the same place – doing the same thing – feeling the same way – take the “do over.” You can wait another year to take it, but why wait. Take it now. You’ll be glad you did.

 Amy Lyndon is the Founder and CEO of The Lyndon Technique, The 15 Guideline Map To Booking for actors at all levels. With over 20 years experience and clients at all levels of the industry, Amy provides insights found nowhere else. Jump start your career by downloading her totally free 4-Week Booking Kit at www.TLTaccess.com!

Written by Anthony Meindl

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Besides the many stirring things Ms. Williamson says in this quote, one of the most inspiring is her reference to children. 

The older I get, the younger I want to be. (Not chronologically – I don’t want to revisit those dreaded high school years or be back in my 20’s trying to figure out who I am again. Oh the drama!)

I’m talking about recapturing the essence of youth, which is really locating the eternal child within each of us.

So many great world teachers talk about returning to child-like innocence. Why? Because children are not in a state of developed ego. They don’t let the cynical, fearful, habituated, negative way of seeing the world contaminate their reality. Which is wonder, excitement, mystery, possibility, play.

And that’s where all the creative work comes from: in-the-moment, not tied to results, not worrying about how you look or what you’re going to get out of it. Like how kids play.

When I was in the 5th grade I’d re-enact episodes of Charlie’s Angels for no other reason than the joy of playing. (Well, OK, I did love Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hair and if I was going to re-enact a show, I wanted to be in the one I thought was the most glamorous on TV.)

But the point is, that boundless, nonjudgmental, childlike creativity is inherent to us. Forever.

We haven’t lost these qualities just because we’ve gained 10 pounds or turned 30 or have gray hair or feel that our lives are at a standstill.

Let this year, then, be a year of tapping into that truth. That to be child-like isn’t to be childish. It’s to be hopeful, innocent, awed and appreciative.

How you used to be. And somewhere within you, you still are.

 Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor whose first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, was the Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2007. Prior to this accomplishment, Meindl was responsible for the production of an array of award-winning projects. His background in acting, training, and performance has afforded him the opportunity to create what has become a thriving artist community in Los Angeles.

Written by Dallas Travers, CEC

As 2011 is now over, it’s time to clean up any unfinished business, clear the space for next year’s successes, and create the framework for your best year yet! I’ve provided 13 simple steps to help you organize your goals and make sure you cover all the bases.

This is my favorite year-end exercise. So, I’m really happy to share it with you.

Celebrate 2011

Before you head into the new year, take a moment to look back at all of your hard work over the past 12 months. What worked? What didn’t? And what can you change?

STEP ONE: Set the Tone

Make yourself comfortable. Play some music you love, grab some yummy food, light your favorite candle. With a notepad, pen, and this year’s calendar, begin your Year 2011 Reflection. 

STEP TWO: Toot Your Own Horn

Review 2011 and consider what you are most proud of in each of the following areas of your life:

Career
Health & Fitness
Friends & Family
Industry Relationships
Finances
Craft & Creativity
Marketing Tools & Business
Personal Growth
Fun & Adventure

STEP THREE: Look for Themes

Identify 3 primary intentions or beliefs that guided you this year. Perhaps you might notice that certain values popped up consistently throughout your year. In other words… if 2011 had a theme, what was it?

STEP FOUR: Pinpoint Your Weak Spots

Now look back through the year and consider what didn’t work as well as you had hoped. With compassion, consider the unrealized expectations, unexpected circumstances or interruptions, challenges, upsets or losses, gifts given and gifts received.

STEP FIVE: Tie Up Loose Ends

Consider what, if anything, you feel incomplete about. What actions can you take to tie up any loose ends?

STEP SIX: Celebrate

Finally, create a year-end ritual. How can you celebrate the challenges you moved through and successes you’ve enjoyed? How can you make a renewed commitment to yourself for the coming year?

Create 2012!

Now that you know where you’ve been, it’s time to map out where you’ll go.

STEP SEVEN: Set Your Sights

What are you looking forward to in 2012? What 1 to 3 specific goals would you like to accomplish by the end of next year?

STEP EIGHT: Brainstorm the Obstacles

What changes do you anticipate or hope for in the next year? How would you like to create these changes in your life? Who might be able to help you succeed at these changes?

STEP NINE: Gather Your Tools

What life and career goals or intentions do you have for 2012? What are you building on or recommitting to from 2011? What’s new? What resources will you bring from 2011 to 2012? What resources will you cultivate?

STEP TEN: Build Relationships

Who do you wish to build stronger relationships with? Who would you like to attract into your life? How will your personal and professional relationships blossom in 2012? Make a list of at least 10 people you wish to build stronger relationships with. You may already know who they are. You may not.

STEP ELEVEN: Let Go of Bad Habits

What principle or action are you going to give up in 2012, so that you can experience a fuller life? For example: I give up being late. I will be early or on time. I have more than enough time to take care of myself and all that is important and meaningful to me.

STEP TWELVE: Visualize Success

How do you want to experience 2012 – what color, taste, texture, smell, sound does it have? If 2012 had a theme song, what would it be? What images come to mind when you picture the coming year?

STEP THIRTEEN: Have Fun with Your Future

With those images in mind, design a vision board to represent all that 2012 holds for you. Your vision board should be a physical representation of your career vision. They allow you to use your artistic skills and creativity and play with the physical picture of your future. They’re a lot of fun to make and they are an effective way to supplement your actions with internal focus.

Stay tuned for the next edition of The Actor’s Advocate Blog, where I’ll show you step-by-step how to create a successful vision board.

Respected as one of the entertainment industry’s leading experts, Dallas Travers teaches actors the career and life skills often left out of traditional training programs. Her groundbreaking book, The Tao of Show Business, has won over five awards including first prizes at The Hollywood Book Festival and the London Festival along with the National Indie Excellence Award. She has helped thousands of actors to increase their auditions, produce their own projects, secure representation and book roles in film and television.

If you’re ready to jump-start your acting career, get your FREE Thriving Artist Starter kit now at http://www.dallastravers.com

I originally posted this review back in October but I love it so much that I wanted to re-post it.

I love Broadway.

I’m fortunate enough that I get to New York a couple times a year and see as many shows as I can. Some are good, some are great and yes, some are bad. But, no matter the quality, I always get that excited feeling when the lights go down and the actors walk onto the stage.

I also love my Playbills.

I slide my ticket into the jacket for safe keeping, read all the actor bio’s and do my best to make sure they aren’t ruined by the time I get back to California.

With The Playbill Broadway Yearbook, I can relive those shows and all of the dozens of other shows I didn’t get to see.

For any theater lover, this book is a must. I seriously have been looking at it every day.  It’s displayed prominently on my coffee table and has quickly become one of my favorite books. It’s huge, grabs your eye and once you pick it up, don’t think you can just glance through it. Once you open it up, you won’t be able to put it down.

This edition covers the entire 2010-2011 Broadway season. It includes almost 80 show Playbills – without the ads. You get the Playbill covers, bios, headshots, show summaries; everything you love about your little yellow and white booklets you get when you walk into a theater.

This years yearbook has all the new shows (The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Catch Me If You Can and yes, Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), revivals (The Normal Heart) and long running shows as well (Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia! and Wicked).

You also get tons of never-before-seen photos and, something I really liked, insiders who let us in on backstage things we would have never known about. Things like actors rituals and regimens, unexpected happenings on stage, ad-libbing and more.

I’m going to stop writing now because I’m going to go back to the book.

Check it out, I promise that you will love it!