Melanie Lynskey

While Lynskey had the ambition to be an actor and admits it wasn’t difficult getting his first role in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, she does explain that it was difficult landing future roles, saying, “I always wanted to be an actor, but I had this whole plan to go to a good drama school and do it that way. I wasn’t trying to get into movies; someone came to my high school and auditioned some girls, so it was a complete accident.  I lived in a pretty small, provincial town in New Zealand; there weren’t agents or anything like that, so I just had no way of going about it. I just thought ‘All right, I’ll carry on with that plan that I had to go to drama school.’  So yeah, there was a good straight year where I wasn’t working as an actor but it didn’t seem like such a crazy thing, I didn’t really have a fear of not being able to make it happen, because it seemed so impossible anyway.” 

Luckily, Lynskey found an agent who went out of her way to nurture the young actress.  She explains, “I got an agent in LA, but I didn’t know how [to move to LA or] what the procedure was and was said, ‘You can come stay with me.’ So she let me come stay with her and I started to go on auditions and eventually I got a movie, I was 19, named Ever After. It was a big-budget sort of Hollywood movie and I’d never done auditions before, so people like Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston were so kind and helpful, giving me advice and giving me support. That was how I got back into my acting life”

Still, Lynskey admits that the whirlwind way she ended up an actress was ultimately beneficial, pointing out, “I kind of had the best start possible you could have to your career. I learnt everything on that job, and I feel like if I could go back and tell myself anything it would be to give myself a break; [laughs] just that I can do it and not have so much stress. I spent a lot of time sort of going, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I’m good enough,’ And I feel a lot better about myself now, so that’s the only thing I would change.”

It appears Lynskey would like to continue acting in independent films like Hello, I Must Be Going, mainly because she enjoys the mutual drive held by the cast and crew to complete the project.  She says her favorite film experiences are “Probably small indie films, where everyone is there because they love it and everyone is in the same situation, there’s no hierarchy where the actors are making a bunch of money, there’s no crazy producer. It’s just a really nice [environment], everyone is staying in the same crappy hotel.”

The actor was born Kalpen Suresh Modi and changed his stage moniker after moving to California from New Jersey for college.

“Half of it was curiosity to see if it would make a difference, and the other half was as a joke to friends of mine. We read something that said that 40 percent of actors have screen names, and we were sitting at this place called Jose Bernsteins… and they were just berating me with things like, ‘What about ‘Kal Pucino?’” he recalled. “I was rejecting all of their awful suggestions, and thought, everyone calls me Kal anyway. My first name is Kalpen, so it’s sort of how Joseph becomes Joe… And it did increase auditions.”

“To this day, I’ve never been completely sure whether it was [because it was] less ethnic sounding or just [because it was] monosyllabic and that was easier.”  Going back and forth between his acting career and political gig, Penn has found time to make several film and TV appearances since assuming his post in 2009. 

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, the third installment in the franchise about the exploits of a pair of stoners, stars Penn alongside John Cho and hits theaters Friday, November 4.

Written by Dallas Travers, CEC

Track One: Casting Directors

Casting Directors are the most obvious route to securing more auditions.  They’re definitely not the only route, but it is a good place to start.

Here’s a simple strategy outlining how you can become known by casting directors by utilizing workshops.  I’m going to use the umbrella term of “workshop” to define classes, intensives, and seminars.

Step One: Create your target list.  There are literally hundreds of casting directors in the business, so it’s pretty impossible to effectively apply the Rule of Seven to all of them.  Not to worry – you don’t have to.  Just select a small (less than 12) list of casting directors and target them specifically and consistently.

Step Two: Register for 3-4 different CD workshop studios if you can.  Now, remember, not all studios are created equal. I recommend that you join a service that truly auditions their talent before accepting an actor.  This insures that the caliber of talent is consistent and sets you up to really shine.

Step Three: Only workshop with those casting offices on your target list.  This will allow you to maintain your sanity and your budget by attending a limited number of workshops with a purpose rather than taking a shot in the dark and workshopping with various CDs through a process of random selection.  Step Four:  Apply the Rule of Seven.  Try to see each target casting director seven times over the course of about 18 months. 

Step Five: Follow up.  Send a thank you card after each workshop specifically speaking to one thing you appreciated or learned in the class.  Be real.  Be authentic.  Talk about one gem you took away from the workshop experience.

Step Six: Stay in the loop.  Send a postcard update to your target list at least every other month. Keep in touch so you can truly develop a relationship with the casting directors on your target list. 

You can implement this program regardless of your budget.  All you need to do is adjust the size of your list.  If you can only afford one workshop at the moment, then perhaps your target list consists of three or four offices.  Remember, that this plan only works if you stick with it this for the long haul.  Do not get discouraged after you meet with your list’s members 3-4 times without landing an audition.  The magic number is seven.

Track Two: Producers

Unlike casting directors, producers are not inundated with calls, headshots, postcards, and requests from actors. Yet, they’re the people who are ultimately in charge of hiring you.  A producer’s job is to take meetings and make phone calls.  So, I find they are so much more receptive to an actor’s marketing than a casting director.

I’ve met many casting directors who feel frustrated by the fact that at the end of a long casting process, the actor who gets the job is someone who has a relationship with the producer.

Now, this may sound very unfair but I think it’s really great news because all you have to do is build producer relationships and get on their short list.  You can do that by applying a lot of the same strategies we just talked about with casting directors.  Let me walk you through it.

Step One: Research.  Finding the right producers to market to can be a little time consuming, but it’s worth it.  I’d start by identifying the film directors you most want to work with.  Look those films up on imdbpro.com and view their full filmographies.  You’ll start to see the same producer names pop up because the same producers tend to hire the same directors for multiple projects.  We all want to work with our friends, right?

If your focus is television, start with your target list of TV series.  Look each series up on imdbpro.com and select one or two producers per show.  I’d focus on the executive producers or producers who also have a writing or directing credit on the series.  This indicates that they’re actively involved in the day-to-day production of the show.

Step Two: Pick up the telephone and request a meeting.  I’m considered to be a leading expert in marketing for actors and if I could only recommend one marketing touch, it would be a phone call.  Phone calls are very scary.  But they are also the least expensive and most effective way to get results quickly.  Embrace the power of your telephone.

Step Three: Stay in touch with a monthly marketing campaign.  This can be the same message you send to casting directors.

Step Four: Set up a Google alert for everybody on your target list.  If you go to www.google.com/ alerts, you can basically fill in specific search terms and Google will notify you whenever your search terms show up in the media.

Track 3: Indie Filmmakers

There are so many opportunities available now to book paid work through new media – web series, short films, quality indies, and more.  So, the third tack to follow to increase your auditions is independent filmmakers and directors.  My client, Shannon has booked two nice paid indie films this year by reaching out to the filmmakers directly.

You can do it too, and here’s how:

Step One: Identify film festivals you wish to be a part of. You might consider well known festivals such as Sundance, but don’t forget about alternative festivals like Dances With Films or First Glance.

Step Two:  Visit each film festival’s website and compile a list of short and feature length films that won awards in previous years. Identify the film’s name, the production company, and the director of the project.

Step Three:  After you’ve made a list of the films and the directors who are featured on the site as winners, now it’s time to go to imdbpro.com and research the people from your list.  You can oftentimes access the direct website address for indie production companies and email the filmmaker directly.

Step Four:  Email each filmmaker, introduce yourself, and request a 10-minute meeting to talk about what projects they are currently working on and how you might collaborate.

True story… one of my Thriving Artist Circle members landed over a dozen meetings with indie filmmakers by following this strategy.  Cool, huh?

Track Four: Your Fans

Don’t forget to stay in touch with the people you already know!  The casting directors who have hired you are your fans. Your agent is on your team.  Producers, directors, and even other actors you’ve worked with all need to hear from you.

Your job is to stay in consistent communication with the people you already know.  I think a really easy way to do this is through quarterly email updates.

My student, Marina just booked the lead in a martial arts film that shoots in Japan for three months. She’s thrilled about it, to say the least.  The good news here is that Marina did not even have to audition.  She booked the job as a direct result of an email update she sent to directors who know her work.  The film’s director replied to her email campaign with an invite to meet the film’s producers and an offer shortly followed.  How great would it be to never audition and simply accept or reject offers when they came in?

Here are a few tips for staying in touch with the people you already know and like:

Tip One:  Get permission to stay in touch via email.  When you meet someone, simply ask them if you can connect through email periodically.  Most people are happy to say,“yes” when you ask them. Most people are grumpy when you invade their inbox without permission.

Tip Two:  Don’t sell yourself. Connect, instead.  Make your email exchange all about them.  Share a link to an article you liked, a funny video, or other item of interest.  The real key here is to focus on the relationship more than the next audition.

Tip Three:  Be consistent.  Have you ever received numerous emails out of the blue from someone who needs something from you?  Perhaps it’s a fellow actor promoting a show, or a photographer running a headshot special. You can avoid appearing needy or greedy by sending consistent messages rather than frequent messages.  You’ll get a feel for how often is too often, so trust your gut and just remember to be cool.  You’re in this for the long haul.

You now know the four proven strategies to increase your auditions.  If you are excited or even if you are feeling a little overwhelmed, I want you to implement just one of these strategies at a time.  Remember, the key to successful marketing is the Rule of Seven.  So, start with the track that appeals to you most. Create an easy strategy and implement it.  Only after you’ve implemented the first track should you move on to the next.

Lastly, please remember that these strategies work when you work them.  The results won’t happen overnight, but they will indeed happen if you follow my advice and stick with your process.  Now, go get ‘em,Tiger!

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

Most actors I meet who really want to do commercials and aren’t booking jobs can’t seem to figure out WHY it’s so difficult. They’re sent out for an audition, work on the copy, go through the process of auditioning and then wonder, “My audition was so good. Why didn’t I book that spot?? Or at least, get a call back?”

To take some of the mystery out of the process, let’s deal with some basic facts. There are only a few reasons WHY anyone gets booked on a major market commercial:

1 – You LOOK like the Spokesperson the client had in mind – the corporate guy in the Amex or Citibank spot.

2 – You LOOK like the “family member” they were trying to match up for the group scene- A family dinner at the Olive Garden.

3 – You LOOK like “the girl next door” the company needed to be their “image”- CoverGirl or Ivory, the suburban Dad building a deck & buying stuff at The Home Depot,the Mom with her kids having burgers at McDonald’s.

Did you notice that for all the examples above the word “LOOK” was very important? How you look determines whether or not you will be cast. And that includes how you DRESS. It’s not your BFA degree in acting, your
“talent,” your acting training in Meisner, Method, Stanislavsky or Classical theatre. As a matter of fact, over 30% of all commercials don’t even have “lines” you can perform so your acting technique may not be considered
at all! It’s your “LOOK,” how you present yourself in those precious 22 seconds or more accurately, the first 4-10 seconds during your SLATE that is so important!

That’s when the Client, the Producer, the Writer and the Advertising Exec’s decide WHETHER TO HIRE YOU OR NOT!

Does that mean that everyone who wants to work in commercials has to look like a model or be perfect?

On the contrary, everyone who wants to work in commercials today (with the exception of those “beauty or cosmetic spots for shampoo, lipstick or fashion) needs to LOOK REAL-like a real person.

What does “REAL” mean?

A REAL housewife, mom, dad, neighbor in the suburbs, a high school coach, a handyman, the telephone guy, The FEDEX delivery guy, a small shop owner,  the saleslady at the boutique at the mall, the teenager at the pizza parlor or the kids with their parents at the beach or on a picnic-these are all  “marketable types” and niches that most people fit into. The LESS you  look like an actor and the more you LOOK like a real person in “Middle America (west of the Hudson, east of the Pacific) the more you’ll  get booked! Commercials cater to the average American Suburban family  because those are the people who buy 95% of the products produced  and therefore advertised.

But, in the Commercial World, REAL people have an attractive or “polished” appearance. That means, hair is clean, well styled, trimmed, NEAT. Teeth look white not uneven, discolored or unattractive, wardrobe is in vibrant
colors not dark, dingy, wrinkled or “urban chic”. Unless stated clearly in the “breakdown” description, any actor appearing to be a disenfranchised individual (unless their casting a goth or hipster)- one with tattoos,
body piercing, odd-colored hair or a weird haircut will probably NOT be considered for the job. You get the picture. And there is a professional standard that even the average real person may not adhere to.

Casting Directors politely call it “CAMERA READY”.

As an actor you need to understand that COMMERCIALS are a photogenic medium. You are cast by how you look on camera.

People who have a polished appearance will ALWAYS BOOK THE JOB over  those who don’t. That means you need to “spiff up”. It pays off because booking a major market spot could earn you $$$thousands weekly/monthly in “passive” income as your spot is viewed nationally and sometimes globally.  So, get the advice of an Industry Pro- a Commercial Casting Director, a

Career Coach, a TV Director or Agent before accepting an audition for a  commercial.

The standard rule is WYSIWYG. What You See Is What You Get. Don’t think for a minute that “THEY” will hire and “fix” you- cut your  hair, polish your teeth, change your clothes. If you present yourself  unprofessionally, you won’t be hired!  If on the other hand, you look  ”perfect” for the character they need to cast, you’ll not only be hired,  they may even ask you to bring that shirt, sweater or jacket you wore in  the audition with you for the Shoot!

BINGO! You hit the nail on the head! You’ve been booked!

You provided them with exactly what they needed.

Here are a few Camera Tips to Keep in Mind

1.Don’t wear Red, Black Or White for the camera

Red can turn an odd or ugly color on camera-from fuschia pink to dark blood, rust, orange or firey red – not attractive for anyone with any coloring and may create a mood of anxiety or fear.

Black takes all the energy from the frame of the shot and signifies something serious or possibly negative- death or depression. NOT wearing black also means not wearing dark navy, dark green, dark purple, brown, dark gray. Dark colors will definitely lose you the booking!

White creates a “ghost” of green light around you. Looks bad and tells them you are an amateur,not understanding camera work and lighting.

2. Bring HAIRSPRAY and “Fix” your hair problems.

If your hair tends to get in your eyes, is whispy, frizzy, uncontrolled or is hanging limply, blocking your face in any way it will probably cost you the booking. If they can’t see your face or your hair is annoying to watch while watching you read copy, they won’t cast you! Girls with long straggly straight hair will almost NEVER get booked! Cut the hair, have layers  put in or have it styled -use product- so it frames your face and “flows” naturally. Or don’t waste your time going out for commercials. (Sorry, but it’s easier for guys! For you, don’t use too much mousse or product or you’ll appear to be greasy or wet!)

Remember you are shooting from the waist up for the most part so wardrobe below the waist is not that important (the exceptions would be an “athletic” or “action” spot where you may be jogging, playing tennis or golf. Then dress for the full length camera angle).

3. Bring and Use POWDER.

Everyone looks greasy, shiny on camera. It’s how light affects everyone’s skin. If you powder, (guys too) you’ll look more professional. Yes, these details make a difference. But you’re saying to yourself- “I didn’t study acting to learn how to wear make-up”! No, you didn’t. But if you want to make the money commercial residuals can offer you, LEARN! Just as you learned dialects, dance, singing, stage combat or wearing 18th century clothing not to mention different styles of acting, learn how to adapt to this area of the performing arts. It’s one more skill to add to your professional bag of tricks. The rewards will be enormous!

Happy Auditioning and Successful Marketing!

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.

Terrific opportunity to be seen by an acclaimed Casting Director and work with an accomplished and rising Director. Not to mention spending a week in a luxury resort under in Indonesian!

CASTING
Open worldwide to all nationalities.

UNION STATUS
Non Union

PRODUCTION DATES
Aug 26 – Sep 28, 2011 (no role more than 10 days during this period)

HOW TO SUBMIT
Submissions are accepted via a self-taped audition online through Let It Cast
1. Visit http://goo.gl/8IvVs to view the production presentation, breakdown and instructions on filming your audition
2. Ensure you match all the requirements for the role
3. Film your scene
4. Upload directly to Casting through the website
5. The process is completely FREE and your video will remain private, accessible only to production staff.

ONLINE AUDITION DEADLINE
August 5, 2011 18:00 GMT

RATE & DEAL
US $370 per day of shooting. Travel, meals, lodging & certain incidentals paid for by production. Please refer to the sides/audition document for complete Rate & Deal (see SUBMIT instructions below on how to access this document).

ABOUT LET IT CAST
Let It Cast is used by productions to enable talent to respond to casting calls by submitting the actual audition for the role. The goal is to privilege the artistic expression of an actor’s work over the traditional resumé/demo submission process

A lot of actors express frustration about not having access to their dream auditions.

They say that if only they could “get in the room” they’d be able to book the job.  Perhaps you don’t need to “get in the room” at all before auditioning for a role you desire.  Maybe you can instead film an audition for that dream role and submit your DVD to the producer, casting director, or director of the film.

Did you know that Vera Farmiga landed the role of Madelyn in Martin Scorsese’s film, The Departed because she created an audition tape and sent it directly to Mr. Scorsese?

Mick Brown interviewed Farmiga for the August, 2008 edition of The Telegraph where he wrote, “In lieu of attending auditions, whenever she read a script that interested her she would make a mini home-movie of the character she wanted to play, acting out the part while a friend fed her lines. ‘With the program on a Mac you could really edit it in a very clever way, fade in and fade out, have intimacy with the mikes, the lighting, and have the luxury of takes – you could make yourself as ugly or as beautiful as you wanted. They always resulted in a meeting – a flight over to Los Angeles to meet the director. Even if at the end of it all I didn’t get the role it would be fine because I’d already executed it in my own living-room’.”
Imagine if you directed the same amount of energy toward creating audition tapes that you do toward finding an agent, attending workshops, or worrying about when the next audition might land in your lap.  Take your career into your own hands and create what I call At Home Auditions.  Here are a few tips to get you started…

Use Great Lighting & Sound

You’re not producing an Oscar caliber feature here, but you do want to create the best possible audition tape by using a light kit, a digital camera and a mic.

Do your best to illuminate your face so you can really shine.  Open up the curtains to invite in as much natural light as you can and if necessary, use a small light kit.  The right lighting conveys a higher level of professionalism and allows the viewer to easily connect to your performance rather than feel distracted by dark shadows.  I use a table top light kit to shoot my blog videos.  It cost about ninety dollars – money very well spent.  Simply plug in and shoot – it’s that simple.  Plus it does wonders for your appearance.  Find your own table-top light kit here.

Don’t worry about investing in a fancy, expensive camera.  You can shoot crisp, HD footage with the Kodak Zi8.  It’s just like a Flip camera, but it allows for external mic input, which the Flip camera lacks.  Using an external mic will really improve the sound quality of your At Home Audition, so go for the KodakZi8.  Not only is the picture quality superb on this camera, but it requires no high tech skills at all, and only costs about $100.00.

Work with a Reader Off Camera

Ideally, your At Home Audition should look just like a regular audition.  This means grabbing a friend to be your off camera reader.  Identify 2-3 fellow actors you can partner with to co-create At Home Auditions.  It’s a great workout for your craft and an easy way to support one another.

Reserve At-Home Auditions For Those Roles You’re Exceptionally Right For

One major benefit of At Home Auditions is that you get to build trust with the casting directors you’re submitting to.  Whether or not one specific At Home Audition results in a booking, you’re giving casting a great opportunity to see you perform well and to absorb the types of roles you’re best suited for.

The best way to build the trust required to turn your At Home Auditions into in person auditions, callbacks, and bookings is to reserve self-submitted them for those roles that call for a unique characteristic you possess, specific training you’ve had, or something uncommon about your appearance.  Avoid self-submitting for any generic roles and instead wait for those special roles that seem to have your name written all over them.

Prepare Like a Pro

You have more flexibility to really knock it out of the park with an At Home Audition.  So, be prepared.  Try not to rely heavily on your sides, though you can have them in your hand.  Be patient and allow yourself several takes.  You may even consider coaching with a friend before shooting the audition to work out any nerves or kinks as well as to get an outside perspective.

Keep the Details on the Down Low

Even though the casting notices are accessible and the sides for your audition are available through ShowFax, please remember that you’re auditioning for a role that the general public doesn’t know about.  Rather than publish your audition on You Tube for the world to see, protect yourself, the production, and the story by publishing your At Home Audition on a hidden page of your own website, a password protected video on Vimeo.com, or deliver a hard-copy DVD directly to the casting office.

Count Yourself Out Before You Even Try

This may sound silly, but the only way you’ll know for sure if At Home Auditions work is if you throw your hat in the ring.  So, avoid talking yourself out of taking action.  I’m sure you could think of 100 different reasons why At Home Auditions may not work or why you may not book the job you desire.  But trust me, taking bold action toward what you want- even if you don’t get it – feels so much better than talking yourself into doing nothing at all.  So, go for it.

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

Music and Lyrics by David Nehls

Book by Betsy Kelso

Directed by Sam Woodhouse, Artistic Director of San Diego Repertory Theatre

We are seeking both union and non-union performers.

About the Play

There’s a new tenant at Armadillo Acres—and she’s wreaking havoc all over Florida’s most exclusive trailer park. When Pippi, the stripper on the run, comes between the Dr. Phil–loving, agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth collector husband—the storms begin to brew. This is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek, satirical, country-rock and blues musical about adultery, ’80s nostalgia, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancy, a broken electric chair, kleptomania, strippers, flan, and disco.

Performance Schedule

Rehearsals Begin:      October 10, 2011

Performance Dates:  November 5 – December 4, 2011

Last Day of Possible Extension:  December 18^th, 2011

Performance Space: Lyceum Stage in Horton Plaza, downtown San Diego

We’re currently seeking to cast 5 females and 2 males the following roles:

All actors must be strong actors/singers with skilled comedic timing and country/rock style vocals.

JEANNIE GARSTECKI 35-45, Belt and Legit Mezzo. Jeannie has lived in a trailer at Armadillo Acres for 20 years with her husband and high-school sweetheart, Norbert. She was 17 when she was married, 18 when her son was born, and 23 when he was kidnapped. This traumatic event turned her into an agoraphobic, and she hasn’t left her trailer since, and the man she loves is drifting further and further away.

NORBERT GARSTECKI 35-45, High Baritone. Norbert is Jeannie’s husband and collets tolls for a living. He tried to be as good a husband as one can be to an agoraphobic. He is a former high-school football star whose rugged good looks are marred by fatigue and the stress of his difficult marriage. He is a simple man who desperately wishes his wife could get out of the trailer but is not equipped with the emotional or intellectual tools to help her do it. Instead he ends up doing something he’s never done before, sleeping with another woman who happens to be a professional stripper.

PIPPI 28-35, Large Belt. Pippi is a striking beauty with a great body and a taste for clothing that shows it off. She is a professional stripper who has gotten by on her looks and talents for dancing and petty theft. She means no harm and is ready to stop making bad choices and start making changes. She leaves her boyfriend and moves to the small town of Armadillo Acres to start over.

DUKE 20s, Rock Tenor. Duke is Pippi’s obsessive, possessive, and excessive Magic-Marker-sniffing boyfriend; “ex”-boyfriend according to Pippi. Not so, according to Duke.

BETTY 30s-50s, Rough Belt. One of  “The Girls”, Betty attended high school with Norbert and Jeannie Garstecki and has lived in Armadillo Acres for just as long. She now runs the leasing office and makes it her business to know everything about everybody who passes through the trailer park. Betty is the mother hen to the denizens of the trailer park. Of all of “The Girls”, Betty is the most grounded, earthy and dry.

LINOLEUM “LIN” 30s, Belt. One of “The Girls.” So-named because her mother gave birth to her on the kitchen floor, Linoleum has a husband on death row at the Florida State Prison. His fate is an electric chair that doesn’t work properly unless most of the town’s electricity is turned off. So Lin watches everyone’s lights and appliances very closely in the hopes that she can keep the chair on the fritz. Sometimes self-absorbed and sometimes has a smart mouth, she hints at a wild, rock-and-roll past and is the fiercest of “The Girls.”

DONNA “PICKLES” late teens-early 20s, Belt. One of “The Girls.” A newlywed, Donna is called “Pickles” because she is perpetually hysterically pregnant—that is, she’s so convinced she should be pregnant she’s exhibiting symptoms. Her husband is a lot fancier than she is, as he is from the big city of Jacksonville. His parents haven’t been very supportive of his marital choice, so Pickles is desperate to give her husband a family of his own—even if she has to fake it. The dimmest of “The Girls,” Pickles is airy, sweet, and blissfully ignorant.

Submission Process:     Please send headshot and resume to Casting Director, Jessica Bird (no web site links, please):

Email:      casting@sdrep.org, or

Mail:        Casting: Trailer Park
San Diego Repertory Theatre
79 Horton Plaza
San Diego, CA  92101

Questions?  Please call Jessica at (619) 231-3586 x 638

CASTING CALL FOR LEAD ROLE IN UPCOMING “WELCOME TO PEOPLE”

MOVIE STARRING CHRIS PINE AND ELIZABETH BANKS

DREAMWORKS STUDIOS LOOKING FOR YOUNG MALE ACTOR (AGE 11-13)

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 30, 2010) – DreamWorks Studios has launched a casting search to fill a lead role in its upcoming movie “Welcome to People,” it was announced today by DreamWorks Studios.

Actors interested in the role are invited to attend an open casting call on Saturday, December 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. No acting experience is necessary for interested actors, nor are they required to prepare anything for the audition.

Role to be cast is ‘Josh’: Male, 11-13 years old, Caucasian, athletic, independent, and confident. Interested actors should be able to memorize lots of dialogue. Film will be rated PG-13 and actors should be comfortable with dialogue reflecting that rating.

Details on the open call audition are as follows:

Saturday, December 4, 2010

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Denise Chamian Casting

Sunset Gower Studios

1438 N. Gower St.

Building 35, Suite 270

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323) 315-9445

(Street Parking Only)

Welcome to People is a drama about a young businessman (CHRIS PINE) who returns home after his estranged father’s sudden death, only to uncover a devastating family secret, which sends him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Film is the feature film directorial debut of Alex Kurtzman (TRANSFORMERS, STAR TREK) with a script written by Kurtzman, Roberto Orci (TRANSFORMERS, STAR TREK) and Jody Lambert (OF ALL THE THINGS). In addition to Chris Pine (STAR TREK), Elizabeth Banks (THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN) has also joined the cast. Film is scheduled to begin production in January in Los Angeles.

About DreamWorks Studios

DreamWorks Studios (www.dreamworksstudios.com) is a motion picture company led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The new company is a continuation of DreamWorks Studios which was formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The company expects to put into production 5 to 6 films per year that will be distributed by The Walt Disney Studios.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

For publicity inquiries contact:

Kristin Stark

(818) 733-9685

For additional information contact:

Denise Chamian Casting

(323) 315-9445

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4 Ways to Get Cast Without Improving Your Acting

1. Don’t Apologize

When… You just performed a scene you think went awful. All too often at auditions, actors shoot themselves in the foot doing this. Do yourself a favor and shut up. Instead, focus your attention on if there is any feedback. If there isn’t any, say thanks and leave.

2. Do Apologize

When… You are running late. Call and let ‘em briefly know how much longer you’ll be for you to arrive. When you do get there, say a simple “sorry for keeping you waiting” to everyone that you’ve effected by your tardiness.

3. Arrive Fashionably Early

Five minutes early for auditions, Ten minutes early for a job.

4. Say Your Name, Say Your Name, Say Your Name

At auditions, call backs, industry parties and on jobs. Don’t assume people know you. Be the first to extend your hand saying, “Hello, my name is…” Studies show that it takes someone hearing or seeing you several times to remember you.

Paul Cram, a working actor (check out his IMDB profile here), shares his thoughts on getting cast again and again by the same people.

Or, imagine this: You are networking at an event (like the Tribeca Film Festival) and you have met so many people that you have handed out your last copy of your reel. You run into an agent who has seen you on stage, but comments that he would like to see your film work. He asks if you have a reel to give him. Sadly, you don’t, and it will be at least a week until you can get more duplicates made. What now?

If you are a business-minded actor, you would have a website and neither case would have been a problem! You could simply tell the casting director, “Drop by my website, where you can download a copy of my headshot and resume, both formatted for printing.” And for the agent, you would be able to say, “Here’s my website. Not only do I have my reel posted, but I also have clips from a few of the other projects I have done, including some singing and a few commercials.”

Having a website is one of the most important promotional tools an actor can have, second only to a good headshot. A website allows you to provide interested parties with a more full look at your body of work, your personality, and the way you run your business. And it allows them to do it in their own time, at their pace and leisure, which is vitally important in the larger, more competitive markets. The easier you can make it for a CD/agent to get to know you, the better chance you have of making an impact with them.

Now, some actors have “actor pages” created on industry websites, such as Actors Access, Now Casting or IMDB. While these are sufficient for communicating basic information, it is very difficult to allow your personality to come through with these sites. Your website, much like your headshot, is a calling card. After all, their templates are the same for every actor! A website is a reflection of your identity, and the more personalized you can make it, the better off you will be. If you do opt for this, at the very least you should purchase a domain name (www. yourname .com) and  link/forward it to your free page. That way, when someone types in your web address, they will automatically be forwarded to whatever website you choose. Some companies charge a nominal fee for forwarding, while others include it with the domain purchase.

A website is a reflection of your identity, and the more personalized you can make it, the better off you will be

That all being said, having a website can be relatively inexpensive if you do your research. One word of advice- before you sign up for ANY services, be sure to get all of the costs laid out UP FRONT. Websites contains a lot of components that add up to a well-created and maintained business tool. Make sure you have a strong understanding of all of the costs associated, including ongoing text changes, additions or updates to media (like photo, video and audio clips), and the creation of new pages. Often, the initial price tag seems small but the fee for design becomes much larger when considering the price of upkeep. It is very important to weigh all of the costs and decide what type of fee structure is best for your business, and then get all of this in writing before you choose your designer.

Here is a breakdown of what kinds of costs you might incur, and some pitfalls to avoid:

1) You domain name will be around $10 per year.

2) Ongoing storage (called “hosting”) usually costs between $5 – $9 per month. GoDaddy is one of the largest and cheapest and charges around $58 for a full year (great price!)

3) Design services can range from a flat fee of $300 – $900 (and up) depending on how fancy you want your site to be. Be wary of companies that charge less- there may be some hidden fees or restrictions (like limited photos, videos or pages.) Often, the price seems small at first but added costs can push the prices well over $1000.

4) Be careful when signing up for websites you can change/update yourself. These designs tend to either have a very high up front fee, or a moderate monthly fee you pay for the life of your website. For example, some companies charge $195 to design your website, and then charge $25-$50 per month ongoing for hosting & maintenance. That may seem like a great deal, but consider that every year you’d be paying $250-500. How long do you imagine you’ll be keeping your website? That $250-$500 will add up very quickly. This is the same thing that printer companies are doing- they nearly give away the printer and then charge you $40 (or more) per ink cartridge. Be sure that this is a monthly expense you can afford to keep for the rest of your life (or, as long as the website is active.)

5) Changes/updates that are done by your designer are usually less expensive, depending on who you select to do the work. Most charge by the hour for changes. But be careful- many designers have a 1 hour minimum, even if you simply want to add a resume credit. Look for someone who either does not have a 1 hour minimum, or someone who is willing to work on retainer. When I design websites for actors, I do changes on a retainer program and it is a win-win for both the actor and me as the designer. I collect a 1 hour retainer in advance, and then each time the actor has changes I deduct the time from their 1 hour retainer. If the changes take 5 minutes, the actor has 55 minutes of changes left. That way, I still am guaranteed payment for an hour of work, but the actor only pays for work that is actually done. Very few designers use this method because it means less $ for them, but you have every right to expect that you’ll only be paying for work you need.

6) Also, be sure to determine who actually owns the website design – once it is designed, is it yours to do with as you please (even if you choose to host/update it with someone else?) Or do they hold the copyright and keep the design (and contents) if you opt to go elsewhere? These are important things to go over before you pay any fees.

Remember the adage: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Regardless of how you choose to set up your site, all fees can be written off on your taxes as a business expense, and goes a long way in investing in your future as a professional performer. The internet is here to stay, and it is time for you to take advantage of this incredible promotional tool!

Have questions about web design? Shoot me an email or leave a comment, and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Erin Cronican’s career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and regionally. She is the founder of The Actors’ Enterprise (TAE), a fun and inspiring one-on-one coaching service that provides incredibly affordable business training to actors who want to feel more fulfilled and in control of their careers. With an approach that is hands-on and customized for each person, TAE helps actors set goals, organize their business, and create a plan of action with easy tools that can take them to the next level, no matter where they are starting from. She also creates compelling and affordable designs for websites, business cards and postcards. TAE’s focus includes coaching on marketing/career development, business skills, and audition techniques that help actors work SMARTER, not HARDER.

Actors who are interested in coaching can receive a free 30 minute career consultation (by phone or in person.) Learn more at www.theactorsenterprise.org or www.erincronican.com.

HOW TO GIVE GREAT AUDITIONS BY CHANGING YOUR FOCUS

Hello fellow actors!

I’m thrilled to be able to share my years of experience as an on-set and stage actor and over 15 years of teaching and coaching actors. Some of the topics I’d like to cover include; how to have sexual chemistry at auditions and on set, the secret to playing bad guys, cops, lawyers, FBI, judges and prostitutes; how to break down audition scripts; how to get more depth and vulnerability as an actor and much, much more!

For my first column I’d like to address:

How to feel confident and have a great time at your auditions.
The incredible technique I’m going to share with you is based on the work of Jerry  and Esther Hicks, who introduced the secrets of the law of attraction years before the huge success of the video and book, The Secret.

According to Esther and Jerry Hicks we are always either focusing on what we want or what we don’t want. When you’re unhappy, nervous, angry, etc it’s usually because you are focusing on what you don’t want. “I don’t want to be lonely, I don’t want to have so few auditions, I don’t want to be poor”, etc. The secret to shifting your mood in general and specifically when you audition is to focus on what you do want and how you DO want to FEEL at your auditions and on set.

So here’s a simple process for preparing for an audition:

First, imagine yourself on the way to an audition for a part you really want. try to focus on how you are feeling.

FOCUS ON HOW YOU ARE FEELING
Usually if you’re honest, you’ll say, for example…I feel nervous, I feel excited. I feel anxious. I feel like I’m not even right for this role. I feel unprepared, etc.

THEN ASK YOUR SELF WHAT DON’T YOU WANT TO HAPPEN AT YOUR AUDITION
This is what we’re usually focusing on subconsciously and completely unaware of.
For example, most actors are thinking…

I don’t want to screw up my audition,

I don’t want to forget my lines,

I don’t want them to think I suck,

I don’t want to embarrass myself,

I don’t want to be nervous.

I don’t want to be intimidated by other actors or the casting director.

According to the law of attraction,  the universe does not differentiate between what you want  and what you  don’t want. The universe does not hear the yes or no in your statements or focus. It just hears what you are focusing on. So if you walk into an audition thinking, “I don’t want to forget my lines”, you end up attracting “I don’t want to forget my lines”, and you know what? You’ll probably forget some of your lines. So what should you consciously focus on? In this case you’d say to yourself “I want to FEEL like my lines just flow easily. I want to feel confident that I’ve got my lines down”

So what’s the key to having a great audition using this system?

Start focus on what you DO WANT YOU HAPPEN and HOW YOU DO WANT TO FEEL

WHAT YOU DO WANT TO HAPPEN
I want to have a great audition.
I want them to love me and think I’m amazing.
I want to nail this character and be open and vulnerable and confident.

I want to have my best audition ever.

Now on to the MOST IMPORTANT step – Focusing on how you want to FEEL at your audition. Here are some suggestions.

I want to FEEL confident and inspired.

I want to FEEL like I’ve got the part before I ever walk into the audition room.

I want to feel like God himself/herself is walking in with me into the audition room and telling them to hire me.

I want to FEEL  like the casting director and director are going to fight over who gets to compliment me first

I want to FEEL like the casting director is going to take one look at me and say, “you’re amazing. Let me go out there and tell the other actors to leave because YOU’VE GOT THE PART”

I want to FEEL playful and open and vulnerable and  have a GREAT time

I want to FEEL like a million bucks.

I want to FEEL like I look incredible, handsome, beautiful sexy.

I want to FEEL like the casting director and director will need to wear sunglasses because my talent will shine so bright

I want to FEEL like I don’t give a shit what people think about me in and outside the audition room

I want to feel free to express myself and take risks.

I want to feel focused, and in the moment.

I want to feel like I am the character I’m auditioning for when I’m in the audition room.

These are some of my suggestions but feel free to make up lots of your own.

The idea is to have as much FUN as possible when you are saying OUT LOUD how you want to feel at your auditions and on set. You need to say them for at least a minute to begin to shift your mood. If you can get into the habit of doing these “I want to FEEL’ statements every day for 5 minutes, then you’ll see how incredibly effective they will be at your next audition. Even if you haven’t had auditions lately, you’ll start attracting auditions just by consistently focusing on how you want your auditions to go and how you want to FEEL at your auditions.

Try these tools and let me know how they work for you. Remember to have fun and do them consistently.

Go forth with confidence and have FUN!

Also, remember to let the audition go once you’ve left the room. You have no control over whether or not you will be hired, but you do have control over how you FEEL when you audition!

Here’s one last important tip. If you are always waiting an external circumstance like an audition or booking a part to make you happy, you will never be happy.

Focus instead on your internal state. Focus on being happy and then you will attract the things that make you happy.

Benson Simmonds is an award-winning actor, acting teacher, coach and short filmmaker. His YouTube mini lectures series on acting continues to receive thousands of hits and inspires actors all over the world. Benson is currently working as an actor in LA and also teaches acting classes and coaches one on one.

To view Benson’s YouTube lectures on acting, click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06WUiSxiuv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B-SdWJ7E_0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HWvAy-Wd0c

To view some of Benson’s award-winning acting work (including his short , Applaud or Die) click here.

So, to combat the many unscrupulous characters baiting actors with empty promises, below you’ll find are 11 of my favorite reputable websites where casting notices can be found.

Actors Access
Backstage
Actors Equity Casting Call
Playbill
SAG Indie
Now Casting
Casting Networks/LACasting.com
Casting Networks/NYCasting.com
NYCastings.com
Mandy.com
Craigslist

Any of the others not listed here typically have the same notices that are on the above sites. If you are in LA or NY, I would caution you if paying to use any website other than these listed- it probably wouldn’t be worth the money. Of course, there are exceptions and I am sure a new website will come along and blow away the competition. But as of now, the above sites are the most reputable for those in the major markets.

Please note: not every website has a vetting process, so it is up to the actor to research the casting notice to make sure the project is legitimate. Even for a casting website like Actors Access, which is probably the most professional and popular service, unsavory notices can get listed (especially on public forums like Craigslist.) It is up to the actor to keep themselves safe, so use caution when submitting your materials.

A side note: Any website that claims to have notices for principal roles on TV and studio film projects is probably not being truthful. I notice these sites all the time, saying things like, “Find auditions for Grey’s Anatomy here!” or “Breakdowns for CSI just posted!” … only to find out that they are simply posting the general address for the casting directors (who accept submissions via mail EVERY DAY.)

Occasionally, Actors Access and Backstage will show roles for feature films/TV but these are usually roles that are very hard to cast, like 70 year old Filipino twins. Principal roles for TV and studio features almost exclusively go through Breakdown Services, which are not accessible to actors OR these other casting sites.

As promised: Here are a few casting sites for other parts of the country:

San Diego
Actors Alliance of San Diego

Chicago
THECastingWorkshops.com
PerformInk.com
League of Chicago Theatres

DailyActor Readers- if you know of casting websites from other cities that are reputable, post the links as a comment so that other actors can benefit from your experience.

Feel free to post any comments/questions you might have – and happy auditioning!

Erin Cronican’s career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and regionally. She is the founder of The Actors’ Enterprise (TAE), a fun and inspiring one-on-one coaching service that provides incredibly affordable business training to actors who want to feel more fulfilled and in control of their careers. With an approach that is hands-on and customized for each person, TAE helps actors set goals, organize their business, and create a plan of action with easy tools that can take them to the next level, no matter where they are starting from. TAE’s focus includes coaching on marketing/career development, business skills, and audition techniques that help actors work SMARTER, not HARDER.

Actors who are interested in coaching can receive a free 30 minute career consultation (by phone or in person.) Learn more at www.theactorsenterprise.org or www.erincronican.com.

Casting Directors, Filmmakers, Theaters, etc -
please contact me if you’d like your project listed.
Lance@dailyactor.com

If you saw her Oscar nominated performance in last year’s Frozen River, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Need more proof? Check out the first 5 seasons of Homicide, 21 Grams and the upcoming Welcome To The Rileys.

She’s currently starring in HBO’s Treme as attorney Toni Bernette. If you haven’t been watching the show, you are missing some great performances. Not only from Melissa, but John Goodman, Khandi Alexander, Wendell Pierce… the list goes on.

I talked to her while she was on set, filming another HBO project, Mildred Pierce.

When I first became aware of you in Homicide, and everything I’ve seen you in since, is that you bring a deep reality to everything you’re in. You keep everyone and everything around you grounded. That’s a big reason that Homicide stunk after you left the show.

Oh my God! I don’t know if I want all that responsibility but that’s quite a compliment. An actor at a festival once handed me a card, and she had written on it “Acting, the art of pretending the truth.” And I use her quote an awful lot, because it is. To me, that’s what it’s about, even when things go into the fantastical realm that they can on stage or in film. That’s an extraordinary compliment. Thank you.

After Frozen River, do you still have to audition now?

The auditioning has waned, some of it by choice. For many years, I recognized that I was used for casting directors to impress directors with their choices, to find out how a difficult part, in fact, can work. So I, as I’ve begun to have work offered to me, have backed away from auditions from time to time.

You seem to take these roles that might be difficult to cast, but you fit them perfectly.

Well, I think that anybody who does any kind of work gets the thing that if you’re going to be working, you might as well be working hard. So, that’s what I do, and I guess my passion and love for it is that acting really is my life. The only other thing really is my son.

So how much of “you” do you bring to a role?

I try to bring as little of me as possible. The actor’s instrument is innate. It cannot be changed. It’s that thing that makes us love a great actor. [Al] Pacino was Kevorkian, he was an MD. But you Al in there, because as much as he became someone else, he also is Al Pacino. So, I actually look for the things that are further from me to hone and make my own.

You don’t seem to play the same character twice. How do you go about preparing for a role?

Reading the script, first and foremost, again and again. Finding what others think of my character. Where does she sit in the picture as a whole? What is her role in the story? And ‘who is she’ should be on the page. The costume department, the hair and make-up department help me enormously. It’s quite traditional that the very first call an actor receives from production – sometimes the only one – is a call from the costume department. So I begin working with them, they work more directly with the director, 9 times out of 10. I include that advice in it. And again and again, go back to the page. If an actor works too much out of their hopefully, vivid, imagination, they’ll veer from the project as a whole, and it can harm a project enormously, I’ve learned.

Let’s go back to your beginning. When did you realize you wanted to be an actor, because you went to London to study at 15.

I did. And it was many years before then, maybe 10. And as I talk to you today from Cooper Square in New York City, I am half a block away from where it all began. The building that’s now the Public Theater here in New York was the building owned by the city of New York that Peter Schumann and his Bread & Puppet Theater had the use of for a few years in the early 60’s, when I was a child growing up around the corner. My mom took us over and we participated in public workshops, and the nativity play the theater has done each year for many, many years. That was the beginning of it, in a darkened room with people coming to watch the spectacle, children and adults alike creating and believing in a make-believe world. I found a place that I was comfortable, and walked the path toward that, and learned eventually that it’s called “acting.” You can find employment as an actor if you are so lucky. I just took every opportunity, left high school in part because I could not do theater at the public high school I was at in Vermont, and went to the theater school in London eventually.

And then you came back and went to SUNY Purchase?

Very, very, very important time in my past.

What did they teach you, because so many great actors came out of that program?

I think it was a curiousness and respect for the art of acting that Purchase was designed to be. Not a mill to turn out a commercial, get a job. We were dissuaded from work the entire course of the four years there; it was a conservatory. Every one of the mentors there, my own, Joan Potter, just so damn serious about acting. I was just talking about it in the van back from Long Island last night with Brian O’Byrne and Mare Winningham, that training is still what I rely on.

You go from film to TV to theater kind of like most actors change clothes. Do you have a preference?

[Laughter] I don’t have a preference, which is probably why my work is so varied, and in size, student films and big films and television. It’s unusual and it is my pleasure. To me the most horrifying thing about spiders and heights and darkened corners is a fear of sameness. The notion of living a life, God bless the people who can do it, 9 to 5, 5 days a week, with a weekend and a holiday each year. To me, that would be unfathomable. So maybe it’s that I embrace that changing, not knowing, going to the audition and “Did you get the job or not?” It’s out of my hands. My whole work life has made me a better human being, because I’ve learned to take it as it comes.

When you go from theater to film—the theater obviously you have a long rehearsal process, and with film you have maybe 10 minutes before you do the scene—what do you take from theater that you bring to film or TV, and what do you take from film or TV that you bring to theater?

It’s very interesting that you ask this question. They’re exactly the same and they’re totally opposite. In rehearsal, we all make preparation together for a play. We sit around a table and read it out loud, sometimes for days and days to crack open the true meaning of the play. Then we get it up out on its feet and find its movements all together. We go for 8 hours a day and work with a guide, our director, to get to that thing. But then you walk out at 8:00 each night, and sometimes twice a week in the afternoons, and try to hit those marks you know are there.

In film we prepare, by and large alone, somewhat with a director and the other departments involved. It’s a little scattered like that. In a play rehearsal there’s a wonderful day that the set designer comes up and shares with all of us the plan of the set. We don’t know in film what are we going to walk into, what the movement is going to be, does the director have an idea of the images he wants in the space, so we find that for him. Then on film you do this amazing, magical thing where you capture and use the finest of the moments, the moments when you do get those marks that you try each night to hit on the stage. So they’re the same but a little bit opposite. I guess it’s about the preparation primarily, and because of the way you asked the question, it’s a new thought to me. I can’t wait to read what I said. [LAUGHTER]

Preparation, preparation, preparation. You’re so right. Now you’re currently starring in HBO’s Treme.

I am such a lucky girl, oh my gosh. I had been hoping that something would invite me into television to broaden the public’s awareness of my name. The public knows a lot of the time my work, but then they don’t recognize me if I go into the mud truck to get my coffee in the city. Which is fine by me.

You’re working with David Simon and John Goodman, two wonderful, great people. You and John—did you know each other before, because it’s like you’ve been married for 20 years?

John is my favorite kind of people. John is an actor. He is an actor, an actor, and an actor. With some actors you fall into it, and with John—I had never met him before, I had admired his work for long, long time, felt that he was often misunderstood as an actor because he’s so good at being funny that the depths of what he’s able to bring to things is unsung, or not properly sung at least. What the writers have given him through the season, to be saying about the circumstances in New Orleans, it was so moving to watch being filmed. Easy peasy for “Toni Bernette” to love that nutty husband of hers. [LAUGHTER].

What’s your advice to actors?

If there’s anything else you can do, do it. If anything can stop you, let it. And if there’s nothing else you can do, and nothing can stop you, do nothing but. Just like when we work, it’s 101 Acting, you can’t go for a result. And in our career paths, we should avoid the notion of a result. Have a golden dream in your heart and head, but just do your life like you’re acting. Let it happen beat by beat. Be informed by what comes at you.

As always, I recommend listening to the whole interview. You’ll get much more out of it! Click on the link at the top of the page!

In the mag, there are some great stories how some of the cast members got their roles. And guess what? I have them right here!

Particularly interesting are the stories of Josh Holloway and Matthew Fox.

If you’re a fan of the show, you should definitely pick it up.

From Entertainment Weekly, May 14, 2010 issue:

With pilot season well underway, ABC needed a finished show in about 12 weeks. JJ Abrams agreed to direct the pilot, and they began furiously writing placeholder audition scenes, just so the actors would have something to read.

Bryan Burk (Exec Producer) The casting process was crazy. It was falling in love with people who were not at all what we had in mind for each role.

Jorge Garcia was invited to come in after Abrams saw him on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and he would up with the tailor-made role of comical lottery winner Hurley. Aging rocker/addict Charlie was made younger after the producers were charmed by The Lord Of The Rings‘ Dominic Monaghan.

Abrams dialed Alias‘ Terry O’Quinn and offered him the role of enigmatic man of faith John Locke.

Terry O’Quinn (Locke) It was a very tumultuous time in my life. I wasn’t making a lot of money. JJ said, “There’s not going to a lot in the pilot. But we’re hoping to develop the role.” The fact that I didn’t have to do an audition, I had a role? It was a godsend.

Josh Holloway‘s Hollywood struggles were about to come to an end as he was asked to audition for the role of con man Sawyer.

Josh Holloway (Sawyer) I was done. I was saying, “Acting, f— off!” Acting had kicked me in the teeth so hard. I had just received my real estate license in the mail four days before. I was going to build my real estate empire. The chance to audition for this came along, and I was like, “Ahhh, f— it. One last hurrah.”

After Matthew Fox auditioned for Sawyer, the producers handed him the revised script and asked him to read it in the other room before trying on Jack.

Matthew Fox (Jack) I was blown away by it. I immediately felt that I wanted to do this very bad. It was such an all-in feeling. The premise. The quality of the writing. The people behind it. Where it was going to be shot.

Damon Lindelof When he came [back] in, he was out of breath, he was sweaty. It was like, “What was this guy doing before the audition?” Matthew was the first actor who played it as: I was just in a plane crash an hour ago. He completely sold that reality.

Its a place in Hollywood where you audition for various casting directors then later when you get home, you can log onto their website to view the audition and see comments from the casting director.

All for $10 a month!

I love it when people figure out more ways to take money from actors.

Anyway, I got this email from them this morning announcing that I can now share my auditions with my mom for Mother’s Day!

“Hey Mom, I didn’t get you flowers for Mother’s Day but I did get you this – you can log onto this website and watch some auditions I did! How great is that?? By the way, can I borrow  $10?”

This post was originally written for talktvworld.com. If you’re looking for a comprehensive website that covers all things television, check this site out!

Whenever my phone rings and I see that its my agent, I immediately go through two emotions, I’m happy (I’ve booked something or have an audition) or I think I’ve done something wrong. Oddly enough, I get the same feeling when my parents call me. Yes, I know I may need therapy.

In this case though, it was good news. I had an audition with a great casting director; April Webster Casting. This has got to be one of the biggest casting offices around. They cast Lost and nearly all of JJ Abrams projects. To do a good job at this audition would mean that I could get on their radar.

The audition was for the TNT show, Dark Blue. The part wasn’t huge but I still worked on it like it was. I wasn’t going to screw-up this opportunity. Even if I end up not being right for the part, I’m going in there to make them a fan of my work.

That next afternoon, I drove to Burbank; going over the scenes the whole time. I walked into the office, signed in and immediately saw a taped piece of paper with “LOST Auditions: Sign In Here” emblazoned on it.

Now I got nervous. I started to imagine Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Kate (Evangeline Lilly) standing in the exact place I was oh-so-many years ago.

I paced the office lobby, breathing deep trying to quell my nerves.

Minutes later, the casting director comes out and calls my name, “Lance, are you ready?”

I follow her back to the office and close the door.

“Any questions?” she asks.

“Nope, seems pretty straight forward.”

We do the scene and I was the best “INSERT NAME OF CHARACTER IN SCRIPT DESIGNED TO MOVE THE PLOT FORWARD” I could have been. In fact, I kinda think I did great.

I may not get the part but I left happy with my choices knowing that at some point, I’ll be called in again for a future audition.

And as I’m walking to my car, I reach down in my pocket to grab my car keys when I finally notice it.

My zipper was down for the whole audition.

Awesome.

You must be over 18, be able to play 18 and be a U.S. Resident.

Submissions are free and must be received by May 16th!

Click here to submit!

She’s set to receive the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award this weekend.