Backstage.com Advice

Backstage Member Austin Ku Shares Advice For Actors

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Backstage member Austin Ku gives advice to fellow actors. Visit www.Austin-Ku.com or www.facebook.com/AustinKuActor, or follow on Twitter @secretaustinman. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Why You Must Become An Adventurous Actor

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:58:18 -0400

Suzanne brought in an audition scene for a role she didn’t book. After her scene she explained, “All the script said was she was distraught. I just showed you what I did. I didn’t know what they wanted.” To which I replied, “I would think they wanted to see your take on being distraught. The problem is not what they wanted or the script. The problem is your lack of acting adventure.“ The urge to be an adventurer exists within every actor. This urge fights for your approval against the obedient actor you think you are compelled to be. Actors are born to be free yet they become obliged to make cages for themselves made up of dos and don’ts, fears and comfort. If Suzanne had exercised the adventurous actor, she would have freed herself to uncover a personal way to be upset that was unique to her. But she stayed in her caged comfort zone of doing what the script indicated. She didn’t find her way of telling the character story. You were born to adventure. Babies are adventurous because they explore. For example, they try to stand and fail and try again and again, failing many times but never stop trying. Babies try to stand because something drives them. Likewise, you

How to Star on a TV Show in a Social Media World

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Emmy winner Greg Yaitanes (“House”), an angel investor in most of today’s popular social media sites, is at work on the second season of Cinemax’s hit noir thriller “Banshee.” “Banshee” has a pretty impressive cast of unknowns. Was that conscious?We never went down the road of seeking an established American TV star. Frankly, for the money an established TV actor costs, I can get three, four great new faces bringing something fresh to the table. You’re well-known for being on the cutting edge of social media. Did that influence your work on “Banshee”?When I took this job in 2011, I had to imagine how people would be watching TV in 2013 and 2014. And the best way to do that was build a team of people who were game. The conversation was not only about taking the job but also here’s what is expected to keep the show relevant and to keep our audience engaged. If we build it from the beginning into our DNA, then we’ll be in great shape. And you were apparently successful in that![The cast members] compete to be in our “Banshee” [online] backstories! Every time, the cast says, “I’m so excited to get to do this!” And we make it

Be Prepared, Flexible, and Available in Your Auditions

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:58:22 -0400

When I worked at Halpern & Associates talent agency, clients would often call to report in after their auditions. After awhile I started to see the correlation between the comments the clients made and the actual result of the audition. For instance, hen a client would say “The audition went exactly the way that I planned it,” that was the end of it. There was no call back or booking. But when they’d say, “I showed them what I wanted them to see, but it went a little differently than I expected,” there would almost always be a call back or booking. It makes perfect sense. A great audition strikes the perfect balance between preparedness and flexibility. You need to be guided by a clear intent, dynamic relationships, and strong, personal choices as well as being technically sharp and prepared to connect with intensity and depth. Energized by the confidence that comes from this preparation, you then need to walk in to the room and let it all go, allowing the decisions to manifest in the way that is most appropriate to that room at that moment. Prepared, flexible, and completely available. A not so great audition has the actor ignoring the needs of the moment in the interest of delivering every

Why You Need To Like What You Do As An Actor

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:00 -0400

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." Someone sent me that saying in an email. I liked it so much I put it up on the bulletin board by my desk. People who find ways to view their circumstances positively tend to be happier than those who complain about the way things are. We are human, of course, and it is natural to dislike when we have to do things that are unpleasant. We all must work to earn an income, however, and we all have the power to choose how we view whatever we have to do in our lives. How you live your life is a choice. When you look for a job, make sure the work is something you enjoy. You don't have to love every aspect of a job, but certainly you can find some things to like about practically anything. After all, this is your life, and if you are totally miserable, well, what is the point of that? Let's look at the job of a waiter as an example. Some of the obvious drawbacks of this kind of job are that you get covered with food; customers can sometimes be rude or otherwise unpleasant; and sometimes those rude customers don't leave a tip. All those things may be true, but there are also things to enjoy from this same job. The flexibility of a waiter's job means you

3 Reasons Actors Get Commercial Callbacks

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

There are hundreds if not thousands – of actors submitted for a role. Eighty to one hundred or more are auditioned each day for that role. And on the average, from 10 to 25 actors are called back to audition for the director and the clients. So what are the factors the “powers that be” consider when making their choices? Is it looks? Talent? Personality? Yes it is – all three of these and more. In this article I will address what are the main factor values to get a callback, which are a little different for the booking. Based on all my experience as an actor, casting director, and teacher, I do believe there is a casting formula for getting callbacks. It is only my educated opinion but I really believe that this is basically the formula and value percentages. 1. 60 Percent “Looks." Since commercials are so short, the audience has just seconds to either identify with the actors in the spot or aspire to be them. The actors selected must represent the client’s target market and must be a physical representation of the character they are portraying: boss, mom, dad, upscale teenager, computer geek, doctor, etc. So appearance plays a major factor in casting commercials. 2. 20 Percent "Talent and

10 Ways to Get Video Views

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 -0400

Q. “I launched a YouTube channel but some of my videos only have views in the hundreds. What can I do to change this?” A. I uploaded my first video to YouTube in 2007 (“Hott 4 Hill”), and within a week the video racked up more than a million views. This would be my first, and last, “viral video.” Aside from the anomalies (i.e., Psy, Double Rainbow guy), getting massive traffic to a one-off video without a preexisting audience is next to impossible. When I consult for businesses and individuals, we develop a customized plan to ensure that the content they produce is “share friendly,” with content that is easy to repost across blogs and Facebook feeds. To get you started on your quest for more eyeballs, here’s what you should consider. 1. Relatability. Does the video touch on topical or niche topics that people will want to share on their Facebook page, blog, or other social community? 2. Relevancy. Touch on topics being discussed in the news or the public zeitgeist to benefit from Google searches on these topics. 3. Frequency. YouTube’s search algorithm favors users who post frequently, with one video per week as the recommended minimum. If one video hits, all the

How To Gain Acting Success Like Edie Falco

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:36:37 -0400

In a recent Access to Agents class, two students complained that they’d been in the business for "too long" without results. The first whiner’s tour of duty? Two years. My inner Harvey Fierstein voice graveled, “Oh, honey you’re barely an embryo.” The second impatient “Why-has-nothing-happened-for-me-yet?” actor bemoaned that she was in the business "three months" and that jobs had yet to materialize. Oh, sweetie, you ain’t even swimming yet in entertainment's coin purse. For anyone who enters our highly competitive, crowded-as-a-C Train-at-5 PM-business thinking, “Oh…I’ll just give this a year or two, and if nothing happens I’ll move on” do yourself and your serious-minded peers squeezed about you a generous favor, move on now. Nothing much is going to happen in a year or two. Even cow intestine slurping, reality show contestants who glut our screens now find that that former shot put placement to celebrity lands with a short slung thud. And if it’s celebrity you’re seeking – oh man – you’ve got a long Disney E-Ticket attraction line of waiting. No Fast Pass lanes for anyone. And if you get to the front of that

5 Ways For Teen Actors To Find Success

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:27:11 -0400

Teen actors rarely get the credit they deserve. While many young artists possess a deep emotional life, often times the business and the people around them - even the well-meaning people - can stand in the way of their unique artistry. A purely results-oriented approach to their training and their career often teaches them to be nothing more than cute and precocious. And that's tragic. They have so much more to offer but the business, our education system and society as a whole can perpetuate an environment in which kids search for the right answer rather than simply engage in the exploration of their own unique experience. And, of course, there is no right answer in acting. There is only the expression of a young artist's unique, unmitigated emotional experience within the circumstances of the scene. How cool is that? That exploration is what's important and that's the pursuit they must engage in. And as it turns out that fearless exploration leads to career success. Here are five ways that you can help your Teen actor be successful. 1. Don't Force Feed. In "Jordan To The Max," Michael Jordan describes how he is constantly being asked what parents can do to get their kids into the NBA. He always responds the same way: "Leave

How To Conquer The Stress Of The Audition Room

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:33:58 -0400

Living a more creative, abundant, fully expressed and joyful life benefits from following the major tenets of a spiritual and meditative practice. In order to make changes at a causal level – and ultimately change who we are – we have to understand the currency through which we express ourselves and create in the world with others. It’s primarily done through thought and feeling. Most of us live in an anesthetized world where we numb ourselves from what we feel and are numbed by the repetitive habits of thinking the same (unhealthy) thoughts. But we all have the power to change. We can all do it! Let’s break it down via science to understand what’s happening to us emotionally first before we move on to how to apply the change. Stephen Porges, a neuroscientist, talks about the vagus nerve in Frank Partnoy’s wonderful book, "Wait." The vagal nerve consists of two fibers that connect our brain to the rest of our bodies. One track is reptilian and in times of stress controls our guts – our “flight” or “freeze” response – and the other is mammalian and tries to mobilize us and prepare us to “fight.” But both are connected to the

How To Help Your Child Actor Have a Fun and Productive Summer

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:48:01 -0400

I like to think of time in four ways – my time, your time, together time, and down time. My child needs empowering, fun, and enriching activities to help her grow and learn independence. I need “me” time whether I am working or relaxing. Together time as a family, including vacations and activities at home, is equally important – especially since our kids are grown and out of the house before we know it. We all lead busy lives so building in downtime is crucial to prevent burn out. Most school-aged children have eight to ten weeks of summer break. This can either be a blessing or a curse depending on your child’s individual needs and personality. I know my own children benefit from structure. However, as much as I would like them to keep busy, they remind me they need downtime too. For example, seven weeks of sleep-away camp is too much time away from home for my teenage daughter, so we found a program where she goes for four weeks and gets to come home on the weekends. This arrangement works beautifully for our family. I had never heard of this kind of camp schedule before, but I am grateful I found it. The point is that there are lots of options, so you should be able to find something that is

Actor Audition App Is An Acting Coach on Your Smartphone

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:05:07 -0400

What It IsScott Sedita’s Actor Audition AppWhat It DoesFilm and TV acting technique, preparation, and scheduling tools in one digital package.Where to Buy Ithttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/actor-audition-app/id500582297?mt=8What It Costs$9.95 Can you pack a full class’s worth of acting advice into a single iOS download? L.A.-based coach Scott Sedita seems to think you can and has set out to prove it with his $9.99 Actor Audition App, a largely static collection of useful tips about auditioning for film and television work. Sedita bases the first of the app’s three sections, Technique, around his W.O.F.R.A.I.M. system, which he claims “will help you quickly and efficiently break down and personalize any TV and Film audition script.” You can tap through each of the letters of the acronym to read a thorough dissection of what it references (“W” for “Want,” “O” for “Obstacles,” “F” for “Feelings,” “R” for “Relationship,” and so on), in either a full-length or a much shorter “cheat sheet” format, and learn how to incorporate that into your performance. The app’s second section, Preparation,

How To Determine Your Objective as an Actor

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Action is the foundation of good acting. No matter how interesting the characterization or complex his inner life might be, a performer who isn’t playing actions on his fellow actors is a bore. Objectives (what your character wants) can’t come alive in a fog of thoughts and feelings. Only by actively pursuing your objective—playing actions—does your character, and the script, come alive. So, how do you play actions? Once you know your objective, or as Michael Shurtleff puts it, what you’re “fighting for,” you can figure out ways to go and get it. You might think of these as tactics, or attacks, on your scene partner(s). An easy way to put actions into words is by assigning them verbs. Entire books have been written to help actors find just the right verb for the job. (See “Actions: The Actors’ Thesaurus,” by Marina Caldarone and Maggie Lloyd-Williams.) When a simple verb doesn’t do the trick, try putting all your focus on your scene partner (yes, off yourself) and on how you are making him or her feel. The verb “attack” might translate as “Make him feel stupid.” The verb “seduce” could be replaced with “Make her kiss

How To Handle Bullying As an Actor

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:51:53 -0400

When we think of bullying, images of school cafeterias and angry jocks generally come to mind. However, it’s important to acknowledge that bullying occurs in show business all the time. Bullying often arises from a mixture of envy and insecurity along with a pathological need to be noticed. And all of these reasons essentially overlap into this – self-loathing directed outwards. My readers have no doubt seen this in acting classes when the teacher mocks or ridicules a student’s scene. Some of you have experienced this at auditions when a casting director will put down or roll their eyes at your work. Others of you have experienced this at showcases when prospective agents or managers will condescend or dismissively wave away your work. And still others of you have experienced this on set when an angry director proclaims your last take was “horrible” in front of a full cast and crew. These are all examples of an attempt to marginalize the actor. None of these examples are terribly different from a high school jock knocking down an openly gay student in the hallway. The jock envies the courage of the openly gay student. And the industry professionals in the examples above with their safe careers and

Why Your Agent Might Drop You This Month

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

The calendar year for an agent begins with pilot season in January. For three months, we endure a hellish amount of work, trying our best to spin gold from straw. And then, just as we’re about to snap, the madness stops. By April, all the pilots are cast, and the network shows have wrapped. This marks the start of hiatus, a period that lasts till the end of June. It’s a welcome relief that gives us a chance to lick our wounds and toast our victories. Hiatus is also the time when agents take a close look at their client lists so they can figure out which actors are worth keeping and which ones have to go. Drop meetings usually take a few days as we shuffle clients around like chess pieces. And it’s not just about who booked and who didn’t. Callback ratios are also taken into consideration. Is an actor showing progress? Are casting directors responding? Those are both good reasons to keep someone around, even if he or she hasn’t made any money for the company. On the other hand, bad behavior can tighten the noose around a client’s neck. I have a low tolerance for actors who make my life harder. You have to be Johnny-on-the-spot when I ask for new headshots or a new reel. You

How To Make Your Own Teleprompter

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:44:25 -0400

Whether it’s for making speeches, delivering the news, reading cue lines, or singing songs, a teleprompter can be a valuable—even an invaluable—part of your career success. Until relatively recently, the expensive price tag on professional quality teleprompters made access difficult for low-budget or no-budget film and video projects. But gone are the days of awkward poster-sized cue cards and anxiety-inducing memorization for those who cannot afford to buy or rent a teleprompter! Thanks to a whole host of cheap (many are free!) desktop, tablet, and smartphone apps, you can easily and inexpensively set up a teleprompter for your projects. Here are a few tips and suggestions for outfitting any set or studio space with a teleprompter. 1. Find your teleprompter. A simple search of the iTunes Store or Google Play will reveal dozens of great teleprompter apps you can download. Look for apps that allow the greatest flexibility—that is, apps where you can alter scrolling speed, font size and color, flip the text (for mirroring, if you want to project the teleprompter over the camera) and other intuitive features. Some good apps to consider: Teleprompt+ ($14.99), cueprompter.com (free), and Android

8 Items You Need In Your Press Kit

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:36:06 -0400

One of the biggest mistakes actors make is not having a press kit. A press kit is useful for many things. It sells you to agencies and enhances your work by showcasing your achievements and work. A press kit is comprised of images, media, article clippings, and anything else that displays your work. Press kits are usually electronic now – in PDF or micro-site form. They should be easy to read and easy to send to anyone you're targeting. Most people forget that a press kit is important, regardless of what stage in your career you're at. I've outlined the basics and most essential items you need to include in your press kit. 1. Images. One of the most important things for your press kit is pictures. They show off your presence, whether on a red carpet, a headshot, or production shot, you need to include them. Red carpets have become easier to get on since Press Harvest debuted. Press Harves is a cheaper alternative to having a publicist, but it's mostly just events marketing, so you'll need a publicist later on in your career. The reason red carpets are important is because of the press. If Getty Images, Wire Image, and PR Photos are at an event, your images will pop up on the internet search on your name. Red carpet images

Backstage Member Melina Chadbourne On Being a Good Actor

Sat, 11 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

Backstage member Melina Chadbourne shares her advice to fellow actors. Visit www.melinachadbourne.com. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Create a Winning Acting Mindset

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:00:00 -0400

We had a fun client party recently, and after lots of laughter, fun conversation, and toasts to everyone's successful career, I asked the questions, "If you had a magic wand what would you wish for in the next year?" The answers were surprising. Some clients wanted a role in a showcase of a new play Off-Off-Broadway. One wanted to book a commercial. Another said, "Oh, a small role on a primetime show." One said, "Any role on any series even extra work." One said, "An agent, any agent." OK, what was the message I got in listening to these really positive, proactive and ready-to-succeed actors? They were thinking too small. Many still had a mindset that was limiting them from the career they really wanted. I repeated the question. I'm giving you a magic wand. Do you still want a non-paying showcase or an extra on a TV series? Their answers were still: "Well, yes. I have to do the small parts first"; "Well, isn't that the way you get to the next level?"; "Without an agent I can’t get any decent parts," etc. Often actors limit themselves from a lack of knowledge of how the business works. There are actors just starting their careers who screen test and get major parts. It may not take years to get a

4 Things Never To Say In An Agent Interview

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:15:59 -0400

Normally, I put most of my efforts into making suggestions about the things actors should do, but many actors make mistakes during an interview. Here are the most common questions to avoid asking. 1. Can you tell me who else you represent? They can, but they probably won’t, at least not begrudgingly, unless they are courting you. In any scenario, actors should do their homework by researching the client list of an agency with whom they are meeting. This is easily done with the assistance of a free-trial offer on IMDbPro.com where each agency’s clients are listed. The client’s name is a link to his/her profile, which lists their credits in film and television. Often there will be a bio, which sometimes, but not always, includes theater credits. The east coast actor may want to do a broader search of any given client. 2. Do you have any clients who might conflict with me? This one is designed to drive an agent up the wall, unless, once again, they are courting you. Even if this is the case, the best one can usually hope for is, “We don’t have anyone like you”, which may not be wholly true, but what actor doesn’t want to hear those words? Less polite is a slightly chilly, “If we had