Lights, Camera, Actress!

My Two Cents - All Over the Place!

2010-12-03T11:38:00.003-05:00

In addition to setting up interviews for guests on The Everything Film Show, lately I've also been doing some interviews of my own.

I have to admit, although I coach people on how to interview with media, I think I'd forgotten how odd it can be sometimes to find yourself "in the hot seat." It can be much harder to sound poised and clever than one might think, and of my recent interviews there is at least one for which I would have liked to have a "redo." Overall, however, it's been a lot of fun. I've been sharing opinions on everything from definitions of masculinity to complaining list-subscriber idiots (I added the idiot here since the article fails to mention that all subscribers to the list referenced had to sign up and confirm themselves, and were bi-annually reminded of how to leave the list, and yet I still received various oddball and cranky threats). One of my favorite interviews was sharing my thoughts on getting started in entertainment, from which you will see that "safety first" is something of a mantra for me when offering any such advice. Just recently, I also did something similar on an entertainment panel that was convened to give the public opportunity to ask such questions in a forum - that will be on television soon and I'll be sure to post the link as soon as I can get hold of it!

It's been a busy and relatively exciting couple of months. Thanks for sticking with me on this wacky adventure!

Dodging Bullets

2010-10-20T23:12:00.002-04:00

At first, everybody tends to bemoan the parts they don’t get. But I’ve come to accept – and perhaps even appreciate – the times I don’t get the part. I know that might sound like a lot of fluff, but let me explain.

I’ve recently had opportunity to see a couple projects for which I was not cast. The first one that comes to mind was a B-market commercial, which I will not reference directly out of respect to all parties involved. It was a relatively low-budget production, but even still, the final edit was atrocious. The casting called for “real people” and folks-next-door scenarios, and the resulting edit is as stiff and believable as an intentionally forced "Saturday Night Live” infomercial. I let out a sigh of relief on seeing that one, although I wish the campaign well.

Another couple lost parts that spring to mind turned out to be borderline soft porn and a gig with a director who tended to reschedule as many days as he shot, so both were serious dodges! While the paycheck was missed, it was a serious relief not to be troubled by either once I learned the full scope of work.

In a slightly less fortunate note, there were also a couple instances lately where I was recast as I was far too young to work with the more seasoned male leads and the males in my age category were lacking in skills or a bit too small to play out well together on camera. While this sort of scenario stinks more, I was grateful they didn’t try to make the age spread work on camera without somehow explaining the glaring spring/autumn divides or put the little guys in lifts. As one who has previously worked with a much shorter male lead, not having to do that again without proper assistance was also a blessing.

So now, while I know it might sound Pollyanna-ish, I hope that people will understand when I say that you are only ever competing with yourself – either you’re right for a project, or you’re not. And if you’re not right, whatever the reason, don’t fight the misfit. Every once in a while, you will come to find that losing out on work can be a blessing in disguise.

Anyone Can Act(?)

2010-09-29T23:43:00.005-04:00

The subject of this post is a much-contended point amongst thespians. I favor the school of "yes, everybody can give it a go." But mostly because those who lean the other way tend to be a bit extreme. I'll here hit the middle ground with, "anyone can act, but not everyone can act well."

As 2010 Runner-Up Best Acting Coach in New York, Jason Bennett, said on that "The Everything Film Show" thing I keep telling people to check out, everybody needs to find their own process. Most people will never have the chops to be the next Denzel or DeNiro, but many people can find additional possibilities within themselves with a strong dose of humility, bravery, and effort.

To be an actor, one has to be willing to embarrass themselves - a lot. Because at the end of the day, the resulting visual is largely out of your control. You have a Director of Photographer (often with multiple cameras coming at you from different angles) catching you in motion, a Director who's framing the overall scene, and about 800 other things going on in terms of working with others on set. Once all that's done, your image is in the hands of an Editor, who can completely make or break a project - and might just opt to leave you on the cutting room floor. Hopefully, if those in the seats that steer know what they're doing, all turns out well. If not, it's your face on screen either way. It's good to be ready to deal with that.

The raw truth is, anyone can try their hand at acting. There are open calls posted in newspapers all the time, and you sometimes even read of leads getting discovered at diners and such through no effort of their own. (For all of the starry-eyed folks, please understand that the chances of getting struck by lightning are statistically far greater.) But there are calls everyday seeking regular people to fill in scenes.

You can always try out or submit an email application when you find opportunities. See a posting? Tell a friend where you're going and check it out. Notice something interesting in the casting sections of Craigslist? Same as above. Mandy is another great, free site that you can use. There are also paid-usage sites available, some of which I patronize, but I'm saving that for another post because, in my honest opinion, you shouldn't really even be considering them until you are already getting work.

Whatever you decide to do, always be skeptical and exercise caution. My first audition, following a brief and relatively unsuccessful stint in modeling, ended up being with an absolute sweetheart with whom I am still in touch with today. My Mom literally accompanied me to the audition (the only time she ever did so), given my age at the time. That all worked out really well, but you really can't be too safe.

This is becoming a long post, but I would also be a jerk not to mention - if you think getting on set as an extra will be your trip to bigger things, please reconsider. There are tons of hard-working actors who have years of experience doing paid, credited, speaking gigs, who also do extra work fairly regularly to keep bills paid (hellooooo, Central Casting!). Some of these same full-time acting folks will resent those without full-time professional aspirations coming on set simply because you are competing for the same work that is keeping their rent paid. It's good to always be mindful and respectful of that fact, and perhaps a point to consider, if you're still sitting on the fence, that perhaps you should look away. The field is very competitive, and when there is real money involved, it becomes much more so quickly. If you're really not sure about whether you really want to do this, I would humbly recommend shooting for unpaid work just for the experience to give those working full-time as actors additional opportunities to keep doing what they love and keep the roof over their heads. Many people who are borderline curious will find out that they simply do not like being on set.

So, back to the point I got started with - literally anybody can be an extra on set if you want to try your hand at acting. In fact, I imagine it's even easier than ever to do so given the number of items that are today posted on the Internet. Every time I'm on set I seem to meet at least one full-time business professional, student or retiree who had always had an interest and just wanted to check things out. If that somebody on the next set happens to be you, be safe and have fun! It is definitely a unique experience.

I'll Never Work with Him/Her Again!

2010-09-21T18:04:00.003-04:00

I'm going to share a story here that might stretch some of my code as it will include a little bad-mouthing, but there will be no names involved and enough time has passed that these individuals probably won't recognize themself in the work. That being said, you never want to be the person about whom people say, "I will never work with him/her again!!"

I knew I was in trouble on this one shoot when absolutely everybody on set was nice, except the person who cast me. When I went to the make-up artist, his words were, "Girl, you look too much like an Irish princess. You are not getting on camera..." I was completely confused, as that was almost what I was cast for - random Irish clan-type - and they did the costuming. I hoped he was exaggerating.

Later in the day, when we're already behind schedule, it turns out the director and lead had disappeared from set. For about an hour. I'm still not sure what happened or why, but I do know that there was a mini-coups in that period during which about four key crew people mentioned desire to walk off set. After getting through that period, them and more started uttering the "I'll never work with him/her again's".

After an unnecessarily long shoot day, that was further elongated by nobody knowing if we were wrapped or not, I was finally dismissed and made my way home. Not only have I been unable to get in touch with those in charge since this, but even photos that were taken of me in wardrobe have been denied (whereas much of the rest of the cast appears on the actual film site and other social networking platforms). I guess it stinks I fit the type for which they cast me? I'm still scratching my head on this one...

I made a lot of awesome connections at this shoot, so I'm not complaining, but I will now pay more attention when people say, "I will never work with him/her again!" as I now know the feeling.

Be Your Own Best Friend

2010-09-20T08:38:00.002-04:00

It was not-so-subtly brought to my attention recently that I have been putting a lot more effort into supporting others' projects that I have my own lately. This at first felt like an insult, but when I thought about it, I realized: they were right.

I've been investing hour upon hour promoting friends' projects, driving to consult here, assisting on that shoot there - and all the while, my own projects were laying largely dormant. This fact was brought home especially hard by an audition request received via my blog - this same blog which I now see hasn't been updated since February. How many stories have been missed? A lot, I know, but how many will I be able to remember and recount now? All of this has been a big wake-up call that I need to invest a little more into my own projects and ambitions to keep this happy momentum moving forward....

Long story short, you should be hearing from me more regularly now. I've been beyond busy - which is a good thing - but I'm also realizing that I need to make more time for me. In a world that is full of a lot more "takers" than "givers," I'm trying to refocus my energies on those who are able to truly appreciate others and give back, while also earnestly working on advancing my own career. Thanks for sticking along for the ride!

Opportunity Knocks (You Around)

2010-02-14T13:27:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine just posted that the world belongs to those who say "I can!" I think she's right as attitude can make or break almost any opportunity.

It's been really hard to find time to write again - a fact made increasingly ironic by my day job as a writer/communications manager and my other side-job with my personal copywriting business - but I'm also glad to report that a lot of that difficulty has arisen from remaining busy in acting as well.

In the past couple months, I've cut new voice overs for a couple of my best clients, did a reading as part of a pitch for a major project and had a leading role in a segment for an educational video. It's really awesome to finally get to the point where all the actual booked gigs are paying and the contacts being made are both enjoyable and productive. When not busy with work, I've also been volunteering to assist The Everything Film Show and am really happy to see that more people are starting to check the show out.

In looking through the list of recent activities, I have to smile at how many of them could just as easily have been seen as lemons instead of lemonade. Getting a request for an extended project with less than a 24-hour turn-around? A mixed blessing. Shooting just hours before a long-scheduled Super Bowl party? A little dicey, but also fun. And both examples would have been very easy to turn down had I focused on the possible negatives. Optimism doesn't come easily for me, but there is something to be said for it when it can avoid an anchor holding you back.

The best gigs are often hard to nab and inconvenient. Very seldom do you hear of castings far in advance and have time to adjust everything to conveniently mesh with your schedule; I've never had that happen and take pride in my ability to adjust and be a road warrior as needed. Had I focused on all the obstacles, I would have missed the opportunities.

Am I turning optimist? Doubtful. But at least I'm focused enough at present to keep the distractions out.

Friends

2009-11-24T14:45:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I did end up working on that super-secret film project mentioned here in the last post. It was a great time, largely because of the people.

Working on this project gave me a chance to hang out with Jeff Burns - an awesome, funny and smart guy who literally gave me my start in film. (That first role was a short, fun bit in which I got to politely decline a neighbor's amorous advances by throwing a football at his head.) It was really great to reconnect with him and spend some time trading bad jokes and catching up.

The film also gave me an opportunity to meet Daniel Trinh, who is the film's writer and director. He's an absolute sweetheart and it was a pleasure working with him. I hope to see him do many more projects.

Working on the project also allowed a few minutes to meet Mark Pezzula, a clever commentor who occasionally chimes in on The Everything Film Show, and again meet talented cinematographer Shawn Schaffer, who I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more from in the future.

As the rumors suggest, a lot of entertainment is who you know, and the world gets a lot smaller very quickly in independent film. I met Jeff responding to a casting call. Jeff has worked with Shawn and Mark on other projects. Daniel did a commercial for the same company I worked for recently, which is how we connected, and is also somehow connected to the others - probably through Upstate Independents. Whatever the connection, everybody there knew at least one other person in the room.

There were a lot of other other nice folks at the shoot - too many to name here - however, the majority of my time was spent bugging Jeff or doing scenes. At the end of a very long and exhausting day, I scurried home happy for the opportunity to contribute to a project with both long-term true and new friends.

Feel the Burn(?)

2009-11-16T16:35:00.002-05:00

Is it bad that I'm revisiting a draft started 1/18/09 today? That post as written with same original title is below:

The New Year might have given my goals a boost, but I've been wanting to get healthy again for a long time. Although my husband and I joined Planet Fitness about a year and a half ago, the experience has been such that we've both been drifting away and started looking for other options.

We finally settled on NY Sports Club given their variety of equipment and classes. It's literally about four or five times as expensive and required a contract - factors that we weighed heavily - but the clean facilities and ample parking won us over.

Now I just need to make sure that I use this investment to reach my health goals.

It's probably not much of a spoiler alert that I didn't do as well as I had hoped in sticking to this plan. Whether it was the guilt of infrequent exercise or pressure to play a teenager coming up, today I found myself back in the gym. Now sore but slightly redeemed, I just hope I can keep this up.

Paging Teenage Awkwardness

2009-11-15T12:39:00.005-05:00

I'm really excited that, one week from today, I will be contributing to a super-secret project that will be submitted to multiple film festivals in the coming year. The catch? My relatively minor contribution to the work will be in the role of an eager college student.

While I've played older characters before, this will be my first time playing a character notably younger than my current age. At first that realization had me feeling a bit awkward (which could work well for the role) but I took comfort after some thinking; in the tradition of Saved by the Bell and Dawson's Creek, I may not be old enough!

I should head out to the mall now for "field research," or at least some good pizza. It is an NFL Sunday.

The-Ate-Her

2009-11-14T15:46:00.003-05:00

I might be feeling especially snarky this Saturday as I've been thinking about a bunch of random things that irk me. For example, pronouncing theater more like the-ate-her to display culture or insisting it be spelled "theatre." I suppose I like my theater more low-brow.

At any rate, I've been spending a lot of time lately volunteering with publicity for a local theater, the Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack. It is already 1/3 sold out for a run of the seldomly performed yet beautiful musical, "A Man of No Importance."

While making headway with the tigh-knit "family" of people who operate there has been difficult, it has also been an incredible experience both personally and professionally - meeting new people, navigating PR challenges specific to entertainment that I haven't encountered before, stretching, if you will. It's also been a great way to keep active as I find that my life at present consists almost entirely of work or sleep. The opportunity to help out in a hands-on way for an inspiring group has been a welcome outlet and I wish them much success!

Good Things Come...

2009-11-07T19:22:00.007-05:00

What's the longest you've ever waited to see something you're working on come to light? I'm not talking massive, life-altering things that you expect to take time like quitting smoking or memorizing pi, but simple things that you thought would take practically no time at all.

I love IMDb, truly, and think that they offer a great service that is valuable for both fans and entertainment professionals alike. However, sometimes meeting the rigorous quality controls they put in place to ensure the accuracy of information in their system can be akin to achieving embassy clearance.

It took more than six months before the small bit I did on Law & Order: Conviction made their cut, and I've been trying to get another movie added for a friend since March. I also just noticed that my friend Jeff Burns appears to have multiple listings, meaning that somehow despite the checks, he's made it in there - as two people! Wonder how long fixing that will take...

Here's to hoping that good things - great things even - DO come to those who wait!

Off the Grid?

2009-11-07T18:52:00.006-05:00

First and foremost, my apologies for going off the grid - again. At least as life has kept me a bit too preoccupied to post like I would like to, I haved collected some new stories.

Recently I had the opportunity to do a commercial for Carrier, courtesy of MPW Marketing. Both are really great groups of people, and you can see the result below.

http://bit.ly/29oa4d

You wouldn't know it by looking at it, but the typical commercial is a full day's work - at least. And that's if everything goes well. The Carrier "Hipster" shoot was great fun thanks to a bunch of really chill and professional personalities who kept things moving smoothly.

Between the long hours and the serious wit of those overseeing the project, I was in tears (laughing) by the end of the day as we were finishing up the related radio spot, which you can hear below.

http://bit.ly/3GcruW

Thanks again to Carrier and MPW! I had an amazing time working with them and hope to do so again soon.

Catching Up

2009-07-22T17:36:00.005-04:00

Wow, has it really been since March? I've been really busy and gathered a lot of stories...

In April, I went to a "gala" featuring Oscar nominated-actress Melissa Leo and had a great time hanging out with the folks of Upstate Independents. That month I also participated in a scene for the upcoming independent feature, Nothing for Christmas.

July has been a little more mixed. On personal note, this month marked three funerals and a wedding for 2009 - it sounds like an already done movie title, but pretty much sums up the feeling. Other ill family members are also constantly in mind.

This month month, I also did a couple voice overs for a couple online merchants. Between that and late hours for my 9-to-5 job, it has been a very busy season. I'm hoping the fall will be better.

What's Your Type?

2009-03-04T21:21:00.003-05:00

It seems nowadays that everybody has taken some sort of personality test. Whether it was a career-oriented quiz given by your guidance counselor or a proficiency/placement exam you might have taken to 'find your perfect job,' you know what I'm talking about.

In the entertainment industry, it's much simpler as there seem to be just two types of people. For ease of reference, let's call them lines and squiggles.

Squiggles are the folks that most people associate with the entertainment industry. They have an almost pathological distaste for the rules of civil society. They are the more-than-fashionably-late, lampshade-wearing folks you don't introduce to the folks at your day job.

Lines are the people that you wouldn't figure are entertainers. They like goals and schedules and show up on time, whatever the commitment. If it weren't for their predilection for the arts, they might be extremely successsful and happy - but most likely, they are in a cubicle near you.

Squiggles say things like, "don't box me in," "it's for the art," and "you'll never know my pain" with wreckless abandon. Most of their sentences end with exclamation points.

Lines are more cautious and concerned about maintaining relationships. They try not to offend, grin and bear many awkward situations and seek to find common ground.

Lines are often irritated by squiggles, and squiggles hate lines. While squiggles seem to feel that lines dilute and weaken the arts, lines are often frustrated by the gaping voids of time and ancillary drama added by squiggles.

Both sides have valid points, but can't we all just get along?

If you haven't guessed yet, I'm more of a line than a squiggle. I have a day job and actively shield my co-workers from my extracurricular exploits, but I love the creative outlet of entertainment. I might actually be a third type - maybe a circle? - as I feel that I have significant traits of both. Not surprisingly, I prefer to work with lines and surprise them by acting like a squiggle.

However, in my experience, it is the mix that truly makes things work. Lines working with lines tend to produce films that are leaden and dull; squiggles working with squiggles make projects that never get done or are so 'heady' that only the individuals involved can enjoy them.

Squiggles and lines can bring a lot to a project when they work together: squiggles are unbridled and sometimes uncover new arenas to explore, and lines add balance, perspective and make sure the project actually gets produced.

I secretly suspect that apt lines (or 'circles') are more likely to get further ahead given their inclincation toward efficiency and the industry's surplus of squiggles. As I hinted in my last post, I've been facing a lot of distractions lately: in February, the major distraction was a month full of unbalanced squiggles. I might get into that more later - if I'm not too much of a line not to...

Distractions

2009-03-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

In all pursuits, there are many distractions set along the path to derail you...

Some of these distractions are good. For example, not too long ago I crept up to Toronto to visit with a dear friend of mine who recently settled there. She showed us the city; we caught up; it was an amazing time.

Other distractions are not as good. I must admit that I've had some "professional" dealings of late that have had me swerving.

I'll get into both of these highs and lows in the coming days - maybe tonight if I can keep this thunder - but I'm happy to say, "I'm back!"

Shout outs to Sharyn TG, uber-funny reporter for The Kitty City Gazette, who checked in to see if I was still on the planet not too long ago, and other friends who reached out to me via cell or email with questions along the same line - all is well! February was just a month that was chock-full of distractions.

Opportunities Right Under Your Nose... or Fork

2009-01-24T22:24:00.003-05:00

I just closed a deal to provide voice over services for a sub-contracting company. Essentially, when another third-party company contacts them seeking someone to be their voice on the phone or via other voice recordings, I might be the sub-contracted voice they pick.

While not a huge score in the short run, I am very excited as this is likely to be a relatively steady source of work in the future. Perhaps equally exciting for me is how I came across this opportunity - I sought it out as opposed to responding to an ad.

At least a dozen times over the past year, I have looked over the ad-mats you get at diners. About half of those times, I have torn off an ad or two that were of particular interest and shoved them in my pocket. The job I just mentioned was a result of sending an inquiry to one of those companies.

At the end of the day, any positive, paying gig is a good thing. I'm really happy to have lined up this new opportunity and look forward to the additional possibilities that it may bring.

Foresight and Hindsight, Colliding

2009-01-18T20:08:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, there isn't much point in auditioning if you're in a frame of mind and body that you can't pull it off. I wrote that Thursday - but apparently forgot about it by Saturday. Either that, or the opportunity was just good enough to grab up those boot straps again.

Desire to keep moving forward and excessive optimism helped me trick myself into heading into the city yesterday to audition for a great role in an upcoming feature film. The location, people and experience were great; I wasn't.

The travel had me feeling a little strange and heady upon arrival and I was having trouble connecting with the script provided. Also, auditions were running ahead of schedule so I had barely even gotten through one silent read of the script before I was asked to come in and audition with a cold read.

The casting assistant and director were cordial and polite. The casting room threw me entirely off-balance. I have never auditioned in a green screen setting before, and to do so reading cold had me a little disoriented and distracted. Sadly, I think I let it show. Ouch. Oh well.

While I don't think I'll get called for the part, I did learn some things. Mainly, I learned that I need to get better at ignoring my surroundings. Green screen or no green screen, it shouldn't have mattered. Once I made the decision to walk through that door, I should have been good to go even if there was a live studio audience and circus animals milling around.

Secondly, I could have done more to control my time and review of the script - there was one girl who was supposed to go ahead of me who was reading the script when I got there. She felt unprepared to go, and I deferred to her to be nice. I should have held my ground.

Whatever happens, this was the biggest thing I've auditioned for to date and I'm thankful I had the opportunity. While the adventure did set my health back a little bit again, I'm ultimately glad I worked through it and hope that I can apply the lessons moving forward.

Sick Sucks - and Loses Parts

2009-01-15T18:32:00.004-05:00

I've lost the better part of the last week to a raging cold that has turned into bronchitis. In all truth, the cold has lingered in weaker form for a long time but really just became an issue of late.

Hating to be sick, I've been trying to ignore it and continued to push myself. Now that I've completely burned myself out, I've been MIA from most productive activities for almost a week (save for the day job) and had to decline a couple opportunities to audition. While many would argue that you do whatever it takes when you love the craft, I have to say that there's no point in going to deliver a monologue when you are truly disgusting, contagious and without voice - unless you're auditioning for the role of a sick person!

All kidding aside, if the right opportunity was on the line, I'd grab up those boot straps again and find a way to drag myself in, but this wasn't that time. A couple days of R&R should get me back on track, but all of this could have been avoided if I'd taken care of myself to begin with.

My take-away from this, if there is one, is that I have to stop talking about being better to myself and start doing it! That includes sleeping more regularly, saying "no" when I am tapped, and using the health insurance that (thank God) I now have when I need it.

Although bonding with my couch is cool, I'm looking forward to rejoining society soon.

Choices

2009-01-10T19:25:00.003-05:00

We are all called upon to make choices everyday. Unfortunately, even the simplest of choices sometimes feel incredibly significant when trying to get ahead - and they may be.

On Thursday, I was blessed with conflicting opportunities to attend a casting for a hair commercial or audition for a role in an independent film. The hair commercial paid well, but I wasn't feeling overally confident as I wasn't a perfect fit for the target demographic. While also slightly out of alignment with the part I had been asked to read for the independent film, which required more travel and would be unpaid on speculation, that project seemed to promise great content and experience.

After comparing traffic reports and rethinking which project I would rather put on my reel, I opted to head out for the independent film. While still uncertain, it seemed like the more likely and ultimately more favorable thing.

The people at that audition were the coolest bunch of people I have met in entertaint to date, bar none. The audition was comfortable and, while I was deemed a little too old for the role I'd been called in for (I knew it!), I did happen to meet an agent there who shared a promising lead for another commercial that would be a national run.

At the end of the day, there were no immediate gains from my efforts, however, I did make some pleasant connections that seem to have potential for later benefit. Would the experience have been the same at the other casting? I doubt it, but who knows? All I can say is that I am happy with the choice I made.

The "In" Crowd

2009-01-07T19:09:00.008-05:00

Point-blank, I'm not affiliated with SAG, AFTRA, AEA or any other artistic union. While I have heard pros and cons about membership in general from a variety of sources, my layman's view would suggest that being part of the "in" crowd is where it's at.

Member status seems to be a thin veil separating the haves and the have-nots, often literally in terms of separate holding rooms and food services, etc. I have been on sets where this distinction was made so bold it was almost abusive - in one epecially memorable case, the dog on set was treated better.

The sad truth is that ridiculous treatment of non-union actors is somewhat normal. Frankly, I think it's just that the insecurity of the lifestyle is such that many on the other side of the curtain sometimes get a little overzealous in exercising their superior status, as if the distance will somehow protect them in their climb.

Before anybody flames this post, I do want to clarify that I get why keeping every Tom, Dick, Harry, Molly, Sue, Jane and all of their friends from slamming through the curtain is an issue. People get a little crazy about entertainment to begin with, and I can understand how restricting the talent pool to true professionals enables more full-time actors to earn something closer to a living wage. Makes sense.

However, my suspicions about the restrictiveness of the club and its modern caste system underpinnings are confirmed by the difficulty of getting straightforward information. When I've had legitimate questions about benefits and joining, I've received little or no specific response. One union representative told me that I had to come in to the office for a meeting to get my answers; they weren't interested in responding to my email or conversing via telephone.

For better or for worse, the unions matter. While the standing conferred by membership is attractive to some - and infuriating to others who lack it - it's best not to let it get you bent out of shape either way. Rather than fight the system, I intend to keep pursuing work in a professional manner so that I may eventually join the "in" crowd. Maybe this will be the year...

Predictable Unpredictability

2009-01-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

It has been a weird twenty-four hours.

This morning started out good but confusing as I booked an audition for a project that I submitted for about a month ago. I had honestly forgotten all about it given the time that has passed and the number of inquiries I've sent out since.

As anybody will quickly notice, most things in the entertainment industry move very quickly once the ball is rolling. Such a delay, however, is also not too surprising. Just as I was preparing to take some time off for the shoot booked from the audition following my last headshot, I've learned that project has hit a snag in funding and is experiencing a (hopefully) temporary delay.

In short, there really is no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to entertainment. By keeping many lines in the water and remaining open to what comes, I've been able to keep moving forward (or at least moving) for now.

Perseverance... Kinda

2009-01-05T22:39:00.002-05:00

This story has a good side, and a bad side.

For the past couple weeks, I've been trying to get back in touch with an exceptionally difficult-to-get-hold of producer I worked with recently. I misplaced his cell phone number, and he is apparently allergic to email. In trying to get hold of him, I tried alternative contacts I had on hand to see if there was anything else that he may be checking and might respond.

And it worked. I heard back, but not not from him; another producer/casting director replied to an email I sent in error wanting to see me for a job.

I bet as you are reading this you are thinking, "Are you crazy? Do you really think you just happened to contact another casting director with your stupid random email?"

While that level of naivety would be bad, the truth is equally embarrassing.

The email contact wasn't random - it just happened to be for a different person I'd contacted for a different job. Although I wasn't right at that time, they have a new project and they'd like to bring me in for audition.

If there was a moral to this story, it could be stated that follow-up is a virtue. More accurately, however, I'd have to say the lesson is to keep your contacts organized.

Getting Fit

2009-01-04T22:53:00.005-05:00

Just as I am pursuing new work opportunities in the New Year, I am also pursuing a new, healthier version of me. While feeling better is my main objective for the second goal, improving my health and overall condition can only enhance my ability to get work.

One of many tools I am using to do this is FitDay, a Web site that helps track calorie intake, exercise progress, overall nutrition and a number of other things, complete with adjustable, personalized reports.

To date, the free version seems to offer everything I need, but I can only imagine how in-depth the paid services may be given the options I've seen so far. With FitDay's help, I will have an unbiased measure of my progress to help me reach my goals. Now I just have to remember to keep up with inputting my food and exercise journal information so that the service can work!

The Math of It All

2009-01-03T22:39:00.003-05:00

One sub-goal of this project is to lay out exactly how much work is involved in breaking into entertainment. While I'm well-aware of the time and commitment required from prior efforts, I've never actually tracked and quantified the overall "costs" before.

As of January 1st, I started logging all of my auditions - not necessarily the specifics of each, but where I found them and the date that I submitted the initial inquiry. Since the New Year I have put in seven completely new inquiries with no responses to date.

Understanding that the percentages of this exercise may become incredibly embarrassing at some point, I wanted to be painfully honest and share just how much rejection is associated with this industry in a clear and tangible way. Sure, most people accept rejection as a theory, but it looks and feels a lot different when different when you're staring at umteen unanswered emails in your sent folder!

So there is stands: 7 inquiries out; 0 booked since New Year's Eve. I hope to share a perkier update soon.

Setting Things Straight

2009-01-02T14:30:00.006-05:00

From time to time, I get asked, "Why don't you straighten your hair?" While I usually just flub back that I do sometimes (leaving out that it's for weddings), the truth is that's not who I am.

"How deep," you may be mocking - and I'd be right there with you, but I actually have a point!

It's the same reason I list my height and weight frankly, resisting the urge to cheat either up or down. Why promote an image that people are not going to see when you walk through the door? In fact, fudging your specs or failing to match your pics is probably the best way to ensure that you will not book the job.

Sure, I could straighten my hair and maybe get different gigs or be seen as more "versatile" or whatever, but I wouldn't keep it up, so why bother? I know myself better than that.

In an industry that thrives on fake, it's important to keep it real - even if it's just with yourself.