MODELING AND ACTING IN TORONTO

2019-11-22T14:40:00.001-05:00

Our friends at Casting Networks have put together this great blog on how to nail your self tape audition; which we thought was worthy of a re-blog!

Original post written by Cat Elliott, How to Capture Your Best Self Tape, can be found on Casting Networks.

With more casting directors requesting self tapes, it’s important for actors to know how to record high-quality videos. Time and resources may limit an actor’s ability to hire a production company for the service. However, when shooting the audition at home, actors need to make sure the final product can be clearly seen and heard by casting. If you find yourself feeling uncertain of how to best capture your own self tape, keep reading.

Tim Powell regularly teaches self-taping classes at the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory, and he’s hosted workshops at Netflix, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and the American Film Institute. The actor known for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Ray Donovan” has also worked behind the camera, and he uses this combined experience to teach actors everything from the basics to the more technical aspects of shooting. The self-taping guru spoke with Casting Networks to inform actors about the best practices for lighting and audio, in particular.

How do you achieve the best lighting for a self-tape audition?

Use three-point lighting. It gives a two-dimensional space the illusion of being three-dimensional. Most actors don’t understand the technical aspects of it, so their lights are too low, or they just have one light. They end up looking washed out and flat. Three-point lighting consists of a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. The camera should be just a little above the eyeline, and then the lights are 45 degrees up from there, facing down on the actor.

This creates the illusion of sunlight; the same kind of aesthetics that sunlight gives you when it’s falling on your face. It’s more flattering, too. And stand at least three or four feet away from the background so that your shadows fall on the floor, outside of the shot, instead of behind you on the wall. All of these things together will make the light wrap around you to create that three-dimensional illusion.

What about audio?

The most crucial thing is to isolate the actor’s voice. The person who’s reading should be half as loud as the actor who’s speaking. If you think of it in terms of lighting, the actor’s voice is the key voice, and the reader’s voice is the fill voice. The way to achieve this is by distance, such as having the reader step back from the camera so that they’re twice as far away from the microphone as the actor. You can also use a lavalier or shotgun microphone plugged into the camera or smartphone to get the same effect. I’ve honed my list of “Tim’s Top 10 Self-Tape Tech Tips” over the years, and it goes into more detail, as well as illustrating both audio and lighting set-ups.

As for the overall composition, Powell advises framing the shot as a close-up or medium close-up. He reinforces the importance of using a solid background that is free from distractions. Powell recommends that actors keep things simple by shooting and editing self-tapes on their smartphones. “If you use three-point lighting and do the audio correctly, they [casting directors] will never know [it] because the camera phone that you have is probably as good as any $300 or $400 video camera you can go buy,” he shares. If you take Powell’s words to heart, the next time casting requests a self-tape audition, you can send them a professional-quality video without breaking the bank or even leaving your home.

2018-04-02T16:28:00.001-04:00

Why Actors Should Never

Headshots, headshots, headshots.
Commercial actors should never underestimate the importance of brilliant headshots.

Call me paranoid but I feel like half of the readers out there just stopped reading. You think you got this? Some of you do… but a strong majority of you don’t. Most of you don’t have brilliant headshots. A whole heck of a lot of you could benefit from new headshots. How do I know this? I look at them every day. This isn’t a message to the commercial actor novice. It’s for all of you.

Here are some rules I’d implement, if I were queen of the world:

Your photographer friend cannot take your headshots. I understand how this could be tempting. Don’t do it. Just put in the time and research and save your pennies… and have a fantastic headshot photographer take your shots. Please.

Don’t pay $100 for your headshots. I picked that number at random, but I think you catch my drift. No bargain basement headshots. Again, I understand how this could be tempting. They won’t be good enough. Yes, you will likely end up with a headshot you can use… but it won’t be good enough. A headshot that you can use isn’t the goal, is it? Brilliant headshot(s) are the goal.

If these two simple rules were followed… there would be a huge increase in the number of commercial actors who had brilliant headshots. I’m well aware there are exceptions that could possibly exist. Maybe your photographer friend really would take brilliant headshots of you. Maybe your $100 headshots ARE amazing. I’m willing to believe there are a few (like, I can count on one hand) of you out there. But many, many more of you are wasting very precious time (which is a big deal, frankly…) as well as precious money (be it $100 at a time). Stop doing this.

There are many of you who are working diligently in your improv class… you are taking the hottest commercial audition class in town. You are working with career coaches, taking acting classes and are a member of a theatre company… and you don’t have/won’t get great headshots taken. This simply doesn’t make sense. The headshot is the first thing a casting director sees. If they don’t get past your 1” x 1” thumbnail photo, it doesn’t matter the training, the experience, the credits you have. You won’t be called in. I’m trying to say it as many different ways as possible. Your headshots are ridiculously important. Like it or not… it’s the most important tool you have in your actor box. Consider moving it up the priority list.

What if you have old headshots but you are being called in consistently and booking work? You can probably guess by now, I’d say you should get new, brilliant headshots. The casting directors who are calling you in will continue to call you in with old headshots. But what about the ones who aren’t calling you in? Are there casting directors you don’t know, or don’t know well? Who don’t call you in consistently? You want to open those doors… and when the newer ones/ones you don’t have a relationship with call you in, you want to LOOK like your headshots (not five years older) so that you are being called in for appropriate roles and not wasting anyone’s time, including your own.

I’ve heard concern from time to time that successful actors with old shots are scared to get new shots because the casting directors won’t recognize them/their new shots and therefore won’t call the actor in. Umm. No. Give casting directors a little credit.

Don’t wait for your agent to tell you to get new headshots. They get tired of nagging actors, so plenty of them won’t do it. Be proactive. This is something within your control. You should be getting new headshots taken on a regular basis. You want to have a brilliant shot for each commercial type you should be cast as. So no… not one brilliant headshot, but a handful. Tell the casting director how to cast you. You’ve heard me say this a million times. Feel free to talk to your agent about it, absolutely. But don’t wait for them to bring it up. You should.

Never, never, never stop getting headshots taken on a regular basis as long as you are an actor. And never settle for adequate… even good headshots. Then, when you’re called in, make sure you are brilliant in the room. No big deal, right? No one said this would be easy.

I admire you. Now go get brilliant headshots, for Pete’s sake!

Laurie Records, Casting Director

Original Post: http://blog.castingnetworks.com/7690/

2018-03-28T18:55:00.001-04:00

How to get noticed!

When you stay current, you stand a better chance of getting noticed. As an agent working in the industry for many years, over 50 to be exact, it can become very frustrating on our end when talent do not upload resumes and update their photos. Photos must be professional and current at all times. Your measurements and resume need to be current too. It is especially important for child talent to keep their profiles current as they grow and change so quickly!

PHOTOS MUST BE AGENCY APPROVED otherwise you can ruin your chances of being submitted or chosen with the wrong photo.

Many auditions are sent to talent now by self tape audition. It is very frustrating on an agents part, when talent do not submit self tapes! Self tapes are great, you can do it from your own home. Failure to submit self tapes when asked can result in not being submitted or requested for auditions, unless a good reason is given.

Casting directors and clients take time to choose you to audition, please make the effort.

2018-03-27T18:42:00.001-04:00

CASTING TIPS

We asked Matthew Morgan well known Casting Director for some great points to help talent at auditions. Here are his top 3 tips!

1. Always believe in yourself! If you don’t believe you are the perfect person for the role, then how are you going to convince me?

2. Walk in the room with “THE 3 C’S.” Confident, Comfortable and Charismatic. You have be prepared and confident that you can deliver and do a great job in your audition. This comes with practice and working hard before you show up for the casting call. You also have to be very comfortable performing in front of people. You have to love “being on stage,”& “the centre of attention;” and you should truly want to “show me what you got.” And finally you must have some charisma. That means making a unique impression and being MEMORABLE at the end of the day. We have to remember you to bring you back for a callback or book you!

3. If in an audition, the casting director asks you to read the dialogue a 2nd time, always show us a little something different from the 1st time (unless directed to do it exactly the same as before). We love actors who make great choices and can show us some range in an audition.

A little about Matthew Morgan ” Casting Director”

Matthew got his first taste of being in the industry in the fall of 1995 while working on Joel Schumacher’s A TIME TO KILL; a feature that was being filmed in his hometown of Canton, MS. This moment changed his career path, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Graduating in International Business and Foreign Languages, Matthew moved to Canada and immersed himself in the industry and the multiculturalism. He learned the casting ropes from established casting directors in Toronto before he eventually opened up his own casting company in December of 2004. Having studied in both France and Spain, Toronto was a perfect, multicultural city in which to start his casting company, Morgan Casting Inc.

Matthew specialized in casting real people, street casting and finding tough, specialty characters not always found though an agency. Nothing was impossible to find, and Matthew was known for his hard work ethic and charming people skills. After building up a real-people database, he eventually moved into casting actors and focused on commercials and TV series. Finally, Matthew returned to his home state to cast in his hometown of Canton, MS, on a William Faulkner Film, AS I LAY DYING, directed by and starring James Franco. Morgan had finally come full circle; he is doing what he loves most – casting movies! And his background in real-people casting helps him find the undiscovered actors for those hard-to-fill roles.

Matthew has since enjoyed casting on feature films, TV series and commercials across North America, working in diverse places and truly excelling at being mobile with his work. From Arkansas to Washington State…Vancouver to Montreal … Matthew has been able to successfully set up temporary offices for every project. He truly enjoys casting on location in diverse places, staying true to his love of travel, culture, languages and challenging work.

Matthew Morgan is proudly both Canadian & American, as well as a member of both country’s casting guilds, CDC & CSA.

2018-03-26T17:21:00.001-04:00

You may be blessed with an abundance of natural talent, a passion for voice-over acting, and the best coaching available. However, none of that will mean anything if you can’t get the part. Being able to deliver a strong audition is one of the most important skills a voice-over actor can have. Because, being able to win over an audience starts with winning over a casting director. Today, the Internet and the availability of professional-grade recording equipment has made it possible for many voice-over actors to record their auditions virtually anywhere, at any time.

However, that doesn’t mean you can afford to take a casual attitude toward your auditions. If you don’t take every audition opportunity as seriously as it deserves, you could be missing out on work that can further your career and elevate you to the level of success you want to achieve. In addition to having natural talent and good coaching, it’s essential for voice-over actors to have strong auditioning skills to be successful. Making a good first impression with casting directors can mean the difference between success and failure. The audition is your chance to make that all-important first impression. The most important element of a successful and memorable audition is preparation. You need to prepare for your audition by reading and understanding your script, warming up your voice ahead of time, and staying hydrated. Casting directors can tell when a voice-over actor is unprepared for an audition. That means, they’ll be less likely to take a chance on that actor. When it comes to delivering the audition, voice-over actors need to remember to perform with energy and enthusiasm, while keeping in mind the context of the script. If you’re not prepared for your audition, you may read your lines too cautiously and fail to make a good impression on the casting director. Being a professional means being prepared for every opportunity — and successful voice- over actors already know that.

In the highly competitive field of voice-over acting, making a great first impression can be more important than having natural talent or good coaching. Without good auditioning skills, all of the advantages you have over other voice-over actors will almost certainly go to waste. The following checklist contains expert tips for helping to ensure you have a successful and memorable voice-over audition, so look them over and make sure you don’t waste any opportunities for success.

These tips are applicable for memorable self-tape auditions too!

2018-03-26T17:12:00.005-04:00

What should an actor do to help better themselves in the industry!

Agents are always asked by talent, how do I get more auditions? Well castings are very specific. Casting directors and clients know what they are looking for, looks, experience etc.

It is always a good thing to keep working on your craft, building your resume, working on projects that you attain yourself, get new photos, keep yourself in the know and always up todate.

It is imperative as a working actor, to stay humble and focus on yourself, your agent is there to help, however there job is to submit the right actors to the casting directors or clients.

Actors are always encouraged to never give up, and to always train! Classes are the best, you meet other actors, and people in the industry.

Remember an agents work is 50% you must put in the other 50% don't sit back and wait for audition email to come in or call. GET OUT THERE and get busy!

2017-02-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

What Does An Agent Do?

So what does an agent reallly do?
Wake up at 4 – 5am to start the day submitting talent and dealing with talent that are booked on a job and get lost and can’t find there location as they were not diligent in preparing for their booking the evening before. Some talent expect their agent to be their mentor as well as their travel agent and road map assistant. Agents work very long hours. Sometimes they don’t get to sleep until after midnight and up early again to start the day, agents can work 80 – 100 hours per week!

It is so important to realize agents work long hours, our days start early and end very late! It is imperative for talent to be pro-active and use Google to research their booking location and be prepared and arrive early to their booking. Agents do not need the added stress from a client or casting director calling and asking where is ” John Smith”.

Agents work very hard submitting their talent for castings, reading castings, looking at scripts and roles to see who would fit the part, and negotiate contracts to get the best rates for our talent. It is an agents job to assist the casting directors and clients with selecting the right talent who are professional and responsible and have a good personality, there is no time for negative attitudes and tardiness.

Agents want you to succeed in the industry as your success is their success.

When an agent tells their talent they need to update their resume, skills or photos it is very important talent trust their agent.

Remember many agents have been doing this for years and they know and understand the business inside and out. First rule in the industry TRUST YOUR AGENT!

An agent works very hard for you behind the scenes. You won’t always hear from them on a daily basis, they will email or call you when you have an audition or booking.

Remember they deal with many talent and many clients and casting directors on a daily basis. Every minute of an agents day is filled with concentrating, submitting on rush castings and submitting packages to their clients in a timely fashion!

Don’t take up their time wanting to chat or have an attitude with your agent! Remember casting directors and agents like to work with people with great attitudes who are grateful and polite!

We can’t express this enough…there is no time for tardiness! Agents will not put up with it. How you treat your agent, will reflect on how you are when you go for a casting. It is an agents job to submit the best talent to their clients. Remember when you get an audition you are representing your agent and agency, as well as yourself.

Your attitude can affect everyone. There is no tolerance for negative and entitled attitudes!

Castings and client requirements change daily. We are not magicians and cannot make auditions magically appear, if that were true it would be great. Clients are spending millions of dollars on commercials, movies and print ads, and they want to find the best talent for their brand.

Agents are constantly working around the clock. Why do they do this? Because, they LOVE their job, they are passionate and determined and very driven to find their talent work and help get them auditions!

Remember your photo is a representation of you. A client or casting director has a second to look at your photo and slate shot, and decide if you would be the right person to bring in to audition.

If your photo is not up to date or of professional quality done to industry standards, don’t expect much to happen! If you change agencies – get new photos. Don’t bring old photos that you have been using for years, selfies, or your photos done by a friend! Professional industry photographers are your best bet. Your agent will provide you with recommendations, please listen to their advice. Don’t ask an agent what look we want. A professional industry photographer knows the looks. Don’t send an agent a 1000 photos and tell them to pick what they like!

Your agent will give you the best advice possible to help you along the way, you must take their advice as they have the experience and the knowledge in the industry, not your friends or family. Times change, and the industry changes.

Don’t compare yourself to other talent! Don’t ask your agent why your neighbour gets lot of auditions and you don’t. Take an honest look at yourself, resume, photos, ATTITUDE and experience; because these are the things that casting directors and clients are looking at and could be the reason why they are not asking to see you for an audition.

Agents love what they do, they rarely take holidays, rarely go out for lunch and don’t have time to chat, so be grateful and respectful of your agent, they work very hard for you!

If you have a question for agent email them and they will email you back; however it might not be right away as they are dealing with many different things on a daily basis. Enjoy the ride to success, sometimes it is a bumpy road or a slow road, but with determination and drive you can achieve as much as you want to achieve. Stay humble, grateful and appreciative. Great things will happen!

(Feature photo credit: ABC News)

2016-09-07T11:05:00.001-04:00

WHY YOU NEED AN AGENT!

You need an agent to help market you in the industry! An agent will help guide you through the audition process, help negotiate the best contracts or payment on your behalf.

An agent will give you tips and be your liaison with the client, you are not going to see all the castings that come through that you would be suited to audition if you do not have an agent! A good agent will help to all the paperwork and permits required for union productions and negotiate the best fees and payment on your behalf.

You can submit yourself , but beware, clients can take advantage of you and perhaps not pay you appropriately. You could end up having a client use your photos for years and not receive additional fees for usage!

An agent will give you support and help you get your demo reel, required photos with reputable photographers and help discuss proper training if required! Training is Key! Professional Actors train and take classes throughout their career!

Some talent believe that they can do it themselves. BE CAREFUL!!! You can be can be taken advantage of and not paid for what you are worth! It is great to submit yourself on student films, or do photoshoots to help gain experience in the industry!

Agents will read castings and determine what is the best fit for their talent they represent, they assist clients and casting directors with submitting the right talent or models for the role!

Agencies also have their own clients that won't post castings as they will deal directly with Agents, so those jobs you will not even hear about!

The most important in the business is TRUST YOUR AGENT as they have the knowledge and experience in the industry! You must have a good feeling with the agent or agency that will be representing you!

Agents don't pressure you to register with them, and any contracts they will allow you to take home and read over! Reputable do not Guarantee work!

Reputable Agents, don't scout talent on set, this is a very unethical practice in the industry. Reputable Agents should be working on castings on behalf of their talent, not being on set scouting talent!

2016-09-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

SKIN CARE TIPS

2016-04-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

Some great tips for great skin!

Here are some fast and easy tips for great skin!

Here is an amazing sugar scrub for your face.

Take your favourite cleanser and 1 tsp of sugar and scrub gently. Your skin will be glowing.

Age spots? Don't worry, use lemon juice, it is full of vitamin c, and helps to bleach out age spots!

2016-04-04T13:41:00.000-04:00

Interested in Acting?

A new Actor must have the passion for the industry! So many new actors, give up too quickly. They seek out an agent, and then they expect the agent to do all the work. They sit back and wait for the emails or calls from their agent. Agents like talent that are pro active in the industry. New talent must perfect their craft such as applying themselves for non paid or low paid work to gain experience and build up their resume.

There are some great sites that actors can sign up on to help them build on their experience. Casting Call Pro is a great site to sign up on.

Remember an agents like to hear and see new projects that their talent are working on. It is imperative to be pro active with your acting career. Success doesn't happen overnight, it takes a lot of hard work and having the drive and the passion to succeed!

2016-03-31T13:22:00.002-04:00

Success is determined by your Failures!

Remember there are so many famous people that never gave up and look where they are today!

So many Actors, give up to easiy. It is easy to quit!

But real success comes from never giving up on your passion

2016-01-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

Welcome to this exciting year of 2016!

Here is some great information for you to get going for the New Year!

In the world of commercials and acting, you only get one chance to make a first impression. While going out on casting calls, appearance is crucial! Casting directors want to see what you can offer to the part you are auditioning for, and what you can bring to the table for the role. Here are a list of tips that will help you look the part and ace your next casting!

1.Dress for your body!

When attending a commercial casting, it is crucial that your outfit does not take away from your look and acting, that being said, you can still put together basics to help enhance your natural look. Make sure the outfit you wear to your casting is form fitting and fits your body type. Nothing takes the focus off your look more than an ill-fitting outfit. When making a first impression it is crucial that the casting director knows your potential and skills, and the wrong clothing choice can take away from that. Remember- you’re the talent, and your talent is your accessory! Refrain from any accessories, stripes, patterns and logos, as they distract the focus off of you.

2.Keep it casual

Unless told to come dressed specifically for the role, keep it simple, the casting directors want to see your talent , and do not care for any accessory you wear that can distract from you showcasing your talent at the audition, if you are ever unsure on what to wear always be sure to ask your agent for clarification, you can never go wrong with clarifying!

3.And keep it natural!

When attending castings, it is important to keep hair, makeup and nails natural. Casting directors do not want to see a face full of makeup, they encourage you to come as your most natural self, as it enables the casting team to see the canvas they have to work with and play around with. If you must wear makeup, keep it to a minimum. Light concealer or light foundation, mascara and neutral lipstick or gloss works best when going to auditions, as it plays up your features but does not drown them in makeup. If you are a man and have hair, make sure you show up to your casting g with your hair groomed and styled.

4.Clarification is Key!

One of the things the casting staff love is talent who come to an audition looking put together. There is nothing more irritating than someone who appears as if they just rolled out of bed and went to the casting. Showing up prepared and presentable sets you a step in the right direction! As we said above, if you are unsure about how to look for the audition, you can never go wrong with asking your agent for clarification, they will be sure to help steer you in the right direction look wise to help you land the role!

Follow these tips to help prepare you for any acting auditions and commercial castings you may have, being prepared helps you feel and look the part! Good luck

2015-03-27T09:31:00.001-04:00

Great advice

2015-03-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

Tom Hanks share his story and view on Acting!

2015-03-27T09:02:00.001-04:00

Movie Industry Toronto

We are so happy to announce that now that the Canadian Dollar has dropped, Amercian productions are coming to Canada to shoot!

The Movie industry here in Toronto is expected to rock this summer. So get ready Toronto!

For anyone wishing to do background work, remember you can have many agents for background.

Actors wanting principle agents can only have one! Remember principle agents are all on

breakdown services and casting workbook, so they all receive the same castings. Talent that are

looking to move up from background in movies to principle, must take courses, do theatre work

on may films with speaking parts, background work is not enough! You require a great resume

with experience in the biz!

INSIDE THE BIZ

2015-02-03T15:21:00.002-05:00

So have you ever wondered why you are not getting lots of auditions?

Agents like their talent to take initiative in submitting themselves for various projects to gain more experience in the industry. Talent can register on Mandy.com, Aaction Auditions and submit themselves for appropriate roles!

Remember the biz is very competitive. Casting Directors and agents like talent that are pro active in the biz!

Talent should have a great photo that is a correct representation of themselves. Photos should be recent and not dated! Talent must constantly work on their craft with training and acquiring film credits on various productions.

Remember even student productions are great to land as these young aspiring directors could be the ones later down the road that hire you for paying gigs. Casting directors like to see your resume growing as this shows the casting director that you are motivated and have to the passion to succeed in the industry.

Remember success doesn't happen overnight! It takes a lot of hard work on the talents part, it is a 50/50 work relationship!

2014-06-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

Audition Do's and Don't

Arrive on time, do not be late! Make a good first impression! Sign in when you arrive at your audition. Make sure you know your sides, (lines) if you have a speaking role. If your agent sent you your sides, make sure you memorize them. Casting is too busy to have talent that are not prepared!

It is imperative you look the part that you are auditioning for, make sure your wardrobe is appropriate.

Stay away from bold colours, stripes, and loud patterns, logos etc. Blue is a great colour! Stay away from RED

Make sure when you slate on camera, that means say your name and agency, that you look directly into the camera, and speak clearly and smile.

Summer is a very busy time in Toronto for auditions, so make sure you check your emails, phone messages for those auditions. Your agents work very hard to get you those auditions, and it is up to you to land the role. Your agent doesn't get paid, unless you get the part!

Happy auditioning!

2013-06-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

The modelling industry is constantly changing. Models can come in all shapes and sizes for commercial print. Advertisers look for people/models that best represent their product that they are selling. There are different areas of modelling - Fashion Models, Commercial Print Models, Hand Models, Beauty Models, Character type models.

When you see an ad, look at the ad, see what the advertiser is selling and that will answer your questions on how old, how tall, do you have to be to model.

If we are talking Fashion and Clothing there are height and size requirements. If an advertiser is showing a new power tool, perhaps a gentleman ( Dad type) would be used to model in the ad.

You are never too old to get started in this industry. Models today must have a great personality. A client will book a model because of looks and personality. Personality is the key to success in any business. So put on your smiles, have a great attitude and get started, what have you got to loose!

2013-04-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

How do you know if your child has what it takes?

The most important thing as a parent is to make sure it is the child who wants to model or pursue acting. Children cannot be convinced or forced into the business. Some parents want to fullfill their childhood dreams through their child. Agencies look for children that have a great personality, able to take direction, and a good attention span. Children cannot be shy, there is no time to warm up when at an audition. Parents must also have a good personality and be easy to work with, as it is the parents the agency will be dealing with for bookings and auditions. Remember there are no guarantees of landing work, and no agency can ever guarantee your child placement. Clients and casting directors choose children, who are right for the part! This can be determined by age, race, sizes, personality, looks. There are many variables when agents submit children to casting directors. You must always trust your agent and know that your agent, will only submit your children on suitable castings!

AMAZING MOVIES

2013-02-15T20:14:00.004-05:00

CLICK HERE for AMAZING MOVIES TO WATCH

2013-02-08T16:29:00.003-05:00

Here is a great article from New York Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts.

COMMERCIAL ACTING

When acting in a television commercial, remember that you are there to sell a product. In these instances, it is not so important to have motivation for your character, do a detailed breakdown of his/her character. Instead, focus on the product you are promoting; it is the star.

If you are reading your own copy, be sure to give a little more emphasis to the name of the product or service. This technique can be called either “punching” or “warming” a word or phrase, depending on the mood of the ad. Be sure not to overdo it. Advertising is a subtle art. You want the audience to believe you, not feel pressured by you.

The New York Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts

2013-01-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2013

Expect Toronto to be a busy Film Industry this year with many new productions coming our way!

Now is the time as an actor to get prepared and make sure you take some acting classes, improve your skills and sign up for community theatre. It is a very competitive industry, and this is the year to make changes, get on the right track and have the passion to succeed in this exciting industry.

2012-10-21T20:15:00.001-04:00

Well so you want to get into modeling but don't know how to start? There are many agencies in the city, however if you want to model, call a few agencies, and go in and visit them for an appointment. A consultation should be complimentary, at the time of the interview the agent can see if you are someone they want to represent, do you have a great personality, flexible schedule, easy to get along with. There are many good agencies that take on many different people. There are differences in the modeling world. There are many types of models.

Fashion models - to do editorial work, you must be at least for females 5' 8 or taller and have excellent measurments

Male Models - Editorial must be at approx 5' 11 - 6 '2

If you are not this size do not get discouraged, there are many agencies that take all shapes , sizes and ages, for commercial print modeling , which is a huge industry. The majority of the Toronto market is Commercial Print modeling.

Most clients look for models that will represent their product, ie: bank ads, canadian tire, home depot etc, they don't hire fashion models, they hire commercial print models.

The best thing to do before you get any photos done, book an appointment with a few agencies, and see who you feel most comfortable with, your agency you choose should feel like a family. You should feel comfortable to call or drop in. They should have an office space! Be very careful if they don't have an office space.

2012-10-05T22:41:00.001-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Well I guess you heard Toronto is headed for great times in the movie biz. After a 10 year slow down in the film industry, this is such exciting news!
There is a $40-million expansion of Pinewood Toronto Studios headed our way at the Portlands.
Toronto has always been an exciting place for production companies to film, however the expansion of our film studio will attract more and more films. This is excellent news for the industry.

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