North Of Hollywood

For every fan of Hollywood, the movie business, of the actor’s journey, you’ve probably read numerous accounts of ‘how to succeed’ in shown business. Rarely will you have the opportunity to read such an honest account of what succeeding in Hollywood can mean, especially if one gets attached to the fame that comes with success.

Rick Lenz’ memoir NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD takes the reader places that most memoirs gloss over or avoid completely. He takes us into his private life and into the difficulties, many self-inflicted, that can come with the territory.

Since this interview was originally broadcast, NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD has garnered seven book awards for the author including: Finalist, Forward Reviews Book of The Year; First Runner Up, London Book Festival (Biography)and winner of the 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival.

Following is my review of NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD. After listening to my conversation with Rick Lenz, I hope you’ll hit up your favorite book seller and pick up a copy of NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

REVIEW: NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD by Rick Lenz

Rick Lenz' memoir North of Hollywood

I love acting, but I don’t much care for show business…

Show business as a career, for those of us whom it chooses – we never choose it; no one lacks that much common sense – is the most enticing siren the gods ever conjured, at least to those with the weakness…

Any wayfarer with even miniscule common sense would take whatever evasive action was necessary to avoid that route.

And that was from a successful Hollywood actor.

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, winner – Best Biography at the 2011-2012 Los Angeles Book Festival is an often funny, sometimes gut wrenching and immensely engaging true tale of one actor’s journey to grab the brass ring of show business success and by extension, celebrity.

Rick Lenz moves in for an ECU (extreme close up) on a very successful career and an often dysfunctional personal life.

How does the professional actor manage the demands of ‘the business’ and the responsibilities of a husband and father? Is it possible to maintain equilibrium in both? Of course it IS…but it’s not going to be easy. And this isn’t an ‘easy’ book.
Actor-playwright-artist and now author

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD gives the reader a raw to the bone, bravely personal view of what it can mean to succeed in show business. And what happens when, almost inevitably, that success slips away.

From Lauren Bacall giving ‘thumbs up’ to Lenz taking over the role of Igor in the Broadway production of CACTUS FLOWER, to his rise to stardom following release of the film version with Goldie Hawn, Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman, the reader is along for what will become a bumpy show biz ride.

Goldie Hawn and Rick Lenz from Cactus Flower

When I arrive on the set the director seems surprised. “I’m really sorry,” he says. “You’re not quite what I had in mind.” When I ask him what he had in mind, he shrugs and simply says, “Someone younger.”

And this:

…I begin to freeze up at auditions. Years ago I was offered a role on COLUMBO…I said no to the job…Years later I have an audition with Peter Falk for one of his latter-years episodes of the show.

I want it desperately, and that’s how I read for it…I map out every moment. That’s the number one film auditioning no-no. I’m programmed like a robot and that’s how it comes out at the audition: mechanical, unnatural and dead…I’ve blown it by a combination of wanting it too much and my Trojan Horse acting.

Ouch!!

Lenz pulls few punches in illuminating the price success may extract from the actor and from the ones he loves.

Though not in any way a religious book, NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD strikes me as the chronicle of a spiritual journey – though such might come as news to the author. Perhaps I’m reading that part in because it’s the way I tend to see things. So be it: this book recounts a journey to hell and back with lots of detours along the way.

If you think that’s too strong, over the top as we actors would say, give some thought to what it would be like to battle your own addictions to booze and pills. Or worse, watch your daughter battling an addiction to drugs including crack cocaine.

Acting along side of or rubbing shoulders with Goldie Hawn, Al Pacino, Jill Clayburgh, Angela Lansbury, Alan Alda, Jackie Gleason, Ingrid Bergman, Walter Matthau, Claude Rains, John Wayne, Richard Boone, Maureen O’Hara, Lauren Bacall, Jason Robards, Jimmy Stewart, Ron Howard, to name literally just a few of Lenz’ co-workers and friends doesn’t really make that more palatable, does it?

Rick Lenz is a charming man, if my too-brief encounter with him is an accurate indicator. He’s someone you want to know better. It’s easy to understand how, beyond his talent, he became a successful actor: he has that likability factor in spades. But NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD lays bare the imperfections that so clearly establish him as, more than anything, human.

Film actors are accustomed to shooting ‘out of sequence’. Lenz employs a similar style in his book. As a literary device it may take a little getting use to but it helps give the impression that one is reading a novel. Characters come and go and come again. Yet the through-line is clear.

In NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, Lenz is by turns charming, self-absorbed, funny, sad, confident and unsure. But don’t worry. Ultimately this book is no downer. If you want to believe happy endings are possible in real life, even when real life is show business, take a look at NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD. The journey has been difficult but hard lessons appear to have been learned. Not that the journey is finished. Happily, there is more to come. More writing. More art. More acting? More peace?

Once again, the future for Rick Lenz is bright. I am convinced he is a man worth rooting for. NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD is a rare Hollywood memoir worth reading.

Be sure to visit Rick Lenz’ websites: NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD
Rick Lenz ART
Publicist: JKSCommunications, Marissa DeCuir

Rick Lenz Career Collage

Cut Through The Noise With An Original Film Score

About This Episode

I am very excited to bring you this episode of ATP because it’s actually a reboot you might say of a an early episode…Episode 9 to be exact which was originally released on March 4, 2012, so just over 1 year ago. This episode features an interview with and music by a wonderful composer of film music, Jurgen Beck.

Why bring back an episode from over a year ago? Am I just getting lazy? Well no, I hope not. This interview is one of my favorites and I think there is really great information for filmmakers, especially perhaps more inexperienced filmmakers who can get clued into some of the issues involved with the very important process of securing original music for your film and video productions.

The episode was broadcast during the early days of the podcast when the listenership was a fraction of what it is today. For example a year ago each episode was getting maybe 400 plays while each episode is now averaging about 8,500 plays from almost 120 countries around the world.

So the vast majority of you, my current audience have not heard what I think is one of the best ATP episodes I’ve produced.

Not Forgotten

Additionally, the timing is right. One of the projects Jurgen has scored, a documentary called NOT FORGOTTEN - The Untold Story of Autism in Ukraine is available for free for a limited time and I wanted to help get the word out about that film. Click on the title above and check it out, please. The movie can be viewed free online until May 23, 2013. The trailer is below:

My Name Is Paul

Jurgen also recently completed the score for what looks like a very exciting new feature film call MY NAME IS PAUL. The trailer for this film was just recently released.

Want to know even more about Jurgen Beck? Please visit his web site.

Listen to and purchase pieces you hear in this podcast and many, many more at JurgenBeck.com

“One of the most satisfying aspects of composing music is watching the filmmakers I get to score music for go on and get selected into film festivals and winning awards.” Jurgen Beck

Film music. What would a great film be without a great score? Well it just wouldn’t be a GREAT film, would it?

Think of your favorite films and I’ll wager that somewhere in that thought process there is a tune or a melody or a riff of music that immediately comes to mind.

I’ll go back into my own film going experiences and pull out a couple of examples off the top of my head:

What would the Pink Panther series be without the scores by Henry Mancini? Of course you’d still have the brilliant comedic performances by Peter Sellers and the direction by by Blake Edwards but who can think of The Pink Panther and not begin to hum a few bars of the theme music?

On the dramatic side of things, I think about the music of composer Maurice Jarre and some of the films of David Lean. The scores for Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago (including the popular hit Laura’s Theme) immediately come to mind. During the interview, Jurgen Beck mentions the work of composer Hans Zimmer.

Yes, the film score is a vital component to the experience of watching and becomming absorbed in a film.

The Interview

This interview was conducted via skype between my home in the Austin,TX area and Jurgen’s location near Dallas,TX. The interview lasted for over an hour but it has been edited for time so that I can include some music cues written for film projects by Jurgen Beck.

In a little over an hour we touched on many aspects of composing original music for film. The interview begins by getting a feel for Mr. Beck’s childhood and when he first realized he had a gift for music.

We move through a discussion of his development as a mostly self-taught musician, his teen years writing, arranging and producing music for his own and other bands.

Working With Directors

And we also spoke at length about some of the process and challenges of working with directors and producers on film projects: how the composer is brought into the filmmaking process, what the responsibilities are for the artist writing the score, working with the director on spotting sessions, working under the pressure of time and budget, how much an original score can cost, use of live musicians, the development of electronic music and its impact on film music,music scoring for short films, music scoring for feature films and much more.

Excerpts from a number of Jurgen Beck’s musical compositions are interspersed throughout the interview in an attempt to give some additional context and flavor to the discussion. Music used by permission.

Jurgen Beck

Links

Links to sites for various films with original music by Jurgen Beck are listed below:

RESCUED:THE MOVIE on Facebook RESCUED:THE MOVIE web site

THE SAVE THE SAVE on Facebook Follow THE SAVE on Twitter

CHARISMATA

MY NAME IS PAUL MY NAME IS PAUL on Facebook

JIMMY VALIANT: SCIONS OF DANGER JIMMY VALIANT on Facebook

THE PENNY THE PENNY on Facebook

STANDING FIRM STANDING FIRM on Facebook

WORTH SAVING

THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE

As I said to a buddy with whom I saw the film at SXSW: As actors this is the kind of project that touches that THING inside of us that makes us want to pursue the actor’s journey.

CREAM OF THE CROP

THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE premiered at SXSW 2013 and was I believe 1 of 8 films selected for the narrative competition out of around 1200 submissions.

That alone speaks to the level of work in this film. It is a drama, it is compelling and it got to me on a very personal level because I’m dealing with some of the issues the family in this film deal with – as caretakers to more than one family member with physical and emotional challenges.

Set in the Texas Hill Country, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE is a portrait of the Sutton family: Diane, while ignoring her own health issues, is caregiver to her son August, who has cerebral palsy, and her husband, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Overburdened, she hires Noah, a local handyman, to build a wheelchair ramp up the front steps to the family home. August observes Noah working, and through dinner with the family. Diane notices their connection, and stops Noah as he leaves to ask if he could use some money helping out with August. The friendship that Noah and August forge has a ripple effect; life makes unexpected turns for those around them, and forces Noah to confront his past.

The script rings true, the performances are nuanced and real, all in all it’s a beautiful example of what filmmaking on any budget should aim for but for an film produced on what I assume was a relatively modest budget, it is truly impressive.

AUSTIN BEGINNINGS

MARC MENCHACA is one of the stars of TIWWL and, by the way he also wrote the screenplay and is co-director as well.

Marc is carving out a fine career as an actor with appearances in films like The Alamo and in high profile television productions such as Homeland, Person Of Interest, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, CSI:NY, CSI:Crime Scene Investigation, Treme and many others.

I began my interview with Marc by talking about working on The Alamo, a film on which we both worked as actors in Austin, TX in 2004.

Which was hotter? Shooting winter battle scenes in the Texas summer heat for The Alamo or working in Africa for months on GENERATION KILL, A TV mini-series from 2008?

THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE – THE SCREENPLAY

The script is very accomplished…so I was assuming it was NOT a first screenplay effort.

In fact, Marc tells me it was his first feature length screenplay. He began writing it in 2010.

Marc says he learned as he went and credits his co-director on TIWWL, Josh Barrett with being an effective sounding board during development of the screenplay.

THE CAST

Marc ran down the principal cast for the production. Among the issues related to casting we discussed how the cast was largely hand-picked with actors Marc knew in either Texas, NY or Los Angeles.

This is one of those films where you leave saying ‘everybody was good.’ And they were. Happily there are no weak moments among the actors in TIWWL and that is certainly a credit (no pun intended) to each of the players. Among the principal actors are:

Ck McFarland
Ron Hayden
Tobias Segal
Frances Shaw
Barry Corbin
Katherine Willis
Marco Perella
Brian Orr

The biggest challenge was finding the right actor to play August, a character who has cerebral palsy. Casting this role was crucial to the success of the film and Marc found his August in the person of Tobian Segal, a New York actor with whom Marc had worked on a previous project.

SHOOTING THE FILM

One other aspect of the production that I wanted to explore with Marc was the division of directing responsibilities. As writer and one of the lead actors, Marc had his hands full.
I wondered how he was able to manage directorial duties as well and we spend some time talking about that aspect of the production, working with a co-director and how his co-director worked with him as an actor.

ON LOCATION

The film was shot in approximately seventeen days in January-February and then a few more days in May for some pick up shots and additional scenes for a total of twenty-two or twenty-three days shooting.

Locations were in Llano, Ponotoc and San Angelo, Texas.

THE HOUSE

I had read or heard in another interview that finding the house that would be the primary location, resulted in some significant rewriting of the script.
Marc addresses the importance of the house as a source of creative inspiration for rewrites.

SHOOTING HAND HELD

The camera from the first frame, moves a bit, and I believe almost the entire film was shot hand held.It took me a minute or two to adjust to that but it really works in the context of this film.
I asked Marc to talk about the decision to shoot so much of the film hand held and if it was in any way risky to do so?

WRAPPING IT UP

The items above are just some of the things we cover in the interview. I hope you’ll stream or download the episode and give it a listen. Then please let me know what you think of this episode or of any of the previous episodes of Actors Talk Podcast.

If you have a microphone on your laptop or desktop computer you can leave a voice mail by clicking on the blue tab on the left side of the page above. Or you can call 877-518-2530 and leave me a voice mail at that number. Of course you can also send me an email to Tommy @ actorstalkpodcast dot com.

THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE is a SAG-AFTRA film and it is a wonderful example of the kind of film that can be created on a less than Hollywood type budget. A wonderful story, well told. Who could ask for more?

THE RETRIEVAL

The Retrieval, beautifully written and directed by Chris Eska, is one of only two films I was able to see at SXSW 2013. I have to say, if I could do it over again and could see only two films, I’d see the same two films in a heartbeat.

The other film I saw at SXSW 2013 was the equally impressive This Is Where We Live. I’ll defer talk about that outstanding film until the next episode of Actors Talk Podcast which will feature my interview with the writer, co-director and star, Marc Menchaca.

A CIVIL WAR DRAMA

Here’s a log line for the film as taken from IMDb:
“On the outskirts of the Civil War, a boy is sent north by a bounty hunter gang to retrieve a wanted man.”

The boy, Will, is played with skill beyond his years, by newcomer Ashton Sanders. Will is led in his errand by Marcus, who has traded his soul for survival in a strong supporting performance by Keston John. Their task is to go north into Union territory and retrieve Nate, a freedman with a bounty on his head.

Marcus and Will are sent on this ‘errand’ by Burrell, the villain of the piece, played with a disturbing ease by well-known horror film star Bill Oberst Jr.

Tishuan Scott as Nate delivers what will surely be a breakout performance, a performance rewarded the special jury prize for acting at SXSW 2013.

As the story unfolds, Nate is duped into believing that his dying brother has asked Marcus and Will to find him and bring him home.

That, of course, is a lie designed to coax Nate to take the journey back where he can be turned over to Burrell for a reward.

It’s a simple story of trust, betrayal and survival. Two black men sent to retrieve another black man for a white man’s bounty, set against the backdrop of war, circa 1864. Not so simple after all.

KUDOS TO WRITER/DIRECTOR CHRIS ESKA

With a script, direction, cinematography, editing and performances that are all first rate, The Retrieval achieves that which other films with far greater budgets can only wish for. This is a story, a film that never veers off course and for that writer/director Chris Eska and producer Jason Wehling and the entire production team must be congratulated.

Imagine the challenges: a period story, a young actor in one of the crucial roles, shot almost exclusively in exterior locations, a Civil War battle as one of the set pieces and all this on a low-budget SAG contract.

The result, a very fine film. The kind of film that all indie filmmakers should look to for inspiration – for validation that great work can be accomplished where great talent is brought to the task.

The Retrieval is a welcome reminder that in filmmaking, money may make things easier, but talent makes them possible.

AN ATP FIRST – AN IN PERSON INTERVIEW

I’ve know Tishuan Scott for a couple of years now, introduced through common work in SAG-AFTRA actor’s conservatory events. I’ve known him to be an outspoken proponent for union actors in our right-to-work state, not always an easy task.

When I learned that Tishuan was in one of the SXSW narrative film selections, I made it a point to get to a screening. Good decision on my part!

I was so blown away by both his performance and by the whole film, I set out secure an interview with Tishuan for ATP.

In person, Tishuan Scott is a rather gregarious presence with a booming bass voice. The voice is not quite James Earl Jones, but not far from it. Dennis Haysbert…that’s certainly in the ball park. Be prepared to hear this voice coming from a radio or television or movie screen for a long time to come.

That great voice is a gift and as Tishuan Scott tells it, he doesn’t remember exactly when it came but :

“I just sort of woke up with it one day. People started saying something about it…I was like, wow, that must mean something…”

One thing it means is that in The Retrieval when Nate speaks, and he doesn’t speak that much at first, you pay attention.

Once The Retrieval receives the distribution it richly deserves, I predict a lot of people will be paying attention to Tishuan Scott.

This episode marks a bit of a change for how I’ve conducted interviews for ATP. Normally I arrange to interview my guests via Skype. But since Tishuan was still in town following SXSW, we arranged to meet at a local Starbucks.

The interview was recorded on a Zoom H4n portable recorder, the same recorder many low-budget filmmakers use to capture sound when shooting with a DSLR or similar gear.

So, that noise you hear in the background is not an equipment malfunction, it’s just the ambient sound in the coffee shop.

I’d be interested to know if you find that too distracting or if it’s an acceptable byproduct of conducting an interview in person.

Be sure to leave feedback by clicking on the “Feedback Please” tab on the left side of the home page at ActorsTalkPodcast.com.

FOLLOW TISHUAN HERE

BRANDING and REINVENTION FOR ACTORS AND ENTERTAINERS

In this episode of Actors Talk Podcast, we’ll explore the concepts of REINVENTION and BRANDING and how they relate to those of us who are actors or other entertainers.

BRANDING is a hot topic these days. Everywhere in social media circles people in all manner of businesses, in and out of show business, are told that to maximize their success in those endeavors they must be aware of their BRAND. They must avoid all things that are ‘off brand.”

Be sure to check out John C. Morgan’s web site for information on his services and appearance schedule: John C. Morgan As President George W. Bush

And don’t miss the YouTube Channel for some very funny video content!

REINVENTING THE PRESIDENT – FINDING A NEW CAREER

John C. Morgan made a reluctant entry into the world of the celebrity impersonator during the first term of former president, George W. Bush.

Some twenty years before, John had given up on his dream of making his career in the music business as a singer-songwriter. John says a combination of fear, rejection and a realization that he was not ‘serving his family well’ led him to give up on that dream.

After putting the music business aside, John went back to the family business and helped his mom and dad run their appliance store in Orlando, FL. There John became what he describes as a ‘pretty ambitionless guy’, a ‘couch potato’, active in his local church but not doing much else with his life .

I wanted to do a lot more…but hesitated because of a lot of fears, mistrust and self-doubt…I just chose contentment rather than going for my dreams.

One gets the feeling that giving up on that dream had taken a toll and he had just decided to settle for what it appeared life was going to offer him.

YOU LOOK LIKE W

After George W. Bush came to national prominence, people started tapping John C. Morgan on the shoulder, telling him how much he looked like W.

While he apparently found that amusing, it really didn’t mean anything to him at the time. John says he was completely unaware there was a thriving industry of celebrity look-alikes: Cher, Lucy and Ricky and of course, Elvis and many others.

Everyone knew of the Elvis impersonators but Morgan was oblivious to the possibilities of using his resemblance to the President as a way of earning extra money, much less of making that the basis for a reinvention of life as he knew it.

A friend in the entertainment business suggested he should capitalize on his resemblance to George W. Bush but still, John just didn’t see that as his future.

…It didn’t fit in my paradigm of normal, and normal is what I wanted to be.

So he dismissed the idea.

FROM A DEAD SLEEP TO A NEW CAREER

John may not have been all that interested in the possibilities of pursuing the celebrity look-alike business, but his wife’s interest was piqued.

One evening John’s wife, Kathy saw a George W. Bush impersonator on a late night talk show and she did a web search to see who else was working in this arena. As John says:

It was really the speaker fees that caught her eye. When she saw how much they were making for an appearance, she actually woke me out of a dead sleep, dragged me to the computer and said ‘I just found your new career. You are going to become a George Bush impersonator.

FEAR OF REJECTION

This is a concept with which most actors are familiar and it’s one that John struggled with as well. We talk quite a bit about this fear and about the struggle between self doubt, faith and fear.

There’s no doubt in my mind that I was born to perform. Those twenty years that I gave it up were difficult for me to deal with…I was being molded into a man that God could use…There are reasons not to do something, but fear is not one of them. I didn’t want to look back ten years, and it’s now been ten years, and wonder what could have been.

REINVENTING AND BRANDING FOR ACTORS

When I was researching background for this episode I came upon an interesting article about actor Michael Chiklis written by Ann Welsh that details how Chiklis went about reinventing or rebranding himself after becoming dissatisfied with the types of roles he was being offered. Welsh details watching an interview with Chiklis on CBS This Morning. The article is HERE

What really caught my attention in the interview was Chiklis saying that it was his wife (Michelle Moran) who motivated him to reinvent himself. Having (successfully) played lots of roly-poly affable guy types, Chiklis was expressing his frustration to his wife that there were “so many different things that I could do and nobody knows this.” His wife said, “Michael, it’s not incumbent upon the networks and the studios to reinvent you. It’s incumbent upon you to reinvent yourself.

This is a very interesting article that further explores the theme for this episode of Actors Talk Podcast: Reinventing and Rebranding For Actors and Other Entertainment Professionals.

Be sure to let me know what you think of this episode of Actors Talk Podcast. If you’re in the USA you can leave a voice mail at: 877-518-2530. You can also leave a voice mail via my Google Phone number 512-660-7160, or email to: tommy@actorstalkpodcast.com

God Bless you all. Thanks for spreading the word about Actors Talk Podcast!

HBOs TREME recently wrapped production in New Orleans, LA after shooting thirty-six episodes.

That is far too few episodes for a show that has consistently delivered some of the best acting, writing and directing on television. Do only the good (television shows) die young?

Join me for a glimpse behind the scenes on TREME with actor Jay Huguley. Huguley joined the all-star cast in season three as real estate developer Will Branson.

Jay Huguley and I spoke about his actor’s journey from hometown Tenafly, NJ to Treme and beyond.

We also talk a bit about the actor’s work, working with ‘black belt actors’, about the different dynamics an actor faces when moving from project to project – the guest star vs the series regular.

We ended our conversation talking about TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, and what Huguley says is “the best script I’ve ever read…and I read a lot of scripts.”

ACTOR JAY HUGULEY

Actor Jay Huguley was born in Tenafly, NJ and remembers his parents taking him to see shows on Broadway. But the acting bug didn’t really start there. The high school years afforded an introduction into ‘show business’ as Huguley began to book catalog print jobs and other work as a model.

And it was in modeling that Huguley would get his first taste of success. After signing with a top modeling agency following college, he worked in Paris, Milan and Sydney, Australia.

When the desire to become an actor took hold, he put in the work necessary to learn the craft and to grow as an actor.

A play brought Jay from New York, where he had studied with Anna Strasberg at the Lee Strasberg Institute, to Los Angeles.

There he studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with famed director and acting teacher Milton Katselas,(1933-2008.)

In Katselas, Jay Huguley found not only a great acting teacher but a mentor whose instruction, inspiration and faith in his ability remain an important part of this actor’s journey.

TREME

TREME, a creation of Eric Overmyer and David Simon is set in New Orleans, LA shortly following hurricane Katrina.

From Wikipedia:

In 2008 HBO commissioned a pilot episode for the series but did not “green-light” a complete series at that time. The pilot was announced at the 2008 Television Critics Association summer press tour. Simon initially hoped to film the pilot episode of the series in 2008 and to continue filming in 2009 if the series was commissioned. The series was planned to film on location and was predicted to be a boost to the New Orleans economy.

The pilot did not actually begin filming in New Orleans until March 9, 2009. Award-winning Polish director Agnieszka Holland was hired to direct the pilot. Holland had worked with the creators previously on The Wire, directing three episodes of that series. After the pilot was written HBO commissioned another ten scripts.

THE CAST

If you want to see a ‘who’s who’ of outstanding writing, directing and acting, just visit the TREME IMDb page and scroll through the complete cast and crew listing. The writing, directing, acting and production are all top notch.

Many in the initial cast had worked with David Simon on previous projects such as THE WIRE, THE CORNER and Homicide: Life On The Street.

If you’ve seen even one episode of TREME then you know that the music, the food, the city of New Orleans are used splendidly in the show as are the fine actors who make up the principal cast: Khandi Alexander, Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo, Wendell Pierce, Steve Zahn, Kim Dickens, Rob Brown, Michiel Huisman, Lucia Micarelli, India Ennenga, Clarke Peters and so many other fine actors, including Jay Huguley.

Simon and his team have done a masterful job of incorporating the mood and the music, as well as the social ills, the corruption, the intrigue of New Orleans into every episode. Why then, one must wonder, has the show never found the audience it deserves? With so many options on our televisions and media centers, is it just too difficult to find even the best of the best and give these few shows the number or viewers it takes to keep them in production?

FROM TENAFLY TO TREME

It was into this TREME ‘family’ that actor Jay Huguley walked in season three, playing real estate developer Will Branson.

It’s been hard to peg Huguley’s Branson character, to know if he’s going to turn out to be one of the good guys or something less. He is after all a real estate developer working the angles in post-Katrina New Orleans. He seems like a good guy, alright, but I keep wondering if we’ll find out differently as the final episodes of this fine show play out.

Jay Huguley and I talked about how it is to come into a production with such an impeccable cast, a cast that has been working together for two seasons.

How does the ‘new kid on the block’ fit in?

How is this dynamic different from being on the other side, as Huguley was, for instance, as one of the regulars on ABC’s BROTHERS AND SISTERS which also counted Sally Field, Patricia Wettig, Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe among its fine cast.

TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

In the fascinating project, TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE Jay Huguley will be appearing with Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti and Alfre Woodard.

This film, co-written and directed by British filmmaker Steve McQueen is based on a book written by Solomon Northup around 1853 that details his ordeal of being drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film is produced by Brad Pitt and Anthony Katagas.

Look for TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE to hit theaters later this year.

WRAPPING UP

Jay Huguley is having a fine career, indeed. In addition to his work on TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE and TREME, Jay has recently appeared on NASHVILLE, ARMY WIVES and DROP DEAD DIVA. He’s obviously a hard worker behind the scenes where the work gets done. He prepared for this acting career by studying with Anna Strasberg and mentor, Milton Katselas. And Huguley still studies in a regular Saturday acting class.

I hope you enjoy listening to my interview with Jay Huguley as much as I enjoyed talking with this terrific actor. Join me in following Jay Huguley’s journey. Follow him on FACEBOOK and on Twitter.

ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR – THE ACTOR’S SURVIVAL GUIDE

On April 11, 2012 I recorded an interview with actor, teacher Markus Flanagan that dealt in large part with information and ideas from his terrific book One Less Bitter Actor. That interview was first distributed on April 12, 2012 as Actors Talk Podcast Episode 012.

Welcome everyone to ATP Episode 31 my name is Tommy G. Kendrick, I am the producer and host of our little digital get together and I’m happy to say that this episode of Actors Talk Podcast is sponsored by the fine folks at Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water.

For the past several years I’ve been recommending Markus Flanagan’s One Less Bitter Actor to every actor who asks me for advice about ‘the business’ about pursuing the life of a professional actor. The book really is THAT good.

Let me quote myself from a Review I wrote of One Less Bitter Actor for a blog post from 2008:

Just the chapter on Auditioning is more than enough reason to purchase ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR. How I wish I’d had this book thirty years ago. I had no mentor, no acting guru and no relative in the business. The information and insight in this one chapter could have saved me a lot of angst, anger and agony along the way. And it is a book that every actor, particularly every actor at the beginning of his/her career should read and should keep handy for review during the tough times.

Austin Actors Conservatory

I’m happy to say that the Austin Actors Conservatory will be presenting Markus Flanagan in an afternoon seminar on Saturday, February 23rd at Studio E in Austin. TX.

Visit the Austin Actors Conservatory page on Facebook. If you’re a member of SAG-AFTRA, join the AAC and help us bring more great programs like this to Texas actors. If you’re not a SAG-AFTRA member, join as a ‘Fan’ of the AAC and join with us in workshops, seminars and networking opportunities.

Actors Talk Podcast Episode 12

Because Actors Talk has grown significantly since the original broadcast of this interview with Markus Flanagan, I’m taking this opportunity to re-distribute the interview originally published back in April 2012 as Episode 12 of ATP.

If you can make the Austin seminar on February 23rd, don’t miss it. If you’re not able to make the seminar, I think you’ll get a lot out of this interview and I urge you to purchase a copy of One Less Bitter Actor. You won’t Regret it.

If you like to listen to audio books, use this link to get One Less Bitter Actor at audible.com. Use the banner link below to get the audio version of ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR for FREE with a trial subscription to Audible.com. Cancel within 30 Days if you want to and there’s no charge. You keep the audio book. If you purchase a subscription to Audible.com, I receive an affiliate commission.

Building A Fan Base With Google+ Hangouts On Air

On January 16, 2013 I hosted the first Actors Talk Podcast Google+ Hangout On Air with a panel of independent filmmakers: Benjamin Dane, Sean Johnson Jr. & LaMarcus Tinker and Christopher Shawn Shaw.

In case you’re not up to speed on just what a Hangout On Air is, check this link from Google http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.html

As you can see if you visited that link, the unique aspect to the Google+ Hangouts On Air is that they are broadcast publicly, live-streamed to YouTube, to your web site, to any site you choose to embed the link provided once the HOA begins. It is an opportunity to connect with a vast audience who can not only watch the Hangout live, but can interact by submitting questions and comments that can be responded to during the broadcast by you and your guests.

Want to introduce your fan base to your cast? Set up a HOA and get the ball rolling and the buzz started. That’s just one of many possibilities I see for actors and filmmakers having new opportunities for promoting their films and their careers.

For those of you interested in producing your own Hangout On Air (once you’re in the know they are referred to as an HOA) I can give you a few insights:

First, there is a learning curve…but it’s not incredibly steep. If you are not already, secure a Gmail account, activate Google+, fill out your profile and start to add people to your Circles. Don’t know what that means? Just get started and you soon will.

After something of a slow start, Google+ as a community is really growing rapidly and the technology that Google is implementing and improving is driving that growth.

In the few weeks that I’ve been actively circulating within the Google+ community I have seen changes, especially to Hangouts and Hangouts on Air, almost daily.

And speaking of Community, one of the biggest assets that Google+ has going for it is the Communities. Think of these like Facebook group pages but with much easier and much more consistent interaction among community members.

Need some information on how to start a Hangout On Air, how to use Google+ and Podcasting, where to find like-minded artists, foodies, geeks, you name it and there is likely an active Google+ Community with plenty of folks willing to answer questions and help you get started.

I’ve found several great sources for learning the Hangout and Hangout On Air ropes but none better than Ronnie Bincer. His daily video tutorials and explorations of Google+ functionality have been a goldmine as a resource. A resource that is FREE. No doubt if I get to the point where paying for assistance with growing my ATP audience is an option, I know where to start.

Think there might be TOO MUCH information making it hard to find? Well…this IS a Google product and it’s no hard trick on Google+ to search for and find archived posts and videos on most any subject you need to research.

Another bonus is that because Hangouts On Air reside on YouTube following their broadcast, you can always check YouTube as another source for instruction.

So actors and filmmakers and podcasters, I hope you’ll check out Google+ and especially the Hangouts and Hangouts On Air. I’m still taking baby steps in learning how to use this FREE technology but I see great possibilities for using these tools to connect to my existing audience and to hopefully grow the audience well beyond what I formerly thought possible.

Here’s the YouTube Video of our first Actors Talk Podcast Hangout On Air:

THE FILMMAKERS ROUNDTABLE

The HOA that I produced on January 16, 2013 ended up running almost two hours. Did I intend for it to run that long? Not really. But in retrospect, I should have realized that if all my panel was able to make an appearance that, with four guests, it would take some time.

That is one of the issues to be hashed out in advance of producing your HOA: How many panelists do you need and how many should you book in the event that some can’t make it? You don’t really want to schedule a HOA, publicize it and then end up in a room by yourself.

I was fortunate that ALL of my invited guest filmmakers were able to make the date and we had what I thought was a very fruitful conversation.

Below I’ll link to photos and information about each of my guests and their projects: Benjamin Dane (Beyond The Farthest Star), Sean Johnson & LaMarcus Tinker (400, Down By The River) and Christopher Shawn Shaw (Youth Group, Familiar Spirits).

BENJAMIN DANE

I previously interviewed Benjamin Dane for ATP Episode 7 almost one year ago. At that time his film BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR was finishing post-production and talks were underway with distributors. Now, a year later, the film is complete and distribution is in final negotiations and a release date is expected in 2013.

As a producer-actor, Benjamin has great insight into what is takes to get an indie film from script development, into production, casting, post-production and onto distribution. BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR has a terrific cast including Renee O’Connor, Barry Corbin, Andrew Prine, Cherami Leigh, Lou Beatty Jr.

BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR

Barry Corbin As Chief Burns:

Renee O’Connor As Maureen Wells:

SEAN JOHNSON JR. & LAMARCUS TINKER

I first interviewed Sean Johnson for Actors Talk Podcast Episode 14 At that time, Sean’s film, DOWN BY THE RIVER had finished shooting and was in post-production, rushing to be finished for a film festival entry.

That was on May 7, 2012. Now, DBTR is complete and in talks with distributors and Sean and his actor-producer brother LaMarcus Tinker, executive producer on Down By The River and a busy working actor (Friday Night Lights, Glee, Arrested Development, etc)are raising funds and continuing development of their next project, a sports related drama called 400.

These are two brothers, real brothers, to be watched. Both are multi-talented actors, directors, writers, producers. I don’t think there’s anything related to making movies that they won’t be able to accomplish. They have that much drive, that much passion and that much talent.

Not to be missed in this episode of Actors Talk is the story that LaMarcus tells of how he came to be cast and had a part written into the show for him when he showed up in Austin with no job, no prospects. It’s a great story and a glimpse into the heart of this dynamic young man.

Be sure to visit the 400 INDIEGOGO crowd funding page and help Sean and LaMarcus bring this project to life.

CHRISTOPHER SHAWN SHAW

I met Christopher Shawn Shaw on Facebook. We both hit common groups there on a regular basis and I began to check out the video links he posts.

It didn’t take long to see that Christopher is a talented director and writer. One of the projects currently on his docket is a faith-based comedy called YOUTH GROUP. Take a look at this trailer and you’ll see that Christopher and writer-actor Thor Ramsey, a frequent collaborator, definitely have a very original idea of where films made for this market can go. Their Youth Group project is off-beat, funny and I suspect it might just make us think a bit.

WRAP UP

The discussion among this group of filmmakers was, I hope, entertaining and informative. It was to me and I hope you found it beneficial as well. For those of you just thinking about starting the actor’s or filmmaker’s journey you have a little bit of a glimpse into some of the time, energy, sacrifice, commitment and passion it takes to forge a career in this business.

Take heart from the stories of these filmmakers, pursue your dreams and keep working to get where you need to go!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these audio excerpts from the full two-hour Hangout On Air. If you’d like to see me try more Hangout’s On Air, please use the contact number 877-518-2530 in the USA or my Google Voice Number 512-660-7160 and let me know. I’d love to hear what you have to say about this episode or any of the other episodes of Actors Talk Podcast.

FROM STAND UP COMIC TO BUSY FILM ACTOR

With some bumps along the way. In Part 1 of my recent interview with the very busy comedian-actor, Michael Joiner we talked mostly about his career as a stand up comedian.

In this final part of our interview Michael Joiner and I talk about acting in films, about the changes going on in the ‘faith based’ film arena, about his faith and how that has influenced his career.

A QUICK THANK YOU

Before moving further into this episode of the podcast, I’d like to use this space to publicly thank actor MANDELL BUTLER for the kind words he posted to his Facebook page about Actors Talk Podcast. I won’t quote the whole mini review but in part is says this:

For all those who have ever had questions about working in the TV/Film Industry on any level (as an actor or behind the scenes), I highly suggest you listen AND subscribe to Actors Talk Podcast…

At the bottom of this page I’m posting a photo and link to Mandell Butler’s web page. Just paying it forward here. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

GETTING PERSONAL WITH ACTOR MICHAEL JOINER

We talk extensively about how he came to be cast in THE GRACE CARD, starring with Michael Higgenbottom and Louis Gossett Jr – yes THAT Louis Gossett Jr. – how his impulse was to decline the role before ever reading the script and how his performance as racist cop, Mac Macdonald has opened doors to many other film projects.

About 2002, Michael Joiner and his family moved back to Los Angeles, CA so he could further his acting career. While in Hollywood Michael studied to improve his ‘acting chops’ and in particular cites working with teacher and film director John Swanbeck, teacher for actors such as Kevin Spacey, as being particularly instrumental in his growth as a film actor.

WHO LOVES THEIR JOB MORE THAN ACTORS?

“I love God, I love my wife, I love my family, but I don’t think there’s anyone who loves their job they way actors do..”

For a time all seemed to be going according to plan – God’s plan as Michael Joiner tells it – and then it happened.

Although he felt safe on this journey of faith in the film business, the economic downturn in 2008 – 2009 that impacted so many families hammered Joiner and his family as well.

STORMS OF LIFE

We ended up having to sell our house on a short sale. I was heartbroken…I yelled at God a few times and said He didn’t know what He was doing… [I told him] Don’t you know I need to be in Hollywood?

When I came to my senses, as I always do, I said, ‘Well Lord, I don’t know what to do about my acting career because we’re going back to Kansas City to live. But I do know what to do as a husband and a father and I’m going to do that.

But even through this disappointment and apparent failure Michael says he still felt that he was not through with acting. He says he told his wife:

“Michelle, God still has something [for me], He’s telling me ‘just stay sharp with my acting technique and do what I can with what I have and God’s gonna do something…”

THE GRACE CARD

Michael Joiner and Michael Higgenbottom on Patrol in The Grace Card.

Michael Joiner’s story, with its success and struggle and even doubt is told with such disarming honesty that even the non-believer will be intrigued. Before being called literally ‘out of the blue’ to be the lead actor in The Grace Card, what was Michael’s opinion of most so called Christian Films?

When called by The Grace Card director David G. Evans to discuss possibly playing the lead in the film Michael offers this:

“He told me it was a Christian film…I almost said no thanks because…he lost me at ‘Christian Film’…

But he asked to read the script and found that it was written by Howie (Howard) Klausner writer of the Clint Eastwood film, Space Cowboys.
”
…I was really touched by it [The Grace Card] the first time I read it. I said, man this is really moving me…”

As it turned out, there were a number of higher profile actors who were interested in playing the role of Mac McDonald in The Grace Card but Michael was cast without ever auditioning for the role.

ON AUDITIONING

Michael talks about being a perfectionist in his work and how that impacts his preparation for auditions…and why he longed to get to the place where he didn’t have to always audition for roles.

I had prayed, “Lord get me to that point where I don’t have to audition.” I don’t mind auditioning but including The Grace Card, I didn’t audition for [upcoming release] Broken Faith, because of The Grace Card they were familiar with my work and I’d say out of eight films I’ve done [since The Grace Card] I think I auditioned for one of them. And that’s because folks were familiar with The Grace Card.”

ON FAKING CONFIDENCE

I spoke with Michael about how moving from project to project as he has toward the end of 2012 and moving into 2013 is so great from the standpoint of maintaing confidence. I say that because for an actor, work tends to breed confidence. At least in my experience. Additionally, confidence is difficult if not impossible to manufacture and certainly to fake. Of course, if our confidence is mostly in ourselves and not the One who made us, then we’re probably in for some trouble.

THE LIE OF THE BIG BREAK

When we’re starting out on this actor’s journey, and even in the midst of it all, we sometimes think ‘I just need that one break and then I’ll be off and running.’ And we can all point to examples that seem to bear out that notion. Michael Joiner seems to have had that BIG BREAK with The Grace Card. Surely the phone didn’t stop ringing? Everything since then has been smooth sailing, right?

Here’s what Michael had to say about that:

You’re right in noticing I’ve worked quite a bit these last few months but…right before that happened there was no work….Sometimes I just talk to God like he’s my friend sitting there and I said ‘ Look, Lord. I’m going to go get a job at K-Mart or something if you don’t intervene here… let me know one way or the other…I need money…I need to provide for my family and if I get a job at K-Mart I’m not quitting…

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I also spoke about my own conversations with God about these kinds of situations. I relate how I became an actor because I believed and still believe that was and is my calling. Now for those who might not be sure I don’t mean a calling like you get a phone call. I mean a CALLING as in from ON HIGH…and not that kind of high either, bucko.

I’m talking about a calling from God as in ‘this is what I’m supposed to do with my life’ kind of calling. In fact it is my own belief that if a person doesn’t have something at least akin to a spiritual calling to ge an actor, they should never enter the acting profession. Or if they’re in already, get out. If it’s all about fame or money or any other motivation other than answering a call that comes from deep within, do something else. There really are far easier ways to make a living.

But if you do have that calling, it’s not always going to be an easy road. As Michael said in our conversation:

“Perseverance is everything in life in general but definitely in what we do”

BROKEN FAITH

Synopsis: A suicidal ex-navy seal struggles between his faith and his lust for revenge when his estranged daughter is held captive by ruthless gun runners.

I asked Michael about one of his new films, Broken Faith and wondered if it is a ‘faith based’ film. I asked because the trailer, which you can view by clicking on the link above shows that Broken Faith is not your daddy’s faith based film. It’s an action picture with strong production values and of course, solid acting all of which go against the grain compared to the typical ‘churchy’ projects we’ve come to expect projects identified as ‘Christian’ or ‘faith based.’

As Michael says,Broken Faith is an edgier movie for this genre and points to the movie’s tag line: Christian movies may never be the same.

Michael talks about the talented production crew on Broken Faith and his fellow actors Rodney Wiseman (Frontier Boys), Vanessa Ore who is also producer/writer on an upcoming project, My Name Is Paul.

FAITH BASED FILMS AND HOW THEY’RE CHANGING

Michael and I talked at some length about the kind of films he wants to make as an actor and as a producer-writer. We talked about some of the traditional conventions of the genre that don’t appeal to either of us. We also talked about his belief that you can tell a redemptive story but it has to have a character or characters who need to be redeemed and about how that need for redemption will influence the writing and acting.

MICHAEL JOINER ACTING COACH

We ended our conversation with Michael talking about his availability as an acting coach via Skype. Michael has a lot of solid training and a rapidly increasing body of work that make himn a valuable resource for any actors listening or reading this who might want to enlist him as an acting coach. Depending on his availability of course. Below are some links to sites on the internet where you can find Michael Joiner, view his acting and comedy reels, get booking information, see what projects he’s involved with and inquire about working with him as an acting coach.

THANK YOU, Michael for joining me on Actors Talk. It was a great pleasure. I hope the conversation can be an inspiration to some of our fellow actors and filmmakers who may be struggling as they pursue this great but challenging career of acting.

Here are some Michael Joiner Links:

MICHAEL JOINER WEB SITE
On FACEBOOK
Michael’s YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Micheal on TWITTER

Recent and Upcoming Michael Joiner Film Projects

THE GRACE CARD
BROKEN FAITH
JESSICA’S JOURNEY
THE BASEMENT
TRAVELATOR
ASHES OF EDEN
THE IDENTICAL
RUMORS OF WAR
PERSECUTED
MY NAME IS PAUL
SURRENDER

MANDELL BUTLER

Don’t forget to check out the web site and IMDb page for my friend and fellow actor Mandell Butler.

God’s Smart Aleck Michael Joiner Riffs On The Film Business, Clean Comedy and Faith

The discussion with Michael via Skype was conducted a couple of weeks prior to distribution of this podcast episode. To be honest, it’s been a chore to pare our conversation, which lasted over an hour, down to a manageable time for the podcast.

God’s Smart Aleck Michael Joiner On Stage

It takes very little effort to locate video of Micheal Joiner doing stand-up. Do yourself a favor when you’re in need of a laugh and check out his YouTube Channel. Here’s a sample of the comedy videos you can find there.

The difficulty for me has been that there is so much I wanted to share with you that it’s been hard to cut anything out.

So, I’ve decided to make minimal cuts to the material and to expand the conversation from one episode into a two-parter.

In this first episode, Michael and I talk almost exclusively about comedy. We go into his beginnings in the business, not as a comic but as a movie extra and as a photo double for actor Bruce Willis. Michael took some advice that Bruce Willis offered and he left Hollywood to return home and begin to study acting and perform in live theater.

Michael Joiner’s Acting Reel

Below is the trailer for a new Michael Joiner film called BROKEN FAITH.

On Short Cuts To Acting Success

I asked Michael what kind of training he had before he moved to L.A. to pursue acting:

“…I was a total wannabe. That’s why I have a bit of compassion for folks who fall into that catgegory of ‘wannabes’ ’cause there’s ‘wannabes’ who stay ‘wannabes’ and there’s ‘wannabes’ who…don’t know any better…someone needs to school them…That’s why to this day when anybody asks for my advice, I tell them they need to study. If they balk at that, I don’t have much more to say…there’s no shortcuts… ”

Returning Home

He moved back to Indiana in 1988, feeling a spiritual calling to return to that area. I asked Michael if he had to choose to be involved in only one area of the entertainment business, would it be as a comedian or would it be as an actor? He wasted no time in answering: ACTING.

That question elicited the story of how Michael began doing stand up comedy. Many people might assume a stand up comic, especially a very successful one would have been driven from an early age to pursue the field. No so for Michael Joiner. In fact, he had to be persuaded to perform in a church talent show by a friend who saw in him something he didn’t see in himself.

“The comedy came by accident. I was one of the youth pastors at my church… I was doing a lot of comedies at this theater ..he would come to my plays and…saw I had potential to be a comedian I guess and he said ‘why don’t you do some comedy at our [church] talent show? I said, ‘no, I’m not even into that.’ So he begged me some more and I did it. I just got the bug right there. I fell in love with it. Soon after I started making a living…not only as a Christian comedian. My style is very ‘un-churchy…it’s just clean comedy. And so I started doing secular gigs as well and it really started paying the bills… “

IMPROV – A Valuable Tool for All Actors

During our conversation, Michael suggested that actors should take some improv classes and even try stand-up comedy. At which point I confessed that I had in fact taken a whirl at the stand up comedy scene back in my days in Dallas, TX. I related to Michael how I had participated in a ‘Gong Show’ type open mic at a disco and that I had actually been gonged by a monkey who was one of the judges. Apparently the monkey was a pretty good judge of talent. My stand-up ‘career’ didn’t last very long.

On The Road

Michael talks about doing a lot of ‘hell gigs’…many in Texas as it turns out….as he learned the craft or becoming a successful stand-up comedian.

“You go on the road and you do what’s called ‘one nighters’…you just have to pay your dues that way. And you get better.”

Michael talks about the insulated nature of doing only Christian venues as a comedian. In retrospect he can see that he really grew as a comedian when he began to also work in secular comedy clubs. He was then performing for audiences that weren’t necessarily ‘on his side’ or predisposed to think he was funny. He was working on bills with comedians who were doing hundreds of nights of stand up per year whereas he had been doing 15 or so gigs a year at Christian venues.

Favorite Comedians

I related to Michael that back in the day some of my favorite comedians were guys like Woody Allen, Franklyn Ajaye, Robert Klein, Bill Cosby. Michael speaks about working with comedian Vic Dunlop of ‘Make Me Laugh’ fame. He goes on to mention other comedians he enjoys such as Brian Regan, Jerry Seinfeld, Sebastian Mancuso and the Hamner Barber Show from Branson, MO.

” I just admire any performer that practices, that has his chops down, that just gives you a good show… It’s tough. It’s not as glamorous as people think…My favorite comedian is the just the guy that’s out there paying his dues, he really is funny, he’s learning and he writes every day…”

Michael told me about working with the late comedian Mitch Hedberg in Minot, ND on a string of one nighters and of advising Hegberg to go to Los Angeles.

The Acting Business

At about 14 minutes into the interview, after talking solely about comedy, we transitioned into a discussion of acting and the movie business.

I asked Michael if people are surprised that as a comedian he is also a very accomplished dramatic actor?

Michael talks about the value that comedy and especially improvisational comedy adds to an actor’s toolbox. Then we got into a bit of a discussion about some of the ‘old guard’ comedians: Bob Newhart, Henny Youngman and others.

I mentioned a very good book on the history of comedians called THE LAST LAUGH by Phil Berger that details stories bout

comedians such as Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Rodney Dangerfield, Lenny Bruce, Dick Gregoy, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, George Carlin and many others.

In that discussion I erroneously referred to THE LAST LAUGH as a source of information about Chicago area inprovisational comedy. The book I should have mentioned is called SOMETHING WONDERFUL RIGHT AWAY by Jeffrey Sweet.

“If I were ever mentoring an aspiring comedian I’d say, ‘watch the new guys, but watch the old guys too, man, all the way back to Rodney and …. Henny Youngman….watch them all because they’ve got something that you need.”

And that’s where we end this first part of my conversation with Actor-Comedian, God’s Smart Aleck, Michael Joiner.

Please subscribe to the podcast and you’ll be automatically updated when Part II of this conversation picks up.

In Part II we’ll go into more depth about Michael Joiner’s acting career and the part how his faith guides his career in show business.

There’s A Little Bit of Geek And Hero In All Of Us

On January 16,2012 I published the first episode of Actors Talk that featured an interview with a guest, conducted via Skype.

My guest for that episode was producer-director Ron Newcomb. I had met Ron on Facebook after he had posted a trailer for his film THE FELLOWS HIP: RISE OF THE GAMERS, a comedy with heart that centers around a group of geeky gamers obsessed with the LOTR online game. At the time of our first conversation, TFH was in post-production.

I knew Ron had what looked like a potentially good film and I knew he was going through experiences as a first time feature film producer-director that I wanted to share on Actors Talk.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Opening Act Productions had secured the rights to use the LOTR Online Game as a centerpiece of their film. Fortunately, Ron Newcomb was kind enough to come along for the ride and give us an inside glimpse at how this production was put together and where they were in the production process.

Now eleven months later, THE FELLOWS HIP has had quite a ride, indeed. It is now an award winning film, having picked up the BEST FEATURE FILM award at the GenCon Film Festival. The producers sought and signed a domestic distribution agreement and sales to some international territories were recently negotiated at AFM, the American Film Market.

In this episode of Actors Talk, Ron has agreed to return and discuss some very important lessons learned about post-production, marketing, the film festival circuit, seeking distribution, sales agents, producer’s reps and perhaps most important of all, a component of this part of the filmmaking process that many young filmmakers know little about, DELIVERABLES.

What lessons did you learn from this filmmaking experience that will inform how you approach your next production?

Hire good people and then give them the freedom to do the kind of work they’re capable of.

Post-Production Experience

I would bring a post-production team on very early on – even in pre-production. I would go ahead and engage them, get them on board and make sure that expectations are set. Unfortunately we had one company that went out of business on us and another company that wasn’t able to do the work, which took us into an extra YEAR of post-production.

After Post-Production – Marketing Strategy

I asked Ron if their plan included taking the film to festivals to generate interest or did they have a different plan of attack for THE FELLOWS HIP?

Ron says the question really is “do you want to get into the distribution game yourself.”

As part of this discussion Ron mentioned companies like distribber, an IndieGoGo subsidiary that has become a relatively recent player in the indie film distribution world.

For more information about distribber, be sure to check their web site and look for the ‘How It Works’ tab.

There is an excellent summary of costs and potential revenue from distribber on the FAQ page.

The FELLOWS HIP production team asked themselves all the typical questions that other indie filmmakers ask when they’ve got a finished film:

-Do we want to self-distribute
-Do we want to go after a distribution deal
-Do we want to hire a sales rep or
-Do we want to go after film festivals

Ron offers this view on festivals:

‘to me [festivals] are good for a couple of things. One is to build your pedigree so that you can kind of point to your success on the festival circuit and say ‘see, this is validating, I have a good film.’

And the downside of festivals

They (film festivals) are everywhere and many of the festivals have no coverage or clout with buyers, with distributors. Of course the high profile festivals, Sundance, Slamdance, Cannes, Toronto are well known in part because they DO attract film buyers.

Because Ron didn’t think his film a ‘festival film’ and he was reluctant to spend the considerable amount of time and money necessary to attempt a multi-festival approach, with a payoff from that strategy being so uncertain. So they decided, as Ron says ‘out of the gate’ to seek a DISTRIBUTION DEAL.

SEEKING A DISTRIBUTION DEAL

First he put together a press packet and started to go through his list of contacts he had compiled through the years. He was looking to target three areas:

1. The Producers Rep
2. The Sales Rep
3. A true, legitimate distributor

‘We tried to target those ones that had films that they were representing that were like ours so they had a built in audience. Then we sent out inquiry emails saying ‘hey, we have this film, we have a packet, I’d love to send it to you. And we got [responses back] saying ‘yeah we’d like to see it.’ So we sent out the press packet along with a screener.

In case you’re wondering about what should be included in a typical Press Kit here are some basic elements. Be sure to do your own research on this aspect of the process because certain required elements of a currently modern press kit may change over time. A current Google search will give you a lot of suggestions like this on creating a PRESS KIT.

Press Kit to Include: A synopsis, production notes, biographies of key players including the screenwriter(s), director, producer(s), and of course any NAME actors; a credit list for
all cast and crew. You may need to have available press kits in hard copy and digital versions (digital press kits will be typically referred to as an EPK or electronic press kit).

What Was Their Success Rate?

Out of approximately 100 inquiry emails sent, Ron received about 20 responses that expressed some level of interest and out of those they had six officieal deal offerings from 1 distributor, 4 sales reps and 1 producer’s rep.

I asked Ron about having more than one of these entities representing the project. As he explains the filmmaker can have a combination of representation: a domestic distributor and either a sales agent or a producer’s rep that would focus on international rights exploitation.

Foreign or Domestic Rights

Ron talks about the process of deciding which person or company to sign with to represent the producers and the film. As part of the decision making process, Ron suggests asking the potential distributor or sales rep or producers rep for estimations of what kind of revenue the film can garner from certain markets.

In the end, the produces of THE FELLOWS HIP decided to sign with one Sales Agent who has experience in both domestic and international marketing and distribution. The decision on the sales agent was important because the Ron and his fellow producers wanted to have their team in place prior to the 2012 AFM, American Film Market in Santa Monica, CA.

The mention of AFM led into a mention of Foreign Pre-Sales and Ron suggested that any producers who aren’t familiar with what and how foreign pre-sales work, be sure to do some homework on that issue. A brief overview of debt financing models can be found here.

DELIVERABLES

After you complete your film and if you are fortunate enough to secure distribution, you are going to need to go through the process of compiling all of the DELEVIRABLES required to get your film out into the marketplace.

Meeting the list of required deliverables is not without cost and can run into thousands of dollars which must be accouted for in your budgeting. The more aware you are about what will be required when you do sell your film, the more money you can potentially save in compiling all the required delivery elements.

Ron and I discussed a partial list of deliverables required including: A Master of your movie on HDCAM SR tape; Closed Captioning; Final Shooting Script; MPAA Rating; Proof of E&O Insurance Coverage; Chain of Title; Any necessary releases; Music Clearance; and on and on. The list is really quite extensive and will seem quite daunting, especially if the filmmaker is unaware of the need to supply these elements in the very particular form required by the buyer.

Here is a link to a great list of DELIVERABLES that you can refer to. Note that this list is dated April, 2011 and as we know, things change. Your sales rep will provide you with a complete list of all that is required. But taking a look at the list I’ve linked to will give you an idea of how organized you need to be throughout the filmmaking process.

Otherwise, you may just cost yourself that distribution deal you’re hoping and praying you’ll secure.

BRINGING IN AN ATTORNEY

During the process of negotiating a distribution agreement, the filmmaker needs to have an entertainment attorney on board. It is preferable if you already have a relationship with an attorney before you begin looking for a sales agent or distributor. But you must have an attorney on board before you begin signing legal documents that impact the future of your project.

Ron suggests if you are not in a major market you might consider checking with a local or nearby university that has a law school. Someone there might be able to refer you to an attorney with entertainment law experience. Of course one of the best ways to secure an attorney you trust is to work through referrals from fellow filmmakers who have already been through the process. Failing that, Google becomes your best friend. Seach for entertainment law specialists in major markets. Investigate them online and see if you can find a few attorneys you feel good about contacting.

Although I’ve never used his legal services, I’ve been very impressed with attorney Gordon Firemark who was my interview guest on Episode 24 of this podcast.

GenCon Success

Ron talks a bit about the success of THE FELLOWS HIP at the GenCon gathering where the film won the Best Feature Film award in 2012. Like a lot of gaming conventions they have a film festival associated with the event. This film was a natural fit because it’s a film about geeky gamers.

“For us that is [the GenCon Film Festival] is like Sundance because that’s our customer base.”

We wrapped up our conversation by talking a bit about the terrific cast, largely unknown actors then local to the DC area, some of whom have now relocated to Los Angeles.

Be sure to check out THE FELLOWS HIP RISE OF THE GAMERS on IMDb and on their terrific web site.

If there are film buyers from international markets who may hear this podcast and have interest in bringing the film to your territory contact Ron Newcomb at: Ron@oapfilms.com or contact Highland Film Group by clicking the image below.

How to be a voice actor: Do you have to have a ‘radio voice’, the ‘voice of God’ to be successful with voiceovers? What kind of training is required? How do you go about recording a demo? What is a niche market and how do you get work there? Can you do VO work part time or is this a full time or nothing gig? Must you live in a major market to make money in voiceovers?

If these are some of the questions you have about working in Voiceovers then please join me with my guest for this episode, Ms. Bettye Zoller.

International Award-Winning Voiceover Talent Bettye Zoller

“You know…modeling, film acting, Broadway stardom, getting a TV sitcom lead role, all of that is a build…it’s a career build. It takes time and first and foremost it takes training. WHY…WHY…answer the question somebody, why do all these people think that voiceovers are instant success? It drives me nuts. Why? Voiceovers aren’t a get rich quick scheme, it’s a build, you know? ”

From Bettye Zoller’s site VoicesVoices.com

Casting Directors, Agents,Clients,and Producers, say she is “unique ” because she offers so many types of voice deliveries, characters, dialects, attitudes, yes, she is a virtual compendium of voice over types and genres.

From major network promos (BBC, LIFETIME, BRAVO, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, FOOD NETWORK, WABC NYC) to a smooth romantic trailer for DISNEY BOOKS, to upbeat, comedic, inspirational and touching radio and TV commercials (CHIFFON MARGARINE “It’s Not Nice to FOOL Mother Nature,” PACE PICANTE SAUCE “It’s Made In NEW YORK CITY!!.” AMERICAN AIRLINES, BANQUET FOODS, AMERICAN RED CROSS, U.S. NAVY, and many hundreds more.

She narrates audios at the Smithsonian American History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Ellis Island Museum, the Kimbell Museum, and many others. She voices apps, building tours, city walking tours, GPS systems in Germany, toys, games, video games, websites, greeting cards, Lionel trains, kiosks, computer software, and audio books. She is a Simon and Schuster author, narrator, producer with over twenty audio titles that she’s written and published in the voice speech communications and voice over education field.

She is a professional audio engineer skilled in post production and demo creation and owner of the full service VoicesVoices Recording Studio is in Dallas, Texas. She is the recipient of ADDYS, CLIOS, 1st PLACE NATIONAL GOLDEN RADIO AWARDS. And she’s the dedicated educator who has started so many in broadcasting and voice overs.
She is degreed through doctoral study from four universities.

THE NICHE MARKET DEMO

Bettye suggests cutting individual demos for specific niche markets such as medical, real estate, art galleries, buildings, museums or monument tours, etc . These demos should have a few examples of from the specific niche you are targeting.

Medical work, for instance, can require the ability to pronounce complicated and sometimes odd sounding terms. The VO actor has to be able to make such terms sound as natural and ‘real’ as possible without stumbling over the terminology. So, if you have a background in medical work or if you have a facility for handling that kind of material, it would be wise, says Bettye Zoller, to prepare a demo just for that market segment.

Bettye suggests producing this type demo in a ‘bare bones’ production style with little to no post-production, no background music, etc. Let the caster hear your voice and how you communicate this particular type of material.

The same ideas hold true for other niche demos whether they are for an art gallery or a real estate company or some other specific market segment.

Another area Bettye suggestS not overlooking is promo work for local radio and televsion outlets. This can be an especially effective marketing effort in regional or smaller markets where the producers might welcome someone different who can add a new voice to their ‘cast’.

WHAT’S A GOOD TIME LIMIT FOR A DEMO?

Bettye says stick to 1.5 to 2 minutes. She personally doesn’t care for the ‘super short’ demos as they tend to soud rushed. She wants to hear ‘more’ of the voice…but not too much. Three minutes is too much, typically but a minute and a half to two minutes is a good time length to shoot for.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES ONE SHOULD LOOK FOR IN A VO TEACHER?

Bettye says:

Look at what they’ve done. If you want to be a voice actor study with someone who has been where you want to go. Study with someone with voice over experience. If you want to sing jingles, study with someone who has experience in that part of the business.

HOW MUCH SHOULD CLASSES COST?

Bettye says to be careful of the companies that hit town, set up shop in a large hotel or meeting hall and offer ‘free’ workshops for the weekend. Be careful if they’re taking out large newspaper ads or using full color brochures. These things cost thousands of dollars and they aren’t spending that kind of money to give free workshops.

Bettye tells of routinely remaking 20 or more terrible demos a year that were produced as part of some of these big productions and they usually cost thousands of dollars of wasted money.

So WHERE SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR A VO TEACHER

Look where you are first. Don’t get sucked into traveling to L.A. or NY and having to incur the travel and housing expenses in additon to the class expense when there just might be a better alternative right where you’re located.

Remove the stars from your eyes and think like a businessperson.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT VOICE WORK

Like all other areas of the acting business, it’s what Bettye calls a ‘build.’ “You know modeling, film acting, broadway stardom, getting a TV sitcom lead role, all of that is build…it’s a career build. It takes time and first and foremost it takes training. Why…why…answer the question somebody, why do all these people think that voice overfs are instant success? It drives me nuts. Why? Voice overs aren’t a get rich quick scheme, it’s a build, you know? ”

WHAT ABOUT RECORDING EQUIPMENT – HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND

First of all, when just starting out, don’t put too much money into recording equipment or a studio. Don’t buy an “$1100 microphone. You don’t need that. Buy a mic you sound good on that’s maybe $200 – $300. Get a closet and go to Goodwill and get some comforters or piano blankets and make a little homemade ‘studio’.

Condenser vs Dynamic Mics

We briefly discussed condenser vs dynamic microphones.

I mentioned that in fact I’m recording my podcast with a Heil PR40 which is a dynamic mic and which has allowed be to achieve a pretty good sound in a less than ideal recording environment.

MOTU 828

As Bettye says, you keep trying new things, buying different mics as you go along. She discussed her recent purchase of the MOTU 828 which she says she likes very much.

WHAT ABOUT DAWs – COMPUTERS

We covered some basics with regard to computers including how computers made for everyday tasks like word processing and other typical computer uses are often too loud. Even some laptops have fans and hard drives that make too much noise to use easily as recording stations.

Bettye also spoke of some computer systems she uses and recommends.

She spoke of ProArts in Hollywood that makes very expenside audio production computers which are out of the range of most actors, especially those just beginning.

Bettye did recommend the CREATION STATION computers that are sold by SWEETWATER, a very reputable online retailer of music and pro audio gear.

CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY – WHICH INTERNET SITES SHOULD VO ACTORS TARGET

As Bettye says, ‘You can voice for the world…You can announce for the entire globe.”

Sites to target and Get Known On

Voice Over Universe
VOICE EMPORIUM
VOCE-OVER XTRA

She suggests Google searches for terms such as ‘Voice overs in Germany’ or ‘Voice Overs in Sweeden’ for instance to look for agents and production companies in those various locations around the world.

WHO ARE YOU

Just like in the film business there are leading women and leading men and character actors, the same is true in VO. Who are YOU? What can you play?

“Just because you like to play video games doesn’t mean you’ll be good announcing them.”

DEMOS

Your Demo Producer needs to know who you are as an actor. Don’t do a cookie cutter demo that sounds like everybody elses. Do a demo that is uniquely YOU.

Bettye makes it clear that she doesn’t take every person who comes to her for a demo. She will read you and listen to you and determine if she believes you are ready to spend the money on a VO demo. If not she will suggest further study and practice before recording the demo.

CONTACT BETTYE HERE

If you are interested in contacting Bettye Zoller for a consultation about a VO demo she can be reached in the following ways:

Studio Line: 214-638-TALK (8255) . If it rings, she is in session. Let it ring and leave a message and she will call you back.

Facebook
LinkedIn
FANS OF BETTYE ZOLLER WEBINARS
Find Bettye on Twitter

WEBINAR ABOUT AUDIO BOOK CREATION EXCHANGE – ACX

Bettye mentions this webinar in our conversation but the link is not yet posted. Please SUBSCRIBE to Actors Talk Podcast mailing list and I’ll update you as soon as the information becomes available.

Audiobook Creation Exchange does provide opportunities for NARRATORS to audition for authors signed up for their service.

UPDATE

….HERE’S A LINK TO THE WEBINAR DETAILS.

This looks very good, folks. I’ll be planning to take advantage of this myself!

BEGINNERS WORKSHOP IN DALLAS,TX

Bettye announced her BEGINNER WORKSHOP in Dallas for $299 for two days – Jan 19-20, 2013

Limited to 20 students maximum. The link is not yet active on her site. Check there
or SUBSCRIBE to the ATP email updates and I’ll send the information as soon as it’s available.

Actor Kevin Sizemore takes us behind the scenes on his new film RedLine and on his journey as a professional actor.

In the show opening I mention Producer-Director Ron Newcomb and his project THE FELLOWS HIP – RISE OF THE GAMERS. TFH has signed with distributor Highland Film Group. Highland Film Group is taking TFH to the American Film Market in Santa Monica, CA in October to acquire foreign distribution agreements. My interview with Ron Newcomb on Episode 4 of Actors Talk was my first interview and it’s been really exciting to see how this project has progressed since that interview on January 16, 2012. Congratulations, Ron and all your team!

I also mention the free audio book deal available only to podcast listeners through AUDIBLE.COM at this link – FREE AUDIO BOOK OFFER

ACTOR KEVIN SIZEMORE

I caught up with actor Kevin Sizemore at his home in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday evening October 2, 2012 to talk about his new film Red Line in which he stars with Nicole Gale Anderson, John Billingsley and Kunal Sharma.

Kevin had just finished up with a coaching session with one of his acting students when I called and that’s where we began our conversation about his actor’s journey.

Photo of Kevin, his wife Gina Lombardi and son, Gunnar Sizemore at the San Diego premiere of RedLine.

We began our conversation talking briefly about Kevin’s work as an acting coach; He teaches classes out of his house and limits his class size to no more than 12 student actors at any one time.

According to Kevin, he limits his class size so ” the actors have the opportunity to get up two or three times a night and we’re going to rework these scenes so many different ways…because when you’re going out for a real audition you can’t just prep it one way because you’re going to get redirected. And when you get redirected, if you’ve only learned it one way, you’re stuck.”

GROWING UP IN WEST VIRGINIA

We also talked about Kevin growing up Princeton, WVA, a town of about 3500 residents at that time, located on the border of West Virginia and Virginia. In high school, Kevin says he
was more of a ‘behind the scenes’ tech guy. He admits that he didn’t participate in any plays in high school because Drama was held in 7th period and he was through with school by 5th period and he didn’t want to stay at school that long. Kevin says that was “the worst decision I could have ever made.”

As a high school senior, Kevin found out about a Maxwell House Coffee commercial that was casting in a nearby town. He convinced his father to take him to the audition and as
fate would have it, he booked the job. Kevin says that experience gave him a taste of ‘what it’s like to get that energy when you’re in front of the camera…from that point on I
said okay this is what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.’

EXTRA WORK IN PITTSBURGH

From there Kevin went to Pittsburg and entered the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. While in school he began ‘moonlighting’ as an extra in films such as Innocent Blood and Hoffa and Bob Roberts…all film projects that came to the Pittsburg area to shoot.

While working as an extra in the Tim Robbins film Bob Roberts, became disenchanted with extra work after working all night for “$35 and a half-way decent sandwich…I got so mad…I said, If I’m going to do this [be an actor] I’m not doing any more of this extra crap, I’m done…That’s when I moved to New York City. That’s when I started trying to get my career stated. That was in 1992-1993.”

WORKING HIS WAY TO HOLLYWOOD

On transitioning from extra work to actor, Kevin said, “I do think there’s a time if you’re going to be an actor, this is what you’re going to do for your career, you’ve got to lay it
in the sand and say, Okay, I’m done here…you’ve got to know when you’ve got to cut it off, because if you don’t you’re always going to be known as an ‘extra actor’ and you’re
never going to get any respect.”

Kevin’s journey to Hollywood took him from West Virginia, to Pittsburg, to New York, to the Carolinas where he did Matlock and other shows, then went to Nashville where he did commercials and got his SAG card (now SAG-AFTRA); spent two years in Florida working at Universal Studios, doing theater and commercials then headed to L.A. In L.A. he spent a summer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and decided to stay.

ADVICE FOR ACTORS CONSIDERING A MOVE TO L.A. – FINANCIAL RESOURCES, SELF SUBMITTING and DEMO REELS

Kevin and I talked about the advice he would give to a young actor trying to decide if he/she should make the move to L.A. Kevin says his advice is to look first to a regional market like Louisiana or Atlanta because ‘they are so busy, that’s where I’d go to get my feet wet because they are so busy and they need talent every day.’

I pointed out that I agree with this strategy and that many of these regional markets including Texas are right to work states and that actors can work in SAG signatory film projects without first getting a union card.

We talked about the importance of coming to L.A. with some ‘footage’ a demo reel, whether it’s student films or indie films, something GOOD so people can see what you can do on film. We talk about how bad footage is not going to help you and might just shoot you in the foot. As Kevin said in our talk, ‘you only get one shot to make a first impression.’

LESSONS LEARNED

Here are some tips Kevin offered when I asked if there was one thing he wish he’d known before he came to Hollywood:

So Kevin arrived in L.A. with some money in his pocket from commercial work and with his SAG card. He arrived with several friends with whom he shared an apartment until he could find an agent and start working.

We talked about the differences in how actors market themselves in a smaller market as compared to in Hollywood. How things that might be acceptable in a regional market, dropping into agents or casting offices, for instance, are not looked on with favor in Hollywood.

Kevin related the story of how he got his first agent…indirectly from just such an effort as is not looked on with favor…doing a cold call to an agent’s office. THAT agent did not sign Kevin, but that agent referred him to another agent with whom Kevin signed and worked with for the next decade.

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

From there we talked mostly about Kevin’s new film project Red Line. But we also talked about how Kevin came to be cast in a terrific short called USELESS, produced as part of the 168FilmProject. Kevin tells the story of how a friend from his Bible study group, actor Boo Arnold suggested him for USELESS and how his work in USELESS lead to being cast in RED LINE

Kevin also speaks about a new project that is about to start filming a new comedy called CAN I GET A WITNESS PROTECTION? This film recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign and is shecduled to begin filming shortly.

You can find Kevin Sizemore online at by following many of the links in the text above.

BUILDING YOUR OWN BUZZ

A few weeks ago on Actors Talk Episode 22 I interviewed actor and actor’s marketing expert, Emily Grace. This week, I received the following email from Emily and I’d like to share some of it with you, my actor friends:

I have f.r.e.e. (and pretty awesome) video series up until October 5, 2012 chock full of great actor-marketing tips. It is a preview to my program, Build Your Own Buzz, which is an 8-week, online program that teaches pretty much every marketing strategy an actor could possibly need to know!

I’m offering this program at a CRAZY deal this time around. I only offer it twice a year, and this time around life is just too hectic to offer the weekly q+a call. Instead, I’m giving this program away at a steal (a $400 savings) and I would love your help in spreading the word.

Whether actors decide to join or not, the free video series is incredibly valuable.

Here’s a link to a free video, GO FROM AUDITIONS TO OFFERS and a way to find out more about the Build Your Own Buzz program in case you’re interested. For the record, this is not an affiliate link and I receive no compensation for passing along this information.

Please follow Actors Talk on Twitter and on Facebook

The Film Business and the Law. It’s in the contract. Or is it?

L.A. Attorney Gordon Firemark

My guest for episode 24 is Los Angeles based entertainment attorney Gordon Firemark. Gordon represents clients in theater, film, television and new media.

I spoke with Gordon on September 20, 2012 and we discussed a host of topics that can impact actors and filmmakers, their projects and their careers.

I first encountered Gordon Firemark while listening to Daniel J. Lewis’s The Audacity To Podcast where he was discussing legal issues pertinent to podcasters and new media producers.

In addition to being an attorney, Gordon Firemark is a self-described audio geek. who produces and co-hosts with attorney, Tamera Bennett, the entertaining and informative Entertainment Law Update Podcast.

He is the author of The Podcast, Blog and New Media Producers Legal Survival Guide. Indie filmmakers can get information at this link about Gordon’s upcoming Film Finance Bootcamp.

You can also find Gordon Firemark at his ENTERTAINMENT LAW ANSWERS YouTube Channel. There you’ll find a number of videos in which Gordon responds to real show business related legal questions. The video below is an example:

Episode 24 – Included In The Discussion

What does any of this legal stuff matter if all you want is to be an actor, to get a job in TV, to have a film career?

Actors, you’ve ripped your scenes from the DVDs of films in which you appear. Is that a copyright infringement or a fair use?

What about auditions? Can they be distributed to YouTube or another public video sharing site without the actor’s permission?

Chain Of Title

From Baseline Intelligence:

The phrase “chain of title” within the context of the film industry refers to a series of documents or agreements that establish proprietary (ownership) rights in a motion picture and all its parts. It is a collection of all of the documents that relate to the creation of and transfers of title to any property used in the making of the film.

Why is it imperative to have CHAIN OF TITLE issues resolved before you seek a distribution deal?

How do these issues impact a documentary filmmaker?

Actors, can you copyright a performance on stage or in a film or video?

Producers, can your actors hold a copyright claim against your film? What about your director, DP, editor or a crew member?

That’s seems like an almost bizarre notion but it’s one that is currently being litigated in Hollywood as part of the infamous INNOCENTS OF MUSLIMS video case in which the Prophet Mohammed is reportedly shown in a unflattering light. According to The Hollywood Reporter and other news outlets, actress Cindy Lee Garcia is asserting copyright claims against the project’s producer as well as against YouTube and even individuals who reposted the video on YouTube.

What, if any, are the implications for other actors and filmmakers?

Copy right Laws

How do you get a copyright on a work you’ve created? How does a copyright differ from a Trademark?

Is it necessary to have a registered copyright? A registered trademark?

Indie producer-filmmaker, your budget is so low you can’t afford to hire a lawyer to draft contracts so you’re working solely on handshake deals. Or maybe you’ve done what you can by using forms from a web site or a book.

But is your project safe from claims by an associate, an actor, an editor or other crew person that THEY have certain rights to the project? Rights you didn’t intend or don’t believe you’ve granted?

Did you have everyone working on the film sign a contract or a deal memo? Is the documentation you have sufficient to protect your interests in your project?

Are Your Actors and Crew Employees or Independent Contractors – Why You Need To Get It Right

Are you treating those working on your projects as employees or as independent contractors? How can an improper designation in this area affect your bottom line in case of injury on the set?

Crowdfunding

Are you soliciting donations or investments for your project?

What is the JOBS Act and how have provisions of that legislation changed the CROWDFUNDING landscape? Gordon and I discuss this recent development and how it will impact the way producers are allowed to publicly solicit investment funds. Gordon also covered this topic in a recent blog post, Crowdfunding: How To Do It Right.

Wrap Up

I hope you found the discussion with Gordon Firemark interesting and informative. I had a great time talking with him about these and other issues that had to be eliminated from this episode because of time constraints. I hope we will get to those in a future episode.

Please leave comments below. You can also leave a question for Gordon in the comment section or leave me a voice mail by clicking the FEEDBACK PLEASE tab, by calling 877-518-2530 or by leaving me an email.

Also, don’t forget to become a subscriber to Actors Talk. You’ll receive automatic notification each time a new episode is published.

Be sure to check back in two weeks for Episode 25 when my guest will be actor Kevin Sizemore. We’ll discuss his personal journey that’s taken him from West Virginia to Hollywood and we’ll get the inside scoop on his new award winning film, RED LINE.

Gordon P. Firemark Bio as copied from his web site:

Gordon Firemark is an attorney whose practice is devoted to the representation of artists, writers, producers and directors in the fields of theater, film, television,and music. He is also the publisher of Entertainment Law Update., a newsletter for artists and professionals in the entertainment industries. His practice also covers intellectual property, cyberspace, new media and business/corporate matters for clients in the entertainment industry

Mr. Firemark serves on the Boards of Governors of The Los Angeles Stage Alliance , (the organization responsible for the annual Ovation Awards for excellence in Theater) and The Academy for New Musical Theatre. In the past he has served on the Board of Governors of the Beverly Hills Bar Association , where he served as liason to the Association’s Entertainment Law Section (of which he is a former chairman).

Mr. Firemark holds a B.A. in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Oregon, and earned his law degree at Southwestern University School of Law. Before opening The Law Offices of Gordon P. Firemark, Mr. Firemark was a partner with the Business Affairs Group, a boutique entertainment law firm in Los Angeles. He has also worked in the legal and business affairs departments at Hanna Barbera Productions and the MGM/UA Worldwide Television Group, and started his legal career as an associate at Neville L. Johnson & Associates, a West L.A.firm specializing in entertainment litigation.

Gordon is an alumnus of the Commercial Theatre Institute, and is also an accomplished producer of stage plays and musicals. He serves as CEO of Fierce Theatricals , which produces small cast musicals, cabaret shows and regional tours. He has been involved with the entertainment industry in one way or another since his youth as a sound, lighting, and special effects technician in the theatre. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked in the television industry, producing and directing live sports telecasts, public affairs programming commercial announcements, documentaries, and industrial videos.

Mr. Firemark teaches Business Law at Loyola Marymount University, and has offered courses in Theater Law at Cypress College, and Entrepreneurial Studies at California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Firemark has served as a moderator and featured panelist at seminars sponsored by the Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Lawyers for the Arts,Theatre LA, and the Oregon Artist’s Rights Coalition. Hehas also been a guest lecturer at Southwestern University School of Law, Loyola Law School, California Western School of law, UC Irvine, and California State University, Northridge.

Contact Gordon Firemark

You can contact Gordon through his web site HERE.
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Some of the best paying jobs and actor can book are in commercials. But what does it take to book work in this highly competitive business?

This episode of Actors Talk with Tommy G. Kendrick is sponsored by AUDIBLE.COM. For a free trial offer EXCLUSIVELY for podcast listeners follow this link for details.

Here’s a great YouTube.com video that gives a taste of the information covered in this episode of Actors Talk with Tommy G. Kendrick.

Learn How to Hit The Ground Running in my conversation with triple threat actress, teacher and casting director CAROLYNE BARRY.

People say to me, I hear you’re supposed to start in commercials..that’s how you start.

And I go well, you’ve got it ass backwards.

The better the actor you are the better you’re going to do in commercials. So I think you should train seriously in a professional setup for a year to two years. then you go get a commercial agent. And then you start doing commercials.

What people should say is the first place you should try to get work is commercials but not the first place you should get trained.

But where do you start?
How do you keep from getting ripped off?
What is the standard for professional instruction?
Do you really need to take a commercial acting class?
How many actors get seen for each role in a typical national commercial? What do you need to know to compete?
Is your head shot appropriate for online casting?
Can you work in Commercials if you’re non-union?
What percentage of commercials today are SAG, AFTRA or SAG-AFTRA and what percentage are non-union?
What are the key mistakes actors commonly make during the commercial audition?
What is the proper way to work with cue cards and how do you learn?
How to Slate Like a Pro
Do you CHEAT OUT or MOTIVATE OUT?
What is MASTER TALENT TEACHERS and why you should know

These are just a few of the topics I discuss with Carolyne Barry who has a thirty year career as an actress and teacher. Why should you listen to her?

She’s booked over 400 national commercials as an actress and she has cast over 500 commercials.

She is at the top of the list of the best and most sought after commercial acting coaches in Hollywood.

I highly recommend you visit CarolyneBarry.com and check out her blog posts. Recent posts include COMMERCIAL AUDITIONS INSIDER AUDITION TECHNIQUE, DEALING WITH STRESS, AUDITION PREPARATION TIPS, MEETING WITH A POTENTIAL AGENT and so many more.

This is a wealth of FREE information. Each one of these blog posts is like a free acting class with Carolyne Barry. Be sure to bookmark her site and visit it often.

Carolyne Barry is also the driving force behind an intriguing new endeavor called MASTER TALENT TEACHERS

About MTT

Achieving success with a career in the arts can often be daunting and intimidating. You might feel lonely, overwhelmed, a bit lost; swimming in a sea of opportunity with no real way to grasp onto that thing that will allow you to turn what you desire into your artistic career. That’s why we created Master Talent Teachers.

MTT is a group of successful talent teachers with long and illustrious careers who have come together as a creative, synergistic group to pass on our recipes for success to you. We are a creative eclectic mix of gender, age, ideology, approach, disciplines and expertise.

We are not offering “get rich quick” plan or a “ten easy steps to success” program. Better yet, MTT offers important craft and career training as well as how what we teach continues to thrive in the constantly evolving world of entertainment. By sharing our stories, tips, methods and ideas through exclusive new web videos and articles presented two or three times a week, as well as featured content from a pool of hundreds of entertainment professionals — the Master Talent Teachers will assist you in creating your path to success.

Whether you are just starting your journey, lost the fire and want to rekindle the creative flame or you want to strengthen a growing career, we believe you will find this site an oasis of creative inspiration in what can feel like the barren desert of artistic struggle. Just as the industry continues to evolve, so will this MasterTalentTeachers.com. As we explore and discover how to bring the best of what we and others have to offer, we will grow and expand the MTT site. Check back often as our new videos, articles and special features offer you new insight helping you with your journey to make your dreams a successful reality.

Think Like A Producer and Stand Out From The Crowd

Check out this video about building your own buzz:

Actors are trained to be in touch with their feelings; to be emotionally expressive. Actors are trained to be in the moment and can be short sighted; actors are sensitive, we take things personally, especially when acting; The problem is you can’t run a business like that – you can’t run a business based on your feelings. You can’t run a business without a long term vision. - Emily Grace

Theater school doesn’t cover it. Even the best acting classes don’t cover it.

What is IT?

Approaching acting as a business.

The importance of having clearly defined career goals and a plan of action to achieve them.

Understanding how to effectively market oneself in an industry that is brutally competitive. An industry where talent alone is not enough.

Most universities and most professional acting programs don’t teach actors:

How to THINK LIKE A PRODUCER so you can ACT FOR A LIVING

For more information about EMILY GRACE PRODUCTIONS and to find out how you can work with Emily, visit EmilyGrace.tv

Here is some information about Emily Grace that I’ve pulled from Emily’s web page:

I’m Emily Grace. I help actors get in the driver’s seat of their career with marketing plans that work. I am also an actor myself, so I get the actor’s mindset, struggles, fear, doubt and anxiety. And what I’ve learned in my years of experience in the entertainment industry is that talent is an amazing gift to have, but it actually isn’t the most important ingredient to acting success.

So what is the most important ingredient? It’s marketing. It’s business savvy. It’s having a plan that gets results, and putting that plan into persistent action long enough for it to get results.

I’ve got a unique perspective – I am an actor, a writer, and a producer, and nothing has prepared me more for a life in the arts than my time working as a producer and for a producer (at the $5-$50 million dollar budget).

I love actors. I love their courage, their passion, their determination and their heart. But there are very few people teaching actors what they truly need to know to act for a living – and that is how to be a good business person.

I teach actors how to think like a producer, so they can act for a living.

Yes, you want to be creative, free, and fulfilled. But what good is your acting talent if no one knows about you? It’s time to get out of acting class and into the business where offers are made, deals go down, and you get paid to do what you love.

If you’ve got the talent, the training, the drive and the determination, but no one took the time to teach you the business and marketing, that’s where I come in. I’d love to help you get where you want to go with one of my powerful programs, or private coaching.

I’ll (lovingly) whip you into shape and help you take control of your career. Whether you have representation or not, it’s your career. I’ll help you make a plan to make it happen.

The VIDEO below and the one above (with Emily Grace as a panelist) originated as live streaming events that were available only to members of SAG-AFTRA through the SAG Foundation LifeRaft program.

These videos have now been made publicly available on the SAG Foundation YouTube channel. I’ve included these two videos that are apropos to our topic for this episode of Actors Talk. If you are a SAG-AFTRA member be sure to get on the SAG Foundation mailing list so you can be aware of these events when they are presented live.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the great offer from Audible.com for a free month of their service that includes 1 free book download. I suggest One Less Bitter Actor by Markus Flanagan.

Some links, including those for Audible.com and Bluehost.com, are ‘affiliate links’. That means there is a commission paid if visitors subscribe to or purchase goods and services advertised.

Does my child have what it takes to make it as an actor in Hollywood?

That is the most common common question asked of Hollywood acting coach Diane Christiansen by parents of young actors.

Diane Christiansen takes on this question and much more in a three part series of free videos on the MASTER TALENT TEACHERS web site.

I am very pleased to have Diane as my guest interviewee for this episode of Actors Talk.

She has the experience (twenty years as an acting coach in Hollywood) and the accolades from industry resources and publications that demonstrate her professionalism and her success in the specialized area of coaching young actors in Hollywood and, thanks to the internet, across the US and in several foreign countries.

She is a past receipient of Back Stage West Reader’s Choice Awards as having the Best Acting Class for Teens and Kids.

She has been voted the #1 Top Rated Acting Coach in Hollywood for kids and teens by Children in Film.

She has been voted one of the top 10 most effective coaches in Hollywood by Actors Access.

Here’s a bit of information off MASTER TALENT TEACHERS web site that will give you a taste of what you will find there:

What does it take to became a successful actor?

The desire to become an Actor
The commitment to find professional training
The support system to get you there
The drive and talent to succeed
An understanding of your art and yourself – KNOWLEDGE
…And most of all – A LOT OF FAITH.

In other words…you need to be more than cute and talented. You need to be ‘The Package’ and you need to be coach-able and so does your parent.

Some of the most talented and adorable kids and teens I’ve trained have parents that will ruin it for them.

In the interview, Diane mentions a couple of very helpful web sites for parents and young actors:

The BizParentz Foundation

The BizParentz Foundation is a non-profit corporation providing education, advocacy, and charitable support to parents and children engaged in the entertainment industry. The organization promotes a positive public image regarding child performers and educates the public regarding the safety and rights of child performers including child labor laws and regulations.

CHILDREN IN FILM: NOTE: Some content on this site may require a fee but the information looks very valuable for the parent of a young actor.

The following CIF articles directly relate to your child’s emotional and spiritual well being. When preparing for showbiz, the child’s emotional needs often go undiscussed. How will you teach your child to deal with fear, anxiety, stress and depression?

Children In Film is working together with child and family therapists, teachers, and spiritual leaders to bring you helpful info on this topic. We welcome your feedback on this or any other part of our website.

Responsible Parenting Articles:

College Bound?
Team Etiquette
Paperwork Prep
The Psychology Behind Fame
Giving Back
Morality On Set
Dealing with Rejection

Here are some additional questions to consider and research prior to deciding on a coach for your young actor:

How can make sure your child is training in a safe environment?

How can you know you’re working with a teacher or coach who really knows how give your child the tools to become a working actor?

How can you know you’re spending your money wisely?

What is the Coogan Law and why do you need to know?

What do parents need to know about Child Labor Laws?

What parents need to know about dealing with the actors’s union, SAG-AFTRA

To be competitive in the acting business, training is a basic requirement.

In an industry that is notoriously tough to break into and tougher still in which to sustain a career, mere training isn’t enough.

GREAT training is essential.

The first thing parents have to do is become educated. That takes a bit of time, but thanks to the internet, the information is freely available.

If you are a teen actor or the parent of a teen actor you might also be interested in Diane Christiansen’s Scenes For Teens book.

Additional Contact information for Diane Christiansen:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

EMAIL: actupdi@gmail.com

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES:

In the intro I give a shout out to Ron Newcomb my interview guest for ATP Episode 004. At the time Ron’s film THE FELLOWS HIP: RISE OF THE GAMERS was in pos-production. Within the past few weeks, FELLOWS HIP was named BEST FEATURE FILM at GenCon 2012. Congratulations to Ron Newcomb and all the writers, producers, actors, crew and investors.

If you find this information helpful, please become a subscriber to Actors Talk. Just provide your email in the box at the top of this page. I promise not to sell your information or otherwise abuse your trust in doing so. THANKS!

Here’s a Free Offer for everyone who read to the end of the page. Through AUDIBLE.COM I can offer you a free 30 day trial subscription. This free trial comes with a free audio book download. This offer is not available on their web site but only through podcasts like Actors Talk.

If you want to continue the subscription that’s great. If not, cancel within 30 days with no charge and keep the audio book you downloaded. I strongly suggest using this offer to download a free copy of ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR by Markus Flanagan. It’s a GREAT book for actors of all levels. Check out Actors Talk Episode 12 to see what I’m talking about.

To get the free 30 day trial subscription click on the banner link below:

FREE FALL COPS – A TV Show In The Palm Of Your Hand

I learned about the FreeFall Cops project while moderating a recent Austin Actors Conservatory workshop where Phil Hardage appeared on a panel about working in the film industry.

With his wealth of experience, primarily as a 1st Assistant Director on projects like THE NOTEBOOK,THE TREE OF LIFE,THE ROOKIE,THE ALAMO,SPY KIDS,PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, BURN NOTICE, DALLAS, LONGMIRE ON A&E, Phil knows film production.

He knows how to analyze a script, how to break it down for scheduling and budgetary purposes. His experience and expertise are significant assets to any film production on which he works. So it’s not a huge leap to understand that he possesses some of the key tools necessary to produce his own projects.

That’s what he has done with FreeFall Cops, an intriguing new series that has just been released for distribution on, wait for it: iTunes.

It’s no secret that film and television distribution as we have known it is in the process of a major overhaul, maybe we should say a re-invention. Anyone with a NetFlix streaming account or a bookmark to HULU.com understands where this discussion is headed.

Phil Hardage and his production partner, writer George Ayres have fashioned a good old fashioned shoot ‘em up action/cop show into a series that is intended to be mobile, viewed on a smartphone or other mobile device that can download and play an iTunes App. Hardage and Ayres are tapping into the still evolving new media distribution opportunities offered by maturing internet technology.

FreeFall Cops is not your grandaddy’s old TV series. Heck, it’s not anyone’s old TV series. This series has been tailored for this new media world, scripted in serial form as a series of ninety second, that’s right 90 second, episodes.

The first question that may arise is ‘what kind of story can you tell in 90 seconds?’ If the first series of FreeFall Cops is an indication, the answer is the same story you can tell in a 30 minute or 1 hour traditional television program. It’s just shorter. And to watch it, the viewer isn’t tethered to a television set. It is truly ‘television’ designed to be viewed in the palm of your hand.

The idea of watching longform television or a feature length film on my iPhone frankly has little appeal to me. But a well produced series of 90 second ‘television’ episodes? Hummm. Now that gets my interest.

The first ‘series’ of FreeFall Cops consists of five episodes all available as a package in the iTunes App Store for $.99. So for a buck you can download and check out this new media distribution experiment.

Shot under a SAG New Media Agreement and headed by a terrific professional cast (Brad Leland, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Matt Pulliam, Tory Taylor Tompkins, Joshua Moody, Jorge A. Jimenez, Rocio Garza, Louis Moncivias), shot with a 54 person crew, FreeFall Cops is professional quality all the way.

And for indie producers and those who might want to be, FreeFall Cops offers an interesting model. In fact, Hardage and his team envision a sort of 90 Second Network and have other projects in development that will also be designed and produced to fit this form and format.

Let’s be clear. I don’t think anyone is proposing that all future television or film projects should be limited to 90 seconds and be viewable on mobile devices. But the fact is that there is a lack of scripted narrative content for these devices and FreeFall Cops looks like an attractive entertainment alternative to scrolling through emails and tweets.

Is this a viable form for scripted entertainment? Is it a novelty that will fade or is it a glimpse into the possibilities available within the evolving new media distribution model? These questions are yet to be answered and that’s in part why Hardage refers to FreeFall Cops the App as an experiment.

Please listen to my interview with Phil Hardage, check out the FreeFall Cops App and let me know what you think.

Among other things…

In the beginning of this episode, I play an edited version of a voice mail I recently received from Actor-Writer Rick Lenz. I interviewed Lenz for Episode 11 of Actors Talk. I hope some of you who are more recent listeners to the podcast will go back and listen to that episode where we discuss his terrific book NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD. Find out more here on Rick Lenz’ web site.

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, originally titled GRAVE ROBBERS FROM OUTER SPACE was written and directed by fringe filmmaker Ed Wood Jr. Plan 9 was Wood’s magnum opus, his pride and joy. Wood’s filmography includes GLEN OR GLENDA (1953), JAIL BAIT (1954), BRIDE OF THE MONSTER (1955) and PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959).

After the dismal failure of Plan 9, the career of Ed Wood Jr. veered off into an even lower rung on the Hollywood ladder as he wrote and directed porn movies and wrote and published transvestite themed paperbacks.

In addition to Gregory Walcott, Plan 9 starred Bela Lugosi, who had been dead for a couple of years when the film was shot; Tor Johnson – a 400 pound ex-wrestler, Vampira - the original ‘mistress of the dark’ on local L.A. television and Lyle Talbott – probably most memorable to us baby boomers from the Ozzie and Harriet show when we were kids.

Here is an excerpt from Ed Wood’s biography as published on IMDB and written by Jack Backstreet:

Hacks are nothing new in Hollywood. Had Edward D. Wood been born a decade or so earlier it’s easy to imagine him working out of some Poverty Row outfit in Gower Gulch, competing with the likes of Victor Adamson, Robert J. Horner and Dwain Esper for the title of all-time hack. He would’ve fit in nicely at Educational Pictures in the early ’30s or PRC in the following decade. Wood, like everyone, is imprisoned in their own time, and in the 1950s Edward D. Wood Jr. simply had no competition. He was ignored throughout a spectacularly unsuccessful career and died a penniless alcoholic, only to be “rediscovered” when promoters in the early 1980s tagged him the worst director of all time (mostly thanks to the Medveds’ hilarious book, “Golden Turkey Awards”)- and was given the singular honor of a full-length biopic by Tim Burton. This post-mortem fame has made him infinitely more famous today than he ever was when alive.

Ed Wood Jr. as he appeared in Glen or Glenda

…

Wood attempted to break into the film industry, initially without success, but finally landed the chance to direct a film based on the real-life Christine Jorgensen sex-change story, then a hot topic. The result, Glen or Glenda (1953), gave a fascinating insight into Wood’s own personality and shed light on his transvestism (an almost unthinkable subject for an early 1950s mainstream feature). Although devoutly heterosexual, Wood was an enthusiastic cross-dresser, with a particular fondness for angora. On the debit side, though, the film revealed an almost complete lack of talent that would mar all his subsequent films, his tendency to resort to stock footage of lightning during dramatic moments, laughable set design, and a near-incomprehensible performance by Bela Lugosi as a mad doctor whose presence is never adequately explained. The film deservedly flopped miserably but Wood, always upbeat, pressed ahead.

…

All of his films exhibit illogical continuity, bizarre narratives and give the distinct impression that a director’s job was simply to expose the least amount of film possible due to constant budget constraints. Visible wires connected to pie-pan UFOs, actors knocking over cardboard “headstones”, cars changing models and years during chase sequences, scenes exhibiting a disturbing lack of handgun safety, and the ingenious use of shower curtains in rudder-less airplane cockpits are just a few of the trademarks of an Edward D. Wood Jr. production. When criticized for their innumerable flaws, he’d cheerfully explain his interpretation of the suspension of disbelief…

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) … reaches a plateau of gross ineptitude that leaves viewers stunned. Plan 9 became his singular enduring legacy…

His final years were spent largely drunk in his apartment and occasionally being rolled stumbling out of a local liquor store. Wood and his wife were evicted from their apartment shortly before his premature death at 54…

By 1959 when PLAN 9 was shot, Gregory Walcott had a thriving film and television career. He had already appeared in Battle Cry, Mr. Roberts, Texas Lady and Badman’s Country among other films and was being regularly cast in television series such as Zane Grey Theater, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne and others.

Why then, would an actor with a viable career risk his growing reputation as a solid actor to work with a fringe player like Ed Wood Jr.?

As it turns out it was a matter of friendship and loyalty to a ‘nice man’ named Ed Reynolds who had come to Los Angeles from Alabama feeling that he was called of God to produce Christian films. Walcott and Reynolds met at church and it was only through the urging of Ed Reynolds that Walcott agreed to appear in Plan 9. He did so without telling his agents, as he knew they would be upset with him for jeopardizing his career.

For years, Walcott tried to downplay his association with Ed Wood Jr. and Plan 9 From Outer Space. Who could blame him. He had or would work with famous directors such as Raoul Walsh, Mervyn LeRoy, Clint Eastwood, Martin Ritt, Delbert Mann and a young Steven Spielberg.

However, over the years, especially after 1980 when the Golden Turkey Awards named PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE as the worst movie of all time, Walcott began to receive more and more fan mail from movie buffs who found Woods’ magnum opus to be so bad that it was hilarious. As Walcott now says, “I owe Ed Wood an apology. He’s done more than even Eastwood or Spielberg could do to keep my name alive around the world.”

SAG ULB Agreement in 2012 – Issues and Answers

Hello friends and welcome to EPISODE 18 of ACTORS TALK with me, I’m TOMMY G KENDRICK the producer and host of this program coming to you from Round Rock, TX. If you’re wondering where that is we’re just up Interstate 35 north of Austin, Texas which is not only the self-appointed LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, but it is also a veritable hot bed of independent filmmaking.

The mission, if you will, of ACTORS TALK is to bring you the listener interesting, informative and hopefully entertaining content that will be of service to you on your journey as a professional actor or other creative individual involved in or hoping to become involved in THE MOVIE BUSINESS.

PLEASE LEAVE VOICE MAIL OR WRITTEN COMMENTS ON THE WEB PAGE. Voice Mail can be left toll free at 1-877-518-2530. Comments or questions for follow up can also be left at the bottom of the page following the show notes.

Reason’s I’ve read online as to why producers should NOT become signatory to the ULB Agreement:

Listed above just a few of the reasons I’ve run across in indie film forums and chat rooms about why a producer should NOT work with SAG (SAG-AFTRA is the new, merged actors union. The ULB is a SAG contract that will remain in force until it’s already established expiration date. New SAG-AFTRA agreements will then be negotiated.) especially on the ULB or Ultra Low Budget Agreement. The problem is that a number of those reasons are partially or wholly inaccurate.

Some of these ideas are kept alive by internet posts that often go back for years. Producers searching for current information assume that terms of some agreements no longer in existence are still in force, because they can still read it on an old blog or forum post. There is one site in particular (easily found with a Google search so I’m not interested in linking it here) that breaks down the ULB. That site has information that is in some parts incorrect, misunderstood and misinterpreted by information seekers.

Certainly not all of the information and perceptions about working with craft unions is wrong. SAG and AFTRA and now SAG-AFTRA were created by actors for the protection of actors. SAG-AFTRA is not tasked with protecting or promoting producer’s interests to the detriment of actors. So, no apologies here for rules about wages and working conditions established in the SAG-AFTRA agreements. Agreements. That’s an important word.

Union CONTRACTS or AGREEMENTS that we are discussing are legal instruments whose terms and conditions have been NEGOTIATED and AGREED TO by representatives of two parties – the ACTORS on one side and the PRODUCERS on the other – each negotiating for terms and conditions that best serve the interests of their constituents. ONLY when terms and conditions are AGREED to by both parties is the contract settled and put into force for an agreed upon term. Upon expiration of that term, negotiations begin again and the process repeats.

I mention that because often I get the impression that beginning producers or those predisposed to be negative about anything ‘union’ think that SAG or AFTRA has simply dictacted terms and conditions on a take it or leave it basis and that is not how the process works. Certainly once an agreement is reached, BOTH SIDES have responsibility to live up to the terms of the agreements as negotiated.

The Austin area is home to such indie films stalwarts as Robert Rodriguez and Richard Linklater whose lastest film, BERNIE starring JACK BLACK, SHIRLEY MACLAINE and MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY appears to be winding down its very successful theatrical run.

I think the film BERNIE may soon offer an interesting case study on how a very careful, limited theatrical release, was combined with a slow rollout to a modest number of theater screens – MAXIMIZING WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING to effect a very successful theatrical run that SHOULD nicely fuel all the ancillary income streams avilable – DVD SALES, REDBOX, VOD, iTunes, NetFlix Streaming and of course availability CABLE and SATELLITE systems.

I believe BERNIE was in just over 300 screens at its widest release – according to BOXOFFICEMOJO.COM – it is currently on 166 screens and box office gross of just over $7million dollars. Clearly that is a modest sum compared to some of the current block busters but is, I think, a good if not great number for a ‘little indie film’ that was produced on a modest budget of, I think around $5-6 Million dollars.

It will be interesting to see what happens with BERNIE during the coming awards season, and I really think Jack Black deserves consideration for a BEST ACTOR award from the Independent Spirit Awards and from the Motion Picture Academy and from SAG-AFTRA Awards, but we shall see how that plays out moving forward.

All that to say, if you’re in a location where BERNIE is still playing, support great indie filmmaking and go see it. Then buy the DVD because you’re tryly has a little work in this film and I can always use those RESIDUALS.

RESIDUALS. The discussion of actors’ residual income actually leads into some of what we’re discussing in this episode of ACTORS TALK with my guest, TRISH AVERY who currently serves as SAG-AFTRA Houston Local Executive Director. By the way, click the link if you’re confused about the difference between RESIDUALS and FOREIGN ROYALTIES.

Today’s episode is one that I have been hoping to do for some time because today we’re going to tackle the subject of the ULB. Many people listening will know what ULB stands for but since we have listeners literally around the globe let me explain that this ULB of which I speak is a low budget film contract offered to filmmakers by SAG or SCREEN ACTORS GUILD. ULB is short for ULTRA LOW BUDGET agreement.

Let’s be clear here, I am not a disinterested 3rd party when it comes to advising low budget producers to become signatory to the SAG-AFTRA agreeements. As a long time member of SAG and AFTRA and of course now the merged union SAG-AFTRA, I want more producers to avail themselves of these agreements because I want to work in some of those productions. That’s a no-brainer, right? I know that even though there are many fine and experienced non-SAG actors. But if a producer is looking for the most best actors available, the best actors will usually be members of SAG-AFTRA. Or they want to be.

In this episode you’ll hear discussion of specifics about the Ultra Low Budget Agreement, you’ll hear discussion of terms such as DISTRIBUTION ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT, RESIDUALS, CONSECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT, of how the SAG-AFTRA MERGER has or has not affected existing contracts, and we’ll try to address some OUTDATED and sometimes ERRONEOUS information about working with SAG-AFTRA actors – information that lives on forever on internet web sites and forums, sometimes long after the contract terms referenced in those posts and discussions have changed over time. In some cases the AGREEMENTS referenced have ceased to exist and have been replaced with the current crop of contract agreements.

Without further delay, let’s listen to my recent interview with SAG-AFTRA Houston local Executive Director, Trish Avery, recorded via Skype on July 2, 2012. We actually began our discussion talking a bit about state film incentives and about an advocacy group in Texas, the TXMPA before moving into discussion of SAG and SAG-AFTRA issues.

Here’s a little information about:

Trish Avery has been in the entertainment business for over 25 years and currently serves as SAG-AFTRA Houston Local Executive Director. She began her career as an actor and traveled in live performances throughout the southwest before becoming a popular commercial and industrial film actor for Fortune 500 clients.

Trish served as President of DFW SAG/AFTRA from 1992-96, representing Texas professional actors locally and in the national board rooms of both SAG and AFTRA. In 2003, she became the Manager of Broadcast and Strategic Alliances for eWomenNetwork and the Creative Director of eWomenPublishingNetwork where she discovered the unique challenges of small businesses and changing markets.

Trish Avery joined the staff of Screen Actors Guild in 2007 and currently serves a growing Texas SAG-AFTRA membership of over 2500. Committed to building a better future for media professionals in Texas, Trish is an active member of Women in Film and Television Houston, Women in Film.Dallas, SWAMP and Dallas Producers Association. Trish also serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Motion Picture Association (TXMPA).

Great resources for information about SAG-AFTRA contracts are the legacy SAG web site and the website SAGIndie.com. There you can actually download copies of all the SAG agreements currently in force.

Don’t overlook the SAGIndie FAQ which can clarify a lot of issues discussed in this podcast.

Here is a description of SAGIndie from their web site:

SAGIndie: A gentle and loving union between the hard working thespians of the world and the passionate filmmaking mavericks who buck the system. Since its formation in 1997, SAGIndie has been traveling to film festivals, trade shows and conventions spreading the word: Just because your film isn’t produced by a studio doesn’t mean you can’t use professional talent. In fact, input from indie producers continues to help SAG revise and improve its five low-budget agreements to make it even easier for filmmakers to use SAG actors, regardless of their budget. If you’re going to compete with the big boys you need all the help you can get. So go on, and take advantage of SAG’s vast pool of well-trained talent for your next project. They can always find their mark, pick up cues and in the end save you time and money.

SAGIndie is made possible by a grant from the Screen Actors Guild-Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund and the letter “R”.

Again my thanks to Trish Avery and to all the indie producers and directors and actors who responded to my call for questions for this episode, I appreciate all the input. Don’t forget to leave questions of comments on the toll free comment line or as a written comment at the bottom of the show notes. If you need clarification on anything we’ve discussed please let me know and I will seek clarification for you.

As we close this episode of ATP I want to thank previous interviewee MATT THOMPSON, director/producer of UNRAVELED a short film we shot earlier in the year as part of the 168 Film speed film competition. This past week I was blessed with a BEST ACTOR nomination for that project from the Experience Studios Short Film Contest for the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival.

So, congratulations to all the cast and crew who worked so hard and in making UNRAVELED. Filmmaking is truly a team effort. Very special thanks goes to Matt for having the courage as a first time filmmaker to pull the trigger and make UNRAVELED under the SAG Short Film Agreement. Otherwise I could not have participated and I would have missed out on this very welcome affirmation. Matt talks about his experience working with SAG in ACTORS TALK EPISODE 10.

Until next time, I hope to see you in the movies…God Bless you, this is Tommy G. Kendrick, so long…

Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Martin Ritt, Michael Cimino, John Sturges, Tim Burton, Delbert Mann, Raoul Walsh, John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy. These are a few of the directors with whom Gregory Walcott worked in his long, productive career.

If you need a quick refresher, check out Greg’s IMDb page for a list of credits while you listen to the podcast.

In 1949 he hitch-hiked from Wilson, NC to Los Angeles, CA hoping to break into the film business. Between 1951 and his retirement in the mid-1990s he appeared in over 300 television shows and over 50 feature films.

And talk about sharing the screen with stars! How’s this for a partial list(in random order) Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, Clint Eastwood, Sally Field, Fess Parker, Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin, Ben Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Sissy Spacek, Harry Carey Jr., James Garner, Claudett Colbert, Ward Bond, Jeff Bridges, Angela Lansbury, and on and on.

Greg as Pope in The Eiger Sanction

On television, he guest starred on what seems like every western series produced between the mid-1050s to the early 1970s: Cheyenne, Alias Smith and Jones, Zane Grey Theater, Sugarfoot, Shotgun Slade, The Rifleman, Colt .45, Overland Trail, Tombstone Territory, Riverboat, Wagon Train, Rawhide, The Big Valley, Danile Boone, The High Chapparral and perhaps most famously in multiple episodes of Bonanza.

Still from Every Which Way But Loose

Greg Walcott and Tommy in 2010

In 1967 he produced and starred in “Bill Wallace of China”, one of the early indie films aimed at a faith-based market. He is also an ordained minister who was a guest speaker in countless churches and conventions across the country.

Greg became a regular player in Clint Eastwood projects appearing in The Eiger Sanction, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Joe Kidd and Every Which Way But Loose. In the podcast, Greg talks about working with Eastwood and his demeanor on the set.

He is a shining example of a Hollywood success story that has a happy ending. He is proof that there are not just good people working in Hollywood, there are great people there. He is Gregory Walcott and he is this week’s guest on Actors Talk.

I’ll let you know now that if you’re looking for information on Plan Nine From Outer Space, or information about its director, Ed Wood, this conversation will not help you out. Maybe another time. But for this time with Greg I wanted to concentrate on some of the projects that better define his talent and his rightful place as one of Hollywood’s best. There is plenty of information available about Plan 9 and while Greg doesn’t mind talking about ‘the worst movie ever made’, it’s not something I wanted to address in this conversation.

Gregory Walcott is also a terrific writer. In 2003 his wonderful memoir “Hollywood Adventures…The Gregory Walcott Story” was published by the Wilson Daily Times. The book is now difficult to find but is often available on Amazon.com.

As one might expect, a quick search of Ebay.com finds a large list of Gregory Walcott film memorabilia available for sale.

Here is a very well written bio that I’ve taken from the Rotten Tomatoes web site. This biography was written by film critic Bruce Eder and I think it provides a good, unbiased third party summary of Greg’s Hollywood career.

Biography as published on the Rotten Tomatoes site:

A top-flight character actor and sometime leading man, Gregory Walcott has managed to bridge the tail-end of the studio system, the heyday of series television, and the boom years of the post-studio 1970s, and carve a notable career in the process. He was born Bernard Mattox in 1928 (some sources say 1932) in Wendell, NC, a small town about 10 miles east of the state capitol of Raleigh. After serving in the Army following the end of the Second World War, he decided to try for an acting career and hitchhiked his way to California.

He managed to get work in amateur and semi-professional theatrical productions and was lucky enough to be spotted in a small role in one of these by an agent. That resulted in his big-screen debut, in an uncredited role in the 20th Century-Fox drama Red Skies of Montana (1952).

With his 6′-plus [6'4"] height, impressive build, and deep voice, Walcott would seem to have a major career in front of him, but the movie business of the 1950s was in a state of constant retrenchment, battling the intrusion of television and the eroding of its audience. For the next three years, he had little but bit parts in films, some of them major productions.

His performance as the drill instructor in the opening section of Raoul Walsh’s Battle Cry (1955) was good enough to get him a contract with Warner Bros. He subsequently played supporting roles in Mister Roberts (1955) and in independent productions such as Badman’s Country (1958), and also started showing up on television with some regularity. And with each new role, he seemed to gather momentum in his career.

As luck would have it, however, Walcott’s most prominent role of the 1950s ended up being the one he received the lowest fee for doing, and that he also thought the least of, and also one that, for decades, he was loathe to discuss, on or off the record: as Jeff Trent, the hero of Plan 9 From Outer Space. Walcott’s work on the magnum opus of writer/producer/director Edward D. Wood, Jr. amounted to less than a week’s work, and he was so busy in those days that one can easily imagine him forgetting about it as soon as his end of the shoot was over. And the movie was scarcely even seen on its initial release in the summer of 1959 and went to television in the early ’60s in a package that usually had it relegated to “shock theater” showcases and the late-night graveyard (no pun intended).

But the ultra-low-budget production, renowned for its eerily, interlocking values of ineptitude and entertainment, has become one of the most widely viewed (and deeply analyzed) low-budget movies of any era in the decades since. As this oddity in his career was starting to gather its fans (some would say fester), Walcott had long since moved on to co-starring in the series 87th Precinct and guest-starring roles in series television.

Across the 1960s, he remained busy and had a chance to do especially good work on the series Bonanza, which gave him major guest-starring roles in seven episodes between 1960 and 1972. In one of these, “Song in the Dark” (1962), Walcott even hada chance to show off his singing voice, a talent of his that was otherwise scarcely recognized in a three-decade career.

By the late ’60s, he had also moved into production work, producing and starring in Bill Wallace of China (1967), the story of a Christian missionary.

During the 1970s, Walcott finally started to get movie roles that were matched in prominence to his talent, most especially in the films of Clint Eastwood. He remained busy as a prominent character actor and supporting player — part of that category of performers that includes the likes of Richard Herd and James Cromwell — into the 1980s.

He had retired by the start of the 1990s, but was called before the cameras once more for an appearance in Tim Burton’s movie Ed Wood. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

INDIEGOGO VS KICKSTARTER - Does crowdfunding work? How does it work? Which crowd funding resource is best for your project? How did Shea Weaver Grubbs decide on INDIEGOGO vs KICKSTARTER as a fund raising mechanism for her documentary STRING THEORY, based on the life and career of singer-songwriter LEVI WEAVER? There are some of the issues we discuss in this episode of ACTORS TALK with Tommy G. Kendrick.

SPECIAL UPDATE – JOIN LEVI WEAVER ON USTREAM – LIVE FROM BALTIMORE, MD SUNDAY JUNE 3, 2012 at 7pm

Am I the only one old enough to know the Rick Nelson tune, Travelin’ Man? Surely you’ve heard it at least. If not you should, if only because it was an early introduction to the artistry of not only Rick Nelson, but also his guitarist, the incredible James Burton. But I digress…. Travelin Man – “I’ve made a lot of stops, all over the world”. I thought of that song when I learned of the story of LEVI WEAVER.

Actor-Producer Shea Weaver Grubbs

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT STRING THEORY HERE: FACEBOOK OR HERE: STRING THEORY ON INDIEGOGO OR Connect with the project on TWITTER

Singer-Songwriter Levi Weaver

Listen to LEVI WEAVER on iTunes

No, STRING THEORY is a documentary about the life and music of singer-songwriter, LEVI WEAVER. That description, singer-songwriter, sounds a little too simple when describing an artist like Levi Weaver. Listen to some of his music, like I have over the past few days and I think you’ll agree.

STRING THEORY could use your help. Grubbs and her husband Jonathan already have hours of concert and backstage footage that Weaver himself has compiled over the years. From the looks of their INDIEGOGO teaser, that footage alone could make a worthy documentary. But they aren’t settling for editing only archival footage collected by the artist himself.

Over the next year, the STRING THEORY production team will, with a skeleton crew, travel across the USA and the UK documenting Levi Weaver’s life as a troubadour. The tour will take Weaver mostly into a series of HOUSE CONCERTS, intimate gatherings of fans and soon to be fans who will literally gather in a private residence for an up close and personal concert experience with this exceptionally talented performer.

I hope you will listen to the podcast to get more or a sense of who Levi Weaver is and why Shea Weaver Grubbs is right to pursue him as a worthy subject for this documentary. If you are so moved, please donate to their effort and know that you can be a part of a film that will not only document a Travelin’ Man, but will also explore the friction between SUCCESS and FAME and how that impacts not only artists who often ply their trade in virtual anonymity, but also any individual who has felt a passionate calling to a career that just hasn’t worked out the way one thought it would.

Can a first time filmmaker with zero experience and a micro-budget succeed in the marketplace? If you’re Christian Filmmaker, Kyle Prohaska the answer is a resounding YES!

Kyle Prohaska, Filmmaker

When he was approximately 18 years old, with no prior experience as a film director, Kyle Prohaska and an elder at his church formed Praise Pictures. Praise Pictures was formed as the umbrella under which Prohaska would shoot his first film, a feature length project called STANDING FIRM.

STANDING FIRM MOVIE

I asked Kyle Prohaska about his earliest attractions to the arts and he talks about picking up pencil and paper and learning to draw. He also talks about how learning to draw began to teach him concepts about perspective, color, shapes and the use of light.

Unlike some filmmakers, Prohaska did not grow up taking his parents camera out to make little short films. Instead his interest in films and in becoming a filmmaker was piqued by watching and rewatching VHS copies of films he loved. He would eventually become inspired by the early successes of the Kendrick brothers (no relation to this podcaster) - FLYWHEEL and FACING THE GIANTS.

Prohaska took the unusual step of plunging ahead into making a feature film without ever having made a short or any other film project. Don’t try this at home, kiddoes.

In the interview we go on to discuss the ups and downs of making STANDING FIRM on a shoestring budget and with an all volunteer cast and crew.

Prohaska, an accomplished graphic illustrator and web site designer also touches on what makes a good web site, what attracts viewers to a web site and how to leverage the power of social media.

We talk about his experience with Facebook and Facebook advertising that helped propel the Standing Firm Facebook Page to an unprecedented number of ‘Likes’ for Standing Firm. Currently that number stands at: 292,551. That is a truly unbelievable number of likes for an independent film by a first time filmmaker, especially one that is aimed at a niche market. Those are results that a Hollywood PR firm would envy.

And I haven’t even touched on the fact that STANDING FIRM is or will soon be available on NetFlix, NetFlix Streaming and at a redbox kiosk near you!

All this and more this extensive interview with Kyle Prohaska in Actors Talk with Tommy G. Kendrick Episode 15.

Filmmaker Kyle Prohaska and Denise Prohaska

And Finally, in an act of shameless self-promotion, I invite all in this audience to find a screening of Richard Linklater’s new film BERNIE, starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey (and I just might be in there as well) coming soon to a theater near you.

DOWN BY THE RIVER - A FILMMAKING FAMILY AFFAIR

Sean Johnson Writer-Actor 'Down By The River'

Before we get into the current episode I want to take time to acknowledge a few people who reached out over the past week or two in support of Actors Talk Podcast. First Mr. Brett Chapin of LaLa Land on CRN an internet radio show that is part of CRN Digital Talk Radio and they can be found HERE ON FACEBOOK

I also want to thank Mads Nybo Jorgensen @madsvid on Twitter, a listener from the UK who tweeted about several episodes this week. Thanks Mads, for the great support.

And finally, thanks to Benjamin Dane, actor-producer who was my guest on episode 007 when we talked about his new film Beyond The Farthest Star. Check out Episode 12 to see the very nice comments Benjamin made about my interview with One Less Bitter Actor writer, actor Markus Flanagan.

And now, here’s some information about Sean Johnson and DOWN BY THE RIVER:

Sean Johnson was born on October 11, 1985 in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. At age 13, his life was shattered when he watched his father get a life sentence in prison. His mother, Trina Brown, a well known playwright in New Orleans kept him from following after that same path. Johnson assisted his mother with her plays like “Christmas in the Hood” and “We’re in this together.” He would eventually discover that he had his mother’s gift for writing.

After high school and two years of college and still not sure what he should do with his life, Johnson was drawn to screenwriting and began writing screenplays. He received a scholarship to New York Film Academy in Los Angeles and graduated from the school as one of its top writers in more than a decade. But it would take more than that to swim with the sharks of show business. His mother and his mentor, Ameer Baraka, kept him encouraged as he knocked on the great walls of Hollywood at the time of the writer’s strike.

Over time, Johnson realized that his passion to write was also his gift. Not long after he got an offer for a writer’s internship at Raleigh Studios and was subsequently hired by Sagemont Studios to write the compelling family-based drama “Down By The River”. The film is to be realeased in 2012.

Down by the River – Trailer from William Molina on Vimeo.

Type: Independent feature
Executive producers: LaMarcus Tinker, Sean Johnson
Co-executive producer: Alethea Bailey
Produced by: Trina Brown, W.L. Molina
Written by: Sean Johnson
Directed by: William Leonardo Molina
cast: Sean Johnson, Adriana Ford, Alethea Bailey, Trenise Gray, Beny Schwarzt, Chad Thackston, Chuck Houston

The Story

Skylar Ford (Sean Johnson) is a young man who aspires to be a writer, but must balance following his dreams with helping his mother, Tammy (Alethea Bailey) take care of his little sister, Hannah (Adriana Ford), who suffers from sickle cell anemia.

Adriana Ford and Sean Johnson - Down By The River

Sean Johnson as Skylar - Down By The River

When Skylar meets Hannah’s doctor, Julia (Trenise Gray), their desire for Hannah’s well being creates a spark that brings Julia closer to the family. After a local publisher gives Skylar hope, he discovers that balancing his work, his family, and his dream is more difficult than he could have ever imagined.

While Skylar attempts to hold things together, Hannah suddenly collapses at her birthday party, and the whole family is thrown into an emotional spiral which tests Skylar’s limits, his faith, and makes the dreams he desperately pursues feel more out of reach than ever.

WHAT IS KARMALICITY AND HOW DOES IT WORK? WHO IS JOHN SOREN? DOES KARMALICITY WORK? WHAT IS THE IMDb STARmeter RANKING AND WHY DOES IT KEEP BOUNCING UP AND DOWN? WHAT ARE FACEBOOK LIKES? HOW CAN ACTORS HARNESS THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO PUBLICIZE THEIR CAREERS?

Karmalicity - A Great Tool for The Working Actor - and For Those Who Want To Be

John Soren Actor, Karmalicity Developer

FROM THE KARMALICITY WEB SITE:

Karmalicity is Karmic Publicity for Entertainment Industry Professionals!

It works based on a very simple idea: You help others, and they’ll help you. In this case, it’s all about publicity. When you check out others’ pages and support them by Following, Liking, Viewing or Subscribing, you’ll get other people to Follow, Like, View and Subscribe to you!

Since its beginning in late May, 2011 (as ActorLikes), Karmalicity has already grown to over 3300 members! If you’re an Actor, Producer, Director, Writer or any other Entertainment Industry Professional, Karmalicity can help you get the exposure and publicity you want for yourself and your projects. There’s nothing automated about it – it’s real people, really Viewing, Liking, Following and Subscribing to you and your content. Best of all – Karmalicity is free to use!

John Soren Headshot

John Soren Headshot

But first, let’s talk a bit about the Internet Movie Database or IMDb.

There was a time when IMDb was a clever little curiosity. It was a nifty web site to go and check out an actor you saw in a movie but whose name you couldn’t recall. It’s still great for that purpose but over the past decade, the use and ‘power’ of IMDb has broadened considerably.

Recently, in a casting director seminar produced by the Austin Actors Conservatory, the guest casting director advised actors to monitor their IMDb STARmeter rankings and to make sure their credits on IMDb were up to date. Why? Because in casting sessions, said the CD, directors and producers, laptops at the ready, were often checking IMDb pages for the actors appearing before them. The people ‘in the room’ might be using IMDb for several reasons: verifying the credits on the resume in front of them is one, but there are other reasons as well.

An actors IMDb page and their credits provide a tremendous amount of information that MIGHT help sway a casting decision: What level of projects has the actor worked in? Is the credit listed in that Oliver Stone movie a principal role or extra work? Has the actor been working lately or has he been out of the game for some extended period of time? What directors and name actors has the actor worked with?

Some of this information can be great ice breaking material: “You worked with David Lynch. That must have been interesting. Tell me about that experience.”

So it is that something so seemingly trivial as a STARmeter ranking, a mysterious metric that most of don’t even understand has come to have some importance in the lives and careers of actors world wide.

I have been a user of IMDb for a number of years. I use it for the aforementioned purpose of linking an actor’s name to his or her performance in a film I’m watching but I have also tried to make sure that my own film credits are kept up to date.

What started out as an ego thing, has morphed into a job requirement. As an actor I have to make sure I have my ‘tools’ in order: Headshots, check. Demo Reel online, check. Online casting service subscriptions updated and ready for my agent to use, check. IMDb credits accurate, check. STARmeter ranking stable and hopefully showing up as ‘in the green’, meaning that my ranking is improving.

As I write these notes, my STARmeter ranking is 28,522 and is trending to the red. IMDb uses a color code to tell the user if the STARmeter trend is positive or negative. If the trend color is green, the person’s STARmeter ranking is improving or moving toward the top. If the color is red, the opposite is true -the trend is moving to a larger number in a system where the smaller the number of the STARmeter ranking, the better the ranking.

Currently at Number 1: Jennifer Lawrence of THE HUNGER GAMES.

But prior to getting involved in the Karmalicity community, my IMDb ranking would suffer wild swings up and down and for reasons I could never quite figure out. Using Karmalicity has really tamed the IMDb STARmeter rankings for me. In the year before I began using Karmalicity, my STARmeter ranking varied from about 46,000 (not bad) to 130,000 (not that good). I’ve been using the service (there if a FREE version and a PREMIUM version) my STARmeter ranking has fluctuated between 24,000 and 35,000. That’s a much better result and one I am happy with.

Let’s be clear. The best way for any actor’s STARmeter ranking to improve is to keep working. Particularly in high profile projects. THAT will boost your STARmeter ranking without you ever having to consider a service like Karmalicity. BUT every actor goes through periods of inactivity or sporadic work. In those times, Karmalicity can help keep your IMdB ranking from dropping through the floor.

The other thing to understand about Karmalicity is that it is NOT just about IMDb rankings. The service has evolved very quickly into one that can leverage all of the actor’s social media outlets. Actors can ‘like’ other actor’s Facebook Fan pages, Facebook pages for film projects, YouTube Channels and drive subscribers to your Twitter account.

Lastly let me offer the opinion that Karmalicity is very different from the email offers I continue to receive from some unknown source that offers, for a monthly fee, to aim their servers at my IMDb page and atrifically inflate my STARmeter ranking.

Karmalicity is a community of actors, writers, directors, producers helping each other to publicize work that we have done. It is a way to connect with other industry professionals, to network and yes, to improve each other’s online presence.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Check out Karmalicity for yourself. If you have a ‘success story’ to share, please leave a voice message or at least a written comment and I’ll share that in another podcast. Do you have a gripe or complaint? Let me know about that as well.

This podcast is about helping fellow actors. If you find this episode or others are helpful in your actor’s journey, please pass along a link to subscribe in iTunes.

In the course of our interview John Soren mentioned utilizing a service called ReelStarMakers.com to shoot some custom demo footage to improve his reel. I’m not personally familiar with this service but I do suggest that if actors are going to put a demo together with footage other than actual professional production work, this is the kind of service to use. The footage HAS to be professional and look like it came from a film project otherwise, in my opinion, it’s not worth the money.

For actors in Texas who might be looking for a similar opportunity to shoot demo footage with a working film director, check out Daniel Millican’s website.

ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR by MARKUS FLANAGAN

“Tommy, what a fantastic interview! I re-tweeted it. It really is great. I want all my actor friends to hear this.” Benjamin Dane, Actor-Producer

Use the banner link below to get the audio version of ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR for FREE with a trial subscription to Audible.com. Cancel within 30 Days if you want to and there’s no charge. You keep the audio book

This episode of Actors Talk Podcast features an interview with actor-teacher-writer Markus Flanagan. I had actually forgotten that I had previously written a review of Flanagan’s book on my former blog, Still Acting After All These Years. That review was published on May 4, 2008. I was reminded of that fact several weeks back when the publicist for Rick Lenz’ book North of Hollywood (see episode 011 of this podcast) contacted me about reviewing Lenz’ book.

Cover: One Less Bitter Actor

I was subsequently able to read North of Hollywood and interview Rick Lenz for this podcast. And that contact drew my attention back to One Less Bitter Actor.

I recently contacted Markus Flanagan about the possibility of interviewing him and discussing his book for this podcast. He was amenable to that suggestion and this episode of Actors Talk Podcast is the result of that discussion via skype on April 11, 2012.

As I began to put together show notes for this podcast, I revisited my original review of One Less Bitter Actor and upon reading it, decided that I should cut to the chase and use my existing review as my show notes for the podcast.

So here is my review of One Less Bitter Actor. I hope you enjoy the review and the podcast as much as I have enjoyed putting this episode together.

God bless you and keep the faith!

First let me dispel a few myths. “Auditions are about finding the best actor for the job.” Get that out of your head.
And conversely, “I didn’t get the job, so I must not have been good.” Very, very wrong-get that out of your head immediately!

So begins Actor Markus Flanagan’s book, ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR, THE ACTOR’S SURVIVAL GUIDE. This is a book that is filled with information and insight that it has taken me decades to figure out for myself…the hard way.

Just the chapter on Auditioning is more than enough reason to purchase ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR. How I wish I’d had this book thirty years ago. I had no mentor, no acting guru and no relative in the business. The information and insight in this one chapter could have saved me a lot of angst, anger and agony along the way.

And it is a book that every actor, particularly every actor at the beginning of his/her career should read and should keep handy for review during the tough times.

Flanagan uses personal experiences from his successful acting career…twenty years and counting…to offer pointers on topics that every actor will find useful:

* How do you combat getting typed?
* Understanding the people you are auditioning for
* Bad habits to avoid in the audition waiting room
* The two deadliest questions you may be asked before starting your reading
* What are they looking for in the call back?
* Dealing positively with rejection

Any actor who has been in the game for more than a little while has personally struggled with or has tried to help friends who have struggled with depression and bitterness. It’s almost inevitable.

If a writer’s script is rejected for publication or production, it hurts. If a director’s film is rejected by the public, it hurts. But in each of these instances, the ‘product’ that is being rejected is a book, a script, a film…not the writer or the director personally. When an actor’s ‘product’ is rejected, how does the actor not take that personally?

Because of this tendency to take rejection personally, actors frequently make the mistake of wrapping their own view of their talent in the success or failure of every job and every audition.

Flanagan puts it this way:

…by accepting the premise that the only measure of your value as an actor is whether or not you get the job, you are giving your power and your self worth away to others. This is a subjective business. There are no devices to measure talent, there are only opinions. Do yourself a favor. Get in the habit of judging your value by what you know you’re capable of.

I say, do yourself a favor and add ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR to your reading list. Read it through. Mark it up the way you’d mark a script you’re studying. That’s what I did. When I was through I had more marked pages than unmarked.

Here’s an idea. If you’re not sure this is a book you should have in your actor’s toolbox, check out [blog post dated 4/3/2008] Markus Flanagan’s blog HERE.

I don’t know about you, but I found that post to have a remarkable level of honesty to share in a public forum. It’s his willingness to share this type of experience that gives Markus Flanagan’s book the ring of authenticity.

Another of Flanagan’s blog posts certainly struck home with me:

Even now, this many years later, I have to have faith that this is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. How I treat it is up to me.

Exactly!

In our interview Flanagan offered his email address Markus@onelessbitteractor.com for anyone who wants to send him questions about his book or about acting and ‘the business’. That’s a generous offer and I’d take him up on it, if I were you.

Also check out Markus Flanagan’s Westlake Acting Studio site, especially his CONVERSATIONS WITH videos. These are a great resource for all of actors, no matter how long we’ve been at it.

This episode has been updated and re-released as Episode 31 of Actors Talk Podcast.

REVIEW: NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD by Rick Lenz

Rick Lenz' memoir North of Hollywood

I love acting, but I don’t much care for show business…

Show business as a career, for those of us whom it chooses – we never choose it; no one lacks that much common sense – is the most enticing siren the gods ever conjured, at least to those with the weakness…

Any wayfarer with even miniscule common sense would take whatever evasive action was necessary to avoid that route.

And that was from a successful Hollywood actor.

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, winner – Best Biography at the 2011-2012 Los Angeles Book Festival is an often funny, sometimes gut wrenching and immensely engaging true tale of one actor’s journey to grab the brass ring of show business success and by extension, celebrity.

Rick Lenz

Actor-playwright-artist and now author Rick Lenz moves in for an ECU (extreme close up) on a very successful career and an often dysfunctional personal life.

How does the professional actor manage the demands of ‘the business’ and the responsibilities of a husband and father? Is it possible to maintain equilibrium in both? Of course it IS…but it’s not going to be easy. And this isn’t an ‘easy’ book.

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD gives the reader a raw to the bone, bravely personal view of what it can mean to succeed in show business. And what happens when, almost inevitably, that success slips away.

From Lauren Bacall giving ‘thumbs up’ to Lenz taking over the role of Igor in the Broadway production of CACTUS FLOWER, to his rise to stardom following release of the film version with Goldie Hawn, Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman, the reader is along for what will become a bumpy show biz ride.

Goldie Hawn and Rick Lenz from Cactus Flower

When I arrive on the set the director seems surprised. “I’m really sorry,” he says. “You’re not quite what I had in mind.” When I ask him what he had in mind, he shrugs and simply says, “Someone younger.”

And this:

…I begin to freeze up at auditions. Years ago I was offered a role on COLUMBO…I said no to the job…Years later I have an audition with Peter Falk for one of his latter-years episodes of the show.

I want it desperately, and that’s how I read for it…I map out every moment. That’s the number one film auditioning no-no. I’m programmed like a robot and that’s how it comes out at the audition: mechanical, unnatural and dead…I’ve blown it by a combination of wanting it too much and my Trojan Horse acting.

Ouch!!

Lenz pulls few punches in illuminating the price success may extract from the actor and from the ones he loves.

Though not in any way a religious book, NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD strikes me as the chronicle of a spiritual journey – though such might come as news to the author. Perhaps I’m reading that part in because it’s the way I tend to see things. So be it: this book recounts a journey to hell and back with lots of detours along the way.

If you think that’s too strong, over the top as we actors would say, give some thought to what it would be like to battle your own addictions to booze and pills. Or worse, watch your daughter battling an addiction to drugs including crack cocaine.

Acting along side of or rubbing shoulders with Goldie Hawn, Al Pacino, Jill Clayburgh, Angela Lansbury, Alan Alda, Jackie Gleason, Ingrid Bergman, Walter Matthau, Claude Rains, John Wayne, Richard Boone, Maureen O’Hara, Lauren Bacall, Jason Robards, Jimmy Stewart, Ron Howard, to name literally just a few of Lenz’ co-workers and friends doesn’t really make that more palatable, does it?

Rick Lenz is a charming man, if my too-brief encounter with him is an accurate indicator. He’s someone you want to know better. It’s easy to understand how, beyond his talent, he became a successful actor: he has that likability factor in spades. But NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD lays bare the imperfections that so clearly establish him as, more than anything, human.

Film actors are accustomed to shooting ‘out of sequence’. Lenz employs a similar style in his book. As a literary device it may take a little getting use to but it helps give the impression that one is reading a novel. Characters come and go and come again. Yet the through-line is clear.

In NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD, Lenz is by turns charming, self-absorbed, funny, sad, confident and unsure. But don’t worry. Ultimately this book is no downer. If you want to believe happy endings are possible in real life, even when real life is show business, take a look at NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD. The journey has been difficult but hard lessons appear to have been learned. Not that the journey is finished. Happily, there is more to come. More writing. More art. More acting? More peace?

Once again, the future for Rick Lenz is bright. I am convinced he is a man worth rooting for. NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD is a rare Hollywood memoir worth reading.

Be sure to visit Rick Lenz’ websites: NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD
Rick Lenz ART
Publicist: JKSCommunications, Marissa DeCuir

Rick Lenz Career Collage

HOW TO MAKE A SHORT FILM IN 168 HOURS AND LIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT

We were assigned the verse John 15:14-15 and had just over a week to write the script, cast the film and prepare the locations before the 168 hour production clock began ticking down.

PLEASE USE THE “VOICE MAIL HERE” TAB ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE TO LEAVE AN AUDIO COMMENT RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER…IF YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE, OF COURSE.

An 168 film postmortem interview with Matt Thompson who produced and directed UNRAVELED. In case you are unfamiliar with the 168 Film Project and Film Festival you can go HERE for more information about the project, the festival and about founder John David Ware. You can also follow the 168 Film Project on Facebok.

UNRAVELED Dir. Matt Thompson

Episode 010 of Actors Talk Podcast is a follow-up interivew with Team 38 producer-director Matthew R. Thompson. The interview begins by giving a refresher description of just what the 168 project is and what the basic rules are. Director Matt Thompson and I discuss what went right and some of the things that didn’t go so right during the pre-production through post-production process.

Shooting Unraveled - Day 1

One key element Thompson mentions is to be sure the proper codecs are installed on the computer(s) that will be utilized for rendering and completing the film. In the case of UNRAVELED, a notification from the 168 office regarding the approved codecs had Thompson scrambling to find, install and utilize a proper codec. In the end, the codec change was too much for the computer to handle in the time remaining and UNRAVELED missed the submission deadline by two hours.

Matt Thompson mentions in the podcast that he utilized Celtx a free script formatting software with an online collaboration functionality. Here’s a link to CELTX.

Celtx

Below is a teaser from the version of UNRAVELED that was submitted to the 168 Film Festival.

Unraveled Teaser from Matthew Thompson on Vimeo.

When a man’s life begins to fall apart, he learns the meaning of true friendship. This short film was produced for the 2012 – 168 Film Project. The film was produced in 168 hours (7 days) with a budget of $2000. We were assigned the verse John 15:14-15 and had just over a week to write the script, cast the film and prepare the locations before the 168 hour production clock began ticking down.

 

PLEASE USE THE “VOICE MAIL HERE” TAB ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE TO LEAVE AN AUDIO COMMENT RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER…IF YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE, OF COURSE.

Unvraveled from Team 38 / 168FilmProject 2012

From the 'Dan gets fired' sequence in UNRAVELED

From the final scene in Unraveled

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