Last Monday I had an audition for a role that I was sure I wouldn't get. I was younger than the description in the breakdown, but since it was for a casting director who I liked and who has called me in for other roles - several of which I've booked - I went off to Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
I did my audition and two days later my agent called to tell me I had booked the role! This isn't the first time I've gotten a role when the breakdown description sounded really different from who I am.
We have to remember that a casting director isn't going to waste their time calling in actors who are not going to be considered for the role - especially if the CD knows you.
We can end up sabotaging ourselves with negativity before we even get close to the audition time with stuff like: the breakdown says the character is six feet tall, but I'm only 5'10", or it says blonde and I'm a redhead, etc. (Or, in my case, it says "full head of hair," and I'm bald.)
And even if it turns out that the CD can't convince the director to change his mind about how tall the character should be, or whatever, it still gives you a chance to do your thing in front of a CD. And if you give it your best, they will usually remember you and call you in for something else.
There's also been several times that I've read for a director and when I was done, he handed me the sides for another role and asked me to take a few minutes while they auditioned other actors and then come back in and read for the new role.
And then there are times when I'll use the negativity for the character (if he's a negative type guy), or to take the edge off an important audition. But, you really have to know yourself, and have enough experience, to use negativity in a positive way. Otherwise it can mess up your whole performance.
It's best, especially when starting out, to carry a positive attitude into every audition. Remember, out of dozens or hundreds or - in the case of professional auditions in Los Angeles - maybe thousands of submissions, the CD has called you in to read for the role. That alone should give you a boost of positivity.
Cheers,
Michael
P.S. - Next time, I'll talk about getting physical on the set.
This is where you can ask any question about an acting career.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Demo Reels - reels or clips?
I just redid my demo reels on Actors Access, so I thought this would be a good time to discuss the changes in demo reels.
So, what's new? Most casting directors prefer that demos be no longer than a couple of minutes and less is better. That means two minutes for a mixed demo (one that has both comedy and drama on it).
But there's an even better and more preferred way of doing things. And that is separate, one minute comedy and drama demos with two or three clips of your best (and fairly recent) roles on each reel.
And this makes sense - if a CD is looking for an actor for a comedy role, they really don't want to sit through all your dramatic stuff to see the comedy, and vice versa.
On my comedy reel I have two clips - one over-the-top and one very dry. The reason this is the way to go is that a role may have more than one level; the character may have a story arc that takes them through a range of emotions or reactions. A clip (especially a short one) often only shows one type of emotion or attitude. Of course the CD must watch both clips to get this, but the larger and more complex the role that they are casting, the more willing most are to do this.
This is the same with drama - you really only need two or three different clips to show a range. And don't make the mistake of falling in love with a particular scene - if your clip shows only one type of emotion, reaction, or attitude, there's no reason for the clip to be a minute long. I have seen actors use a clip that is 3 minutes long and they are sitting at a table having a low-key discussion with no change in emotion. A busy CD will most likely watch about ten or fifteen seconds of this and bail.
There's one more way that demos can be placed on an acting site. I don't think it's as good as the one minute comedy or drama reels, but here it is. Actors are putting up individual clips (scenes). So instead of a comedy reel with three clips, the actor will have three separate clips on the web site. The idea is that your agent will pick the right clip to submit (just like he does with headshots).
Here's the main problem I have with using separate clips:
So, what's new? Most casting directors prefer that demos be no longer than a couple of minutes and less is better. That means two minutes for a mixed demo (one that has both comedy and drama on it).
But there's an even better and more preferred way of doing things. And that is separate, one minute comedy and drama demos with two or three clips of your best (and fairly recent) roles on each reel.
And this makes sense - if a CD is looking for an actor for a comedy role, they really don't want to sit through all your dramatic stuff to see the comedy, and vice versa.
On my comedy reel I have two clips - one over-the-top and one very dry. The reason this is the way to go is that a role may have more than one level; the character may have a story arc that takes them through a range of emotions or reactions. A clip (especially a short one) often only shows one type of emotion or attitude. Of course the CD must watch both clips to get this, but the larger and more complex the role that they are casting, the more willing most are to do this.
This is the same with drama - you really only need two or three different clips to show a range. And don't make the mistake of falling in love with a particular scene - if your clip shows only one type of emotion, reaction, or attitude, there's no reason for the clip to be a minute long. I have seen actors use a clip that is 3 minutes long and they are sitting at a table having a low-key discussion with no change in emotion. A busy CD will most likely watch about ten or fifteen seconds of this and bail.
There's one more way that demos can be placed on an acting site. I don't think it's as good as the one minute comedy or drama reels, but here it is. Actors are putting up individual clips (scenes). So instead of a comedy reel with three clips, the actor will have three separate clips on the web site. The idea is that your agent will pick the right clip to submit (just like he does with headshots).
Here's the main problem I have with using separate clips:
If a CD is looking for a dramatic actor with a range - for a larger role - they are not going to look through all your clips to see that you can do a range of dramatic acting.
Note: Your other clips are up on the actor site along with the one that is attached to your submission. But, just like a CD is not going to look though all your headshots, they're not going to click on all your other clips. That's why I think it's better to have all the comedy clips in a one minute reel and the same with drama.
Hope this helps you think through your online presence as an actor.
Cheers,
Michael
Hope this helps you think through your online presence as an actor.
Cheers,
Michael
Saturday, August 29, 2015
The frustration of too many directions.
Hi
It's been awhile since my last blog and it would be great to say I've been so busy acting that I haven't had time to write. But the truth is we're just getting out of the slow casting season (April - July). Finally things are picking up for major auditions. Yeah!
What I've been doing these last four months when things get slow is the same thing I advise others to do - stay busy doing creative stuff. Writing sketches, doing some improv work, reading an acting book, watching good films, updating resumes and headshots online, that kind of stuff. I've been teaching an improv class out in beautiful Malibu - and I join in on the warmups. That way I get paid to teach, and I get to keep up my improv skills.
Anyway - today's post is about the frustration off getting too many confusing and conflicting directions from a casting director (or more likely, a session director).
Okay, you have an audition - co-star role, three lines. What do you do if, when you enter the room, the CD says something like this:
"Okay, the character is angry, but not too angry, and we really want to see that he's actually vulnerable, but with an edge."
There's no way to do right by all those emotions in three lines. In fact I just recently had an audition like that. So, what did I do? I did what I thought was right for the character and picked the one direction the CD gave that jived with what I had been rehearsing. When I was done the CD said, "Okay, let's try it again and bring out the edginess a little more."
Once the CD saw my interpretation of the role, he was able to narrow down his direction a little more, which helped me on the next take.
So, in those situations, pick one or two character emotions, especially if it's a short audition, and use those. If you commit to them - and that's key - the CD will almost always do another take with you. And that's a good thing - CDs are seeing a lot of actors and they are not going to waste their time doing multiple takes with an actor they think sucks. In fact, in most cases, the more takes they do, the more interested they are in casting you. If they see something they like in your first take, they will work with you to get the role on tape that the producers want.
As always - enjoy the journey. And send your questions!
Cheers,
Michael
It's been awhile since my last blog and it would be great to say I've been so busy acting that I haven't had time to write. But the truth is we're just getting out of the slow casting season (April - July). Finally things are picking up for major auditions. Yeah!
What I've been doing these last four months when things get slow is the same thing I advise others to do - stay busy doing creative stuff. Writing sketches, doing some improv work, reading an acting book, watching good films, updating resumes and headshots online, that kind of stuff. I've been teaching an improv class out in beautiful Malibu - and I join in on the warmups. That way I get paid to teach, and I get to keep up my improv skills.
Anyway - today's post is about the frustration off getting too many confusing and conflicting directions from a casting director (or more likely, a session director).
Okay, you have an audition - co-star role, three lines. What do you do if, when you enter the room, the CD says something like this:
"Okay, the character is angry, but not too angry, and we really want to see that he's actually vulnerable, but with an edge."
There's no way to do right by all those emotions in three lines. In fact I just recently had an audition like that. So, what did I do? I did what I thought was right for the character and picked the one direction the CD gave that jived with what I had been rehearsing. When I was done the CD said, "Okay, let's try it again and bring out the edginess a little more."
Once the CD saw my interpretation of the role, he was able to narrow down his direction a little more, which helped me on the next take.
So, in those situations, pick one or two character emotions, especially if it's a short audition, and use those. If you commit to them - and that's key - the CD will almost always do another take with you. And that's a good thing - CDs are seeing a lot of actors and they are not going to waste their time doing multiple takes with an actor they think sucks. In fact, in most cases, the more takes they do, the more interested they are in casting you. If they see something they like in your first take, they will work with you to get the role on tape that the producers want.
As always - enjoy the journey. And send your questions!
Cheers,
Michael
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
My film's in the theaters!
Hi Dear Readers,
It's been awhile since I last posted. I've been working on a post-production budget for my feature film, Night Tour," as well as writing some sketches for my friends and I to shoot for Funny or Die.
Last week I went with a friend to see the film I'm in - "Little Boy" - that's been playing in theaters around the U.S.
I had a few good scenes, but they also cut some of my stuff. And that happens to many actors, both unknown and known actors. There's all sorts of reasons why that happens: sometimes the film is simply too long and the filmmakers need to shorten it, or maybe it just drags during the subplot that you're in. Dropping a slow subplot is an easy way to cut a chunk of time from a film. It usually has very little to do with your acting, and more to do with the editing of the film.
A friend of mine - a very good actor with lots of television credits - was hired for a TV role a few months ago. After they shot it, the producers had to trim the show down to fit in a half-hour format (usually about 24 minutes). And, you guessed it, they had shot a bit too much and just chopped out my friend's scene.
Because of this, I'm usually careful of how many friends and relatives I tell about my new role. It can be embarrassing to have all your friends tuning in to see you, and you're not there! But that's the nature of the business - sometimes it happens. And it can happen in a TV show, a film, or a commercial. I usually wait until I've seen the TV show and then send a link if it's online somewhere - and most TV is online someplace.
If it's a film, I might check it out on opening day and then tell my friends. Or, if you've been called in to do some ADR work after the film is shot, you can be pretty sure you're going to be in the final version.
Anyway, it was fun to see myself up on the big screen, because I've mostly been doing TV since my last film, "Priest."
Don't forget - if you have a question, feel free to write in the comments, or email me, and I'll get back to you with an answer. And thanks for reading this little blog - I do appreciate it.
Cheers,
Michael
It's been awhile since I last posted. I've been working on a post-production budget for my feature film, Night Tour," as well as writing some sketches for my friends and I to shoot for Funny or Die.
Last week I went with a friend to see the film I'm in - "Little Boy" - that's been playing in theaters around the U.S.
 |
| I'm Gilliam, the owner of the general store |
 |
| Going to see the film |
I had a few good scenes, but they also cut some of my stuff. And that happens to many actors, both unknown and known actors. There's all sorts of reasons why that happens: sometimes the film is simply too long and the filmmakers need to shorten it, or maybe it just drags during the subplot that you're in. Dropping a slow subplot is an easy way to cut a chunk of time from a film. It usually has very little to do with your acting, and more to do with the editing of the film.
A friend of mine - a very good actor with lots of television credits - was hired for a TV role a few months ago. After they shot it, the producers had to trim the show down to fit in a half-hour format (usually about 24 minutes). And, you guessed it, they had shot a bit too much and just chopped out my friend's scene.
Because of this, I'm usually careful of how many friends and relatives I tell about my new role. It can be embarrassing to have all your friends tuning in to see you, and you're not there! But that's the nature of the business - sometimes it happens. And it can happen in a TV show, a film, or a commercial. I usually wait until I've seen the TV show and then send a link if it's online somewhere - and most TV is online someplace.
If it's a film, I might check it out on opening day and then tell my friends. Or, if you've been called in to do some ADR work after the film is shot, you can be pretty sure you're going to be in the final version.
Anyway, it was fun to see myself up on the big screen, because I've mostly been doing TV since my last film, "Priest."
Don't forget - if you have a question, feel free to write in the comments, or email me, and I'll get back to you with an answer. And thanks for reading this little blog - I do appreciate it.
Cheers,
Michael
Friday, April 10, 2015
What makes a strong headshot?
Most of us know that a good headshot needs to be focused, have good lighting, show the actor looking directly into the lens (making strong eye contact with the viewer), and that the actor needs to look pretty much as they will when they walk into a casting director's office.
But there's something else. It is what I had my friend do as we took her shots. Like I said above - we need to be making good eye contact with the person who is looking at our headshot, but - and this is a huge "but" - we need to have something going on behind our eyes. No matter how good-looking we are, or how well the photo looks, technically, if there is only blankness behind our eyes, the headshot will not capture the viewer's attention.
Note: If a newbie director is making a short film and needs a cute male or female, he may only care that the actor looks "cute," but I'm really talking about professional casting directors and directors here. And they look for the magic going on behind the actor's eyes.
So back to my actress friend and her headshots. What I did was give her short little scenarios to think about while we were shooting. Since she was going to use them for a particular role, I gave her ones that might be part of that role.
But there are ones that could be used for any headshot shoot, for example: if you want to convey sadness, you might think about a good friend who has let you down, or if you want a great open smile, you might think about spotting the love of your life across a room and "lighting up" at the sight of his or her face.
I'm sure you could come up with other scenarios for other "looks." The point is if there is something actually going on behind your eyes, it will come across in the headshot. And that will make people (casters and directors) stop and take a second look. I would be prepared to have my own inner mini scenes to use as many headshot photographers don't know about them or how to use them - at least that's what I do for my own headshots.
Can you guess what I might be thinking in this headshot? It gets me called in for certain roles - which ones?
Cheers,
Michael
P.S. The friend that I shot the headshots for got called in for the role, and booked it!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
SAG-AFTRA Code of Conduct for personal managers
For those of us, and I'm one of them, who are thinking about whether or not to get a manager, SAG-AFTRA now has a list of managers who have signed a "Code of Ethics & Conduct" agreement.
Since there are no rules for personal managers - unlike the rules that an agent has to follow - this is a great way to find managers who you can trust (or at least trust more than the ones who haven't signed the agreement).
If you are in SAG-AFTRA, you don't have to sign with a manager who has signed the agreement, but it does offer some protections that you don't get with your average manager.
To see the Code, and other info about manages, follow the link below to go to the SAG-AFTRA website's Manager section. (Anyone can visit the site, even if you're not in the union.) Besides the Code, they have "Do's and Don't," "FAQs," and a list of managers who have signed the agreement.
There is good info on here about what to look for (or lookout for) when thinking about signing with a manager. See the menu on the left side of the page.
SAG-AFTRA Personal manages section
Cheers,
Michael
Since there are no rules for personal managers - unlike the rules that an agent has to follow - this is a great way to find managers who you can trust (or at least trust more than the ones who haven't signed the agreement).
If you are in SAG-AFTRA, you don't have to sign with a manager who has signed the agreement, but it does offer some protections that you don't get with your average manager.
To see the Code, and other info about manages, follow the link below to go to the SAG-AFTRA website's Manager section. (Anyone can visit the site, even if you're not in the union.) Besides the Code, they have "Do's and Don't," "FAQs," and a list of managers who have signed the agreement.
There is good info on here about what to look for (or lookout for) when thinking about signing with a manager. See the menu on the left side of the page.
SAG-AFTRA Personal manages section
Cheers,
Michael
Friday, March 13, 2015
A "Modern Family" audition
Deciding whether to "dress" for the audition took me a little longer. Many times I go to theatrical (film and TV) auditions fairly casual. Just a regular shirt and slacks. But sometimes a voice in my head tells me to dress a bit more in character, especially if the character is a bit weird or offbeat.
So, wearing a bow tie and an old cardigan sweater, I headed off to 20th Century Fox Studios in West Los Angeles. Unfortunately, President Obama was visiting on the Westside and the streets all around the studio were blocked off. I got a little nervous about being late (which I definitely was going to be) until I realized that everyone else was going to be late as well.
 |
| 20th Century Fox - Stage 22 |
When I finally got to the casting offices, the CD told me that they were also late getting in, so no worries. The audition itself went very well. Don't want to jinx it, but I may be a bit younger than they're looking for - we'll see.
The lessons from this audition are - listen to the little voice in your head. It's your instinct trying to tell you something.
And don't sweat the things you can't control (like the President being in the neighborhood).
Cheers,
Michael
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