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WEEKLY TIP FOR 4.23.21 PROMOTE ‘EM TO ME

Aaron, Jessica's perfect because....

In deciding whether to hire an actor or take a pass, clients can ask Casting Directors, “Gimme 10 reasons to hire ‘em. Go!”  And then 10 seconds of machine-gunning into the sell.  If the client isn’t impressed enough, he cuts it short and blurts into the phone, “NEXT!”  And flying on to the next “select.”  Talk about being brutal; a draining experience with an unapologetic shark. Better we deal with them than you.

Or an agent may be doing a “push” for you to a Casting Director or the Casting Director doing the same about you to a client.

In preparation for that inevitable call or email, we have to be prepared and that means you have to prepare us.  What do you bring to the table?  Why should a client hire you?  Spend a lot of money on you?  Stake their job on you?  Or an expensive shoot?  What can you provide a CD to turn around to promote you to a client – and clinch the job for you?  Take a few minutes to write down your selling points.  [Hint:  don’t annoy anybody with:  “I’m special!” or “I’m unique!” or “I’m a natural!” or “I’m talented!”  You and 10,000 other hopefuls are all saying the same thing.]  Keep in mind reminding someone you’re a good actor can get a little lame – that’s a given, and we want more than that.  And when you get your individual selling points, then make sure you’re not the only one who knows them.  How to politely transfer this knowledge to those who can hire and represent you?  If you are working at developing a relationship with them, and you should always be working at this, every point below will transfer itself.  

 1.       ________________________________________________________________

2.       ________________________________________________________________

3.       ________________________________________________________________

4.       ________________________________________________________________

5.       ________________________________________________________________

6.       ________________________________________________________________

7.       ________________________________________________________________

8.       ________________________________________________________________

9.       ________________________________________________________________

10.   ________________________________________________________________

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WEEKLY TIP FOR 3.12.21 A BIT OF CENTERING, PLEASE: IN DEFENSE OF MORE THAN ONE ACTOR

Yep; lots of us to go around!

If you are in the “Actor” category under “Life’s Professions,” you will probably find more shadings, sub-categories and definitions of “Actor” than any other recognized profession.

 Within the “Actor” category, there are actors that are very happy doing two showcases a year to get their “acting fix.”  A notch or two higher, are actors who are content doing movie background work.  Progressing, are the consistent, working actors regularly booking jobs, but they are not necessarily household names.  Then skipping a few more spaces, are actors who are major actors or who are in the process of becoming them.

Some actors are progressing through these levels.  Others have found a level they are comfortable with, and like it there.

 I’ve seen people sneer at those who are at the earlier mentioned categories. Isn’t that a little elitist or more accurately, not very circumspect.  If an actor is happy doing two showcases a year, that actor has found out what they want out of this business.  Some actors are content doing background work.  They show up on time, easy to work with, and possess all the professional qualities that are respected at any level. There’s something to be said for that.  Not every actor wants to “make it” or can make the tremendous sacrifices and unrelenting commitment to be a significant, consistent player – and then finding themselves “owned” by a TV series. Sometimes life gets in the way – like raising a family or caring for a parent; there are many legitimate interventions.  That should not make them any less a member of the human race.

 What is important, though, is understanding and finding the level best for you.  And getting there.

Of course, who wouldn’t want to be rich and famous?  But, let’s be realistic – and centered.

No matter what level you choose, your actor responsibility will always be to do your professional best, in all its interpretations.  That’s what earns you the respect from the industry. That’s a big part of “making it” and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

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Weekly Tip for 3.5.21 BLOWIN’ SMOKE...

...and in our business, it's usually up your you-know-what.

We’ve talked about the “faux agents” who aren’t really agents, but want you to believe they are.  We’ve talked about the “faux managers” who aren’t managers, but want you to believe they are.  I’ve had them sit across my desk as they furiously try to impress me and make me believe them.  It’s never worked. But I’ve never let on, even when there’s been so much smoke our smoke detector is about to go off.  Always a nice good-bye at the end of the meeting; just no work ever between us.  The thundering silence treatment.

Closer to home, actors try to blow smoke in their own way: how many actors are “starring in a major movie,” trying to make it sound like it’s coming out of Disney?  With a couple of discrete, well-placed questions, only to find out it’s a student movie or it’s a “two-guys-and-a-camera” first attempt movie.  Or suddenly having their own network sitcom. Really? Why are they still being a dog walker? And a certified dog walker, no less. [Does that mean they can pick up dog poop better than you can?]  Or “starring” with such-and-such a star.  Again, only to find out the star is in the scene that they’re background in.  We just smile back at them, never letting them know that we know that we’re on to them. And representation?  Are they really represented by so-and-so, or did they just email them a headshot and résumé or spend a few seconds with them in a pay-to-play? And speaking of résumés, there’s some places out there now that encourage actors to lie on their résumés, thinking it’s cool and funny and that nobody’s going to catch them.  The “industry” begs to differ.  Too many stories about actors being called out at an audition with false credentials.  And we know who the offending parties are that tell this to actors.  And they’re not around to defend you when the time comes for help. 

An Artistic Director friend of mine recently voiced her experience on this.  She said she just smiles as the actor concocts all sorts of lies and weaving of webs he himself gets caught in.  About work he said he’s done, but hasn’t. Shows at theaters that don’t exist.  Special skills that were last done in elementary school. The poor actor never knowing that the smoke he’s blowing and web of lies he’s spinning are obvious to everyone else except him. 

The industry got an insider’s chuckle not too long ago about how too many actors’ grandmother died that week. 

Let’s clear the air, pun intended. The industry’s pretty smart, smarter than you think, and that includes street smarts. They keep their actor knowledge close to themselves. Part of their job is detecting actors misrepresenting who they are. And they’re very skilled at it and the red flags go up real fast, but silently. And shared with their industry peers. Uh,oh. 

And where there’s one red flag, there’s usually more red flags lurking in the background, waiting to present themselves, and all the problems that come with them.  With so many actors around, It doesn’t take much to cut loose an emerging problem actor. 

Don’t sacrifice potential relationships and jobs down the road for short-sighted blowing smoke misrepresentation and thinking nobody’s on to it.  It stops cold that future and that’s what you never want. 

Nobody was born with a star résumé or representation by CAA.  You have to start somewhere.  It's all in the approach. What can be seen is a career in formation, doing shows that are résumé builders, investing in solid training that will sustain you in the audition room and on set, integrating themselves in the industry, even memorizing The Call Sheet. It’s called sweat equity.  Putting in your dues. The industry understands and respects that. They know what you’re going through, even though they don't say it enough.  It’ ain’t easy and sometimes not pretty, and you get a lot of credit. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it, right?

 You’ll earn far more respect from the industry – and being rewarded by jobs and representation – just by being yourself and working hard to legitimately advance your career than anything else. And if you do that, you’ll never have to stoop and resort to lighting up.

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Weekly Tip for 2.5.21 NO MORE COBWEBS IN THE HEAD!

We receive good feedback on the Weekly Tips. One recurring note is that some of the points are rather common sense. That is correct. One thing that happens is that it is all too easy to get caught up in the frenetic-ness of our business and lose sight of those touchstones that keep us centered and our careers on an even keel. Hence, a gentle re-focusing of attention is occasionally in order. 

Also keep in mind that be careful not to run your career emotionally rather than rationally, as too many performers do. This is a dangerous and sometimes lethal approach. Especially when an emotionally-laden actor meets a rational, level-headed, cold-hearted agent, casting director, producer or director. In those circumstances, you know there is only one winner and one loser. Don't YOU be on the wrong side of that equation!

And, do you know when to think and not to think? Didn't think so, no pun intended. Do not unwittingly become brain dead until it's too late! It is true and correct in acting classes you are told: don't think, get out of your head, don't intellectualize, be in the now. What unfortunately is NOT said afterward, is it's OK to start thinking again once you're out of acting class and have re-entered the real world. Make a concerted effort to do this! I have unfortunately seen some people who could initially take care of themselves, then become actors and become totally dependent on others on being told what to do next. If their hair was on fire they would just perish waiting to be told what to do. 

Lastly, say what you mean. Mean what you say. Speak and write densely - no extra words. Be specific. This goes for emails, too. Short, succinct, to the point. Pretend that every word you speak or write costs you $5.00. Stay away from hollow, emotionally-charged words like "acting is my passion" or "my dream since I was at the Pepperpot Playhouse in Muncie...." I will not raise my blood pressure over discussing someone signing off with "hugs and rainbows...." And review your written masterpiece before you hit Send. Does it make sense? We pass around some emails in the office trying to figure out what it says. You'd be amazed (or horrified) at some of the mistakes you'll catch - and be thankful you did! 

If you employ all these in going about your daily life, it adds up to people thinking you are sooooo smart. Even I learned that trick!

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Weekly Tip for 1.29.21 CAREER/HOBBY; HOBBY/CAREER. WHICH IS IT!

...is my ant farm; not my acting career. Thank you.

A well-known Casting Director recently confided to me that many actors she runs across treat acting as a hobby and not as a career. Even though so many actors proclaim they are serious about their careers, in reality, don't do much to back it up. Just lots of excuses. And in our business, excuses don't count. They are code for "I'm not up for the job" and inadvertently cause someone making a decision about booking you or representing you think, "You convinced me! You DON'T have the job."Just to make sure you're not really treating acting as a hobby and not knowing it - innocent until proven guilty, take this little test. Write down succinct answers; be honest; no cheating. And no just looking at the blanks, you have to fill 'em all in, so print this out and get to work! And then read the congratulatory message waiting for you at the bottom. Hooray for you!   

    Hobby                                                           Career                   ______________    Being Prepared        ________________

____________        Being Reachable      ________________

____________        Representation         ________________

____________        Showing Up on Time   ______________

____________       Headshots                  ________________

____________       Competitive                ________________

____________       Industry Knowledgeable     ____________

_____________      Acting Skills                ________________

____________       High/Low Maintenance  _______________

_____________      Excuses                       ________________

____________       Résumé                         _______________

_____________       Attitude                         ______________

______________       Industry Follow-Up     _______________

_____________       Time Devoted to Career    ______________

 Congratulations! On the right hand column, you just wrote the profile of a successful actor! Now you know what to do to make that you. So make sure you do it, not just think it! And who benefits? You do! Correction: we all do! And what benefits? Your career! And you'll definitely have one that works for you!                                                

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Weekly Tip for 9.11.20 LINES IN THE SAND:  THERE ARE MANY; MOST ARE INVISIBLE

The Line Between Acceptable and Unacceptable Can Be Very Thin.

In our business, there are many lines in the sand.  The difference between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable is seldom talked about, but understood.  The lines are subtle, but distinct.  Crossing any of the lines is tantamount to blowing the deal, being passed over, putting the brakes on a burgeoning career.  

Know the lines in the sand. There are many, below are some of the most common lines crossed by the unknowing.  This isn’t you now.

Know the differences between:

l  Being assertive and being abrasive

l  Being persistent and being pesky

l  Being nice and being cloyingly sweet

l  Standing up for yourself and blowing a relationship

l  Wanting a job and appearing desperate

l  Being confident and being cocky

l  Asking a question and challenging authority

l  Seeking guidance and being an “emotional vampire”

l  Approaching acting as a career and treating it as a hobby

l  Being friendly and being friends

l  Not having been told and not caring

l  Being energetic and over the top

l  Being polished and being glossy

And while we’re at it, it’s often been said to know when to pick your battles.  True, and should be diligently practiced.  But, if you find yourself in a battle – either by choice or no fault of your own -- it is equally important to know to detect the signs of when to lose a battle to when the war.

Having a working knowledge of these lines in the sand and battle strategy will go a long way to ensuring your success as a performer, not to mention a lot in life.

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Weekly Tip for 9.4.20 KNOW WHEN TO LEAD; KNOW WHEN TO FOLLOW

The hallmark of a good actor is “takes direction well.”  Makes adjustments, understands re-directs..  As performers, we are many times on the receiving end: being told what to do by a director, photographer, agent, casting director, your teacher.  Mom might even figure in there somewhere.

What can happen is that the actor insidiously falls into a trap: the permanent mode of always expecting to be told what to do.  And can’t move until.  This is where obviously an actor runs into trouble.  And can’t quite understand why things aren’t clicking, especially after being so obedient.  Remember: only you can advance your career.  So much has been written about the necessity of being pro-active get-off-your-butt that we won’t re-hash that one more time.  But what is most important is:  knowing how and when to shift out of the Follow mode and into the Lead mode.

A good rule of thumb:  in the in-between times of their not telling you to do something, then you should automatically be telling yourself to do something.

Taking this concept one step further:  know when to think and when not to think.   Many actors reading this Weekly Tip have been in acting classes where the instructor says, “Don’t think,”  “Get out of Your Head,” “Don’t Intellectualize,” “Be in the Now.”  They are correct when trying to get a truthful performance out of an actor.  Here’s what’s forgotten: when you’re finished acting, turn your thinking switch back on and then continue to be able to take care of yourself.  Some actors, in learning the craft of acting, have little by little unlearned how to think, dumbed themselves down and have insidiously become helpless, hopeless individuals requiring the care and supervision of friends, family and the kindness of strangers.  Do not do this to yourself.

Knowing when to shift gears is a big key to success and longevity. Being pro-active, entrepreneurial, master of your career will go a long way to your longevity.  More than any other business, you are in control of your own fate.

 And, remember, if you’re looking for an industry that runs on yin/yang, right brain/left brain, lead/follow, think/don’t think, passive/aggressive, bi-polar and an undercurrent of S/M thrown in for good measure; congratulations, YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT BUSINESS!

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WEEKLY TIP for 8.28.20 THE RULE BOOK OF OUR BUSINESS

When a new hire joins a company, they are given a rule book about the company, often called the Policy Manual.  It explains how things work.  Understanding how things work goes a long way to help ensure continued existence within the company.

 In our business, there is no official “rule book” that is handed to someone upon their declaration of being an actor.  Rather, the “rules” are doled out piecemeal from various sources. Books have been written on the subject. One, “Here’s Looking at You: the Actor’s Guide to Commercial Print” (Heinemann) written by me is a best-selling book that contains a lot of these guidelines.  Our “Weekly Tips” often pass on these rules or guides as gleaned from agents, casting directors and managers we work with.

In short, there is no shortage of fodder on the subject.  Some of it is right on, some is just plain loopy. Qualifying the source is critical. It is dangerous to plan your career from anyone who has second-, third- or fourth-hand “information,” who is far removed from the real decision making processes.  They only “think” what is right.  Or “right” being three years ago.  And now too often it’s dated and possibly damaging.  Hence, what appears in our “Weekly Tips” is a conduit and a consensus from peer-respected industry professionals, the market makers, decision makers, the “go to” people.  They are the ones at the front, who ultimately determine your career.

 What is of more importance is that the “rules” of our business apply to everybody.  Observing someone thinking the “rules” only apply to the actor to the right of them or the actor to the left of them, but never to themselves, is flirting with a short-lived career, never to have reached its potential.  Actors who find out what is expected of them and do it, are rewarded. The “rock in the stream of progress,” the “loose cannon,” the “clueless,” are soon relegated to the lower echelons of the business.  And stay there.  Everyone has seen these casualties.

 Take it one step further and you see stars thinking that their actions and misdeeds are above the law and mere mortals.  “Do you know who I am?”  Only to find out the hard way it ain’t necessarily so.  TMZ gleefully provides a daily feeding frenzy on the daily victim. Best not to be in their cross-hairs!

 To complicate things further, there are rules for working background and totally different rules for principal roles.  If you want to get principal roles – and starring roles – you have to change rule books – and get to the people who own those rule books and will pass along the secrets contained within its pages.  And those people are totally different from the background people.  Choose carefully who you want to guide and advance your career.  This is one reason why we go to great lengths to get the instructors here who can, and do, make a significant difference in fast tracking your career.

 Keep in mind that the rules and rule books and those who hire you are different for theatre, for TV, for film, for commercials, etc.  Be careful not to apply theatre rules to TV rules in going after a TV role.

Our Weekly Tips give you chapters in each of the Rule Books.

 In a brutal, competitive business built around self-survival, observing any rules can seem to be at odds with just sticking around.  In the long run, it’s just the opposite.  Those who have worked in the industry for a long time have seen that your most successful actors are the ones who found out what the rules are – and practice them. Those rules ensure for longevity and a successful career.

Everybody has a career “tool box.”  In packing up your “tool box,” make sure to include the right reading material.

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Weekly Tip for 8.21.20 TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN.  That pesky contract….

Sign here.  Now. Or we just might change our mind.

Sooner or later, you’ll be asked to “sign.”  It can come out of the blue, or after a steadily developing relationship. How you handle the situation can definitely advance your career, or kill it – sometimes costing you money you didn’t anticipate.

 When an agent or manager asks you to sign, you the actor should approach this very serious offer with a cool head.  Don’t be emotional, don’t succumb to peer pressure (“everybody’s doing it”), or look for bragging rights to friends and family.  Take a deep breath and proceed logically.

 Generally, signing means you have an exclusive relationship with an agent or manager.  The means you can go only out through them, no one else.  You are handing over a part of the governance of your career to someone else, for better or worse.  Sometimes, you can sign for commercial representation only and you are free to freelance for film, print and TV through others.  Or the other way around.  There is no firm rule.  It is what you two agree upon.

 Signing can be for a number of years, and can also be dependent on how many auditions or amount of income is generated with this partnership. Sometimes, a contract can stipulate they represent you in the U.S. or throughout the world or even retain the right to use your name and image indefinitely, even if the contract lapses. The things put in a contract – and sometimes cleverly buried in the middle of everything [BTW, that’s where “the devil’s in the details” comes from] – are amazing for their ingenuity. And these buried items are usually in favor of them, not you.

 As an unfortunate example, one “management” company” offers new, inexperienced (and very naïve, trusting) actors/models a “non-exclusive” contract filled with a number of clauses the actor/model seldom reads or understand the consequences, such as:

1.   Talent agrees not to employ any representatives, managers or agents concerning any aspects of talent’s career without manager’s prior consent. (Remember: this is a non-exclusive agreement.  It also means the actor/model can’t do anything without first going to the “manager” for OK, or not OK.)

2.   Manager receives a 20% commission. (Industry standard is 15%).

3.   If “manager” has to employ collection efforts to get what is owed, the talent has to pay 80% of the costs in doing so.

4.   Talent has to reimburse the “manager” for postage, publicity and promotional costs, messenger services, etc.

5.   “Manager” has the right to use talent’s headshots or likeness  for their own purposes in perpetuity.  That also means after their relationship has ended.  Essentially stating they can trade off the actor’s name/future stardom forever.

6.   “Manager” will become the “mother agency” for the actor, meaning they can place the actor/model through another agency or management company and everything will still flow through them (and still get their commission along with the actor having to pay the others a commission as well.)

7.   For further ramifications on what this type of arrangement means, please refer to the nearest dictionary under “S” and see “sucker.”

 Do actors/models sign such one-sided contracts?  Every day.  Bragging rights of telling others that they’re “signed” (and you’re not, poor thing), can come at a price.  One actor we knew (notice it’s in past tense) signed a contract with a company, giving them control over his career throughout the universe, in perpetuity. When this was later pointed out by us to the actor along with pages of one-sided clauses for the company, the actor was so fed up he said he was going back home to England.  Too bad that didn’t solve anything.  They controlled his career in England, too.  His excuse for this debacle:  “I got really excited.  And everybody was doing it.”  Yes, the management company was playing on the emotionalism of the moment for the actor.   They got a bunch of aspiring actors/models in a room, got them all excited about the business, being a star, getting rich and famous, and then the contracts came out…. Perfectly orchestrated.   And the poor, unknowing actors unaware of what was going on around them – and to them.

 Signing is a show business marriage.  On the personal front, hopefully you don’t marry someone on your first date to Starbucks.  At least hold out for the trip to Europe,  after the pandemic settles.  Same thing holds true here.  

 A good approach to someone who comes into your career out of the blue and asks you to sign is to say: “I’m very flattered you’re asking me to sign. But we haven’t worked together and I don’t know if we’re able to make money together yet. Why don’t we freelance for six months and if we’re doing well together, I wouldn’t hesitate in a heartbeat to sign with you.”  That way you’ll see if they have an ulterior motive.  If they balk at it, you caught them.  If they agree to it, then you know they’re on the up and up.

 Why are “they” asking you to sign?  Keep in mind, if you meet someone briefly and they want to immediately sign you for anything, it’s usually some hidden agenda at work, and usually not in your favor.  They can take the quick approach: do it now or they just might change their mind and you’ll be a nobody for the rest of your career.  They also hope you don’t read the contract, or at least not understand it or ask questions.  You might also expect to pay more money to have additional headshots taken – through their photographer [and a kickback], or take classes – offered by them, or pay mailing and promotional expenses.  (Isn’t that what a commission is supposed to take care of?)

In its pure essence, an agent or manager would want to sign an actor because they believe they can effectively manage, augment their talent stable, submit or otherwise significantly advance an actor’s career – and both profit from the relationship, including financially.

Keep in mind that signing you may be a way of getting you off the market and their regulars a better chance.  You stay home, their favorites go out.  Good questions to ask:  how many of my types do you have?  What kind of calls are you getting?  What kind of clients do you work with?  Legitimate, adult questions and answers you should know.

 The adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t” really applies here.  The “GET SIGNED TODAY!!!” come-on makes it sound so easy.  Trust your gut.  If something inside you is nagging you, step back.  If you don’t feel right during the “pre-honeymoon” phase, you’re not going to feel better continuing a relationship, hoping things will work themselves out.  Just like in a personal relationship.  Doomed.

 NEVER sign a contract upon first meeting or even the second meeting.  Read it over in the quiet and privacy of your home. Take that contract and have a theatrical attorney review it.  Money well spent.  Remember, a contract at first reading is just a starting point, not the final agreement. Items can be deleted or added.  It is a negotiable instrument.  Don’t be afraid to ask legitimate questions.  A workable contract will detail your relationship, what is expected from both parties and when.  Who is responsible and obligated for what.

 Interestingly enough, the person handing you the initial contract will respect you – if they’re legit – if you momentarily defer and say you’d like to review it and/or have your theatrical attorney look at it.

Is signing a good thing?  If it is thought out and a fair contract for both parties, yes.  It also means an agent will promote you more than their unsigned clients.  You will have first crack at the jobs.  You’re on the A List.  Doors should be open to you that were otherwise not open to you.

A management contract can get you the needed agents and opportunities that they can provide.

 Movie and TV contracts likewise have a number of one-sided clauses initially in them.  Some actors are so desperate for the work and possible stardom, they’ll sign anything, Signing their life away, actually. Exactly what the studios are hoping for. This business is full of killed careers because of signed contracts no one in their cooler moments would have ever signed.

 And even if you are signed, always keep in mind, you still must continue to advance your career on your personal level as well.  That includes staying current in your audition skills, training, headshots, current industry trends.

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WEEKLY TIP FOR 8.14.20 THE TWO SECRET WORDS SUCCESSFUL ACTORS DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

How ridiculous.  What’s that got to do with their success?  A lot more than you think.  There are many elements that go into the making of a successful career and a career profile and this is an unusually important one.   It’s always part of a successful actor’s career.

They learned a long time ago that hiring is subjective.  How competitive it is, how many clones of themselves there are out there.   How to get the upper hand?  Shave points in their favor?  In a business notorious for the “me, me, me” syndrome by too many less than courteous individuals, they turned it around to how to help the person who can hire them or represent them and show appreciation back.   They didn’t HAVE to be called in, after all, and they have never lost sight of that.

That’s why they find ways of thanking those who are in a position to hire them or represent them.  In person during an audition or interview – Thank You! Or, Thanks for giving me this opportunity! and then again in a postcard and/or email after that audition or interview.  You would be amazed how a little appreciation goes a long ways.  You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

There may also come a day when you might need a favor from one of “them.” If someone’s been consistently appreciative, “they” will be far more willing to do that much needed favor. “They” may be less inclined to do something like that for a taker.

Never forget: it can take many layers of approvals to hire an actor, but only one off-hand negative comment along the way to take them out of the running.  Don’t tempt the odds.

Lesson to be learned:  two words pack a big wallop in this business:  Thank You.  Find a way to use them as often as possible.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised the results that start coming your way.  

Leave the boatload of excuses, attitude, bitterness, meanness, self-entitlement, revengefulness and other manifestations of negativity outside the door.  “They” have their own set of problems, “they” don’t need or want yours.  Why do you think therapists were invented?  They get paid to listen to peoples’ problems and tales of woe, all wrapped up in a thunder cloud of negativity, for a price.

PS:  What’s the companion to “Thank You?”  “Be nice.” So simple.  Be nice to those who can hire or represent you, either now or in the unknown future.

 PPS:  What’s the companion to the companion?  We heard this from an actor we recently booked on a movie:  “Thank you for the work.”  Those words cut through all the day’s clutter.  A beam of white light.  So sweet.  We stopped to appreciate what we just heard.  And we’ll hire him again.

Too often you don’t know who can help you or who can hurt you.  There is not one actor out there who cannot be replaced. We see this in action every day. Make “them” want to hire you, to be part of their universe.  We track actors’ successes (or failures) and these principles are always in their successes, or missing in their failures. We make many choices in lives and careers, these particular choices can be pretty easy, with very obvious, prior proven results.  No mystery here!  We all write our own books.  Your book should be on the Best Seller list, not on the remainder pile.  And, you can do it.  And as a parting little secret, there are more “industry” out there who are behind you, rooting for you and want you to succeed than you would ever know. Now go knock it out of the park.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

WEEKLY TIP FOR 8.7.20 ABOUT THAT CONTRACT….

Read it -- you wrote it! Now act on it!

 We sign all types of contracts in our daily lives:  a lease for an apartment, when you apply for a credit card or open up a checking account and closer to home: a release or voucher for acting or modeling jobs.

You sign contracts for other people, like for an ageing parent.  Have you ever signed a contract with yourself?  It’s called the Personal Contract.  Putting in writing what you owe yourself and expect out of yourself, with deadlines.  Not weak, gratuitous New Year’s resolutions, but more binding, more of a commitment. And results you point to and hold yourself accountable for.

What goes into a Personal Contract?  It starts with a pen and paper or a blank page on your computer, ready to go.  You have two categories:  Professional and Personal.  For the Professional portion, we have a Weekly Tip coming out in a few weeks that will concentrate just on that and will lay out your professional goals for the next six months.  

Now comes the Personal part.  Make a half-hour of personal quality time away from all distractions, including that phone with its incessant begging for attention. Focus your mind and fill in what you are going to do for yourself in the following categories.  Be specific, realistic and maybe a little harsh with yourself.  Goals are now set up with the dates you impose.  Note that some can be on-going.  That means you have to work at them consistently, not just when it crosses your mind.  Check off the accomplished box when done.  And always keep in mind:  if it’s in your head, it’s a dream; if it’s on paper, it’s a plan.\

Accepted by and Agreed to by:

 _____________________________________

(sign your name here)                                   Date

 Now you have a very official looking document YOU are responsible for, just like any other document you have signed.  Just that this one will be a big, positive impact on Number One.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

Weekly Tip for 7.31.20

WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THIS BUSINESS?

Yes, it's #1 - you. Family, friends, support groups are all important and you should have them. Sometimes they're not always there for you or as well-meaning as they try, it's nearly impossible for them to understand what an actor goes through. So when it comes down to toughing it out in this business, especially during this pandemic, a lot of actors find the landscape pretty lonely. The self-doubts, competition, negativity, rejection, a stalled career, or worse, a feeling of no career, it's very difficult for "them" to identify with what you're going through. Talk about isolation en extremis. That 2:00 am in your apt. getting out a mailing can be mighty lonely. Is this "acting" thing worth it? That's when you have to treat yourself well. Because maybe nobody else will. It could be something as simple and immediate gratification as a box of Teuscher's dark chocolate Champagne truffles (that one works for me, consumed in one sitting). Or buy some other little extravagance that won't break the bank. Lifts the spirits, refreshes your outlook on life. Actually read a classic book - or a dishy one. They both can have the same effect, amazingly. Take some selfish time for yourself, will clear the head [sometimes called "cleansing the palate"] and centers what's important and what's not. I've seen some of our students come into a Zoom class with long faces, looking like they've had a very bad day. I tell them, Use this class tonight for yourself, as your personal quality time and no one else's. And have fun. Not only does their outlook brighten in degrees over the evening, but their work in class is noticeably better. And they leave class in a great mood. Keep in mind that we're in a business of extremes. The goods are the best you can experience as a human being. The bads are the worst. "Civilians" don't experience these extremes. Developing positive ways of being your own best friend and keeping in balance the other positive inputs in your life will ensure a healthy career and life.

  WHO'S YOUR WORST ENEMY IN THIS BUSINESS?

[There are some things that can't be changed, but many things that can. Think: Serenity Prayer.] That's right, YOU are also your own worst enemy in this business. Not to mention, life. Too often, nobody has to do somebody else in; the actor in question can do it by themselves just fine, thank you. We have seen some actors become radioactive because of their actions to everybody around them. No number of classes or seminars will save this type of individual. And then they strike out to everybody they feel is responsible for their failure. There's no shortage of advice in this business where everybody is a self-professed expert. Heed the word of those who are at the front lines of the business. It is they who know what the real deal is: why careers are made or broken, jobs won or lost, why somebody gets the representation of their dreams or the dreaded "we'll pass." Or thundering silence. Believe it or not, these experts by recognition of their industry peers really do want to help you. Give 'em a chance. You only will benefit. And to do that, you must.... ....Be willing to change bad habits or behaviors to good ones. Behavior modification is not overnight. We are creatures of habit. You've heard of muscle memory; well, there's also habit memory. It's a process that must be worked on continually. The results will come. It's been said we choose friends as sick as ourselves. Do some housecleaning; ditch the losers, they are happy keeping you down with them. It's courageous and a little scary to do, then better quality people will find their way into your life, it's a process of its own. Once you're on your way sweeping away the detritus, you'll feel amazingly strong and accomplished and a much more positive outlook on your career. And life.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

Weekly tip 2.16.18

WHAT KIND OF SIGNALS DO YOU SEND OUT?

Everybody sends out signals to other people.  There are clear, positive winner signals and negative, loser signals. Too often the sendor may not be aware of how they are affecting the sendee.  It’s easy to spot the one that brings in bad vibes into a room. They seem to have that perpetual thundercloud above their head, complete with a permanent bolt of lightening. The emotional vampires; black holes, absorbing all light and energy within 100 yards.  Other people tend to move away from them.  Then there are those who light up a room.  People want to be around them, for the positive, uplifting experience. “Stars” as we know them in our business and in the heavens, coincidentally, give off light and energy.

 A winner or star can walk down a street and all heads turn in their direction. They command attention.  They look important, like a somebody – a somebody that might be able to do something for you.  Conversely, a loser everybody looks through them; just a fuzzy blur never in focus.

 What kind of signals do you give off?  How do you change the feel of a room by you being in it?   Did you know you DO have the capacity to change the feel of a room?   Did you know you have the capacity to affect a number of peoples’ day?  That’s pretty powerful.  Just make it for the better!

 Agents, casting directors and managers all interface and hundreds of actors as part of their job.  What kind of signals do you give them?  Somebody they want to work with?  Do you look happy?  Giving off a good vibe?  Like a winner?  Somebody they’d like to some spend time with?  To send out and you’ll make them look good?  And possibly come back with the job?  And even if you don’t come back with the job, they’ll want to send you out again, because they KNOW you’ll eventually get the “big” one!  

 On a clinical side, some clients we work with when we have a casting demand we put on the stat sheet an actor fills out and brings in the audition room with them, the numbers 1 – 10 in the smallest type size possible at the bottom of the sheet.  We are then told to look at that actor:  how do they enter the room?  What are their clothes like?  Their hair? Their complexion?  Do they look you in the eye?  Happy to be there?  Focused? Have their act together?  Own the room?  Own the copy?  And after the read, how do they exit?  Strong? Like they already have the job? Like you’d want them around for eight hours on a set?  Then we’re asked to assign them a number:  1 to 10.  The sum total of what we have received from the actor.  It’s all part of the audition.  Some clients say keep 8’s and above, toss 7’s and below.  Very surgical; no time for humanity.  Thank you, Mr. or Ms. Client!

 Everybody has the capacity to determine the signals they send out.  You are the captain of your own ship and you can do with it what you want.  What a marvelous position to be in!  If something needs “recalibrating,” get to it.  It is behavior modification – and not necessarily done overnight: it takes work on a consistent basis and it can definitely be accomplished.  And the interesting thing of all this is that not only will you positively affect everybody your coming in contact with (and significantly advance your career), but you’ll feel better for the effort as well. And all this doesn’t cost any money! Talk about a win – win situation!

 Game plan:

 Write down five “signals” you think just might need to be “recalibrated:”

      1. ______________________________________________________

      What to do about it:_______________________________________

Date I would like to start to see permanent results:  ______________

  _______________________________________________________

     What to do about it: _______________________________________

  Date I would like to start to see permanent results: _____________

  _______________________________________________________

 What to do about it: _______________________________________

            Date I would like to start to see permanent results: ______________

  _______________________________________________________

 What to do about it: _______________________________________

            Date I would like to start to see permanent results: ______________

  _______________________________________________________

 What to do about it:  _______________________________________

             Date I would like to start to see permanent results: _______________

  So when do you start this potentially life-changing “signal recalibration?”

 How about right now.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

Weekly Tip 1.19.18

WHO’S YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THIS BUSINESS?

“I’m so Beautiful”

Yes, it’s #1 – you.  Family, friends, support groups are all important and you should have them. Sometimes they’re not always there for you or as well-meaning as they try, it’s nearly impossible for them to understand what an actor goes through.  So when it comes down to toughing it out in this business, a lot of actors find the landscape pretty lonely.  The self-doubts, competition, negativity, rejection, a stalled career, or worse, a feeling of no career, it’s very difficult for “them” to identify with what you’re going through.  Talk about isolation en extremis.  That 2:00 am in your apt. getting out a mailing can be mighty lonely.  Is this “acting” thing worth it?

That’s when you have to treat yourself well.  Because maybe nobody else will.  It could be something as simple and immediate gratification as a box of Teuscher’s dark chocolate Champagne truffles (that one works for me, consumed in one sitting).  Or buy some other little extravagance that won’t break the bank.  Lifts the spirits, refreshes your outlook on life.  Actually read a classic book – or a dishy one. They both can have the same effect, amazingly.  Take some selfish time for yourself, will clear the head [sometimes called “cleansing the palate”] and centers what’s important and what’s not.  I’ve seen some of our students come into class with long faces, looking like they’ve had a very bad day.  I tell them, Use this class tonight for yourself, as your personal quality time and no one else’s.  And have fun.  Not only does their outlook brighten in degrees over the evening, but their work in class is noticeably better.  And they leave class in a great mood.

Keep in mind that we’re in a business of extremes.  The goods are the best you can experience as a human being. The bads are the worst.  “Civilians” don’t experience these extremes. Developing positive ways of being your own best friend and keeping in balance the other positive inputs in your life will ensure a healthy career and life.

WHO’S YOUR WORST ENEMY IN THIS BUSINESS?

I’m so Beautiful, I can’t live . . .

[There are some things that can’t be changed, but many things that can. Think: Serenity Prayer.]

That’s right, YOU are your own worst enemy in this business.  Not to mention, life.  Too often, nobody has to do somebody else in; the actor in question can do it by themselves just fine, thank you.  We have seen some actors become radioactive because of their actions to everybody around them.  No number of classes or seminars will save this type of individual.  And then they strike out to everybody they feel is responsible for their failure.  There’s no shortage of advice in this business where everybody is a self-professed expert.  Heed the word of those who are at the front lines of the business.  It is they who know what the real deal is:  why careers are made or broken, jobs won or lost, why somebody gets the representation of their dreams or the dreaded “we’ll pass.” Believe it or not, these experts by recognition of their industry peers really do want to help you.  Give ‘em a chance.  You only will benefit.  And to do that, you must….

….Be willing to change bad habits or behaviors to good ones.  Behavior modification is not overnight.  We are creatures of habit.  You’ve heard of muscle memory; well, there’s also habit memory. It’s a process that must be worked on continually.  The results will come.

It’s been said we choose friends as sick as ourselves.  Do some housecleaning; ditch the losers, they are happy keeping you down with them.  It’s courageous and a little scary to do, then better quality people will find their way into your life, it’s a process of its own.  Once you’re on your way sweeping away the detritus, you’ll feel amazingly strong and accomplished and a much more positive outlook on your career. And life.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

WEEKLY TIP 1.15.18

ACTOR BASHING

That actor got what he deserved . . .

Seems like it comes with the territory.  “Actors are a dime a dozen.”  “A necessary evil.”  “They’re the bottom of the food chain.”  It’s not necessary to go on.  What is surprising is that the ones making the comments depend on actors for a living.

To put things in perspective:  actors are not at the bottom of the food chain, they’re at the top of the food chain.  Do you know how many jobs actors create?

Studio execs who make far more in salary than most actors could ever hope to make, would be out of work if it weren’t for actors.  And they complain actors make too much.  Want to compare tax returns?

Agents, managers, casting directors, producers, directors, headshot photographers, grips, acting schools, your union employees, makeup artists, most advertising agencies, movie studios and countless other categories owe their living, their jobs, 100% to actors.

How many of “them” secretly envy or wish they could be an actor. Or were at one time and couldn’t take it anymore and slid into something else.   More than you realize.  You are doing what they failed at..  And, yes, we do and are required to, smile a lot (ever notice stars are always smiling, always have smile lines?), for many reasons.  Could be the smile of prevailing in face adversity or of success. And for some, it’s the saying, “f—k ‘em with a smile.”  So nice to twist the knife ever so gently….

Without actors, a lot more people would be joining the unemployment line and driving the unemployment rate even higher.

Without actors, there would be no theatre, movies, TV, commercials, print ads. Our lives as we know it would become very dull very quickly.

And what about TMZ? Cease to exist. Us Magazine? Fold. Theatres? Permanently dark. There’s a long list of those affected.  And what about all those who work for them?  Yes, actors create their jobs.

And rather perversely, without actors, who would be waiting on us at restaurants??  We shudder to think.

One film director after a few drinks and no one else in earshot, confided, “Actors are the money.” Bingo.  Actors are everybody else’s paycheck.

Just remember that the next time “they” look at you.  When you walk into their studio, office or their set.

You’re their job and you’re their paycheck.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

WEEKLY TIP 1.5.18

The 4 D’s of Success

It’s working, it’s working!

We regularly get calls from actors, both aspiring and established, wanting and hoping to hear the five magic words that will make them instantly rich and famous.  Or at least by the end of the week.  Obviously, there is no such thing, no quick fix, but the effects of wishful thinking are very powerful and distorted.  In today’s world, the specter of instant celebrity, instant anything is always in front of us and is breathlessly reported by a gushing press.  Andy Warhol’s remark that everyone is famous for 15 minutes has been shortened to 15 seconds.  What’s not made very apparent is that it’s all over after that brief moment of blazing exposure.  Back to obscurity and to a dream, and waiting tables.  Somebody else is now getting their shot.  And so it goes.

Looking for a bit more longevity?  In an industry where careers can be measured in nanoseconds?

The “4 D’s of Success” can go a long way to ensure a solid, long-term career.  They are: Drive, Determination, Direction & Discipline.

Drive is the fire within you, the conviction that you will make it all costs and let no one deter you.  Are you willing to walk through a brick wall for your career? You want to be a star?  Better get Drive first!

Determination is the long-term application of Drive, setting your sights on a career path you will not stray from or let anyone sway you from.  To loosely paraphrase the great choreographer George Balanchine, “I don’t want dancers that like to dance.  I don’t want dancers that love to dance.  I want dancers that have to dance.”

Direction is the plan: the quality input, guidance and substance into your career you receive from qualified agents, casting directors, managers, instructors, mentors, coaches.

Discipline.  That’s a tough one.  As a performer, you are your own boss.  No one is going to make you get up in the morning (or the afternoon!) and do your auditions, go-sees, emails, self-submissions, classes, whatever.  There is always the temptation to pick up and put down a career as the spirit moves them, to fret away a week or a month, which can stretch to a year and finally the dissolution of a career that never really took off.  The creative excuses are mind-boggling – and only exist in the creator’s mind, too.  No one else buys them.  Keep in mind, every excuse is looked upon by the industry as another reason not to hire or represent you.  We all know if someone wants something bad enough, they’ll find a way.

The actors who flourish are self-starters, they’re entrepreneurial; those that need to be told to do something usually fade from the scene fairly quickly.  The “4 D’s” will get you through the good times, the bad times, the inbetween times. They should be painted on your bedroom ceiling so they’ll be the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning and last thing you see when you go to sleep at night.  Virtually every failure can be attributed to a lack of these “4 D’s.”  And you don’t have to be one of them.

[scottpowerstips-blog]

WEEKLY TIP 11.3.17

Want to make more money?

Want to get more work?

Want to get [better] representation?

Want to survive in this business?

 Two Words:

BE NICE

Tall order in this world at this moment, in this industry at this moment, blah, blah, blah.

Agents, managers and casting directors all agree that being nice is a big factor in all the above “wants.” Yet, too many actors choose the opposite path, with the results speaking for themselves.  The Internet offers such an easy way NOT to be nice.  The holding areas on movie sets are fertile ground for NOT being nice.

 Yes, actors have been called a dime a dozen.  Deny it if you will, but there will always be more to go around than jobs for.  So why make getting a job more difficult?  Never say anything negative about anybody.  You will be found out.  Repeat: you will be found out. You may not be told to your face, but the industry has interesting ways of telling you:  thundering silence, glass ceilings, unanswered emails or submissions, a career that never came together.  And that’s for starters.

 And guess what’s starting to come to town now?  All the showcases from the four-year colleges and acting schools brimming with new actors hoping to make it in New York.  Just what you need: more competition.  They’re ready to replace last year’s crop, perhaps who haven’t made it yet.  Yikes!

 The most successful actors we find are the ones with smiles on their faces, project positive energy, light up a room, and never, ever say a cross word about anybody or anything. They do nice things for people. Some call it random acts of kindness. They don’t have a sense of entitlement that the world owes them a living and can behave any way they want because somebody told them they are “special” and deserving of such actions and attitudes. Consider the source of such misplaced “words of comfort” and you being told what you want to hear, not necessarily what you should hear and you will quickly find the words are hollow in the least and destructive at best.

 More people know you than you think.  Make sure that they think of you in a positive manner.  You don’t know who can help you and you don’t know who can hurt you. Our industry is full of stories of somebody who waited for the exact moment to get even with somebody who wronged them decades ago.  That initial interest from a top agency, dried up.  That career-making role, passed over.  And the actor will never know why.  But others will know why.

 Are these just my thoughts? No, they’re the collective industry’s thoughts.  It’s “the industry” is who makes a decision about you, never forget.

So the next time you’re about to slip into snark mode, catch yourself.  Nobody wants to hear it or should hear it.

As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. And for a group as a whole who are destined in life to always be looking for their next job, goes doubly for them.

So there you have it: two words to guide your career. And while you’re at it, your life.

Be Nice.

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