Monday, May 20, 2013

The Audition

So, you got that call you've been waiting for, for God knows how long. Your agent finally calls you with an audition. (or the casting director themselves, if you don't have an agent) You're so delighted. You tell everyone about it, you tweet about it, post it on facebook, maybe you even go out for a celebratory drink, aaannnnddd then you don't even prepare for it properly. Sound familiar? Or are you wondering, "what are you on about 'I don't prepare properly'. Of course I prepare properly"

The question is, do you actually know how to prepare properly? This is a common stumbling block when I speak to a lot of actors, and it's very evident, when auditioning actors, or watching back audition tapes, that there was very little preparation, or at least, no where near enough preparation done.

The problem is, having attended drama school, where they really teach you pretty much nothing about what the real world is like, actors come out thinking they're professionals. Well, here is a wake up call, YOU'RE NOT! You've been moulded, and maybe a couple bricks of a foundation have been laid out, but you are certainly nowhere near a finished article. I mean seriously, do you think Usain Bolt doesn't train everyday? do you think he doesn't practice constantly and really know the ins and out of everything. Do you think he is 100% prepared before he competes? Of course he is. Well, actors, so should you.

Training with an acting coach is essential. Go through the sides with them. Break down your script. Establish your moments, beats, subtext, and create your character. Their backstory, where they've just come from preceding the scene you're about to read. Make sure you're off book. Yes, you can hold your audition sides in your hand whilst reading, to refer to just in case you forget a line, but make sure you've memorised what you're about to read. Lastly, be confident. Make your choices and stick to them. Nothing looks worse than a nervous actor not sure what they're doing. Casting directors can tell if you're nervous, or haven't prepared properly. It's very obvious to them. A lot of the time you're reading for the house, not the role, so make sure you give them a good impression of yourself to get called in by them again.

Remember, you're a brand, and you have to market that brand in the right way. The object is to leave a casting office knowing you've done your best and knowing there shouldn't be a reason why that office doesn't call you in again. Make sure your headshot looks like you and that your reel is as up to date as possible.

Take control of your career. No one else is responsible but you. Is this your life? If it is, treat every aspect of your career in the same way you would value your life. It's step one to a long and successful career.

Till next time. Have a wonderful week ahead.

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Business of Acting

Good day to you all.. Wow, it's been a crazy last few months. A lot, surrounding the business side of things. A common question is derived from this.."What do you mean business side of things?" Well, that's just it. Acting is a business. Actors have to treat their job as a business. It's those actors who do treat their job as a business that have a one up on the rest.

There are many different ways in which you could increase your chances of being noticed as an actor. But the most important thing is dedication, passion, and also very importantly, INVESTING in yourself. A lot of actors do not invest in themselves, and it leaves the question to be answered.."How serious are you really about your career?" It's amazing to hear all the excuses and reasons and explanations behind why an actor can't invest in themselves. Sometimes it's actually quite funny actually.

It's the little things that make the HUGE difference. What do you do when you have had an audition? Do you follow up? A nice little touch would be to send the casting director a little note saying thank you. A postcard is usually the best way to go about it..Obviously with your picture on the back. What about if you book with a job. Do you thank the casting director? Send them a little gift to show your gratitude. These personal touches really make a difference. And trust me, you will definitely stand out from the rest. The whole point of marketing yourself is by keeping yourself in the casting directors mind.

Marketing materials are absolutely vital to an actor. Headshots, COLOUR ONLY!!! Forget the black and white nonsense. Make sure you tell your photographers that you only want colour before booking your session. A reel. Now this is the best topic for excuses. "I haven't got footage yet" "It didn't come out with very good quality" Here's the thing..Don't cheapen your brand constantly doing free work of very poor quality. The are new directors that just don't have the experience to really capture moments from you. Rather than putting together a compilation of free work you've done, actually film something specifically for you reel, or in fact, shoot a reel from start to finish. Get together with 3 or 4 actors and choose your scenes carefully showing as much diversity as possible. And have a good quality director shoot for you. It can be done in one day and doesn't necessarily need to cost too much. Of course if you have good quality footage from work you've done, it doesn't apply in this case.

Business cards are another essential marketing material you should have on you. Nice little colour picture on it with essential details. Name, telephone number and email address. And finally, as I mentioned earlier, postcards. All essential to an actors business. A lot of questions arise regarding websites. The best thing with websites is to keep it simple. Having spoken to a lot of casting directors and agents about this, the general response is to have your headshots and cv on there as well as a reel. No need to write essays about yourself and who you are etc. Just have on there the essentials that casting look for.

Well, that's enough from me this time. Feel free to add comments and ask questions regarding this post. I'll be happy to respond.

Have a great weekend all.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

An Actor's Mentality

Most people would be able to tell you that actors are crazy, and in some part, yes, this is true..We are a little strange..definitely don't have the 9-5 type mentality and are a little discombobulated at times. It's amazing how those outside our industry just can't get their head around who we are and what we do. There are amazing questions that are asked, and yes, whilst I admire their wish to remove their ignorance, sometimes it's just a case of wondering whether it's actually them that are crazy.

We've all had it, those absolutely ridiculous questions. "How's the acting going?". "Go on then, what have you been in?". "Is it working?". I mean seriously, what on earth does that mean? "Is it working?" Is what working exactly? I wouldn't even know how to begin to answer that question. I don't even know if it's a legitimate, or uneducated question. I mean, my PROFESSION, is an actor. That's my job. It's how I make a living. You don't see me going up to a teacher or a banker and asking them, "Is it working?" They'd probably look at me and wonder if I need to see a psychotherapist. Or better yet, wonder if I am actually in therapy at the moment.

I would definitely much rather hear, if it's necessary to ask a question anyway, "How's work?". I'm sure most actors would agree. Actors are much more likely to be less defensive and less closed off when asked this question.

But here's the funny thing..And something that amuses me the most..Those people who call themselves an actor that don't even train. I think this may be the funniest, most common occurrence within the entertainment business. Notice how I use the word, 'business'? That's exactly what it is, A BUSINESS. One can't run a business without having the knowledge and constantly learning, or at least looking to learn from those that are most successful. When it comes to acting, the most successful ones are those that fine tune their craft. They know what's going on out there and who's doing what.

I'm sorry to say, but 3 years in a drama school does not make you an actor. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will not be stuck in the situation you're in. You need to continue to train all the time. Unless of course you're working and your schedule doesn't allow it. If you keep doing the same thing again and again, don't expect to get different results. You'll get the same outcome every time. Why do we see less and less new faces in movies, TV etc. Quite simply, it's because the new are not doing what the old do. Do your research. Know everything there is to know about the person that inspires you the most. Find out what they did to separate themselves from the rest..and yes, there are cases where your inspiration happened to be in the right place at the right time, but don't rest on that and think it will happen to you. Most likely, it wont. Ask yourself why the actors that won Oscars this past weekend, did win.

What are YOU going to do TODAY in order to get a DIFFERENT result tomorrow?
Think about it... :)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Entertainment Awards Season

So it's that time of year in Hollywood. So far we've had the Golden Globe Awards and just this past Sunday, The SAG awards. Congrats to the winners, but also the nominees. It is an honour to be nominated for an award, but obviously for the SAG awards, even more so because it's our peers that vote. It's nice to be acknowledged by our friends and those who have worked closely with us. All of this of course, leads up to The Academy Awards (Oscars) wrapping up this season which I'm sure will send some surprises our way as always. Looking forward to see Billy Crystal host again, but a shame that Eddie Murphy will not be after the fiasco with Brett Ratner and Eddie's subsequent withdrawal.

Young, and not so established actors, directors, producers etc always dream of making it to an awards night, and I imagine this was still definitely the case when watching both Golden Globes and SAG awards this year. The amazing thing however, is the amount of artists in London who don't even have a clue about what's even going on with regards to award nights etc. It comes back to the same, shameful, "I want to be famous" phrase. I'm so sick of seeing artists, actors especially, who don't take acting seriously, they just want to be famous...Go make a sex tape or something..Don't do a disservice to our wonderful industry and insult our craft..There are people who work just too hard to watch these kind of people come in and just ruin everything they've worked for.

There's also the "I've set up a production company" phrase. This is usually actors who can't get a job as an actor. Don't give up. As I said in my last post, ACTORS, DON'T GIVE UP!! Keep banging on that door till it is opened for you, because it definitely will as long as you stick with it.

Maybe casting directors need to open up a little. Anyone been watching "Got to Dance"? Well, during the auditions, a 48 year old Sunderland fan came on and most people's reaction was, "oh no, what's he going to do?" Anyone see that? Well, if you didn't, he absolutely blew the crowd and the judges away with a self choreographed little dance routine, and Ashley Banjo said it perfectly, "You just look at someone and human nature just kicks in and you judge them, and then you see what they do and you go wow". Well casting directors out there. Let someone you've never seen before make you go "wow". Give the actors the opportunity they deserve. Don't judge them before you see them. It's happened to me many times in the past. I have had amazing reactions and surprised reactions, but that's only because they had never seen what I could do before. There are so many actors out there that can do the same thing, but just never get the opportunity..

Time for a change maybe? We shall see. Till next time folks, ActorWithAVoice, signing out.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Actor Restrictions

This week has been a bit of a strange one. I tend to surround myself with as many industry folk as possible and there are always trending topics that come up. One that struck me this week was that of the restrictions faced by an actor trying to get themselves out there.

Now, we all know that acting is a business first, and art second. Those that don't understand that, should understand it and never forget it. You are a product that you need to promote, and without this, it's death to an actor. The first thing that everyone wants, is and agent. And yes, this is quite important, but the amount of agents out there that don't give actors a look in, is astonishing. It's that funny saying, "All the bad actors out there have agents, but the good ones are stuck in the bin."

How does the good actor grab the attention of that agent? Why are they not getting noticed? A lot of the time it's because they're not business savvy and aren't using the right tools to help themselves. Head shots (COLOUR, NOT BLACK AND WHITE), a reel, business cards, maybe even post cards. These are all essential for an actor, to send out to agents and even to casting directors. I'm a firm believer in that if you keep knocking, sooner or later, someone will open the door.

Yes, there are those that just refuse, but don't stop trying. Never give up. Get yourself into a good acting class, casting director workshops, somewhere where you will have the opportunity to be seen or noticed. Never think that you are good enough and should be working all the time. An actor improves everyday and should persist in choosing to do so rather than thinking it will come because they're good enough.

As difficult as it may seem, due to the fact a lot of casting directors refuse to stray away from what they know, ie. actors with names, or actors they've seen previously, continuing to pursue with what you believe in is essential. Sooner or later, you will get seen. Just make sure you're ready. And I mean ready by being properly trained. Knowing what producers/directors are looking for and showing them exactly that.

And if it comes down to it, film your own stuff..Get a team together that you can trust and make shorts or anything of that sort. Send them out to festivals. GET SEEN!!!

Well, it's time for me to say goodbye..Enjoy your weekend, and be sure to share this blog with your friends and loved ones!! Remember, you can subscribe here to the left of the screen, that way you don't miss out when a new post is up.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Happy New Year: It's 2012

Hey guys, I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's Eve celebration and the head throbbing didn't last too much longer afterwards. Sorry I was MIA last week, but oh my what a bang 2012 has been so far. It's been busy busy.

I've been thinking since Christmas of what my New Year blog would be and couldn't for the life of me decide. There's so much to talk about. But only last night I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, not in the industry, that I've been to the theatre with quite a lot and we discussed all that we had seen.

There was a common topic we discussed. The acting level. Mostly within musicals. It's borderline terrible. I understand that with musicals, the actors have to be able to sing, but thats just it, "THE ACTORS" must be able to sing. Not the other way round. It seems as though these casting directors don't care about the acting but only the singing. The only musical I saw in 2011 that I thought was good acting wise and singing wise, was Wicked. Absolutely sensational performances from a thoroughly talented cast. But other musicals such as The 'Lion King' and most shockingly for me, 'Phantom of the Opera', the acting was so poor it was almost sickening to watch. Yes, ok, they could sing, but the poor acting performance most definitely overshadowed this.

This brings us to a much bigger issue here in London. Have those 'decision makers' lost it? Are they still stuck in the 60's and 70's? I mean the whole black and white headshot is a perfect example of the poor effort to move along with the times. We need colour head shots..simple!! Also, with casting directors. I mean they are the first point of call. If actors don't impress them by a 'photo', they have no chance of getting in to see them. And when you're asked for a reel, how can you give one if you haven't worked to get the tape in the first place..I mean, it is a vicious cycle..

All in all, the outlook is very bleak unless something drastic happens..It's up to the individual nowadays to make things happen..Let's see how far it goes!!

Feel free to add comments and share this blog with others..Bye for now.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Happy Christmas

A very merry Christmas to all. A great deal of feedback on the last post. I seemed to have set a little stir within the industry. Obviously everyone has their opinions, as do I, but everyone needs to understand that when I blog, it's not to make everyone follow what I say to the exact word, more to get people thinking about what the UK actually has to offer.

Now unfortunately, due to the sheer narrow mindedness of a lot of industry professionals, some of the best actors out there will never achieve their dreams of being a 'working' actor. There are a lot of reasons for this. I'll start with the stupid ones. Actors who just want to be famous..Give me a break. You're an insult to this industry. Then there those actors who refuse to train. I mean seriously, do you honestly think you're going to get anywhere without working on your craft? The funniest is when actors say, "I studied at drama school for 3 years, so I'm a professional actor." I guess the ignorance, in a way, is the fault of the drama schools themselves..I know that RADA and LAMDA tend to tell their actors that they need no more training once they've graduated. I guess that's why so many actors come out of there as the most pretentious actors alive!!

Obviously I could go on and on about the actor, but it's also the casting director, producers, and directors. They're so narrow minded and very rarely give new talent a chance. They stick to what they know. I mean seriously, hands up those of you who are sick of seeing the talentless Danny Dyer on our screens. There is absolutely no invention. Hollywood screams out and cries out for new talent on a daily basis, and I guess that's why our best actors are out there working and not here because let's face it, it is kind of boring here in the UK. Just look at the british TV shows as an example of this.
Are these career deciders going to change their ways? or are they going to stick to the same old thing again and again? We will have to wait and see I guess. That's if any of us are left here.

Anyway, I better be off now. I could seriously go on for ages, but I'm working hard on keeping these posts short enough to keep people interested.

Feel free to post your comments, or ask questions. I may answer them all, I may leave some out ;) And don't forget to post a link for this to your friends if you feel anything I'm saying is worth listening to.
Till next week guys. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!