Film
Make It Zero Trafficked Girl Melt, ATL
I’m Not Ashamed High School Student Visible Pictures, LLC
Fiscal Policy Jordan Higher Rock Education
Love Different Female Diner Sonset Friday Entertainment
Modeling
Knoxville Fashion Week Model
A few weeks ago I was asked to read for an independent feature film. I read
the description of the character and wondered why I was being called in to read.
The guy was about 10-15 years younger, heavy and balding. As I normally do, I spend
almost all of my time preparing by reading the sides (the portion of the script I am reading
for the audition), and not get caught up in being concerned if the character does not physically match my statistics.
Sometimes the writers, producers and directors are not 100 percent sure what the person should
look like, or perhaps they are considering many different types.
It is also possible that even though you are reading for one role, they are considering you for a number
of different roles.
As it turned out the character I read for in the movie “Bruce All Mighty” was eventually
booked by an African American women!!
So the point it, if they are bringing you in to read, trust that they know what they are doing.
Signed with The Brock Agency
Training Film for 123Triad.com
It is very easy to feel paranoid in this business. Since we are selling ourselves, it is essential we never take any type of rejection personally. Everything is a business, not a personal decision.
A friend of mine told me about a feature film audition she recently attended. She asked me if I auditioned as well because there was one part that was perfect for me. I had not been called in to read for the film.
So, I called my agent to see if she had submitted me for the project. The agent explained to me that when she gets information about a new casting, she submits the talent who are perfect for the part. Then (at least with this casting director) it is the casting director who decides which actors will be asked to read for the role. I was told that I was submitted for the audition, but not requested to be seen by the casting director.
There are so many reasons why the CD (casting director) might or might not want someone to read for a role. It could be age, ethnicity, height, look, perhaps she already has someone in mind for the part, who knows. At least I knew that my agent was representing me well, and submitting me for parts that seem right for me.
Have you ever experienced not getting a call about a go-see or audition? If so, let us know how you dealt with it. Leave a comment below.
Theater:
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Mr. Salt LePetit Theatre, Houma, LA
Little Shop of Horrors – Customer & Audrey puppeteer
LePetit Theatre, Houma, LA
Aladdin, – Genie LePetit Theatre, Houma, LA
I want to make this very clear from the beginning of this blog, that I am not saying my ideas are correct or should be used by everyone, but only that this is how I am currently running my acting and modeling business.
Years ago, I would accept most auditions, jobs or go-sees, even if it meant completely changing any personal plans I might have previously made. I would not cancel a vacation, but other personal plans would generally get moved to accommodate work. Over the past number of years, I have begun to change that philosophy, especially, when it comes to keeping my family plans.
Last Friday, I was in New York attending a go-see. While I was about 30 minutes from my home, I got a phone call from an agent asking me to attend a go-see in New York, the next day (Saturday). I had already made some family plans for Saturday. My son will be coming back home from a trip, my daughter will be leaving for college in about ten days, and I have some relatives coming over to visit.
My modeling/acting and workshops have me traveling quite a bit. I quickly thought about not wanting to turn down the go-see, but I also knew how much I wanted to spend some special time with my family. I chose to turn down the go-see.
If it were a local go-see, I would have accepted it but, going to New York would have been a full-day adventure and I would have missed the entire day with my family. I realize that I need to make a living, so turning down projects is not something I do very often. However, I have come to realize that as important work is to me, it is not as important as my family.
Let others know if you have ever had to make a decision between work and family. Leave a comment below
FILM/TELEVISION
She’s in the Details Lead Georgia Dawson Snagah Studios, LLC
Cuddly Bunnies Lead 7th Wife Citra Prod.
New Indie Film – http://www.indiegogo.com/sitd
COMMERCIALS/INDUSTRIALS
Stephen Hunter’s Dead Zero Lead La Femme Hatch Entertainment
THEATER
The Tempest as “Miranda” up at Baltimore’s Theatre Project with D.N.A. Theatre
Eat the Runt Lead New Merrittt A.H. Spotlighter’s Theater
An agent from New York just called me about an audition for a television show. My agent submitted my head shot, and the casting director asked me to read for her. Not only was I going to get the chance to read for a TV show, I was actually requested by the casting director. That doesn’t mean that I am going to book the job, but it does mean the casting director liked my look and thought I was perfect for the role. I was also excited about making a strong new contact. Not only could I possibly book a TV show, I could also be considered for many more projects with this casting director. So far everything sounded great.
Then my agent said the role called for someone with a German accent. Unfortunately, my German accent isn’t great, and I knew that I could not master it by the next day!
I had to make a quick decision. Do I go to the audition and try to fake the accent – or turn it down? Well, I turned it down, and here’s why: I didn’t want to embarrass myself, ruin my agent’s reputation, or introduce myself to a casting director in a negative way. Better to wait for an audition I am better suited for, and deliver a great read. As a side benefit, it was a great opportunity to speak with my agent about the types of auditions that would be best for me.
In this tough market, don’t make decisions out of desperation. Do everything you can to make wise choices that will help you now and in the future.
Have you ever accepted an audition that you wish you hadn’t, or turned down an audition? If so, I would love you to share your experiences and leave a comment below.
Offered representation by The Wallis Agency, Los Angeles
I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but I am sitting here on a Sunday, looking out the window, and seeing a torrential downpour. This seems like the perfect time to create this blog for you.
In the past few weeks, I have driven over 1000 miles traveling to auditions, call backs and jobs. I want to share some of my experiences with you so that perhaps, you will be better prepared if these things happen to you.
In my acting/commercial modeling workshops, I always tell people that after the audition or go-see, it is good to analyze your performance. It is very helpful to figure out if there were some changes you should have made to improve your audition or go-see.
Once you are done evaluating your audition and go-see, it is time to stop thinking about it, and not place any energy on wondering if you booked the job.
There are too many factors that go into the hiring process that quite often it has less to do with your actual audition, and more to do with a look that is needed. Constantly sitting by the phone – hoping to hear that you booked the job can be very stressful and unproductive.
Having said that, there was a job that I really wanted and didn’t get. The agent told me that the part I was reading for on this TV series was already cast, but the actor and production company could not agree on financial terms. This was a principal role that would have lasted 8 episodes. No luck. I have to say, I was thinking about that job quite a bit. Then I had call backs for a TV spot that would have been fun, didn’t get that one either. There were a few print go-sees, one of them actually paying over $20,000, didn’t book that as well. Then out of nowhere, I get a booking without having to audition. The people saw my head shot, and video reel, on my web site site.
The point is, sometimes it can be tough. There can be a lot of traveling involved with absolutely no guarantee of booking anything. It is so important that like a baseball player who just went hitless the last 5 or 6 times at bat, you have to go into the next audition like you just hit a grand slam. Casting directors and photographers can easily smell desperation, or sense when the talent does not have confidence. It is rare for actors or models to get booked when not exuding positive feelings about themselves. Even if you are not feeling confident, you must use your acting skills, and show that positive feeling to the world at each audition and go-see.
Let others know what you typically do after an audition or a go-see. Leave a comment below.
Theater:
Dearly Beloved –Wiley Hicks New Depot Players GA
Licensed Instrument Rated Private Pilot w/250+ hours
PADI Certified Divemaster and Rescue Diver
Whenever I have auditioned for a film/TV or a commercial, I am always very familiar with the words, but only on rare occasions will I have them memorized. In most situations, I will have the words memorized for a call back, and certainly have them committed to memory for the job.
I just had a chance to sit and talk with a manager and a casting director who are based in L.A. The manager works with some really successful actors and the casting director is currently casting a kids, TV show. They both said the same thing to me. If the actor is given the script a few days prior to the audition, they are expected to have it memorized. I was really surprised.
And, I also talked with another manager who said just the opposite. He always wants his talent to be very familiar with the words, but never memorize them for an audition. He believes that when the lines are memorized, the casting director will think that the read will be the best the actor can do. If the lines are not memorized, and the audition is great, they will think that the performance will be even better once the actor is off book.
So, when I am auditioning for a project, if I can easily memorize the lines I will, but typically, I make sure I am extremely familiar with the lines, and will occasionally refer to the sides during the audition. I try and mix both of what was told to me. If you are ever auditioning for a role online, I would recommend you ask your agent to see if the lines need to be memorized for the audition.
After 27 plus years in the business, I am still learning new things all the time.
Let me know about your experiences with memorization. Leave a comment below.
Some actors/models blame their agent when work is slow. I want to share an experience I just had with an agent (about a potential job) that will be helpful to you.
I received a phone call from an agent wanting to know if I could work as an extra on a TV spot. Because it was a Union job, and shooting all night, I could earn about $300. I wanted the job. I called the agent the next day to see if I got the booking, and she told me the client decided to cast someone else.
There are so many factors that go into getting cast, and tons of reasons why you might not get chosen. For instance: you might be too beautiful, and would not look like you would be married to the husband who has already been cast. Maybe you look like the director’s ex-wife, and he doesn’t want to be reminded of a bad experience. Perhaps you do not look like you belong in the family with the mom and dad who have already been cast – you could be too tall or short, and not match up well with other family members. It is possible your look is so strong that you would stand out too much, and people would not focus on the product.
The point is, you can only ask your agent to submit you for projects. Sometimes, there are many other people who have to decide who is going to get cast. The fact of the matter is, your agent has nothing to do with the decision as to who gets cast for a project.
Have you ever lost a job or did not get a job you expected? Share your experiences with others. Leave a comment below.
I had an interesting experience while I was in Los Angeles that I want to share with you.
You never know how things can work in this industry. There is an agency in New Orleans that has started submitting me for film work. While I was in Los Angeles, the agency called to say that they had submitted my head shot to the casting director of a Brad Pitt movie. She wanted me to read for the role of a doctor. The casting director was in New Orleans at the time, but, she told me to just go to her Los Angeles office, and her assistant would simply shoot the audition from her casting office.
I thought the audition went great, but I know that there is not any connection between a great audition and booking the job. Since I am based on the East Coast, this was the first time I had the opportunity to audition for a project in Los Angeles.
Although the buildings, traffic and geography were different, once I got in front of the camera, I didn’t notice any difference between auditioning in NY or LA.
As it turned out the movie was called Curious Case of Benjamin Britton, and unfortunately I did not book the role.
Have you ever auditioned outside of your regular area? If so, I would like to hear if you found any differences
between the markets. You can leave a comment below.
Signed with Wilhelmina
Theater:
Toured with TheaterWorksUSA in their
production of Freedom Train as
Harriet Tubman
I recently learned about a company that hires actors and models mostly for promotional work (http://www.cmtagency.com). After filling out the company’s registration form on-line, they submitted me for a convention job that was taking place in Washington, D.C. I was cast. The job was for an amazing heart monitoring machine. My job was to lay very still on a table, from 10:00-4:00, with four electrodes attached to my chest. The thousands of critical care nurses, who attended this event, could see my heart rate, stroke volume and 12 other vital pieces of information that the machine offers.
When I first accepted the job, I thought this might be the weirdest booking I have ever accepted. As it turned out, it was a very fascinating booking. Besides learning a lot about cardiac issues, I also learned how to focus and stay extremely calm for hours at a time. In some ways, it was like being in a meditative state for long stretches.
This can be a funny industry, and one never knows what type of booking is waiting for you down the road. I find it extremely helpful to open up and try new experiences. You never know what you will learn.
Let me know if you ever experienced this type of work. Leave a comment below.
Theater:
Christmas Star
For many years I was trying to get representation with a particular agent in the New England area. For whatever reason, I would never hear from the agency after mailing them my new head shot, comp card and cover letter. This has been going on for years.
About two weeks ago I sent out an E-mail up-date letter to about 600 agents, producers, photographers, art/creative directors from ad agencies and casting directors. These are people who I have either auditioned for or worked with over the years. Amazingly the agent from New England wrote back and said that she wanted to work with me, and asked me to send her my new head shot and comp card.
I don’t know if this agent decided to represent me now because one of their actors or models in my category decided to leave, which opened up a space for me. Or, perhaps they learned that there really is work (which means money for the agent) for someone like me, who looks like everyone’s next door neighbor, or maybe they just got tired of saying no!!!
Sometimes it is hard to understand why people are and are not interested in either hiring us for a booking or wanting to represent us.
The main thing is that no matter what happens, just keep moving ahead, keep trying new ideas, appreciate your abilities and specialness, never take things personally, and always feel proud of what you are doing.
Sometimes being persistent is the difference between having success or just giving up and feeling angry.
Let me know if have ever experienced searching for an agent. What was helpful to you in your search, and what were some of the problems that occurred? Leave a comment below.
TV Commercial: IDT Phone Card
Theater: The Redeemer Lead Brazilian Baptist Church
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