UTAH SPIRIT, APRIL 2005
This is by no means a comprehensive list or guidebook. Just some basic tips I have picked up in over 50 years of public life. Note the story about radio work at the bottom.
. . .an actor or singer |
. . .a director or producer |
. . .a writer |
| 1. Perform in anything and everything: school plays, community theater, improv groups, stand up, benefits, church, etc. Volunteer to do a radio show. | 1. Perform in anything and everything, then work you way into a position to direct: school plays, community theater, benefits, church, etc. Volunteer to start a theater group. | 1. Write anything and everything. Create a piece until your mind goes blank, then come back and write some more later. DO NOT worry about grammar or punctuation at this stage - just WRITE! Help with school papers. Volunteer to write copy for an ad agency. Write letters to the editor. Submit guest columns to your newspaper. Submit jokes to Reader's Digest. |
| 2. Hang out with anyone and everyone associated with the "business." Volunteer to help. Go on location or behind the scenes any way you can. You must learn your craft - the terminology, the methods, and the "inside scoop." | 2. Hang out with anyone and everyone associated with the "business." Volunteer to help. Go on location or behind the scenes any way you can. Attend film festivals, no matter how small. You must learn your craft - the terminology, the methods, and the "inside scoop." Learn as you go through the steps of first a radio commerical, then a TV promo, then a documentary, then an indie, and finally, a full-length feature. Enter every possible contest along the way. | 2. When working on any piece, write it, then hide it. Put it in a drawer as long as you can - at least a week. You will be surprised when you look at it again! During the editing process, have the GUTS TO CUT. Eliminate redundancies and the obvious, then hide it again. Repeat as needed. Get an outside opinion as you move along. |
| 3. Take every class you can get in to. They will not only help you hone your craft, they will help you rub shoulders with others in the same business - see #2. | 3. Take every class you can get in to. They will not only help you hone your craft, they will help you rub shoulders with others in the same business - see #2. | 3. Take every class you can get in to. They will not only help you hone your craft, they will help you rub shoulders with others in the same business. |
| 4. Convince yourself you are an actor or singer. When someone asks, "What do you do?" Without hesitation you reply, "I'm an actor (or a singer)." If the conversation continues along the same line, you might add, "I moonlight as a truck driver." YOU must believe you are an actor - not a truck driver - first, last and foremost! If you practive affirmations, believe them! | 4. Convince yourself you are an director or producer. When someone asks, "What do you do?" Without hesitation you reply, "I'm a director (or a producer)." If the conversation continues along the same line, you might add, "I moonlight as a truck driver." YOU must believe you are a director - not a truck driver - first, last and foremost! If you practive affirmations, believe them! | 4. Convince yourself you are a writer. When someone asks, "What do you do?" Without hesitation you reply, "I'm a writer." If the conversation continues along the same line, you might add, "I moonlight as a truck driver." YOU must believe you are a writer - not a truck driver - first, last and foremost! If you practive affirmations, believe them! |
| 5. Convince others you are an actor or a singer. Do whatever it takes to display your self confidence without being obnoxious. Live the part. | 5. Convince others you are a director or a producer. Do whatever it takes to display your self confidence without being obnoxious. Live the part. | 5. Convince others you are a writer. Do whatever it takes to display your self confidence without being obnoxious. Live the part. |
| 6. Watch as many movies and television shows as possible. Learn from their success and their mistakes. | 6. Watch as many movies and television shows as possible. Learn from their success and their mistakes. | 6. Read as many books as possible. Learn from their success and their mistakes. |
| 7. DO. | 7. DO. | 7. DO. |
To an aspiring actress, I wrote:
* DO whatever and whenever you can. Little theater. Community theater. Charity appearances. Free voice work. Don't worry about being involved too deeply - it will never happen. I used to think, "Oh, I can't do this or that - what if I get called up?" Just DO everything possible and then look back and see what can be canceled AFTER you get a part. Charity work goes on your resume too, and no one will ask you how much you got paid.
* Headshot/resume. You do NOT need a gazillion photos. This is the biggest con in the world. If an agent tells you he will register you, and "Oh, here is the photographer we recommend...." Be wary Now then, you DO need to cooperate with your agent as to which headshot he will get behind and push.
* Demo. Nuthin' fancy. Save the production cuts for later in the tape. Let them hear your real voice first thing. Keep it short and simple. Most good agents will put you on their CD "book." Those are always :30 tracks or less. They will usually have you come in to their studio to cut a new track, instead of using something you already have. But, you have to prepare your own demo to get to see the agent.
*Be your own agent. Even after you have an agent, promote yourself mercilessly. Send your demo CD and head shot to everyone you can think of, but make sure you tie it in with some project they are working on. "In consideration of The Making of Bridget Bardot, here is my wonderful demo!"
*Internet. Do a web search for casting directors in your area. You will have no way to know who to trust, but I have found the web search engines like google.com rank the sites that are "hit" most often at the top of their search. Call a couple of them before you settle on which one to use. If you settle on one, VISIT and talk to the agent who will represent you. He must believe in you and want to promote you - nobody on the Internet can see you, get to know you. On the other hand, once you are signed up with an agent, it will be essential that he either has a CD-ROM Book (of talent) or an Internet site, or both. Of course, if you start with a guy/gal who is smaller, he won't have the bells and whistles, but he will have more time for you personally.
*Union. Utah is a "right-to-work" state, so affiliation isn't necessary. It does mean, however, you won't get union wages. I'm sure Missouri is union, and the sooner you get your SAG card the better. If you already have an AFTRA card, it is now the same thing. Put "SAG" somewhere on your resume where it will be seen, but not obnoxious. Most of the casting calls you get will only be union.
*Hang out. Be with people who are in the flow. Just hang. You'd be surprised what you can pick up by just listening. Oh, yes, everyone else there will be doing the same thing. Still. . . .you gotta go public.
The most important thing is. . . .DO. Do anything and everything now that will further your career.
An actor must believe in herself. She must KNOW she is an actor. No shy looks, no heming and hawing. Don't say, "I'm a waitress right now, but some day I hope to be an actress." Instead, believe it when you say, "I'm an actress. I am between parts right now." Believe it with every fiber of your being. If you don't, you aren't.
Have confidence. If you have to use affirmations, use them.
Training; Of course any classes you take are great. Workshops are just as good. You will learn to lead with your upstage foot, hold the phone in your upstage hand, and keep going when something goes wrong. NEVER - on stage on in an audtion - say anything remotely resembling, "Oh, I screwed up." Don't EVER stop the action if you make a mistake - play through it. The director will tell you if he wants you to stop. Until you hear "cut," KEEP GOING and STAY IN CHARACTER.
Now then, the toughest part of acting is learning NOT TO ACT. It has to be so natural everyone believes you, including yourself. Lee Strasberg was the proponent of method acting, and taught tricks like imagining your cat getting run over if you need to cry, and remembering your 16th birthday when you need to laugh. Whatever system you use, make it real, not phoney. Now, this is where you can talk to the casting director or director during an audition IF you get the right vibe. "Would you like to see that again, with a little more emotion?" Normally, don't volunteer, but if he starts talking to you, that means he is interested. On the other hand, if you deliver, and he says, "Thank you, we'll get in touch," (losers are NEVER called) why not ask if you can try a different way. If you get a second chance, for crying out loud, make it different the second time. If you need to compose yourself first, turn away, get in your new character, and then turn back. You won't get a third chance UNLESS he loves the heck out of you - there are 400 more people waiting outside.
Always play it down. The director will tell you if he wants you to crank it up.
Get a book of scenes. It may say something like "audition scenes" or "practice scenes," whatever. The point is, go through every two-part script you can find with David. Practive memorising. Get a wide variety of scenes to learn, including Shakespeare. (No, do not learn the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene.)
Never look at the camera. With all the lights glaring on you, most often you will not be able to pick something to look at, so find a spot in space.
Never cut your hair - well, almost never. The director will take care of that. It is easier to cut your hair than to have it grow out.
Well, that's about it. Eat, drink and sleep theater. The rest will take care of itself.
To yet another, I wrote:
Acting is a very tough profession. Very tough.
The hours are long and hard, and there is a great deal of jealousy between actors.
There are a lot of mean people.
The Osmond family tried to get away from the mean people, and built a studio in Orem, near Provo. It did not succeed. They have now found success in Branson, Missouri. It has taken decades! Marie just wrote a book about Depression.
It is very hard for a [religious person] to be an actor, because you will constantly be asked to swear and do things you know are not right.
Every once in a while, someone will put an ad in the paper advertising for talent. What they are actually looking for is your money. Legitimate agents do not advertise like that. The crooked ones are just trying to get you to sign a contract and pay THEM money! It doesn't work that way -- a real agent pays YOU (after you work)! If they try to sell you acting lessons as "part of a package deal" - RUN! If they try to sell you a "photo shoot" as part of a package deal - RUN! These bad guys will trick you by saying "You need $1,000 worth of pictures for your portfolio." That is a lie. You only need ONE photo -- one that you and your agent agree will work. For a child, you will need a fresh photo every six months.
Read all about [an agency] on their web site - notice how almost ALL of their web pages link to one - the "give us money up front" page.
I am not saying [the agency you are loking at] is crooked, but I have known of many who are crooked. Unfortunaetly, they prey on the young and dreamers. They praise you and pump you up, and then AFTER you sign and commit to spending money, little flaws crop up "you need to work on," and they tell you, "you should be ready in about six months." As with all good con-artists, they WILL forward one girl or another into an actual job, and she will come back gushing with how much fun it was. Just be very careful.
If you are the lucky ONE girl, watch up for "nasty old men" who will lead you further and further away from your standards as they shoot more and more suggestive photos.
Amanda, I know this is NOT what you want to hear, but trust me, my dear, I DO know what I am talking about. I care about you a great deal, and I do not want you to be either tricked OR hurt. Take my advice and file it somewhere in your mind, and then go see what is out there. Just - BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!
You will need to find a legitimate agent and then schedule an appointment. He or she will ask you to read a script "cold" (without rehearsing), and might ask you to perform a memorized conversation. You may have to go back a couple of times, but if you have no chance of making it in the business, a good agent will tell you.
Allow yourself a specific time period to "make it" in the business. If you go to 100 auditions, or try without success for 3 years, you might guess something is wrong with your presentation.
At your age, the best thing you can do is make preparations by performing in every single school and church play imaginable.
The very first rule of an actor - YOU must believe you are an actor. If someone asks you what you do, you will automatically respond, "I am an actor." You won't say, "Oh, I hope to be an actor some day." Attitude - you must believe in YOURSELF!
Perform. Perform to your family. perform to a mirror. Perform to your classmates. BUT, that does not mean "show off." That does not mean "be the class clown." That means, look for every opportunity to "work" an audience.
Hmmm, I just had a flash of inspiration.........teach American Sign Language to as many people as you can. If you can't hold the attention of your students, you will never grab the attention of a talent agent, a casting director, or a producer. It will be good practice.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER apologize.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER start your act (magic, ASL, comedy) with a sentence like, "I hope this works. I'm really nervous tonight, and I haven't practiced this very much." THE AUDIENCE WILL BELIEVE WHAT YOU TELL THEM - tell them you are unprepared, and they will believe you! Tell them you are great, and they will believe you. (Just don't overdo it!)
If you should decide inside your head, "Oh, I think I made the wrong choice with that presentation," it is perfectly all right to tell a casting director, "I would like to try a different approach to this same scene." If you do that, however, make sure there is a difference in the second presentation.
Find a good acting coach.
"Break a leg, Amanda!"