LARRY MOSS IN ACTION

My last post was about Michelle Danner who is the Executive Creative Director at the Larry Moss Studio. Well, here's a GREAT clip of Larry himself I stumbled onto the other day. I've had the pleasure of interviewing Larry Moss a couple of times, and watching him work on one occasion, he definitely has some kind of Yoda thing going on that can't be denied. Check it out...

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

Got HEADSHOTS?!

MICHELLE DANNER INSPIRES

Michelle Danner is the executive creative director at the Larry Moss Studio. I've known her for years now, and have always been a fan of both her teaching technique, and her ability to push projects, actors, writers, artists to the next level with their work. When Michelle digs her heals in and focuses on something, it gets done! And it happens in the REAL world, in the industry, not just in class, or a one time showcase... she is about results that make careers, events, movies, theater productions happen.

A few years ago when Edgemar was officially opening their new space, Michelle asked me if I could help her film the event. I suggested maybe interviewing people, sort of "press junket" style in the back alley with a couple lights and a backdrop. Well, I didn't realize at the time who was showing up to this thing... it was surreal. I interviewed, in no particular order, Sally Field, Christian Slater, Steven Spielberg, Helen Hunt, and one of my favorite actors of all time... Julia Ormond to name just a few. It was bizarre to sit there and watch one high profile person after another get ushered through this banged up door into the alley for their interview. (you can see some of this footage on their homepage intro-video)

My point is, Michelle is hooked into an amazing group of talented people, and seems to maintain this relationship via the respect they have for her creative vision, and the many forms it takes on via the Larry Moss Studio. The best part is, the thunder she creates is very accessible to her students, they simply have to step up, show some initiative, and grab it.

I'm helping them put together a promotional video right now, that will feature little gems of wisdom like the video posted here.
Please take a second to get familiar with the Larry Moss Studio. There will be much more about Michelle in posts to come!

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

READING the COMMERCIAL SCRIPT

The commercial script is a tricky beast. It's so damn short... sometimes there are no lines, just reactions. As an actor you are presented with the challenge of making something out of very little. Where do you start? What do you do?

Step One... read the script. I'm sure many of you will say "Thanks a lot genius!", but I want to talk about HOW you read the script. First of all , take a second to appreciate the fact that this commercial script (despite being only 1 page) represents a lot of work. The advertising agency pitched and re-pitched... wrote and re-wrote for who knows how long. Certainly there are projects that get slammed together, but usually many hours have been spent creating the campaign you have in front of you. It represents a lot of commerce, and thousands... if not millions of dollars are invested in bringing this script to life.

Because there is so little information, you need to read EVERYTHING at least 3 times. Don't judge it, or make decisions about your acting yet, just read. The titles, the voice over, everything. If you read it once and miss something, (it could be only one word), it may effect how you understand the story and what your plan of attack will be. This happens more then you think, as a matter of fact, I used to fall into this trap as well. As a director, when I first got a script I would fly through it, and instantly start thinking about how to shoot it. Then at some point, I would realize I misread something that was critical to really understanding the full story or purpose. So, giving it a careful read, MULTIPLE times is critical.

Now, try to picture what the commercial will look like. Is it part of a campaign you're familiar with? What is the message... what is the tone? What is the product? Try to SEE it put together in your mind.

At this point, you are ready to start playing with the copy and your character. Sounds pretty basic, I know, but taking a little time with the script, showing it "more respect" if you will, can make all the difference in your audition. I'll just leave it at that... much more about auditions in past posts, and posts to come.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

DIRECTORS ARE FROM MARS

Directors come from different backgrounds, writers, art directors, special effects supervisors… or in my case, well... I played the drums. Therefore, many directors do not know how to talk to actors. It’s simply not their world, they never took an acting class nor pursued acting as a profession. Therefore, as an actor, you may find yourself with no feedback, OR too much detailed feedback from your director. (I'm speaking of commercials, but I'm sure it applies everywhere)

If a director says little to you, it probably means you are doing fine and they feel no need to mess with a good thing. This does not mean you can’t ask questions, or maybe explore on your own… depending on who the director is of course. On the other hand, you may find yourself in a situation where there are so many details being thrown at you, it gets overwhelming. Your acting starts to get very detached and robotic if you are not careful.

My point here is that YOU are responsible for your acting. YOU are your own department, and directors will rely on you to be an expert in your field, just like they rely on their DP’s, AD’s, Production Designers etc. If you are expecting the director to sound anything like your scene study teacher, you will most likely be disappointed. There are exceptions to this obviously, but certainly something to be ready for.

So what do you do when all attention is on you and nothing seems to be working? There’s no hard fast rules here, and all sets/ directors/ personalities are different, but here are some ideas. First of all, don’t panic or show your frustration. It’s just a problem, you simply have to work through it. If you are totally confused, then tell them you are confused and explain why. Try to keep it light and fun, at least within yourself. If you let the tension and stress effect you, things will only get worse. Be in the moment… listen… explore… and trust yourself as an actor to get there.

Moments like these are a test of your acting abilities in the REAL WORLD, not the calm acting class cocoons many of you (especially in LA) spend your time studying in… so embrace it and learn from it, even if it’s a miserable experience on the surface.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

WHAT EVERY ACTOR NEEDS TO KNOW

Financial Core (or Fi-Core). I wanted to put this in here because the point of this blog is to help actors get work, and sometimes the unions designed to protect actors actually prevent them from capitializing on opportunity. They do so in the name of the greater good, but it's important you know your options. Many of you know about Fi-Core, but if you don't... please read on.

Financial Core is a tricky thing, in short, if you are a union member (of any union) and you declare Financial Core, it enables you to do non-union work without leaving or violating the terms of your union agreement. The only catch is you give up some union rights (to the best of my knowledge, health care and pension are not one of them), and may fall victim to people who want to put you on a guilt trip for not being a team player. To be fair, if everyone went Fi-Core the unions would lose their leverage, so you can see how the issue of financial core can draw strong emotions from both sides of the fence.

Why Financial Core? I would probably avoid it if you can, but situations may occur where you need to give it hard look. For example, let's say you are offered a lead roll in a movie that will shoot in Thailand. Originally the producers were going to work with union talent, but realized to make it happen within their budget, non-union talent would have to be hired. They call you, or your manager up, what do you do? There are three options, 1. decline... 2. do it and hope no one finds out (I would not recommend this) or 3. declare financial core (if your union won't play ball with you or your producers). It's a personal choice, a choice you have to make based on your circumstances and where your career is at. That was a true story, and the actor actually turned down the work. I don't know him super well, but I remember his story haunted me. I'm not saying he should have gone fi-core, but to have to turn down that opportunity (when you are a struggling actor) is certainly a drag.
I think this logic also applies to what the union is doing (or isn't doing) to create a job friendly atmosphere. Threats of a strike (that drag on month after month), or long drawn out negotiations are things you have no control over. However, increasing your opportunities by enabling yourself to audition for non-union work is.

Google "Financial Core" and read up on it yourself. You'll notice there are very strong PRO and ANTI articles out there, along with the nueteral one's, so I would read several and ask around. Also, BEWARE, most articles issued by a union will try and scare the crap out of you. They put a nasty spin on it and imply you are committing career suicide. GET ALL THE FACTS, educate yourself, try and talk to a fi-core actor, consider your personal situation, and make the best decision for YOU.

To be clear, I'm not anti-union, or pro fi-core. I simply think all professionals need to be aware of their legal options, especially when opportunities come knocking on your door.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

THE ANATOMY of a CALLBACK

When you walk into your commercial call-back, there is a table ( or couch) of 2 to 8 people staring back at you. Who are these people? What do they do? Who’s really making the decision? Did they get any sleep last night?... they all look tired!

It usually breaks down like this... from the production company you have the Director and Producer. From the Ad Agency you have the Creative Director, Writer (or art director, or both) and Agency Producer. Those are the main players in the room.

Here’s some background. The Ad Agency created the campaign, and probably had to pitch it more then once to their clients (Honda, Verizon, Coke etc.) until it was approved. When they get a green light to go do the commercial campaign, that’s when they hire a director (who’s with a production company), and the director usually takes the lead on who to hire as a casting director. The casting directors contact your agent, your agent contacts you. This is where your headshot is important... but once you get through the door its ALL about your performance.

After the “first call” The casting director sends a DVD, or posts all the auditions for both the director and the ad agency to make their picks. Callback selects are usually done separately, meaning the director does his/her selections… the agency does theirs… and the lists are combined.

I’ll just add this real quick because I get asked this a lot… if you get a call back, YES, wear the same thing if you can, and DO basically the same thing you did in the first call.

The “Call back” is usually the first time everybody making the commercial has been in the same room together, thus it’s no surprise that lines and action get changed or re-worked. So you may walk in to see you have been rehearsing the wrong sides, or you might get asked to read for a different part on the spot. This is all business as usual, so be ready for it.

The Director and Agency usually start making a MAYBE and NO pile as the day goes on. Then, end of day, the debate begins… if casting has gone well there are a lot of choices. Eventually it is the Director and Ad Agency Creative’s who make the choice, but everyone in that room may have a vote or be asked for their opinion. Many times we review the audition more then once before choosing, mix and match, change our minds a few times... it can be difficult and the decisions made by the narrowest of margins.

Then our top 2 or 3 are sent or posted to be presented to a the client for FINAL approval. In other words, it’s usually a guy in a suit, CEO or marketing type who gives the final nod. Sometimes they like the back-up picks, but more often then not go with who the director and agency prefer.

Hopefully this will help you, as an actor, gain some perspective on the (commercial) audition process.
For more specific details on how/why decisions get made, see the blog entry called “Why Didn’t They Pick Me” .

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

ACTORS LOOKS and TYPES for HEADSHOTS

“Looks”...actors want different “Looks”... can I get 3 looks, or 5 looks, in one photo session? etc. When it comes to looks, I think it’s more about quality then quantity. For example, whatever “Look” you have should re-enforce the “Type” you are going for and feel genuine. I see too many so called “Looks” that are nothing more then a change of cloths, and people think they are actually pulling off another “Type”. YES, wardrobe is part of it, but so is location, attitude, and an overall sense of self. Many photographers are good at taking pictures, but not necessarily helping you type yourself... so the more you know specifically what “types” you want the better your outcome will be.

I suggest you concentrate on your top 2 or 3 rolls you feel are right for you... these are your “Types”. Young Mom, Athlete, Blue Collar Employee, The Suit, College Student, Dad, etc. and go for variations of these characters. Type Casting yourself is not always easy, so ask your friends, teachers, and agents (if you have one) to help you. The more objective they are the better. You want honesty, and you have to be honest with yourself. YOU are the product you are marketing, so this is like “research” to see how the public perceives you.

Here’s a common type-casting exercise I’ve done many times with actors. I have each actor come up to the front of the class one at a time. They sit down facing everybody else, and say nothing. Just based on looking at the person, the other actors jot down their first impressions. I usually give them a sheet of adjectives, and “Types” to help them. Then I have the person on the hot seat show us his or her headshot(s). More often then not, the headshot does not match the “vibe” of who we see in front of us.

This is a great exercise that allows actors to learn what types they naturally carry with them, and at the same time provide a headshot reality check.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel