THE ACTORS NETWORK

I've mentioned a few organizations on this blog, surprised I haven't mentioned this one yet. If it's not on your radar it should be. Here is the intro from their website along with a video worth watching. A little long, but great, insightful info.

The Actors Network is a unique, award winning organization which helps actors with the business half of the acting profession. Actors, in all stages of their career, can get to the next level using the benefits, tools, and expertise provided by membership. Since its founding in 1991 The Actors' Network remains the only organization of its kind in the world. The Actors' Network has dozens of successful alums and members, from Masi Oka (Heroes), Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty), Tamara Braun (Days of Our Lives) and Amir Talai (The Ex List, CBS Fall 2008)! The Actors' Network is the on-going beacon of knowledge, harnessed and presented by veteran leaders, that no university nor class offers. Knowledge is power!

- Scott Young
Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

CAREER TRAINING FOR ACTORS

When I told my parents I was moving to LA, they thought I was nuts. Of course, I wasn't going to do the stereotypical acting thing... no... not me. Rather I was going to play drums in a rock band. Certainly a much more refined and stable career path then then trying to be an actor! My point is, I can relate to the fear and anxiety of pursuing a career most will call you crazy to embrace. However the more you treat it like a career, and not a "hobby" or something you're dabbling in, the more serious people will take you, and the more successful you will be.

You need to at least be aware of the options out there so you can do this effectively. Even those of you who got an acting degree at college, once you make the move to Los Angeles, or New York, will quickly realize that, at best, you have a basic education that needs to be enhanced, fine tuned, or perhaps put aside (now that you have access to stronger acting teachers/ programs).

Here is a quick overview of professional training for actors.
Acting/ Scene Study - This is really where you start. A good scene study class gives you the fundamentals, and helps you build a solid foundation from which to start growing as an actor. There are several popular acting methods, and hundreds of programs out there. Selecting the right program/ method may take some time, and I'll discuss in other entries.

Improvisation - is a must for all actors. It helps you feel more comfortable regardless of what situation you are in as an actor, and thus enhances your ability to do better auditions. Even when given a script to follow, there is room for you to be creative... and if your improv skills are in peak form, you will be able to take advantage of this.

Commercial Audition Technique - To most peoples surprise, commercial auditions are considered to be the most difficult to do in the industry. This is mainly because the actor has so little to work with. If you can master the commercial audition, then TV and Film auditions become much easier.

Cold Reading Technique - Cold Reading classes prepare you for TV and Film auditions. the instructor helps you analyse the material, break it down and make strong choices for you character and approach.

Speech, Accent, Dialect - If you have an accent, it can be very limiting, so this kind of training is obvious. Beyond that, consider how important your speech is to how you are perceived. Cate Blanchett comes to mind, from "The Gift" to "The Aviator" to "The Lord of the Rings", she has such a command of her voice... and it brings such depth to the characters she plays.

Specialty Workshops Soaps - Sitcom - Comedy - Theatre - Stand-up Comedy - Voice Over - Character Voices - Hosting
Once you have a feel for what your strengths are, then take a workshop (as specific as you can) for that skill. Each little corner of the industry has it's own preferences... rules... short cuts... do's and don'ts. Specialty workshops can really give you a ton of information, in a short amount of time, and create some great momentum.

One final note... training should never really stop. Maybe you take a break here and there, but its' always good to continue to develop your skills and/or sharpen the ones you have. I know a few actors who dismiss the importance of training because they've managed to book a few things here and there. I think this is a mistake, and ultimately limits your options in the big picture.

This entry was inspired by Carolyne Barry's book Hit The Ground Running.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

THANK YOU'S

I saw something on Alex'sinfo about this topic. Do you send a "thank you" to casting directors, agents etc. The answer is YES in my opinion. As I talked about in the "Doing the Hustle" entry on this blog, A lot of times in this town you just have to be on someone's radar so they think of you in the future. In other words, you don't have to slam them with job inquiries or multiple reels/ headshots etc. just keep and touch and follow through. You never know where the next opportunity will come from.

Sending a thank you post card, or even an EM, shows at the very least you are plugged into your career and serious enough to make the effort. I find myself on a lot of Email lists, and actors are constantly sending me updates about where they are or what they are doing. Chances are, I will not check out someone's play, or tune at 8 to see your guest spot on How I Met Your Mother. However it reminds me of who you are, and that can be huge. It's all timing... I get some story boards in for something, I'm working away, and then I see an email from an actor I've worked with a few years ago about... something.. and "Hey, this might be good for them" bam, you're on my list that I send my casting director who is busy wrangling up talent for the first call.

I also have to say that I enjoy getting thank you's from actors because I SEND THANK YOU'S to MY CLIENTS. So, I can relate to an actor handling their career this way... it's what I do as well:).

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

SCENE BITES WAS GREAT!

Last Friday I attended Scene Bites, an event featuring new and upcoming talent in the Larry Moss Studio program. Scene Bites is directed by Michelle Danner, and is kind of a "showcase" of scenes her students develop in class. There are a lot of acting programs out there, and many of them do have some kind of "showcase" event or night... however Scene Bites is several nights, and always seems to play in front of a full house.
As I've said before, I love the opportunity that the larry moss studio creates for their actors. It's a great program and should be on everybody's radar.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

YOU NEED A REEL ASAP

Casting directors are looking more and more at online reels because, with a click of the mouse, they can! Remember, their job depends on getting quality talent into an audition for their client, so anything that helps them make an informed decision about an actor is helpful. The headshot is still the first impression... but can only do/say so much. A good reel shows your abilities first hand, and let's the casting director know you are "for real". A working actor who has accumulated some experience under their belt.

When I talk about getting something on your reel, it doesn't have to be any longer then a 15 - 45 second clip from a scene. Shorter is Better! You simply want to give people a convincing taste of a character you are doing. There are companies that will help you shoot a scene (commercialsuccess is one of them)... but if you are a little resourceful, and want to learn about the process of film making, it's a great excuse to do it yourself.

You can see the blog entry 3.11.09 about "editing your reel" for more details about how a reel should flow.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel