Master Talent Teacher Series

Master Talent Teachers

9 Preparation Tips to Help Deliver Your Best Commercial Audition

When you arrive at your audition, enter the waiting area and start to prepare for your audition. If you don’t know how to “be” and what to do in that war zone, then your audition prep could be less effective then you are cable of. Waiting with a dozen actors for an hour or being rushed in with little or no preparation and/or sometimes getting very little or confusing direction can be frustrating and is not helpful for actors to do their best. Here are some tips that can help to feel confident, prepared and empowered during your next commercial audition.  Click HERE to read Carolyne Barry's full article in Backstage!

SAG Can Wait

REPOST FROM 2012.  I thought now more then ever this was relevant so I'm moving it to the front of the line!

There is a tendency for young actors to think they need to get into the union right away.  The truth is there are a ton of non union opportunities out there for you to build your reel, resume, and experience with.  Once you join the union there is no going back.  There is of course Fi-Core (financial core)... but that can be tricky and is not for everyone (if you don't know what that is, it's when you can do both Union and NonUnion work... but it's discouraged heavily by the union and you give up some of your union rights to do this.  Google it for sure, it's good to know about).

So fi-core aside, you really want to wait and make sure you've taken complete advantage of your non union status before jumping into the "big league".  The non union talent pool isn't as big, and again, these can be great opportunities and learning experiences.  Many times you can submit yourself via LA casting (among other places) and don't even need an agent.  So don't be in a hurry, take your time and get some gigs under your belt.  Just something to think about while strategizing your career.
- Scott

*Have a question, feel free to ask. 

MASTER TALENT TEACHER VIDEOS

 I rarely update this blog, but keep it up since google tells me it still get's many visits.  Also the info is all still very valid. 

Recently commercial acting coach Carolyne Barry created an online teaching series that I suggest everyone takes a look at.  She had me featured on one of them... it's called Why you don't book the commercial (even though you did everything "right")

Check it out along with many other helpful videos at this link. Master Talent Teachers

MIX UP YOUR ACTING TRAINING

A quick thought... when you find an acting class you enjoy, it's tempting to stay there forever. You make friends, and it turns into a safe place to go every week, some classes begin to feel almost "cult" ish. When you actually talk to some actors about their acting class, they sound like...
"Oh my god, she's the best, I just feel so safe and warm and I've grown so much here... and the other students are the best... I've been their 7 years, and I love it!". Remember however, that comfort is not necessarily good... and you joined an acting class... not a street gang! You will not be killed if you decide to leave and join another program. Point is, you need to make sure that you are being challenged... pushed. Once you realize you're not learning enough, then move onto another program.. even if you've been there for a couple years and have a great relationship with the teacher and class members. It's business, not personal, you can always come back.

Especially if you are in a city like Los Angeles, there is some crazy talent in the this town you can learn from... why not try and soak in a variety of methods, approaches, etc. Take what works for you and move on. I'm not suggesting you bop around from class to class every couple of months, or even years. Simply be honest with yourself about whether or not your acting ability is being enhanced, or if you're are just going through the motions and feeling nice.

If you want to treat your scene study class like a "feel good with my actor friends" club, then that's fine... just push yourself via specific, short term workshops then. (improv, commercial technique etc.)
- Scott

Any Questions?  Feel free to ask.

EDITING YOUR ACTING REEL - REPOST

I get asked about reels a lot, so I decided to update it a bit and repost.  I hope you find it useful.

I was an assistant editor when AVID (the first digital editing system) was born, and now see many video monkeys with Final Cut Pro on their lap tops claiming to be "An Editor". I love that technology gives everyone access, but you can't download talent, timing, or skill from the Apple store. Luckily, when it comes to editing your acting reel, you can take a creative lead on how it should flow and not be too dependent on the editor if you don’t want to be. Here are some basic rules to follow.

1. GET A GOOD COPY of the shows/ films/ projects you are in. Be persistent, get phone #’s on the shoot of everyone who might be able to help you later in case you run into trouble getting a copy (keep you call sheet). This sounds obvious, but the idea is to think ahead… and get EVERYTHING, even if you think it might be crap… you never know what an agent or friend might think of it later on.

2. DO SOME COLOR CORRECTION if the clip looks old or flat. Final Cut has wonderful Color Correction abilities. I fear that unless you ask the editing service you are working with, they probably don’t take the time to go in and do it. If you are editing yourself it’s pretty simple, just keep it basic. Contrast, brightness, and chroma… play around with those 3 things and you’ll find the quality of your video improve greatly.

3. KEEP YOUR ACTING REEL SHORT. Shorter is better! This means the clips as well as the reel overall. Attention spans are nil out there, and most casting directors just want a taste of what you can do… so don’t linger too long on any one clip… keep it moving!

4. ONE ACTING REEL is often better then 2 or 3. I see a lot of “Comedy Reel”, “Theatrical Reel”, “Commercial Reel”. Your best bet in my opinion is to make a “Best of” reel and roll with that… especially when posting on a casting site. Eventually you might want to categorize everything, but this is only when you have very strong work in each genre.

5. NO CLASS WORK unless it’s shot in such a way it looks like a short film. It just looks amateur… the sound is usually terrible, and people probably won’t appreciate your acting, rather they’ll say “Oh, they haven’t done any real gigs yet”. This applies to most theater work as well.

6. IF YOU ONLY HAVE 1 OR 2 THINGS, SHOULD YOU MAKE A REEL? I say YES… as long as it’s solid stuff.

7. DON’T BE REPEATITIVE. I have a friend who gets cast as a nurse a lot. She had 3 or 4 clips of her being a nurse spread out on her reel, and the problem was I felt like I was watching “the same thing only different” after a while. Just pick your best one or two pieces in a certain genre, put them back to back, and leave it at that.

8. GET FEEDBACK. Once you cut it together, bounce it off of at least 5 people who’s opinion you respect and see what the feedback is… especially when it comes to the order and length.

Finally, I would say consider learning to edit yourself, even if it’s just to do your reel. You may find you have a knack for it, and this may come in handy for the short film you plan to do, or even to tighten up scenes you are in.

I leave you now with a highlight from my commercial editing days, sorry I can’t resist... enjoy :)

- Scott

Have a question?  Feel free to ask...

Hand Model Tantrum

Recently I was shooting a hand model holding and iphone and using an App.  To protect all involved, I won't mention the name of the client or the actor.  For those of you who aren't aware, hand modeling is no easy job.  The camera is in close-up, so every movement is critical.  You're often asked to bend your arm or body in weird positions for whatever reason, and although your hand sits nicely in frame, the rest of your body might be surrounded by lights and C-stands etc.  Having said that, when a production hires a hand-model, they expect them to be professional and handle these realities.

So we're shooting this app, we have our actor... let's call him Doug... sitting on an apple box, one hand holding the phone around a rigging (that keeps the phone still) wearing a black shroud (like an executioners mask) so his face doesn't reflect into camera, and trying to hit buttons with his other hand.
There was a little tension on the set in figuring out what exactly to shoot as this App had many screens and functions, etc., but this is to be expected.

Well, without getting too specific, a couple hours into shooting when Doug was asked to do something he flew into a tantrum.  He claimed he was being disrespected, spoken "at", announced he didn't need the money, said he's worked on a lot of "Big Stuff" and wasn't treated this way, and finally announced he was leaving!  Needless to say, this took me by surprise.  Apparently it wasn't what I was saying to him, I had a client nearby that was giving me feedback (not all positive) that Doug overheard, plus my client had said something directly to Doug that set him off.  It was subtle at the time, but clearly the straw that broke the camels back as they say.

At the end of the day, Doug was able to calm down, we talked it out, and we shot another hour without a problem.. however the reason I'm sharing this with you is that he did so many things wrong in how he handled the situation, I wanted to blog about this so some of you may find some value in it.
Granted, most of you are saying "I'd never do that", but perhaps you will be in a situation you are uncomfortable with.

What Doug needed to consider before he freaked out was that this was a major client represented by a big advertising agency.  The agency producer on the job works all over the place, as do I, as does my producer.  In a nut shell, we all work on "Big Things"... and even though he did finally finish the day up with us, do you think we'll ever work with him again if we can help it?  I would say the chances are slim... I've got enough to worry about without dealing with a primadonna actor.  In other words, this dude burned multiple bridges that day.

Having said that, was he wrong to speak up?  NO.  In fact I want an actor to let me know if they are uncomfortable or confused.  Nothing wrong with that, but to go into a tail spin tantrum is not the way to do it.  All Doug had to do was say "Hey guys, I need a break here" then pull me aside and explain what he was feeling.  Instead he made a scene... and pulled the ultimate card... HE THREATENED TO LEAVE!  Why would you do that right off the bat?  Not cool.  Now lucky for him he didn't leave or the damage would have been even greater, not for us, but for him.  We would have figured something out, but his agent would have gotten the riot act from the agency producer.  Because Doug did finish the day, no phone call was made.

In the end it all worked out, and I hope Doug will handle things differently in the future.  He wasn't a bad guy, but perhaps a bit to sensitive and exercised some poor judgement.

SO, if you feel you're going to bug out, take an inventory of how many bridges you may torch in the process.  Even doing a rinky dink, freebee, student film you may be making valuable future connections, you never know.  Also ask yourself, "Have I exhausted all other means to solve this problem" before you threaten something like "walking out".  By just stepping away from the camera you are sending a message... and often a conversation will get you what you need.

2012 UPDATE

So I had pretty much abandon this blog and logged on this morning with the intention of deleting it.  However to my surprise, it actually still gets quite a few visits for a blog set adrift.  In light of this, I decided to update it a bit and try to add some more to it when I find the time.

In a nut shell, the original blog was created to tie into my photography business which was nothing but me passing the time while the economy worked itself out back in 09.  I enjoyed the work, but once my directing career started up again I haven't looked back... thus the headshot photography and this blog were put on the back back burner.  

Anyway, I'm glad people seem to get something out of this blog and will continue to update when I can. Good luck out there.

- Scott

SUZANNE SENA'S HOSTING WORKSHOP

I have been working as an actor and spokesperson for several years and had just begun to dabble in the hosting world when I came across an email from Carolyne Barry, the woman who really got my career started commercially and whom I trust immensely. She was offering a new class, Suzanne Sena's Hosting Class. So I checked out Suzanne and she has had a tremendous hosting career www.suzannesena.com. I wanted to learn a little about how she has such poise, confidence, and heart as an on-air personality that has given her such a quality career. I also wanted to get a bit of that for myself!

So I took the course. It was seven weeks long and had each week focusing on a different hosting specialty (press jnkets, morning show, infomercial, entertainment reporting, expertise hosting, etc.). I also got a high-quality professional copy shot on a green screen of my best script from class to add to my reel. AND the final week of class is with a prominent hosting casting director. Pretty much everything I could have asked for in a hosting class at this early stage of my game in that world. Two thumbs up on this class in my book!

(for information about future workshops click here)

- Shannon O'Dowd

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

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

So a few years ago I had this idea for a cartoon... sort of a "Far Side" but the humor would be inspired by this wacky business we are in. Finally I got together with a storyboard artist and knocked a couple of them out. It was going to be a promotional thing to do every month, but I never followed through with it. Perhaps I'll pick it up again someday... but here's a sample. Happy Halloween!

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

WHERE THE FUTURE IS HEADED

I have an earlier post about a campaign I directed back in June. Click this link and you will see how it all came together "online". We shot everything, including the web elements and 3 broadcast commercials (not on the site). The buzz word in advertising is "Branding"... but you can call it virals, content, etc.
The idea was to introduce 3 different inventors who use alibaba.com in "mockumentary" style so the audience would think these could be real people.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

DOING THE HUSTLE

I actually shot a bunch of conceptual "comedy" ish campaigns for Hustler Hollywood... but this is not one of them :)!

I'm not a schmoozer, or a fantastic social network kind of guy... but I do make an effort at least to do the obvious. People constantly say it's "who you know"... which in some cases is true, but what I never liked about this statement is that it implies you have to already know them... it says nothing about "meeting them". It should be "It's who you meet and follow up with". Case and point, a few years ago I was at a friends birthday party... not at all in networking mode. Suddenly I was pulled into a conversation about commercials, and I met a young woman who worked for "Hustler Hollywood", the retail store branch of the Larry Flynt empire. She explained they wanted to do a broadcast TV campaign for the stores but didn't know where to start. I'm not an ad agency, but I do direct commercials, so I gave her my card and told her to call me on Monday so we could discuss... not thinking that much about it. A few days went by, and I started to feel like I should have gotten her number or email or something. One phone call to a mutual friend and I had her EM address.

I sent a link of my work along with my contact info, and then felt at least I had given this opportunity 100%. I got a response quickly from her saying she would pass it along, and 2 HOURS LATER my phone rang with an unrecognizable area code. The next thing I knew, I was talking to Jimmy Flynt Jr., Larry Flynts Nephew, who was in charge of the HH stores. A week later I was on a plane to Kentucky (on my own nickel) with story boards to pitch a campaign to Jimmy Jr. This is not what a commercial director usually does (the campaign is usually created by the agency) but the opportunity was real, and I stepped up. This led to a 2 year run with Hustler Hollywood. It wasn't the financial bonanza I had hoped for, but we did make some good money and had a lot of fun creating and executing the campaigns.

How does this relate to you? When you take a class and there is a guest teacher, send a "Thank You" em to that person. Put them on your EM list so you can inform them of any showcases or shows you are doing. When someone casually mentions "you should meet so and so".... follow up, don't let it slide. 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.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

SCENE BITES!

There are a lot of "showcase" acting programs out there. One of the most successful in my opinion is Edgemar's "Scene Bites". The Larry Moss Studio (Creative Director Michelle Danner) takes scenes from class and makes a showcase night out of it. This is not a new concept, however "Scene Bites" is not a one night event, it's usually between 3 - 5 nights spread out over a week or two. They do aggressive promotion for it, sell tickets, and create a buzz many industry professionals respond to.

It's going on this week, and next week. If you are an actor curious about the Larry Moss acting program, it's worth checking out. I'm going myself, and will follow up in the blog.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel

LYNDA.COM

This kind of goes along with media networking. Have you ever wanted to learn HOW to use programs like Photoshop? Final Cut Pro? Aftereffects? Iweb? etc. If you ever try to learn these programs by reading a manual, you will go insane.

Lynda.com is an amazing website that is loaded with quicktime tutorials for hundreds of applications. It's like taking a class... well, better then taking a class because everything is broken down into easy to find segments... so you go at your own pace. You may want to explore editing your own reels, short films, or retouching your own photographs, designing your own website. Lynda.com takes the mystery and frustration out of learning new applications and empowers you to creatively handle more things in your career. It's something like $25 a month... but they have several different options... and once you are up and running on a program, you can certainly unsubscribe. I wanted to share this in the blog because it rocked me through photoshop at lightning speed, and I'm constantly bopping back on the site to learn more, or refresh my memory on certain things.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel