Preparing for your Feature role

 I booked my first feature film! I’ve been doing short films (20min or less) and it is so funny how I got the part in this independent feature. I’m writing this post to tell all you actors out there to take every moment you work seriously. Every free film/student project/play you do, treat it as if you’re getting paid a studio salary because Hollywood is small and as you work you will begin to connect to different circles. Before you know it, you will be in the right circle; not that the others were wrong, but those circles were preparing you for this moment…your first paid feature film.

So how did I book this incredible opportunity? Well I worked on a short film that I auditioned for through Craigs List. The Boom mic operator was a writer and he called me to be a part of his pilot he was entering into a competition. The Director of Photography (cinematographer) happened to be a director and his friend finished a horror script and secured financing, in which the director cast me in.

Money was not an expectation, I am still working on projects for reel material, but it was the icing on the cake to hear that everyone would need to take off work for two weeks, so the budget is mainly salaries for actors and production.  Very exciting. And it all started with a short film project I found on craig’s list.

I share this with so that you remember that everytime you work on a project for a friend or just for fun, its a project that could possibly get you a step closer to a bigger and better role. Have fun and  while you’re at it, be professional; you never know who’s looking to cast you in their feature project!

Ashlee Katrice

Hollywood Agencies

So you think you’re at the point where you can begin looking for an agent in LA? Ok, let me give you a heads up on the how to get started. This advice is not intended to gurantee you an agent; only to give you an efficient strategy when beginning your submissions for an agent.

1. You need Headshots:

Professional Headshots! Not a digital camera or candid photo (this only works for children). Teenagers and adults need quality shots. Remember this your calling card; its your first impression. So make sure its what you want people to remember. Please do your research on on the photographer; there are so many amatuers who pose themselves as professional photographers and they haven’t taken one phtography course, they just happen to own a camera. I had a very humbling experience in where Paid someone over 500 dollars for a shoot and all of the pictures were overexposed. They were great shots but the lighting was completely off. Luckily he refunded a portion of my money…but I was impatient and ready to jump into the first photographer I found and I learned a valuable lesson. Research and invest wisely as this is the first hurdle.

2. Printing and Retouching

Don’t try and do it yourself! Your pictures should be handled by a professional editor and printed at a place that actually does set-ups of headshots or exprienced in printing formatted headshots. I got my pictures retouched at a place called argentum, www.argentum.com. They are very professional and effiecent. A little pricey, but definitely worth the money. They provide a plethora of services for the working actor; check them out.

3. Submitting to Hollywood Agencies

Ok so here’s the meat and potatoes. You will need to go the samuel french store in LA (http://samuelfrench.com/store/) and pick up the Agencies book. It cost about 12 dollars and there is a monthly issue. This book provides all the addresses and information about each talent agency in LA. Each agency will tell you if there SAG franchised, AFTRA, AEA,etc. These are unions and guilds that the professional actor joins to get better pay rates and better jobs. For details about each union, I’ll post in the near future.  YOu want your agency to be franchised in some way or another, because going with an agency that is not can be very very risky; you are not protected under the Laws of the unions, which means that agency can pretty much do whatever they wish with you, so beware.

In the Agency book, you will read a specific descriptions of the “types” they are looking for that month.  SUBMIT TO AGENCIES LOOKING FOR YOUR TYPE. Its a waste of money in the beginning to solicit mail to agencies that are not looking for your type, they will usually send it back or throw it in the trash. When I say your type, it  will list something like this, “ searching for African American & Latino women between 18-40; very attractive people. No character actors.” If you’re a white male- do not submit; if you’re an African American woman who looks 60- do not submit; if you’re a character actor- do not submit. These agencies get hundreds upon hundreds of headshots per week, don’t make them waste their time opening something they don’t need! Trust me there is an agency in that book for all types.

4. Cover Letter

Once you’ve got a list of agencies that you would like to submit your headshots to, you will need to include a cover letter. It needs to be concise and list things that will peak the interest of the Agent. Remember they are trying to make money, so if you’ve done anything in the realm of entertainment, that has produced  signficant revenue for you, put it in your letter. If you’re eligible to join any of the unions, add this as well; this means they can submit you for union jobs and if you book it, they get a decent cut. A brief mention of your current training is helpful aswell, because agents want to know that you are keeping your tools current. They know if you’re training, you will be more confident when you walk into the audition.

Word of advice: If you have no experience whatsoever, do not submit to the agency. They will not see you for an interview. I’m not saying it has to professional experience (in which you have received an income for the project) but it should be student films, plays from your school, workshops. They want to be comfortable that you are ready to be sent out on auditions. If you can’t give the definition of the word monologue, if you have never been on a stage, If you don’t know what a slate is, then you may not be ready to submit to an agency. It doesn’t mean that you are not talented, it just means that you need to learn the business more so that you are truly prepared. It is a cut-throat business and first impressions matter. Like any interview, you will not get hired without the necessary basic requirements.

When writing your letter make things quantifiable:

“My name is Ashlee Thomas and I would like to request and interview with your agency. In 2006 I was featured in a National Verizon wireless commercial which grossed over 15,000 dollars and provided me with SAG eligibility. I have worked in various student films and was a principal in an independent feature; my reel is available upon request. I also had the opportunity to tour with a local theater company in Florida. I have trained extensively with Alexia Robinson’s Studio in Burbank, CA. I am currently seeking commercial and theatrical representation. I would like to be considered for commercials, films, stage work, music videos, and lifestyle and fitness modeling. If you have any interest please contact me. I hope to hear from you soon!

Ashlee Thomas 

Keep it short and simple. You are selling yourself so verbage is important. The above is only an example of my cover letter (I wrote it from memory so its not as professional as my actual letter). This should give you some direction for you cover letter.

5. Getting in contact with the agents

Once you’ve submitted, someone will call you within two weeks. If they haven’t, it is your job as an entreprenuer to be sure to contact them. “Hello, My name is Jane Doe. I submitted my headshots two weeks ago and wanted to know if I could have an opportunity to come in for an interview”. They will say yes or they will tell you they are not intersted. Simple as that. If you get the second answer, that’s fine. You just move on to the next agency. If your getting this from all the agencies- maybe you need more experience on your resume, maybe your headshots weren’t the best, maybe they just didn’t need anymore of your type. The reasons why, you will never know. Don’t get pushy either, don’t make the agents feel uncomfortable; they will remember. Just start the process all over again. Take a class and then submit again. Work on a student film and then submit again. It can take up to 3 years to get an agent sometimes! Commercial agents are the easiest to sign with, Theatrical (film) agents are the most challenging to sign.

So you have your work cut out for you. Get to it!!

Ashlee Katrice

Actor’s Studio Review: Studio 1

 Studio Review:  Addison Witt  Management/ Studio One Acting Studio

Address: 14366 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91432

Website:www.addisonwitt.com

Teacher: Addsion Witt 

Price: $500/ 3 months or 166.67/ month

Class Schedule: Sundays 3-5pm

 

 Addison’s class is great if you’re between the ages of 15-18. He teaches a children’s class (14 and younger) prior to his adult class on Sundays. He’s also a talent manager. I have noticed that most of his adult class consists of teen working actors (mostly cast in Disney, ABC kids, etc.). If you’re an experienced actor it will be challenging to really get into material with your younger acting partner because they really can’t delve into the “meat & potatoes” of some of the content handed out in class. This is a beginner’s course. He works on improvisational skills, which is absolutely necessary in the industry. There is no on-camera work in this class nor are there workshops where you have the opportunity to showcase your talent in front of agents and Casting Directors. It’s uncommon for actors to be assigned scenes to develop in their personal time, and perform during class (this only occurred once with no props or set-up). I think that scene assignment is essential to an actor’s growth. He does place a strong emphasis on your ability to cold read. Cold reading is highly important, but you want to be able to hone your craft; learn to develop characters and get feed back about what you could improve on. As an actor with training and experience I give this class a C+.  If you interested in taking his classes, you better get in as soon as possible as the doors to Studio 1 will be closing December 2008.

 

Pros:

·        He is a manager, with industry connections. If you have the talent, he could possibly represent you and help you move along in the industry.

 

·        If you’re between the ages of 15-18, this class is great for you.

 

·        The class is on Sunday, which makes it convenient for those who work during the week.

 

·        He caters to parents who want to get their child into the industry

Starving Artist: Consider Background Work

If you’re living in LA and trying to break into the industry but don’t know the types of jobs  that will allow you to eat and audition; I suggest you consider Background Work. Yes. I said this dirty little word. Become an extra. So you think it is beneath you? Don’t.  Many actors begin as extras because its an easy way to get experience of being on set and make some money. I’m not saying this will pay your mortgage, but it will definitely help with some expenses that you have. I think this is a great option for people who aspire to in the television industry and have very little debt. If you have loans, car payment, credit cards, etc., still by all means, do the extra work but make sure to look for a good weekend job to make ends meet.  ** For those who may not know what background or extra means; its those arbirtary people you see walking in the background of movies, tv shows, commercial, even the audience members of game shows.

Question: What’s the pay rate for Background?

Answer: If your non-union, it’s 64/8 hours. Regardless if you work 8 hours or not you will still be paid the $64. Yes a whopping 8 dollars an hour but I think this is fair, seeing that most of the time you hurry up and wait on set and they feed you as well.

If your union, 130/8 hours. Which works out 16.25 an hour.  If you can book Back ground work everyday and a have little debt you can pretty much make ends meet in LA as you make your way to stardom.

Any overtime is always time & 1/2 so non-union, expect 12 dollars/hr after the 8th hour and union, expect 24 dollars and hour.

Question: That sounds great, but how do I get into background work?

Answer: There are numerous Background Casting agencies you can join, but I suggest you  begin with Central Casting. It is the largest background casting agency. 85% of all Hollywood Television and Film background needs are met through Central Casting. You have to sign up in person.

Non-union days are Mon,Wed,FRI from 10:30-11:30 am ONLY. Union Tue & Thur 10;30-11am. (union people can go on non-union days) I suggest you arrive by 10 as the space fills up quickly. There is a 25 dollar registration fee and they ONLY ACCEPT CASH. There is no ATM in the building so you should bring the cash with you. YOu will also need proof of citizenship. A passport or driver’s liscense along with an original social security card or birth certificate (you must have two forms of id if you using the Driver’s ID). For Legal aliens or foreigners with work visa, you must provide green cards and work authorizations cards. Bascially, come prepared to prove you have a right to work in the states or they will not let you sign up. 

Once you’ve signed up with Central Casting you will need to call into the line everyday and listen to a message that tells you what they are casting for. When you hear something that fits your profile, you will dial the 4-digit code given to you for that specific role and you will call in until you get through. There are about 15,000 people claling in at the same time, so you probably will need to put the number on speed dial and hope the slot hasn’t been filled once you finally get through. If you want to get the background work, you will need to be proactive! You are your own business.

Ok, so just joing Central Casting will approve you for backgroudn work but it doesn’t guarantee that you will book. This is where I suggest a call-in service.

Directly across the street from Central Casting is a call-in agency called Extra’s Management. Instead of you sitting on the line for 45 minutes at time trying to book background work, they will do it for you! Yes that’s right they will submit you from 7am-12 midnight and book work for you. This is one of the top call-in services for background work. 80-85% of their clients book work 4-5 times out of the week. Thats huge for you because it frees up your time to work on monologues, start a business, SAVE your wireless minutes!!

But convenience does come with a price. For this agency, it is 85 dollars to sign up and then 75 dollars a month. OUch! Sound like a lot but the day I signed up, they booked for SCRUBS, the next day. I was paid 64+ 48$ (4hrs OT) thus making back my 85 dollars plus 27 dollar profit. That was just day 1. They booked me on LICOLN HEIGHTS the next day and then GREEK the day after. So I signed up on Monday and worked 3 days directly after. I guess I’m in that 85%. Trust me, it is definitely worth the money! There are specific rules with each call-in service that you must agree to. They will give you an orientation and you can decide if that call-in service is for you. There are also cheaper agencies, but remember, you get what you pay for.

Good Luck! See you in the background… Remember, ther are no small parts, just small actors; so enjoy this, network and learn the industry as you will be the principal on camera or the one calling the shots in the very near future

Peace & Blessings!

When I Met Robert Townsend…

I was privileged enough to meet Robert Townsend today when he hosted a seminar at my church. Simply put, it was amazing. The advice he gave goes beyond acting and filmmaking. It applies to any career path. It applies to everyone’s life. It doesn’t take much to inspire me, but I really left there feeling like I hadn’t been doing enough to further my career, and I consider myself a pretty hard worker. Not only did he wake me up to the fact that I might not be doing enough, he made me believe that doing more would be enough. It’s all about the work. If you do it, you have no choice but to find success.

The seminar was more about filmmaking, pitching, writing, and directing rather than acting, but it was still all too interesting to hear advice from an individual who is a master in every area. One thing that stood out in terms of acting and getting cast is that you have to audition even if you fit absolutely none of the roles. If you’re too good to turn down, they might write you a part! He has done it before, and sounded like he’d do it again.

In regards to getting your foot in the door, he made it seem as though there was no door to get in. You and I are no different from the A list actors who have movies on the shelves. The only difference is they’ve done the work that you have yet to do. He mentioned that we usually don’t watch the most important part of movies, the credits. We turn off the TV, change the channel, or just walk out of the theatre. That’s where we actors can find casting directors who cast movies that we enjoy and parts we want to play. Next time you watch a movie, study the credits. Take down the name of the casting director. Google him/her. They want to hear from you. It’s their job!! He also spoke about a term he calls, “Playing without the ball.” It’s when you start doing without any resources. You write the script without actors or a director. You prepare a budget without the funding. You learn the lines without the part. You submit for roles without an agency. You play the game, without the ball. If you can play the game well even without the most essential part of the game, imagine how well you’ll play once you get it!

In terms of preparation, when I dared ask him how I could cast in one of his next projects, he mentioned nothing about an agency. He uttered nothing about LA casting or Nowcasting. He asked if I had 5 monologues prepared at the moment. I told him I had 3. Had I thought about it another second, I could’ve thought of one more. The point is that you need to have a monologue for every role you may want to play. It needs to be committed to memory, committed to life. One of my instructors heavily suggested that we start a whole notebook dedicated to monologues we like or may need. Monologues are like spare tires in auditions, you never know when you might need one.

It seemed like every other sentence was quote worthy. So I wrote them all down to share with you. Thanks for reading! Love Tiffany!

 

Quotes from Robert Townsend:

·        What are you willing to give up to get your dream?

·        Attack! Attack your own script so that by the time you pitch it to studios, they have no choice but to buy it.

·        Excuses? Who cares!

·        Profanity in scripts is the ace in the card game: Only use it when you have to.

·        You only get born once. When you do good work, it’s around forever.

·        Trust your vision.

·        You can’t stumble if you’re not moving.

·        How many chances did you take this week?

·        Play the game without the ball.

 

Acting on a Budget

If you’ve been on the actor’s grind for a while, you’ve noticed that the profession can get a little expensive. Driving to auditions, parking, train tickets, headshots, grooming, buying scripts and so on can run you more than the rent if you do it enough. Well actors, there is good news yet! All of these rituals of career prep can be written off on your taxes!!!!!

          As an actor, union or non-union, you are an independent contractor. Every job you book, paid or unpaid, you have to pay taxes for because it is a source of income. Well, just like with any other job, whatever money you spent to obtain the job or maintain the job, you can write it off as a tax deduction. This includes tolls, gas, mileage, train tickets, the cost of headshots, buying scripts, and anything else from Sam French. As an actor, even a trip to the movies is considered research. If you audition out of town, the hotel stay and the money you spend on meals (per diem) is a write off too!

          More than an art, acting is a business. Show Business. That means you need to keep all of your receipts and documents and claim your money back at the beginning of the year. When you reach the magic age of 24, even your acting classes/tuition can be written off. And if you don’t have any children as dependents, every little bit helps. So next time you GoogleMaps your audition, save the printout and times the mileage by 2 and put it in a drawer for next January. By the time you reach your big role that makes you millions, you will have saved thousands!! Love Tiffany!

How To Give A Cold Reading

Read the sides. (of course)Ask what the play or screenplay is about and where the sides take place within the play.

Make note of an uncommonly used words and ask how to pronounce them if need be.

Drill them into your head and DO NOT forget the correct pronunciation during the reading.

Try to incorporate as much of you and life into the character as possible.

The producers/casting directors already assume you can act, otherwise you wouldn’t be there. At the point of a cold reading they are looking for the golden someone who livens the character and embodies it best. The purpose of the cold reading is to show competence in speedy character development, talent, and ingenuity. They don’t expect it to be perfect; they just want to know if you are worth testing or working with. Remember, the writer has been working on this script for months or even years. The producer has let his lights go off I his apartment for this project. The director has lost hair over it and turned down other jobs for it. They want you to be the right person for the part so they can cast you and move on to filming. Show up and just be the part!

Smile and Say, “Thank You”

A lesson I learned several times last week was to simply smile and say, “Thank you.” My voice instructor was assigning new pieces for us to learn and I got Edgar Allen Poe’s The Valley of Unrest. I thought nothing of the length of the poem until I looked at the piece my classmate sitting next to me had. She had only a paragraph. So, instead of smiling and saying thank you, I complained. Only because in this class we are graded not only on memorization (dead letter perfect) but also, pronunciation. And if you have ever worked with Standard American Pronunciation (SAP), you know that there a lot of words you regularly mispronounce. My instructor ever so politely snatched the poem and reminded me that it was a privilege and honor to have a lot of material to learn and work on. Why? Because lead roles always have the most lines!That smile and “Thank You” came back to haunt me in another form a few days later. I went for an audition for a role in a feature film that I found on Model Mayhem. I was the first girl to show up. I had my headshot and resume crisp and ready to go. After reading for the part, the producer and photographer looked at my headshot and begin to heavily criticize it. Yes, my headshot! The same free ones I just got done telling you about. They mentioned that there were a lot of technical things wrong with it and it was not retouched at all. They said agencies would LAUGH when they saw it. They told me that a smiling picture was not good to send to theatrical agents. Smiles are more commercial. Well, of course this embarrassed me and made me feel horrible, but what did I do? I smiled, and said “Thank You” for the advice and the time they took to help me. While they were waiting for the other girls to show up and audition, the photographer decided to shoot me. He happened to be AMAZING. After 2 costume changes, provided by his studio, he showed me the difference retouching really makes in a picture. We worked from 9:30am until 5:00pm. Only 2 other girls showed up to the audition ad I read with them both, giving me more opportunities to show my talent. Those 2 girls were the only interruption. I walked out of that audition with a brand new headshot and he even offered me another shoot for a comp card the next day. Now this is quite amazing, and is a sheer example of God’s favor, but he even got a makeup artist to come in and do my make-up. Within the 2 days, I had 5 looks, a theatrical headshot, a commercial headshot, a comp card/zed card with 4 looks, plus retouching. I asked him how much it would’ve cost me if I were paying he said anywhere from $750-$1,000. I got it for the grand total of $0! And I am sure it had a lot to do with my positive attitude and ability to smile and say “Thank You.” As for the part, I couldn’t shoot the lead role because of time scheduling conflicts, but they worked it out so I can shoot on the weekends in a smaller part. The moral of the story is, things you don’t like are going to come your way, but when someone is trying to help you, even if you don’t see it at first, just smile and say, “Thank You.” Thank you Rick Reynolds and Digital One Stop Photography. Love Tiffany!

See my fabulous new photos click here!

Even You Can Get Free Headshots!

$600. For some people, that’s enough money to pay car insurance for 6 months. For other it’s a modest mortgage payment. For Kimora  Lee it’s a manicure, but for you, the new actor, it’s the cost of headshots. And you thought your Byrn Allyn senior pictures  were expensive. Oh? You want to know why they cost so much? Let’s examine..

                        $300 = 3 looks with a photographer

                        $100 = retouching

                        $200 = printing (depending on the quantity)

                        $600 total

You might be able to cut back on some of the $300 for a session with a photographer, but you need at least 3 looks. One for theatrical acting. One ¾ body shot, and one smiley picture for commercial acting.

            Lucky for you, I’ve got just the solution, just don’t pay! I got by with paying a whole $70 for my headshots. A buddy of mine was willing to shoot me for free. In case you don’t have such resourceful friends, theirs is modelmayhem.com. It’s a site that links models to photographers. Now, not all of them are good, but some of them are amazing! They don’t charge you for helping them get better and you don’t pay them for helping you get free headshots! It’s a win/win situation. N the end, you only spend money on printing, which could run you anywhere from $50-$200 depending on how many you order. I paid $50 for 25, with no retouching. So go get your hair and makeup done and say cheese. With the money you save, spend it on your reel. I’ll tell you how to a deal on that soon! Love Tiffany!

Studio Review 3: Expressions Unlimited

Studio Review:  Expressions Unlimited

Address: 13317 Ventura Blvd. Studio G
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

            Website: http://www.bobbiechance.com/index.html

            Teacher: Bobbie Chance and Richie Chance

            Price: $25 per class

            Class Schedule: Monday-Wednesday, Friday 7:30pm

                                      Thursday Showcase 7:30pm

                                      Saturday, Sunday 11:30pm-4:00pm

            Before attending a session at Expressions Unlimited, I heard rants and raves from a friend of mine. The title serves the studio correctly, your expressions are unlimited. However, I am not so sure this is the best thing for a new actor. The class, taught by critically acclaimed Bobbie Chance and her working actor/very handsome son Richie Chance, is quite unstructured compared to the work I am used to. Once you have paid for the class you are cast with a scene partner and given time to develop your character and scene for approximately an hour, after which, you re brought back within the entire group to do what they called “improv.” Then everyone performs their scenes and receives notes on how to block a scene and fully develop a character.

            There is absolutely no technique. It’s emotion-based, meaning…you are taught and expected to feel everything. No substitution, no imagination. This may be a great method for some, and those who were regular students seemed to like this method of non-method. However, I tend to like to protect myself from the material, if you will. Actually feeling and indulging in everything just seems like an excellent way to need therapy after a while to me. After all, it is called ACTING. I’m just not sure if a beginning actor should approach acting from a feel-all point, but everybody’s different. Nonetheless, Chance’s direction was definitely from that of a credible standpoint and I appreciated their non-BS high standard. I guess you’ll just have to try them for yourself, but good luck. They are recommendation only.

  

Pros

• You get to showcase every week and Bobbie invites people to come see you!
•  You pay as you go…no pressure!
• Bobbie Chance and Richie Chance have been in the industry for a substantial amount of time and have enough connections to put you in line with some well-to-do individuals.
• You create your own schedule.