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.

Myspace or LA casting?

          In everything concerning acting or anything in the entertainment industry, you have to promote yourself like you are already the hard-to-get star that you are. Lucky for us, we don’t have to land an endorsement deal to do that anymore. All you need is some online access. There are countless websites that SELL the dreamy promise of giving actors direct access to casting directors and agents. They allow you to post those pretty little costly headshots, your training, and experience with only a small fee of what is equivalent to lunch at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. So you might have heard of them: Nowcasting.com, LAcasting.com, Backstage West, etcetera.  Then there are those home grown sites such as Myspace and Facebook that give you all of the same rights and privileges as those fancy actor sites, but at no cost. Videos can be uploaded. So can those same pretty little costly headshots. So what do you do? Let’s weigh the pros and cons.  

         Today’s industry is all about branding. Whoever said image is nothing, thirst is everything was liar! Image is everything. Think about it. Donald Trump began as a real estate developer. Now he markets everything from primetime TV shows to clothing, none of which have absolutely nothing to do with buildings. If you haven’t noticed, it’s not enough for artists to sell records anymore, they have to swing a couple of movie roles, launch a commercial clothing line, sell somebody’s skin care products, maybe open a restaurant chain, and make a band 3 times! And why can they do all of these things simultaneously? Because they have BRANDED themselves! If you didn’t like Jennifer Lopez as an actress you wouldn’t buy her clothes, or her fragrances, or her albums. Lucky for Jennifer, she knows you love her. And once you are a fan, you are a fan of everything because of branding and marketing, so what are you selling as an actor? YOU! Which takes us back to Myspace vs. LAcasting.

           

     The truth is that neither one are a bad choice. Sure LAcasting MAY tell you about some auditions and castings that Myspace will not volunteer, but you still have to make it to the audition and land the job. LAcasting is not going to get you hired. You are simply paying them to give you access to some things you might not have found out about. And that’s a good thing. We’ll come back to that. Myspace is free promotion. We can’t get over the fact that it is free. However, if you are posting party pictures with all of your friends, it could be bad for business. If you are posting pictures with all of your goodies out for the world to see and calling it “modeling,” it will definitely tarnish your branding. Myspace also has more users than any other membership site to date. Granted, everyone on Myspace cannot help you further your career, but there is the potential to meet someone who can. The difference between Myspace and an exclusive actor site is the difference between a resume on regular printer paper or resume paper. One just looks better, but that doesn’t no subtract for the content presented through the medium.

            For more information, see Tiffany’s studies on Privacy in Self Disclosure  . Also, see our comprised list of websites that help you promote you!

My Trip to the Oscars…

My day started at 7:00am because I find myself in a deficit when I don’t hear Frederick K.C. Price teach at least once a week. So I woke up to watch EIF ministries via television because I was so carefully advised to do so by Shante Smith. Having alleviated leaving the house, I was all too excited about attending The Oscars. I put on my crispest jeans, 2 jackets because Cali isn’t the real sunshine state (shout out to Florida), and my fresh pair of kicks because I knew I’d have to walk. I even put on some mascara just in case I saw Will Smith again!      I parked on Yucca and Argyle and happily trekked 6 blocks to Hollywood/Highland to find that frolicking at the Oscars was only something you should do if you didn’t speak English. After I made it past the gay rights protestors and the ultra-religious self-proclaimed ministers who claimed to want to save my life, I finally got close enough to see the LAPD up close! I couldn’t even touch the barricades. By the time the limos were close enough for me to make out a license plate number, the guests were already doing a second interview on the red carpet.

And TonyToniTone lied and lied again. Not only does it rain in Southern California, it rained all day at the Oscars. And when I got tired of fighting some high schoolers for a bus bench and risking 100% frizz, I decided it was time to take another approach. I took an alley before the Hollywood strip and came up Highland. That gave me an excellent view of the skyscraping Oscar replica, which doesn’t come close to the stature of  Will or Denzel.

The rain picked up and all of a sudden I wished I at least worked at the popcorn stand at the Kodak Theatre. Since they weren’t hiring on the spot, I decided to hike up Highland and linger between the parking garage and the Renaissance Hotel. I followed a woman with a custom tailored black trench and beautiful blonde hair; she was clearly ready for a Pantene Pro V commercial. Well, she had unlimited access, reminding me that my access was well, limited. It was only then that I gave up and headed towards Franklin Ave to find countless black Lincoln towncars with the infamous “TCP” on the bumper. I could smell the leather interior and I knew Anne Hathaway or somebody was inside, reminiscing  on the days when they were on the other side of the barricade.

     Short story long, No, I didn’t make it in, but I still ended up with the best seats in the house; front row, warm and dry, in my apartment, in front of my TV.

Stay Tuned. You’ll see me on the other side. Tiffany Black

The director says to me…

” You really rocked the reading”, and continues with the run down of the rehearsal and shoot schedule dates. Yes, today I went on a call back for a short indie film that the production company intends to enter into a couple film festivals.  I got a little nervous as I  physically prepared to present myself as much like the character as possible. Prior to going to the call back I performed a serious soliloquy that went something like this:

Is this the right color shirt; Should I wear these jeans or a dress? Ok, I’ll put on the dress; no, this is too slutty, the character isn’t slutty, she’s exotic. Ok well then lets go with the purple shirt and the red belt, no no too 80’s. Is my hair too short? Is it too curly? Maybe I should wear a wig…no they like your head shot silly why would you cover up the hair that helped you get the call back? Ok, I think I’ll go with the blue dress; sexy but classy. Damn, I only have 10 minutes to get there; hurry up Ashlee. Ok, ok I think I’m ready…breathe; this should be fun. Yes fun, don’t make a big deal about it. Either they want you or they don’t. They saw something in you to call you back; now be natural, do your best, and most of all: HAVE FUN!!

And that’s the bottom line. I did my best and had fun with the project. The director enjoyed my performance and said he will give me a call with the rehearsal schedule once they have the final cast member in place. And that was my Sunday, a fulfilling confirmation of my life; I’m already famous! And so are you Enjoy every moment of this incredible journey…and always remember that if you truly believe it to be, so it shall. What do you believe about your success?

Castings on Craig’s List: Are they legit?

So I have constantly asked myself, “how safe is it to post your resume and headshot to unkown users on Craig’s List?” This is a very serious and legitamate question that probably crosses the mind of many unsigned actors attempting to build up their demo reel and get on-camera experience. Though I question if I should even apply for the castings, I still find myself in the Talent/gigs section about 2-3 times a week searching for upcoming castings. Well I finally got a gig for an up & coming artist’s video shoot. I was to show up at a studio at 6:30 in the morning, there was no pay and copy of video would be provided as pay. I agreed to the terms. Once I hung up the phone, I said to myself what if the person on the other side of the phone is a crazy, what if this person is a criminal, what exactly do they want me to do in this video? Any smart person would realize reading this that these are all questions you should ask BEFORE you agree to participate! Luckily everything turned out well. I got a small part in a video and this weekend I am actually reading for principal role in a DV short film project, that I could possibly be cast in. So is Craig’s List legit? So far I have not run into any scam artisit; its seems to be a good bartering system going on at Craig’s; production companies need talent at non-union rates, and talent need exposure to get them into the union door. In the end we are both getting something out of the deal. I will say this though; All the Castings that I’ve gotten called for I am sure to let someone know the address  and contact person of where I’m going. I do a search to see if I can find the production company online.  And if I decide to go to the casting, I make sure that I’m comfortable with the surroundings, its a public place , and if I can, I have someone I trust along with for the ride!  My reading for the DV short is this sunday afternoon at Burbank library..nice public location, lots of  sunshine, very safe in my opinion. I just say be sure to use discretion if you decide to utilize Craig’s list. There are definitely other places that you can search for castings, like back stage, LA Casting, Actor’s Access, etc. These are all great places to start and legitamate; they also incur a monthly fee to access the information. I plan to join Actor’s Access in the very near future, but at this moment in time Craig’s list is an alternative to this small waiting period in my career.