Atteberry Unplugged

How to Feel Miserable as an Artist

2010-09-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

I found this on a Canadian actor's website. I thought it was spot on and well worth passing along.

HOW TO FEEL MISERABLE AS AN ARTIST

(OR, WHAT NOT TO DO, UNDERLINE ANY THAT CURRENTLY APPLY)

1. CONSTANTLY COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER ARTISTS.

2. TALK TO YOUR FAMILY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND EXPECT THEM TO CHEER YOU ON.

3. BASE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ENTIRE CAREER ON ONE PROJECT.

4. STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW.

5. UNDERVALUE YOUR EXPERTISE.

6. LET MONEY DICTATE WHAT YOU DO.

7. BOW TO SOCIETAL PRESSURES.

8. ONLY DO WORK THAT YOUR FAMILY WOULD LOVE.

9. DO WHATEVER THE CLIENT/CUSTOMER/GALLERY OWNER/PATRON/INVESTOR ASKS.

10. SET UNACHIEVABLE/OVERWHELMING GOALS. TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY TOMORROW.

Are Your Shows Doing Well?

2010-05-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

How is your favorite TV show fairing this season? Will it be on much longer? Is it getting cancelled? Actors, what shows are you targeting your marketing towards? Should you keep them on your "postcard list?"

The following list recently appeared in a recent TV Guide article entitled, "Is Your Favorite Show In Danger?" (http://www.tvguide.com/news/bubble-shows-cancel-1017977.aspx). It lists the current shows and where they sit on the chopping block. Admittedly, this is one magazine's opinion and for a couple of these shows I have heard otherwise. None the less, I thought it was worth the repost.

======================================

RENEWED  

30 Rock (NBC) 

90210 (CW) 

The Amazing Race (CBS) 

American Dad (Fox) 

America's Next Top Model (CW) 

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 

Bones (Fox) 

Brothers & Sisters (ABC) 

Castle (ABC) 

The Cleveland Show (Fox) 

Community (NBC) 

Cougar Town (ABC) 

Family Guy (Fox) 

Friday Night Lights (NBC) 

Fringe (Fox) 

Glee (Fox) 

Gossip Girl (CW) 

The Good Wife (CBS) 

How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 

The Middle (ABC) 

Modern Family (ABC) 

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) 

The Office (NBC) 

Parenthood (NBC) 

Parks and Recreation (NBC) 

The Simpsons (Fox) 

Smallville (CW) 

Supernatural (CW) 

Survivor (CBS) 

Two and a Half Men (CBS) 

The Vampire Diaries (CW)

LOOKING GOOD  

Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) 

American Idol (Fox) 

The Bachelor (ABC) 

The Biggest Loser (NBC) 

Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) 

Chuck (NBC) 

Criminal Minds (CBS) 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) 

CSI: Miami (CBS) 

CSI: NY (CBS) 

Dancing with the Stars (ABC) 

Desperate Housewives (ABC) 

Gary Unmarried (CBS) 

Ghost Whisperer (CBS) 

Grey's Anatomy (ABC) 

House (Fox) 

Human Target (Fox) 

Law & Order (NBC) 

Law & Order: SVU (NBC) 

Lie to Me (Fox) Medium (CBS) 

The Mentalist (CBS) NCIS (CBS) 

New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) 

One Tree Hill (CW) 

Private Practice (ABC) 

Rules of Engagement (CBS) 

V (ABC)  

NOT LOOKING SO GOOD  

Better Off Ted (ABC) 

Cold Case (CBS) 

The Deep End (ABC) 

FlashForward (ABC) 

The Forgotten (ABC) 

Heroes (NBC) 

Life Unexpected (CW) 

Melrose Place (CW) 

Mercy (NBC) 

Miami Medical (CBS) 

Numb3rs (CBS) 

Trauma (NBC)  

CANCELED/ENDING  

24 (Fox) 

The Beautiful Life: TBL (CW) 

Brothers (Fox) 

Dollhouse (Fox) 

Eastwick (ABC) 

Hank (ABC) 

Lost (ABC) 

Past Life (Fox) 

Scrubs (ABC) 

Sons of Tucson (Fox) 

Three Rivers (CBS) 

'Til Death (Fox) 

Ugly Betty (ABC)

What Matters to You?

2010-04-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

If someone were to ask you what matters most to you in life, could you answer? Do you know? Can you say in a single concise statement what your purpose in life is? Do you even have a "Life Purpose?" Does it even matter?

During my 6-week Type Intensive for actors I do an exercise called, "What Really Matters?" The point of the exercise is to get each student to start thinking about their purpose in life, both as a human as well as an actor. We explore questions like: What are you most passionate about? What is the most important thing in life? What drives you to be an actor? Etc. Most of the time, in response to my questions, I get either a blank stare or a pat, cliche answer like "to make the world abetter place through my art." It sounds noble (kind of like the "World Peace" answer you hear at beauty pageants), but is it honest and personal? The truth is, most people rarely think about these things. And that's kind of sad. Artists, especially, should know these things.

So, I ask you... What do you care about the most in life? Is it acting? Winning an Oscar? Fame and fortune? Family? God? Revenge on an Ex? What about saving the whales? The point is that it doesn't matter what it is (at least not for the sake of the exercise) as long as it's something! Why? I'm glad you asked.

I challenge actors with these questions for three basic reasons: 1) Writers write about characters who are driven and deeply passionate about something (objective). And, there is always something else that is preventing them from getting it (obstacle). Eventually they either get the object of their desire or they don't (and instead get something better). It is that passionate quest that keeps us entertained and thrilled by the story. In order to play a character who is deeply passionate, you need to be deeply passionate. 2) To advance at all in life you must set goals and determine to achieve them by some sort of systematic method. Without goals you have nothing specific to work on, thus nothing to really achieve. You cannot determine what to do next if you don't know what matters to you most. You can't set priorities or give tasks levels of importance. If you haven't, read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." 3) Your passions in life largely define who you are and how we, as audience members to your life story, perceive you. Your passions are just as much a part of you as your personality, your physical type, your image or your age category.

Simply put, you have to have a "life purpose" in order to accomplish great things in life. You must have something you are passionate about and driven to get, otherwise your life lacks purpose. On the flip side, if you have a whole list of desires that you are equally passionate about but none that tops the list, then your life lacks focus. Ask yourself, who is your hero? Why are they your hero? Did they get to where they are without passion, without focus, without purpose? As Martin Luther King so eloquently put it, ""If you don't have a cause to die for, you don't have a cause to live for."

My 6-week Type Intensive is designed to give actors a "descriptive snapshot" of who they are, how people in the industry see them, what makes them unique and what they alone have to offer as an actor. Having a purpose, a set of priorities and a deep focussed passion is a huge part of that picture. It helps me to "define" them. Think about it, Angelina Jolie is passionate about helping underprivileged kids, Jenny McCarthy is passionate about finding a cure for Autism, Al Pacino is passionate about the art of acting, as is Meryl Streep and Sean Penn. Those things define who those actors are. And because they are so passionate, they can play characters who are equally as passionate.

My question is not a general question at all. It is specific. What matters most to you? Don't let your answer get general. Admittedly, this question gets easier to answer as you get older. When we are young we want to "do it all," but as you get older your desires get simpler and more specific based on who you have become. And not to worry, you won't be stuck with the answer you choose now for the rest of your life. My answer to this question has changed many times over. All I care about is that you start asking. Hopefully it will inspire you to embrace a process of self-exploration that will last a lifetime and define and refine you more and more with each passing year.

One last story as an example of what I'm talking about. I have been working with a private client (I'll call her Suzy) for the past four years. Suzy would never answer me when I asked, "what matters most to you?" She always gave me the same answer, "I have several 'passions' and all are equally important." Suzy wanted to be a musician, a song writer, an actress, a novelist and she wanted to start a new line of organic skin care. Suzy had been dabbling in all those areas as long as I had known her. Over and over I asked her to pick one as her favorite and over and over she refused. For her to narrow it down to one meant the others weren't important, or worse, that she would have to say goodbye to them altogether. As a result, she has had no success with any of her desires.

Finally, after lots of probing and some deep soul searching it became obvious that what Suzy cared most about was not necessarily her career but to make her mother proud and to give her something to be happy about. Suzy's dream was to win a big award (an Oscar, a Pulitzer, a Grammy, etc.), stand on the podium and say "This is for you Mom! I love you!" Her mother was a lonely, depressed woman who was abandoned by her mother early on. As a result Suzy's mom felt "unlovable." Suzy's primary desire in life was to prove to her mom that she was lovable.

So, I assigned Suzy a writing assignment. I told her to write a love letter to her mom at least once a week and to put it on a blog. I told her it could be in the form of a letter, a monologue, song lyrics, or even a praise for her beautiful skin. Unbeknownst to her, I was focussing Suzy in on her true passion (giving her mother love and worth) by picking a preferred method of delivery (writing). For the first time since I've known her, Suzy is gaining ground in her life. A successful writer was invited to read Suzy's blog and fell in love with it. She even offered to help Suzy get a publishing deal. Finally, Suzy feels like she has "direction" in her life. And the more she writes, the more she loves it. Suzy is still as passionate about her other desires but now she has a plan to attain those as well, one by one. And it all started because she finally embraced her true passion, helping her mother to feel loved and noticed.

This is what happens when you get specific! Just pick a passion, embrace it FULLY and focus, focus, focus. Try it. Watch what happens. Ask yourself, "What matters most to me and why?"

If you care to look more deeply into this way of thinking, check out this great article on Oprah that I found on the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/media/23carr.html. She stayed focused on her passion and look what happened to her.

What Do the Recent Breakdowns Tell Us?

2010-04-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

Things were different this pilot season. Very different. And if you caught my last blog, (a recent letter from James J. Jones, owner of The Premiere Talent Group) you have a good idea of why. It was all about star vehicles this year. But what about "types?" What kind of roles were casting this season? What age categories were hot? What types of characters? What kind of people were "in" this year?

Anyone who saw a list of the 70+ pilots that were casting probably recognized a few general trends. Comedies for the young 20's were hot this season. And so where African American shows (nice to see more shows that reflect Americas real demographics). And of course there were the perfunctory law and cop shows and a new slew of Sci Fi offerings. But, what I really care about as an actor, as well as a "Type Specialist" and "Image Consultant," is the roles. I want to know what the trends were according to "type." Maybe you do too.

Below is a list of recurring "descriptive" words that have appeared in the Breakdowns from the beginning of this year through today. They are listed by order of their appearance, the first word being the most commonly used descriptive word. In other words, if you take a look at the list, "star" was the most commonly used word in all of the Breakdowns this year so far. That's what they were looking for most. Duh!! Anyone who has lived through this pilot season probably could guess that (again, see my last post)! After the descriptive words list is a list of the most commonly used age categories.

Take a peak. See what trends emerge. What conclusions do you draw from this? I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts. Please leave your feedback below.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Recurring Descriptive Words On Breakdowns

(January 2010 - Present)

star

him

female

SAG

caucasian

man

American (sometimes this was used in combination to form "African American")

very

union

ethnicities

good

guest

life

young

AFTRA

lead

woman

episodic

girl

African

family

executive

regular

well

play

guy

pilot

work

school

wife

feature

love

mother

high

exec

now

little

real

strong

father

ethnicity

big

people

great

first

best

attractive

ASAP

friend

student

talent

scale

son

short

network

beautiful

hair

daughter

friends

boy

women

experience

comedy

revised

hispanic

world

home

supporting

local

team

never

much

house

around

smart

hard

recurring

handsome

men

husband

a name

kids

knows

older

asian

hot

middle

girls

dark

younger

body

Dr.

loves

cop

college

class

sister

reality

dad

city

parents

face

happy

true

kid

Spanish

right

brother

police

nudity

law

cable

mom

tries

fun

game

case

child

willing

heart

really

sexy

professional

comfortable

small

tall

comedic

death

accent

murder

budget

model

girlfriend

married

single

eyes

pregnant

lost

center

party

drama

detective

dead

boyfriend

names

ethnic

doctor

former

skills

white

cute

secret

dance

sweet

confident

funny

characters

range

better

black

race

origin

hospital

children

baby

determined

personality

blonde

bad

beach

wedding

officer

cool

humor

career

musical

Recurring Ages On Breakdowns

(January 2010 - Present)

30s

20s

40's

50's

60's

This CRAZY New Pilot Season!

2010-03-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

If you are a "middle class working actor" you're probably wondering why this "busy" 2010 pilot season has been a flop. This letter might just answer your question. It is making the rounds in Hollywood and has a lot of actors and agents talking. It's called "2010 Pilot Season - The "Name" Game Rules," and it's by James J. Jones, owner of The Premiere Talent Group. It's worth the read, especially if you care about the casting side of the TV development business.

2010 Pilot Season – The “NAME” GAME RULES

As Marc Hirschfield recently said in the Hollywood Reporter, “I think this is probably the most competitive pilot season in about eight years ….” (HR, March 9, 2010). There are fundamentally three reasons for this being one of the most competitive pilot seasons on record:

1. Market Competition I: Film Stars Flock to Pilots

2. Market Competition II: Limited Number of Projects

3. Market Competition III: Complications of “Second Positioning” on Pilots

MARKET COMPETITION I:

TOP LEADING MEN/WOMEN OF FILM – TV DOING 2010 PILOTS

The 2010 Pilot Season has been marked by yet another strong paradigm shift in the industry. Film Stars are coming over to Pilot TV in droves. Dustin Hoffman (who hasn’t done TV since 1967) is just one of many FILM stars or film’s leading men/women who have found their way over to Pilots. Here is a non‐comprehensive list of a few who have:

Dustin Hoffman (Luck)

Dermot Mulroney (Rockford Files)

Jon Voight (Midlands)

Claire Forlani (Episodes)

Forrest Whitaker (Criminal Minds II)

Sam Shepard (Tough Trade)

Beau Bridges (Rockford Files)

Tom Selleck (Reagan’s Law)

William Shatner (Shit My Parent’s Say)

Nick Nolte (Luck)

Eugene Levy (Hitched)

Virginia Madsen (Scoundrels)

Mary Steenburgen (Southern Discomfort)

Treat Williams (Boston’s Finest)

Donnie Wahlberg (Burgess/Green)

Keri Russell (Wilde Kingdom)

Brittany Snow (Kindreds)

Kathy Bates (Kindreds)

Charles Dutton (Uncle Nigel)

Stephen Rea (Chaos)

Brian Keith (Midlands)

Janeane Garofalo (John Wells Untitled)

Scott Caan (Hawaii Five‐O)

Rob Morrow (Truth)

Robert Patrick (Edgar Floats)

Jason Biggs (True Love)

Dennis Farina (Luck)

Brian Dennehey (Criminal Minds II)

Adam Arkin (Who Gets the Parents)

Zeljko Ivanek (The Event)

Jason Ritter (The Event)

Ben Chaplin (Kindreds)

Swoosie Kurtz (Mike and Molly)

Carey Elwes (Tough Trade)

Neal McDonough (Scoundrels)

Lea Thompson (Uncle Nigel)

Bill Pullman (Nathan vs. Nurture)

Gary Cole (Uncle Nigel)

Ashley Tisdale (Hellcats)

Damon Wayans (Happy Endings)

That coupled with the sheer volume of NAMED TV actors who also are signing up for Pilots increases the competition even further for non‐NAMED actors. Here again is a NON‐COMPREHENSIVE listing of established TV leading men/women who have signed on with Pilots:

Micheal Chiklis (No Ordinary Family)

Debra Messing (Wright vs. Wrong)

James Belushi (Defenders)

John Schneider (Back Nine)

Leah Remini (Defenders, Takes a Village)

Jimmy Smits (Wilde Kingdom)

Sarah Chalke (The Freshman)

Kristin Kreuk (Hitched)

Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

Donald Faison (The Odds)

Blair Underwood (The Event)

Michael Imperioli (Detriot 187)

Jane Kaczmarark (Who Gets the Parents)

Jeri Ryan (Body of Evidence)

Jerry O’ Connell (Defenders/Rex is not your… )

Jean Smart (Hawaii Five‐O)

Allyssa Milano (Hall Pass)

Skeet Ulrich (Untitled John Wells)

Dylan Walsh (ATF)

Jay Harrington (Nature vs. Nurture)

Ana Ortiz (True Blue)

Tom Cavanaugh (Edgar Floats)

Eric Close (Chaos) Daniel

Dae Kim (Hawaii Five‐O)

Poppy Montgomery (True Blue)

Wayne Knight (No Ordinary Family)

Elisha Cuthbert (Happy Endings)

Traylor Howard (Dana Gould Project)

Kellie Giddish (Chase)

Kurtwood Smith (Hitched)

Laura Prepon (Awkward Situations for Men)

Nicolette Sheridan (Ant Hines‐Untitled)

Becki Newton (Love Bites)

Katee Sackhoff (Richard Hatem‐Untitled)

Will Arnett (Untitled Mitch Hurwitz)

Laurie Metcalf (Strange Brew)

Jere Burns (Strange Brew)

Julie Benz (No Ordinary Family)

Christina Applegate (Hall Pass)

Goran Visnjic (Boston’s Finest)

Molly Parker (Quinn‐Tuplets)

Tony Hale (Awkward Situations for Men)

Rob Morrow (The Whole Truth)

As an agency, PTG has seen strong positioning of our actors for Series Regular roles. We have had 44 actors go out for Series Regulars in these pilots. That is a very strong showing. However,I have spoken with many of my peer agency owners, and we all have had the same experience this pilot season: we have concluded that most of these auditions are what I call ‘insurance auditions.’ Insurance if the actors who been offered the role do not take the role.

I have pitched to at least 50 CDs this pilot season who all said something along the lines of ‘yes, this client might be right‐on for the role, but the studios/networks are saying STAR NAMES ONLY, and we have an offer out.’ This goes for both my ‘named’ and heavy ‘working actors.’ And for the rest, unfortunately, the days of developmental and semi‐working actors getting a shot at a series regular or recurring role on a pilot are long gone (please see below in market competition II).

MARKET COMPETITION II:

THE CONTINUED DECREASE OF PILOT WORK

Unfortunately, the days of shooting hundreds of pilots are long gone. This paradigm shift occurred due to the WGA strike which allowed studios/networks to restructure how they do business in developing and producing new shows. Shooting a pilot is a very expensive proposition, and now the number of pilots are limited to those which have a great chance of getting a green light or have already been green lit for the fall season. In short, last year there were 69 pilots and this year 83 (including pilot presentations). This year the market will probably end up at around 65‐70 real pilots shot.

SIDENOTE: Furthermore, the WGA strike also allowed the studios/networks/cablers to provide for pilots year round instead of the primary pilot season as we had all come to know and expect. The good news is more pilots to come throughout the year;. The bad news is that the exclusivity provisions are no longer in place so named actors can do multiple pilots a year if they so choose, instead of being limited to one during traditional pilot season and thereby opening up roles for other non‐named actors. In short, more competition with Top Named actors!

Doing the Math: So, if you calculate that there are 70 pilots being shot this year, with an average series regular cast of 5‐7 (some shows are going to as low as 4 series regulars to save costs), we are talking between 350 and 440 ‘job openings’ in Hollywood this pilot season for top roles. Above, I have already listed 85 roles taken, and that was far from an exhaustive list. To complicate things even more, many strong series recurers and established TV actors with heavy credits from TV shows are vying for the 250‐300 roles that are left. For example, everyone formerly on ER has found a pilot. Finally, what I am hearing from CDs is that even named actors and VERY STRONG working actors are doing Guest Stars on these pilots. So again, the days of a developmental or semi‐working actor finding a spot on a Pilot is highly unlikely.

MARKET COMPETITION III:

SECOND OPTION POSITIONING

To make matters worse, some actors with current shows are doing pilots as second position. For example, Allyssa Milano, who is currently on Romantically Challenged, has signed on for Hall Pass as a second option. Kyle Bornheimer, also on Romantically Challenged, has signed on for the Bays/Thomas Project. Rob Morrow, of Numbers fame, is currently second positioning on “the Whole Truth.” The entire lead cast of Better off Ted also was confronted with this opportunity. The show, not performing highly in the ratings, found each one of these actors being offered and accepting second options on pilots.

While this has gone on for years in Hollywood, the rise of competition for named actors/actors currently on TV has led many Casting Directors of Pilots to aggressively pursue currently employed actors. Also a few actors such as Jerry O’Connell have been able to do two pilots as exclusivity provisions did not apply. Again, this just shows that there is a strong demand for named actors/actors on TV, and the networks and studios want established names to push for advertising money up front.

SIDENOTE: Do not forget, the Up‐Fronts, while again having gone through a paradigm shift of their own, are still an imperative positioning place for networks. And network executives obviously feel that TOP NAMED actors will allow them to secure as much Up Front advertising dollars as possible. We are talking billions of advertising dollars committed at these Up‐Fronts and it seems as though NAMED actors are what is selling that ‘Up‐Front’ dollar right now.

Final Thoughts from James J. Jones*

I send this pilot report to my clients in order for them to fully understand the business nature of this – the 2010 Pilot Season. While the trickle down nature of this pilot season (top named stars getting series regulars, top working actors getting series recurers/guest star, guest stars doing co‐stars, etc) is fairly bleak for developmental and semi‐working actors, it is not permanent. The prospects for scripted television on both cable and networks, as well as the increase in new media and feature film production bode very well for the actor. For my developmental and semi‐working actors, please be realistic about your expectations and focus on your craft and getting me the marketing materials I need to do my job. For my ‘named’ and heavy working actors, please understand the level of competition, and be patient… breakthroughs are undoubtedly coming for what should be a vibrant 2010. In short, hang on – work your craft – and stay positive! Good things will happen!

*James J. Jones is the owner of The Premier Talent Group. PTG is a SAG‐Franchised Talent Agency offering representation for commercial and theatrical actors. This report was written on March 21, 2010. ©

Secrets to a Great Online Headshot

2010-02-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked how to get a great headshot that works online on the industry standard casting services like Breakdowns (Actors Access), LA Casting, etc. Here was my answer:

Having been a successful headshot photographer for over 15 years and voted by BackStage West and CSA as one of the "best photographers in LA," I want to throw my two cents into the mix regarding headshots that work online. I think this is one of the most important issues an actor will face when getting new headshots. And in these tough economic times when actors are turning to "cheap" photographers to save a buck, it couldn't be more timely!

First, a quick note on the purpose of headshots. Headshots are about casting... that's all! They have to tell us three things, 1) what's your look, 2) what's your personality and 3) can you act. If you're missing any of those, it is not an effective headshot. "What's you look" means what "type" are you. What kinds of parts will you typically be cast in? If you're a mid-west character mom, you'd better look it and not force the shot to look like an artsy, beautifully lit, uber-airbrushed supermodel wannabe. Any decent actor or photographer should know that. "What's your personality" means exactly what is says. Casting people and agents HAVE to see your personality in your shots. You must be yourself. And, "Can you act," simply put, means do you have something going on inside your head. Are you emotionally charged and interesting to watch or are you staring at the lens like a zombie who's been dead for years? Make it an acting exercise. Give yourself lines, toy with your photographer, flirt, etc. Do whatever it takes to get something going on inside your head.

Now the million dollar question, how do you capture that in a little thumbnail photo? It comes down to this one thing... make it all about your eyes. Like casting directors have been saying for years, "great shots are in the eyes!" And that is the responsibility of both the photographer and the actor. In regards to the three things I mentioned above, "look," "personality" and "can you act," I want to focus on the last two. That's what should come through in your eyes. Hopefully, your photographer is shooting you naturally so your physical look should be obvious.

It is the actor's responsibility to "bring it" to every shoot. You have to be yourself, show us your personality, and have something going on in your head with every single look. To make an extreme example, think of that great shot you saw of your favorite actor compared to a typical senior portrait. One has personality and the eyes grab your attention. The other is posed and stiff and lifeless in the eyes. It's all about chemistry. Bring lines or monologues to your session. Think of conversations you would have with your friends, your enemies, your boss, the love of your life, etc. Create chemistry. Most photographers don't think about these things (sadly), so you need to. One Casting Director I worked with recently told me, "My favorite headshots are the one's that look like the actor is playing around with the photographer and making him guess what they're thinking." I love that! Robert Duvall once said, "the reason I keep acting is because I can't wait to get on the set and start (messing) with people." And, it's what makes him so cast-able. Try it! See if your eyes don't come alive in your shots when you constantly make your photographer guess what you're thinking.

On the flip side, it is the photographers responsibility to know how to make your eyes "pop" technically. I shoot commercial photography for companies like Big Lots!, K-Mart, Warner Brothers, etc., and have been involved in the casting process for national TV and print campaigns. What I found after looking at thousands of submissions on Breakdowns (Actor's Access) and LA Casting is that most photographers, or people who call themselves photographers, have no idea what looks good on a computer monitor, much less in a print. Here is what every photographer should know (but many don't): first, in order to make the eyes pop there must be some sort of catch light, whether natural or artificial, that will "catch," brighten and draw attention to the eyes. Second, the shots must have good contrast. Most shots on Breakdowns and LA Casting have hardly any contrast at all. They look muddy. No one is going to notice your eyes if that is the case. Digital is a flat medium by design so digital shots need to be adjusted. I'm amazed at how many photographers don't process their images. They just hand actors a disk with raw images or un-process JPEG's. Third, any photographer worth their salt should have a calibrated monitor and system and know how to attach a good web-ready color profile (like sRGB) to the final shots. I know some of this may sound like techno-garble to most of you but it better make sense to your photographer. Finally, your photography better know that it is industry standard to shoot most of the shots cropped chest up. At thumb nail size anything more than a tight headshot will loose the eyes. With almost every agency 3/4 shots are out!

On a side note, it is my goal to challenge every headshot photographer out there to find a way to see, at least once, what their work looks like on one of the major online sites! As far as I'm concerned, it's their job!

You may be wondering, how do you find out if your current shots work or not? Do this simple test. On most standard computer screens the thumbnails on Breakdowns are 1 3/8" wide by 1 5/8" tall. On LA Casting they are even smaller. They are 1" wide by 1 1/4" tall. Bring up the shots you're using online, shrink them down to that size and see if the eyes pop. Go online and get other actors headshots (from their websites, from Google, from photographers sites, wherever) and shrink them down to the same size. See how yours compare. Are they muddy? Do they have good contrast compared to the others? Do your eyes pop and grab your attention compared to the others? Is there "life" in your eyes? If not, get a better photographer. Someone who knows what they're doing. And then, do your job. "Bring it" to your next session. Be yourself, have fun and live on camera.

Hope that helps. Sorry for the long answer, but these are essential truths that every actor should know. I get scared when actors want to save money and they start thinking that headshots are just so the Casting Director can "see what you look like." WRONG!!! They are your most important marketing tool, they are to tell the casting community who you are (not just what you look like) and they are to get you cast! Get a photographer who knows what they're doing, someone who knows how to make your eyes pop. That takes an export. Or, an amateur and a miracle. You decide. Have this conversation with your photographer. Make sure you have good chemistry. Like I said above, a great headshot (and great acting for that matter) is always about chemistry. Chemistry with the camera, chemistry with your photographer and chemistry with the person looking at your shots.

Happy shooting and much casting success!

What About Typecasting?

2009-07-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to give my thoughts on Typecasting for an article in "BackStage West." Here are my answers to their questions.

1. As an actor, how do you figure out what unique qualities you have to offer talent reps, CDs, directors, etc? Why is this important?

Let me answer the second part of this question first. The things that make an actor unique are what makes an audience watch them. Ultimately, it is what makes them a star. Think about it. No one does sexy like Marilyn Monroe. No one does rage like Robert De Niro. No one plays strength in fear like Meryl Streep. No one talks like Christopher Walken, walks like John Wayne or thinks like Robin Williams. In fact, they are so unique in their behavior, their mannerisms and their choices that other actors spend years trying to emulate them. Imagine a world where everyone is the same and no one is unique. Boring! We watch films and TV because we want to live vicariously through the actors. And their unique approach to living those lives that we watch are why we gaze with such fascination and intrigue.

If you are an actor, it is absolutely essential that you find out what makes you unique, good and bad. Your job is to embrace those unique qualities and exploit them like there is no tomorrow. One of the worst mistakes an actor can make is to go into an audition, a meeting or an interview and try to be what they think the Casting Director, Director or Agent wants. How many times have you heard them say, "Often we don't even know what we want?" Here's the point, what they ALWAYS want to see is "you," your unique self with all your quirks, habits, mannerisms and point of view. Nothing is more fascinating than that. Simply put, we pay our stars millions of dollars to be themselves. Why should you be any different?

So, how do you figure out what your unique qualities are? Ask. Don't ask your mom, it's like asking her to pick your headshots, moms always gravitate to the one with that glossy-eyed, school portrait, smile. Wrong! Ask people who will give you an honest answer, not the answer you necessarily want to hear. Talk to your agent or a casting director. Hire an Image Consultant. Take a "Type" class. Ask your acting teacher. Or, another approach would be to watch yourself on film. Take note of your habits and your quirks, the things you do over and over. How do you handle situations and confrontations compared to others? What choices do you most naturally and often make? Embrace those qualities and get comfortable being "you."

Here's a fun assignment, pull out your old yearbooks and read what people wrote about you when they signed them. Look for the things that are said again and again. Chances are those are some of the things that make you unique. For example, if most of the people say, "you are a very funny girl," then likely you are. See if you can figure out what makes you funny. Do people say you are gangly and awkward, loud and obnoxious or out of your mind crazy? You'll be surprised at what you find.

On a side note, I once heard director David Nutter say, "The things you hate about yourself are often the things that make you the most money." I find that fascinating. The difficulty lies in accepting those things. It has often been said that what makes Gene Hackman so watchable is the seething anger that lies constantly just beneath his skin. I would doubt that his hot temper is something he loves about himself but he certainly has embraced and used it.

2. How do you figure out what your “type” is and capitalize on it?

First of all know that this is a "type driven" town. Type casting is not only a part of the business, it is the norm. Therefore, it is essential that you know what types you naturally play and market those aggressively. Why is it so necessary? Thanks to the speed at which TV shows and films are now cast, Casting Directors rarely have time to meet actors (or do generals like they used to) thus there is less of a chance to see what kind of a range actors have. About all they have time to do now is find actors who closely fit the type of each character, put them on tape and send them off to producers. TV casting is especially guilty of this. The problem is most actors start out on stage where they are taught that they can play anything they want. But that is simply not true in TV and film.

I have led quite a few seminars with Casting Directors over the years and I hear the same thing over and over. They tend to see actors as capable of playing one, maybe two and at the very most three types (or characters) well. For the most part they don't think of actors as being able to play almost any kind of role. Agents are more likely to see their actors as being multifaceted because they want the commissions, but not Casting Directors. Doesn't sound very promising does it? Actually, it is.

Herein lies the secret to success, type casting is your friend. If you find that one, maybe two or at the most three types that you totally embody, marketing yourself suddenly becomes a lot easier. If people instantly see you as the "quirky boy next door," then all you have to do is brand yourself as that and your job is practically done. The point is this, you want to put it out there with good marketing materials (and demos and headshots to back it up) that you are the quintessential "quirky boy next door." When a casting director sees those words on their breakdown, they automatically think of you. The best way to brand yourself is use their words to describe what you do best. That is, after all, the essence of branding.

There are essentially three ways to determine your types. First is experience. If you have a nice healthy IMDB page and you see that in twenty-one out of twenty-six roles your were the "seductress," chances are your most playable type is the "seductress." A good resume will tell you what you do best. The second way to determine your types is to ask professionals in the business. Agents, Casting Directors, Directors, Image Consultants, etc., can all be very helpful in determining this for you. Realize that every person on this earth will have a slightly different opinion so not everyone may agree. For this reason it is wise to get several opinions and see which answers rise to the top. The third way to determine your type is to take a "Type" class.

One note of caution, be careful with other actors advice. You never know for sure another actor's agenda and generally speaking actors do not have the perspective of someone who is regularly involved in the casting process, Most haven't a clue about their own type much less what the common types are in the business.

3. How do you get industry folks to re-think your type or see you in a different light? (so as to avoid getting typecast)

As I alluded to above, I am a firm believer that "typecasting" is your friend. I highly recommend embracing it. If Charlize Theron had started her career by trying to play "Monster" she would never have become the success that she is today. She began her career playing the sexy, slightly dangerous, hottie. She played it over and over until finally she became a star and earned the right to do whatever she wanted. In my humble opinion that is always the path of least resistance to success in this business.

Several years ago the company that owns Carl's Jr. hired a consulting firm to help determine who their primary customers were. The results showed that an overwhelming majority were males ages 16-32. Based on that information they changed their marketing strategy to appeal to that demographic. Or in the words of a Carl's Jr. executive in a corporate press release, "We are all about giving our customers the ultimate guys’ experience.” This led to those memorable ads showing guys just sitting around eating messy burgers, with condiments dripping all over the place. Next came the sex appeal which culminated with the now infamous "wet Paris Hilton" commercial. Carl's Jr. directly aimed their marketing campaigns at the younger male audience and made little effort to appeal to anyone else. We can argue that they should have considered all the other demographics as well in their campaigns but they knew who they were, what they did best and they wisely focused their efforts around it. Needless to say, Carl's Jr. boasted one of the biggest growth spurts of any fast food chain in the last thirty years. This is not much different than an actor who takes advantage of type-casting. They know what they do best and who their target market is and they focus on it, over and over, until they excel far beyond their competition.

Actors don't want to be locked into a single role for the rest of their lives, understandably. Typecasting benefits you on the rise to success. Shortly before or once you're there I do believe it is wise to begin your move to more diversity. By that point the industry will accept you as having earned it. How do you do that? Theater is one of the best places I can think of. I recently read that Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman signed on to star in the Broadway play, "A Steady Rain." Good for them. Granted it is a harrowing drama, which is not that big of a stretch, but it will certainly give Craig a chance to spread his wings and try something new. The Stage is the actors medium (TV is the writer's medium and Film is the Directors medium) and there is no better place to try out new types than in the theater. Another great way to broaden your appeal is to do independent film. Countless times working actors have turned to independent film because they can get cast in roles they would not normally play. Again, I use the example of "Monster" with Charlize Theron. Continued training is also a great way to explore new types. Acting classes are a great place to stretch yourself and try out new territory.

Whenever you get cast in a role that is typical for you, feel free to try a take or two in a manner that is completely oblique to what you normally do. You never know, they may love it and cut it into the project. Suddenly the audience gets to see you doing something new. Johnny Depp is famous for giving the director a different take on the scene every time he plays it. Consequently, I'm not surprised that Johnny has such a diverse body of work. But, like the examples I cited above, Johnny, too, carved a nice career for himself in the beginning by playing the roles he most naturally could play, the edgy pretty boy ("Cry Baby" and "21 Jump Street"). He hated those kinds of roles so the second he had enough fame to do it, and a nice fan base, he made the move to something he was much more fond of, "Edward Scissorhands." But don't ignore his beginnings and the work it took to get him there.

In the words of the famous stage director Max Reinhardt, "Actors are the lucky people, they get to go on playing. It's only playing." Yes, acting is a business and every actor needs to approach it as such, but never forget, it is also playing. Focus on what you do best, your types and your unique qualities, but never stop playing when you act. If there is one thing that every actor should embody, it is likeability. If you are having fun and enjoying every minute of it, so will the audience. Always have fun no matter how many times you have to do the same thing over and over. It is what makes the journey there worth every second of it.

Are You Desperate?

2009-02-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

I read good bit of advice recently on a Yahoo Group called "Hollywood Happy Hour" from casting director Bonnie Gillespie. In it she warned against wreaking of desperation. Not surprising, my mind kept going back to the many mistakes I made early on in my acting career. My problem... I thought I was "driven" when actually I was "desperate."

I'm a nice guy. I was raised to be agreeable, to send thank you notes and to bring a gift to the host of the party. I was taught to embrace etiquette and never argue with someone in public. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, but somewhere along the way (once my craving to be a star took root) I became the classic co-dependent actor. Everything I did was done to draw agreeable attention to myself. But, I was a good guy and I was certain that if they saw me they would like me and cast me.

It's all a matter of where you place your focus.

I used to spend countless hours trying to find out how to do things "right," things like writing the perfect cover letter or finding out what was proper etiquette when you talked to an agent. I drove myself crazy trying to get the inside scoop and learn all the secrets. I read every book, attended countless seminars and went to endless Cold Reading Workshops. And, I always sat in the front row and asked a "very intelligent question" in hopes they would remember me. Again, not like there is anything inherently wrong with that, but I was desperate to stick out and to be liked. But, if if being liked is the key to success people like Christian Bale would never be stars (not that his type behavior is the key either! Anyone remember Sean Young?).

One of the problems I see is that most actor's go to classes and attend workshops so they can learn all the "insider rules." Their thinking is, "'if I just learn all the rules and secrets I have a fast track to stardom." Two thoughts come to mind: 1) there are no rules, and 2) there is no better way to get noticed and remembered in this town than to be seen in that great role that defines you and have an audience that loves you.

So, how do you find those killer roles and audiences?

You don't! They find you. That's where I made my biggest mistake early on. Your job is simply to act and and continue to define yourself in your work. It's the audience's job to find you. The key is to "Brand Yourself." Find out what makes you unique and then exploit it in your acting. Make projects over and over that show us your personality, your individual type, your quirks and even your pains and vulnerabilities. Never stop marketing what you do. Molly Shannon did her one woman show for 10 years before she was finally discovered by someone from SNL. Ten years! But look what it got her.

Create your defining role yourself. Do a one person show. Produce a play with a role that fits you like a glove. Get friends together and do a short film that was written for you. Start a web series that revolves around you're life, etc. Once your fan base grows (and it will if you're being true to yourself) you're on your way. I read last year in Variety that all five of the top agencies (CAA, ICM, WMA, UTA and Endeavor) had at least one staff member who had a job of watching YouTube all day. They were instructed to find talented people with big fan bases. I guarantee you not one of those agencies had a single staff member who was paid to go to acting seminars and watch for the actor who asked the best questions.

How do you stay driven without being desperate?

Be smart. Go to seminars, take marketing classes, do the occasional cold reading workshop (especially if it is a show you are perfect for), read good books and take classes to find out what "type" you are (like mine!). But, do those things in order to educate yourself more on how the basics and standards of industry. Just don't waste your time looking for rules, secrets and the fast track to success... you won't find them. Focus on your acting. Exploit "yourself" through your work. Actors who are "driven" are primarily focused on their art. Actors who are "desperate" are primarily focused on being noticed, or liked, or anything other than their art.

Never forget, true art is about expressing yourself, not about gaining notoriety.

What Are Friends For?

2008-12-27T01:14:00.000-08:00

I felt the sudden urge to email one of my best friends today. He lives in Vancouver, Canada now (the lucky bloke). He and I have spent literally thousands of hours discussing art, life, passion, celebrity, failure, success, actors, writers, directors, musicians and everything else related to this business we call the Entertainment Industry. It is our main topic of choice. He is a multi-talented and gifted artist and yet, like most of us, he struggles to make a consistent living at it. And he has had some big opportunities in his life.

As he has done for me many a time, I felt the need to explain and inspire. These are the words that came across my keyboard:

There is a great website/forum called Wordplayer.com, which is primarily for writers. It is lovely to browse. I love reading other people's questions, advice, stories, rants, raves, whimpers and whines. This one particular post was chosen as one of the best of all of 2008. It definitely caught my eye. I have a long running philosophy in life that goes something like... "The man who dies with the most REAL FRIENDS... wins... and gets most of the good jobs.. and most of the best women... and generally has enough money to be happy." Something like that anyway.

I read recently about an investigation that was started in order to determine what makes the best salesmen. The ironic conclusion was the one thing most of the top salesmen had in common was they were social drinkers, usually sharing a couple of glasses of alcohol each night." It's not the "drinkers" part that caught my attention, it was the "social" part. Of course they did well, they had "buddies" who could enjoy a common form of fun and buddies buy things from each other.

Or from another angle, one of the interesting things about going to Yale is that most of our country's presidents went there too. But it is common knowledge that friends who school together help each other out, whether in the business world, dating world or social world. Yale grads stick together. Friends help friends, especially in the political world. The same is true in the Entertainment Industry with schools like AFI or USC. I have heard it said many times that one of the biggest benefits of going to AFI is that grads keep helping each other to get jobs for years and years.

All that to say, of all the areas in my life I feel I have failed at the most, making and keeping good friends tops the list. And that is what this blog gets right to the heat of. Check it out, see for yourself. I love his closing lines:

http://www.wordplayer.com/forums/scriptsarc11/index.cgi?read=158555

*(Nothing like posting someone else's blog for your own personal blog on your own personal site. I'm still learning!)

To blog, or not to blog.

2008-12-26T20:16:00.001-08:00

I begin my life as a blogger with a conundrum! It has been said that to blog is to be officially noted as part of a thinking society... but is it really? In actuality, I think it is more to be officially noted as part of a blabbering society... and not that there is anything wrong with that! We love to talk, it's part of what separates us from the animals and the protozoa. But its not just the public blabbering that worries me.

Several years back, I finally came up with the name for my memoir (or autobiography if memoirs are no longer "in"). When it came to mind I instantly I fell in love with it: "He Who Says the Least, Has the Most to Say." I knew it was a hit because the first publisher I mentioned it to blurted out in an instant, "That is so not true!!" I knew in that moment that I had a title that would catch someone's eye, one that would stop even the hastiest businessman at the Costco book table. But therein lies my dilemma.

How do I justify that glorious title now that I am officially a blogger? Bloggers don't have the least to say (unless, of course, this is my only entry for years to come), they typically have the most. How can I possibly keep my favored memoir title and enter the world of blogging? How can it all work?

Okay, let's be rational here, let's look at the whole picture. People who write memoirs aren't exactly the one's saying the least. Not once they start writing anyway. That much is true. And good titles are meant to sell books, not tell the whole story. Right? Generally it's the publishers who come up with the titles anyway, not the authors. Surveys say authors typically hate their publisher created book titles seven out of ten times. Okay, maybe I made that percentage up, but it's based on truth so the principle must still stand, right? Besides, when all is said and done the title really refers to my life prior to writing. It is my story prior to my blogging, prior to my memoir script, prior to now. So can I still keep my title... as long as I don't write about my life after now. I can do that! These times seem to be fairly boring anyway. I can actually make this work!

Okay, I feel much better now. So, what to say next... crap, another conundrum. Ummmm....