Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got to Set You booked your first union theatrical job! Congrats! All those classes, marketing, and auditioning finally paid off. But hold up- here’s some helpful info so you know what to expect before your big shoot day (or days!). The Table Read Some shows will make you do one. People from the studio and network will likely be there. Show up to do your best work, be cordial to everyone you meet, and exude the positive energy that comes with being in a room with other creatives to make stuff. You’ve got the offer, but it’s not in the bag yet. Although it’s highly unusual, actors can be fired from table reads, so make sure you bring your A-Game and are super prepared. Fittings These are appointments with the wardrobe team to figure out what you’ll be wearing. Your picture will be […] Read More
How to Get into the Top 1% of Commercial Actors: Part 2 of 2 In my last blog we discussed the first two steps to getting into the top 1% of commercial actors: landing a top commercial agent and nailing specific headshots. Now let’s lay down how to make your casting profile pop. As a coach, I find it’s all the little details coming together that create a competitive edge. STEP 3: Create a Quick Read Online Resume TV/Film Credits While theatrical offices could care less if you booked a huge commercial campaign. Commercial offices definitely care about your theatrical bookings. Why? Often top TV and film directors work in commercials and they want to work with great actors. Theatrical credits are one way casting shows that you’re a solid actor. Instead of listing everything you’ve ever booked list your top 5 credits in TV and top 5 in film. […] Read More
Meeting Strangers on the Internet: Initiating the Conversation with Industry Professionals Meeting Strangers on the Internet As the perpetually single friend, I have plenty of experience online dating. While not the intended effect, it turns out that building attractive profiles, initiating effective first contact, and translating e-intros into in-person meetings are all highly transferable skills when it comes to professional networking. In this post, I share how principles of online dating can be applied in order to successfully convert online interactions with producers, showrunners, directors, and CDs into successful work relationships. Create an online presence that reflects how you want your future industry besties to see you Your online profiles aren’t just for you, your college friends, and your crazy aunt who’s still living vicariously through you and your college friends. That said, when creating and maintaining your social media presence, it’s important to be honest, passionate, and be yourself. […] Read More
How to Get into the Top 1% of Commercial Actors: Part 1 of 2 When I first got to LA I thought “commercials, naaah I’m all about movies.” I only began to reconsider when I got a job running the accounting department at a TOP commercial agency in LA. Every day I processed checks for actors, some of which were making 6 figures in passive income from commercials. I thought “…maybe it’d be good to check out commercials!” Now I’m happy to say that in the last 18 months I’ve booked 4 big commercial campaigns and have a 3/5 callback ratio.. Before I got to Hollywood I never even considered commercials. Now I’ve come to find it’s an essential part of creating the time freedom to pursue TV/Film work. So how can you get into the TOP 1% of commercial actors? Step 1: Land a GREAT Commercial Agent If you’re […] Read More
How to Be One of Your Rep’s Favorite Clients via Ammo & Communication First off – Congrats on securing representation!!! Pop the bubbly! Now that you’ve celebrated and had your champagne, know that this is NOT the time to relax, sit back and wait for all those auditions to come pouring in. If you do, I promise, they won’t. Now is the time to really focus on building relationships, and one of those relationships you want to build, is the one with your new rep! 🙂 Here are some of my tips for creating a strong rep relationship: Give them the Ammo Reps are not wizards who can procure auditions out of thin air. They need you to give them the marketing tools in order to submit/pitch you to secure audition opportunities. You must provide them with high quality: Headshots— Branded to your type (Check out our branding & marketing […] Read More
The 90% of audition prep work you need to do BEFORE you get the sides (or appointment) You got an audition for a great TV show! How exciting. Now, cue scrambling to prepare, dealing with audition nerves, and the inevitable flood of damaging thoughts. On top of that, you’ve got to learn all your lines, research the show, figure out what to wear, all while balancing your day job and life in general. HOW IS THIS ALL POSSIBLE IN THE 24 HOURS THEY’VE GIVEN YOU? Well, good news. 90% of my audition prep occurs before I ever get an audition. And so can yours. Here are a few common damaging thoughts that come up during the audition process that you can learn to tackle in your everyday life so you can stay focused when a last second appointment comes through. THOUGHT: “I’ll never memorize these sides on time.” INSTEAD: “I […] Read More