People ask themselves:

What in the heck happened?

• The long-awaited job passed you by
• The romantic partner met someone else
• A friend let you down
• You were lied to
• Someone discouraged you
• The vacation got postponed
• A betrayal occurred
• A disappointment was unexpected
• You became a victim of abuse
• A poor grade was received
• The coach selected someone else
• A sibling outperformed you
• You were taken advantage of
• A co-worker got the promotion
• You lost most of your hair
• Your boss let you go
• A family member was hyper critical
• The coach picked your best friend

The list could go on and on.  The bottom line is that something did happen that damaged your self-image. Something happened which was triggered by an event or triggered by what someone said or even what someone didn’t say.  So, what next?

How does it make me feel?

• Sad?
• Discouraged?
• Pitiful
• Depressed
• Angry
• Dumb
• Helpless
• Hopeless
• Inferior
• Negative
• Discouraged
• Ugly
• Unmotivated
• Self-destructive
• Undeserving
• Isolated
• Unloved

Are there healthier responses? Yes!

Start a new campaign for yourself by telling yourself you no longer will allow anything that is or anyone who is negative to enter your world sphere.  Put on a new protective armor.  Adopt an attitude of positivity & humility about everything

So, what do I say to myself? Start by saying:

Yes, I CAN – Yes, I AM – Yes, I WILL

• I am positive
• I feel positive
• I am worth it
• I will surround myself with positive people
• I will think positive thoughts
• I will take positive action
• I will disassociate with negative people
• I will nourish myself
• I will accept myself
• I will like myself
• I am lovable
• I am good at that
• I have valuable unique gifts & talents I was born with
• I have been wonderfully created
• I will love myself
• I will be kind to myself
• I will take care of my body
• I will do my very best
• I do deserve better
• I am a good person
• I am kind to others
• I will reach out to others
• I am ok
• I can stand up for myself
• I do believe in myself
• I will accomplish that
• I believe in myself
• A better opportunity is headed my way.
• I cannot fix someone else
• God does have a plan for me
• I can fulfill my destiny
• I am not defined by a mistake
• I am not defined by someone’s labels
• I will remove the label
• I will live in the present
• I will avoid doubt
• I have an awesome future

Now, How do I feel?

• Hopeful
• Empowered
• Attractive
• Talented
• Loved
• Cared for
• Able
• Confident
• Joyful
• Needed
• Liked
• Accepted
• Accomplished
• Self-assured
• Self-respected
• Comforted
• Expectant
• Worthy
• Forgiven
• Positive
• Healthy

REMEMBER, YOU ARE WORTH IT, YOU ARE WONDERFUL

A day doesn’t go by without my hearing the voices of people echoing their daily frustrations about how they are living their lives doing something they really don’t want to do.

Friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, actors, restaurant servers, business men & women … you name it. Even random airplane passengers, that are seated beside me, voice their feelings, even sadness at their not doing what they dreamt of doing.

What resonates universally among everyone is their extreme desire to be doing something else, doing what their dreams are calling them to do.

Can your passion really be followed? Why should anyone follow their passion?

• Passion brings out hidden talents & gifts
• Passion creates enthusiasm
• Passion inspires creativity
• Passion uncovers ingenuity
• Passion fuels hope
• Passion promotes ideas
• Passion leads to inventions
• Passion offers solutions
• Passion drives ambition
• Passion brings happiness
• Passion improves self esteem
• Passion provides motivation
• Passion stirs excitement
• Passion stimulates artistry

What else can following your passion do?

• Passion delivers self-satisfaction
• Passion fosters friendships & relationships
• Passion makes a difference in the world
• Passion curbs depression
• Passion creates opportunities
• Passion saves lives
• Passion allows you to do what you love
• Passion illuminates what is uniquely you
• Passion stimulates critical thinking
• Passion encourages a positive outlook
• Passion allows you to do what you love to do
• Passion reflects what you are good at
• Passion has no timelines or deadlines
• Passion can make a difference in even one person’s life
• Passion gives purpose to your life

How can following any passion fit into my work day, my school schedule, the kids schedule?

Discovering a passion & then setting time aside at every chance, every day even for 5 minutes to pursue a passion, can be life changing. Spend time doing something you love.

GO FOR IT!

Great auditions flow from taking enough time to clearly understand the writer’s intention of a character and then working to fully commit to that character. How can an Actor tackle the challenge?

DO NOT RUSH!

Grasping the writer’s intentions behind each word, every intention, each statement and every piece of punctuation is crucial in understanding the character’s role.

What if the Actor is not clear about the writer’s intention?
What then? Where to start?

• Do a script analysis, line by line
• Review the scenes with acting coaches
• Review the scenes with other actors
• Note where the scene’s location takes place – bedroom, restaurant, baseball field, etc.
• Research the Director’s and Writer’s styles, and types of projects
• Understand the subtext of each line
• What is your character’s objective
• What does your character want
• What is your character’s intention
• What is your character’s conflict

Move in deeper to understand what motivates the character.
What now?

• What is the emotion behind each word, each phrase of your character
• What drives your character’s emotion
• What are your characters reactions
• What are the intention of the words used by the other characters
• What are the reactions of your scene partners to your character
• What are the directions given in the scene’s text
• How does the blocking in the scene relate to your character?
• What are your character’s range of emotions

You are off to a fabulous start laying the groundwork and building your portrayal of the character!

Stay tuned for my next post. For questions or comments, please respond through this website.

For some, it is a volcanic eruption of “hip, hip, hooray!“; for others, it is a tidal wave of “oh, no, not again!”; and for many others, everything is abounding in between.

The holidays worldwide are often associated with a flurry of activity including parties, dinners, shopping, gifts, decorating, travel and crazy schedule changes.

An Actor’s Changing Environment

Major sensory overload sets in:

• travel to familiar places, a home town or a new distant location.
• adornment of decorative elements & festive lights
• unfamiliar accommodations
• expectations
• nostalgic visions of the past
• smells of holiday classics
• tastes of old time favorites
• sounds of native or spiritual music
• donning of festive clothing
• religious services
  

A myriad of emotions, thoughts, sights, sounds, and feelings are evoked. At the mere thought of the holidays, emotions and reactions immediately appear on the actor’s scene. Emotions and reactions that are changing continuously during the course of the holidays, continuing well into the days following. A flood gate of thoughts rush in “What will it be like this time?“

Emotions, reactions dominate the scene:

• excitement
• nostalgia
• joy
• contentment
• love
• romance
• anticipation
• relief
• satisfaction
• delirium
• joviality
• graciousness
• kindheartedness
• adventure
• peace
• relaxation

or feeling of:

• dread
• disgust
• guilt
• nonchalance
• disappointment
• apathy
• anger
• loneliness
• aggression
• sadness
• fear
• depression
• agony
• hatred
• despair
• franticness
• worry
• sickness

What Actors Can Glean From the Holidays?

How can the holidays be approached by a performer? A LIVE ACTOR’S WORKSHOP: A STEP OUT OF THE BOX.

An actor can use the holidays as a type of acting workshop by using themselves as mirrors; as mirrors reflecting who the actor becomes; mirrors reflecting the actor’s ever-changing emotional state, reactions and transitions in live, real-time scenes as they live each passing day of the holiday season. Actors can view others as scene partners; that is, those people who are temporarily part of the actor’s holiday daily experience; whether it be their aged father, or their little brother or their precious grandmother they only see once a year.

Actors can then harness:

• each emotional feeling
• each reaction to each emotion
• each reaction to each circumstance
• each reaction to the surroundings
• each reaction to what they see
• each emotion in response to scents smelled
• each emotion from a song heard
• each reaction to each person who appears in the Holiday “scene”
• each verbal response to others that is generated from the actors’ emotion
• each non-verbal & physical response

Actors can capture every tidbit of emotion felt throughout the holidays, including those feelings occurring in the early days before the holidays and those intense emotions and reactions that are triggered and seem to linger well into the aftermath. Within themselves, actors can register the thoughts that were associated with each emotion and each reaction that they experienced and catalog those thoughts to trigger the
same emotion and reaction.

Creating a Believable Performance

Actors can channel the emotions into personalization. They can draw up those emotions by remembering the thoughts associated with them and then use those emotions as they develop and deliver character performances in future acting roles. Personalization is an effective technique many successful actors skillfully use to bring believable truth to the roles they play on the screen and stage. How fabulous!

Stay tuned for my next blog post coming soon. For questions or comments, please respond through this website.

WHAT IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE FOR THE AUDITION?

This blog post and corresponding podcast is the first in this series of 3, “Creating a Character – How?”

HOW DO YOU CREATE THAT ALL IMPORTANT CHARACTER?

Let’s get into it …

So, you were submitted for an audition and YOU just received notice that YOU got the audition.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Are you super excited? Does sheer panic and anxiety set in.  Are you overjoyed beyond belief? Has your confidence level now just stepped up a huge notch?

First of all, it is awesome that you got an audition! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! They noticed YOU!  There was something about YOU!

WHAT ABOUT YOU DID THEY NOTICE?

• Your headshot?
• Your facial expression?
• Your hair?
• Your beard?
• Your piercings?
• Your disability?
• Your resume?
• Your film clips?
• Your video reels?
• Your skill set?
• Your representation?
• Your presence?
• Your energy?
• Your ethnicity?
• Your accent?

NOW THAT YOU GOT YOUR AUDITION NOTICE, WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?

Well, now is YOUR big chance, YOUR huge opportunity to showcase YOUR work, YOUR time to shine, YOUR chance to showcase your creative ideas & your talent, to showcase a NEW character seen through YOUR eyes.

HOW DO YOU SEE THAT CHARACTER?

How are you going to tell the story of the character YOU will now create?

One place to start? READ! READ! READ!

1. Review the project’s description.
2. Read all the instructions at least 3 times
3. Read it again.
4. Get clear about everything that is presented to you.
5. Understand everything that is expected of you.
6. Note the audition deadline
7. Review the audition type – self-tape indoors, outdoors, zoom audition, in-person
8. Be aware of special requests – taping a specific activity- swimming, surfing, piano

THEN,

1. Check shoot dates & shoot locations
2. Verify availability for all shoot dates & shoot locations & conflicts
3. Confirm or decline the audition ASAP – notify your agent AND casting

WHAT NEXT?

The entire script may be AVAILABLE.  It is essential to READ THE ENTIRE SCRIPT FIRST!!!!

1. Read your scenes multiple times
2. Understand what the writer is trying to convey about your character
3. Determine how your character relates to the other characters in your scenes
4. Establish how all the characters in your scenes relate to the author’s interpretation

Find out more in Part 2 of “CREATING A CHARACTER- HOW”?

Stay tuned for my next Blog Post. For questions or comments, please respond through this website.

If you are like most people, day to day life somehow seems to get in the way of moving a career or a passion along. Everything seems to eat up time & before we know it, the day is gone. Having dreams, goals and hobbies can best be sought after by seemingly prioritizing what can be done in a 24-hour period.

How do you prioritize time? What is your focus

Few daily activities require minimal time spent:

• Shaving
• Showering
• Hair styling
• Applying makeup
• Doing laundry
• Watering plants
• Ironing / steaming clothes
• Errands to the dry cleaners or post office

Could the time spent on activities be reduced?

Some daily activities require even more time spent:

• Driving
• Cooking
• Paying bills
• Talking on the phone
• Grocery shopping
• Gym workout
• Playing a musical instrument
• Participating in sports
• Eating at a restaurant
• Watching TV
• Watching a movie
• Playing video games
•  Watching a sporting event
•  Attending a concert

Could an activity be eliminated?

Other daily activities require extreme time spent:

• Working a day job
• Working a night job
• Attending full time school
• Attending acting classes
• Doing homework & job assignments  
• Caring for an infant
• Assisting children -bathing, dressing, eating, supervising
• Dating / Relationships
• Social media
• Surfing the Internet

Are there ways to create more time? 

• Daycare, nanny, family babysitting
• Student loans
• Working part time
• Birth control
• Food delivery
• Carpooling, train, bus
• Acquiring a roommate to share expenses
• Moving to a less expensive place
• Eating out less
• Pre prepared frozen meals, drive thru meals
• Limit time on phones & internet

Is time spent on an activity really necessary?

Is an activity something we need to do or is it something we simply want to do. Does the activity really matter? Is it a distraction?  Or is it essential? 

Will an activity help your career or will it distract?

Prioritizing time is a challenge everyone faces every day. It certainly is one of my biggest challenges.

I have discovered that by reducing or even eliminating the time spent doing an activity by carving out 5 minutes here, 6 minutes there. Before I know it, I have carved out one hour/day.  That hour per day translates to 365 extra hours in a year that can be directed toward making a dream come true!

VOILA!

YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY!

Stay tuned for my next Blog Post coming soon.  For questions or comments, please respond through this website.

Why do you take your children on vacation with you? Don’t you want to relax?

And I say,

Vacations with my kids, even as young toddlers and now as adult children, have not only been relaxing but have also been tremendously fun, educational and exciting for everyone AND they help to keep the family closely connected.

Why?

It all changed when I began including my children in all the planning. They instantly became more enthusiastic and cooperative from start to finish. They discovered how much they actually enjoyed being a part of the planning.

They became self-motivated, finding themselves working together to create the vacation. Problem solving and finding solutions together became part of the family team effort.

And it gave me peace of mind knowing that the children would be on vacation with me/us rather than being left with caregivers.

How do you begin?

By using an exciting approach, we created that involves every traveler. It has proven to be 100% successful everytime.

Begin by brainstorming possible vacation destinations. It immediately becomes part of the magic which unites and motivates everyone, making the itinerary planning more interesting.

Everyone begins researching possible vacation destinations – The more each one learns about a place; the more enthusiasm gets developed.

Find a destination by:

• Flipping through magazines and brochures,
• Google searches,
• Reading about countries,
• Flipping around the school’s world globe,
• Thumbing through photos of different continents and villages,
• Reviewing maps of states, cities, provinces,
• Reading about historical places, cultures, languages,
• Discovering cool excursions,
• Hearing about a fun experience from a friend,
• Watching a travel television show,

The list goes on and on.

What kind of activities?

• Visiting a zoo,
• Visiting an aquarium,
• Visiting a volcano,
• Making a campfire,
• Sleeping in tents,
• Hiking to a glacier,
• Discovering a foreign amusement park,
• Eating at a famous restaurant,
• Staying in an all- inclusive resort,
• Taking a steam engine train ride,
• Flying in a 6-seater airplane,
• Riding a tram to the top of a 14-foot mountain,
• Hiking in Yosemite National Park or the Swiss Alps,
• Taking a cruise,
• Learning a new skill – skiing, piano, trumpet, snorkeling, ice skating,
• Canoeing,
• Cooking/baking class,
• Scuba diving,
• Fishing a mountain stream,
• Attending a county fair or rodeo.

Or other activities such as:

• Swimming/surfing at Waikiki Beach or Malibu,
• Staying in a tree house in the rainforest,
• Staying in a 5-star hotel,
• Hiking around an archaeological site or ancient ruins,
• Touring Indian Reservations,
• Visiting a famous museum – Smithsonian, Louvre – Paris,
• Photographing wild animals,
• Feeling the spray of a waterfall – Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls,
• Going on a safari,
• Visiting a penguin colony,
• Experiencing a National Geographic wonder,
• Exploring a cave,
• Riding a horse or camel,
• Attending a concert or sporting event,
• Staying at a dude ranch.

What about the cost?

While the children are investigating locations and activities, the parent(s) do a little investigative work of their own to determine a ball park budget for potential destinations. They price out:

• Automobile fuel costs,
• Flights – economy vs first class,
• Trains – commuter vs direct,
• Boats and ferries,
• Buses – city vs luxury,
• Rental cars,
• Subways,
• Bicycles,
• Street cars and trolleys,
• Water taxis,
• Van Pool Services,
• Excursion entrance fees,
• Accommodations – hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, condo, apartment, hostel, campsites, cabins, homesteads, resorts, lodges, guest houses, cottages, villas, chalets, pup tents, luxury tents.

What’s next?

After brainstorming and determining the location, each traveler then prioritizes a personal list of activities that each would love to do on the vacation in that location.

A flurry of discussion ignites among everyone as they discover what each person has “learned” about the destination. By thinking outside the box, vacation idea possibilities become endless. Common preferences among everyone are then placed at the top of the itinerary to be included.

Then what?

Then, from their individual lists of top priorities, the travelers then each pick their top 2 choices of must do/must see favorites. The final itinerary is comprised of everyone’s top 2 favorite things to be added to the itinerary for the vacation!

VOILA!

EVERYONE IS HAPPY! A GREAT VACATION WITH THE KIDS.

Stay tuned for my next Blog post. For questions or comments, please submit here

They find themselves enmeshed in a state of the art of business … THEIR OWN BUSINESS.

HAVE NO FEAR!

Although it may seem to be a time- consuming undertaking, much of the work is prep work that gets done in the early stages when actors are needing to getting their ducks in a row.

Like any other business, the acting business requires a significant amount of behind the scenes “prep work” translating to time investment which in most cases is front loaded, meaning that once the prep work is up and running, there is much more time available to blend an acting career with a personal life. 

Just like a pizza restaurant business behind the scenes must initially prepare for business to open ALL before serving the very first pizza, so does the business of acting require behind the scenes prep work.

Doing what, exactly?

• Attending meetings with architects & builders
• Designing the restaurant – light fixtures, art, counters, shelving, flooring, sinks.
• Applying for wine, beer & alcohol city & state licenses
• Obtaining restaurant permits
• Supervising the buildout
• Meeting inspectors
• Ordering supplies
• Purchasing kitchen & bar appliances
• Arranging glassware & liquor bottles
• Organizing drawers
• Reviewing technology options
• Installing electronics such as computers, i-pads, etc.
• Acquiring dining tables, chairs, utensils
• Mounting wall décor
• Creating revolving menus showcasing specialty dishes
• Researching advertising options
• Assessing marketing strategies to promote the business
• Contracting with food & liquor vendors
• Scheduling food deliveries
• Developing an accounting system for billing expenses & accounts receivables
• Setting a budget & payroll for employees  
• Consulting services
• Preparing food

If you are like most successful working actors, your days are also filled behind the scenes preparing & maintaining your business:

• Creating & registering an acting business corporate name
• Caring for appearance, hair color, hair styles, haircuts, regular exercise, healthy habits
• Scheduling periodic headshots
• Acquiring wardrobe for auditions & appearances
• Preparing resumes
• Creating video reels
• Setting up social media profiles
• Contracting with casting network sites, IMDB, etc. for host acting materials
• Reading scripts
• Analyzing characters & character development
• Memorizing lines
• Self -submitting for roles on casting sites
• Interviewing talent representatives & completing talent contracts
• Prepping for agents & managers submission auditions

as well as

• Showcasing skills via theatre plays, video reels
• Joining & maintaining SAG-AFTRA union membership
• Consulting acting coaches
• Enrolling in acting workshops
• Attending industry events
• Updating computer technology
• Cropping headshots, changing file sizes,
• Uploading materials & media
• Shooting self–tapes for auditions
• Taping slate shots
• Traveling to live auditions,
• Preparing for call backs,
• Packing for out-of-town bookings
• Strategizing marketing for self-promotion: internet, industry contacts, social media
• Setting up accounting for tracking actor’s expenses & account receivables
• Advertising via press kits, website, emails to casting directors, social media
• Networking with industry people
• Creating a website showcasing headshots, biography, resume, media, galleries
• Keeping resumes current

The business of acting is an investment in yourself!

Much of the behind-the-scenes setup is just that, setting up.  Once the setup is complete, it is much easier to maintain and the sailing is smoother.  Personal life can be well integrated & satisfying. 

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Some days will seem more labor intensive than others & juggling the moving parts may seem overwhelming at times. Most days are all systems go. 

Stay the course! Never give up! Have Fun!

Your talents & gifts are unique to you!   Share them with the world.

Stay tuned for my next post.  For questions & comments, please submit here.

HOW DO MOST ACTORS GET AUDITIONS?

GREAT QUESTION! 

Let’s break it down.  Setting yourself up to be considered for an audition first requires some basic ground work. It may seem like it is front end loaded and to some extent it definitely is.  Have no fear!  Do not be discouraged!  YOU are laying the groundwork for yourself, to present yourself.  Only YOU can answer these questions.   

So, how do you actually start?

First

• Determine a monthly budget for your acting related expenses & progress at the rate your budget permits.
• Join the major casting sites by registering your name and email address on these casting sites & pay the following monthly premiums:
  • Casting Networks – about $19.95 / month
  • Actors Access – about $5.66 / month
  • Casting Frontier – about $16.66 / month
  • Backstage – about $12.49 / month
  • IMDB Pro – about $19.99 / month

Second

You will be asked on each site to create a Personal Profile. This essentially will be your personal page on each casting site with all your acting related materials you will be showcasing.  If you have agents or a , manager, you will also need to create a profile specifically for each of them. 

Begin entering & uploading the items in the categories on your profile (s) for each of the casting sites. Although this may take some time to produce, gather and upload all your materials, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!   Items can be uploaded any time.  All you need to do is log in. Logging in simply requires your email address and the password you select.

What will I need for the casting profiles?

All the casting site profiles typically recommend a similar group of materials:

• Resume information: Enter (type in) each credit in the Credits category.

• Photos/Headshots: Upload your selections.

• Short biography: A bit about your background.

• Representation: Agent, manager or none.

• Acting Training: Improvisation, technique, cold reading commercial, etc.

• Personal criteria: Preferred stage name, height, weight, age, hair color, citizenship, ethnic appearance, age, range to play, union affiliation or non-union, tattoos, piercings, disabilities, facial hair, gender, etc.

• Sizes: Waist, chest, bust, clothing, hat, glove, etc.

• Special skills: Highlight all skills such as athletic endeavors, military, martial arts, performance skills, musical skills, accents, languages spoken, etc.

• Licensure: M.D., Pharmacist, Attorney, Dentist, etc.

• Misc items: Items you are willing to use for projects such as unique wardrobe items, uniforms, props, personal vehicles, pets, sports equipment, etc.

• Media: Upload video reels, video clips, audio clips.

Once you have inputted all your information, give yourself a pat on the back!  The front-loaded work is complete. From this point forward, the information you entered in your profiles will all be saved and you are essentially on auto pilot.  Your profile(s) will only require an occasional updated entry as you obtain new credits, new skills, or change in status.

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU ARE NOW READY TO SELF SUBMIT AND BE SUBMITTED BY YOUR AGENT & MANAGER FOR AUDITIONS.

Stay tuned for my next post!  For questions or comments, please respond through this website.

Is it finally time to audition …. yet?

The first question that must be asked is,

How do you get noticed?  What would someone notice about you?

• What do you look like?
• What image do you convey? 
• How do people view you? 
• What age range do you fit into? 
• Are you open to changing how you look?
• Can your personality be seen?
• Do you appear professional?
• Are you comfortable displaying emotion?

You are about to enter an exciting period of fine tuning your physical appearance so it can be viewed by casting directors who conduct the initial auditions. 

Do I need to change my physical appearance? 

This is the time to present the real you in a photograph.  A time to present the essence of who you truly are. A time to present the image you want to convey.  It’s the moment in time when one snap of a camera can capture how you want to be viewed. All actors continually assess & reassess their physical appearance & image throughout their careers whether they are new to the industry or well-seasoned veterans. This is the time to capture yourself in a headshot.

Is there an art to securing fabulous headshots? 

YES! YES! YES!

What elements factor into getting amazing headshots?

• Consulting with industry professionals – establish your brand –how does the industry view you

• Finding the perfect haircut & hair style

• Meeting with a make-up artist – yes, even the guys

• Beard or no beard, moustache or no moustache, bald or wig

• Possible hair color change

• Finding a professional headshot photographer

• Acquiring the proper wardrobe

• Learning about commercial vs theatrical headshots

• Having the finances available to cover expenses

You are now ready to get professional headshots.

YOUR HEADSHOTS WILL BE FABULOUS!

GO FOR IT!