Got feet? Got Photos? Gotta get movin! Drop-offs - Make it happen......do yourself a favor - don't wait for it to happen.
I am really, officially, OFFICIALLY back in town. How do I know this? I’ll tell you how I know this.
Auditions @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Callbacks @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Phone calls from my agency to let me know that I have been released from avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Yup, I was released from the “McDonald’s” spot I was on avail for. Yeah, I know shocking.
What is going on? I don’t know. I know I’m doing a lot right, but not enough to get invited to the VIP section/(booking). I’m getting to the party, which is cool, but I’m missing something. I ain’t gonna stress over it, I’m just gonna trust it like I’ve always done. NEXT!!!
The other night I was surfing the net and I came upon a website of an agency in a smaller market. It made me think about how unprepared most actors are when they arrive in the major markets of New York and Los Angeles. To be honest, I think, it makes perfect sense that they would be uninformed. Why? Well, there is so much misinformation going around; information that isn’t based on anything concrete. Wait, maybe “misinformation” isn’t the right word; maybe it’s because I don’t necessarily agree with much of the information that’s out there. I also think there is a lot of very general information out there; kinda one size fits all stuff.
I thank my lucky stars that when I started out I refused to ask anyone for advice; I made my own way – and I still do to this day. The reason for not asking for advice wasn’t because I didn’t trust others; it was because I always wanted to break it down further. Breaking down and understanding the casting process and all of its different scenarios can be your best friend in this business. I describe it as “looking up the skirt” of the business. It helps if you look up the skirt and, most importantly, understand what you see. You have to understand the gears of the engine not just that simply the engine runs.
It’s also important to understand how agents and agencies work. They work extremely hard to get appointments for their clients. It’s up to us to understand the dynamic and help it work for us. Never forget that we get “90% and they only get 10%”. That, in itself, should clear up a ton of questions. Agents have many clients they are trying to get opportunities for, but we only have ourselves – it’s important to really understand that equation and what it means.
I often hear actors say “my agent isn’t sending me out”. Usually the situation is much more complicated than that. The agent may, in fact, not be submitting the client, but the more telling statement might be “I’m not getting appointments”. I think the latter statement is better because it poses the question of “why”, which gives you the opportunity to “look up that skirt” and see how this agent/actor/CD thing works.
Why am I going on this harangue about this? Because I get so frustrated that some of my friends aren’t going out as much I would like, lol!! Who cares what I think? Obviously not this town! Anyway, I ask myself, “why aren’t they getting the appointments?” – I ask quite often actually. I come up with really good answers too. Of course the answers are from my point of view.
Some have a very casual approach; others are really confused. Some don’t have the staying power; others use the “start and stop” method. Notice I didn’t mention talent being a factor; it’s pretty much a given that these are talented people. Matter of fact I am often amazed at the talent I am surrounded by. I once dated a woman who is one of the most talented actors I have encountered – ever. I’m not even sure if she’s still pursuing the business. The rat race of the business in Los Angeles wasn’t really for her. If I ever get the chance to get her an acting opportunity you can believe I will.
I’ve always felt that one day I would write a book on the business of the business. I’ve also felt that I would explore the lecture circuit. Whether or not I actually do it on a larger scale remains to be seen. Who knows?
I see many University grads land in this town without a clue as to how the business really works. I would think that it would make sense that their last 6 weeks or so in school was devoted to the business of the business. I could be a guest speaker!! You got 3-4 hours to spare?
I really feel I have valuable insight into the process to share. I also have the “regular working-class actor” experience. It would be great for them to have a name actor speak, but I think it would be much more useful to have someone who is in the trenches on a daily basis to tell them what they might expect.
I think of when I was first starting out in Virginia Beach there was no one to guide us in any way, shape or form with “current” information on how the business worked. I had a great acting teacher, but I knew I’d have to learn the business on my own. For some reason I knew that a lot of what I was hearing was BS from the more experienced students so I carried my ass to New York in a hurry. They weren’t being malicious or anything like that; they just were repeating baseless information. It was always “they said”. Who the heck is they? I wanna meet “they”. I still haven’t.
Usually, when I go home I sit in on my old acting class and answer questions for a bit. I can tell by the questions where they are in their quest. I’d leave them with a very realistic view of what it’s like out here in the major markets. After 3-4 hours with me they would walk away knowing that they better get their butt in gear or that maybe this business is not what they thought.
You’ll have to excuse my rant; I’m just really irritated right now about some actors I know not getting the appointments they need to realistically move forward. Key word “realistically”, I don’t mean booking a national, a co-star or guest star and thinking everything is freakin’ peachy. It ain’t, trust me. You’ve got to build a “body of work”. I know this first hand; I left my job waiting table 5+ years ago I know what it takes to make this work and I’ve got a long way to go.
It can be beautiful, but d*** it’s a lot of work. I have never though it was rocket science to figure out how to do this, but it has, at least for me, been an overwhelming amount of effort – trust that! I am amazed that I have been able to go home for a month in the Summer for the last 5 years. I was never able to take a vacation before I became an actor – go figure.
Why do I even give a crap? Why I am sweating as I type this? I don’t know. Should I be happy that they aren’t getting seen? More for me, huh? Nah, there is enough out here for those that truly want it and are willing to do what it takes to get it for more than a day or a week at a time. You have to be “patiently, impatient” and “Logically Zen”. Of course you don’t have to be, but it works for me.
So if you see me in “Brother wit an attitude, Ohio” or “This guy thinks he knows-it-all, Texas” conducting a workshop on the business you’ll know that this got the best of me. I feel a lot better now.
Auditions @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Callbacks @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Phone calls from my agency to let me know that I have been released from avails @ Ross Lacy Casting.
Yup, I was released from the “McDonald’s” spot I was on avail for. Yeah, I know shocking.
What is going on? I don’t know. I know I’m doing a lot right, but not enough to get invited to the VIP section/(booking). I’m getting to the party, which is cool, but I’m missing something. I ain’t gonna stress over it, I’m just gonna trust it like I’ve always done. NEXT!!!
The other night I was surfing the net and I came upon a website of an agency in a smaller market. It made me think about how unprepared most actors are when they arrive in the major markets of New York and Los Angeles. To be honest, I think, it makes perfect sense that they would be uninformed. Why? Well, there is so much misinformation going around; information that isn’t based on anything concrete. Wait, maybe “misinformation” isn’t the right word; maybe it’s because I don’t necessarily agree with much of the information that’s out there. I also think there is a lot of very general information out there; kinda one size fits all stuff.
I thank my lucky stars that when I started out I refused to ask anyone for advice; I made my own way – and I still do to this day. The reason for not asking for advice wasn’t because I didn’t trust others; it was because I always wanted to break it down further. Breaking down and understanding the casting process and all of its different scenarios can be your best friend in this business. I describe it as “looking up the skirt” of the business. It helps if you look up the skirt and, most importantly, understand what you see. You have to understand the gears of the engine not just that simply the engine runs.
It’s also important to understand how agents and agencies work. They work extremely hard to get appointments for their clients. It’s up to us to understand the dynamic and help it work for us. Never forget that we get “90% and they only get 10%”. That, in itself, should clear up a ton of questions. Agents have many clients they are trying to get opportunities for, but we only have ourselves – it’s important to really understand that equation and what it means.
I often hear actors say “my agent isn’t sending me out”. Usually the situation is much more complicated than that. The agent may, in fact, not be submitting the client, but the more telling statement might be “I’m not getting appointments”. I think the latter statement is better because it poses the question of “why”, which gives you the opportunity to “look up that skirt” and see how this agent/actor/CD thing works.
Why am I going on this harangue about this? Because I get so frustrated that some of my friends aren’t going out as much I would like, lol!! Who cares what I think? Obviously not this town! Anyway, I ask myself, “why aren’t they getting the appointments?” – I ask quite often actually. I come up with really good answers too. Of course the answers are from my point of view.
Some have a very casual approach; others are really confused. Some don’t have the staying power; others use the “start and stop” method. Notice I didn’t mention talent being a factor; it’s pretty much a given that these are talented people. Matter of fact I am often amazed at the talent I am surrounded by. I once dated a woman who is one of the most talented actors I have encountered – ever. I’m not even sure if she’s still pursuing the business. The rat race of the business in Los Angeles wasn’t really for her. If I ever get the chance to get her an acting opportunity you can believe I will.
I’ve always felt that one day I would write a book on the business of the business. I’ve also felt that I would explore the lecture circuit. Whether or not I actually do it on a larger scale remains to be seen. Who knows?
I see many University grads land in this town without a clue as to how the business really works. I would think that it would make sense that their last 6 weeks or so in school was devoted to the business of the business. I could be a guest speaker!! You got 3-4 hours to spare?
I really feel I have valuable insight into the process to share. I also have the “regular working-class actor” experience. It would be great for them to have a name actor speak, but I think it would be much more useful to have someone who is in the trenches on a daily basis to tell them what they might expect.
I think of when I was first starting out in Virginia Beach there was no one to guide us in any way, shape or form with “current” information on how the business worked. I had a great acting teacher, but I knew I’d have to learn the business on my own. For some reason I knew that a lot of what I was hearing was BS from the more experienced students so I carried my ass to New York in a hurry. They weren’t being malicious or anything like that; they just were repeating baseless information. It was always “they said”. Who the heck is they? I wanna meet “they”. I still haven’t.
Usually, when I go home I sit in on my old acting class and answer questions for a bit. I can tell by the questions where they are in their quest. I’d leave them with a very realistic view of what it’s like out here in the major markets. After 3-4 hours with me they would walk away knowing that they better get their butt in gear or that maybe this business is not what they thought.
You’ll have to excuse my rant; I’m just really irritated right now about some actors I know not getting the appointments they need to realistically move forward. Key word “realistically”, I don’t mean booking a national, a co-star or guest star and thinking everything is freakin’ peachy. It ain’t, trust me. You’ve got to build a “body of work”. I know this first hand; I left my job waiting table 5+ years ago I know what it takes to make this work and I’ve got a long way to go.
It can be beautiful, but d*** it’s a lot of work. I have never though it was rocket science to figure out how to do this, but it has, at least for me, been an overwhelming amount of effort – trust that! I am amazed that I have been able to go home for a month in the Summer for the last 5 years. I was never able to take a vacation before I became an actor – go figure.
Why do I even give a crap? Why I am sweating as I type this? I don’t know. Should I be happy that they aren’t getting seen? More for me, huh? Nah, there is enough out here for those that truly want it and are willing to do what it takes to get it for more than a day or a week at a time. You have to be “patiently, impatient” and “Logically Zen”. Of course you don’t have to be, but it works for me.
So if you see me in “Brother wit an attitude, Ohio” or “This guy thinks he knows-it-all, Texas” conducting a workshop on the business you’ll know that this got the best of me. I feel a lot better now.
A woman in boots always warms my heart...
...but so does a woman waiting for the bus
... a 'lil hip-hop never hurt nobody.
When you drive as much as I do you see
some interesting sites.
3 comments:
I have read this post a couple times now. It was both frustrating and inspiring. Frustrating cause at first I thought "I've heard this all before, I've tried that, I've tried this etc etc" but it's always been true. I can't deny it, just get burned out sometimes.
Hope the friends you want to see it have read, or will read it.
I wrote about your blog on my site, I think other actors should read about your day to day acting pursuits so they can see some of the work that goes into it.
Stephon,
This is a great post. The info in here, like you say, is very helpful. I see people going out to LA all the time with no contacts, no demo reel, no bankroll, no job... So I'll be the first to take you up on your lecture suggestion. We (the Missouri Filmmakers' Alliance of Springfield) are having our second annual film festival in February - the Show Me Missouri International Film Festival. Would you be interested in being a guest speaker? There's nothing lovelier than Springfield, Missouri in February. Yeah...
thanks
Al Marsh
jallenmarsh@gmail.com
Hey Al,
I'll contact you.
Stephon
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