Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:40:04 -0700WeeblyTue, 15 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/if-you-want-an-acting-career-answer-this-one-question​ 
There are some actors who are okay with occasionally getting auditions, randomly booking one, and then going another year or so before they book something else. There are other actors who spin their wheels and spend more and more money getting new headshots and trying different looks and/or gimmicks to get noticed. Some jump from agent to agent if they aren’t getting enough auditions, and wonder why nothing seems to work…ever. There is another group of actors who look at the business as a mathematical game of numbers…go to 100 auditions and eventually get one…go to another hundred  and book another. I guess that thinking works for some actors, but that doesn't really explain the actors that are constantly going out on auditions, continuously booking, and work job after job after job. You know those actors; you see them on television and in film all the time. They might not be “stars,” but they're constantly working. They have what every actor should be striving for…they have careers.  
 
So why are those actors the lucky ones? What secrets are they not telling the rest of the acting community? It’s not as if there is a book of tips that the working actors are keeping away from everyone else, but there is a difference in the way those actors approach the business.  By knowing exactly who they are in the eyes of the industry, treating the industry like the business it is, and presenting marketable images that the industry is actually buying, those actors not only audition and book on a regular basis, but create long and lasting careers. One other very important difference between the last group of actors and all the others is that those actors can answer one simple question: “Why should they choose me?” 

With casting directors getting 3000+ submissions per role, and hundreds being brought in initially to read for the role, and in some cases even hundreds being brought back for the callbacks, it is incredibly important that every actor know why they should be cast over all those other hundreds of actors reading for the same part. It’s because you’re more talented or have a better look, right? Not quite.
 
When you arrive for an audition, the waiting room is a virtual sea of actors all there to audition for the same part. One very noticeable thing is that everyone basically looks like just you. Exactly. The CD has sent out a casting notice looking for a specific type…yours. Make sure you are aware of your exact type, and know the difference between your TYPE and the type of roles you are right for. (Backstage article: How To Find Your True Type) Besides looking alike, everyone in the room is also dressed exactly alike…and if you’re not wearing the same outfit, or category uniform, that the other actors are dressed in, get out of there and change clothes. Otherwise you are doing yourself a disservice. (Can Clothes Really Book a Job?) Not only does everyone look alike, and are dressed alike, but everyone in the room is talented enough to have gotten to the audition. They either have a strong resume and background, comprehensive training, or an agent or someone to whom they have already proven their talent. So if everyone looks alike, dresses alike, and is talented enough to have warranted getting called in for the audition, it comes back to that all important question: why should they choose you? What are you bringing to the table that the other actors are not? It’s more than talent, it’s more than your look. The answer to that question falls within your true essence or “brand:” that which is exclusively you…that thing about you that is unique and special, and most of all, memorable. Think about those working actors you see in film and on television. They have already figured this out. CDs, directors, and producers, not only appreciate the talent and professionalism they bring to the set, but they are remembered and brought back time after time for that special thing that they and only they bring to every role. 
 
If you truly want to create a long and lasting career, continue to develop and sharpen your talent, work on creating a marketable and castable image, and begin to hone your individual and unique qualities that you and only you can bring to every role you play. Next audition, look out at that sea of talented actors that look just like you, and simply yet unequivocally answer the question, “Why should they choose you?“
]]>Fri, 19 Oct 2018 22:13:58 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/the-s-word-interviewsThe Road to Success by Laura Thoma
The S Word Interviews
This Month's Guest:
Tom Burke
 
Tom Burke is an Image Consultant and Branding Specialist, Backstage Expert, and creator of the Castable Actor, a series of workshops, seminars, and advice designed to help actors open doors to a successful career.
Laura: What does Success mean to you personally?
Tom: Success has had many different meanings over the many different periods of my life. For most of those periods, success came from the outside...what others saw/thought/said, how others measured success, how I compared mine to the success of others, etc. Finally, age or wisdom or some other force helped me begin to understand that my truth, my success, is something only I can determine from how it makes me feel on the inside. Of course, the old me still tries to seek approval occasionally from the outside, but nothing feels as genuine and as successful as approving of oneself. 
Laura: Have you ever struggled with claiming Success?
Tom: Constantly. I've had an amazingly successful life. I'm one of those people that things come very easily to and yet I'm also one of those people who have a very hard time owning it. I'm always looking over my shoulder, waiting for "them" to arrive, to pull back the curtain and see that I'm not all that I think or appear to be. It wasn't until I realized that most people feel that same way and that it is okay to not always be sure or right or the winner, that I began to learn how to own or claim that success which truly was mine.
Laura: What are some of the challenges that, in your experience, are unique for women when it comes to Success? 
Tom: I grew up in the world of finance, have spent most of my life working in different branches of the entertainment industry, and I've spent the last 30 years volunteering with foundations in the nonprofit world. Three completely different worlds and yet in each one I have witnessed women running up against the exact same challenges when dealing with success: "A strong woman is only strong and will only achieve success because of her sexuality or because she is a bitch." Fortunately, at least in my eyes, more and more strong women are owning their power (without apologies or excuses). Here's to the age of powerful strong independent women!
Laura: As a young person, what were you taught about Success (at home, school, clubs, etc)?  
Tom: It was in the world I was raised, my neighborhood and my schools, that I first learned the notion that success came from the outside. Success was definitely measured by the amount of money one had... "he who has the most toys wins." Even as children we judged friends by the size of their house or what car their fathers drove. However, I have vivid memories thinking that the poor families with their small homes with little bedrooms crammed with siblings and junky cars parked out back were so much happier than the "rich" families. Yet because of my training, having a home filled with love and laughter did not equate to success. It wasn't until I was well into my 30s that I realized achieving a life filled with love and laughter was the only true success one could attain.
Laura: What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with claiming Success for themselves? Do you think there's different advice for men and women?  
Tom: I started my consulting business to do just that...to support and help each actor/model discover how incredibly unique and special they are and how to own everything about themselves: the good, the bad, the ugly. Especially the "ugly." It is usually those things that we think are our negatives that separate us from the rest of the world and lay the path to our success.  
There is one piece of advice that I give to everyone... male or female, young or old. It's the most important thing I think anyone needs to hear and to understand. That little gem of advice is... You are enough. You don't have to try to be what you think someone wants you to be, or to pretend to be somebody that you're not. The moment someone realizes that they are indeed enough and can own everything about who they are and what they present out to the world is the moment magic happens. The moment they can begin to understand that they were successful all along.

Thank you, Tom, for sharing your experience with us!
To learn more about Tom and the work he does visit his website.]]>Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:04:38 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/the-only-way-to-motivate-a-successful-acting-career​Awards season! Red carpets. Gorgeous clothes and jewels. Glamour. Excitement. Paparazzi clamoring to get a picture. Hundreds of reporters vying for an interview.  Awards season…the time of year when so many acting dreams are made and solidified, when actors are reenergized by the prize that is once again illuminated. 
 
I hope that each and every one of you get the chance to walk down many red carpets, to accept your well-deserved awards, and give those speeches you have practiced over and over in the shower while holding a shampoo bottle. (Come on…admit it…we’ve all done it. I gave one this morning that had my entire imaginary audience in tears.)
 
What happens when awards season is over and instead of standing in the shower giving your Oscar acceptance speech, you’re standing there trying to figure out how you’re going to pay for class AND headshots, and why your agent isn’t sending you out? Excitement leads to frustration and the motivating factor of red carpets leading to huge paychecks seems so out of reach. After all, you’re just as talented as that guy who won Best Actor…but if you can’t get the opportunity, no one’s ever going to know. 
 
Along my journey through show business, so often I heard the same advice about actor’s motivation from numerous teachers, mentors, working actors, directors, etc.  In order to truly feel fulfilled and happy as an actor, the motivation must come from the joy of the process and not the end result or golden ticket. 
 
Unfortunately I, like so many actors, had no time for that concept. My head was in the future. I was so focused on the end result, the trip down the red carpet towards those huge paychecks, that I missed out on so much fulfillment and happiness that so many other actors around me were experiencing every day. They were motivated by the process…by the highs and lows and the joys and sorrows that the journey itself places in front of each of us. It wasn’t until years later when I realized this that I was able to see and experience so much more. 
 
Yes, working on set, being in a movie, acting on television, are all amazing and awesome experiences…but so are classes, and headshot sessions, and crappy survival jobs, and AUDITIONS, and meetings with agents, or even just trying to get auditions or meetings with agents. Ask any working actor who has been in the industry for a while and they will tell you that those moments, those stops along the journey are their most cherished memories. 
 
Next time you get an audition, don’t look past the audition to the actual job, or let nerves take over. Enjoy the Process. Be excited that someone has invited you to the party. It may not be on a film set, or in front of millions of people, but you get the chance to do the one thing that you want to do more than anything else…to act. Instead of hating the thought of having new headshots taken, Enjoy the Process. Embrace the challenge to bring your brand/personality in front of the camera…to show the industry that which is so unique and special about you as an actor…to feel that same rush you will feel as thousands of paparazzi are clamoring to take your picture. 
 
And even in your classes or survival jobs, you must Enjoy the Process. Maybe you’re not wearing an amazing designer gown, but look at the amazing people around you. Those people who share that same bond, dream, and drive as you. The guy standing next to you may one day be producing your latest series. That funny girl with the accent may be up for the same Golden Globe as you one day. Take the time to be present, to support one another, and to together experience the highs and lows and the joys and sorrows that this crazy acting journey places in front of you.
 
To be successful as an actor you really have to embrace and enjoy every moment.  Whether you are filming your first speaking part in a TV show, creating your reel, walking down a red carpet, or making a standing ovation shower speech…don’t forget, Enjoy The Process.
]]>Fri, 26 Jan 2018 22:00:29 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/1-way-to-guarantee-a-successful-year-as-an-actorHow are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Yeah, me too. I didn’t even make it one full week. In my defense, I had a really bad flu, so I practically was forced to eat mashed potatoes and layer cake every meal for two weeks. There is a reason why statistically most people give up on their resolutions within the first few months of every new year. The same thing happens with actors who set unrealistic or lofty goals for themselves. When those goals become unmet or the reality of them being unrealistic sets in, we start feeling bad about ourselves and become frustrated. Resolutions are fun, however they are not what careers are built upon.
 
Success is not only something that can be measured through accomplishments, it is also something that we feel. One guaranteed way to have a successful year as an actor is to set attainable goals. Whether you begin your yearly plan January 1st, May 1st, or October 12th, you need to create a plan of specific yet attainable goals that build upon one another getting bigger and loftier as the months and years go on. Of course it is important to have those lofty dream or end goals, but save those for your vision boards and dream journals. If you start with an end goal, chances are you will have a harder time achieving it within a set amount of time. And when that happens, we tend to get frustrated with ourselves and with our dreams, and we begin feeling defeated and overwhelmed. However, it is those actors who build plans of attainable goals who stay in the game. Their drive becomes stronger and more powerful with every accomplishment making them feel so much more successful and so much more in control of their careers.
 
 
Let’s take for an example the actor whose resolution or goal is to be a Series Regular. That would be a great goal for the actor who is already on that path…the actor who has already worked their way up the ladder of attainable goals moving from Co-Star roles to Guest Star roles to recurring on two network series last season. However, a “Series Regular” goal for an actor just starting out in the business may not be as quite a realistic goal to achieve. Another example is Abigail Actress whose New Year’s resolution is to sign with a great agent by the middle of February. Unless Abigail has spent the last few months doing all the preliminary work leading up to finding the right agent, chances are this resolution is not going to become a reality either.  When February 15th comes along and she hasn’t even gotten an interview, the excitement she felt at the beginning of the year will begin to fall away. Instead of a lofty resolution, Abigail should have created a specific plan with attainable goals including:
 
-Research agencies that would be a good fit
-Create a list of seven agents, include address, phone number, email address
-Write agent cover letters
-Mail pix/resumes to agents
-Find three friends/coworkers who are willing to walk my picture and resume into their agent’s office.
-Make two phone calls/day to the agents to which I submitted.
-Research and put together my “interview” outfit that shows me in my most marketable and castable light.
-Set aside $25/week over the next four weeks to gather money to upload new pictures onto acting sites.
-Put together four promotional packages for interviews.
 
Those are attainable goals…goals that you can have control over…goals that you can feel good about yourself when you look at your to-do list and see your achievements step after step with a big completed line through them. (There is nothing more satisfying than scratching something off your to-do list!) If for some reason you don’t reach an individual goal, figure out why you didn’t and how you can alter it or revise it so that you can scratch it off the list. Do you need to break it down into smaller more attainable tasks? Probably. Do you need outside help to get there? Perhaps. Instead of feeling frustrated create a plan to find that help.
 
Every month revisit your vision board or your dream journal. Look at those end goals, those lofty resolutions. Take a moment to see yourself achieving them. Then get back to your goal sheet and create the next month’s plan of specific step-by-step attainable goals. At the end of the year you will not only see your successes, but you will feel successful as well. Guaranteed. 
]]>Sat, 02 Dec 2017 16:43:25 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/what-the-are-you-wearing​Seriously. What the %@#$ are you wearing? That phrase plays over and over in my mind every day I work with actors…and I’m not alone. I have heard the same from CDs, directors, agents, and producers. It is amazing how actors choose to dress for meetings and auditions. Clothing plays such an important part in the image that actors present and in how they are perceived by the industry. It is important to understand that clothing can dictate whether an actor gets called in from their headshots, and even make or break an audition.
 
The film and television industry is a business and must be treated like any other business. If a man applies for the job of corporate executive, he would wear the uniform of the executive to the interview: dark business suit, light colored dress shirt, power tie. If a woman applies for the job of yoga instructor, she would wear yoga pants and tank top to her meeting. If that same woman applies for the job of cocktail waitress at Hooters, she is definitely going to wear something low cut, as opposed to the outfit she wore to interview for the job of elementary school librarian. There are specific clothing norms or “uniforms” for every job or stage of life. The same is true for film and television. Every category of role has a uniform, which is basically the same whether commercial, film, or television. I’m sure you’ve noticed that every 30 something dad on television or in film wears the same plaid flannel shirt over a T-shirt. The executive professional wears a different uniform than the middle management professional which is also different from the blue-collar professional uniform. Do you know the difference? You should.
 
More importantly, you should know which one of those categories you fall into…and no, it’s not all three. If you truly want a career in film and television it is imperative that you know exactly who you are in the eyes of the industry. Know your honest realistic and specific Type, Brand, and Marketability. Once you have this information, it is your job to watch film and television and look for “yourself” and see how those actors are dressed. Not the leads, but the actors at your level, your age, your same marketability. Once you begin to see the pattern and understand your marketable uniforms, get those exact looks and have them in your closets clean pressed and ready to wear when you get the call. Whether the audition is for the middle management office worker, next-door neighbor, or doofus dad, you have the right clothes for the right image. You never again have to experience that “what am I going to wear?” panic when your agent calls, or be “that guy” ironing his pants on the kitchen floor ten minutes before his audition time.
 
Not only do you have to dress in your marketable uniforms for meetings and auditions, but you must wear those uniforms in your #1 marketing tool…headshots. With casting directors getting over 3000 submissions per role and the fact that they are looking at them as thumbnails, it is important that you target the categories of roles that you are right for by wearing the right clothing in your shots. If a CD is looking for a 20-year-old counter girl for a fast food commercial, she is not going to stop at a picture of a young woman in a black lace tank top with blown out hair and false eyelashes. She is going to call in the fresh-faced girl in the polo shirt with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The right clothes present the right image.

But what about my individuality? How am I going to stand out if everyone is dressed the same? Easy answer: Your talent and your brand is what will set you apart. Of course there will be room to bring in your personal style with in the parameters of the marketable uniform. For example, if “quirky” is part of your Brand, you could substitute a blouse covered in cats for the usual white blouse under a cardigan for the 30 year old female office manager uniform.
 
Dress in the right clothing and they will see you in the part the moment you walk in the room...or, dress in whatever you want, and instead of concentrating on you and your audition, the people in that room are instead muttering to themselves, “What the %@#$ are you wearing?”
]]>Wed, 04 Oct 2017 22:15:35 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/the-1-piece-of-advice-every-actor-needs-to-hear
When I sit in on castings, I watch actors coming in one after the other after the other all trying to be what they think they're supposed to be. I watch amazing talented actors push away or hide the things that make them unique and special. It just kills me. And then, in walks an actor…no excuses, no apologies, just a raw confidence in who they are and what special attributes they’re bringing to the table.... and everyone in the room exhales a sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who is real. Someone not trying to be what they think they're supposed to be, or trying to be what they want to be, or trying to be something someone has told them they should be. A real person owning everything about themselves…the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s usually those "ugly" parts or aspects of our personalities that we don't think are good enough or that might be thought of as negative, or not as bold and bright as we think an actor is supposed to be, that separate us from every other actor at that audition. Aspects that color us as full layered real human beings. Those same colors and layers that directors seek out and look for in an actor.
 
An actor who can accept and more importantly OWN every aspect of their being, is an actor who can display the confidence that commands attention, and who will be remembered after they walk out of the room. They might not be exactly right for the part they're reading for at that moment, but you can be sure that the casting director, director, agent, producer, client, or whomever was in that room is going to remember that actor and their various layers in a positive light. Whereas those actors who were all trying to be what they thought they were supposed to be, well let’s just say they will be as memorable as their one dimensional, generic performances.

So that bit of advice that every actor must hear…here it comes…get ready because it's powerful: YOU ARE ENOUGH. That’s it. YOU ARE ENOUGH. Each and every one of you is unique and special and incredible and powerful and memorable and castable and marketable. You don’t have to be anything other than yourself.  Don’t try to fit yourself into a role. Fit that role onto you…make it work for all your colors and layers, embracing the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is in owning everything about yourself and being brave enough to expose it that will separate you from all the other actors out there. Once you can trust that YOU ARE ENOUGH and are able to bring your true self to each role, that is when magic happens and careers are made.

From this moment on I am giving all of you permission to just be you. That's all you have to do. Trust that you are enough. Own it…Believe it…and Bring it…to every photo shoot, every meeting, every audition, every rehearsal, every day you are lucky enough to work on set
 
Right now, look into a mirror or your phone or your reflection in your computer screen, and just tell yourself:  I am enough. I don't have to try to be anything other than who I am. And right before you walk into that next meeting or audition remind yourself of that. Don’t try to be what you think they want, show them what they need…you!
]]>Wed, 12 Jul 2017 16:36:23 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/are-you-waving-red-flags-in-the-audition-room
There are three important elements that dictate whether an actor not only books jobs but also can create and sustain a career. The first is the actor’s look. Every actor must present a marketable image that the industry is buying. The second element is talent.  It is crucial that actors consistently work out their acting muscles in classes, workshops, on web series, and in plays. The third element is one then actors tend to forget about.  It can foreshadow what an actor is going to be like on set and play a big part in whether they actually book the job...no matter how talented or amazing their audition. That element is attitude.
 
I'm not just talking about a bad attitude…although, a bad attitude won’t get you a job. Many actors are unaware they present attitudes which are red flags to casting directors, producers, and directors warning them that this actor is not going to be easy to work with. Are you waving any of these red flags?


-Cocky vs. Confident. A confident actor not only believes in their talent and can back it up with their abilities, but also owns their weaknesses and is open to other’s ideas and input. A cocky actor is covering their insecurities and too afraid to admit their faults. It’s okay not to know, or not to be the best, or to not understand. Ask questions. Own your insecurities. A director is more apt to hire an actor who is willing to learn than an actor whose stubborn insecurities may end up costing a lot more time and money. No one wants a cocky actor on their set.
 
 
-Overly Nice High Maintenance Best Friend. Just as no one likes the “I'm too cool cocky” actor, the “fake sweet, what can I do for you?” actor can also cause a lot of tension on the film set. Producers and directors envision that actor always being in their face, always trying to please them, always looking for validation. Of course you want to be nice and friendly. Of course you want to be helpful and get along with everyone. But what you really want to do, is get in there, do your job, and leave without causing any problems or disturbances. That's how you get a director to love you. That’s how you get rehired. No one is there to be your BFF or your confidant or to constantly tell you how special you are. They're there to get work done…so are you.


-The Whining Needy Complainer. If you come walking into your audition complaining about parking, or the people in the hallway that were talking, or that you didn't get your sides on time, or that your agent didn't tell you the right thing to wear, or that you had to work late the night before, or you begin making excuses about everything, or you stop halfway through and ask for line readings...know that everyone in that room has marked you as poison. Work out your issues with your therapist, your mother, your roommate, or even with your agent. Just don't do it in the audition space. Be professional, not needy. 
 
-Watch Your Resting Face. Everyone has heard of Resting Bitch Face, right? What about Resting Mean Face, Resting Tough Guy Face, Resting Bored Face, Resting Snarky Face, Resting Judgmental Face?  Most people aren’t aware of the attitudes their neutral faces emit. I have worked with a number of really sweet guys who have Resting Mean Face, who were totally unaware. Big guys with tough guy expressions can be a little off-putting and/or scary. Those guys need to soften or “nice it up” just by smiling when they walk into any meeting or audition. I'm not saying that you need to push down or hide a part of who you are, especially if that part is integral to your branding. I’m just saying, don’t lead with that as you enter the room. They need to like you and be comfortable with you first…then you can bring out the toughness, the snarkiness, or the judgementalness. Take note of you're resting face. You might not think you have a specific one, but I bet that your friends, significant other, and work cronies are all aware of it.  You should be too.
 
 
Having a marketable look can get you in the door. Talent will get you noticed. But it’s your attitude that might send up a red flag and determine whether you book the job or not. 
]]>Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:45:18 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/-are-you-ready-for-the-call-the-7-step-image-maintenance-checklist​If you got the call today from your agent, manager, or self-submission for an audition tomorrow…are you ready? I'm not talking about your talent, skill, or dazzling personality. Physically. Are you ready?
 
We've all seen the shots of famous actors or actresses on vacation. I love those of a certain A-list male usually on a beach (or a yacht)…hair disheveled, splotchy beard, dumpy out of shape body, Then you see him in his latest box office hit looking absolutely perfect. Really? Stars know their filming schedules, so they have months to work with a trainer, nutritionist, facialist, stylist, etc. The rest of the acting community doesn’t have that luxury. Everyone else needs to be ready for that call…whenever it comes.
 
Every audition I went to in my 20s, no matter what the role, was always: name, profiles, take your shirt off. If I put off going to the gym for a few weeks, I could really screw my booking chances. In fact, I once booked a beer commercial right before I left on vacation. At the wardrobe fitting (the day before the shoot) I found out I was only wearing a bathing suit. That night I spent hours in the gym over doing it. The next morning I couldn’t even lift my arms and the spot centered around me catching a beer can that fell from the sky. You have no idea how painful that was take after take after take. If only I had been ready.
 
So how can you guarantee that you’ll be ready when that call comes? One way, is to pass the 7 Step Image Maintenance Checklist:
 
1.Body-Not everyone is ripping their clothes off at every audition. However you do need to present physically healthy…whatever your size and shape. You don’t want a director to love your audition, but question your ability to last a full shoot day without having a heart attack. Also, your body must match your measurements on file. No one wants to show up at a wardrobe fitting and not fit into anything
 
2. Hair-How many of you have gotten the call and panicked because of your current root situation? The scramble to get your hair colored or cut before an audition is unneeded stress. To be ready when that call comes, keep standing appointments with your stylists and colorists. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s even more expensive to lose out on a job because of your hair.
 
3. Make-up-As with hair, make-up needs to stay on trend with styles seen on film and television. Whatever the trend, be ready. Prevent unnecessary panic because the only store on your way to the audition doesn’t carry that perfect mascara that makes your lashes look amazing and your eyes pop!
 
4. Nails-Most on-camera commercial auditions ask you to show your hands…especially if you have to touch the product. How many times did you shudder because you never got around to fixing your chipped nail polish or were working on your car the day before and didn’t quite clean off all the grease? Remember, this is a visual business. Make sure your “visuals” are up to par.
 
5. Skin-Not everyone is blessed with flawless skin. We have all woken up on that very important “I have to look perfect today” morning with a humungous extraterrestrial on our face. It happens to everyone, but if you have chronic skin issues spend the time and money to deal with it on a consistent basis.
 
6. Clothes-Okay…this one is major. Imagine getting the call and not having to worry about what to wear, is it clean, where are they, borrowing your neighbors iron or scraping the grilled cheese off your own (come on…we all know that guy). It is your job to put together the four basic category uniforms for your specific type (Please see my Backstage article Can Clothes Really Book A Job?) and have them ready to go in your closet. On your off days, make sure everything is clean, pressed, and most importantly up to date.
 
7.Pictures/Resumes-Not everybody is collecting pictures and resumes. However you should have a few with you at all times. Keep them in your car, your acting binder, your backpack, etc. Don’t spend audition prep time trying to get a photo printed and cutting and stapling your resume.
 
Now, imagine getting that call for an audition tomorrow and all you have to worry about is making the script your own and knocking it out of the audition park. How great would that be? Just use your down time to make sure that you can mark off each of the 7 things off your personal Image Maintenance checklist. Be ready for that call…every time it comes.
]]>Tue, 14 Mar 2017 17:02:29 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/-why-submitting-to-everything-isnt-the-best-approach​When an actor arrives in Los Angeles, New York, or any other large market, they hit the pavement with high hopes and dreams. They also feel that as an actor the world is open to them and they can play every and all kinds of parts. That may be true in the theater, but when talking about film and television, it doesn't quite work that way.
 
Every actor has a parameter in which they can work. That parameter is set by their look (which dictates Type), and their personality (which plays a large part of their Brand). Within that parameter are the specific roles that an actor can realistically and honestly play. Professional actors, actors who build lasting careers, actors who are out there auditioning booking and working are the actors who understand this concept. More importantly they understand that the film and television industry is a business. While we all have visions of glamour, red carpets, huge paychecks, and paparazzi chasing us down, the truth of the matter is that to succeed as an actor, you too must understand that this is a business and it is run like any other successful industry.
 
An illustration that most of us actors can understand… waiting tables. Take for example, a young actor who just arrived in Los Angeles from Nebraska. During college he worked at the local pizza place as a waiter. So after arriving in LA, he seeks out the survival job that he is right for today…a waiter. It’s important to note that he doesn’t apply at Hooters because he’s not exactly the type of wait staff they hire. He also doesn’t even go into one of the “Old Hollywood” restaurants because he knows all their waiters are older gentlemen who have been there for 50 years. His buddy from acting class told him about a place that hires good looking Midwestern guys that don’t need a ton of experience, so he heads over there. When filling out the application, he doesn’t apply for the CEO or the General Manager of the restaurant chain…his current skill level, resume, and background don’t support that at this time. He doesn’t even apply for Manager because he is too young and doesn’t yet have the experience for that job. Our young actor also understands that once hired, he’s not going to get the best shifts right away until he proves himself. He applied and got the job that he was right for both physically and experience-wise at this time.  
 
Do you all see where I'm going here?
 
It's the same in the film and television industry. You have to apply for the job that you are right for…today…with your background, your resume, your look. Yes, I get the whole “but if they just see me… If I can just get in there… I know I'm wrong for this but I'm going to send my picture and they're going to see how amazing I am, call me in, change their minds about the role, and I get my big break" thought pattern. We have all been there. The problem is that that’s just not how it works. Every so often maybe, and I hope for each and every one of you that you get one of those magical moments…but in order to begin and continue working as an actor, you must know go after it professionally.
 
If the young actor from Nebraska had applied for the CEO of the restaurant chain or the manager, do you think he would actually have been taken seriously? No, of course not. Understand that point. If you are submitting yourself for roles that you are not right for, you risk not being taken seriously as a professional actor. There is nothing more attractive to an agent, a casting director, a director, or a producer than an actor who is professional...an actor who knows exactly who they are, what they bring to the table, and where they belong in the industry. Don't just submit to every role you possibly can thinking it's getting your face out there. Do it the right way: Define your Specific Type; Develop your unique and special Brand; and Discover the types of roles or categories of roles for which you are right; and then target those roles by submitting yourself for those, and only those. Get the reputation of being a professional and not just a “wanna be.”
 
 
]]>Tue, 07 Mar 2017 01:51:43 GMThttp://thecastableactor.com/blog/how-many-headshots-does-an-actor-need​The answer to that question is reminiscent of the fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Some actors have too few headshots. Most actors have far too many. And the true professional actor has just the right amount. So how do you determine the right number of headshots?
 
A hundred years ago, when I was first started acting (back when head shots were black-and-white), it was standard for most actors to have one smiling shot for commercials and one serious theatrical shot…models had zed cards, and character actors had “composites”…goofy staged shots on the back of their headshot showing them roller blading or dressed as whacky nurses or cowboys. Then the industry changed and the importance of more specific headshots became the new standard. Today, as opposed to back in the dark ages when I was pounding the pavement, there are far more actors in each category which makes it important for headshots to not only be a good representation of the actor’s look, but they are also the actor’s number one marketing tool. (Please check out my Backstage article The 4 Jobs of a Headshot).
 
On the online acting sites, i.e. Casting Networks, Actors Access, etc., a few actors represent themselves with only one or two shots. This doesn’t even cover their marketability (the span of roles that they can and should be cast in). Some actors show a row of headshots…same pose, same facial expression, different shirt. I never understand what the point is of having a number of headshots that look exactly the same (except for the clothing). Most actors treat these sites like Facebook and/or Instagram, loading them with countless shots…new, old, different hairstyles and colors, and outfits that are clearly not right for their specific types.
 
An agent, manager, casting director, or even a director, should be able to check out an actor’s page and immediately get a good sense of who that actor is and how they can best use them…they should be able to look at the different headshots and instantly know the actor’s Type, Brand, and the roles they are right for…they should be able to look at the various shots and see a marketable actor with range. Instead, they are getting confused by either too few or a jumble of far too many photos…not getting any sense of who the actor truly is, let alone their age or even what they currently look like.
 
So Goldilocks, what is the “just right” number of headshots an actor should have?
 
Before beginning the headshot process, every actor must see themselves in the eyes of the industry. They must discover the exact roles that they are right for…dictated by their look, personality, and Type. Once they have a good grasp of their marketability, they then must translate that into their headshots. Let’s take a 43yr old actress as an example. First, she needs a General shot. That’s the first or main shot on the acting sites which shows the actor’s specific Type and Brand and is capable of being submitted for numerous nonspecific roles. Then she must target the exact categories of roles that she is right for: Familial (Mom/Wife/Neighbor/Friend); Professional roles, and since this woman reads Upper Middle Class, powerful, and intelligent, her professional roles are all educated, i.e. Doctor, Lawyer, Politician, etc.; Victim, something has happened either to or around her; Upscale woman, i.e. the woman dancing on a cruise ship or getting out of her new Cadillac; and she’s got a rocking body, so she should also take a Yoga Woman shot as well. That is a total of six shots covering the majority of work out there for this particular actress.  
 
Five or six shots are the most any actor needs…as long as they target the specific roles or categories of roles for which they are best suited. Don’t confuse the people who have the power to hire you by having more than that. Your head shots need to be current and they must represent you in your best, most Castable, light. Make sure that the limited number of headshots on your sites (and that you use for submissions) fulfill the four jobs of a headshot: they look like you, they read your Type, they are Branded you, and they show your marketability…the exact roles for which you are right. Become the professional actor who represents themselves with “just the right amount” of headshots.
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