Acting Answers - Acting, casting, talent agency, audition, headshot, resume and acting classes and schools | Acting, casting, talent agencies, auditions and more with David H. Lawrence XVII

How do I become a SAG or AFTRA signatory?

There are a couple of strong reasons to signing production contracts with SAG and/or AFTRA, one of which has to do with being a multi-hyphenate actor/producer, and the other to do with turning non-union and non-jurisdictional work into union work. Here’s how to do it, and why you should consider it. The advent of YouTube and other online video sites has spawned a...

What do I do when I land in LA? Part 1

You’ve made the decision to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting as a career, with your goal being a life filled with paid acting work, union theatrical acting work for networks and studios, and union commercial acting work. But what do you do first, the moment you get here, to provide a strong, solid base that will support you in your first efforts at success?...

What is a dirty shot?

Your director has any number of choices of how to shoot a particular scene, and one of them is to shoot an actor “dirty,” or with the shoulder, arm or leg of another actor visible in the show. Why they’d choose to do that can be for any number of reasons. The angle at which your scenes are shot can be from any direction: head on, from the side, even...

What is a boom?

There are more than one pertinent definitions for the word “boom” when used in the world of acting. One is a sound person’s pole on which he hangs his mic over the heads of the actors, and the other is a movable platform on which the camera sits. The word “boom” has a couple of important meanings to actors, and the usages come from two...

Performing Arts

Q: David, do you remember me? Once we finally get through the acting audition process, the call backs, the pinning and on to an actual acting job itself, it sometimes feels like we’ve achieved a life long goal. We have to remember that the process starts all over again, sometimes before the current booking is over. Every so often, I get a piece of email that...

Career Acting

Q: Why should I volunteer as an intern? If you want to increase your chances of acting success and landing acting jobs, having quiet confidence about the way show business operates – all facets of it – is key. Interning in various office settings may mean a lot of filing, but it is a fantastic way to learn those operations. When I first started acting, I...

How are audition sides marked up?

Getting an audition notice involves getting not only directions to the audition location, the nature of the project and what character you’ll be reading for, but also a copy of the piece of the script you’ll be reading for the casting team. These are called sides, and you’ll get a great deal of information on what the producers are looking for you to do,...

What does ‘copy’ mean?

The word “copy” has a special meaning in the world of on-camera and voiceover performance. It doesn’t usually mean a physical copy of something (although, it can) – it means the written script, usually for a commercial. The long history of what words mean what in the world of acting can be confusing, and it doesn’t stop with the word...

Why doesn’t my agent get me out more?

The quantity of auditions we get can ebb and flow, and sometimes we can go through dry spells of few auditions – compared to the days when auditions seem to pile up, or other actors seem to be far more popular with CDs than are you. When auditions are scarce, it’s tempting to ask what’s broken with your representation. Rarely is it broken at all. When...

Why do networks cancel shows?

From losing the creative team to losing stars to losing ratings, the reasons the show you’ve been working on gets cancelled are many in number, but usually, it boils down to money. It’s sad for fans, but important to understand so that you can be prepared, and act accordingly. The initial blush of a new show’s success rarely has people wondering...

What’s the fastest way to get into SAG?

Getting into the Screen Actor’s Guild used to involve working hard as an extra, and eventually acquiring 3 vouchers from stingy ADs. Now, it’s as simple as creating your own web series and using the Taft-Hartley Act to get you (and your SAG-interested non-union castmates) into the Guild. Here’s how to do it. It’s super official legal name is The...

Can I make suggestions to the director?

When your director is stuck for a solution to a logical or physical problem shooting a scene, and you are a principal character in the scene, if you can solve that problem, don’t be afraid to make a simple, respectful suggestion when appropriate. When acting in a scene on set, one of the first steps will be to rehearse the scene before shooting. This not only...

Have you had a coffee date with Kristine Oller?

Why, yes. Yes I have. Admittedly, this isn’t an answer to a question strictly about acting, but Kristine Oller is a friend and fellow blogger whose background in acting and organization has led her to a career advising creative clients on how to better manage their careers and lives. And she interviews people in our business about their successes and strengths. My...

Why did Youtube take down my acting demo?

Since Napster gave the world a taste of easy and media hyped piracy, a generation of users has felt no need to respect intellectual property rights. Google’s video site, YouTube, has gone to great lengths to make sure its producer partners are protected from unauthorized performance of their works. Sometimes, though, your acting reels will get caught in the middle,...

What is an ingenue?

Producers and casting people have different categories for different types of actors – it’s a quick way to explain to other members of the production team what kinds of roles certain actors can play. One of those is the ingenue, a young, pretty leading or supporting lady that can provide the love interest for the leading man. One of the first goals you have...

Should I do casting workshops? A fellow actor weig...

I was lucky enough to meet actor Debra Leigh (Cold Case, Criminal Minds, etc.) when doing radio in Washington DC, and was so happy when she and her daughter moved to LA to become actors. I asked her for her take on this issue of choice and attending unpaid or paid casting workshops. Here’s what she had to say. If someone’s genuinely concerned about...

How do I memorize my lines?

There are several ways that actors memorize their lines, including writing them down, covering the script page with their hands, recording them and playing them back while speaking them, even running lines with other actors (or non-actors). Getting the sides for an audition or the script from the production office for a booking for unpaid or paid acting work is a...

When are residuals paid?

Residuals are paid at various times depending upon what the original production was made for and where it airs. Usually, residuals are sent to the actor within 60 days of the exhibition, but could be longer than that, in particular for supplementary markets. Your residuals, payments for repeat performances and new uses of your work, are an ongoing benefit of being a...

Do I pay my agent a commission on residuals?

When you get paid acting work, your agent gets paid for the work you do that day. But what happens when you work on a project that is covered by union rules and starts to generate residuals? Generally your agent gets paid on all of your residuals – but who actually pays your agent, you or the production company, is the real question to be answered, and, as usual, it...

Should I list extra or background work on my actin...

Extra work and background work can lead to many things: cash to support yourself, a potential to be upgraded, even union eligibility. But being an extra is never something you should put on an acting resume – and not just for reasons of truth. When we first start the pursuit of an acting career, it isn’t uncommon to find ourselves looking at Central Casting...

Do I really need to carry my headshots with me?

In an age when Breakdown Services gives casting directors instant access to our portfolio of stored digital headshots and resumes, it might be tempting to abandon the idea of lugging physical headshots around. One fellow acting blogger actually got into a casting nightmare over it. Here’s why I think we shouldn’t be entirely paper free yet. One of my...

What do I pay commissions on to my agent?

When you get paid acting work, your agent gets paid. Not everything listed on your pay stub is eligible for the 10% that your agent is due. In general, your daily pay, your overtime, session fees and your residuals are all commissionable to your agent, but penalties, travel, per diems and other expenses are not. And it also depends where you live and...

Should I do casting workshops? A show runner weigh...

My friend, Bob Fraser, has been working in the business for a long time. The phrase “show runner” was first used to refer to Bob when he was running the legendary sitcom, Benson. His site, http://www.showbizhowto.com, is an amazing resource for actors, and I value his opinion. He and I have had healthy and vital discussions about the realities of working in...

How do I get SAG or AFTRA health insurance?

One of the most valued benefits to belonging to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) is the opportunity to get great, inexpensive health insurance. How you get that insurance is both straightforward and potentially very difficult – you need to get a minimum amount of paid acting work. Getting health...

What do I do in the audition waiting room?

Sitting in the audition room, waiting to audition for a paid acting job is a unique position to be in, and can be a nerve-wracking experience. By keeping focused, concentrating at the tasks at hand, and not engaging in games that can be destructive to you and to your fellow actors and your audition efforts, you’ll find the experience more exhilarating than...

Should I pay someone up front to get me acting job...

The economies of the major media centers can often be made up of lots of products and services designed to simply separate actors from their all to scarce dollars. The phrase “advance fee talent service” has been coined to describe businesses and individuals that charge you money before they perform a service. Acting classes are everywhere. You can’t...

Should I bring props to an audition?

When stepping into the audition room, you should be extremely well prepared, ready to adjust and be as realistic to the script as you can be – but props aren’t part of that realism. Especially props that can scare the casting director. It’s good practice to look for every edge when auditioning for a role. Preparing for that audition as far in advance...

What should I carry in my actor’s kit? Part ...

This is the second part of a two-article series on what to carry with you at all times to be prepared, at a moment’s notice, to audition for paid acting work. There are a few more things to think about carrying in your actor’s kit – some that are universal, and some specifically for women. As I mentioned in the first article in this series, in my car,...

What do I do when I land in LA? Part 2

You’re now here in Los Angeles and you want to know the actions to take the moment you get here, to provide a strong, solid base that will support you in your first efforts at success. We’ve looked at the first things to do in Part 1 of this series of acting answers. Here are the next few steps I recommend, in the order in which you should turn your attention...

How do I prepare for an audition?

Preparing for an audition is all about preparing to perform, but for a very select audience. By doing your prep work, your memorizing, your character exploration and business investigation before you get into the room, you’ll find the path smoother every time. The email comes in. Subject: Audition Wednesday – sides attached. In the body of the email, where...

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