Ramani Leah, CSA Double-tap if you’ve ever heard the term “shifting eyes” or “darting eyes” in acting. To clarify: we’re talking about the acting choice (not any sort of medical condition). What is this, why do actors do it, and is this the missing piece to booking every dramatic role you go out for? In dramatic roles, you might have (at times) seen an actor dart their eyes back and forth between the other actor’s eyes. Actors sometimes do …
Actors: Let’s talk about the constant struggle to stay authentic and present while being cluttered by thoughts of keeping us “entertained.” We hear a lot of: “I know they watch so many tapes, I don’t want to bore them.” “You have to grab them within the first few seconds.” “The camera is always on you” Which then turns into… ACTING. Acting and not… REACTING. Which of course (all you highly trained actors, …
If you’re wondering what we mean by “do the work” — one of the most important aspects is understanding and breaking down your given circumstances. The term “given circumstances” refers to the “who, where, what, when, why, and how” of your character: 🎭 𝗪𝗵𝗼 are you? (Name, age, physical health, mental health?) 🎭 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 are you? (In a room, outdoors, on an airplane, in a jail cell?) 🎭 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 does the action occur? (In the …
Buckle up for this one folks… because we feel strongly that this is nothing but a grade-A #myth. First of all, regardless of what anyone tells you, there are no rules when it comes to your demo reel. CSA and SAG-AFTRA do NOT have a set rules as to what can and cannot be in your demo reel. 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦. There is no “list” that CDs have come up with that they adhere to when watching your reel. Anyone who …
Today’s #MondayMythDebunker specifically refers to theatrical agents in the same (smaller) market, as theatrical agents in bigger markets like LA & NY most likely will practice exclusivity for their clients. More is better, right? As with most things in this industry—𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺. YES, many agencies in smaller markets will allow you to have more than one agent, especially if the region is further out from their local market—but is it the best choice? That …
Double-tap if you’ve heard today’s term before. The role of the intimacy coordinator is to support the actor in any intimate action on set, such as contact kissing, physical touch, and simulated sex. They often plan, choreograph and liaise with actors and the production team to ensure that those in front of, and behind, the camera feel safe and comfortable with every aspect and stage of the process. Intimacy coordinators must possess an in-depth knowledge of the …
Upfronts just ended so we thought this would be a good time to answer the question… what the heck are upfronts?! Upfronts are annual TV presentations that usually take place in New York (however thanks to dear old Covid, they’ve been virtual the last 2 years). They are put on by TV networks with an intent to sell commercial space for the upcoming season ahead of time to advertisers. Networks try to “wow” potential advertisers with their …
Buckle up, today’s #mondaymythdebunker is a controversial one! Member the good old days when you’d walk into a casting office and the room was equipped with everything needed to achieve the perfectly recorded tape? Well (currently) we’ve traded in-person auditioning with self taping/virtual casting so in a sense, we’ve passed the producing torch to you. That’s right—in the land of self tapes 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚛. 𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘱. We know it’s a lot. And we are …
…is it though? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬? An unsolicited self tape refers to a self-taped audition that is submitted to a casting office without that office actually requesting one. How do actors even get the information for an unsolicited self tape? A couple of different ways. But usually it’s either: ① Their agent sent them the instructions to tape without telling them it was unsolicited. ② They got the information from a friend who …
There can sometimes be confusion around the term “featured” — especially when the word can be used in different scenarios. We see a lot of “featured” roles on resumes and we want to make sure actors know exactly what that means. Typically, a “featured” role pertains to a background role that may be in front of camera or non-verbally interacting with one of the lead actors. A featured role does not guarantee more money …