Ramani Leah, CSA If you’re up for something where they could put an “option” on you OR you’re testing for a pilot which has a “test option agreement…” 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗦! You’re killing the game. An option grants the studio (you guessed it) the “option” to employ you. These agreements typically cover the pilot and up to seven seasons of the series. A few highlighted points that will be pre-negotiated in a test option agreement are: 1. …
What’s the difference between a “first refusal”, “on avail”, pinned”, and being “held”? 🤔 Let’s sort this out—there’s no real difference between any of these other than semantics. Technically speaking, CDs can’t “hold” actors (per SAG rules), but they can use different terms like “pinning” you or putting you “on avail” to signify that you are either “the choice” or one of a short list and that an offer may be coming. When the word …
The more the better, right? ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕖. Here’s a quick hint: Clips ≯ a reel Clips are not the solution and 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗟𝗬, more is not better. Think of this way: We have THOUSANDS of submissions to go through and it can feel overwhelming. Sure, we’re used to it (and certainly not complaining), but when we’re faced with a long list of clips, it can feel even more overwhelming. We …
If you’re an actor coming from stage to TV/film—this might be tough one for you to wrap your mind around but… 𝔻𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖. Once on set, you will likely do one read-through of the scene, and one “rehearsal for marks” – where any physical movement in the scene is recorded and your blocking is marked colored tape on the floor. You will then be released while your stand-in (second team) gets …
🛑🛑🛑 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 🛑🛑🛑 You ready for this one? As much as you want to think you are “doing something wrong” in your acting career, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵. That’s not to say there ISN’T room to grow and learn and make choices that yield better results… But that overwhelming thought that creeps in late at night… the one that is extra loud when you find out the new girl in acting class just booked a TOS guest star role and …
Congrats! Getting a run-of-picture deal means you’ve booked a lead or a major supporting role and production needs you from start to finish. This means they’re going to pay you one lump sum for the entire shoot. This also means they expect you to be completely available for the “run of picture”—taking away your ability to accept other jobs during the shooting dates of the movie. Per union rules, a run-of-picture deal means you’ll be hired …
This might be one of our biggest myths to date. How boring would THAT be?! Before we debunk this myth, we want to clarify any “truth” there is to this: Yes, of course, over the years we will develop relationships and admiration for certain actors and will eagerly click on their photo when we see they are submitted for a role. But it is quite literally our job to know the work of as …
Double-tap if this direction gives you heart palpitations. (and yes, today we’re doing #terminologywednesday) It shouldn’t. Truly. Why do we sometimes give direction as minimal as “try it again” or “do something different”? It could be for a couple of reasons: 👉 We liked what you did and don’t have any specific notes but want to see what else you come up with. 👉 We thought you have a lot of potential but saw …
Terminology… Wednesday? Let’s talk stunt casting. If by stunt casting, you think we’re talking about stunt performers, you might want to read on…. Stunt casting is a term we use that refers to the use of a publicity stunt to fill a role in TV, film or theatre. Stunt casting can range from a celebrity or even a well known non-actor cameo appearance to the use of an actor’s real-life relatives to play the …
You forgot to slate. NBD, right? Well, not the BIGGEST deal, but a deal. Here’s the deal: 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣. Slates mattered before and they certainly matter now. Think about it. When you come into the room in-person, we are able to get a whole sense of you: How you carry yourself, your posture, your stature. Yes, the acting will always come first. But it’s (very) …