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Ramani Leah, CSA

Monday Myth Debunker – You need to live in LA/NY to be a working actor.

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We’ll just jump right in with a big, fat NOPE!⁠ Let’s start with this fun fact: In 2016, Georgia overtook California as the state location with the most feature films produced 🤯 ⁠ Productions have been venturing out of LA/NY for years and it’s mostly due to the tax rebates and lower costs of shooting. The film/TV world has been surging (during the non-Covid world) in places like New Orleans, Atlanta, New Mexico, and Austin. ⁠ Let’s sweeten the deal …

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Monday Myth Debunkers – It’s Who You Know.

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Double-tap if you’ve been told this at least once in your career. ⁠ Is there any validity to it? Well, maybe. But let’s sprinkle some truth in there too. ⁠ Nepotism might appear to be your biggest Hollywood enemy. And while it’s not necessarily encouraged, there are definitely times when “knowing someone” might have pushed you in the door or helped you book the job (hence why almost every creative will shout from all angles to network your socks off). …

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Terminology Tuesday – Buyout

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Since commercials seem to be among the few survivors of production during Covid, we felt talking about buyouts could be helpful.  A buyout is a flat fee/lump sum that is paid to talent in lieu of receiving residuals (residuals are those fun checks you get in the mail every time your commercial or TV episode airs). Most of the time, buyouts are used for low budget or non-union commercials since there is more leeway. For most union commercial jobs (and …

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Monday Myth Debunkers – Your Audition Starts the Moment you Walk Through the Door.

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Or at least, for the foreseeable future, the “virtual” door.⁠ ⁠ Today’s #MondayMythDebunkers is more of a yes/no answer. Let’s break it down: ⁠ ⁠ YES: How you react, handle yourself, listen & communicate in the room are all things we mentally take note of. And YES, it is helpful to be a thoughtful, kind & gracious actor. However, it is important to know that we are not measuring an audition by your bubbly-ness level. You don’t get extra credit …

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Terminology Tuesday – Billing

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Although it sounds like billing might be referring to how much money you’re going to make, it’s not. Rather, “billing” refers to Hollywood’s other form of currency – credits.  An actor’s billing refers to where & how an actor’s name gets credited in a film or TV episode. Agents, managers (and lawyers!) will negotiate tirelessly about how and where your name is placed. Position, font size, and whether your name appears alone or alongside another actor(s) are all negotiable points. …

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Monday Myth Debunker – Diversity Cost me the Job

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Today’s #MondayMythDebunker felt appropriate. ⁠ ⁠ This statement is an excuse. Using the push for diversity is an “easy” way for actors to feel like they have a sense of control and explanation as to why a career in acting is hard. ⁠ ⁠ Acting is hard because the job itself is… pretty dang hard. And because there are a lot of good actors in the world.⁠ ⁠ But the truth is that the best actor wins the job. And …

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Monday Myth Debunker – I Need to Show Tears in Order to Nail the Scene

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Have you ever left an audition feeling like you didn’t do your best because the person leaving before you was wiping away tears and you weren’t? The point of this post is to remind actors that extra congestion & smudged mascara is not a requirement to nailing a scene.  Remember: tears and authentic crying is not the goal. It’s an emotional result.  “Ok, I know, I know. My goal is the objective. But still, I’m not going to book after …

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Terminology Tuesday – Hip-Pocket

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To piggyback off yesterday’s post about agents, we wanted to talk about hip-pocketing.  Hip-pocketing is the term that describes a relationship between an agent and an actor in which the agent agrees to send the actor out for opportunities without signing a formal contract.  First, let’s disclose that “hip-pocketing” is going to mean different things to different people. At its core, it means that you are not actually a client of the agency, but instead, someone they are keeping in …

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Monday Myth Debunker – I Need to be with a Top Agency to get Noticed

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Have you ever had this thought? Chances are if you haven’t, you’ve heard someone else say it (or at least a version of it).  Let’s go ahead and squash this myth once and for all.  It’s very very RARE that a casting office will limit or cater their breakdowns to only certain agencies. If we do, it’s usually because someone above our pay grade has specifically asked for a “name” for a particular role. When we know this is the …

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Terminology Tuesday – Approval

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AKA “waiting on approval” or “getting approval”⁠ ⁠ The beloved approval process ⌛️ It can sometimes be quick. It can sometimes be painstakingly slow. Either way, it’s going to be around for a while… so let’s break it down:⁠ ⁠ Approval is something that is needed from the studio & network in order for actors to receive an official offer for a role. In TV, the approval process is generally just the studio and network. Occasionally, it will be the …

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