Terminology Tuesday

It’s August!⁠ ⁠ It’s a great time for actors to start focusing on getting their start in TV. Whereas pilot season can be a bit more competitive, episodic season is most likely when you’ll be going in for (and booking!) that first co-star role. traditionally means… 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝕖𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟!!!⁠ ⁠ Once pilots have received their pickups and series have received their rewnewal notices, writers go back to work. Typically, casting goes back to work a month or so after the …

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Double-tap if you’ve heard of or even struggle with imposter syndrome. ⁠ ⁠ Imposter syndrome (IS) is the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications. It’s usually characterized by chronic feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, and fraudulence. ⁠ ⁠ It can feel hard to internalize success and genuinely hold the belief that you’re competent and capable.⁠ ⁠ Many actors, creatives and really anyone with goals and dreams struggle with imposter syndrome. ⁠ …

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Hard to believe we haven’t covered this term yet but let’s get right to it:⁠ ⁠ A guest star is the term used to describe the type and size of a role in episodic television. ⁠ ⁠ Typically, a guest star will perform in multiple scenes and have a character arc in the episode. ⁠ ⁠ Importance of the character to the episode, how much dialogue the character has, who they are in the scene with, and budgetary concerns are …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Another small (but notable) deal point your reps will negotiate for you on a movie deal has to do with paid ads. ⁠ ⁠ Paid ads refer to the way in which you are credited in advertising for a film: from movie posters to billboards, and more.⁠ ⁠ Actors can be billed either in the billing block or above the title & artwork. ⁠ ⁠ Most actors will receive credit in the billing block — the credits that appear in …

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Before we get into today’s #terminologytuesday, we can’t reiterate enough how important it is for actors to take an active role in understanding and shaping your deals. ⁠ ⁠ 𝙄𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨.⁠ ⁠ Today, we’ll break down an important and frequently used term: 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. ⁠ ⁠ Most favored nations (or most commonly known as just ‘MFN’) means that you are getting …

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