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April 2, 2013 By 33 Comments

SELLING AUDITIONS: IS NOTHING SACRED?!

By Marci Liroff
UPDATE 2:30 pm PST April 2:

As of 2:30pm PST we have word that the Casting Directors have taken the audition tapes off the auction block and instead are donating them to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. You can read the story first reported on Back Stage Magazine here. This addresses the “for profit” issues on these tapes, but donating them to the Academy still doesn’t address the privacy issues of these auditions. 

The Daily Variety articlequotes SAG–AFTRA as saying “Auditions are not public performances, and under SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreements performers are entitled to expect them to remain private,” said SAG-AFTRA General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “Our collective bargaining agreements include protections for performers against exploitation of audition and interview tapes, which must be erased upon performers’ request. Failure to comply with such a request will result in formal legal action pursuant to the agreements.Unauthorized use of audition and interview footage may also result in claims against producers and casting directors under right of publicity and/or privacy laws.”   

I’ll say again: these audition tapes were not meant for public consumption or scrutiny by people outside of the production. Period.

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The casting community has been swirling with outrage the last few days over the news that two of our own are auctioning off several lots of audition tapes they’ve made through the years in Los Angeles on April 4th. Here’s the story.

Personally, I think the audition space is a sacred place and should be treated as such. When an actor comes in to audition, there’s an implicit agreement that the work they do in an audition is a work-in-progress and is only meant to be seen by those directly involved on the production in a contextual manner. It is not, and has never been, meant for mass consumption, sale, or distribution for profit. I have been asked countless times for audition footage – I’d never do it – and believe me I’ve got some doozies! I can only hope, and depend, that actors who come in to audition for me trust my discretion to not sell these work sessions.

 
I’ve spent the last few days alternately nauseated and enraged by this. Talks on Facebook within our casting community largely echoed sentiments of disgust and most were appalled. There were a few, however, who felt that by exposing these audition tapes to the public it had educational value and shows the public what we, as Casting Directors, really do. I agree with the “teaching moments” – just wish it had been approved by all concerned and if there’s profit to be made…then everyone deserves a piece of that pie.
 
Casting Director Matthew Lessall suggested that tapes like these should be archived and exhibited in a museum environment. I love this idea! Again, let’s get everyone involved to sign-off first and if there’s profit to be made everyone should share in it.
  
My contracts say that all work (including lists, videos, everything emanating from my office) belongs to the production and/or studio. Since this is all older footage they seem to be selling, perhaps the contracts didn’t have that clause in it yet? One can only hope.
Back Stage Magazine wrote a piece last night about this. The President of the Casting Society of America, Richard Hicks gave this statement:
“Richard Hicks, president of the Casting Society of America, condemned the auction in a written statement to Backstage, saying the organization “does not condone in any way” the sale or distribution of audition videos. “Actors who audition for the projects on which we work should have the reasonable expectation that their creative efforts during the audition process are treated with respect and used only for their intended purpose,” Hicks wrote. “Legal and rights issues aside, there is an ethical understanding among casting professionals that actors’ auditions are private.” He added that CSA “has always promoted and expected the highest of ethical standards of our members and will continue to do so.” Jenkins and Hirshenson are both CSA members.”
 
Many of the actors I spoke to were furious and worried about the future in terms of what rights they have over their audition footage. Will this be the new normal? I certainly hope not and judging by the CSA’s swift and harsh statement condemning those involved, people will think twice before doing this ever again.
I keep reminding myself that this is (hopefully) a “one-off”. This can’t happen again. I don’t know what the circumstances were that brought this casting team to think this was appropriate. I know there are two sides to every story. As of this time, Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson have not weighed-in yet. I have always held them in such high esteem for the countless movies they’ve cast so beautifully. I’m trying not to be judgemental but I’m losing the battle. I still can’t wrap my mind around this one.
Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to ask them here!


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We welcome your comments and suggestions.
 
Glad you’re here!
Marci

 

Filed Under: Back Stage Magazine, casting, Casting Society of America, Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson, Marci Liroff, Richard Hicks, SAG/AFTRA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
October 9, 2012 By 12 Comments

Actor Postcards: How To Save Your Money In 2 Easy Steps

By Marci Liroff
Money! Did I get your attention? As an actor you’re asked to spend SO much money on your career. Classes, private coaches, subscriptions to online sites to list your profile, the gym, voice lessons, and postcards. Postcards? You know those 5×7 color cards that you mail to EVERY CASTING DIRECTOR in town to say “howdy” and let them know you’re alive? Actors ask me this one question all the time. “Postcards? Are they worthwhile? Do you even look at them or are they tossed in the trash?” Good question! I’m here to help you save your hard earned money.
1. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. I get TONS (read = piles and piles) of actor postcards and headshots every day. I’d say that each casting office runs differently, but I know that I appreciate knowing what you’re up to. For me, this means send out a postcard when you have something to say….”I have a new episode on CSI/I’m in a new play/I just got a new agent/mgr”. Here’s the secret: you DO NOT have to send out a postcard just to say hello. ONLY send them out when you have some new work to tell me about or have some NEW information to share. See? I just saved you a bunch of mailings = money. DO NOT “paper the town” and send postcards to every single casting office in town. Do your research and send them out to a targeted list of casting offices that are active and are casting shows/films that your type may be right for.
2. TARGET/TRACK CASTING OFFICES INTELLIGENTLY. When you buy a bunch of address labels and send them out to every casting office in town you are wasting your precious time and money. Be specific. Here’s a solution I like. Make sure you have the most up-to- the-minute information about the casting offices you’re trying to connect with. There’s a really great company called CastingAbout. They provide the latest info on casting directors, their staff, and what they’re casting. Co-owners Brian Wold and Blair Hickey are onto something. Here’s some detailed info from one of the owners, Blair Hickey:
“As actors, we’re all trained to consider the subtext in our scripts, but many forget there’s subtext in the business side of our job as well. Too many actors spend significant time and money on “mass mailings” without any specific message (“Please consider me for anything you do…”) or, worse yet, no message at all beyond a name and number. Instead of promoting the actor, this type of message can actually come off as sort of desperate, leaving a first impression that could be interpreted as amateur or (worse yet) “wannabe.” Contrast this with a targeted and personalized message that speaks directly to the casting director’s current needs and activities — such as a postcard informing an office that you often book the types of roles they need for that new series they just picked up, or another congratulating an associate you know of his or her recent promotion. The marketing subtext of these messages are the same:  You understand the business and your place in it, you do your homework, and know what’s going on around town. In other words, you’re a pro.”
CastingAbout provides actors the specific information necessary to build a target list, keep those people informed of progress and bookings, and — perhaps most importantly — stay on top of their career development as well. They track not just which CD is casting what, but where they’re located specific to each project (SO important because most of us CDs are like gypsies….we move around A LOT) — as well as each project’s current production status. And because this business moves fast, updates to CastingAbout are published to the site continuously each work day, in real time, so actors who visit the site are always presented with the latest, most up-to-the-minute information available. With features to search and research projects, print custom mailing labels, and enter private, date stamped notes. And no, I don’t get a kickback for touting their services!!
That said, I know lots of casting directors who barely look at your postcards and just dump them in the trash. You should take this into account and weigh out the benefits before repeatedly sending postcard after postcard to all the casting offices in town.
I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if sending postcards words for you (or if it’s a waste of time and money). Share your experiences!
Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to ask them here!
Want more tips and general thoughts on life? Be sure to bookmark my blog and follow me here!
 
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
 
Glad you’re here!
Marci
Filed Under: acting, actor, casting, casting director, CastingAbout, Marci Liroff Tagged With: , , , , , ,
September 13, 2012 By 4 Comments

SCAM$ – HOW NOT TO GET SEPARATED FROM YOUR MONEY

Two and a half years ago I received an email from Ben Hodge who teaches acting at his private acting studio, Ben Hodge Studios, and at a high school in York, Pennsylvania. I love a guy with moxie!
Here’s the actual email:

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Greetings!

I am an acting teacher and owner of a small acting studio in Central PA.  I viewed some of your clips on YouTube, and was interested in possibly setting up a Skype chat for my Acting students.  We are always working with bringing in real -world applications and connections, and I feel that you would be a valuable resource to the young actors that I have in my program here at school and the studio.

Let me know what the next steps are!
 
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I ended up teaching his class via Skype. It was something I’d wanted to do for awhile and he reached out and made it happen. They were so eager and ready to learn and the technology made it possible. Over the last couple of years we’ve been trading ideas and learning from each other about Social Media and “all things actor!”

Ben’s been leading the forefront of actor related blogs over the last year and now that I’ve jumped on that platform he approached me with a great idea to talk about scams in the industry. We decided to co-blog and combine our resources.

Ben Hodge: What is the best way to check to see if an organization is a scam?

Marci Liroff:
Google is your friend! With the help of the Internet, you can be your own detective. Be proactive and cover your bases before you shell out your hard-earned money. Just Google the name of the organization or person and put the word “scam” next to it or “reviews” and you’ll probably get a long list of related articles and feedback.

It sorely disappoints me how many people are out there whose sole business model is to take advantage of vulnerable people. You’ve got to arm yourself with some basic logic and business sense. The old adage, “If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.” This absolutely applies to the acting profession. There is NO quick fix. There is NO class or workshop or teacher that can make you a star or “discover” you. It simply doesn’t work that way. Every major actor out there right now has trained for years.

I had a coaching session a couple of months ago with two young sisters who are from a small town in the Southern U.S. Their parents wanted to know if I thought they have “what it takes” to be an actor. A “talent search” company had just rolled through their town and they attended the event. Everyone “tries out” with a very simple audition and then the company gets back to you to say, “You’ve been accepted!!” (everyone gets accepted by the way). In order to attend their “training” camp and meet the “talent executives” there is a fee of $8,000. Yes, you read correctly…$8,000. Each. Notice how I use “training” and “talent executives” in quotes? That’s because the training was non-existent and the talent executives were “D” level at best who were paid handsomely to attend this event and be a Hollywood “expert.” It’s all a scam. They even have the balls to dangle the Disney and Nickelodeon carrot in their advertising. Both Disney and Nickelodeon have absolutely NOTHING to do with this talent search company. Here’s along list of articles on the subject.

To top it off, I worked with the girls for three hours – they had absolutely no interest in being actors. They just got caught up in the excitement and promise of stardom.

Ben Hodge:
These “talent searches” make their way through our area what seems like every year.  I had a recent run-in with one of these organizations a few weeks ago in my local mall which prompted me to put this blog series together.  Read about that experience here.

Marci Liroff:
In Los Angeles, there’s a great organization calledBiz Parentz who are dedicated to supporting children and parents in the entertainment industry. They are doggedly devoted to uncovering scams where children are concerned. They were also one of the organizations who were instrumental in getting the Krekorian Scam Prevention Act (AB 1319) instituted in California.

Where talent agencies and managers are concerned, you should NEVER pay them to be represented. They take a commission out of the jobs that they procure for you. There should be no up-front fees for representation. If anyone is asking you for a fee to be represented you should report them to your local district attorney and the Better Business Bureau.

A lot of online submission services are cropping up – these services promise to submit your pic/resume to all the casting directors and/or agents and managers for a monthly fee. Frankly, I haven’t seen one that’s effective and their promises seem out of line and unrealistic. If you’re doing your research well, you can do your own submissions and save yourself some money.

Ben Hodge
I’d like to reiterate the importance of doing your research and questioning before committing to anything.  In my case, I have been fortunate enough to find some influential people within the business who are wonderful resources for these questions.  I’ve made connections with Marci, Actors Access, and Breakdown Services, Inc. all through email and social media.  I can say without a doubt that these connections are worth making, especially if you are in a small market.  Small market actors don’t have the excuse of “I can’t make it out to LA/NY” anymore.  You might not be able to get there physically or financially yet, but you can get there through the power of technology.  Use your social media and online presence to help your research on these issues.  You’d be surprised how many ethical and helpful people there are in the acting business.

Ben Hodge:You always hear about actors being told to “spend your money wisely.” What are some wise ways that actors can spend their money as they are starting out?

Marci Liroff:
I think the first thing any parent needs to ask their child before they embark on this journey is this: “Why do you want to be an actor?”
If their kid answers, “Because I want to be famous!” – then you’re definitely on the wrong path. The odds of anyone becoming famous are about the same as winning the lottery. Yes, it definitely can happen, but the odds are slim to none. If your child answers something like this: “Because I think it’ll be fun. I’ll learn a lot. I love using my imagination to play different characters. I want to affect people by telling my stories” – then you are definitely on the right path.

When I’m casting kids, I always ask them why they want to be an actor and how’d they get into it. If they say, “I was at the mall and this lady came up to us and said I should get my pictures taken. Then we got an agent and before I knew it I was doing commercials” – most of those kids don’t survive in the long run because they just don’t have the innate passion they’ll need over time. The kids that say, “I’ve wanted to be an actor ever since I was little. I kept asking my parents if I could try and they always said no. After several years of me asking and asking, they finally said yes!” – these are the kids that make it. They act because they have to.

Ben Hodge:
I cannot agree more with this point about being certain about the motivation for getting into acting.  Many of my actors end up in my classes or seminars with the dream of becoming famous, well-known and financially successful.  They want to escape the small town life for the big-time glitz and glam.  I tell my actors that there is nothing wrong with being famous or wanting to be famous.  The problem occurs if fame is the main motivator.  The main motivator has to be a deep love and respect for performing.  Actors should get into acting because they would be miserable if they didn’t, or that a part of them would feel like it was being silenced or shut out from the world.  To me, the fame and financial success that can come with acting should always be more of a perk or by-product of artistic and personal success.

Marci Liroff:
Now back to the original question. Whatever market you’re in and wherever you live, you need to be a trained actor. You do this by taking lots and lots of classes and/or going to college or University and majoring in theatre or acting. You’ve got to have a strong foundation and the studying and training never stops. Finding the right teacher for you is very important. For younger actors, I find that too many acting schools seem like glorified babysitting services who use theatre games to make the time go by – rather than teaching an actual skill set and craft. This is not to say that all acting schools/teachers for kids are bad – far from it. You just have to be judicious in finding the right ones that work for you. Word of mouth within your acting community is a great way to get a recommendation for a class or teacher. You can even use Yelp or in Los AngelesActor Rated is a site dedicated to and run by actors with reviews on everything from head shot photographers to classes.

Speaking of headshots – you’re gonna need them! You’re going to need some great professional head shots that can help sell you to the buyers. I could do a whole blog on head shots alone – but in terms of cost, make sure you look at the photographer’s work ahead of time on their website. Meet the photographer and see if you’re comfortable with them. Talk about what you need from your head shots. These days a photo session costs anywhere from $250-$600 in L.A. and N.Y. and includes a few different looks. Some include hair and makeup, some don’t. I strongly urge you to splurge and get your hair and makeup done by a professional.

Ben Hodge
There’s really no reason to not have headshots or a resume if you are serious about your acting.  Even in a small market, directors and production companies are always interested in an actor’s resume and background.  Headshots are used more in marketing and show playbills and it pays to have control over what picture you are putting out there.  
A quick note about small market photographers: most of the photographers in small markets are not headshot photographers.  Many of them do weddings, senior pictures or other modeling events.  There is nothing wrong with photographers doing those things, but just be aware of their portfolio and expertise.  Make sure that they have an idea about what makes a good headshot.  I’ve seen some headshots that are glorified senior pictures, and that simply won’t work in the long run.

Marci Liroff:
In order to be in touch with what productions are casting, at minimum you need a subscription toActors Access. Here you will find all the listings (called Breakdowns) that the casting directors send out to the subscribers. You should note that most casting directors send out Breakdowns only to the agents and managers – so if you’re not represented then you won’t see the bulk of the Breakdowns that come out. However (and this is a big however) there are still many Breakdowns that we release to Actors Access because we haven’t found the actor we’re looking for and want to open it up to a wider talent pool.  

There are other Breakdown-type services around. Some are more for commercial casting likeL.A. Casting/Casting Networks – but I’m not involved with commercials so I can’t really speak to those sites. Some Casting Directors useNow Casting,Let it Cast, andCast It Talent. I like Cast It Talent a lot because if you are a subscriber, your profile gets embedded in my database and ALL the major CDs databases around the world who use their parent company, Cast It, to upload auditions for their creative team to view..

Ben Hodge:
I blogged extensively about some of these services that Marci mentioned.  Clickhere to read more aboutActor’s Accessand their other services (ActingLink andVirtual Channels) from Jenna Pass, Director of Media Communications.  Clickhere for more information aboutLet it Cast from one of the Co-Founders, Yoktan Haddad.  I often say to my small market actors that no one is going to know who you are if you don’t start putting yourself out there. “Out there” should be these reputable online CD databases, social media and personal websites.
 
For anyone interested in finding out more about Actors Access and their services, Actors Access and BHStudios is offering two FREE seminars called “Secrets of the Casting Process” led by Jason Teresi, Director of Regional Services for Actors Access on 9/19/12 in York, PA from 4-6:30pm EST and 7-9:30pm EST.  You can register for either session by following the links below:

Session #1 4-6:30pm EST                                     Session #2 7-9:30pm EST

This event will also be streaming LIVE via the web athttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/bhstudiostv

Marci Liroff:
You should also have a subscription toBack Stage Magazine to be up-to-speed on industry news and you can access many casting notices posted there as well. Of course you’re reading the daily trades like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Check in with Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood.com for industry news (and it’s free!)

It’s also wise to have a membership with IMDbPro (the Internet Movie DataBase). It lists all the credits for cast and crew on almost all productions. If you’re going in on an audition, you should do the research on each person you’re going to meet and audition for. Check out the shows they’ve done in the past – know their body of work so you’ll know what they’ll be expecting from you.

Another great tool isCasting About which is an online casting director and production guide. They provide the most up-to-the-minute information on who’s casting what, and their staff info.  

Some people will benefit from taking voice lessons to learn how to control their instrument (your voice!). Some will need movement classes so that you have an awareness of your body and how to control it to convey your emotions. Some clients I work with when I’m coaching have little to no training and simply do not know how to stand. Now I know that sounds odd, but we’ll be working on a scene that is a knock-down drag out volatile fight and they’ll be standing, hunched over, with their hands in their pockets. Is that how you’d stand when you’re (verbally) fighting for your life?!

These days you’ll need an online presence. Why not get your own website. At the very least, please secure your domain name for the future when you’re ready to get a website. Make sure to use your name – not something cheesy like starvingactor.com! I’ll bet you know someone right now who’s brilliant at setting up a basic website and you can barter some of your talents (cook them a nice meal, walk their dog, clean their house!) in exchange for setting up your site.

Ben Hodge:
I’d also take a look at your email address.  I would set up a new business email account that you will use for your acting-related communications.  Save your teddybearcutie@hotmail.com address for your personal use.  Go with your first and last name as the user name.  The same goes for your social media presence.  If you have a personal Twitter handle or Facebook page you should consider creating a business handle and page for any acting-related tweets or posts.  Social media is a valuable tool for connecting, educating and advancing your career.  Bottom line: keep your personal life personal and your acting business life business.  
 
Marci Liroff:  
As you amass more work, you’re going to need a kick-ass demo reel. Check out my earlier blog for what your demo reel should look like in terms of format and content. There are professional companies in every city that can do this for you, or you may know an editor friend who can put it together for you. These days, if you understand the technology, it’s pretty easy to do it yourself on your own computer.

I hope it goes without saying that you’re going to need to take care of your mind and body along the way. Eat right, get plenty of sleep, go to the gym, and spend quality time with your family and friends.

As you can see, there are A LOT of potential expenses and I haven’t even mentioned half of them. Before you buy into any service, make sure you’ve done the due diligence and research them first. Vet everyone you’re going to be paying to (potentially) work with.

Ben Hodge:
For some reason, many people do not see acting as something that should require classes or formal training.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Finding a good acting class or coach can do wonders for your career.  Acting is no different than athletics, music or academics: the more knowledge and practice you get, the better you become at those things.  Acting is not something that just naturally happens.  Certainly you have to be talented or effective at acting.  But acting takes as much training and learning as athletics, academics and music education.  Finding good training is crucial and is worth the money.  As always, do your research and background checking before you commit to anything.  Most acting classes will allow you to vet or audit (sit in on their class) so you can see if it is something you’d be interested in.  Vetting a class or instructor is a good idea before you spend your money.  

Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to ask them here!

Want more tips and general thoughts on life? Be sure to bookmark my blog and follow me here!
 
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
 
Glad you’re here!
Marci
Filed Under: AB 1319, Actors Access, Back Stage Magazine, Biz Parentz, Cast It Talent, casting, Casting About, Deadline Hollywood, IMDb, Krekorian Scam Prevention Act, Nikki Finke, scams, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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