What to do? What to do?

Making the decision to pursue commercials. Check. Now what the hell comes next? I have never been in a god-damned commercial.

Commercial work is not really posted in the same way that film and theatre auditions are posted, in trade papers, on casting websites, etc. To me, the logical things to do seem like: book private sessions with as many peeps that I can at One on One, the Network, and Actors Connection, and take a class. Now, all this stuff costs money. Lots and lots of money. If I register for all of this bologna does that make me a go-getter or a total fool? Maybe both? I have to keep reminding myself, like some sort of mantra as dollar signs flow out of my bank account, that this is an investment.

As far as classes go, I'd like to find something affordable and something that starts sooner rather than later. This is what I've found:

1. There's a class at Atlantic with Paul Urcioli (a working commercial actor) but it doesn't begin until TBD. Upon further inquiry I was told it may not start up again until April/May or the summer time. This class is $380 for 2 1/2 hour classes for ? number of weeks. Great. I found the ambiguity of this class listing infuriating and a total turn off.
2. Casting Director David Cady of Donna DeSeta Casting offers a class that I've heard some word of mouth about. Apparently it's a great nuts and bolts all-inclusive class for beginners and also those with experience. It meets for 3 hrs. a week for 6 weeks for a whopping $450 and is currently accepting on rolling admission for early March. I'm very interested in this class. I am not, however, interested in dropping this much money...
   
3. Weist-Barron is an acting school that I know absolutely nothing about. I don't know one person who has ever attended there, I haven't even heard anybody mention it. Ever. Their classes run $350 for 20 hours of class broken down in various options.
4. A fellow actor told me about a Brooke and Mary commercial class that apparently refuses to advertise. I guess they are doing that well. Especially considering that they charge a ridiculous $425 for 2 hour classes for only 3 weeks! That comes down to 71 bucks an hour THAT GETS SHARED WITH 14 OTHER IDIOTS. And by the way, this class is sold out until May. Count me out.
   
5. At Actors Connection Don Case Casting CD Tish Ioli is teaching a 4 week On-Camera commercial class for $249. Now we're talking. My main concerns are that the class time length is not listed and it doesn't start until late March.
6. Also at Actors Connection: Herman & Lipson Casting CD Barry Shapiro has a 5-week On-Camera Commercial class that starts at the end of February for only $325. Ding ding ding! We have a winner.

Focus: Commercial

After some introspection and much needed peer counseling, it has come to my attention that I am such a frazzled maniac because I don't have a short term focus or any short term goals. I am all over the frickin' place! This leaves me feeling overwhelmed, lost, unproductive and generally depressed.

So, here it is. My short term focus is dedicated to getting commercial work. For the next 2-3ish months all my energy, classes, and meetings will be dedicated to exploration within the commercial field. Why commercial? Apparently it's easier to get a commercial agent than a legit one, it's decent money and exposure, and my improv and comedy training are assets to this side of the biz.

Let me start off by saying, other than accidentally watching commercials when I forget to fast-forward the DVR, I know nothing about commercial acting. Some actor friends of mine advised me: everything is happy in commercial copy, there are no conflicts, and there's no time for character. Okie dokie!

So, to start things off, I went to a One on One session with David Elliott of Buchwald. I went in, read my commercial copy, and acted perky. He was very nice and made the room super comfortable but he caught me off guard when he straight up asked me how old I was. I've been taught that we actors are supposed to dodge this question like woah! Instead you're supposed to give the age range that you could realistically portray. I don't really give a shit, so I told him and god bless his heart. He said, "That's a good age. You're not too old and you're not dumb anymore!" WORD. I left the room feeling really good but I think he's the kind of guy who makes everybody feel really good so we'll just see if the damn phone rings.

I also met Stacye Mayer of Paradigm at the Network. At the Network, Mayer addressed the whole group for a Q & A and she gave some guidance. Basically she says that commercial peeps are looking for personality. They don't expect big bold characters or for you to try too hard to sell a product, they just want to see you. This I'm a-ok with! Mayer also stressed how arbitrary commercial casting can be, "If you look like the casting agent's fiancée you'll get cast, if you look like their ex you won't." Nice. She also stressed that improv and sketch comedy training are very important (score!). My private session with her was pleasant as well, she gave me some adjustments to the copy, let me do it again, and told me to follow up with her when I have another improv show. Time to sit and wait. Oh yeah, Jeff Mitchell, Mayer likes postcards! Ass.

So far I haven't crashed and burned in front of anyone but beyond that I have no idea how I did. Maybe it will just be dumb luck. I've booked 2 more private sessions that are coming up. Hopefully I'll learn from doing, and keep doing until someone takes this bait.

A little 'splainin to do

I promised I'd explain what the hell One on One is, so to do this I'm going to insert an article I wrote a few months ago. It goes a little like this:

In the biz, it’s all about who you know. Every actor hears this, but the problem is figuring out who it is you need to know. In New York City several flourishing businesses are touting the promise that they can introduce you to those people.

These studios are all set up similarly hosting, for a price, classes and seminars with casting directors, managers, agents, and the like. To clarify: actors pay the studios and studios pay the guest casting directors, managers, agents, etc. While it’s a little hard to swallow the fact that you’re essentially paying for an audition, there are advantages and opportunities to be had. Classes are a great way to get to know an instructor better and prove yourself over the course of a few weeks. Seminars usually offer a group question and answer session followed by short individual meetings where you’re given the opportunity to strut your stuff. Here’s a little overview to distinguish one studio from another:

Actors Connection
Actors Connection has an established home just west of Times Square with plenty of well-equipped studios. There are numerous events happening 5-6 days/nights per week covering film, television, theater, commercials, industrial, and voice over work. Depending on whether you commit and buy a package, seminars will run about $30 a pop, and in general you can count on spending $300 per class. Actors Connection also offers a complimentary consultation with a seasoned actor to help gauge and direct each individual’s training.

For seminars, private appointments are assigned in the order you register. If you are the 16th person to register, be prepared to sit tight for an hour plus. However, appointments are strictly timed and a system of external door knocks is used to get everybody in and out of the room swiftly.

While Actors Connection focuses on professionally trained working actors, there is no screening process for admission so talent level and experience run the gamut.

PROS: Being mixed in with a group of just-ok actors could make a good actor seem really good. AC, by far, has the most variety in programming to choose from.
CONS: Being in a class surrounded by just-ok actors does not provide a ton of motivation to push yourself to the limit. Actually it gets downright painful watching mediocre work over and over and over for an entire 3-hour class. Also, getting paired with a neophyte actor for scene work can be tragic for a good actor. Avoid cold-reading partnered scenes at all costs! Watch your back and stick with a monologue or scenes with readers.

The Network
The Network does not have a permanent space, rather their classes and seminars are in various locations around town. They are not yet the well-oiled machine that Actors Connection is, however they do offer a plethora of events and classes covering similar genres. Seminars run a little bit cheaper at $25 each and as low as $16 each if you purchase a package. Be prepared to spend $300 per class and keep an eye out for surprise bargains in the mix.

What sets the Network apart from the rest is warmth and personal touch. The Network offers ongoing complimentary career consultations and personal phone calls from the staff when an auditioner is seeking actors of your type. At seminars, there is no external, rigid, timed end to individual meetings; you are free to wrap up in your own time. As a warning, this can become problematic and time consuming for the 10th, 11th, and 12th actors in line. The Network also produces its own One Act Festival in the fall, cultivating its talent and then giving it a chance to shine.

There is no screening process at the Network either. It is newer and smaller than Actors Connection so outliers are not as extreme.

PROS: The Network is kind of like Grandma serving you milk and homemade cookies. Here you truly feel supported, looked after and cared for.
CONS: More than 5-10 minutes with an auditioner is not only excessive but awkward! People can tell within the first minute whether they’re holding onto your headshot or trashing it. Spare everybody some embarrassment and relinquish the brown-nosing in favor of concise confidence.

One on One Productions
One on One has a beautiful brand-new facility in Midtown brimming with oodles of technology including stage lighting in each studio. It follows a similar model to the others with classes and private appointments (not seminars). Of the three, One on One is the most respectful of everybody’s precious time by assigning actors a specific 10-minute time slot.

One on One screens its members. Before being allowed to attend any events or on the full website, you must schedule and pass a monologue audition. The audition is not just a formality: not everybody is admitted. Naturally, this screening process gives One on One an edge prestige-wise both to auditioners and actors.

Once accepted, members pay a one time $50 fee and then pay anywhere from $25-$39 per private appointment and similar competitive prices for classes.

PROS: More so than at other venues, auditioners are in a more receptive mindset at One on One. They’re not just going through the motions for some quick pocket cash. And in class work, watching other high-level performers work can be very helpful, plus stiff competition really ramps up everybody’s game!
CONS: For a relatively new actor, the initial audition could be somewhat traumatic. Secondly, in this arena a good performance will be forgettable; it will take an excellent one to catch someone’s eye.

All of these studios are great because they empower the actor to take initiative and meet whomever they would like to meet instead of waiting around to get noticed. Influential, diverse guests visit all three places. Truth be told, if someone likes what they see, they will hold on to you regardless of where you meet them. Go where you feel the most comfortable and if there are specific individuals you want to meet, follow them to whichever studio they may be on a day that works for you.

How's that? You got it?

B-B-B-Business B-B-B-Blast!

Tonight I attended casting director Jeff Mitchell's BUSINESS BLAST!!! Caught in a moment of New Year's Resolution weakness I was lured in by the provocative email advertisement and low low $25 price for this seminar so I did it. Now that it's all said and done, my initial reaction: I want to smack this man in the head.

Right off the bat, I don't know how much power this man actually wields. I tend to see these seminars as desperate attempts to make extra pocket cash...I think most of my hostility is rooted in the mere fact that Mitchell takes 3 1/2 hours to say what should only take 2 hours max. Let me spare you the time and money and sum up every single one of his useful points:

• Headshot mailings are wasted on casting directors, so target agents. Send 1 mailing to each agent at an agency. Follow ups are bullshit, postcards are bullshit, and cover letters are overkill: use a post it.

• When emailing headshots and resumes use a hosting site to send links rather than attachments. Don't link people to personal websites, only use them after interest in you is expressed.

• Amateurish material on demo reels makes you look like an amateur. All reel footage should be from professional jobs distributed by major studios, large independent studios, or networks.

• Showcases, plays, and staged readings are only useful for expanding your craft and casting directors will not attend (or if they do, it makes them uncomfortable). The exception to the rule is involving yourself in one of these where you are working with a large number of represented actors. The agents will see you and their client perform and that is how the unrepresented can find representation.

• One on One* might feel dirty because you are ultimately paying for your audition, but do it anyway. Include a post it telling them that if they like what they see, you will work as an unpaid reader.

• Headshots should not just be of your head. Include your body to show your physique.

That's it. I promise. Mr. Long-winded can paraphrase the shit out of these points for hours, and dumbasses can ask ridiculously stupid questions for a few more mind-numbing minutes (REAL example: "Should I get a female mohawk?") but these are the nuts and bolts.

The things he said that I found utterly useless were:

• Youth and beauty reign supreme. Um, thanks Captain Obvious.

• If you're interested in film and television, why not pound the pavement in LA, the film capital of the world, instead of NY.

At the beginning of the session, forgive my crassness, I though Mitchell was a pussy. He took a long time making any point at all and he started with some bullshit about giving us spiritual advice?!?! Thank the lord he never fulfilled on that promise. The fact that he not only won my annoyance but also a little animosity is to his credit. Mitchell's personality and sarcasm started to come out when he read us real examples of psychotic cover letters and desperate postcards. I think he knows what he's doing. I got frustrated with him because (as seems to keep happening in my life) he kept on telling us what won't work and spent little time on what will. I really think he is just telling it like it is but I'm left feeling a little hopeless. I am not extraordinarily young or beautiful...I plan on kicking my One on One attendance into high gear, but he made some comment about if you go to 20 sessions and never hear back once, maybe you suck. It's very true and I respect his bluntness. I guess I'm scared. Scared of being told I suck. Granted, I haven't been to a One on One session in a long long time but I've probably been to 20 since I started in NY...and never...heard...back...His bit about LA over NY pissed me off too. We're in NY, dickhead. Nobody's packing up and leaving tomorrow because of you so tell us what to do here! Ugh, he's probably god damned right. He did back-pedal a little and say if you need the realness of New York City over the vapid soulless LA to maintain your sanity and keep at your art then maybe New York is the right choice. SOR-RY, but yesiree, I do need to be in NY close enough to run home to mommy and daddy and far away from the insanely gorgeous left coast majority that will make my self esteem plummet and surely win me an eating disorder. GAH!

I want to fuck you up Jeff Mitchell. Yeah, you, you little hernia-surgeried pussy man! For doubting that I will get what I want, I will take you down and slap the shit out of your big weird head.

*One on One is this...weird place. I'll explain in my next post, I swear.