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All responses Most smiled responses
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If I was stranded on a desert island and could bring five movies to watch over and over, I'd probably try to bring five films from the generations that would remind me of my Grandparents' era, my parents, my childhood, youth, and career.
From my Grandparents era, I'd choose Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo". It's a classic, brilliant storytelling. A love story, a murder mystery, with a great twist. All star cast for its day. A beautiful piece of cinema history.
From my parents' era, I'd pick "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". It's a period piece that was release in the late 60's. It's a musical, a war time film, imaginative, fun, super long (even has an intermission built into the film) and delightful.
From my childhood, I'd choose the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". It's independent filmmaking at its best. Probably my favorite film of all time. Brilliant acting choices by Gene Wilder, for actors out there, it's worth reading about the famous entrance of Wonka where Wilder demanded the summersault scene. From that point forward in the film, you don't know if Wonka is lying or telling the truth until the end. Something the newer version completely missed. Wonka is a morality tale that could prove useful if stuck on a desert island. In the end, good wins over evil. The right decision by Charlie is the key to hope and the future. I love it.
For my college years, I loved Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You". Another musical. Bit sleepy, but great dialogue. The kind of movie you relax to on a Sunday afternoon.
For my old age, (I know this is partial as I edited the film, but this is my career choice), I'd want "Barking Water". It's a beautiful film staring an older couple at the end of their lives. The film is about saying goodbye and forgiveness. New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden said it best... "This is a movie in which people, underneath their fears and prejudices, are fundamentally good." Seem to me that would be worth having on a desert island. -
The future of Hollywood is niche entertainment targeted at specific audience groups, produced through wider collaborations using new technology. Location will be less of an issue, talent will be key to maintain the audiences. Digital distribution and a continued move to 1 foot (mobile phones) 2 foot (laptops) and 10 foot (in home theater) distribution models.
DVD and Blue-ray will be obsolete, everything will be data, streaming or download.
Branding will integrate more into content, or we'll see a move towards pay per click. Like $.25 per episode of your favorite tv show without commercial interruption.
Production models will shrink as overhead drops. There will always be the high end, but there will also be an expansion of small production groups that make the popular youtube channels of today, who will easily stay in business in a world without "Primetime".
Independent production will thrive.
Tapeless digital acquisition will become the norm, instead of film and tape.
Mobile production and post will be possible through collaboration tools. I've already worked with directors online who were in other parts of the country. Imagine how far that technology will grow in 20 years.
Good storytelling will still be a constant. Only well told stories will survive as they always have through the course of history. -
Kevin Cooney.
Who is Kevin Cooney? I guarantee you've seen him before. He's popped up on "Boston Legal", "Cold Case", "Medium", "Nip/Tuck", "Mad Men", and more in the television world.
In features, Kevin appeared in "Charlie Wilson's War", "Seven Pounds", "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "American Pie 2", "Clear and Present Danger", and so many more.
Still can't picture him? Check out his imdb and you'll instantly know this doctor, Lawyer, Congressman, General, Principal, Journalist, Archbishop, Pilot, and CIA Councilman.
I was so fortunate to meet Kevin when I was just a fourth grade kid in Orange County and he spoke with our class about his great job. He inspired me to get into entertainment with his subtle performances and clearly professional attitude. At the time, Kevin had recently played a supporting role in the Academy Award Winning Film "The Trip To Bountiful". It's a fantastic film if you haven't seen it.
So who's the most underrated actor? Kevin Cooney. A man who everyone knows, and so few of us appreciate how wonderfully he supports the story without upstaging. A brilliant actor, with 106 imdb acting credits, I think it's time we take some notice. -
Leaving the adult film industry is an interesting challenge. On one hand, the industry is absolutely one of the most powerful industry sectors in entertainment. It drives technology as most new gear is first adopted by adult film distribution companies and then goes mainstream. It’s wildly successful worldwide in hotel, internet, and some of the highest dvd sales out there, and as a result it makes stars. On the other hand, it’s a specific medium, a specific type of performance, and a specific audience base.
The problem I think you’ll face on moving mainstream is the same any other performer will face, which is genre change. When you have a history in a certain genre, especially a successful one be it comedy, drama, action, etc, audiences and filmmakers have accepted you in that genre and making a move requires a major reinvention.
Take two examples. Madonna was a huge pop star when she made “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “Dick Tracy” was a distinct evolution for her as a performer. On the other hand Britney Spears did “Crossroads” which was TERRIBLE. There was no evolution as an actress, she basically played the cute kid she always plays. Had she done some reinvention and popped up in Linsay Lohan’s part in Bobby or a Tarantino Film, we might all have a different opinion of her acting. It’s very tough, and requires a calculated risk both emotionally, and to your brand as an performer.
I’d say your first priority right now would be to study some old school acting. Meisner, method, whatever floats your boat. I’ve met a few adult film performers in the biz and the one thing I’ve noticed is that universally there seems to be some misunderstanding about the range of the acting work. Like I said earlier, it’s specific. Most of them are experienced in creating a performance within the genre, but give them a gritty drama scene and it’s a total mess. I’m only mentioning this, because if you’re serious about making the jump, you’ll need to be honest with yourself and put some major energy into studying the craft of acting. You’ll need to diversify and in some ways, start from scratch. Many in the Adult industry due to money in the velvet rut, or fan base, assume that the performances and skill set they use in the adult world translate to a mainstream film. The truth is they don’t, and as a result, this dilution renders real acting blocks for many performers. They’re stuck in the genre, they go back to their “bag of tricks” and it’s useless to a filmmaker in another genre. To be realistic, the scripts you’re working with aren’t written by Academy Award Winning writers and so at a baseline, you’re stuck routinely practicing and shooting material, that although makes a tremendous amount of money and fosters a feeling of success within the sector of the industry, doesn’t translate outside. Television actors sometimes face the same issue. A sitcom actor sometimes find it difficult to get cast in a feature. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s possible.
So my advice...
1. study acting and get really great at connection points with other actors in scene work outside of your wheelhouse.
2. search for independent material where you might be able to take a risk. volunteer for indy film labs as an actor to work with new directors that might push you into something new.
3. as with all actors, figure out what you’re selling. You may need to rethink yourself entirely. What’s helping you make a living in the current industry, may be the exact thing holding you back in a mainstream movie career.
4. reinvent, reinvent, reinvent. Think of this as a new career, you’re starting fresh. Think of some of the greatest film comebacks, John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler... you need to do that. A successful, reinvention of your career.
5. get lots of advice and don’t get discouraged. When you're thriving in a role that's challenging and exciting, you'll know that all of the hard work finally paid off.
Good luck. -
You need to be able to finance yourself for several years. The coveted jobs that pay the life changing rates don't come easy and you're expected to pay your dues. Like any industry, you'll start from the very bottom unless you're blessed with contacts that want to take a risk on you. Production Assistants struggle to make ends meet and work 60+ hours a week for several years. Over time, with a good attitude, you can make a really nice living, but nothing is instant. On top of that, living in the Los Angeles area is one of the most expensive places you can live in the country. $10-15 parking, poor public transportation, and a culture of keeping up with the Joneses will bleed your wallet very quickly. Let alone rent which can run $1000-5000/month depending on where you live and the quality of life you're looking for. My advice is save your money, you can probably make more in other industries in Ohio, make films and make mistakes while you're there. When you're ready to sustain yourself financially for several years, and have worked on some local production in the area for a year or so, then make the move. Otherwise, you'll likely be making a move that could financially crush you. This town spits out people all of the time, better to show up incredibly strong and prepared for the marathon of a career.
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Please see my other post on pitching. You need an agent, manager, or entertainment attorney to guide you on this matter. Agents and managers will be the best guides for you on finding a home for your show.
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Pitch meetings are normally acquired by a third party unless you're already "in the family". Normally an agent, manager, or attorney will broker a meeting for you. This third party system protects studios and producers from lawsuit to some degree and allows you to pitch with a third party aware of the meeting. In some cases, they even attend with you during the pitch. That said, there is no safety in this town. I have so many friends who have been completely ripped off for major motion pictures and television projects. Do your best to protect your asset with an attorney, copyright, and WGA registration before going out with any pitch. Hope that helps.
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Yes. And I fixed additional typos nearby. Thanks for catching that.
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Let me start by saying that short films are TOUGH. In 2010, 6,092 submissions of short films were entered into the Sundance Film Festival and only 70 were accepted. That's just over 1%. Let's say 5% were extraordinary films, that means 234+ amazing shorts were left without a performance, and with youtube, revver, google video, and more giving filmmakers a voice, your ability to stand out it tougher than ever.
So what are festivals looking for? Here's my list...
1. Point of view. Festivals want a new voice, something they can highlight. Something original or an point of view that doesn't get much attention in the main stream. First and foremost, the film should have something to communicate, and idea, a moral, a vision.
2. Quality. For the most part, the quality of the short should be directly connected to the story. With the amount of inexpensive technology options, studio level lighting, post, and cinematography is expected on shorts, UNLESS, the story dictates is should be organically presented in a lower quality format. Is it a documentary using footage from the 1980's? Interlaced VHS might be ok in that case. Is it a gritty drama? You might want a HD master or 16mm and dirty is up in post. Regardless, the visual look should work for the film. I only mention this because a lot of films lose out because their color, mix, music, or mise-en-scene is lacking. Remember, in order to get in you're talking about being in the top 1%.
3. Originality. The film should break some rules. If you're making standard Hollywood projects, you have to come up with something that makes the project pop. Perhaps there's something in your directing or writing that makes people take notice. Film festivals want to discover the next generation of talent. If you look at the early work of Christopher Nolan, you can see very clearly that he's an original voice. "Following" and "Momento" clearly show a talent that needs showcasing. It's that detailed direction and crystal communication of all of the elements that make those films work so well.
4. Premieres. Film festivals, especially the big one's, want premieres. If you're able to premiere at large fests, the others follow. Literally your phone and email start lighting up for other festivals, your entry fees are waived in some cases. It makes life a lot easier.
5. They want good war stories. Did you travel to the end of the earth into a war zone to capture your story? Did you live in a town where poverty is the norm and you scraped for three years to rent a camera for the day and edit on the computer system at the local library? Festivals love authentic war stories.
6. You fill a niche. I did a kids project once and was denied by a large children's film fest based on the notion that the film was deemed "inappropriate for children". Go figure. Another kid's film fest loved the film and featured it. After that, other film fests opened it up for panel discussions and animation highlighting. Goes to show, you have to be a good match for the type of festival you're presenting to and those in charge of selecting the material.
7. Amazing performances. You must have quality acting and performances in your film to get selected. That or an incredible editor that fixes those performances. Great directors get great performances, if your performers are bringing it consistently, you won't get selected.
8. Momentum. Did you get accepted? When you premiere the first short, you need to build momentum. Sell out the screening locally. Get on the radio, get an article written, build a PR book. All of these things make or break the release of even the smallest of films and will make it easier for you to get accepted into future film festivals.
9. Exclusivity. Are you already online? You shouldn't be. Film festivals want to know they're showing off original stuff. If 100,000 people have already seen it on youtube, then your festival chances are over. Make sure to keep your project close and covered until the right moment. You unveil a film at a fest.
10. Charles Dickens ""Make them laugh, make them cry, but most of all, make them wait." -
I think a good editor has a strong understanding of story. They have a sharp understanding of both human behavior and performances. They study the craft and language of visual storytelling and never stop learning as it evolves. They opinionated, critical, and tough on the material they're given to help make it the best it can along with everyone involved in the project. They experiment and push the medium in new directions. They have a relationship with music, tempo, and develop and internal "clock" that connects with an audience.
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The best editors are all 5'7". It's a universal truth that cannot be disputed.
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I would try to negotiate with the director first, see what can be adjusted.
Ultimately however, if you're being cast you're doing a job and being hired to look, behave, dress, and embody the character of someone not yourself via the director's vision.
I had a funny conversation once with a director friend of mine on his set. His stars were super skinning in person and I questioned, "They're so thin! Their diets are so strict. I don't know how anyone can live like that all of the time."
He responded, "It's their job. If you were paid an extraordinary amount of money to look a certain way, you'd eat salad every meal too."
This is a funny line, because in most jobs, there is no discrimination permitted however in casting, you're being asked to do an extremely specific job, a specific look. On the other hand, there are cases where actresses become pregnant and through court cases, they defended their roles or reached a settlement.
In this case, I'm not sure how a court would rule because facial hair can grow back and if your contract cites control over the look, it would be hard to defend as you would have accepted the role knowing this information. However, religious reasons are very important and there are laws regarding the protection of employees from discrimination in the workplace.
I would say that if the director was upfront about the look they wanted or had some sort of a basic discussion, or you're under contract already to adjust your look, you probably should consider shaving the beard, or respectfully leave the project based on your beliefs. If you leave, do it in a way that allows the producers time to recast and adjust for your absence. It's a win win because you can live your life they way you need and they can cast someone who can fill their needs.
If there was no discussion or your contract doesn't cover look, you might push the issue a bit. When you cross over into discrimination for religious beliefs, then it's not cool and can be defended.
Remember however, that this is a business of relationships, so weigh lawsuit carefully. You don't want to be that guy who sues people all of the time. A little diplomacy goes a long way.
You also need to live your life in congruence with your beliefs. That may or may not include this part.
Tough question.
On a personal note, I'd say you have to make decisions based on your gut. If you can live your life feeling good about yourself, living without guilt or remorse, it's the best. If you think that shaving your beard will be a problem for you based on your beliefs, you will be better off in the long term standing by your gut.
If you feel that shaving the beard will not be a problem for you long term, then you'll be better off following your gut.
Hope that helps. -
Well, you’re being cast so count your blessings! There are hundreds of thousands of people struggling to develop their talent, trying out for roles that they hope they can play well, and keeping themselves prepared for the next big one. You said you’re getting cast, so suck it up! What are you complaining about?
As far as the “leading lady” vs. the “fat friend”, you have to be honest with yourself about what you’re selling. If you’re not being cast as the leading ladies but seem to get cast in other roles, then you need to accept the fact that casting directors see you as that and embrace it, own it, love it. If it’s for film and television, they’re casting for a mass audience so it’s likely a lot of people can accept you believably as the characters you're cast as. Get over the fact that you’re not booking leading lady parts. Your look and personality is your selling point. Weight is just a surface to your psychological/behavioral personality. Sorry to say, if you’re booking “the fat friend” roles and you loose a ton of weight to try and be more like a stereotype Hollywood leading lady, you’re STILL not likely going to book leading lady roles. It’s not about the weight. Ever met a person who carried weight for many years and then gets super skinny like a traditional leading lady, yet still carries the weight in their personality and gait? They're super fit physically but self conscious emotionally, even though their friends love them either way. They still imagine they're carrying the old weight on their bodies. The mental drive that helped them shed the pounds reminds them of what they once felt like in their other body and so their movement is slightly affected for a while until they get used to being in a new body. You can't book any roles when this is confused, working actors know their own skin.
We are who we are, accept who you are and love yourself for what’s inside, if you don't like who you are, then change it. Just know that if you do a major body mind shift, you may book less during the transitional period. You will likely not be doing a smart move career wise as the competition for leading ladies is insane.
It’s time that folks started trying to be themselves instead of some other ideal, it makes for better acting frankly. Way more honest.
Check it out... I have a friend who booked all the time when he was bigger sized, he was often cast as “the fat friend” too. He lost a ton of weight in an attempt to be more like a leading man and then stopped booking as much. He had this new great body but still carried the weight in his movement and personality, so he didn’t know himself right away, or his body/mind. If you’re a working actor, if you’re getting cast as the fat friend, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. This is your gift. Quit trying to be a leading lady "type" if you’re not and embrace what you're selling. There are more parts for you. There’s only one leading lady in a movie and the competition is stupid fierce.
I’d like to add... this notion of “the fat friend” and weight in cinema is relative. Who says, you can’t shoot an indy starring you and redefine the role of a leading lady to be you and what you have to offer? There are all sorts of stories of people booking talent deals with studios after shorts and features get attention. Make your own future; just be yourself when you do it and let your personality shine through, not some concept of what you think you should be playing. -
It's totally one of the following...
1. You're not watching legal, studio produced copies of the film and so the image quality is reduced due to compression, encoding, or being shot off a movie screen illegally.
2. There's something wrong with your DVD player.
3. You may have a medical condition that needs attention. -
This is a tough one and I’m going to be very frank because it does no good not to answer this question with kid gloves on. I want you to know before I start sharing the tough stuff that I care very deeply about actors and their work. As an editor, I see the process all of the time, I feel it, I’m powerless to help make adjustments as the footage is already shot, but I know how to help you when I see it, I’m always dialed in with you on the screen; As a former actor and someone who studied the craft to learn more, I know quite a bit about the process and try to make all of the actors I work with look their best on camera. I know some of what I’m about to share might be tough to hear for some, but I’m sharing it to help because I want you to be the best you can be if this is what you’re called to do.
Working actors have three things going for them, talent, an amazing understanding of what they're selling (themselves), and luck (opportunity meeting preparation).
You need talent and you need to develop that talent as a part of your craft. There are hundreds of thousands of folks in Hollywood competing for roles. Some roles are tougher than others. If you're a person between the ages of 16-24 with a "girl next door look" or male "Abercrombie model" type in your early 20’s, you have a LOT of competition. If you're a 60 year old, silver-haired male or a 38 year old “mom” type, you find less leading roles available but there is also less competition for the many parts you might be a good match.
No matter if you fall into the category where there’s a lot of competition or you’re one of a kind, you definitely need to separate yourself from the pack and that skill comes from within...
Let me share some insight, as an editor I have the privilege of building actors’ performances for the camera. All working actors know the following: The final product in the film is a collaboration between an actor’s hard work performing and the blend of performances to form a composite that the audience sees as shaped by the director and editor. It the combination of many tiny pieces of behavior that create a film performance and rarely a single take. So the how do you deliver? You connect, you dig deep and you find the truth, and you stay in the moment even while the camera is rolling, even when a choice moves the scene in a odd direction. It takes a lot of experimentation, practice, and understanding of oneself to know how far you can push other actors, and when to pull back
I’ve been so lucky to edit some brilliant actors. They come to set emotionally prepped every single day. When the camera rolls, they aren’t acting, they’re “being”, they’re deeply connected in scene, they’re sharing something with us about the humanity of the character they’re representing, and they make it all look easy because nothing is ever forced.
I’ve also had to edit plenty of bad actors. Arg, it’s the worst, seriously. You want them to look great but they totally make life for the editor and director difficult at every corner. These folks may have some technical training, perhaps they can hit a mark or they know their lines, but they’re disconnected from the other people in scene or they’re stuck in their heads, or they’re full of bullshit. Lots and lots of bullshit. They “play levels”, like, “Oh I’m in a close-up so I should be softer now.” instead experiencing what’s natural in the scene and letting the director, dp, and editor do their jobs which is to guide and capture the performance. It’s not an actor’s gig to dictate so don’t listen to coaches who try to train this type of business. Focus your energy as an actor on emotional preparation, know your beats as directed, and try to connect with your fellow performers.
There is nothing worse as an editor to watch a take where the actor is forcing a line read because they aren’t prepped, or their eyelines and blinks are out of whack because they’re not actually connecting with the other person. Human behavior is VERY specific. Editors and directors know EXACTLY when you the actor are going to blink because of the rhythm of human behavior and brain function. Ask any editor and they’ll tell you about how they have this bizzare, keen understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the eye blink. Hell, Academy Award Winning Editor Walter Murch wrote the book “In the Blink of an Eye” which is taught at film schools worldwide. We know when the eyes are supposed to move, we know when the eyes should naturally blink, human beings are commonly wired for this stuff, we do it unconsciously which is what you should be doing on camera. When an actor is full of bullshit, the eyes are the first thing to go because they are being forced, we the filmmakers have to fix it when actors don’t do their jobs well. It happens all day in casting sessions when folks aren’t prepped or using some technique they learned in a high school musical. It doesn’t work for the camera. Theater is presenting, film is representing. You’re “being” the person you’re playing, intimately, not “representing” them to a crowd on a stage. So many people understand this idea in concept but they translate it to “levels” acting instead of connection and emotional improvisation, in the moment, like a person would in real life.
Listen carefully... most “auditioners” out there have a serious issue with lack of prep, disconnection, being stuck in the head, or external bullshit. If you’re not getting called in regularly, or climbing up the ladder to final network callbacks or being approached by agencies for your work, then it’s time to do some soul searching and get back to basic training. You’re blocked somehow, that’s the bottom line. If you can get rid of the blocks preventing the inner you from connecting with the audience through the lens, you’ll start working regularly or, at a minimum, start getting called in for higher level auditions. The reason? Most people have a lot of trouble with this, it’s the craft of the actor, and if you can deliver on emotion and prep consistently, you’ll have a major leg up on your competition. If you can’t, you won’t ever book and if you do, you won’t want that performance on your reel.
It takes a lot of work.
For the record, all of the best actors I’ve worked with go back to class or work with a solid coach routinely. The also do their homework, everyday, even friends who are celebrities. They train, they prep, they live in the imaginary world every time they audition. That “truth” they reveal to us gets them hired and helps them stand out from the pack. Listen to me, with great actors, the takes are different, they’re interesting, they’re fresh, they provide options for behavior. It isn’t about repeating technical stuff and bullshit. They focus staying connected in the moment. All great actors do this. If it feels right in the moment to be similar, it’s similar; if it feels right in the moment to shake it up, great actors shake it up. The texture of that is felt by casting personnel, producers, and directors.
There are coaches out there that train “business bullshit” in the industry. They do stuff like roll video cameras and ask actors to review the tape, like that’s going to help an actor be in the moment on set. If anything they’ll end up being self conscious while performing and trying to remember all of the things they saw on that tape is frankly worthless because the editor and director are going to cut around the bad stuff anyways in real life. It’ll do you no good. You need to find a coach that helps actors peel off all of the BS and get to the core and immediacy of the moment. These folks deal in Meisner technique, Method, or moment-to-moment training. I’m a big fan of Andrew Benne in the Los Angeles area but there are others who coach solid performers. Find someone who can work on this craft with you, that you gel with, and come back as you age, or change, or go through personal life events.
I had a friend who was quite good for casting but then she fell deeply in love and got married. After the wedding, she got blocked and couldn’t get cast for a while. Why? Anytime she would perform with a guy other than her husband, she’d get stuck and feel guilty. It was so simple, but she had a hard time getting past it and all of her auditions started looking terrible. When life happens, you have to work out the bumps with a coach so that you don’t bring it into the casting room or on the set.
A special note on this. I think there are actors who coach to make a check and there are coaches who happen to act. Don’t mess around with those coaches out there only looking to make a buck. These are actors that couldn’t cut it and now they’re abusing the system to make cash. They’ll just be sharing their mediocre technique with you and causing you problems. Then there’s coaches who also act sometimes, they have a passion for teaching and the craft. Their students get work as actors, not types. These are the folks you want to be working on your craft with because they invest in you and your success. You can feel their passion for teaching when you meet them, they love to see students soar, they have a passion to improve the state of acting and help you, an individual, develop your personal craft instead of a cookie cutter lesson. There are also film and television directors that sometime coach, mainly to make their own lives easier, stick with them, they create stars and develop careers.
Now my second point, working actors need to have an understanding of what they’re selling. Certainly, working with a coach will help, but going out for roles you’re not right for is just an exercise in auditioning. Part of getting work is being right for a role, the other part of getting work is offering something that makes the “powers that be” consider you even when their heads were in a different place. You have to know what you’re selling. A lot of actors are artist personalities. I once had an extremely talented friend of mine who was a musician come to me asking about her career. She stated, “I do urban hard rock music, that’s what I do. It’s so hard to get people to see that sometimes.” And I bluntly told her, “Actually you do pop-rock from the suburbs, it’s who you are. It’s full of heart and people love you for that.” When she let go of the fact that she wasn’t this concept of herself, her photos, music, image, and stage persona clicked in. Her album sales went up, she was real and the audience who always loved her, REALLY loved her. She connected with herself and people connected with her truth.
I have another friend that wished he was a leading man. He’d only go out for leading man roles. The problem was he wasn’t. He had extensive trouble booking those parts, and when he did, it was awful. He couldn’t book until he let go and accepted who he was and what others viewed him as, and owned that truth. He was great for supporting cast roles, secondary players, and lawyers, scientists, geeks. After he let go, he started booking. Again, do some soul searching if you’re not booking, you might be going after the wrong parts.
The final thought is on luck. Luck is opportunity meeting preparation. You need to prepare, study your craft, and be consistent. When the audition arrives that you’re right for, you’ll be ready. If you don’t prepare, if you don’t continue the study of your craft, if you don’t evolve as you age and learn from life’s journey, you may be presented with an opportunity at an audition and not get cast because you were unprepared.
If you’re not working right now, start studying. If the studying isn’t working, do some soul searching. If that isn’t working, you might need to change coaches and take a risk on a new technique that maybe you didn’t believe in before. Mix it up. I’ll tell you this, despite what your agent tells you, the problem likely isn’t in a headshot, it’s in the work. Casting directors remember great auditions and they call folks back for future projects when they believe in them.
One last note, I know it’s easier said than done but I think it’s most important for actors: Don’t beat yourself up. Do the absolute best job you can do so that when you leave an audition, you feel proud of the work you did in that audition. Although it feels great to land a role or get a paycheck, ultimately, you’re performing a craft, an art. Every audition you go into is special and you should do your best and feel proud when you leave. You can’t control what others feel about your work, but you can control the work you do. If you were in the moment, if you were connected, if you learned something, feel good, feel proud, you’re living the dream.
Hope that helps. -
First off, I'll say I LOVED my weekend with Robert McKee. It was fantastic, it opened my eyes to clever character storytelling models and help me define a good story structure within scene. I was fortunate to meet the lovely Drew Barrymore, Rob Morrow, and director Tony Kaye. There are powerful, talented folks sitting in that audience, and you learn from each other.
That said, if you're blocked, a story weekend might have the opposite effect. I think story weekends are great between projects and during the rewriting process when you need to switch to a critical mindset. It can help with the process of editorial.
Story weekends tend to have the feeling of institution lectures. They're wonderful refreshers and training. They activate the cerebral and help rewriting focus into details. However, if you're blocked, you may need to go through a period of emotion, free-writing, and creativity to open up the flow of ideas, including one's that might now appear in your final draft.
I've had luck with switching between story seminars and creative writing seminars or activities like those found in books like "The Artist Way" by Julia Cameron.
If you're in a block, I'd say take a break for a couple of weeks for a set time. Give yourself that permission through a schedule. And use the break to do creative writing. Have fun with it, don't beat yourself up in anyway. Treat it as a writer's vacation. Read books and journal. Write about stuff you love or are inspired by. Ultimately, you'll unlock a piece of the mental puzzle and when you return to the story you were working on, you'll find a completely new way of thinking about your project.
I can't tell you how many times I've hit a block and had to throw out what I was working on to make it better. By stepping away, the process allows you perspective and insight into why you're holding on to something that might need an adjustment. It also gives you a moment to breath and create. The biggest job of the writer is to communicate ideas and innovate. It can be a tall task. But noone got anywhere saying, "I need to do this amazing thing!" They just do it and because they're amazing, the work IS amazing. Trust yourself, relax, have fun, and you'll find that the block was temporary and something you can conquer.
Oh and one of the best pieces of advice McKee suggested... "Write a 300+ page, prose version of your script. How can you possibly know what the hell they're going to say when you don't know why they're saying it?"
As an editor, I totally agree with this. It's easier to editorialize from a massive amount of story than to try and stretch something small and underdeveloped.
Happy writing. -
Getting an agent is easy if you have a writing sample that's amazing or you have an extremely successful track record as a director/producer/writer/editor/production designer/dp/etc.
To get an agent, you need to reach out to agencies. Whatever you do, DON'T send them your screenplays. DON'T send them your reel. DON'T bother them time wasting activities.
You're better off sending a short and respectful cover letter outlining your work and reasons they should consider you in a simple inquiry letter. If they're interested they'll call.
A better way to get an agent is through a friend, an entertainment attorney, or a manager. You can hire an entertainment attorney for a large retainer and they know plenty of agents. A manager is in business to develop your career in a ways and agent doesn't, and friends do it because they want to see you shine.
Ultimately, getting an agent means very little if you're not ready for one. What matters is finding an agent that is a good fit for you. So before you send out any cover letters or hit up friends and attorney's, I recommend doing some research using Hollywood Reporter and Variety as well as doing some tracking on Google to determine who's in the business of doing the type of content you like to do and who's in a position to take on new clients. When agent's are promoted, it's in the trades. When agent's do a deal, it's in the trades. When agent's take on new clients, it's in the trades. Find the right match for you.
You want an agent who can sell your content or services and someone who has a touch of hunger to service you as a client, otherwise, you'll sit on your ass and never sell anything. If you've never done anything in your career, getting a top level agent at CAA or William Morris won't get much done, however getting a junior agent might or connecting with a smaller firm that has a track record of loyalty and selling projects in line with your type of story or service is a strong bet.
Don't get an agent before your time. If you've never produced anything, you need to make a successful project, an indy, a crazy popular web video, agents will come to you.
Good luck. -
This is a great question without an easy answer.
I think there are three major things to consider...
First, you have to start with a great original script. I know it sounds cliché but if you ask anyone who's spent time in the business, they are lots and lots of mediocre to horribly bad scripts out there. Everyone has a script, the taxi driver at the airport will push his script when he finds out he's driving a producer, the waitress at the local diner has one too. Scripts are not picked up from obscurity, even bad scripts have been put through the system before they come out the other side, likely by someone with the clout to get the project made. That could be an agent, a producer, a director, an actor, an editor, a DP, or an angel investor. Considering this fact, begging as many people as you can to read your script, or sending it all over town is a terrible idea. Although someone may take it, or even consider actually assigning someone to read it, you've already set yourself up for disaster because the person doesn't have any incentive to follow through on an unknown artist without a third party or a profitable reputation from the person bringing the project to them.
Which brings me to the second part, if it’s your first script, you’ll likely have no track record to base your viability as a professional writer to a producer and so even if you got the script to them without some leg work, it’ll likely be a big waste of both of your time and energy. On any level, investing in your script is a financial risk to them, investing in you is a financial risk to them, so you may have better luck working to gain credibility.
You gain credibility by winning screenplay contests, getting accepted at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Independent film labs, or getting a smaller project produced that has some critical success. This could be as small as a successful short on youtube to selling a New York Times Best Selling Novel. These sorts of things build your credibility as a writer and makes you good investment. You can also try to align with independent producers who might take you under their wing and develop your career. These folks hang out at Sundance, IFP, they socialize in independent circles and look for edgier content. They’re all about high risk if they believe in the project.
Now, third, if you really have written something brilliant, it will likely find legs on it’s own. Seriously, getting the script to a producer is thing the thing that gets it done, it’s writing a great work that everyone wants and that makes it possible to sell. Most people have this backwards and spend their time struggling to sell scripts that are not finished.
When any professional in the business reads and falls in love with your script during the early stages, they generally do what they can to help. They’re compelled to help you because they believe in the work, and they believe that the film “should” be made. It’s not because of who you are, but because of what you’re communicating and the story.
There are so many tales of people writing what they think will sell instead of writing from the heart. The result for them is a large stack of scripts collecting dust on a shelf. The great scripts get read, not by producers, but by editors, dp’s, actors, and more. These folks are looking for projects to direct or produce and if your script inspires them, they’ll work like crazy to get it into the hands of the producers that can get it made (potentially with themselves attached in some way). So don’t work to get your script into the hands of producers, work to write a REALLY good script that people talk about, then the producers will come to you. Producers are constantly looking for great scripts, there are not that many out there, if you write something really great, they’ll come knocking, I promise.
One more note on this, if you shotgun your script all over town, people may talk about it, and not necessarily in the best way. You should keep your script very close to the chest, protect your talent and only share with trusted sources. If the script has potential, but a few professionals have big notes, you’re better off revising your drafts and letting the trusted source confidentially bring the script to a powerful producer when it’s ready to be read then sending the old draft, because that producer read it and be left with the bad impression.
The impact is a quote like, “Oh yeah I read that one, it was terrible.” Now imagine that you shotgun an early draft around Hollywood and a bunch of folks read it, when you try to get the brilliant revised version financed, there is already a bias based on impressions from the early draft that stops the sale cold. If you’re lucky enough to get the film made on the independent circuit, those “rumors” based on the old script may impair distribution because “word on the street” is the script was terrible, even though you’ve fixed it. Every year, the big festivals announce their feature lineups. There are old copies of scripts, floating all over town and people try to get their hands on them. Distributors want to know which films they should bid on. If your old draft is still hanging out because you released it too soon, you’ll be setting your project up for failure. Protect your intellectual property and give it the best chance you can.
To summarize...
1. Write a brilliant script and don’t shotgun it around town.
2. Work to get credibility as a writer and get producers to come to you. Or...
Share only with trusted sources who can help develop and later bring your script to securely to producers who might be right for the project.
Avoid over exposure. -
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Loading...David Maurer’s Bio
Award winning television and feature film editor. Television: "American Idol", "The Apprentice", "Oprah Winfrey's The Big Give", "Jockey's", "Whale Wars". Feature Films "Four Sheets to the Wind" (Sundance '07), "Splinter", "Barking Water" (Sundance '09)
