You’ve seen many of your students through the whole grad school process, from choosing which schools to audition for through graduation and starting (or re-starting) their professional careers. Can you share with us some characteristics/habits/choices that students who are most satisfied with the grad school experience seem to share?

Actors who have a good sense of themselves, where they are at in their lives, and a clear idea of where they want to go next, are, I believe, in a good place to pursue a graduate degree in acting. In addition to that, preparation is key. I know from personal experience that just showing up to the audition and hoping for the best is not a good way to go! I tell the actors that I work with that by simply seeking out a coach, they have already taken a huge step ahead of most actors auditioning for graduate school.  It simply speaks to their commitment, their interest in doing the best work they can and honestly puts them in a place to succeed.

The number of applicants and the “slim” odds of securing a place in a program are deceiving. When I watched the auditions as a student at Yale, I was shocked to see who was walking through the door. There is no screening process for these auditions. Anyone can fill out the application, pay the application fee and show up – and they do! Most have not put the time into the work. Confidence is huge. Having put in the work and feeling prepared is a great way to build confidence. On the other side, being “fixed” is dangerous. Ultimately you want to have a balance. I like to encourage my clients to think of going in to “rehearse” the monologue in the audition rather than “perform” the piece. It is liberating to be in process with the work. It is also incredibly important to love the pieces you choose. They must be pieces that you are hot for and that offer those in the room a glimpse into your work, your process and yourself as an artist. Subtle differences in an actor’s approach to the experience can take the pressure off and allow the actor to share their work with those capable of offering the training they seek.

The actors I have seen really succeed in this process have allowed themselves permission to be themselves in rooms they audition in. It may sound simple but one of the most important things you can do is be yourself. They want to see you. An actor must reveal him/herself in their work and really allow themselves to be present in the room. Each program is looking for people -  actors they want to work with and be in the room with several hours a week for several years.

It seems that so many of the highest profile acting grad programs offer curriculum/experiences with very different strengths and emphases. Can you give us a brief overview of the types of programs out there and what a prospective student should start thinking about when choosing which schools to apply for?

Things to consider when deciding on which program to attend can be as simple as the geographic location of the school or which program you felt the best connection with. Clients of mine have been married and/or own homes in New York and did not want to leave New York for school, some clients want to be in New York and only New York because of the networking opportunities and relationships that result from being in the place they want to spend their career, some want to get out of New York and be somewhere warm, some feel being out of New York will help them focus on the training rather than becoming distracted by the city. Other considerations might be: Is there a relationship to a professional theater company? Will I be working with student directors or professional directors or a combination of both? How many production opportunities are there each year of the program? Will I be developing relationships with student playwrights, directors and designers? Do I work exclusively with the actors in my class for all years of the program or do I work with all of the actors at the school? Is the school a part of a larger university and campus? Do graduates have a showcase for industry professionals in New York and L.A. upon graduation? What are the alumni of the school up to? What is the school’s reputation among casting directors and industry professionals? Will I have the opportunity to have extracurricular outlets to direct or write as well as act? How many years is the program? What is the classroom time to performance ratio? Is teaching to be part of my training? How many actors are in each class? Are there international opportunities? What is the day-to-day schedule? The answers to these questions will help you determine your priorities and decide which schools might be the best fit.

What are some of the best tools and resources for finding out about acting grad programs?

Finding out what each program offers and from that which program is a good fit for you is probably one of the most challenging aspects of the entire grad school process. For this reason I host an MFA Grad Panel in New  York offering the chance to hear first hand from very recent graduates of several popular MFA programs. The 2010 panel included graduates of the following programs: A.C.T., A.R.T., Brown/Trinity, NYU, Rutgers, UCSD and Yale Drama. There is no substitute for first-hand experience and although each graduate’s experience is unique to them, you can learn a lot by hearing from someone who has been through a program. The MFA programs change often as do the programs’ faculty, the dean of the school, and the artistic director of the theater associated with the program, which makes it very important to gather information from current students or very recent alumni.

The websites of each program offer great information on curriculum, faculty and mission statements but are limited beyond that. The auditions themselves are the best resources for finding out if a program is the right one for you. Just as the faculty and department heads are getting a feel for you and your work in the audition, you want to be getting a feel for them. Looking at Playbills and imdb.com for actors whose work you are drawn to and discovering if they went to a grad school and where they went can also be a useful jumping off point.

The admissions office of a school will often put you in touch with a current student and/or alumni to be of help answering questions. A few schools have information sessions and/or visitors days that offer prospective students the opportunity to meet the Dean, talk with faculty and students, see a production, tour the campus and get answers to any questions. Seeing productions at a school is also a great way to get a taste of the program and the work of the students. However, it is important to remember when seeing the work of students in a program that they are actors in training and are likely working on roles that offer them something of a challenge.

When is the audition “season” for acting grad schools and how far in advance do you suggest students start researching schools and preparing their auditions?

The auditions for most programs begin in New York in January and go through the end of February. Many programs audition in several cities around the country – typically, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. I have worked with actors who begin coaching with me as early as up to a year before the auditions begin. The bulk of my clients begin working in the early Fall and continue through the end of their auditions.

What does the typical grad school application and audition entail?

Every MFA grad acting program has their own application, audition requirements and unique audition structure, which can become overwhelming if you are applying to many schools. The components of the application (typically filled out and submitted online) require a personal statement, an application fee and several recommendations submitted by faculty or industry professionals who can speak to your work as an actor and a person. The personal statement is an applicant’s chance to articulate who they are, why they are seeking training at the graduate level and how that school’s program would uniquely serve them.

The audition itself typically consists of sharing from two to four monologues, (classical and contemporary pieces) and an interview. In my coaching sessions with clients, I do my best to prepare each actor for what they can expect based on the schools they are applying to. Many schools (Yale, NYU/Tisch, UCSD and A.C.T.) have a series of different kinds of callbacks (“end of the hour” callbacks, “end of the day” callbacks, “group callbacks” etc.) to narrow down the search whereas other programs have only a single audition from which they will ultimately make their decisions (Brown/Trinity, A.R.T.). Yale, NYU and UCSD also have “callback weekends” typically at the beginning of March when the final applicants (approximately 50 for NYU, 30 for Yale and 16 for UCSD) are brought to the school to participate in classes, meet the faculty and get a feel for whether the school is a good fit them and whether they are a good fit for the school. It is from this weekend that the final class is chosen. Knowing how your audition will go down in advance and actually “rehearsing” it has proven hugely helpful. Each year I offer my clients a series of Mock Auditions in which I replicate the experience you can expect to have at the schools you are auditioning for — including a waiting area, an initial audition, a callback, a song, and interview.

At Yale, current students are allowed to watch the auditions for students for the upcoming year. You said you started your work coaching people through the process because of many of the mistakes you saw people making over and over. Could you share some of them and how auditioning students can make better choices?

The experiences I personally had auditioning for grad schools, the incredible time I had as a student in grad school, and the fact that while I was at Yale I was invited to sit in on the prospective students auditions led me want to help others achieve their own dreams of going to grad school. Having been through the experience myself, with varying successes (I auditioned for my top choice school three years in a row) as well as witnessing the process from the inside while a student at Yale Drama, I knew I could offer help to those who wanted it. One of the biggest things I discovered watching people audition for Yale was how much actors appeared to be working to prove themselves in their audition, or wow the auditors with their work. I remember Ron [Van Lieu, Chair of Acting at Yale Drama], saying he would much prefer an actor come in and simply do good work than worry about being great! The pressure of the situation can feel terrifying and the stakes seem incredibly high but this is not American Idol. There is no prize to get or contest to win, what you are seeking is training. I love working with an actor to making sure he/she is bringing all of him/herself to the work. If this happens the school can see the person revealed through the work, not just the effort behind the work. This hugely important. I saw one actor after another make this mistake. More often than not, an actor would come into the room and introduce him/herself with warmth and openness and then when the monologue would begin, rather than reveal themselves through their work they would completely disappear. It seemed they were working to show you who they wanted you to think they were rather than the person they are.

Ultimately one of the things I believe applicants have the hardest time grasping, is that each program is looking for people. They are not looking for the best actors. Not young people or old people. Not the most good looking people. Not someone who has it all figured out. Not the most experienced actor. But generous, committed, imaginative, bright people who have a desire to grow and expand within the art form. One of the things I work with actors most on is making sure they are bringing themselves into the room and into the work. They have very little time to get to know you and your work, so bringing generous amounts of you and that can help you help them learn about you.

Many actors I talk with automatically discount the idea of going to grad school because of the financial investment, especially in this economy and with such uncertain prospects upon graduation. Can you give us some insight into how your students have found ways to finance their education, tips on doing so and/or mistakes to avoid?

I find that if the interest in furthering your training is there, it should be worth the expense. It can be dangerous for actors to limit where they apply based on what they believe to be the cost of the program. I recommend actors apply to the schools they are interested in and not let money be a deterrent. When you get accepted to a program then the conversation of how to afford it can begin. Because many of the schools are incredibly competitive there is often opportunity to request scholarship or grants when they have invited you to their school. I do not know of any situation where a student was not able to attend school because of money. And most schools subsidize the cost of the training with stipends, workstudy, scholarships, financial aid and/or paid teaching opportunities.

Are there any “wrong reasons” to go to grad school?

Because you are scared of real life. Because you think it will guarantee you success.

One of your panel guests said she didn’t know “what a big family grad school would be” and really benefited from the sense of community. I know when I went I was totally focused on how it would improve my craft, but, I think the biggest benefits were actually in my personal development. Can you talk about some of the non-acting benefits the process has had for your and you students?

One of the greatest gifts grad school offers beyond the actual training is strong personal and professional relationships – a community that carries into the professional world and beyond. Many clients who have gone on to MFA programs were surprised to find out how much they loved having the opportunity to teach undergraduates as part of their MFA requirements. Other benefits include extracurricular opportunities to direct and write and having the chance to explore another city. The collaborations with professional theaters and institutions affiliated with your program often give you professional homes after you complete the program and a network that enriches your professional and personal life for decades.

In the last MFA Panel discussion you hosted, one of the grads, who I believe had been acting in LA before going to Yale, said she looked at her time in grad school as “a chance to get back to the purity of acting” for 3 years. What kind of payoff can that investment have for an actor later in their career? How has it shaped your career?

It’s almost impossible to speak to how much my graduate training has influenced my career.  The three years I spent at Yale were the most fulfilling of my life.  All of my expectations were met and exceeded by many more gifts that I could have never expected.  The most significant of these was, of course, the training itself.  The class time with Ron Van Lieu and Evan Yiounoulis, Beth McGuire and Waltson Wilson, James Bundy, Peter Francis James and all of the faculty, helped me to find a technique I could stand behind and the confidence to become the artist I am.  I have also been fortunate to take the excellent training I received and pass it on to the next generation of actors as I serve on the acting faculties of the National Theater Institute (NTI) at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the Powerhouse Apprentice Training Program at Vassar College.

The second biggest assets from my time at Yale were the relationships I formed with the other students at the Drama School. Yale benefits from being the only school where all of the disciplines of the theater are represented with a degree program.  Many of the playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, technical designers, theater managers, dramaturgs and the other actors I met at Yale are now some of closest friends and all together we have developed into a kind of extended family.  Playwrights I had worked with while at Yale have since written roles for me in their work.  Directors I had worked with while at Yale call me up and cast me without an audition.  And the actors I had worked with at Yale are now not simply former ensemble members of mine, but true family.  The ongoing support, inspiration and love I receive from those who I spent those three years with has been worth the cost of tuition and then some.  By coaching, I strive to help others have the experience I feel so fortunate to have had.

Photo by Buck Lewis

Can you tell us the history of the New Media department? Can you share some recent progress SAG has made in regards to getting new media producers on board as SAG signatories?

Senior leadership at the Guild created the department in 2007 to investigate new technologies and the way those technologies effect the work of our members. Mark Friedlander was its first director and continues to lead the department. Recently, the department has expanded its purview to include a contracts administration function as well. We encourage actors to spend some time perusing SAG’s Digital Media Center to learn more about all the resources and services the department has to offer.

SAG has seen tremendous growth in the volume of signatory productions. Comparing the first half of 2011 to same period a year before, SAG more than doubled its number of covered productions. The department has seen an approximate 9-fold increase in annual signings over the last three years (2007 to 2010) and is on track to beat that again this year.

Sarah and I recently talked to a Seattle actor who had just joined SAG after booking 2 commercials. She wants to continue to build her reel but says that when she auditions for new media projects in Seattle she has been told several times by producers that “we don’t want the hassle of dealing with the union on this” and she’s out of the running. What advice do you have for an actor in her position? How can she advocate for the union with producers who are skeptical of the process of becoming a signatory?

It’s a pretty common occurrence for us to meet reluctant producers.  However, it is equally common that once we have a chance to explain really simple and fast our process is that they decide to sign up. Our growth in the space is a pretty good indication of that success.

The process of becoming signatory to the SAG New Media Agreement is very simple.  And they can do it fast. We have worked very hard to be responsive to producer feedback in simplifying and streamlining our procedures. Most recently we launched a web app, the Online Signatory Application, which allows producers to quickly and easily complete the process of becoming a signatory on the SAG website. A producer can often complete the process in as little as two days.

Becoming a signatory often leads not only to the production benefiting from the SAG talent pool, but also SAG’s resources can make all aspects of the filmmaking experience more efficient and professional for everyone involved.

Dena Beatty, Executive Director of the Seattle & Portland Branch Office has had great luck recently with helping actors get producers on board working SAG. As is often the case, working with SAG enables a filmmaker to up-level the whole production by taking advantage of SAG’s experience. Dena was able to help a filmmaker attract investors by suggesting he produce a (union!) web series as a predecessor to his feature. Another great initiative leading to more union jobs has been SAG’s efforts to partner with the Oregon Media Production Association to educate producers about the great supply of union talent in the Portland area. (Here you can read about these and other non-union to union stories & a view a step-by-step guide about turning non-union projects : SAG Organizing)

What consequences might an actor face if, as a union member, she knowingly works in a non-union new media project?

All members of SAG must abide by Global Rule One, which prohibits them from working in New Media on a non-union production. A member failing to abide by Rule One may face union discipline.

Members who violate Rule One could be required to appear before a Trial Board conducted by a group of their peers. A Trial Board has the authority to discipline, to impose fines, suspend, or recommend expulsion of a member from the union.

What’s the biggest misconception new media producers have about becoming a SAG signatory?

That it is a difficult, time consuming, and expensive process. None of those are true. It is a very easy and fast process and can be completed online. And our rates in new media entertainment are negotiable.

The rates for both background performers and principal performers are completely and separately negotiable between the producer and performer. If the producer offers a deferred rate, they will also need to negotiate the details of what event will trigger the payment to the performer. Other terms that are negotiable are hours in a work day and overtime rates. In all cases, we advise our producers to abide by all labor laws applicable to the state in which they are filming. The performer rates are not affected by the production budget, and SAG does not disclose budget details to the performers.

What are the goals of the New Media department and how can SAG members help you achieve them?

When David White, SAG’s Interim National Executive Director, assumed his post, he issued an imperative to the staff that SAG “match the level of technology in other media.”

To that end, we’re working on a Digital Production Center 2.0 release. This will offer producers more capability to manage their entire production on-line, and many of the daily forms will be able to be completed remotely. We also expect this to speed up the financial assurance process (e.g., making sure a production has sufficient bonds in place to protect the cast). Currently, the Center streamlines productions by reminding the production when its paperwork is due and by acting as a portal for SAG members to access information about their production in one place.

We want to continue to evolve the department with the growing business needs of the new media space. We want to be a resource for our members and the production community at large. Feedback and open dialogue among all the parties involved in this industry will help us to do just that.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers about working SAG in new media?

It’s the new media producers who can say it best. To see what they have to say about working in new media with SAG, take a look at this video.

If you are an actor new media has provided an unprecedented opportunity for you to take charge of the types of roles you play. Go produce the SAG project you have always wanted to be in. And if you’re a producer and have concerns about working with SAG, please give us a call and let us help you. We want to be partners in the growth of this business.

SAG New Media Resources:

SAG Production Center

Online Signatory Process

New Media Online Signatory

SAG New Media

New Media Related Videos

SAG New Media Reps on the Production Center

New Media Producers Work with SAG

She began her career acting and then writing and directing for genre impresario Roger Corman. Katt is known for her gritty and sensual visual style and her facility with actors, which has enabled her to elicit great performances from the likes of Drew Barrymore, Sara Gilbert, Alison Lohman and Tom Skerritt, to name a few (she also teaches in LA). Watch below for insight into the fans of horror, why horror is the young actor’s friend, and a great story on how she got the ‘go’ on her first script.

For more in this series on Acting in Horror, watch our interviews with Paul Solet, director of Sundance’s Grace, here and here, and our talk with actor Dileep Rao, star of Avatar, Drag Me to Hell, and Inception.

Video introduction by Ryan Kravetz

We were deep into minute 7 of my allotted 10 with Mr. Film Publicist and Ms. Associate Film Publicist at the South by Southwest Film Festival mentor sessions. Ms. Associate took the bull by the horns and reeled off the names of three LA production companies she’d thought would be good fits for the project (an interactive online game about acting) I’d been describing to them.

She then turned to her boss and said, “Her next step is a deck, right?”

“Oh, yes, definitely,” said Mr. Boss. “Ok, so you need a deck…”

I had a deck once. I was 5. My mother planted geraniums on it. Minute 8. Geraniums? What? How would geraniums get my project done? I looked to Mr. Publicist. I looked to Ms. Associate. I searched their kind faces. They searched mine. Finally, I surrendered.

“What’s a deck?” I asked.

One of the kick-assest things – of many – about my trip to South By Southwest were these rushed mini-meetings – the film festival’s ‘mentor sessions’. About a week before heading to Texas, I got an email saying that as a holder of a film badge I could sign up for 10-minute one-on-one meetings with the industry pros for each of the first four days of the festival.

And so there I found myself, a week later, sitting across a top film publicist and his associate, and (very quickly) pitching the acting game/project that takes players through creating the character of themselves (‘self’), a character based on their desires for their identity (‘doppelganger’) and then a narrative that contains both. Some people got it, some people didn’t, and I was feeling very lucky that Mr. Publicist and Ms. Associate sounded like they fell in the former camp.

“Oooh, a deck is a Power Point,” said Mr. Publicist, soothingly. “About the project. And for this one it has to be visually amazing – pictures of people playing, their ‘doppelgangers,’ everything. And it can be!”

“And then call the business affairs departments of those companies and get meetings!” ordered Ms. Associate as a volunteer ushered in the next mentee.

Ten minutes worth the price of admission! Ten minutes that revealed destination, procedure, possibility! Ten minutes of people I respect telling me that Power Point is THE KEY TO MY PROFESSIONAL SELF-ACTUALIZATION?!

***

And so here I sit at my kitchen table attempting to squeeze my grand vision – a year of work, more video than I like to admit, essays revealing my deepest thoughts and feelings about acting and its ability to affect social change – into 10 pages of the one Microsoft program I’d refused to learn in my myriad office jobs because doing so would have meant that The Day Job Terrorists had won.

But it’s not the ins and outs of the program that’s now the source of my anxiety. If only. Instead, I’m at a frustrating cross roads I’ve visited before when writing about the work. For my life in acting this has meant filling out grant applications, applying for fellowships, and, uh, writing blog posts about projects. But even for more traditional ‘acting-for-hire’ careers, writing skills are more and more valuable as we’re asked to take our marketing into our own hands – creating one-sheets to get meetings, crafting stellar bios, even developing business plans for films and series. Whatever the endeavor, the challenge when writing about our creative work is the same: how to do it in a way that makes the heart of the project beat faster, that doesn’t slow it down with explanations, data, projections…

Pardon, I dozed off for a minute.

And so I push on, experimenting with forms and sentences that balance clarity and feeling. I try to pay closer attention to what I’m feeling, or not feeling, in my body when I realize I’m writing only from the safety of intellectual concepts. I try to pay closer attention to what I’m thinking when I notice my breath drop deeper and my heart beat faster – the clear signals that I’m looking into the barrel of what I want and have something on the line.

I make progress. I get scared. I check email. I have a breakthrough. I get overwhelmed. I eat potato chips. I fantasize about pulling a “Twyla Tharp.” The story goes something like this: Tharp, arguably the late 20^th century’s most influential choreographer, got frustrated with the time that the New York Foundation for the Arts’ grant application was taking away from her work in the studio. She took a marker, drew a big X on the application cover and wrote, “I don’t make grants…I make dances!” She was awarded the grant.Apparently, the committee found her Sharpie art charming…that, and her already established body of Super Work. But where I’m at in my career, I need to make dances and grants. And, ideally, grants that dance.

When I’ve done this in the past – this writing about the work, applying for this, that and the other – I’ve often felt like the inner-technician won out. My need to be ‘acceptable’ beat out my need to express the mess, and it was the mess that drove me to create the work in the first place.

***

Another of the kick-ass SXSW experiences was attending the Catherine Hardwicke Directing Workshop. The director of Twilight, Thirteen & The Lords of Dogtown fielded questions from the audience, explaining how she brought complicated shots and concepts to life. And she did this with the aid of a serious (yes, you guessed it!) Power Point presentation – videos, sketches, story boards – and her indomitable spirit guiding the show. The Day Job Terrorists, it turns out, can be beaten at their own game. Often, she said, her ideas weren’t at first understood by her collaborators. She had to keep finding new ways of communicating what she wanted – drawings, reports, research, shooting spec videos on the fly. Getting her point across is the director’s burden. It’s the job.

When I recently showed my first draft of the Deck to my writing group – people who know the history of the work and its personal velocity – they saw me veering down the too-technical path again. They pointed out the missing steps, the moments that were unclear, but they also warned me not to lose the desire behind them. Structure and heart. Both are needed. The scaffolding is not enough. Nor is it useful to throw up my hands if I’m not understood on my terms only, thus cutting off chances for collaboration, and for my work to have as far a reach as possible.

This week, taking the advice of the writing group, combing over the last year’s notes and images, and listening more closely to the rumblings in my head, I’ve plugged away. The next draft is becoming more immediate, idiosyncratic, and, I hope, clearer.

I’ve set a new Deck Draft deadline for next Tuesday. And if you have any tips and tricks on how you’ve created your best work about the work, I’d love to hear them. Inspired by the passion of Ms. Tharp and the fortitude of Ms. Hardwicke, let’s rise to the challenge of making the most effective work about the work that we can.

Drawing by Bixentro

Today’s compilation celebrates the casting pros who have gone out of their way to make Minerva a useful resource. Their taste and commitment have shepherded great careers and mid-wived incredible pieces of art & entertainment.  Enjoy this selection of our pieces on the art, craft and business of casting.

Emmy-Winning Casting Director Holly Powell on the 4 Steps to Casting a Series Regular

Casting Director Risa Bramon Garcia on Opening the Door to Our Artistry

Interview with Casting Director Marci Liroff on Auditioning for Comedy by Claire Winters

Will a Casting Internship Benefit Your Acting Career? By Laine Monica Baker

Audition Tapes That Got the Part by The Brains

Tips for Casting Director Workshops by Mike Romo

Spotlight on Casting Director Workshops by Claire Winters

Photo by Gisela Giordino

By Richard Ruccolo

by TVAuteur

By April Lamb

Photo by grifray

Dear Readers,

Today we bring you some of our favorite new web occupations & destinations.

On this day off from Brain-ing Sarah will attend to her new producing duties (details below) and wonder why I think I deserve a medal every time I tag a Facebook post. I will take the day to attend a webinar in remedial social networking and think about What it All Means (for those of you who’ve taken Sam Christensen’s classes it may come as no surprise that I possess the Myth of Concern…).

If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and join the Facebook Group of Minerva contributor and casting director extraordinaire Risa Bramon Garcia. She regularly posts essays and thoughts of unusual candor and depth in the Group’s discussion forum.  And if that doesn’t compel you, the fact that she recently solicited reels from Group members just might…

Another great cd and Minerva friend, Marci Liroff, turned us on to Willie Garson’s (of Sex in the City fame) new site Smart Not Cheap, which is “dedicated to saving money, developing wealth, and living less wastefully…while wanting for nothing.”  He posts daily (funny & smart) entries about financial topics especially pertinent to the LA actor -  interest rates to valet parking and everything in between.  Another web-fix I’ve become quietly addicted to is my daily email from Daily Worth – “a community of women who talk about money…we deliver practical tips, empowering ideas, and the occasional kick in the pants…” The site delivers these ideas and tips in 5 categories: budgeting, earning, saving, spending & investing. Right now they’ve also assigned several readers to various financial coaches/experts and are blogging about their progress.  The daily emails rack up tons of insightful comments from this community of women (and many men), and  I often learn just as much in the comments as in the posts themselves.

I recently moved, which means…shelter blogs! I especially enjoy Rebecca Orlov’s loving. living.small, “dedicated to spaces 1000 square feet and under.” Rebecca has also contributed to Apartment Therapy, the pioneer of the genre. Its house tours – featuring readers’ projects in several cities – will inspire you to improve your place no matter your budget or style…The move also means I no longer have cable, which I thought would mean I’d be watching tv on the web, but, surprisingly, that hasn’t happened! What has happened is I’m reading more – yes – books! Two of my recent favorites are Mary Karr’s Lit and Sean Wilsey’s Oh, the Glory of It All.

When I’m not reading and writing at home I’ve been reading and writing in a great class at wordspace, an Atwater Village writing studio that hosts tons of  workshops, readings and open mics…which reminds me, Sarah, that Jonathan Franzen said (Sarah & I went to see the author speak at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles) he was able to write his new opus Freedom & be crowned the “author of the generation” by Time Magazine because he doesn’t use Twitter. Ok, he didn’t really say that. He kind of said it, and I know he meant it. Of course, I found out about the Jonathan Franzen talk via an email from Goldstar, so what’re you gonna do…

Ah, Internet – The conflicts! The progress! The distraction! Our friend Allen Mezquida’s alter-ego Smigly says it all:

And now an update from Sarah, who has actually found a way to pay herself, make inspiring new friends, and learn new skills on the web:

For the past month I’ve been web producing the webseries/experiment ControlTV.com. If it sounds familiar, you may have caught Seth Green talking about it as he is one of the Executive Producers of the project. I’ll have much more to say about this experience, I’m sure, but for now I wanted to pass along the blogs of some of the super-cool people who’ve made appearances on the show. Taryn Southern showed up under the auspices of being a “Hamster Whisperer,” but on top of her hamster skills, she is an actor/producer/”webutante” and happens to have a great blog. There was a heated debate about the value of relationships built on Twitter and those made IRL, an acronym that I was unaware of but which apparently means “in real life,” between our subject, Tristan, and Jen Friel, the creator of the blog which wins the Best Name Ever award, Talk Nerdy to Me Lover. Tristan had to make a 1minute horror film, and he got the kind of guidance many a film-maker would kill for from director Darren Bousman. You can find his thoughts on all things horror here. And on that note, hope you had a Happy Halloween!

So if you want to catch me or Sarah IRL, you’ll find her hunkering down in her ControlTv bunker in the Valley and at Wells Fargo cashing her checks, you’ll find me in writing class reading from my loose leaf notebooks, teaching kids by first confiscating their cell phones, and combing the aisles of Out of Closet looking for great used hardcover books …Of course, I may also be the person bumping into you a The Grove while I check my email or the brunch companion who interrupts the conversation because it’s the perfect moment to look up where Meg Whitman’s husband went to medical school. You see, I just got a Droid X. It’s really cool.

Sarah and I often receive reader emails about moving to LA. Am I ready? How do I get an agent in Los Angeles? How much money should I have saved? Packing up your life’s belongings – and, uh, your life – to take your chances in the biggest acting market in the county is nothing to take lightly.

Although Sarah and I had loads of training, strong networks of friends and colleagues, and years pounding the pavement in NYC under our belts before heading west, we weren’t spared a few rude awakenings upon landing in the City of Angels: Those producer and agent meetings everyone promised on your exploratory trip disappear into the ether! Your survival job likely pays 50% less in LA & there are 1000% more candidates for it!

Ah, well…no regrets – sometimes you know it’s now or never, and, well, we chose now. Looking back, I realize how much those first 3-6 months in town lay the foundation for the years to come. I certainly could have benefited from a more systematic exploration of where I was already at in my career and what resources I did and didn’t have at my disposal.

At Minerva we focus on what to do once you’ve landed in LA (and once you’ve been landed…and landed…). Yet we’ve always hoped to find a way to encourage readers in other markets to make the most of the opportunities in their own back yard. And now, in our first partnership with another actor news source, we’re teaming up with entertainment career expert Jenny Yerrick Martin to bring you her new e-book compilation, The “Launching Outside Los Angeles” Career Kickstart Kit, a comprehensive guide to 1) exploring and exploiting all the resources in your home town and 2) determining when & how to make your move to LA.

Jenny is the founder of YourIndustryInsider.com, a wonderful website that publishes loads of useful information for anyone pursuing an entertainment industry career. The site is especially awesome for its numerous interviews with industry players, which focus on how they progressed from one career stage to another. Jenny, in fact, launched her production career in Minneapolis, and then (reluctantly) relocated to LA when a contact offered her a job with a big salary jump and a free place to stay. In other words, she knows her launching. Jenny has worked for many years as an industry hiring executive and now does professional resume writing and career consulting, in addition to her work on the site.

One of the biggest misconceptions of film industry aspirants, says Jenny, is that “…it’s only the things you accomplish in LA that matter to people hiring you here. But Hollywood doesn’t care so much where you’ve done something as much as that you’ve done something. Winning a local film festival, getting your SAG card in a regional market – these things show that you can get something done, and that’s what matters to people.”

The “Launching Outside of LA” Career Kickstart Kit consists of three components. The guidebook includes sections on goal setting, maximizing internship opportunities, obtaining & using the “Six Kinds of Hollywood Currency” (hint: talent’s not #1 on that list) and even a section on gently and effectively handling the ‘naysayers’ on the path to your Hollywood dreams. The nearly 40-page companion workbook leads you through exercises to help determine your time-line for relocating (if you choose to make the jump), mining your network at home and in LA, crafting your elevator pitch, and recovering from career setbacks. You also receive an additional 12-page resources packet with links to state film boards, unions, film fests, and entertainment industry job search sites.

So how exactly would LOLA have enhanced my road to LA? Certainly, taking the time and attention to write down each & every possible connection (and how to best nurture it) would have yielded some unexpected – and possibly very productive – additions to my network.  Also, before coming to LA my network consisted of actors and directors; coming to LA was the first time I met the many other industry pros early in their LA journeys (agency & writers assistants, publicists) and got a real appreciation for the team it takes to bring work to the marketplace. LOLA gives you insight on several career paths (including the music industry). “The more you know what drives someone else in the business,” says Jenny, “the more authentically you’ll be able to connect with them,” enabling you both to help each other as you scale the heights of your success.

The $39 price tag for the “Launching Outside Los Angeles” Career Kickstart Kit might seem like a big chunk of change, especially if you’re saving your pennies for move. But we’re positive the content (and the workbook to help you apply it) is a great investment,  providing you with insider insight and strategy you can use to give you an advantage as you pursue your dream and establish yourself as a member of the entertainment community. And if you are going to take the plunge, do so by October 20^th, because until that time, included in the purchase price, is a 30-page guide called “YII’s Entertainment Industry Overview- A Quick, Easy & Essential Guide to Lay of the Land” which provides an overview of the main organizations within the mainstream film, television, and music branches of the biz, how each fits in to the whole and what the main departments are within each organization. Additionally, if you purchase it in the next 30 days, you’ll be entered to win a drawing for a free Brainstorming session.

Mid-way through the LOLA guidebook, Jenny quotes Mike Knobloch, President of Film Music & Publishing at Universal: “You can create your own opportunities by being industrious and smart, but my steps couldn’t be replicated. There’s no way to do what I did. But everyone who is a working professional becomes the beneficiary of a series of happy accidents.” LOLA will undoubtedly help you uncover the steps unique to your best path, and help you take the utmost advantage of all the happy accidents the acting gods send your way.

Click here to visit Your Industry Insider. This is an affiliate link.  What does that mean?  It means that if you click through, and then proceed to buy the product, we get a little cash for having directed you there. Don’t worry – we haven’t sold our souls. In fact, we’ve been asked many times to be affiliates for products and this is the first time we’ve said yes.  We believe in LOLA & are excited to share it with you.  From time to time we’ll share affiliate posts with you, which help us achieve our goal of providing the best online actor resource out there, and a free one at that.

After graduating from the prestigious Sassoon Academy in Los Angeles, Thy Mai quickly became the Art Director of the highly regarded Chop Chop salon and has made appearances on MTV’s “Made” and the E! channel. In addition, she art directed and co-sponsored fashion shows for Dress Right and is contributing work to several upcoming movie and TV projects. Thy was named one of Bumble and Bumble’s “Top 20 Network Educators.”. She now works independently, on set and with private clientele. She regularly blogs about hair, fashion and culture at ThyMai.com and you can view selections from her DIY Hair channel on Youtube (and see a few selections below).

Often I’ve seen clients come to their hairdresser (do you prefer the term stylist?!) with a photo or two of a celebrity whose hair they want. Though, given their hair’s texture or their age or personality, that style may not be possible or ideal. On the other end of the spectrum, I often find myself intimidated and afraid to speak up about a new trend or style I might want to try out. Do you have any tips on how we can best research styles that might work for us and how to communicate with our hairdresser?

Hairdresser is fine to me. I have never been too hung up on titles. You are correct in saying that hair texture or age affects whether a look may work. I, often, advise that my clients look for options worn by people whose hair type is close to their own. Pictures help as it is not, always, easy to articulate an image in your mind into words. If the choice presented to me is far off the gamut, I will ask my client why he/she is attracted to the look. Usually, it is because they think the look is either more edgy, bohemian, fun, sexy, spunky, handsome or sophisticated. Then, I will work on a variation to bring out the same mood from their hair. The way your hair looks directly affects your image and how you feel. You don’t need to always be technical when expressing your desire, just more in touch with how you want to feel, i.e. soft and flowy or strong and tailored. (Inspiration for new seasons in the fashion world are, in fact, modeled after mood boards.)

Can you name some celebs whose hair choices you admire (and why)?

Well, there are, always, the classics that are constantly recycled and are staples in the hair world. For instance: Louise Brooke’s bob for film noire sophistication, Mia Farrow and her pixie cut for Rosemary’s Baby, Brigitte Bardot for sultry sexiness, Grace Kelly for Old Hollywood glamour, Audrey Hepburn for that gamine, French sophistication…Marilyn Monroe took Platinum, shorter hair to another level, Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra heavy fringe still intrigues and signals mystery, Betty Page and her pin-up fringe, Rock Hudson with his slick hair, James Dean’s pompadour is still what tough guys are made of, Mod Cuts on the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix’s Rock N Roll Fro, etc.

Modern twists on these Classics seem to be worn at least once by all celebrities, depending on the photo shoot or red carpet outfit. Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwen Stefani, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell have all embraced many colors and styles in their extensive career and have embodied the spirit of the look, wholeheartedly with each persona.

As an actor I’ve always felt I need to keep my hair ‘neutral’ or very versatile so I can change it up as the role requires. But sometimes I just want to chop it all off and put giant blonde chunks in it…do you have any favorite ways to temporarily spice up a hair style?

With the advent of knowledge of the “magic behind the curtain,” the public is no stranger to the use of extensions and wigs. You can purchase clip on wefts of hair in a whole range of colors. Clipping them in will give you that non-committal splash of color. Updo’s, ponytails, curls and braids can give you a new look almost instantly. And, why, not wear a wig? Just tuck your real hair under a wig cap for a more neat look.

What are your favorite old standards and new finds for products and tools?

You definitely need a good hair dryer. It will dry faster and last you longer under warranty than a drugstore one. I like using the Elchim or Solano. GHD makes a styling iron that not only straightens, but curls and has an international plug. Great for travel. With those two tools and a nice Mason Pearson boar-bristled brush, all styles are within your reach. I love finishing it off with a spray of L’Oreal’s Elnett Satin hairspray.

Anything else you’d like to tell our readers about your profession or how to make the most of their look?

My profession can be tough. Sometimes, telling someone that their hair can’t do what they’d like, because naturally it’s too different, is grounds for major execution of the messenger. Acceptance is always key. Whether it be that your hair is thick, curly, thin, bone straight, just try to work with what you have and let your stylist give you a cut that suits your personal texture and look.

Custom always fits best in clothes and the same rings true with hair. You will, always, look your best when you bring out your own attributes versus copying another’s style. The key is to know yourself and the truth about your hair. If you know you don’t like to spend time styling, ask for wash and wear. There are treatments available to permanently straighten or curl your hair, as well. If you do processes on your hair you may want to pick to do color or a straighter versus both, which can damage your hair.

Once your feet are on the ground, then you can dream away about your own hair’s potential. Referrals are the best way to find a new stylist. Take time to look around at people in your area. If you see someone whose hair you like, don’t hesitate to ask them who does their hair. That way you know you are already a fan of the hairdresser’s work.

Guys, if you’ve never had a cut all by scissor, give it a try sometime. While the initial price tag seems expensive, the growout is nicer. Most offer neck clean-ups in between. You may find that the cost becomes comparable if you are going to get it cut every two weeks, anyhow. And you get to enjoy variations of styles in between cuts.

To learn more about Thy and her work and learn her tips and influences, visit her blog.

How has the landscape of comedy changed in the last 10 years?

Since I mainly work in features, I’m going to speak to that.  What we largely see in film (television follows suit here too), is when a film becomes a hit, everyone tries to grab that magic formula, and they just keep trying to make the same film.  You can see how these trends rise and fall by looking at the successful films over the last several years and see how everyone else tries to copy that same formula. In the early 2000s you saw a lot of broad family comedies like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Big Momma’s House, Legally Blonde, & Nutty Professor - which sprang us into the more extreme comedies like American Pie and Scary Movie. Then we hit the wave of sweet and funny movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Elf, and Meet the Parents. That produced an edgier and hilarious group of comedies like Wedding Crashers, 40 Yr. Old Virgin, and The Hangover. Everyone is trying to duplicate what works and ride that wave.

Besides relying on agents & managers, how do you find new comic talents? Do you see stand up, improv shows, theater in LA? Any favorite spots?

Yes, I seek out all the usual places – The Improv, The Comedy Store, Groundlings, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, Second City, IO West.  But now, with the Internet, I can do SO much research online through YouTube. Facebook also helps me track great and funny people that are breaking through on the web.

Have you ever called in someone after spotting them on a web series?

I’m getting ready to – can’t tell you who yet!

What are the best ways for non-represented actors to get your attention to come in for a particular project?

When I’m casting a film or television I make a wish-list of actors that I’d like to bring in. Then I go through all the agent and manager submissions and add them to that list. Then I meet and pre-read actors that look interesting from these submissions whom I don’t know – based on their credits and demo reels.  Then I like to think outside the box for ideas that don’t necessarily fit in with how the character is described, but would be really interesting to see play the part because they bring something to it that’s not on the page and will be unexpected. For me, those are usually the most exciting casting choices.  If we still haven’t found what we’re looking for, we’ll open it up to submissions on Actor’s Access and I’ll bring in actors who fit the description and pre-read them.  In terms of getting on my radar if you’re not represented, you can either send a postcard for a specific role in a specific project or submit yourself through Actor’s Access when you see a role you’re right for.

What advice do you have for actors who have done more dramas who want more access to comedy auditions?

I really can’t bring you in if you don’t have comedy training and/or have done some comedy films/tv shows.  Having training and actual on-set or stage experience in comedy is going to put you at the top of the pile. There are so many funny and well-trained actors in town, there’s really no reason to bring in someone who doesn’t have the experience or timing yet.  On the set or in the audition room is not the place to “find your chops”.  SO, if you don’t have the training – go get some!

Who are the new & upcoming comic talents you expect to see lots from in the next couple of years?

I just cast two very funny guys in my pilot, The Paul Reiser Show, which is got picked up for series (mid-season). I think Andrew Daly is just hilarious and could be the next Steve Carell. He comes from UPC and Mad TV, and was on the HBO Series Eastbound & Down. I also cast Larry Dorf as a guest star, which will recur on the series playing Paul Reiser’s agent.  He’s kind of a mix between Jack Lemmon and Tom Hanks.  I just love this guy.  He also comes from a big comedy background – The Groundlings.

Anything else you’d like to tell our readers about auditioning, casting and/or comedy?

What I’m seeing a lot of these days are actors mistakenly taking a Casting Director workshop for actually training.  I see them put the workshop on their resume as “training”.  It’s really not.  You’re really just doing a paid cold-reading for a Casting Director – and maybe getting some insight as to how their office works.  So I urge everyone who’s starting out to take some legitimate classes.  Find an acting teacher who’s method syncs with yours and train.  Don’t forget that your training doesn’t stop when you start working.  I just shot an episode of my web-series, Your Actor MBA, and talked to 3 working actors in their 40s and they were ALL still taking class. Another thing I’d like to see actors do is to use the Breakdowns as a reference only. Don’t approach your audition as “What are they looking for?” or, “How can I make myself into a square and get it through this round hole?”  Rather than trying to fit yourself into what you think we want, make some character choices and bring in a fully fleshed-out character that shows us who YOU are!

To learn more about Marci’s new venture Your Actor MBA, click here.  She describes it as “an eleven week on-line video course that gives actors the opportunity to learn the business from industry professionals about their craft. It was designed to make you feel like you were at a wonderful dinner party and were able to ask all the questions that you’d like to talk about with our guests.  My partners and I have been working on this since January and we’ve come up with a very exciting line-up of guests for our weekly episodes which will show actors what they need to succeed in this business, in a very entertaining way – but not just talking heads or a boring interview!”  The program features guests from all aspects of the industry, from showrunners to stylists, from acting coaches to financial experts.