Also a filmmaker, Kristina freelances as a videographer, is co-creator of the web series Frick, and collaborated with Claire on the Brains of Minerva Acting in Horror interview series. Kristina was recently accepted into the graduate film program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Kristina appears in Chillerama, Adam Green’s much-anticipated new horror movie, which will see a theatrical release this fall. Her German film Bela Kiss will bow in German theaters in 2012. In the meantime, check out Kristina’s performance as Maks Vex, rogue super heroine here, and follow her on Twitter here.

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on a train from Munich, Germany to Esslingen, Germany- a 2.5 hour journey- where I am going to see a presentation of the first 15 minutes of Bela Kiss, a German thriller in which I played the lead last year. It was an ultra low budget project shot in the Black Forest with English speaking actors, all of whom had to be German citizens. I am taking this trip on my own dime, to show support, reconnect with the director, and also to see whether this is a project I will feel confident promoting in the states (note: it was amazing and I JUST found out that it has been picked up by Drei Freunde for theatrical distribution in Germany – the same company that distributed the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!).

The reason I am in Germany right now, though, is not to watch 15 minutes of a film I shot. Next week, I’m shooting a TV pilot in Berlin for Germany’s version of HBO and they flew me to Germany. Sometimes the timing works out!

I’m lucky to be a dual- citizen as well as to be quad-lingual… But the recognition that these things could help me in my career as an actress did not occur to me until a few years ago. And, though very exciting, building a career simultaneously on two continents (and in several different countries) has been a gamble.

I strongly believe the only reason I was even able to break into the European acting market was because of my break-out role as Lynda in Rob Zombie’s remake of Halloween. It was a studio film that had an international audience. Through it, I was able to go to festivals and horror conventions where I met people from Italy, Germany, France, Serbia and Spain who appreciated my work. I simply made it a point to tell everyone I had dual citizenship and would love to work more in Europe. I took my opportunity and ran with it. I try as much as possible to stay in touch with these contacts and keep them up to date with my work. The term “out of sight, out of mind” applies everywhere in the world. So, working in Europe, NY and LA creates 3 times as many contacts to keep up with – something which has been overwhelming at times. Thank God for the Internet.

You may be wondering why I even would want to work in Europe. The answer is very simple: to go back to my roots and be closer to my large extended family. And then, three years ago, I fell in love with Berlin. I had been flown there to shoot a trailer for a film (the writer and director found me on a website listing all English speaking citizens). Berlin is a city teeming with angst-y, intellectual, chain-smoking, politically conscious artists who love the art for the art and not because of the money that comes with it… I had found my second home, though I don’t smoke and have to say sitting in a bar in Berlin can be nauseating! But from that time on, I knew I had to find a way to work in Berlin while continuing to book jobs in NY and LA.

There are ups and downs to this process. The downs involve 1) difficulty finding a supportive agent in both America and Europe 2) union rules and degree of protection vary from country to country and 3) the money that it costs to invest in this endeavor often evens out with what you earn. The upside is …. you’re working!! And isn’t that what actors are always complaining about? Not working enough? Plus, work begets work. And good work, anywhere in the world, begets even more!

The hardest thing about trying to work internationally is finding support from agents on both continents. I have struggled very much with this. No one in LA wants to hear about their client working overseas for too long – unless they’re getting some money – and the agents in Europe don’t believe me when I say I can be on a plane within a day because I have so many points on my frequent flier card. You do end up missing castings in both places. And the time difference between LA and Europe – 9 hours- is pretty daunting and makes telephone conversations almost impossible. Overall, it seems too difficult for everyone; for everyone except me, who’s actually doing all the work. In October, after I spent 2 months in Germany playing the lead in Bela Kiss where I was able to do some of the best work of my career for deferred payment (yes, feel sorry for my bank account…) my LA based agent dropped me three days after my return to the states and one day after I turned down an offer they sent me for the worst script I had ever read in my life… but, alas… it paid. I still haven’t found a new agent.

The last two years, my agent in Berlin got me this many auditions: 0.

And yet I’m working!! Viral and Skype casting has become more prevalent. And, in Germany, casting directors often cast off of your reel. I have a friend in Germany who’s full reel is about 40 minutes and the casting directors watch every minute of it, are familiar with it, and show only the pertinent scenes to whomever is interested. The guys who cast me in the trailer we shot in Berlin three years ago wrote the part in the TV pilot for me that I’m going to shoot next week. In fact, the part is called Kristina! And I’m supposed to be shooting a film in Italy this fall.

However, if I do not book a US based job in the next few months, I will possibly lose my SAG health insurance, and this leads me to the next point: Unions. Working in different countries involves learning and dealing with different customs and different industry standards. In Germany, I recently found out to my astonishment that the crew have a union that enforces overtime, while the actors do not. There IS a union for actors in Germany. You can find it here. However, it simply has no negotiating power. It offers free legal services though for a small fee of 50 euro a year.. If you don’t have an agent and need someone to look over your contract, they are specialized in this.

So you’re probably wondering “what about the SAG universal rule?” Well, most European productions will have nothing to do with it. It is completely foreign to them. Why should they have to pay SAG for an actor who is working in their country under their rules? And that is exactly what I’m doing.when I use my EU passport. I am going there to work in rules. However, what this means is that, although I’m getting paid, SAG is not registering it and if I don’t make enough money in a year, my health insurance falls through. Again, this is a gamble.

It is also very interesting to learn how an actor’s daily rate is calculated in Germany. Actors get higher wages if they attended an acting conservatory. Yes. You heard me right. The main television stations ZDF, RTL and ARD have a rating system. For example, you would get paid the most if you attended the best acting school and have worked previously for said station.

Now, to the cost of working bi-continentally. So far, in my experience, I have made no money. This pilot I will shoot next week will be my first real paycheck. All the other work I’ve done has been pro-bono or deferred payment with travel costs paid for. So no money lost but none earned. It’s kind of like when you’re first starting off acting and do theater for free or short films for free. I considered it an investment. And it HAS paid off. If the pilot is picked up, I will have a recurring role that will work for at least a few months in Berlin. And since Bela Kiss will be playing theatrically, I suppose that will lead to more work.

But the experience I’ve gained is priceless. And the opportunity to play roles that would most likely be played by film stars in America is also priceless.

The experience of working with highly trained actors on set – most German actors have gone to a conservatory and worked extensively in theater – is definitely different from the US. The art of acting is taken very seriously. I would probably say there’s less FUN on set and people are really intense – there are less compliments thrown around. But I see how seriously they take their job and with what respect acting is treated and it makes me PROUD to be an actor… In a casting session in Germany, it is highly frowned upon to arrive with your sides! In fact you are automatically disqualified if you are not off book. Quite different than here wouldn’t you say? The down side of this is that German acting can be quite stiff at times. However, I think this is changing as American TV and American style naturalism is becoming popular over there.

Concerning languages and accents, I have had to work very hard to get rid of any trace of an accent when I speak German. In Italy, they love the accent. In America, my languages and accents have helped me do voice overs for video games. I shot a movie in Serbia for six weeks. A year later, there was an audition for Criminal Minds for a Serbian serial killer. Guess who got the role? I went into the audition with the little knowledge of Serbian I had learned on set. It all ends up intertwining.

So, in the end, is it worth it? Well, probably not if you don’t have dual citizenship to start off with. Without that, there are simply too many hurdles to conquer. And probably not if you don’t love languages and traveling! After that, though, how much effort do you want to put into working overseas? I would say, if you don’t have to spend too much out of pocket, it’s worth trying. If you have contacts that you can start off with, that’s good. And just ask, ask, ask. Ask people to introduce you to casting directors and agents and producers. If you are a working actor and have an acting reel with American television shows on it or any film work here, they really love that. Hollywood is still the mecca of film after all. And in the inter-connectivity of today’s world, who knows if working overseas cannot actually get you on Hollywood’s radar a little bit quicker than waiting in traffic on the 405…

RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL, CUT YOUR HAIR!!

Psst. Over here. I kind of wanted to keep quiet about this. They say that baseball fans are extremely superstitious. Well, if that’s true, than actors aren’t far behind. Every actor knows, when you feel like you’ve figured something out, unlocked the answer to some actor riddle, and it’s working, may lightning strike you down if you talk about it too much. If you do, you might jinx it. Nay, you WILL jinx it!! JINX! Okay, now that I’ve said that out loud, I believe that having done so, naturally, releases any superstitious negative outcome. Like when I’m on a flight and I start imagining the plane crashing, I then believe, of course, that since I’ve already played it out in my mind then, obviously, it won’t happen! That totally makes sense. Totally.

If you are of the human persuasion and an actor who auditions for commercials, then read on.

In a surprising and exciting turn of events I booked 6 national commercials in 7 months (2 for Time Warner Cable, 2 for Td Ameritrade, Dodge, and Southwest Airlines). It was actually 6 in 6 months, but I changed it to 7 because the double 6’s freaked me out when I saw them so close together. Eek. Now, maybe I magically and spontaneously became a better actress or more “real” “subtle” and “natural” in my auditions, but between you and me, I am pretty effing sure it’s because I cut my damn hair.

I have been blessed with having the same wonderful commercial agent for 6 years, Pam Sparks at Sutton, Barth & Vennari (as well as their recent fantastic addition, Rachele Fink). Over this time, I had many auditions and very, very, I mean very few jobs. My numbers really sucked. Bad. Yeah, I did get some callbacks, and some avails here and there. I booked a few small gigs that I either got cut out of or that didn’t run. Needless to say, I was waiting, ever so patiently, for my lovely agent to drop my ass.

Occasionally they would call me into the office to “discuss” why I wasn’t booking and I would inevitably get simultaneously awkwardly defensive and awkwardly apologetic. We always ended these discussions with a renewed (ahem, repeated) sit back and wait for “my time” attitude. Which is, frankly, often the case. Any good commercial agent, in my opinion, knows that it can take years, and literally hundreds and hundreds of commercial auditions, for that ever-elusive “click” to finally happen. It’s like dating. Sometimes you have to kiss a hell of a lot of frogs before that frog turns into a national commercial.

But I had hit the wall. I was carrying far too much tension at my auditions, and even more at my callbacks. I couldn’t stop that desperate energy from sifting out from my pores and bouncing off the walls. And I was so tired of seeing the commercials that I didn’t get mocking me during my favorite TV shows. I was even more tired of seeing them go to girl-with-short-wavy-bob. I became obsessed. For the non-actor, this seems crazy (and, um, it is.) I mean, really. It’s. Just. Hair. But for us, changing our look is a big deal. It means money, new headshots…it’s a commitment. And what if it doesn’t work? Then you have to wait for it to grow back and of course think of all the things you’ll be missing when it’s in the inbetween phase!! (Oh the neurosis.) You’ve convinced yourself that you’ve lost your “big break” job while you were growing out your bangs!

But this is what I’ve learned: when you’re not working as much as you think you should, then get out of your comfort zone and try something new. For me it was becoming the girl-with-short-wavy-bob. For you it could be something else entirely. But no matter what it is, the answer is right there in that little square rabbit-eared box. Oh god, I just aged myself..um..I mean, that 42 inch plasma screen box. I started looking and learning from commercials in a new way. I began dressing exactly the way they did. I studied the trends. Hair, make up, colors. This takes some self-reflection and honesty. Are you being realistic about your age range? Do you have a clear idea of your basic type? Also, simple things too like hair color. Is it dull on camera? Needs some highlights? Or is it dead from too many highlights? Do you even know? For men, is there a facial hair trend going on? And for those that can’t grow any, then how else does that look play out? There isn’t any one answer, but there are many practical things that you can do that may just help your chances in a very competitive industry.

This doesn’t have to be about a giant makeover or a huge overhaul. I asked one of my agents at SBV, Rachele Fink, to weigh in on the subject and she had this to say: “Commercials set the trends and hair is a major trend that young girls and women look for in commercials whether they actually think about it or not. One time I asked a girl if she would cut her hair, even just style it, and she said no, and I said this isn’t the agency for you because you won’t book with the same style from the 90′s. Actors have to be current and willing to set, and be able to change with the trends of our society.”

In my experience if you want to book commercials, you’ve got to conform, conform, conform. A tough pill to swallow? I know.

I get it. Two awesome lefty artist types in the East Village of New York City raised me, so the idea of conforming to the norm was totally against my grain. But in this case, the norm was working and I wasn’t. I had spent my whole life trying to be different, to be un-labelable. You know, Me! What I ultimately realized was that “me” is what books the job, and looking “right” for it just makes it easier for them to do it. Ultimately, your personality, your essence, your vibe is what people want to see and hire. But the commercial world also needs you to meet it halfway.

Jill Alexander, a friend and talented actress, has worked on over 50 National Commercials. She also teaches a fantastic commercial workshop, which I highly recommend, by the way (www.jillforpromqueen.com). This is what she said on the matter: “I think you have to be a real person in order to be successful in commercials. Which means wearing your hair in a way that makes you feel confident and attractive, and not in a way that makes someone else look confident and attractive. I do not believe that there is any rule of thumb. A smart haircut will help you in all aspects of your life.” I can’t speak for how that new haircut will go over at home, but feeling confident and contemporary will never hurt you at your auditions!

I bumped into an accomplished commercial casting director recently at Trader Joe’s. This particular office hadn’t called me in a really long time so I fumblingly saddled up to her in the cheese section and said hello. When she asked how I was doing, trust me, I was thrilled to finally be able to blurt out, “Great! I booked some stuff recently, and….well, I cut my hair. What do you think?”

And she quickly responded, while fingering through the Brie, “Ah, commercials…it is all about the hair….”

Shit. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself…

You can see Sunah & her wavy bob in action here and here.

Photo by Maya Adrabi

Tammy has nearly 15 years public relations experience providing her the opportunity to build long-standing relationships with a variety of media outlets. Starting her career at Medialink, the leading broadcast PR company in New York, Tammy was responsible for overseeing PR strategy and cultivating media contacts. Taking her knowledge and skills out on her own, she has worked on a variety of projects spanning the entertainment, lifestyle, technology, medical, non-profit, consumer product, and publishing fields.

At some point, and sooner than later if you’re taking your career bull by the horns, someone is going to say to you: “Send me your press kit” or “Email me your EPK (electronic press kit).” You’ll probably nod your head and reply “no problem” while secretly panicking inside because you meant to put one together but haven’t had time, and you don’t really know what it is or what goes in it, and blah…blah…blah. While I can’t drag you over to your computer to start packaging your materials, I can tell you what steps you need to take to get that kit together. In other words, your excuses end here!

First, I like to start by figuring out what the purpose of the kit is. Are you sending it out to the media or to potential agents & managers? This is important because they don’t necessarily contain exactly the same thing. I like to refer to a package you’re sending to the media as a “press” kit and a package you’re sending for self-promotion as a “personal” kit.

Second, are you sending out hard copy kits or emailing it? With hard copy kits, the more pages you create the pricier the printing costs get. You’ll need to compile everything into a folder and factor in the cost of postage, courier, or gas if you’re delivering it yourself. Another option is having the kit available as an E.P.K. (electronic press kit), which is an electronic version that you can either attach to an email or make accessible as a download from your website. It contains the same information as the hard copy kit, and the only distribution cost might be hiring someone to help you format it for delivery. Make it as compressed of a PDF file as possible without losing quality because no one likes waiting too long for downloads. Along with this file, you can also attach your demo reel or teaser footage to support the information in the kit.

Now that you know there’s more than one kind of kit, let’s figure out what goes in each of them.

The Dreaded Bio

Every kit needs a biography. I know, I know — you hate your bio! But, this is probably one of the most important pieces in any kit, so you need to create one you love…or at least one you can live with. There are different types of bios depending on its purpose: press kit, IMDB, personal website, promotional package, theatre program, etc. For this article, the type I’m talking about is a ‘full length’ bio for inclusion in a press kit. This is often the most difficult to write and the basis for all the others.

Craft a bio that tells your story, something we wouldn’t have known from just reading your resume. It can be more than one paragraph, but not longer than a page; and it doesn’t have to be told in chronological order. You can start with your biggest successes and head backwards into how you got to where you are today or you can create a theme that explains how your personal life experience has helped you in your professional career. You don’t need to reveal anything that makes you uncomfortable or that you wouldn’t want to see in print and it never hurts to inject a little bit of your personality into it either. For a examples of a good actor bio and a not-so-good, click here.

Please Release Me

A press kit can include a press release that highlights you or your current project. If you’re sending a kit to the media, it’s because you’re looking to gain coverage of some sort. Whether you’re seeking a feature story about you or a review of your latest theater production, a press release contains all the basic information: Who, What, When, and Where, along with a news-hook to grab the reader’s attention. A reporter will also consider the urgency of your story idea. If you think logically and ask yourself “why is this important right now?” you’ll begin to understand how a reporter approaches story ideas. Typically, they like to cover stories either before or as they’re happening, not two months after your show airs, so keep your releases about future events.

A release can also be included in a personal kit, even if it’s highlighting something that has already occurred. Releases written for this use can be longer in length, incorporate additional background details, and help to fill out a package if you don’t have a lot of other stuff to include.

For sample press releases, click here.

One-Sheet…or Two

Personal kits often include ‘one-sheets’. Just as a movie poster is a one-sheet for a specific film, you can create one-sheets for yourself or any of your projects. These are literally one-page in length, crafted to highlight a specific project or success, and they usually contain more pictures, logos, and elements of eye-candy than actual written text.

For example, using a specific role you booked on a TV show: at the top of the page is a photo of you on-set and next to it a quick description of your role on the show; below that in the middle of the page you might have the networks logo and the stats on how the show did in the ratings that week; and at the bottom of the page another photo of you in costume or sitting in the make-up chair and a quote about your performance from the director or casting director.

Another example, using a web series you created and starred in: at the top is the web series logo and a brief description of your participation in it; in the middle of the page are a few photos of you on-set and some stats on how many viewers you’ve had or where it launched, and at the bottom of the page are simple descriptions or logos from any awards you’ve won, festivals you’ve screened at, or possibly quotes from press you might have received.

This is your opportunity to go crazy with Photoshop if you have the skills, but these can also be created in standard programs like Word. There are lots of places to view examples and get templates, just search online for ‘one-sheet’.

Clip-Clip-Clippings

I get asked all the time, “So, what exactly am I supposed to do with all these interviews?” Well, this is the place to strut your stuff. Gather them up, scan them into your computer and create pages of your clippings. You can reproduce an entire article or just pull out the best blurbs about you. Be sure to label the source or add the outlet’s logo next to each quote and arrange these in a visually stimulating way similar to a one-sheet. You can sort them by project if you have interviews that span over a number of projects; and you don’t have to include the date if some of your clippings are older. These are your bragging pages, so don’t hold back.

Now that you’ve create these pages, it’s time to think logically again about when to use them. As a general rule, the press doesn’t really care about what other press thinks of you or your project. You don’t usually see Variety quoting Entertainment Weekly…or Deadline.com quoting EXTRA! They want to make up their own minds without any outside influence, which means they’re not really interested in clippings that contain reviews or opinions about something they’re also going to review or cover. The exception is when a reporter is covering you for a feature about the entire body of your work. So, when do you use these clippings pages? In your personal kit, attach them to your website, send them to casting directors, or give them to your agent electronically to help them pitch you.

Say Cheese

Photos are a must with any press kit. Whether you work them into the one-sheets, embed them into your bio or keep them separate, a good photo is worth 1000 words.

When putting together your press kit, keep in mind that reporters love to get behind-the-scenes photos, even if you’re just sitting in the make-up chair. I suggest always taking your own camera with you to set even if you can’t use the photos until after the show airs. You might consider having a few posed shots available for reporters to print as well. Every actor has a headshot, so you can use these to send out, But you might go back and review the session again to find ones that you liked better than your agent…and use them.

Next time you get headshots taken, consider snapping a few shots for editorial purposes. Not sure what I mean by editorial photos? Flip through some of your favorite magazines and pay attention to the photos. Not the advertisements, but the ones that contain the people who are featured in the stories. Notice that a lot of the time they aren’t just your standard head. They can be simple or crazy, placing you in an environment that relates to your role in a specific project or your overall career path. These types of photos can always be cropped if the reporter doesn’t have enough room to print the entire scenario, and who know…you might just get a unique headshot out of it that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

Of course for personal kits, your photos really need to target the recipient. If you’re sending to an agent or manager, then be sure to send your best headshots; and don’t forget to attach your resume.

More Stuff

Create your kit to look like a cohesive package. You can use the same header design, logo, or color scheme throughout to make it feel like a single campaign.

Other stuff to think about: If you’re a director/producer/creator of a project, it’s perfectly normal for you to write and include a page of “Notes” that tell the story about how your project started or a behind-the-scenes account of the production. Also, a cast and crew list is a good idea to include for kits that focus on an entire project, but not necessary for an individual’s kit. If you’re an actor or musician, include a demo of your work in hard copy kits, but not always necessary when sending to the media.

Overall, the most important part of any kit is simply getting it done. Stop worrying about whether you have enough stuff or the “right” stuff to put in it…just get started!

Visit Tammy’s website at www.SpotlightPRCompany.com & sign up for her newsletter in which she shares PR tips, media details, and resources. She’ll be back next week sharing info on time-lines for your publicity outreach.

Wendy’s other passion has been to inspire, educate and empower actors. As a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage, Now Casting’s Actor’s Ink, and other publications, she has inspired hundreds of actors over the years.  To help other actors to create their own success and maintain a positive outlook, she created her website, ActorInspiration.com, where she shares her business savvy and inspiring insights.

A lot of actors (hopefully not you?!) love to blame their agents, casting directors, traffic, and even celebrities for the lack of work/auditions that are coming their way. It’s definitely the easy way out, but it also makes you the victim of your circumstances and makes you feel powerless. In fact, go to any audition in any town, and you’ll probably overhear a few actors on a negative rampage. The problem is, it perpetuates negativity. You convince yourself you can’t move forward and then gather more evidence from other actors. All this blaming and complaining just makes it easy to stay stuck and helpless.

1) DON’T BLAME & COMPLAIN

WHAT TO DO? Walk away from any negative energy, and become aware of your own. Practice not complaining for one week. One day even! Practice praise and appreciation of yourself, your career, and even your agents!

Affirm: I no longer engage in blaming and complaining. I have the power to change my circumstances and I begin looking for the good, now. The more I focus on what IS working in my career, the more positive experiences come my way.

2) LET GO OF FEAR

So many performers are plagued with fears. If you could hear the internal thoughts of actors in the waiting room of an audition or callback, it would probably sound something like this…“ I hope I they like me,” “I don’t have enough credits,” “I’m too old, (young, tall, short, pretty, ugly) to play this role.” “What if I don’t remember my lines,” “I really need this job” and any other fearful thought you’d like to insert. This fear-based thought process robs the actor from bringing their best, authentic self into the room. The funny thing is, F.E.A.R. is really just an acronym for FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.

WHAT TO DO? Acknowledge that your fears are just lies you’ve been telling yourself to keep you “seemingly” safe. Know that you are bigger than your fears, especially since they are your ego’s way of controlling you.

Affirm: My fears are merely false evidence appearing real. I release and let go of any fears I have right now. I am here to have fun. I can let go of needing to please anyone but myself. I do not have to be perfect or get the lines perfect. I let go of my need to please and embrace my imperfections as they make me unique. I deserve to be here. Who I am right now is enough.

3) END PROCRASTINATION

When you are a self-employed actor, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know what to do next or where to begin. When we lack a clear vision of what we want, it leads to a lack of action, which leads to a lack of results.

WHAT TO DO? Begin with the end in mind and work your way backwards. Create one clear goal, and list all the baby steps you can take, and pick one and begin. Don’t worry about HOW things will unfold, just get busy taking inspired action.

Affirm: As I begin with one small step, it leads to the next one. I take inspired action and trust my intuition. I know what to do next. I will learn as I go. I release the need to be perfect. Everything always works out for me.

4) STOP COMPARING

This is actor death! Focusing on how many auditions your roommate had, how many IMDB.com credits another actor has, or who booked what pilot is asking for trouble, if it makes you feel frustrated, angry, or depressed. In fact, if you can’t be happy for someone else’s success, don’t ask!

WHAT TO DO? Understand that the more jealous and envious you are of another’s career, the more you are actually holding yourself apart from what you want. When you feel negatively towards another’s success, what you are really feeling is doubt about your own. When you can begin to be happy for those who are doing work you’d like to do, you are actually telling the Universe that you expect it too.

Affirm: I bless those that have created the success I want. The more people close to me who are successful, the closer I am to success as well. I know there is enough for all of us, and the right roles are on their way to me now.

5) DON’T OVER THINK THE FUTURE

It’s easy to fast forward to how your whole world would change if you just booked this commercial, pilot, film, theatre role, etc. Whether you are fantasizing about the money, prestige, status, accolades or just the feeling you’d have, it will never help you get the job. The energy you use to over-think your future always creates a feeling of desperation that you don’t want to bring in any audition room.

WHAT TO DO? Take the pressure off yourself by being less concerned with the end result and more focused on the present moment. Find the thoughts and feelings of the character in the scene vs. the runaway thoughts of the actor who wants a job.

Affirm: I focus on being present in this moment. I let go of needing this job or controlling this audition. I focus on aligning myself with the thoughts and feelings of the character I’m playing and having fun in the room.

Now that you’ve become more aware of how your thinking might have been sabotaging your best efforts, try some new thoughts and affirmations for the next 30 days, and see what changes occur in your career. Good luck!

Want to dig deeper? Rid yourself of SELF-SABOTAGE, FRUSTRATION, & PROCRASTINATION and RECLAIM your POWER and CAREER? Get INSPIRED with Wendy’s 5-Week Tele-Class, Acting Success – How To Master The Inner & Outer Game.
Receive Daily Actor Affirmations at http://twitter.com/actorinspirit

I am an actress. I intern at my on-camera agency. I go in and help out when I can, a couple of times a week. Many times, we – the other intern, assistant and even agents – sit there and find ourselves bitching about actors’ behavior and how frustrating it can get. Which made me wonder, what I can do about it? Well, I can write about it.

First of all, some of the issues I mention you would think are givens that any actor would know, but I still get surprised. My hope is to give you some insight into one agency that may help you have a better working relationship with yours.

Materials

Gone are the days of mostly hard-copy submissions; almost all breakdowns ask for electronic submissions only. But while there’s no reason to send your agent 50 headshots of your three different looks, I say it’s still a good idea to have some hard copies in the office.

When actors have new headshots, my agent asks them to print out their favorite 20 to 30 as 4×6 work prints and then make an appointment to review them in the office. This way they can be laid out, compared, and favorites can be chosen easily. But even with such specific instructions, many clients email 100 pictures anyway. What impression do you think that makes with the agent? Exactly – that they didn’t listen (and don’t we as actors need to know how to follow directions?). The attachments take a long time to open, slow down the computer, and can’t really be arranged on the screen to be compared.

Etiquette

Answering the phone at the agency made me realize how important phone etiquette is and what an impression it leaves with the person answering the phone. Chances are, the assistant or even intern answering the phone can help you with your question. Think about it: if you ask for the agent for a trivial issue, that takes time away from the agent making a pitch call for you, taking your booking, getting you a higher rate.

And I don’t think it’s too much to ask of the caller to say “Hi, This is so-n-so, how are you? Maybe you can help me with this.” I cringe when I answer the phone and the caller says “Who is this?” No “Hello”, no “May I ask who I’m speaking to?”

Please confirm your audition right away. Every actor’s audition confirmed means the agents/assistants/interns can go home at a reasonable hour and aren’t still in the office at 7:30 at night, on the phone, trying to get a hold of actors who haven’t bothered to call their agent back. Did you know that some casting directors give the agency a deadline for confirming the audition times, or the actors will get replaced?

Here’s a biggie: Every time you step foot into a Casting office, you’re not just representing yourself, you are also a representative of your agency. Here is an extreme case, but it helps prove my point: I remember an actor who took a female friend (not represented by the agency) to a theatrical audition and crashed it. Apparently, he had heard they were looking for her specific type. That casting director then called the agency, irate about how unprofessional this behavior was, how it wasted their time, what were they thinking and did the agency send the actress. I know it was quite some time before that office regained their trust and called any of my agents’ people in again.

It is absolutely okay to drop by the office and say hello. A quick phone-call checking if it’s a good time, to find out if they’d like a coffee drink or snack is a thoughtful thing to do. Try not to overstay your welcome, however; ask about headshots (do you need any more), maybe have a fun story to tell, or tell us about a successful workshop or class.

And it might not seem like it, but it is a small town. My agent has an amazing reputation with many casting offices and their talent should want to help them keep that good name. Watch what you say about your representation when in a class or at a workshop. It can and will get back to them. I’ve seen it happen first hand: I was doing a workshop during which another actor badmouthed her agent to the guest. I recognized the actor from their headshot. Yes, we were rep’d by the same agency.

If the partnership with your agent isn’t working out, be professional and let them know you are leaving. They will understand and wish you the best. You are a good actor and they are a good agent, it just wasn’t the right fit for either one or both of you. My advice: leave on good terms and don’t burn that bridge.

Preparation

It’s our job as actors to audition. I have actually had an actor tell the agent that they can only audition after 3:oopm because that’s when they get off work. Or weekends. “Are you kidding me?” was my reply.

Asking to change the time can turn into a major time-consuming task for the agent, especially when it comes to a theatrical audition. The appointment times are close together and time frames are virtually non-existent. For commercial auditions, some CD’s give time frames, to be used only in case of emergencies. Asking for a different time because you’re meeting your mom for coffee or are celebrating your friends’ birthday the night before and don’t want to get up early doesn’t qualify as an emergency. It makes you appear “difficult” and you don’t want the reputation of being high maintenance.

Another not-fun phone call is when a CD calls and asks where an actor is, who had been confirmed. Last minute things come up, everyone knows and understands that, but have the respect and call your agent to tell them you can’t make the audition after all.

Booking out can be tricky. You could have been submitted before you told your agent about your trip, and then get the audition. It would be almost impossible to keep track of the audition and shoot dates for each project and all the days all the booked out talent isn’t available. And you want to start being submitted a few days before you are back in town, since scheduling auditions can take a day or more. For me, it never fails that I will get at least one audition while I am out of town. I look at it as “playing hard to get”. I suggest to let your agent know of your travel plans as far in advance as possible and discuss it with them about how to handle submitting you. Of course, it also depends on how long you’ll be unavailable to audition – a day or a month makes a difference.

Mapquest or use your torn Thomas Guide if you don’t have a Smartphone, but know where you’re going. Your agent is not your personal navigation system. Again, would you rather your agent spend 10 minutes on the phone with you giving you directions, or on the phone with a casting office praising your talent?

I watch a lot TV, especially the shows that are shot in LA . (Shows shot in other states or Canada generally only cast the lead guest stars or recurring out of LA.) One of my pet peeves are actors who say they don’t watch TV – then you’re not an actor in my book (unless you only do theater). We’ve all heard it: get to know the names of the casting directors, associates and assistants. Know what show your type might be cast in, and target those offices. Let your agent know about CD’s you’ve met, or what roles you want to get submitted for. I’m sure your agent is on “favorite” or “go-to” lists of casting offices and their people get called in on a regular basis. There are many resources online that list projects and who casts them: IMDb Pro, CastingAbout.com, Breakdown Services CD book and updates, Alex’s Info Newsletter, etc.

“That” Question

Why am I not getting out?” gets asked a lot. And if anyone has a good answer, please let the rest of us know. Get new headshots, sure, enroll in a class, why not, take some workshops, okay, send out postcards, will do. So many actors do all these things and more, and still don’t get a lot of auditions. Maybe your agency isn’t one of the big agencies, or maybe the agents don’t have strong relationships with a lot of casting offices, or the casting offices have to bring in people from certain agencies, or there are so many actors submitted, it comes down to luck rather than talent and experience? Maybe we actors overestimate the power of an agent and we have unrealistic expectations. As long as we do our job as an actor, and our agent does their job, we have to believe in the process and that this is part of the career we have chosen. It is about the journey not the destination, right?

For Unrepresented Actors

Here are my thoughts on blind submissions: they almost never work. Just yesterday we got a phone call: “My daughter just graduated from Barbizon”, how can I get you to represent her?”  Sigh. I’ve seen the amount of headshots that get sent to an agency and going through them is the very last thing on their to-do list. They do get opened and looked through, briefly, and most likely tossed in the recycling bin. I remember an actor actually sent a $5.00 bill with her headshot and resume. It got our attention, but not in the way that actor intended. It didn’t get them a meeting.

From my experience, having a friend walk you in and introduce you has the best chance of peeking an agent’s interest. Provided your friend has a good rapport with the office. I’ve brought many friends into the office. Unfortunately I’ve had a few bad experiences – they were taken on, then didn’t put up headshots, never made auditions, or turned out to be flaky. Now I am more careful about whom I introduce to my agent.

Workshops are a wonderful tool as well. My agent is impressed not only by a good performance, but by smart questions. She prefers the “How many actors of my type to you represent?” over the “How many actors are on your roster?” question. Her philosophy is that if she already represents 15 actors of your type, and knows their work and commitment, it will be an uphill battle for you to get ahead of those 15. You might only get submitted if the 15 ahead of you have already worked the show or are booked out.

And just a side-note: if you are cold-calling to ask about representation or see if there is interest in your submission and I happen to be answering the phone and you are rude to me, I feel more compelled to be rude right back or put you on hold indefinitely.

I’ve had the chance to sit in on some of the new-client meetings as well. Actors have actually said “Oh, trust me, I’ll book everything” or “Let’s make some money!”

Actors who blow my agents away with their performance (just last week she was telling me about this improvised scene an actor did during a meeting that made her laugh so hard) leave a much stronger impression than these one-liners that are completely off the mark.

Actors who take their career seriously stick out. The agent will notice you and therefore be willing to work with you on your career. You have to put in time, effort and hard work, and educate yourself on the business side as well as the creative side. It is both tough and rewarding, and your agent wants to help you reach your goals. My favorite times in the office are definitely the ones when a booking comes in and my agent gets to tell the actor the great news. As much as us actors love getting those calls, our agents love making them.

Photo by wili_hybrid

How do you decide?  Let us know in the comments.

As I’m sure you know, there are a lot of people trying to make a name for themselves as actors. And it’s a hard thing to do. The odds are stacked against you based not on your talent or your looks, but simply because of the numbers.

Rough, I know. But here are some things you can do that will give you an edge in your chosen career pursuit:

1) Go to a name school. At an event I was at not long ago, Marcia Cross told a story about getting into Julliard, but then deciding to go to another school. Her acting teacher had simply vetoed that choice and steered her right back to going to Julliard. She considers the guidance of that teacher pivotal to her success.

Not everyone can go to Julliard, I know, but even if it’s not Julliard, consider how that school will look on your resume. Graduating with a degree from a prestigious acting program will often be the tie-breaker that gets you in the “consider” pile for agents, managers, and casting directors when your experience does not.

2) Take name acting class. Find out who the most successful actors in your town studied with and try to get into those classes. Even if you think you are a perfect actor with stellar skills and you don’t need any more training, just. do. it.

First of all, nobody is perfect at any artistic pursuit ever. But in this case, more importantly, these name acting teachers know other people in the biz. They know reps, casting people, producers… They are often called by these people and asked about the students in their classes, who might be right for a certain part or be a certain type or just be a fantastic actor. If you aren’t one of their students, these well-connected teachers cannot refer you. See?

3) Be a member of a famous improv group or theater company. This is another resume thing. If it says Member, The Actors Gang or Member, Second City on your resume, you’re pedigreed. You will be assumed to be a good dramatic or comedic actor, respectively. You will likely get into that “consider” pile based on that affiliation alone.

4) Be in a prestigious student film, short film, web series, or indie. How do you know what’s going to be prestigious? Look for people with films that have already won awards or other praise, and people who just know how to promote themselves and their films. But submit yourself for everything that looks promising and if the people making the film seem like boneheads when you audition, decline the part if they call and offer it to you. (But be gracious and try to blame it on scheduling demands, not them. Those boneheads might get their act together some day so you don’t want to burn any bridges.)

5) Have a powerful manager or agent. Duh, right? But some actors who are just starting out settle for an aspiring manager who doesn’t really do anything and then they neglect to look for someone better.

If your rookie manager is fairly well-connected and really diligent and is getting you into casting sessions you wouldn’t be able to get into yourself, then that person is doing their job and you are right to stay with them for a while. But if they aren’t doing anything, then you shouldn’t even bother telling anyone about them. Just keep on looking.

If you are doing your job, which is to find and land your own acting opportunities (you don’t need representation for any of the above action items), your resume and reel will gradually get more attractive to potential reps. So you should always be looking for the next step, the person who will take you somewhere you can’t get yourself.

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

Ms. Joy

A few years ago I did a reality show, a really embarrassing reality show that I hate to talk about. It gave me a lot of recognition and some loyal fans. Most people who watched the show really liked me and still do.

No fortune came with my fame, though. It also didn’t do a damn thing for my acting career. I think it’s made it harder for me to get the kind of acting roles I want. People consider me a “reality” star and don’t offer me gritty roles or consider me for anything other than a no-budget indie comedy.

I had no idea this would happen. When I moved out to California to pursue my dreams of acting on the big screen, I thought all work was good work and any publicity was good publicity. I was so happy to land a gig that would get me on TV and in front of peoples’ faces that I never considered negative things.

I thought that fame was fame and fans were fans and the reality show would help me change my career like it did for Jacinda Barrett. She ran around naked on the Real World and still lands movies like “Bridget Jones” and “The Namesake.” I didn’t do anything nearly as risqué as what she did.

I just feel like I’m starting all over again and this time, with less respect from others than ever before. I want a career in film. I want gritty dramatic roles that challenge me. I want to be seen in a completely different way than I’m being seen now.

Should I just bite the bullet and own up to my past? Or should I drop it from my bio completely? What about the YouTube clips? How can I create an image that will show me the way I want to be seen?

―Facing Reality

Ms. Facing,

First, let’s rise out of the shame sewer. It’s not doing you any good to wallow in coulda, shoulda, woulda. Bottom line: you could and you did. You’re in a very particular place right now and this place has to be your starting point. From a pure publicity aspect, you need to figure out your game changer. This can involve myriad things – anything from the way you utilize your fans to the projects you choose to brand associations.

Rebranding is a long process that requires deep strategy and fastidiousness. When A-listers rebrand, they get very quiet in the media and try to calm the media frenzy. They stay quiet until a huge project that’s backed by a big budget gives them a reason to be back in the spotlight. You can’t necessarily afford to go radio silent and wait for some big studio project to give you an avenue for reemergence. You have to change while staying in motion.

You don’t have to make it the first paragraph of your bio, but you don’t need to eliminate the factoid from your life, either. People know you were on a show and recognize you for it, so just make this fact work for you. Mention the show in conjunction with a reference to how you started winning the hearts of your fans, such as, “She began winning the hearts of America through her memorable moments on XYZ show.” How this fits into your bio is a matter of semantics and angles. Time to test your verbal contortionist skills.

Let’s talk about the fans. Since you have them, I would suggest you figure out ways to stay connected to your loyal supporters and utilize their numbers to your advantage. So, wrangle those Twitter followers and Facebook fans to drive traffic to your IMDb page and website. Those fans can help keep your IMDb numbers in the popular range. By now, you should know how helpful that can be.

Once you know you have your fans documented and mobilized, seek out projects that will help you utilize those numbers while also flexing your acting muscle. Fundraising plays or charity readings (especially celebrity charity readings) usually focus on character driven, gritty material. They can also be a great opportunity to get fans buzzing, send a media alert to the press about your new fab role, and essentially start showcasing that different side of yourself.

You may also want to look at pursuing webisodes or other cool online projects. I know you’re craving the silver screen but, don’t get stuck on stupid about it. There are some amazing web projects that are actually union and winning awards. These will give you something unexpected to publicize and, again, you can utilize your fans to increase the popularity of the project.

Another script flipper can be the right kind of spokesperson or brand ambassador opportunity. If you can find a nonprofit or product that you truly believe in that will also paint you in the desired light, signing up to be its face can go a long way for changing or elevating your image. Whether the brand publicizes you, you publicize you, or you do no publicity at all, being associated with the brand will showcase you in a way that should garner respect. That is, if you choose the right brand.

I can’t emphasize enough how involved and tedious this process is going to be. You can’t half-way this. To rebrand, you have to go all out or just stay home.

During this journey, you also need to remember that your goals might not materialize as is. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon the goals. Just amend them. Think of a strategy, implement your plan and stick with it. This is going to be a true test of endurance.

Keep rising!

Joy