Did I Mention It's Never About the One Role?

When the director and producer sit down with your reel and a list of the characters in their movie and have a meeting about where they can put you... that's a good thing.  Then when you put a self-tape together for the role they picked, they see it and immediately ask for another tape, but this time for a bigger role with five scenes opposite the star of the movie... that's an even better sign.

Here's hoping they like my new tape and I land a large supporting in a headline movie backed by a major studio opposite a household name.  Wow. Didn't expect that, but I'll take it!

Cross your fingers for me!! Schedule is tight, so we should know very very very soon...

If You Learn One Thing...

How often do we say an audition is never about that one job? 

We should say it daily. You should never walk into an audition desperate to land the role. Sure, sometimes we all fall in love with a character we'd love to play, but that's a different desire.  I'm talking about needing the role because you desperately need the money, or the credit, or the reassurance that you're not wasting your entire life pursuing something you'll never get. You can't let that kind of toxic nonsense enter your mind, especially not while you're in the room.  

I know I've said it before. Lots of people who give great advice have said it to you before. (And somewhere here, but I can't find a specific link... so just read them all.  You'll be better for it.) The audition is not actually about a particular job.  Never tell yourself that if you don't get it, you failed.  It's not about that role, it's actually about the people in the room.

Do you trust me on this yet? Have you internalized that advice?  You should.  Here's why...

You may remember this last fall. The female lead in a feature, the producer loved me and really went to bat for me to the writer/director. I went 3 or 4 rounds of callbacks. It was down to me and one other lady... and she got it.

That same producer called me about a month ago and asked if I was interested in the lead in a micro-budget film.  The writer/lead actress had to drop out five days before production was supposed to start.  Ultimately I decided to pass on the movie (it was non-paying and the script was meh at best), but it was wonderful that the producer called me. He totally understood and respected that Anony gotta pay the utility bill!

Flash forward to last week, that same producer is on a biiiiiig movie.  It's not necessarily a huge budget, but it has lots of stars and lots of attention.  I called him up and asked for a copy of the script to see if there's anything right for me...

And sure enough, there was... I sent my materials and the producer pitched me to the director... and the director said, "She's great.  Let's get her on tape."

So while I didn't land the movie last fall, the auditions (and my diligence in keeping up with this contact) has gotten me a shot at two more movies.  It's never about the one job.

Okay, I'm off.  I have a self-tape to do!

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...

When I land the lead in a great film, with a great cast and an amazing director that has the city all a-buzz come award season, I want someone to have these delivered to my trailer. 

I probably won't eat them because... well because this is Hollywood and there will be an evening gown and a set of spanx with my name on it... but I just want to look at them right before I walk out the door and pretend like I was able to create something so wonderful, so iconic that it will last forever.

Reaching for the Stars is Fun, but Let's Build a Ladder to Actually Get There

If you're a SAG-AFTRA member, you probably know about the SAG Foundation events.  If you don't, you should because they're amazing.  They have free screenings followed by Q&As with the filmmakers, conversations with the creators of top television content and workshops that discuss topics that are super helpful to most professional actors.  I take full advantage of free screenings all over LA, so I've strolled into the teeny room at the SAG Foundation countless times.  The screen is kinda small, the ceiling a bit low, and I'm pretty sure the chairs were pulled from an adjacent conference room so it's not my absolute favorite place to sit for two hours. Still, it's worth it if you live in one of the major markets and you are current on your SAG dues.

But if those "ifs" don't apply to you... fear not! Lucky viewers like you can actually tune in at home, even if you don't have your fancy SAG card.  (Or if you do and you're like me and would rather avoid the traffic and parking and general annoyance of putting on makeup and prefer to just watch it from your own cozy couch with a hot cup of tea.)

Even if you're in Bulgaria and don't have a SAG ID at all, you can still benefit!  Whaaat??! Yep.  Listen closely, my young grasshoppers. The SAG Foundation posts most of the events on their YouTube channel.  Which means it's available anywhere and one of my favorite F words...

FREE!!!!

(I said, "one of"... not my "number one" favorite F word, okay?)  :)

While the Foundation does't stream the movies, they usually post everything else.  They actually stream it live if you want to feel like you're in the room, watching the conversations as they happen. That's usually not me.  I get emails promoting each event topic and if I'm interested, I leave it "unread" in my inbox to remind myself to go back and watch it... eventually.  I finally watched this one that's been in my inbox for a while now.  As in, since January. (Clearly, I'm super on top of things.)

But that's actually the beauty of these videos!  They stay up FOR-EV-ER so you can watch them WHENEVER THE HECK YOU WANT BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  

Okay. That was weird. 

But it's true. This was a great panel from January on goal setting, specifically tailored towards actors. I loved it and highly recommend.  There's a lot of information here -- I ended up taking bunch of notes -- but it's worth a watch from start to finish.  I'll write some thoughts about my major takeaways in future posts, but until then, here is the discussion in it's entirety should you want to take a look. (And you should.)

Earth is for Art Lovers

Welcome to November!  If you're a SAG-AFTRA member who often skips out on your dues until you book another job, you should really pay this one right away. Why? Because of all those wonderful wonderful free screeners of award season films!  Those glorious little discs that get mailed directly to you. For free.  And you get to watch them forever. For free.

It's worth the dues alone. 

Also (and far more important) get out there and make some art... be it on film, on a canvas, on your nails, or on your Facebook page... just do it.  It's what unites us all and makes this world a better place.
Maybe one day your art will be a screener too.