You & Me
Your success as an actor depends on many elements: training, acting ability, marketing, online presence, presentation, perspective and belief in yourself. You are a unique being who learns in a certain way and thrives in a certain environment. All of that is taken into account in my approach to coaching. I recognize that every actor is different and I take the time to learn how to best serve you. I get immeasurable pleasure from helping others...whether its guiding you to an "A-HA" moment or decreasing your stress level by coming up with a plan for success tailored to your needs. I'm a working actor, so I have my finger on the pulse of the industry. I make it my business to understand it well so I can help you to navigate it. Due to COVID only online sessions are available. REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
SOME SERVICES I PROVIDE
-
SELF TAPING - includes me as a reader, coaching/direction if needed. Due to COVID there are no in-peron self-tape sessions. POST COVID I have this equipment and set up to offer: HD camera, good lighting and sound, clean backdrop, editing, uploading, emailing or submitting.
-
COACHING - acting and on-camera technique (including commercials), audition preparation, script analysis, voiceover, the psychology of human behavior and how it applies to character prep.
-
CAREER CONSULTING - skill level and experience assessment. A tailored plan so that you can exist successfully as an actor in New York or wherever you are pursuing your career. Demo, resume, headshot, website assessment, getting an agent, submitting for auditions, headshot shoot prep etc...
SCHEDULE A SESSION WITH ME
INDUSTRY TIPS
1
Training, marketing and keeping your online profiles up to date are extremely important but it's imperative that you have a healthy opinion of yourself and your ability as well as a sustainable perspective about the audition room and it's purpose. It's a relationship building opportunity with the casting director. You're not there to prove you can act, they already assume you can or you wouldn't be there. You're there to show yourself in the role. So enjoy the opportunity to play. Make some interesting choices and lend your emotions and experiences to your character for most authentic and honest performance. Remember, there are many positive outcomes to an audition, booking the job is just one of them, so go in there and ENJOY IT!
2
In this ever evolving tech age, SELF TAPES have become a necessary part of our job. We are now our own producers.
SOME MUSTS:
-
A clean backdrop - grey is the best. No distractions in the background.
-
Good lighting. They should be able to see the color of your eyes. A ring light is a great option.
-
Good audio. And be sure your reader's volume and performance is not overpowering yours.
-
Have a good reader. preferably another actor but at the very least, someone who sounds natural.
-
Cameras on a tripod are wonderful. phones & tablets are acceptable too, make sure you shoot it horizontally.
-
The frame is usually top of head and shoulders/mid chest. Theatre and comedy prefer down to the waist. Be sure to read all instructions thoroughly and don't deviate.
-
PROS of self taping - you can do it until you get it right. CONS of self taping - you can do it until you get it right. Try and find a balance. Treat a self tape as though you are going into the room, it's good practice.
There are many more things to take into consideration. If you'd like to schedule a zoom selftape session with me, please hit the red button above.
The Story of the Self Tape
Once upon a time, actors had to go into a casting director's office to audition for a role. Then productions started shooting all over the country and in-person auditions were no longer the most efficient method of casting...thus, the self tape was born. While this method of auditioning puts more responsibility on the actor, it also has many benefits. For the nervous auditioner, this is a dream come true because now they are only auditioning in front of their reader (i.e. person filming and reading the other lines off camera) and not in front of the actual casting director. Another benefit is that you can plan to shoot your audition any time as long as it is uploaded by the due date and time. Remember, it's always better to submit early since the casting directors review them as they are received. But don't sacrifice quality just to be the early bird...make sure you're off book and well prepared. One of the benefits can also be seen as a curse...you can do it 100 times until you get it
right...and you can do it 100 times until you get it right!! Try to keep it to a few takes so you are prepared for the increasingly rare in-office audition. And have fun with your slates (i.e. where you introduce yourself), it's your first impression and a great opportunity to showcase your personality. And if you mess up your name in the slate as captured above, it doesn't matter...LOL. Bottom line, you can't have a demo reel without a good clip from a job...and you can't get a job without a good audition.