Business of acting – Master Talent Teachers

Career: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!

December 1, 2014/in Newsletter /by MTT

by: Suzanne Lyons

Is life going to get in the way of your career commitments from time to time? Sure. Are you going to be thrown the odd curve? Of course. Is it going to throw you off course and affect your focus? Absolutely. The question is, for how long. I have been a career coach for over 25 years and have seen people get stopped and stuck for days, weeks, months, even years. How can we turn that into minutes and seconds?! How can you do it? Keep your eyes on the prize! When an ‘incident’ or ‘event’ happens that throws us off track, we react to our interpretation of the ‘incident’ and not the ‘incident’ itself. It’s fact versus fiction. We stay stuck in what we think it means.

Okay, so that director was mean to you during your audition or that executive hasn’t returned your call. You can spend weeks making it mean something or you can separate fact from fiction and move on. It’s that simple! I find one way that helps me get back on track more quickly is my Vision Board. In his book “The Success Principles,” Jack Canfield says that “if you have trouble seeing your goals, use pictures, images, and symbols you collect to keep your conscious and subconscious mind focused on your goals.”

We all want to dream big and create a life of abundance and magic. And why not? As Marianne Williamson said “Your playing small does not serve the World.” So create a Vision Board displaying all the images that represent your purpose, vision and goals. It is so much fun to do. Nothing will get you back on track more quickly than this great exercise. It will help you “keep your eyes on the prize.” Don’t forget to look at it every day!

GETTING THE JOB – a Magic Tool for Success

November 11, 2014/in Newsletter /by MTT

By: Gerry Katzman

If someone gives you a job, and you want them to hire you again, there is a under-utilized tool that will increase the probability by 50%.

This same tool, can turn someone who hates you into a fan. Let me share two examples:

Example #1: One of my students was recently booked for a week of work as a comedian at Harrah’s Casino. One week later, the head of entertainment called him to book him for three more weeks of work at a higher salary.

He used the tool.

Example #2: An actress in my class had a falling out with a well-known film director over a disagreement that happened on set. He said he never wanted to work with her again. Last week, we all celebrated his birthday together- and she’ll be acting in his next feature.

She used the tool.

So what is this Magic tool? It’s something so simple, yet so under-utilized that when you use it, it will make an unforgettable impact.

Here it is:

My student, who worked at Harrah’s comedy club – as soon as he got home from the gig – sent a sincere note of thanks and a thoughtful gift.

The actress who had a falling out with the director, sent a sincere note of apology and appreciation and a thoughtful gift.

Here’s the deal:

People feel so under-acknowledged in their work today, that when you take time out of your schedule to tell them that they made a difference in your life and your career, they will never forget it. By showing them that they made a difference and expressing your gratitude, they become personally invested in your success.

From this day forward, resolve that anytime anyone does ANYTHING for you and your career – get on your computer, or get out your stationary, and send them a thank you note.

And if you don’t have stationery and you’re bad at mail, Sites like www.sendoutcards.com and apps like www.thankyoupro.com will make it so you’ll never have to buy an envelope or affix a stamp again.

Give people tangible reminder of your appreciation and watch the cycle of gratitude and success come back to you.

For more information sign up for my newsletter at www.StandupComedyClass.com

Actors Must Always Be True to Your Impulses

October 27, 2014/in Newsletter /by MTT

By Diane Christiansen

When we were kids, we acted on our impulses all the time. We wanted what we wanted and we wanted it NOW! Anyone or anything that got in the way had better be ready for a temper tantrum. But the grown-ups didn’t like that at all. They told us we had to behave ourselves, to sit down, don’t touch, be quiet, just wait, and a litany of other clipped commands. And so we were socialized (or brainwashed) to control our impulses. We were made to think that maturity under the guise of ‘being a big girl or boy’ was the prize. But what the adults didn’t tell us was that impulse control also came at a cost. Controlling our impulses meant becoming further removed from our emotions, our intuition, our gut, and the core part of our humanity that connects us to every other human in the world. So far removed, that as adults we must re-learn to listen to our intuition, to go with our gut, and to follow our instincts. This re-education is necessary because our basic inclination to act on impulse has been suppressed by early childhood socialization. Suppressed, but not extinguished. That’s the good news. Fortunately, the diligent actor can re-connect with her or his impulses, thereby tapping into the human condition. The actor’s courage to act on impulse is our gain because through that action we are reminded of what it means to feel, rather than stifle heart-wrenching sadness, crippling fear, boundless joy, and the full gamut of human emotion. It’s ironic that being authentic to our own wants, urges, desires–our impulses is considered a courageous undertaking, at least for us adults. We grown-ups are supposed to be objective, rational, and responsible. We have to manage impressions and gauge the needs of others after all. Showing emotion? Acting on impulse? Why, that’s taboo! Unless of course, you’re an actor.

As actors, we have license to throw caution to the wind, to wear our hearts on our sleeves, to act on impulse, and basically, to go there. There is where the other adults cannot or will not go, at least not on purpose. And who can blame them? It’s scary to be true to our impulses because doing so requires us to be vulnerable to others’ judgment. But we actors know the secret. We know that when we are truly vulnerable to our impulses is when we connect most strongly to those that might otherwise seek to judge us. Instead, we disarm them with our vulnerability and with our courage to expose ourselves to their judgment, because we know that in seeing our true wants, urges, desires–our impulses on display, they will relate to a similar truth in themselves. Though we are 7 billion unique personalities in a vast multicultural world, our impulses connect us all so that we are never isolated from one another. The actor is the lens through which our infinite connections may be brought clearly into focus. So actors, be impulsive!

Why You Won’t Book the Commercial

September 15, 2014/in Newsletter /by MTT

Even when you did a great audition

I am sure you have wanted to know why or why not you do not book Commercials when you feel you have done a great audition (and even when those running the session have let you know you did a great audition). You might get an avail or are put on “Hold” but then you don’t book the job. It can be very frustrating. Often there is no definitive reason so I believe it would be helpful for you to understand some of the business and subjective factors being considered that often have little to do with you, your talent or your audition.

Consideration that could determine why you will or won’t be cast:

Other Way To Go: When the commercial CD gets the breakdown and selects the actors for their session, many get creative and add actors who are “another way to go” for the role. And often, some of these actors could change the direction of the casting.

Role is cut or changed: When watching the casting, the director and/or advertising executives might determine that a part is not working and then could cut it out, replace it with another role or choose to go with a different type of actor.

Matching: When casting a spot with multiple actors, the matching or pairings need to look like they could be couples, friends, workers or a family. And yet in a group of friends, office employees, neighbors, etc., it is preferred those cast be of different ethnicities, physical types or hair color – because many commercials need to appeal to various groups of people.

Identifiable and Aspirational: Commercials need to appeal to target markets. The actors cast in the spot must be people that those the spot is designed for will find aspirational or will identify with. And thus is a major factor in the casting. This is why casting specs are pretty specific as to age, gender, ethnicity and physical types. Then, because these considerations are often subjective, each group of people doing the casting and various target markets could create diverse factors that would make different actors identifiable and/or aspirational for various products.

Chemistry: When matching couples, families, friends, workers, etc., they need to work well together and have a chemistry that creates the feeling that they belong together. And it is something that is there or it is not and it too is subjective.

Compromise: Those doing the casting are not always in agreement on who they like in a role. In that case, so that no one looks bad, they may choose another actor (who might not be as good or as right). It happens.

Personal Preference: Directors and advertising execs are human and have preferences. Sometimes actors might remind one of someone they like or don’t like or another actor that may be too recognizable. Casting preferences can work for an actor or against them.

Knowing these factors should help you understand that when you believe you have done a great audition why you may not book the job. I know it is frustrating and seems unfair but realize that these same factors that might work against you for one job might work in your favor for others. And in order for you not to take it personal and to protect your confidence, I suggest that you remember this, “You didn’t lose the commercial, someone else booked it” – this time.

5 Ways Technology Has Changed the Demo Reel

August 5, 2014/in Associates, Demo Reels, Featured Video /by MTT

A demo reel is an absolute must for actors. In this video, Retta Putignano of Create Your Reel talks about the value of the demo reel for getting you in the door of casting or an agent, and exactly how it should look in today’s market.

What Does it Really Mean to Get S#@t Done?

August 4, 2014/in Newsletter /by MTT

by: Savvy Actor Career Coach Doug Shapiro

As an artist and performer, you are running the business of YOU! Let’s look at some business recommendations to be as efficient as we can be in terms of getting things done for our careers.

Let’s say you’ve made your task list of 6 things that HAVE to get done today and you have allotted how much time each one will get. How to prioritize? Here are three schools of thought to help you MAKE A CHOICE and GET THINGS DONE!

Priority Idea #1: PUT IMPORTANT TASKS FIRST!
In his National Bestseller, The Ultimate Sales Machine, Chet Holmes points out that people tend to put important tasks last because they take the most time or most mental concentration. Well, if you put it at the end of the day, you will either not get to it or not have the mental energy to give it the attention it deserved.

Priority Idea #2: START WITH THE TASK THAT WILL BRING IN THE MOST MONEY!
My husband the Financial Advisor comes at it from another angle. We’re running a business, right? If we’re going to finance the growth of our business through mailings, classes, and seeing the shows in which we’ll one day be performing, the money has to come in first.

Priority Idea #3: START WITH A TASK THAT IS SMALL, TANGIBLE, AND FINITE!
Robert Maurer, Ph.D., in his book One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, recommends approaching daunting tasks (such as tackling your huge to-do list) with small steps. This way, it’s less overwhelming, you have a feeling of completion, and can see that no one died. Some of us just need to have a feeling of completion to get the juices flowing and make ourselves ready to dive into the task-list mindset.

Know thyself, choose your method, and begin!