Getting Started as an Actor

I blinked...and realized that I have been a part of the Film & TV community for 10 years. If the entertainment industry was a major corporation, I would have received a keychain or coffee mug, or crazy modern glass paper weight with some words etched on it to celebrate my longevity.

But, this industry doesn't work that way. The only sure thing is knowledge, which I will share with you.

I get asked monthly/weekly/daily about how one can land a role in a movie or on TV or in a commercial. Many don't believe me when I say that it's as easy (and as hard) as A-B-C.

A) Professional Acting Training.

How do you find this? Do your research! Look at their training and experience. A high school drama class does not count as preparing them to teach you or your child how to be a professional actor. Professional acting teachers have invested time and money into learning and growing as an actor and as a teacher. They have studied the greats of modern acting and understand how to spot a great performance. They are not afraid to give a tough critique because they get that merely giving praise sets an actor up for a lot of heartache. They are your best cheerleader and toughest coach. They know the good, bad, and ugly parts of this industry...and still love the art of acting enough to stay.

B) Great Headshots.

This comes partially from outside sources (decent background and lighting, professional hair/makeup, good photographer), but much more from within: confidence, poise, and truthful acting at the exact moment that the lens captures one's soul. Refer to the first step (Professional Acting Training) if you are wondering how to find this inner strength.

C) Connected Talent Agent.

This is an industry of relationships. And your agent needs to have some great ones in order for you to land the auditions that you are currently dreaming about. Anyone can throw out a shingle and print some business cards, but only a gifted few can help actors launch successful careers. In order to stand a chance at signing with them, please look back at the first two steps listed above...

It is incredibly simple--and incredibly tough--to land a role. I have tremendous respect for actors. My hat is off to everyone who is auditioning for and booking roles.

You. Are. Amazing. 

Headshots - What NOT to Do...

Since I have been very busy casting projects this past week, I have had the opportunity to view a ton of headshots. This has led me to seeing a lot of really bad ones from actors asking for an audition...and today's post.

What NOT to DO: Headshot Edition

If it looks like it came from Olan Mills, it is not a good headshot.

If it looks like it came from Glamour Shots (you youngsters might need to Google this, but these consisted of teased hair, bad makeup, and props...always props), it is not a good headshot.

If it looks like a phone selfie, it is not a good headshot.

If it looks like your small child took it (as much as I am a fan of small children), it is not a good headshot.

If it looks like it came out of a Polaroid camera (and you took the advice of Outkast and shook it hard), it is not a good headshot.

If it contains more than one person, it is not a good headshot.

If it contains identifiable tourist spots in the background (think Mickey Mouse ears), it is not a good headshot.

If it looks like a mugshot, it is not a good headshot.

If you are in the shadows (even though I love film noir), it is not a good headshot.

If you are squinting into the sun, it is not a good headshot.

If it contains your entire body, it is not a good HEADshot.

If it was obviously cropped to exclude another person, it is not a good headshot.


Yes, I saw all of these this past week. Actors, do yourselves a favor. Look like a professional. Your headshot and resume is the only thing that I have to determine whether you are one.

What is a Casting Director?

What is Ayoka Billions Casting?

Let's start with what I am NOT:

1) A Talent Agent.

These folks truly are saints. They work 24/7 to search for opportunities for their actors, promote them, submit them, answer questions, negotiate contracts, put out fires, give advice, encourage excellence, hold some hands, and wipe a few tears. Yes, tears. There are many in this industry. Talent agents submit their actor clients to casting directors for projects and receive 10-20% of the payment in exchange. I don't have a talent pool or website with pictures (because it would need to contain photos of at least 129, 092 active members of the Screen Actors Guild, along with numerous non-union actors).

2) A Suggestion Service.

I get calls from people asking for headshots of actors that I can suggest for their project. While, I do have a list of talented actors across the Southeast that I know can deliver a stellar performance, they may not be right or available for this particular project. That is what breakdowns are for: we see who is available and interested prior to asking them to AUDITION (with material from this project) for the project. I would never book anyone (except major NAME TALENT) without an audition.

3) A Counseling Service.

I receive emails and phone calls almost daily from actors wanting to meet/chat about getting auditions for Film & TV roles. I understand that you don’t know how to get started in this industry. My advice is as simple (and as complicated) as A-B-C: A) Professional Acting Training. B) Great Headshots. C) Connected Talent Agent. Enough on that for now since I will write more about these points in a future article.

SO, what am I?

I am a professional casting director, hired by production companies and filmmakers to find the right talent for your project. I work day and night with agents and directly with actors to find the right talent, create audition material, schedule auditions, advise the production on the best options, and book/schedule actors for the job. My goal is to make your project come to life with the best talent available to fit your budget. What type of projects? I have cast union and non-union projects including Feature Films, Short Films, Music Videos, Commercials, Industrials, & Interactive Projects. It is the highlight of my job to see completed projects with talented actors saying lines that started as words on a page. That is what I do.

RESOLUTIONS ANONYMOUS

Resolutions Anonymous...know anyone who could belong to that group? I know that it would never be you, but--believe it or not--there are some people in the world that make resolutions Every. Single. Year. But never follow through. They want to lose weight or eat better or get in shape or become more disciplined or read more or take up a hobby. It just doesn't ever seem to happen because there was an idea of something without a definite, determined, worthy plan. This is for all those out there who may or may not be in need of a support group since their resolutions for 2015 are identical to those from 2014 and 2013 and 2012...the only difference is that they are farther away from the goal this year. Or less likely to even try. Don't give up! The YOU at the end of 2015 will look back on this day with pride.

Definite = Clear. Write it down. Have someone read it. It should be perfectly clear to the reader without further explanation. Something like this: I will wake up three mornings per week (Monday-Wednesday-Friday) at 5:45 a.m. in order to exercise for 45 minutes before getting ready to work. Beats I'm going to try to exercise a few times a week hands down. Our brains need specific details to make a plan that actually works. A few times a week means always tomorrow or next week. Having a plan means that I might miss Wednesday, but Friday is coming around the corner for me to hop right back on this exercise train.

Determined = Decided in advance. Tell your closest friends and greatest supporters. Not those who will laugh or mock or discourage you, but those will cheer you when you fail and remind you of the winner and champion that you are. It means setting a bedtime alarm for 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights so that you are able to emerge from the cavernous pit known as a comfy bed on a cold morning to hit that goal. It means having a friend to text or call you on those mornings until the habit is well-established.

Worthy = Having adequate value. Is your resolution worthy of you? If it is, then it is worthy of every hard choice that stands in between you and hitting your mark. Every difficult menu decision, each time you push through writer's block, all the episodes of physical discomfort or mental moxie that will come throughout the year. These scenes are more than accomplishing a silly goal; they are the moments that determine who I am. They are the sweep of an artist's brush. I am more than the individual brush stroke--those are easily corrected with a future movement--but they are painting a masterpiece called ME.

And because of that, I hope that you will exercise three times during the final week of 2015, in order to end this year as definite and determined and worthy as when you began.

PROTECTING THE DREAM

We see it every single year. And I love to watch! Those people who come and accept our invitation to dream big. To reach for something they want with determination and inspiration.  They feel a little spark inside. Sometimes, that bit of life is the only green thing in a bleak desert, the only light in a sea of darkness.

Dreams are that powerful? Yes. Because they change the dreamer. They transform a boy into a man. They command focus in a brain that loves to flutter in the winds of life. They demand that I work towards something bigger than me, proving I am certainly more important than the insults whispered by that all-too familiar voice in my head.

Actors, dare to dream big. Don't let it die. Find a way to manage the elephant-sized hope one bite at a time. Because it sure beats the alternative.

NERVES, part 2.

Last time, we started to understand that little thing called nerves from the perspective of our physical bodies.

According to one expert, "A big part of our emotions is influenced by the nerves in our gut". Our gut contains 100 million neurons--more than the spinal cord, even.

So, a word to nervous tummies full of butterflies everywhere: Stop it already!

No actor walking into an audition needs that second brain (which, incidentally, can make us nervous but cannot produce conscious thought or make any decisions) to drive the train.

Your main brain must take the lead and demand PEACE and CALM in potentially stressful situations like auditions and shoots.

BUT HOW?!?!?!

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

When you have finished that, prepare some more. There is no such thing as being over-prepared for an audition or knowing your lines too well.

Your gut will thank you when you walk through the door of your next audition.

NERVES.

Earlier this week, I passed an accident. Automobile vs deer. At dusk when car lights were just coming on. Now, I am no deer expert, but I would guess that this poor animal turned...and involuntarily froze while staring into the headlights. A giant hunk of metal was hurling itself towards that relatively small body and his body refused to listen to reason.

Actors, let this be a lesson for you: don't listen to your body if you happen to catch a light in your eye. DON'T FREEZE.

Are stage lights bright? Yes. Are shooting lights even brighter? Yes. There has been no scientific study to confirm this, but it seems that the brightness of the lights is directly related to how many people will watch this particular performance (or chance at it).

Now, there is science related to this: the nervous response that you feel doesn't start in your brain. It starts in your gut. When that light shines brightly in your eyes. Did you know that these nerves (also known as a second brain) work primarily-90% of the time-to send impulses TO your brain, rather than vice versa. That is why those butterflies refuse to calm, those hands will not stop shaking, and those perfectly memorized lines slide right out of your head. They are not listening to your rational self; they are telling you to feel nervous.

Has your brain, a most perfect computer, lost control?  In some ways, yes, unless you can find a way to use that 10% to command relaxation and ease. I have seen the computer completely crash during an audition or shoot.

So, how do you take control of those rogue nerves? More to come...