Advice for Actors

I’m going to start off by saying that I know an actor’s job isn’t easy. While most people just think an actor sits in a trailer all day and then goes to play Pretend for five minutes, I understand how difficult it can be to bare yourself to the camera lens. I also understand the frustration of most people casting only for student or low-budget productions where they can’t afford to pay actors, let alone themselves (or they’re some opportunistic prick who thinks talent aren’t worth paying.)

I also understand the hassle it is to get a headshot, put together a resume and/or a demo reel, and send it out to countless cattle calls. It all costs money (a headshot can be a couple hundred bucks, then you got printing costs, never mind the postage fees you’ll accrue.) and a lot of time and effort.

That being said, last weekend, I placed a cattle call on Craigslist. Within the first half hour, I received two dozen headshots. A few days later, and I have received more than seventy responses, some of which were for more than one actor (in all but one of these cases, the multiple submissions were children.)

Let me tell you something, the flood of responses into my inadequate Yahoo account was overwhelming. It took me four hours to get through half of them. When I started reading my replies, I vowed to be fair and give everyone’s response the time it deserved. If an actor is willing to blow a lot of cash and time on getting their materials together, the least I can do is give the materials a fair shake.

However, as the hours wore on, the fatigue came in. With so many responses taking so much time, I didn’t have the energy to keep downloading all the attachments, read all the resumes, click all of the demo links and download videos. I started crossing people off for small reasons just so I could move on.

That being said, I wish to offer this advice to actors making submissions to casting calls.

1. Craigslist can’t send anything over 150kb. You’re not going to be able to send that hi-res headshot of yours to the reply address. Prepare for this. Instead of asking me to send you a “real email address” so you can then send your headshot, create a public page that contains your headshot, resume, and demo reel if you have one. I don’t have the time to respond to the many emails asking for the “real email address.”

2. If you don’t have a public webpage, get one. So much is done online, it really pays to have an online one-stop shop with all of your information. On one page you can have your headshot, resume, and demo videos. You don’t even need to hire a web designer! You can get yourself a free blog site at blogger.com or wordpress.com and then make your first post your headshot, your second post your resume, and then embed any videos from YouTube.com or Revver.com into subsequent posts. Also, you can go to actorsaccess.com and create a public profile with resume, pictures, and videos for free.

3. Don’t send links to MySpace (or any of that ilk) profiles. If I don’t have a membership, that means I have to sign up. That means a ten minute ordeal just to look at a couple of pictures and hopefully a video. If I’m going to have to sign up, I’m going to pass over your submission.

4. Send only your own information. Don’t include a friend’s headshot. First, it adds competition to yourself. Second, it makes me worry that you guys may be a package deal. If you have a friend who’s interested in a part, make them send a submission like everyone else.

5. Send the submission first; ask questions later. I’ve received a few responses that were just questions about shoot dates, pay range, etc. No headshots or resumes. I don’t have the time to answer all of these questions. Best thing to do is send your submission, and then if you get a call for an audition, ask then. You can always turn down a role, it’s not a crime.

Haters Hating on The Secret

Okay, this post isn't really film or art related, but since I do believe that synchronicity does happen, I wanted to weigh in on all this.

The Chicago Reader published an article today about the latest self-help book craze, The Secret. Their article is just one of many now that refutes the ideas brought up in the movie and companion book.

For the most part, I agree with the Reader's article in that Rhonda Byrne (the woman behind The Secret) is a nutjob. I think that assertions she makes in her book such as "you're fat because you think fat thoughts" or relating the story of a woman who used visualization to beat breast cancer are irresponsible at best. However, nowhere in the film (I didn't read the book since the movie makes the point pretty well. The book seemed more like a way to keep milking the cash cow.) does it say that everything will occur with only visualization. In fact, in the film, they explicitly say that you must act when the opportunity arises to reach or further yourself toward your goal.

That being said, I'm trying to figure out why so many people seem to be so incensed by the idea of setting your intentions and manifesting them. Is it that scary?

The point of The Secret is simple: If you believe that you can do something, you can. There it is. Simple. There's really no magic to it. Fuck, we're talking The Little Engine That Could here.

This concept has been around for at least a century. Earl Nightingale talks about it in his audio program, The Strangest Secret, which was originally a pep talk to his sales staff. Napoleon Hill alludes to it throughout his book, Think & Grow Rich. James Allen writes about it in his book, As a Man Thinketh.

Honestly, what is bad about this? Teaching people to train themselves to think positively is not a bad thing. Bhuddist monks spend their lives training their minds toward positivity. We live in a culture that almost seems to glorify pessimism and constant kvetching. A little dose of real optimism once in a while is like a breath of fresh air.

I think the backlash against this not-so-secret Secret is that to accept the idea that positive thinking (and taking action when opportunity appears) is to also accept that you've limited yourself by your own negative beliefs in the past. That's a scary thought. Who wants to be the blame for all the bad shit that's happened to them? It's easier when you can say outside circumstances kept you working a dead-end job or your mother's lack of understanding caused you to quit your passion.

Positive Thinking isn't a bad thing and it isn't mystical, quantum physics alchemy either. It's just the belief (the faith) that you'll get whatever it is that you want if you believe and try hard enough. Rhonda Byrne just took an old idea and dressed it up in mumbo-jumbo, added in a lot of good ol' New Age guilt (It's your own fault you're in a shitty relationship since you attracted it into your life!) and got Oprah to hawk it. It doesn't matter how the message is delivered as long as it is delivered.

Here's a great link to another non-magical look at The Secret: Why Henry Ford Knew More Than The Secret.

Advice to Film Students

I have a teacher from my first semester of film school who invites me back to talk to her class about what to expect in future semesters and after graduation. Once, after a decent talk (most times, the students couldn't be bothered to care about what future semesters hold), I came up with some bits of wisdom I would've liked imparted to me when I was a student.

1. Don't try to create a mini Hollywood movie. It's OK to copy stylistic things you find cool because you're still finding your voice. That's craft. However, your content should reflect who you are. Shoot the story that can only be told by you.

2. Embrace and explore the total lexicon of film, whether it be avant-garde, documentary, arthouse, film noir, etc. In the past, all great artists studied and trained in the techniques of the masters thus gaining the skills necessary to express their own visions and voices precisely.

3. Start thinking visually. Take up life drawing, collage, photography, design, etc. How can you show something with only images?

4. Feel free to create scripts without the limits of your own resources, but plan the films you're going to shoot around what's available.

5. Every year, go and look at your body of work to see the pattern of your themes & symbolism. This will also show you how far you've come and how far you've yet to go.

6. Take up another art form. John Waters does photography, David Lynch paints, Miranda July does performance art, Mike Mills is a designer/illustrator, Chris Cunningham sculpts.

7. Learn about business practices as well as personal finance. Commerce is a huge part of life. Making and managing money does not equal selling out. Doing something that goes against your values is selling out. Besides, the image of the starving artist loses its romance when your landlord want his back rent, your electricity is shut off and all you have is a can of boiled peanuts in your cupboard.

8. Get as much set experience as possible as soon as possible. Do everything. Talk to everyone.

9. Cultivate and maintain all of your contacts and relationships.

10. Don't stress out about trying to make a "perfect" production 1 or 2 film. You're still learning a process in a safe environment. Later, when you're at the helm of an advanced production, you'll have the chance to shine and show what you got.

11. It's true: lots of money and high-end gear can make a great film, but the project needs to be great to begin with. Think about what a beautiful piece of shit Van Helsing is.

12. There's more to life than film. Explore it. Learn new things. Read philosophy, science, metaphysics, trivia, etc. Have something to make films about.

13. Read the book, What They Don't Teach You in Film School. It's great.

14. For god's sake, take care of your health. You've only got one body and one life. You can't be at your peak form if you're dealing with aches and pains or you're malnourished on crappy food. Exercise. Learn to cook good stuff. Get the proper amount of sleep. There's a staff nurse for free to keep you healthy. There's a gym and personal trainer at Roosevelt for free for you to use. This is the most important tip I'm giving you.