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Minggu, 31 Agustus 2014

Should I pay to have my child attend iPOP?

YOU WANT THE TRUTH? My name is Wendy Alane Wright and I am a Talent Manager at WAW Entertainment in Los Angeles. (www.wawentertainment.com) I attended iPOP this summer, there were 700 kids there. I signed one AMAZING child from it. I am working closely with her and her parents to build her acting career. iPOP itself is a very legit event. That is a great opportunity for me because throughout the rest of the year I have to go to small showcases of 15-30 kids all over the US.

I can’t speak for every JRP franchise. I have heard good and bad things about them but they are VERY, VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE. Way more expensive than regular acting classes and headshot sessions. I do know that every child who attends iPOP does not get signed from the event, BUT A HANDFUL DO GET SIGNED. The talented kids, who are outspoken, have a great monologue, have a good look and are personable get signed and get a lot of interest from many agents and managers. We all gravitate to the best ones. It's not for all people.

You could spend less money flying to LA, getting real headshots done with www.flygirlphoto.com
Creating a resume (see below) and emailing your childs headshot and resume directly to the same kids of agents that show up at iPOP.

There are vultures in this business preying on the dreams of parents and children who are entering show business. You can rely on me and my blogs to always guide you in the right direction. I would also like to suggest you get your information from these reputable sources as well:

CHILDREN IN FILM, BIZ PARENTS and HOLLYWOOD MOM BLOG.

LIST
Abrams Jeremy Apody jeremy.apody@abramsart.com
CESD Phone: Call and ask (310) 475 2111
Daniel Hoff Anna Leigh annaleigh@danielhoffagency.com
Coast To Coast Meredith Fine mfine@ctctalent.com
Osbrink Cindy Osbrink contact@osbrinkagency.com
AEF Milton Perea milton@aeftalent.com
Savage Stella Alex savageagency@gmail.com
Media Artists Group Robin Nassif robin@mediaartistsgroup.com
Howard Talent West Lynn Eriks htwcomm@pacbell.net
Jaime Ferrar Agency Joey Robson Joey@jfala.com
Don Buchwald & Associates Julie Buchwald julia@buchwald.com
Bloc Talent Agency Jennifer Musgrove jennifer@blocagency.com
First Class Talent Cynthia Barry firstclasstalentagency@gmail.com

I LOVE how iPOP gets so many decision makers into the same room, 40-50 top agents and managers and we are ALL looking for great kids. BUT we see way more unprepared kids than prepared kids. Kids that have no business being in show business. You should BE AWARE I believe JRP's take the money whether the kids have a real shot or not. They are offering a little "training", I say that very loosely along with below industry standard headshots. They don't turn down money. Dreams are big business. They are in the dream business. They do put your kids in the room with real opportunity but NO guarantees.The money you spend is gone. You can't expect anything for it.

No one can tell you your child will get an agent at iPOP. No one can tell you your child will work in TV, Commercials and Print. No one knows that. We take chances and sign kids, then submit them to Casting Directors and SOME kids get called in while others never do. WE don't even know how casting will respond to kids. We guess, based on years of experience. A kid could book the very first job they audition for or not book a job for a year or ever. We don't know that either. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.

Parents please understand this: Casting Directors receive about 2,000 headshots for every single role. We don't know who CD's are going to pick to audition. We do know the kids who have an outgoing personality, can speak up clearly, have tons of energy and can act have a MUCH better chance of getting an audition and an agent or manager.

So I think parents MUST BE SMART AND ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE GETTING OUTSIDE TRAINING - make sure your kids are taking additional acting classes outside of the showcase system to get the best preparation and bank for their buck. Don’t spend your last money on ANYTHING like JRP, BARBIZON, JOHN CASABLANCAS. These are systems that makes tons of money. The kids who succeed in this business are very few.

I always suggest to parents and kids who are new to the business to understand these fundamentals:

GET REAL TRAINING Kids over age 4-6 should have improvisation based acting training. Kids ages 7+up should take acting classes, scene study classes, on camera commercial audition classes and improvisation classes BEFORE they pay thousands of dollars to attend ANY Showcase. Your kids need to be READY for the opportunities. So many parents just throw their kids into situations they are not ready for and they throw the money away because agents and managers doesn't sign untalented or unprepared kids.

If you can afford to do it and get your child trained and prepared for iPOP you will have the luxury of meeting with 10-50 agents and managers at once. That is AMAZING, all in1 room at 1 time. You will also have access to people you would not otherwise get access to, especially in rural areas. That's valuable.

But there are OTHER ways to get your child an agent that don't coast you an arm & a leg. Simply send your child’s headshot and resumes to Agents and Managers for .35 postage. Pay $300 for Headshots and $200 a month for acting classes for 1- 3 years and maybe someone will be interested.

Either way it’s a all luck of the draw whether you spend $2,000 or $17,000 on a showcase system. Becoming an actor takes way more than attending a showcase and getting an agent. Even after you get an agent there is SO much you have to do to have a career. Your kids agent might get you an audition but if your child isn't prepared well s/he won't book it.

My company WAW ENTERTAINMENT talent management in Los Angeles is always looking for talented & beautiful kids ages 6-14 for Film, TV, Webseries and Commercials. If you live in Los Angeles or plan to be here for 2-3 months between Feb-July or Sept-Nov. submit headshots and Resumes to wawentertainment@yahoo.com

Please include: Photos of your child, age, height, weight, city and state you live in and a 30 second video of your child talking about something important to them. Sports, friends, school, food, movies etc. You can record the video on your iPhone, upload it to You Tube, mark video as unlisted and include the link in your email to us. If we are interested we will contact you. We want to get an idea of their personality. We look forward to reviewing your submissions.

I HIGHLY suggest every parent learn the facts about breaking your kids into show business by reading my 75 page e-book:"How To Be A Star Right Where You Are" (for parents outside of Los Angeles) or "Secrets Of A Hollywood Talent Manager" (for parents in LA):
That way YOU can make SMART choices about how to get your kids started in commercials, film and TV the LEGIT ways available on my website and save money and time.

http://www.secretsofahollywoodtalent.manager.com.com

And so you know I am not trying to "Scam" you here is a $6 link to purchase the book which is normally $21. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7RRQQCW3S333W

Once you have downloaded it SAVE it to your desk top and read.

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Wendy Alane Wright
The Hollywood Talent Manager
WAW Entertainment
http://www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

Minggu, 18 Mei 2014

15 Ways To Book More Acting Jobs

Every Actor has TWO jobs.

1) Get well trained. Train. Train. Train. And when you are the best in your class, switch to a class where everyone is better than you and train until you are the best there too!

2) Be PROACTIVE every day. Book as much work as you can ON YOUR OWN. With or without an Agent or Manager. Agents and Managers are not responsible for building your career...YOU are.

When an actor is proactive and trains intensely, they become very interesting to agents and managers and can often find great representation who can add to their own efforts. The # 1 question I am asked by actors is “How do I book more acting jobs?” The answer is to hustle to find your own work. Introduce yourself to filmmakers, writers, producers, directors. You must get good at selling yourself. And when you hand industry people your marketing package it should be top notch.

DEMO REEL
Your demo reel should be high quality HD with great sound and lighting; even if it is only 1 scene. Make sure it is a strong piece of acting; very funny, scary, or even creepy is interesting. The character you are playing should be layered. It may start out with the character seeming like a sweet innocent person, but turns out they are hiding a terrible secret. Have a character Arc. Make sure your demo reel should is no more than 2 minutes, otherwise people will turn it off.

HEADSHOTS
Your headshots should be professional, well lit, hair and makeup done, and your eyes should be expressing real emotion. Your headshot should also reflect the types of character you are most likely to play.

RESUME
Your resume should be formatted neatly and correctly. Filled with acting and training credits. I like to see 10+ shorts, student films and webseries on an actors resume. That tells me they have been working.

NETWORK
Finally you want to become exceptional at keeping in touch with people, offering your services, and following up using Post Cards, One Sheets and Castability Sheets. Every time you meet someone in the business that you hit it off with or work with add them to your contact book. Then every 3-6 months send them a note telling them what you booked lately and use your postcards, once sheets or castability sheets. Those are more creative and interesting to look at than a letter or an email. Remember to make relationships about what you can GIVE to the relationship, not what you can take from it. Add value.

Here are 15 specific ways you can get MORE acting jobs.

Do many Student Films
Do many Short Films
Produce your own films, shorts, webseries. Don't wait for other to make your career.Submit your projects to festivals.
Produce a Play. Cast yourself in it. Rent a Theater. Invite your friend and industry contacts.
Network on Kickstarter and Indiegogo to find directors, actors and writers to work with.
Backstage; read it every day and submit there.
Do tons of Theatre
Read Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety. Look for projects and network.
Attend Film Festivals - Stay after films and meet the film makers. Give them your actor business cards and get theirs. Stay in touch, offer your help on their projects.
Volunteer with SAG Charity Programs
Join Film Making Groups
Create Your Own Film Making Group.
Attend Targeted CD Workshops
Do Stand Up, Join an Improv Troupe
Submit yourself every day to Actors Access and La Casting.

If you live outside of the Los Angeles you can benefit greatly from my newest e-book, "How To Become A Star Right Where You Are."

You can purchase it HERE for $10
You do not need to move to LA to become an actor or singer. Times have changed! I'll tell you how:)

Wendy Alane Wright

The Hollywood Talent Manager

www.secrestsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

I have hundreds of Free You Tube Videos on breaking into show business. Subscribe to my channel and Watch them at: Secrets of a Hollywood Talent Manager

Minggu, 23 Februari 2014

Top 50 ACTOR DAY JOBS - THE BEST DAMN LIST YOU WILL EVER SEE! (1,555 views)

Great Jobs For Actors!

Get A Job

Once you find a place and get settled, the first thing you need to do is get a job.

Typically, auditions take place in the mornings and afternoons. So a nighttime job is helpful or a very flexible day job where you can set your own hours. The most important thing when considering a job is their flexibility in letting you leave for auditions, or switching hours. You came here to become a professional entertainer, so don't get stuck in a job that doesn't let you build your career. Hopefully you came here with at least $8,000 so you could get started on "opening" your new acting business.

Your first year in LA should be acclimating yourself to your new city. Getting your place to live secured, creating a stable source of income and saving money from your new job. Be realistic. Becoming a successful actor takes 10-15 years. You are here to create a life; the life of an actor. Not to become an overnight success. That rarely happens, perhaps as often as being struck by lighting twice, in the same part of your body. It is so rare you should just forget about that happening. And if you think it's going to happen like that go home, because you will be in for a HUGE disappointment. Instead, you will get there the way every other actor has, at least 99.99999999 % of them; with hard work, perseverance, talent, the connections you build, doing good strong acting work, knowledge, marketing yourself and NEVER GIVING UP.

But stay close to me because with my guidance I can accelerate your career!

HERE IS THE BEST DAMN LIST OF DAY JOBS YOU WILL EVER SEE!

Interior Designer

Personal Trainer

Bar Tender

Waitress

Office Temp

Dog Walker

Tutor

Freelance Writing

Graphic Design

Website Builder

Programming

SEO & Internet Marketing

Research Assistant

Script Reader

TeleMarketing

Process Server

Event Planner

Caterer

Promotional Modeling

Photographer

Bookkeeper

Web Marketing /Social Media Consultant

Virtual Assistant

Substitute Teacher

Kids Party Characters

Grant Writing

Public Relations

e-Bay Traders

Jewelery Maker

Aromatherapist

Proof Reader

Hairdresser

Limo Driver

Drug Rep For Pharmaceutical Company

Casting Camera Assistant

House Sitter

24 Hours Kinkos/FedEx or Taco Bell

Make Up Artist for Photographers

Computer Repair

massage Therapist

Craft Services

Demo Reel Editor

Census Worker / Exit Poll Worker

Singing Teacher

Dance Instructor

Ceramic Worker

Demo Singer

Wedding Singer

Research Assistant
Mary Rich

So... there are some great flexible jobs to support your artistic life while you audition, train and do acting work. If you have a job I haven't thought of POST BELOW & LET ME KNOW. I will add it!

Also try...

Visits Snag A Job the #1 job board for hourly jobs! They have thousands of full-time and part-time jobs ranging from customer service jobs to healthcare jobs and they're adding new jobs every day. Perform an hourly job search by industry, company name or location to find your next hourly job today. Visit their site... http://www.snagajob.com/find-jobs

For jobs opening with agencies, production companies, producers, directors, studios, networks , etc. visit The Hollywood Temp Diaries for the coveted UTA Job List: http://www.tempdiaries.com/p/job-list.html

Stay close to me. No one in this business will give you more information than I will. - Wendy

Come hang out at my website for more tips and tools from The Hollywood Talent Manager:
www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

Read the #1 ebook for new actors "Secrets Of A Hollywood Talent Manager; How To Break Into Show Business" to get the REAL GUIDANCE you need!

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See you on the Red Carpet!

Wendy Alane Wright
THE HOLLYWOOD TALENT MANAGER
www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

Kamis, 20 Februari 2014

Acting QUIZ. Do you have what it takes?

Do You Have What It Takes To Make It?

A lot of people think they can just pack up, move to Los Angeles and become a Star. But I’m telling you the real work begins at home, in your home town. Before you make that move to another state where you will become a small fish in a huge pond, you should first become a huge fish in your small pond.

There is so much you can be doing right where you live. If you have a dream you need to find local opportunities to develop your talent. If you aren’t the best where you are from, you won’t be able to compete with the best in a big market. You have to develop your skills, talent and experience where you live first. So if you ever do move to big market you’ll be competitive.

QUIZ for Singers

First lets see if you really have talent. Do you really sing as well as everyone is telling you, family and friends? Because most people don’t. Do you really have a voice that is under control, in pitch and pleasant or unique to listen to. Or is everybody really off base? Do you have the confidence to stand in front of an audience and be judged? So many people think they have what it takes and they don’t. Are you singing and performing live every chance you get? When Judy Garland was a little girl she performed at local Kiwanis Club, Lions Clubs, fairs and festivals with her sister long before she became a star. Are you looking for local voice over work or jingle work with local ad agencies? Are you writing your own songs? Making your own music videos, joining a band? Have you performed in local singing contests? Did you win sometimes? Are you a great performer? Do you know how to connect with an audience? Are you in the studio recording a demo? Do you perform at corporate events? Are you getting paid in your own town to do what you dream of? If you answered YES to most of these you are doing the right things to build your career. If not, you have some work to do!

QUIZ for Actors

Are you doing community theater? Are you doing high school or college theater? Have you taken the best acting classes you can find and become the best actor you can be? Can you act? Are you taking On Camera Commercial classes, and Audition classes? Have you met with local film makers? Do you have a demo reel of your acting? Have you presented your acting reel to local talent agencies? Are you involved in a local tv show? Have you contacted your local college’s film department and acted in any student films? Do you write and shoot your own films? Do you put on plays for your neighbors or community? Are you getting paid to act in your hometown? If you answered YES to most of these you are doing the right things to build your career. If not, you have some work to do!

QUIZ for Models

Are you photogenic? Do you know how to pose? Do you know 20 poses that you can move from one to the other? Do you know your local photographers? Have you shot with any of them to get experience and pictures for your book? Have you contacted local adverting agencies? Have you contacted local stores to see if you can model for them? Do you participate in runway fashion shows? Have you participated in beauty pageants? Do you win? How much do you practice? Have you contacted local modeling agencies? Are you getting paid to model in your hometown? If you answered YES to most of these you are doing the right things to build your career. If not, you have some work to do!

Commercials

Have you taken on Camera Commercial classes? Are you a good reader? Do you have a good speaking voice? Do you practice Commercial copy and shoot mock commercials copying the ones you see on tv? Have you contacted local commercial talent agencies? Do you book the auditions you go on? Are you any good- compared to the commercials you see on tv? Have you contacted local business to see if you can be in their local tv commercials? Are you getting paid to do commercials in your small town? If you answered YES to most of these you are doing the right things to build your career. If not, you have some work to do!

Quiz for Kids

Is this your dream or your parents? Are your parents pushing you, or are you asking your parents if you can be on tv, or do plays and commercials? Do you like acting classes? Do you like being in front of other people, the center of attention? Are you in acting classes? (Many parents put their kids in John Robert Powers Classes- hoping they’ll get discovered in their annual showcases)

QUIZ for Parents

Are your kids really talented? Do they really have what it takes? Do they stand out, are they unique, are they better than others? Or are you overly biased parents? (sorry, so many are) What local opportunities are in your town? Annual events? Special Appearances? Kooky Opportunities? Businesses looking for spokespeople, or models, or people with unusual talents? Local commercials, movie makers? What are your local Talent Agencies, and local Modeling agencies? Have you submitted your child for every opportunity like these that you can find? If you answered YES to most of these you are doing the right things to build your career. If not, you have some work to do!

Before you move anywhere you should become the best you can be right where you are. When you are the best, opportunities will follow. Most people aren’t willing to work as hard for what they want as they think they are. Most people can’t walk through their own fears. But if you are really talented and want the whole world to know…you have start at home first. Become a local star… and then you just may have a shot at becoming a superstar.

As a talent manager I can come into your town and figure out who really has the talent to be successful. I looks at your acting reels, singing demos, headshots and tell you honestly how good your singing, modeling or acting skills currently are. I can tell you what you need to do to develop your talent. To become a stronger performer and teach you how to look for local opportunities where you can shine. I can arrange opportunities for you with local businesses, agencies and filmmakers.

Most people are stopped from going after their dreams because they are afraid. They end up in jobs they don’t really want to be in…because they didn’t believe in themselves enough….or they didn’t have anyone who believed in their dream with them. If you have a dream, and are willing to work hard to develop the talent you have to become your best…AND are willing to go look for opportunities to share your talents…I say GO FOR IT!

Be sure to stay close to me. I will always be a reminder that you can make your dreams come true. With hard work, perseverance, belief in yourself and the decision to never give up you can achieve your hearts desires.

Wendy Alane Wright

The Hollywood Talent Manager

You Tube Channel - Watch 200 + FREE video with Expert acting career tips!

Sabtu, 15 Februari 2014

HOW DO I GET STARTED ACTING? 5 PROVEN WAYS TO START ACTING RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE

Every day I have actors asking me how they can get on TV or start their acting career. I love that actors have a goal and a dream. But they need to pepper that with a dose of reality too. If you want a career in acting you have to START ACTING RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. That is how actors start. They start in plays right in their hometown. Whether you live in Florida, Oregon, or Russia you must join a local theater in your own state and town and act in plays. You should be doing plays at your high school or college if you are still in school.

If you want to become a famous actor my advice to you is... Stop waiting to get to Los Angees to be an actor. Stop waiting until you get an Agent. If you really want to be an actor, you should prove it way, way, way before you get to LA. You should be doing as much acting work as you can right where you are. Real actors don't wait until they get to LA. What can you do? Learn more HERE

5 STEPS FOR STARTING YOUR ACTING CAREER RIGHT WHERE YOU LIVE.

1. New actors pay attention - If you want to be an actor, then start to act right where you are. TRAIN. TRAIN. TRAIN. Take acting classes right in the town you live in, or the closest town that has acting classes. You have to start your training as soon as you think you want to become an actor. Only well trained actors usually have successful careers as actors. People don't put you on TV if you can't act. Therefore your training is EXTREMELY important. After you have trained and gotten some experience in your local town, you might move to a bigger city that has better acting teachers and TRAIN SOME MORE.

Think about this. A professional ice skater in the Olympics doesn't wait until they get to the Olympics to start training. An Olympic skater gets to the Olympics because they never stopped training. They started training right in their home town. They worked at it until they got better and better and better. The better they got, the more people noticed. The more people noticed, the more opportunities they were offered. It works the same way for acting.

2. Act in plays right where you live. Audition for local theaters. Do school plays. Act in community theater, professional theater. When you are getting written up in the newspaper for your amazing performances... then you have proven yourself in your own town/state/country. You need to make a name for yourself in the small town or small pond you are from... before you jump into a huge pond like LA. Casting Directors look for the actors that stand out.

3. Make your own acting projects. Put on plays, put together a team of other actors who love it as much as you do - and if they have the professional equipment - make short films together. Find writers, a director, camera man, sound man and good strong actors. Create your own film making team. Enter your own short films you make in the Film Festivals.

4. Keep taking acting classes wherever you are. You can never stop training as an actor.

5. Read my e-book "How To Be A Star Right Where You Are!" To learn 23 Ways To Break Into Your Own Market And Start Building An Acting Career Get the e-book HERE

After you have done all of that for the next 3 years, then you can think about moving to LA. Being an actor is not something you only have to do in LA. If you want to be an actor, BE an actor right where you are first.

Here is a resume of a 16 year old in Kentucky. She is serious about becoming an actor and her resume PROVES it. Look at the training she has had and the theater she has done. How does yours compare? Click on this to see Alicen's resume. This is what you need to start building your resume into.

ALICEN ABLER - Resume | Actors Access

So again...my advice to you is... Stop waiting to get to LA to be an actor. Stop waiting to get an Agent. If you really want to be an actor, you should prove it far before you get to LA. You should be doing as much acting work as you can right where you are. Real actors don't wait until they get to LA.

Philip Seymour Hoffman said this best:

Follow your dreams.

Get the e-book HERE

See you on the red carpet!

Wendy Alane Wright
THE HOLLYWOOD TALENT MANAGER
www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com
wawentertainment@yahoo.com

Senin, 22 Juli 2013

How Managers Can Build A Star...One Step At A Time.

Wendy Alane Wright is a Hollywood Talent Manager with WAW Entertainment. Her clients have appeared in numerous national commercials, movies, webisodes, short films, and on television networks such as ABC, NBC, Comedy Central, BIO, Lifetime, plus many more. Previous to being a Manager and a Talent Agent at Burn Down Entertainment, she assisted many high profile Managers, Agents and Publicists in the careers of Neil Patrick Harris, Johnny Galecki, Sarah Michelle Geller, The Four Tops, The Bee Gees, Meatloaf, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Guttenberg, The Cranberries Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, and Neil Diamond. Wendy is also a Recording Artist, Actress, Author and Music Producer all giving her a 360-degree perspective of the industry.

As a talent manager my job is to bring clients up from one level, to the next. They start with a fairly empty resume, so we build it. They start with minimal training so we build it; adding cold reading, improvisation, audition techniques, scene study and acting. They begin doing students films, Webseries, and short films to get experience and perhaps some footage for a demo if we're lucky. (Not all student footage is good. They are still learning too remember?) When a client has trained properly for commercial auditioning we get them a commercial agent. Hopefully they book and book and make some money! 50% of actors income comes from commercials.

Here is a resume of a 16 year old in Kentucky. She is serious about becoming an actor and her resume PROVES it. Look at the training she has had and the theater she has done. How does yours compare? Click on this link to see Alicen's resume. This is what you need to start building your resume into.

ALICEN ABLER - Resume | Actors Access

Then it's time to move to the next level...TV...co-star roles, guest-star, recurring, series regulars and feature films. This is where it gets TOUGH. The competition is fierce. All your ducks have GOT to be in a row. You can not waltz into this stage. If you could EVERYONE would be a star and all actors would work. But only 5% of actors are successful and actually make a living at acting. 95% do not. And those 95% do not pay my bills.

It's in my best interest to try and create an Actor in the 5%. My God that's hard work...and I don't even get paid really until I do! That's why you'd better be following your manager's direction to a "T" if you want to navigate these turbulent rapid waters...waters that throw most Actors out of the boat. This next stage separates the boys from the men, the wannabes from the doers, the curious from the serious. Stick to it. Shake off the rejection. Make sure you have THE BEST headshots and demo reels to represent you. Understand you need to learn about the business side of this business if you are going to succeed.

And sadly, this is where actors think they know more than everybody else and spend years making stupid mistakes until they get burned out and quit. I see actors who have been in LA trying to get discovered and never do because they are using Headshots their friends took and horrible demo reels. Urghh. They just don't get it. The competition in this business is off the charts. You MUST be at the top of your game in your training, your acting skill, your marketing naterials, and your business knowledge.

We managers and agents see unrealistic and unprepared Actors so often, unfortunately they are the norm. That's why agents and managers are continually and diligently attending showcases, plays, doing workshops and interviewing new actors, searching for the exception. The turn over rate in this business is incredibly high. We insiders know that. Actors don't. Jack Nicholson's longtime Agent Sandy Bressler said to me recently, "All actors have one thing in common; They all think it's going to happen for them."

As you can see, there is a method to this madness, and an experienced manager knows how to navigate you from one level to another, seeing the big picture that you don't see. Understanding it in a way you couldn't possibly. The trick of management is creating a realistic picture without crushing the dream.

To move to the next level, there is very little room for mistakes. Your Demo reel needs to be great. Not from an actors point of view, or your friends or family's points of views, or even your point of view, but from the casting directors points of view. You need your professional website up and running with links to ALL your online casting sites (LA Casting, Actors Access). Your demo needs to be on You Tube, uploaded to your online casting sites. When a casting director is investigating you they need immediate access to everything you have. While you are sleeping they are watching your demo reels, viewing your website, reading your resume. If it is difficult to find any of this information...they move onto the next Actor and you lose the opportunity. You might not even know you had an opportunity. Happens all the time - to the amateurs who don't have all their ducks in a row. A manager worth a grain of salt us diligently trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together so preparation meets opportunity!

So...next... basically the way it works when you move to the next level is you determine what type you will be type cast as. This is crucial because casting directors want to know exact how to cast you - as the villain, the hero, the dad, the executive, the criminal etc,. (and even though actors can play many things- casting directors don't care about that) they want to know your top 3 roles you will most likely always play in the beginning if your career) Then your headshots should reflect those 3 types.

Then your demo reel should reflect those three it should not be a combination of every role you have been hired to play. It should a combination of the top 3 roles you will most likely be cast as at first. Then you do CD (Casting Director) workshops and send thank you post cards after each one. If a CD is impressed with your work enough they will pull you right out of a workshop and bring you in to audition. If your not ready to compete with the actors they already know, they will not bring you in for auditions directly.

Once you have met 10-20 CDs and they like your work and are calling you in for auditions you now have some "currency" in Hollywood. I'll explain this more later.

When you get a theatrical agent, they will pitch you for whatever your right for, but it will always be difficult if the casting directors don't know you and if you don't have TV many credits. No matter who the agent is. So getting an agent is a great start... But helping them by doing CD workshops so the casting directors know you when the agent calls to pitch you is crucial. If an agent can't get you in they will drop you and you will need another agent. If an agent can get you in, and you get a high ratio of call backs, they will keep working with you. If you are not getting call backs when you compete against seasoned actors, they will drop you.

Building your currency with casting directors is something you can control and use to benefit your career. Even without an agent, CDs that like you will bring you in. Happens all the time. So those are all the steps for you. Straight, clear and to the point.

Your job will be to keep track of every CD you audition for and take workshops with. Send them thank you cards and postcards every 2 months. The post cards should say what you haves booked lately and what callbacks you have gotten: with which CDs.

It's a lot of work, and you spend more time marketing and networking than you actually do acting, but that is how a star is made. And hopefully if you are talented, prepared and downright lucky... you will get great projects, by great writers and directors that become well known and bring you to notoriety:)

It's a long haul, a lot of work and a dream worth pursuing! I love this business. Just hang in there. There is only one word you need to have tattooed on your brain PERSEVERANCE.

Wendy Alane Wright Smith
WAW ENTERTAINMENT
wawentertainment@yahoo.com
Twitter: WAW_Wendy

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Jumat, 17 Mei 2013

The # 1 Secret To Becoming A Working Actor Overnight.

Common in so many actors is an underlying tension that flows through them. It's so thick you can cut it with a knife. If you stand near them you can feel it. When they open their mouth you immediately hear it. It says, "How long will it take for me to make it?" "Shouldn't it have happened by now? "I mean really, how long until I am on television and I'm a famous actor?" My answer is tomorrow. You can do it by tomorrow.

Are you stunned? It's true, by tomorrow you could be a rich, famous and successful actor. You could also be a doctor, the President of the United States, a lawyer, senator, teacher, astronaut, CEO of a fortune 500 company, certified public accountant, professional basketball player, maxillofacial surgeon, coach of a major league baseball team, nuclear physicist, nobel peace prize winner, biologist, architect, pharmacist, engineer, veterinarian, cardiothoracic surgeon, orchestra conductor, pediatrician, dentist, optometrist, construction manager, IT manager, commercial airline pilot...all by tomorrow. Of course.

As a Talent Manager, I can't tell you how many "actors" come to me and want an agent in their first few months of being in LA. They also want to be on TV within their first year here. It's ridiculous and so completely unrealistic. I hear them whine "I have been here two years and still not on tv! I'm not getting enough auditions. I can't find an agent, or, my agent isn't getting me out enough." Oh Vey!

Here is the problem: these people are not even thinking about becoming great actors. They are thinking about becoming famous. Every good manager, agent, acting teacher, and casting director can tell the difference between a great actor who has intensely worked on the craft of acting to develop mastery, and the one who thinks they can waltz into an acting job, off the cuff. Guess what? The actor who has acted for years in small unknown theater productions, often unpaid, who has studied with great acting teachers and worked closely with acting coaches to master the art of acting are the ones who work. They are the ones that have succesful acting careers. And believe me, they are the ones that become the stars. Ok, I lied. You cannot become a succesful working actor by tomorrow.

When I attend acting showcases I am handed so many resumes of actors who are looking for a manager and they have taken only a handful of acting classes, or trained for only a year or two, or only have a college degree from an acting school. That's right I said that, you heard me correctly. Yes, the degree shows a consistent interest in the arts, but to industry pros, who knows what kind of training you have received there? You still are at ground zero. We will see what level of actor you really are.

There is a strange misconception about the career of acting. People think it's is different than other careers. I don't know why. Maybe because it looks easy and they see people on TV doing it all the time. But people from around the world they think they can come to LA or NY, get an agent, get an audition, land a job and become a star. Oh you think I am exaggerating? But I am not. For some reason many people believe that all you have to do to be an actor is stand in front of a camera and "be." Just be you. They think because they talk and move that is enough to be a great actor, but of course it isn't. Anymore than you or I can stand in the operating room and cut open someone's head and do brain surgery on them... just because we're, well you know, us. Okay, I am exaggerating a little, but I am not far off. Ask anyone who has been in the business for awhile. Actors who come newly to LA sound like this for the first few years, that is until reality kicks in.

In order to bring the kind of performance to the screen that makes an audience really feel moved to the core by an experience an actor is having, an actor has to learn how to go deeply within themselves and bear emotion that is true to their core - without any concern for how they look, who they are, or how they feel other people are perceiving them. Most people can't get to this level. They are so hyper-conscious - especially the ones that want to be actors. Quite frankly, this kind of actor is the exception, even with training. It takes a special kind of talent and an extensive amount of trained skill to have this much command of yourself, and this level of vulnerability - which 9 out of 10 times is only accomplished through years of genuine acting training and experience. Even Stars are getting coached continually with great acting teachers. This is not a field you can waltz into and be successful in by tomorrow.

This kind of strange misunderstanding about acting is bizarre in a field that has such high levels of competition. You would think people wouldn't even put themselves into the casting room until they knew they were better actors than anyone else around. When there are 2,000 submission for 1 role, your chances of getting it are slim, like winning the lottery. So you better believe you need training, and something incredibly special about you that you can identify and sell. An average actor is not going to get the job. If you are an average actor, you better go work with an amazing acting coach until you are the best actor in your class - if you want to work - because producers, writers, directors, managers, agents, casting directors and networks are looking for the best. Not the average, not the under-trained, and not the confused.

And it goes beyond your training. There is a general rule in Hollywood -- talent won't get you there, but persistence just might. With training and talent you are halfway there. Now you need luck and persistence. It's crucial that you don't give up. You need to give yourself realistic goals and time frames. It take years and years to become a working actor. Actors that can't hang in there for the long haul aren't going to be successful working actors. If you can't hang in there and be happy on this journey...that's okay. Go find something else to do. Whining about how long things are taking and beating yourself up for not being an "overnight success" is not healthy. You have to love the process, the journey and the work. If you don't, my advice is go find what you do love. You deserve to be happy.

I'm sorry if I am being to harsh, but as a Talent Manager I have to tell it like it is. Would you want less? Here's the truth, if you want to be on TV, the answer is yes, that is do-able. I will tell you exaclty how:

1) You are going to have to work really hard at becoming a great actor.
2) You will need to work for years to build connections and relationships with people in the industry such as casting directors, producers and directors. It really is who you know in this business, and more importantly, who knows you.
3) You will need to get very lucky.

Indeed, you may book a few jobs here and there, but remember only 5% of actors become successful working actors. So if you really want a career in show business, a paying one, you better get off your high horse, get your head out of the clouds and give yourself a reality check. You have a lot of work to do. No, you will not be on TV tomorrow, you likely will not be a rich and famous actor by tomorrow, not by next year, and not before 10 years. You still want to be an actor after knowing all that? Great! Then maybe you are cut out to be one. You could be in that 5% of working actors. In fact, I hope you are. There is no reason you couldn't be. After all, life is what we make it.

My professional advice is always go for your goals and dreams, temper it with reality of what you need to do to accomplish them. Know that with hard work and determination almost anything is possible. Keep a good attitude and develop the ability to enjoy your journey. That includes it's ups and downs, the acceptance and the rejection, the wins and the disappointments. If you stick with it, you will get to have extraordinary creative moments, so deeply fulfilling, challenging and rewarding. You may even get paid to do it!

Get 3 FREE chapters of my new book "How To Break Into Show Business; Secrets Of A Hollywood Talent Manager." It includes my secret list of the most important casting directors that you should meet! Just sign up below.

Wendy Alane Wright Smith
Talent Manager
WAW Entertainment wawentertainment@yahoo.com
Twitter: WAW_wendy

Rabu, 08 Mei 2013

Why do I have to keep getting New Headshots???

What!!! I need new headshots again?

Headshots are typically your first expense when starting your new acting business. They are part of the start up costs of your business. What every actor should understand about headshots is that you have to keep taking them until you find a picture that "pops" to casting directors and gets you called in for auditions. Sometimes an actor gets lucky and gets a picture that pops from their first session. Others may have to shoot 2, 3, 4 times with different photographers until that magical picture happens. It's all part of the start up cost of your acting business. No one knows why some pictures "pop" and some don't. No one can tell you why a photographer can create a picture that "pops" for one actor, but that same photographers pictures do not pop for another actor. It's truly a mystery.

But it is a fact. And the expense is real. Recently I had a client shoot with a fantastic photographer, who has a history of his pictures popping for actors, but no one in casting is responding to her shots. Her agent wants her to shoot again with a new photographer and try someone else. I have to call my client and explain this. The thing with actors is they just don't understand how that could happen. "The shots look great, what do you mean they don't pop?"

The only thing I can compare it to is advertising commercials, because it is very similar. An advertising team will come up with a concept, create a commercial story board, get the idea approved, cast it, shoot the commercial, air it and after all that money is spent the commercial may not "pop" to audiences and bring in a substantial amount of new or repeat business. Therefore, a brand new advertising campaign must be developed. Of course when the commercial is working, or it "pops" to audiences you may see that commercial 5-10 times a day until it runs out of steam. Then a new campaign must be shot and the whole process starts all over again.

Your headshots are your advertising. They are your billboard. They are subjective and there is no way to determine if the artwork is effective until you create it. If Actors are going to be serious about this business, there is no use complaining about headshots that don't work. It's just time to re-shoot and create a new campaign. (On a side note: When it comes to kids, their looks change so quickly parents have to get new headshots for kids twice every year!)

As a talent manager I am known for telling it like it is. No sugar coating. Sorry to burst your bubble! But if your headshots aren't working, it ain't personal. Just suck it up and re-shoot. It is part of the cost of doing business. Sometimes it amazes me how actors think that running their own acting company is going to be cheap. Newsflash, it isn't. It is actually costs about $8,000 a year with headshots, classes, workshops, etc. So be a smart entrepreneur and always save your money for the multitude of endless costs that come with running a business. Headshots, well I don't think any working actor is ever done shooting them. But, the cool thing is the more successful you become as an actor, then others start picking up the tab for your photo sessions! Waahoo, don't you just love that?

Here is a word from my friend "down under" about headshots. He is spot on.

Liam I agree with what you said on your website about headshots! - Wendy Alane Wright, The Hollywood Talent Manager

" Why is a good headshot important?
Your headshot is your calling card as an Actor and it can make or break your reputation and be the difference between you getting seen by Casting Directors, Agents and Directors.

So many Actors and Actresses I know choose to go for the cheapest headshots around or will get their shots done by their friends or anyone with a camera. The age old adage you get what you pay for really does apply in this industry.

Anyone can take a photo that makes you look nice or attractive but only someone that really understands the industry and how to help you stand out and market your best attributes will get you a great headshot!

Your headshots are the first impression you are going to send out as an Actor and it's so important to make it a lasting one. If they aren't of the highest quality then you're just going to fade into the background and remain at an amateur level. Liam Murphy, Australia

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Wendy Alane Wright Smith
WAWEntertainment.com
(818) 203-6080
TWITTER: @WAW_Wendy