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9 On-Set Tips for Kids, Parents and Newbies

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By Marci Liroff

Having just spent the last couple of weeks coaching my 10-year-old client on the set of the new CBS series “Extant,” I got a bird’s-eye view of the issues that kids face when working on set for the first time. My client had only shot short films, music videos, and commercials and was somewhat new to a project of this scale. There was so much to learn!

These tips are great for young actors (and their parents) just starting out.

Shhhh! Keep your voice down!
Kids get very excited on set and like to tell stories in a loud voice. It’s hard with all that kid energy! Remind your child that even though it looks like lots of fun, everyone around him is working intently and needs quiet to concentrate. You will always hear the first A.D. (assistant director) yelling, “Quiet on set!” Be aware of your surroundings, as there will constantly be heavy equipment being moved near you and you could get hurt.

Where are you?
Let the second A.D. and/or welfare worker know where you are. Even if you’re just going to “crafty” (the craft service table), check in and let the A.D. know where you’re going at all times.

Be respectful and polite with crew members.
The phrases “thank you,” “please,” and “excuse me” go a long way with the adults your child is working with. Be polite and make friends with the crew because you will see them again on other sets and you want them to remember you fondly and professionally.

No playing on set.
No playing on “hot” sets because they are prepped for a scene and things should not be moved or tampered with. Plus, some things (ladders, walls, windows) are not “real” or fully secured. Even though that couch looks comfy, you shouldn’t sit on set furniture.

Learn how to read a call sheet.
I taught my client (along with his mother) how to read a call sheet and now they know exactly what is expected of them each day and the coming day. Start focusing on scene numbers rather than page numbers from now on.

You said what about the lead actor?!

Please remember, you’re wearing a mic! Be careful what you say on and off set, because the sound department and everybody else who has earphones on can hear your every word!

Careful where you sit.
If it has someone else’s name on it, don’t sit in the chair. You’ll be very embarrassed when the executive producer asks you to get out of her chair. Only sit on chairs marked “cast,” or, if you’re higher up the food chain, with your name.

Who’s got the kid?
Kids can’t just walk off by themselves while on set. Minors must be with an adult at all times while on a film set, whether it’s their guardian, welfare worker–teacher, or sometimes the A.D. or wardrobe person.

Leave your entourage at home.
Would you bring your friends to your place of work? Probably not. Don’t bring family or friends to the set either.

These are but a few of the things I observed during my time on the set; I’ll be writing about more in my next blog.

What other handy tips can you add to this list?

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”. You can view it on your laptop or your mobile device and your subscription gives you lifetime viewing privileges for this course. I’ll be adding lectures throughout the year.

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ARE YOU FRYING YOUR JOB PROSPECTS?

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By Marci Liroff

There’s an epidemic going on and I had no idea it actually had a name. The culprit is “vocal fry.” Not only is it annoying but it’s ruining your chances of getting hired—not just as an actor, but for any job.

Vocal fry is the result of pushing the end of words and sentences into the lowest register, where the vocal folds in the throat vibrate irregularly and allow air to slip through. The result is a low, sizzling rattle underneath. (Kim Kardashian is the queen of vocal fry, but now that I’ve pointed it out you’ll probably hear it everywhere.) For a great example, look up actor and national public radio host Faith Salie’s vocal fry video on YouTube.

Sociologists say women and girls pick up this bizarre vocal pattern because it makes them feel like part of a macroculture.

Recent studies have documented its growing popularity among educated and successful young women in the United States, but this learned behavior might be frying their job prospects. According to researcher Ikuko Yuasa, vocal fry may be the result of young women striving to reach the male register by imbuing their speech with gravitas.

Not only is it irritating to listen to, but you may be permanently ruining your vocal chords. As an actor, your voice is gold and it must be protected at all costs. YouTube star Abby Normal reports in her video: “This sort of vocalization can cause more harm to your throat because your vocal chords aren’t smoothly rubbing together; they’re more clapping…it’s like whispering. Instead of a nice, even flow, you’re creating more friction on your vocal chords.”

And there’s another vocalization that, while not harmful to your voice, is harmful to how people perceive you: “Uptalking,” also picked up from friends, is a way of ending your sentences with a vocal inflection that turns up at the end like a question. I tell my coaching clients and those who are auditioning for me that uptalk results in the listener not taking them or their content seriously. I vocally show them through mimicry the importance of ending their sentences definitively, rather than sounding as if they want to communicate a point without being too decisive or potentially ruffling feathers. Uptalk is very passive-aggressive and it isn’t helping anyone in an audition, a business setting, or a personal setting, for that matter.

This passive-aggressive tone is said to have origins in California “Valley Girl” culture, but D.C.-based vocal coach and speech pathologist Susan Miller says the uncertain, youthful tone has moved across states and genders—despite the assumption that women are the prime culprits. “I would say that the majority of employers come to me because people sound young,” says the coach, who trains employees to sound more professional. “And it’s the uptalk, the uncertainty, more than fry.

“Voice is important to show authority, to show that you’re confident and you know your subject matter,” Miller adds. “It can be the deciding factor between getting a call for a second interview or being passed over for someone else.”

Linguist Robin Lakoff drew attention to the pattern in her book Language and Women’s Place, which argued that women were socialized to talk in ways that lacked power, authority, and confidence. Rising intonation on declarative sentences was one of the features Lakoff included in her description of ‘women’s language,’ a gendered speech style which in her view both reflected and reproduced its users’ subordinate social status.

Take a moment and listen to your vocal patterns by recording yourself having a casual conversation with a friend. Are you guilty? If so, stop it! Ask your friends, coach, or acting teacher to call you on it so you can be stronger in your auditions.

Do you know people who do this? If so, send them this article and help them become more conscious of these vocalization patterns.

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”.

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THE UNIVERSE IS LISTENING

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By Marci Liroff

One of my Skype coaching clients in the North Carolina market raised a very good question the other day: “Is taking all work offered necessarily a good thing?”

She wrote, “I’m wondering your opinion on this. About two years ago, I decided that I wanted to work on quality projects and not just collect credits. Many regional actors have the mentality that more is better and thrive on the attention they get from posting about their projects on social media. I know some just want to work. But I feel we won’t raise the bar if we take these poor-quality, poorly written unprofessional jobs. I get outstanding film and TV auditions weekly. You helped me with two of them.

“Am I making a mistake by saying no to the opportunities that I feel I’ve moved on from? I am a professional actor and I feel these projects would detract from the quality work I have done and I’m capable of. Some of my friends, who are very talented, seem to think ‘work is work’ and ‘work begets work.’ I understand that, but is it at the cost of not getting the really professional projects?”

This is such a timely discussion. Yes, I do believe work begets work on several levels. It gets you out there and seen within the community in which you want to continue working. There are networking opportunities. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run into a producer or director with whom I haven’t worked in a while when I’m working on a studio lot, and it results in a job offer. Sometimes you literally have to be standing in front of them to remind them that you exist! I also strongly believe in the momentum and energy created in the universe when you are actually doing the work, not just talking about the work.

The universe listens and often rewards you.

That said, I think you have to go with your gut on this one in terms of whether you think a project is of poor quality all around. Being seen in that light can actually be harmful and doesn’t necessarily bring you anything good. When I see a film, short, Web series, or what is obviously a self-produced project, and it’s poorly conceived and unprofessionally completed, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth for everyone concerned with the project.

Don’t forget that this kind of work also has the potential to harm your psyche and your spirit creatively.

If you’re going into auditions and projects with a chip on your shoulder about the quality of the project, it affects your performance.

You have to look at the whole picture and glean whether you’ll be learning something, either from associating with like-minded and uber-talented people or from playing a character you normally wouldn’t have the chance to.

There really isn’t one solid answer or rule of thumb here. There are so many things to consider in your choice. Yes, it’s your choice, and don’t forget that.

Make sure to check out my new online course “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp”. You can view it on your laptop or your mobile device and your subscription gives you lifetime viewing privileges for this course. I’ll be adding lectures throughout the year. 

Glad you’re here! 

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CLICK TO TWEET:  Is it ever OK to turn down work? ‘The Universe Is Listening’ http://www.marciliroff.com/new/the-universe-is-listening/ via @marciliroff
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