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June 6, 2013 By 38 Comments

WHY ACTORS NEED TO UNDERSTAND SOCIAL MEDIA

By Marci Liroff

I’ve been encouraging actors to get involved in social media for the last several years. Seems that they’ve been heeding my call! I’ve noticed droves of actors taking to Twitter lately. Some do it well, some—not so much.

While working on the feature film “Vampire Academy: BloodSisters,” based on the best-selling series of six young-adult paranormal romance novels, I noticed some really bad behavior by a few actors; they were tweeting about coming in for auditions, and how they did on said audition. One actor simply tweeted, “Christian Ozera” (the name of one of the very exciting male characters in the book series) and the Internet went wild with rumor mongering.
To put things into perspective, this book series has a HUGE fanbase. The Facebook fanpage for the movie—which hasn’t even been made yet!—has more than 250,000 fans.
I got an email from one of my producers who asked that all casting news come from the production and that what goes on behind the scenes (i.e. who’s auditioning) should be controlled by us. The producer added that any further “leaks” would compromise an actor’s potential for being hired.
The Facebook fanpage and Twitter blew up with speculation and thousands of fans were hysterically talking about whether the actor who tweeted about auditioning for Christian was going to get the part. I had to call his representatives and suggest that this was perhaps not the most professional approach to getting the role. I knew in my heart that he had tweeted this in an innocent way, not realizing what trouble would ensue from his simple tweet.
Another actor on Twitter and Facebook who wanted one of the lead roles so badly would fan the flames of speculation and neither deny or confirm that he was being offered the part. He even created a Facebook Fanpage for his mission.
Because IMDb is actually a fan site much like Wikipedia, anyone can enter information. We hope and depend that the site actually vets the information, but an actor who was “rumored” to be in the mix, who actually wasn’t, was listed as “rumored” to be playing the role. This added to even more confusion.
I’ve seen actors fired from commercials for tweeting things like, “Hey, I just booked a (fill-in-the-blank) commercial!” Same goes for television shows. The producers, networks, studios see this sort of thing as a leak of information.  This news should ONLY come from the production if and when they see fit and in the venue that they want it to come from. If after reading this you still feel compelled to share this kind of information, you should clear it with the producers first.

Kevin Brockman, Executive Vice President, Global Communications, Disney/ABC Television Group spoke to me about this topic. He said, “We are very actively involved in guiding our actors and productions in the social media space.  At ABC and ABC Family, after series are green–lit and before production begins, our social media and PR teams walk the actors and producers through a social media 101 that points out the potential positives and negatives in these arenas. Series spoilers are a large part of the discussion and our rule of thumb is, ask your executive producer or Publicity team before posting anything that may be a problem. Our actors, especially on our shows with mystery elements, like ‘Scandal’, ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and ‘Twisted,’ are very cognizant of this, as they don’t want to hurt the viewing experience for their fans.” 

Brockman added, “At Disney Channels Worldwide, we host Talent Orientation programs that provide new actors information on what to expect from their colleagues on the Production team and from their colleagues at Disney Channel, and what’s expected of them.  During the Orientation, we cover the subject of social media and reiterate to our actors and their parents that what they say and do on social media, or when communicating directly to their fans, should done with care.  We remind them to “think before they tweet or post” anything, and ask them to appreciate that millions of young fans may look up to them.”

I also spoke to Dan Berendsen, writer/producer/creator of ABC Family’s hit tv show “Baby Daddy”. He said, “All five of my cast members have a significant internet presence (twitter, instagram) and are an integral part of the show’s marketing. They are the source of the show’s real social media. We acknowledge that and promote it – they are partners in the successful marketing of the show. Consequently, we talk about what information is best for them to give out and what’s not. To make it work, the actors have to be completely onboard with what you’re trying to accomplish.

Historically, “leaks” and “spoilers” are more likely to come from the studio audience and the extras. There is almost no way to shut that down on a show that’s filmed in front of a live audience – other than to ask people not to ruin the surprise for everyone else.”
 
Of course, I understand the feeling we all have these days to share news within our community of followers on Facebook and Twitter along with your website. I suggest you share it after the project is completed and only when it’s about to air. Another thing to do so that you feel connected is to say something benign like “Auditions went GREAT today! I was so prepared!” That way, nobody gets hurt! 
I’d love to hear your stories about your experiences with Social Media and your interactions. It’s always good to share with the community.
Glad you’re here!
 
Marci
 
 
Filed Under: auditioning, casting, Christian Ozera, Dan Berendsen, Facebook, IMDb, Kevin Brockman, Marci Liroff, Social Media, Twitter, Vampire Academy, Wikipedia Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
September 13, 2012 By 4 Comments

SCAM$ – HOW NOT TO GET SEPARATED FROM YOUR MONEY

Two and a half years ago I received an email from Ben Hodge who teaches acting at his private acting studio, Ben Hodge Studios, and at a high school in York, Pennsylvania. I love a guy with moxie!
Here’s the actual email:

****
Greetings!

I am an acting teacher and owner of a small acting studio in Central PA.  I viewed some of your clips on YouTube, and was interested in possibly setting up a Skype chat for my Acting students.  We are always working with bringing in real -world applications and connections, and I feel that you would be a valuable resource to the young actors that I have in my program here at school and the studio.

Let me know what the next steps are!
 
*****

I ended up teaching his class via Skype. It was something I’d wanted to do for awhile and he reached out and made it happen. They were so eager and ready to learn and the technology made it possible. Over the last couple of years we’ve been trading ideas and learning from each other about Social Media and “all things actor!”

Ben’s been leading the forefront of actor related blogs over the last year and now that I’ve jumped on that platform he approached me with a great idea to talk about scams in the industry. We decided to co-blog and combine our resources.

Ben Hodge: What is the best way to check to see if an organization is a scam?

Marci Liroff:
Google is your friend! With the help of the Internet, you can be your own detective. Be proactive and cover your bases before you shell out your hard-earned money. Just Google the name of the organization or person and put the word “scam” next to it or “reviews” and you’ll probably get a long list of related articles and feedback.

It sorely disappoints me how many people are out there whose sole business model is to take advantage of vulnerable people. You’ve got to arm yourself with some basic logic and business sense. The old adage, “If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.” This absolutely applies to the acting profession. There is NO quick fix. There is NO class or workshop or teacher that can make you a star or “discover” you. It simply doesn’t work that way. Every major actor out there right now has trained for years.

I had a coaching session a couple of months ago with two young sisters who are from a small town in the Southern U.S. Their parents wanted to know if I thought they have “what it takes” to be an actor. A “talent search” company had just rolled through their town and they attended the event. Everyone “tries out” with a very simple audition and then the company gets back to you to say, “You’ve been accepted!!” (everyone gets accepted by the way). In order to attend their “training” camp and meet the “talent executives” there is a fee of $8,000. Yes, you read correctly…$8,000. Each. Notice how I use “training” and “talent executives” in quotes? That’s because the training was non-existent and the talent executives were “D” level at best who were paid handsomely to attend this event and be a Hollywood “expert.” It’s all a scam. They even have the balls to dangle the Disney and Nickelodeon carrot in their advertising. Both Disney and Nickelodeon have absolutely NOTHING to do with this talent search company. Here’s along list of articles on the subject.

To top it off, I worked with the girls for three hours – they had absolutely no interest in being actors. They just got caught up in the excitement and promise of stardom.

Ben Hodge:
These “talent searches” make their way through our area what seems like every year.  I had a recent run-in with one of these organizations a few weeks ago in my local mall which prompted me to put this blog series together.  Read about that experience here.

Marci Liroff:
In Los Angeles, there’s a great organization calledBiz Parentz who are dedicated to supporting children and parents in the entertainment industry. They are doggedly devoted to uncovering scams where children are concerned. They were also one of the organizations who were instrumental in getting the Krekorian Scam Prevention Act (AB 1319) instituted in California.

Where talent agencies and managers are concerned, you should NEVER pay them to be represented. They take a commission out of the jobs that they procure for you. There should be no up-front fees for representation. If anyone is asking you for a fee to be represented you should report them to your local district attorney and the Better Business Bureau.

A lot of online submission services are cropping up – these services promise to submit your pic/resume to all the casting directors and/or agents and managers for a monthly fee. Frankly, I haven’t seen one that’s effective and their promises seem out of line and unrealistic. If you’re doing your research well, you can do your own submissions and save yourself some money.

Ben Hodge
I’d like to reiterate the importance of doing your research and questioning before committing to anything.  In my case, I have been fortunate enough to find some influential people within the business who are wonderful resources for these questions.  I’ve made connections with Marci, Actors Access, and Breakdown Services, Inc. all through email and social media.  I can say without a doubt that these connections are worth making, especially if you are in a small market.  Small market actors don’t have the excuse of “I can’t make it out to LA/NY” anymore.  You might not be able to get there physically or financially yet, but you can get there through the power of technology.  Use your social media and online presence to help your research on these issues.  You’d be surprised how many ethical and helpful people there are in the acting business.

Ben Hodge:You always hear about actors being told to “spend your money wisely.” What are some wise ways that actors can spend their money as they are starting out?

Marci Liroff:
I think the first thing any parent needs to ask their child before they embark on this journey is this: “Why do you want to be an actor?”
If their kid answers, “Because I want to be famous!” – then you’re definitely on the wrong path. The odds of anyone becoming famous are about the same as winning the lottery. Yes, it definitely can happen, but the odds are slim to none. If your child answers something like this: “Because I think it’ll be fun. I’ll learn a lot. I love using my imagination to play different characters. I want to affect people by telling my stories” – then you are definitely on the right path.

When I’m casting kids, I always ask them why they want to be an actor and how’d they get into it. If they say, “I was at the mall and this lady came up to us and said I should get my pictures taken. Then we got an agent and before I knew it I was doing commercials” – most of those kids don’t survive in the long run because they just don’t have the innate passion they’ll need over time. The kids that say, “I’ve wanted to be an actor ever since I was little. I kept asking my parents if I could try and they always said no. After several years of me asking and asking, they finally said yes!” – these are the kids that make it. They act because they have to.

Ben Hodge:
I cannot agree more with this point about being certain about the motivation for getting into acting.  Many of my actors end up in my classes or seminars with the dream of becoming famous, well-known and financially successful.  They want to escape the small town life for the big-time glitz and glam.  I tell my actors that there is nothing wrong with being famous or wanting to be famous.  The problem occurs if fame is the main motivator.  The main motivator has to be a deep love and respect for performing.  Actors should get into acting because they would be miserable if they didn’t, or that a part of them would feel like it was being silenced or shut out from the world.  To me, the fame and financial success that can come with acting should always be more of a perk or by-product of artistic and personal success.

Marci Liroff:
Now back to the original question. Whatever market you’re in and wherever you live, you need to be a trained actor. You do this by taking lots and lots of classes and/or going to college or University and majoring in theatre or acting. You’ve got to have a strong foundation and the studying and training never stops. Finding the right teacher for you is very important. For younger actors, I find that too many acting schools seem like glorified babysitting services who use theatre games to make the time go by – rather than teaching an actual skill set and craft. This is not to say that all acting schools/teachers for kids are bad – far from it. You just have to be judicious in finding the right ones that work for you. Word of mouth within your acting community is a great way to get a recommendation for a class or teacher. You can even use Yelp or in Los AngelesActor Rated is a site dedicated to and run by actors with reviews on everything from head shot photographers to classes.

Speaking of headshots – you’re gonna need them! You’re going to need some great professional head shots that can help sell you to the buyers. I could do a whole blog on head shots alone – but in terms of cost, make sure you look at the photographer’s work ahead of time on their website. Meet the photographer and see if you’re comfortable with them. Talk about what you need from your head shots. These days a photo session costs anywhere from $250-$600 in L.A. and N.Y. and includes a few different looks. Some include hair and makeup, some don’t. I strongly urge you to splurge and get your hair and makeup done by a professional.

Ben Hodge
There’s really no reason to not have headshots or a resume if you are serious about your acting.  Even in a small market, directors and production companies are always interested in an actor’s resume and background.  Headshots are used more in marketing and show playbills and it pays to have control over what picture you are putting out there.  
A quick note about small market photographers: most of the photographers in small markets are not headshot photographers.  Many of them do weddings, senior pictures or other modeling events.  There is nothing wrong with photographers doing those things, but just be aware of their portfolio and expertise.  Make sure that they have an idea about what makes a good headshot.  I’ve seen some headshots that are glorified senior pictures, and that simply won’t work in the long run.

Marci Liroff:
In order to be in touch with what productions are casting, at minimum you need a subscription toActors Access. Here you will find all the listings (called Breakdowns) that the casting directors send out to the subscribers. You should note that most casting directors send out Breakdowns only to the agents and managers – so if you’re not represented then you won’t see the bulk of the Breakdowns that come out. However (and this is a big however) there are still many Breakdowns that we release to Actors Access because we haven’t found the actor we’re looking for and want to open it up to a wider talent pool.  

There are other Breakdown-type services around. Some are more for commercial casting likeL.A. Casting/Casting Networks – but I’m not involved with commercials so I can’t really speak to those sites. Some Casting Directors useNow Casting,Let it Cast, andCast It Talent. I like Cast It Talent a lot because if you are a subscriber, your profile gets embedded in my database and ALL the major CDs databases around the world who use their parent company, Cast It, to upload auditions for their creative team to view..

Ben Hodge:
I blogged extensively about some of these services that Marci mentioned.  Clickhere to read more aboutActor’s Accessand their other services (ActingLink andVirtual Channels) from Jenna Pass, Director of Media Communications.  Clickhere for more information aboutLet it Cast from one of the Co-Founders, Yoktan Haddad.  I often say to my small market actors that no one is going to know who you are if you don’t start putting yourself out there. “Out there” should be these reputable online CD databases, social media and personal websites.
 
For anyone interested in finding out more about Actors Access and their services, Actors Access and BHStudios is offering two FREE seminars called “Secrets of the Casting Process” led by Jason Teresi, Director of Regional Services for Actors Access on 9/19/12 in York, PA from 4-6:30pm EST and 7-9:30pm EST.  You can register for either session by following the links below:

Session #1 4-6:30pm EST                                     Session #2 7-9:30pm EST

This event will also be streaming LIVE via the web athttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/bhstudiostv

Marci Liroff:
You should also have a subscription toBack Stage Magazine to be up-to-speed on industry news and you can access many casting notices posted there as well. Of course you’re reading the daily trades like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Check in with Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood.com for industry news (and it’s free!)

It’s also wise to have a membership with IMDbPro (the Internet Movie DataBase). It lists all the credits for cast and crew on almost all productions. If you’re going in on an audition, you should do the research on each person you’re going to meet and audition for. Check out the shows they’ve done in the past – know their body of work so you’ll know what they’ll be expecting from you.

Another great tool isCasting About which is an online casting director and production guide. They provide the most up-to-the-minute information on who’s casting what, and their staff info.  

Some people will benefit from taking voice lessons to learn how to control their instrument (your voice!). Some will need movement classes so that you have an awareness of your body and how to control it to convey your emotions. Some clients I work with when I’m coaching have little to no training and simply do not know how to stand. Now I know that sounds odd, but we’ll be working on a scene that is a knock-down drag out volatile fight and they’ll be standing, hunched over, with their hands in their pockets. Is that how you’d stand when you’re (verbally) fighting for your life?!

These days you’ll need an online presence. Why not get your own website. At the very least, please secure your domain name for the future when you’re ready to get a website. Make sure to use your name – not something cheesy like starvingactor.com! I’ll bet you know someone right now who’s brilliant at setting up a basic website and you can barter some of your talents (cook them a nice meal, walk their dog, clean their house!) in exchange for setting up your site.

Ben Hodge:
I’d also take a look at your email address.  I would set up a new business email account that you will use for your acting-related communications.  Save your teddybearcutie@hotmail.com address for your personal use.  Go with your first and last name as the user name.  The same goes for your social media presence.  If you have a personal Twitter handle or Facebook page you should consider creating a business handle and page for any acting-related tweets or posts.  Social media is a valuable tool for connecting, educating and advancing your career.  Bottom line: keep your personal life personal and your acting business life business.  
 
Marci Liroff:  
As you amass more work, you’re going to need a kick-ass demo reel. Check out my earlier blog for what your demo reel should look like in terms of format and content. There are professional companies in every city that can do this for you, or you may know an editor friend who can put it together for you. These days, if you understand the technology, it’s pretty easy to do it yourself on your own computer.

I hope it goes without saying that you’re going to need to take care of your mind and body along the way. Eat right, get plenty of sleep, go to the gym, and spend quality time with your family and friends.

As you can see, there are A LOT of potential expenses and I haven’t even mentioned half of them. Before you buy into any service, make sure you’ve done the due diligence and research them first. Vet everyone you’re going to be paying to (potentially) work with.

Ben Hodge:
For some reason, many people do not see acting as something that should require classes or formal training.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Finding a good acting class or coach can do wonders for your career.  Acting is no different than athletics, music or academics: the more knowledge and practice you get, the better you become at those things.  Acting is not something that just naturally happens.  Certainly you have to be talented or effective at acting.  But acting takes as much training and learning as athletics, academics and music education.  Finding good training is crucial and is worth the money.  As always, do your research and background checking before you commit to anything.  Most acting classes will allow you to vet or audit (sit in on their class) so you can see if it is something you’d be interested in.  Vetting a class or instructor is a good idea before you spend your money.  

Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to ask them here!

Want more tips and general thoughts on life? Be sure to bookmark my blog and follow me here!
 
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
 
Glad you’re here!
Marci
Filed Under: AB 1319, Actors Access, Back Stage Magazine, Biz Parentz, Cast It Talent, casting, Casting About, Deadline Hollywood, IMDb, Krekorian Scam Prevention Act, Nikki Finke, scams, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
September 11, 2012 By 16 Comments

7 RULES TO LIVE BY WHEN MAKING YOUR DEMO REEL

By Marci Liroff

When I first started teaching actors about the business and how they can empower themselves, it was common to see demo reels that ran between 5-10 minutes long! Now it’s more common to see 30/60/90 second reels.

My, how times have changed! I imagine the next time I write about this topic it’ll have changed again. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
1. Here’s the skinny. Get your footage uploaded electronically so it can be easily viewed. Edit a demo reel which has clips from all your work woven together. Here’s the key and it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see actors make with their demo reels: Front-load your reel with your strongest footage. By ‘strongest’ I mean the footage that features YOU. If you’re in a scene with Will Smith but it’s really his scene and it barely features you, you’re gonna look like a background player and aren’t going to impress anyone. In fact, you’re going to get lost in that footage. Don’t use scenes where the other person is out-shining you in the scene.  You want the viewer to be riveted to YOU. Yes, I’m very impressed that you actually got cast in a scene opposite Will Smith – that is actually a big deal – but if you come off looking like an extra in the scene, I’m not gonna be so impressed. Unfortunately, when I play demos for producers/directors/and executives – they mostly have the attention span of a gnat – and will only watch the first few moments, unless you’ve really caught their attention – so make your opening great. Don’t go on and on in those photo montages with music in the background in your opening. If you’re going to do that, I suggest it be no longer than 7 seconds. Or better yet, do that montage at the end. Get to a great scene in the opening where you’re speaking. I’ve seen so many demos where I can’t even tell who I’m supposed to be watching because there are so many actors in the scene.
2. It’s quality, not quantity. At the very least, make sure it is of broadcast quality in both picture and sound. Don’t put poor quality footage on your reel – it only makes you look bad…really bad! With so many actors self-producing content these days for their reels, remember it has to look just as good as the footage we’re seeing on television and in the theaters. If the quality is “less than” it reflects on you. Have someone with an objective eye (not a family member or good friend) go through your reel to help you edit. Be discerning. Imagine you’re the buyer. You don’t need to put something on your reel just because you were in it. It’s got to be great footage. If it doesn’t show you in the best of light – don’t use it.  If it looks homemade (like so much of the self-produced content I see) don’t use it! I’d rather see no footage than bad footage. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube!
 
3. Use your best footage first and your newest footage at the top of the reel.  I suggest you do not go too far back into your repertoire – if you’re pushing 50, the scene when you were 20 will only confuse people and sorry honey, you’re not that guy anymore!
4. When you’re editing a demo reel, I suggest you do a separate comedy reel and a separate drama reel. If I’m casting a comedy, I want to view and show just your comedy footage and vice-versa. If we want to see your range, we can always view the other reel, but I find that most of the filmmakers I work with want to see *just* your comedy footage if we’re doing a comedy and don’t want to wade through all the drama footage on your reel.
I also really appreciate it when the clips are labeled at the top of the clip so that I know what show/movie this clip is from.
5. Some people are doing clips instead of demos. These are very useful as well. Each clip is it’s own self-contained clip that runs about 30-60 seconds. This way there’s a large variety of clips to choose from and I can pick and choose what I want to see (and send to my team). This seems to be the norm these days.
 
6. I suggest you upload your demo reel/clips to your profile page on Actors Access for easy viewing along with your resumé and photos. There’s also a great site called Cast It Talent you can subscribe to and upload pic/resume and reel/clips to your profile page and send that package to anyone who requests it.
You should also upload your reel/clips to your IMDb profile page. If you have a website, then of course your demo reel/clips are going to live there as well. If you’re going to upload your reel to a site like YouTube or Vimeo, please make sure you have your contact info easily viewable – either on the video itself or in the description below. Hell, you could post it in both places! These days, a lot of Casting Directors and comedy talent scouts are combing the web for new faces. You can’t imagine how many times I stumble across an actor’s video online and there’s absolutely NO contact info! Don’t forget to include your website, twitter name, and Facebook Page (if you have one) – this helps to market yourself across many different social media platforms.
 
7. Make it easy for people. I really don’t like receiving large files to my email from ‘You Send It’ when I’m working on a project. I just don’t have the time to download these files – remember, it’s not just your video file, it’s literally hundreds of them. You want to make it really easy for people to view your reel. Send an easily clickable link.

To read a version of this article on BackStage.com click here!

 
Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to ask them here!
Want more tips and general thoughts on life? Be sure to bookmark my blog and follow me here!
 
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
 
Glad you’re here!
Marci
Filed Under: acting, actor, Actors Access, actress, Cast It Talent, casting, casting director, demo reel, Marci Liroff, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,