Part II is all about predicting the future… your future!

So, I’m going to assume you’ve created your list of 5 or so major goals in life. Excellent! If they’re not perfect, don’t worry. This is an ongoing process and we’ll refine them as we go.

It is January 1st, 2013… how is your life different?

Underneath your list of major life goals, write the following. Pick a date approximately 6 months from now and write “It is (enter date 6-12 months from now)… how is your life different?”

Now, just start brainstorming how you would like your life to have improved by that date. Here are some  examples from my own goals document:

It is January 1st, 2013… how is your life different?

1) I have significantly boosted income from my children’s shows and I feel I have achieved a new level of professionalism. I have successfully broken into the Chicago market, and love performing all my shows. My performances are better, and everything that caused stress has been solved or removed from the stories.

2) We are happy in our new home and neighborhood, and have quickly settled into a great pace with a nice group of friends. Life is fun and we are relaxed and confident.

3) The combination of my performing income and my passive income streams is high enough that I am able to take every Sunday off to spend with my family. I am thrilled to have achieved this level of success and am certain even greater success will follow.

These are obviously personal examples from my own life. I make my living as a children’s entertainer, performing over 300 solo shows per year. Additionally, we are moving from NYC to Chicago in June. So these are the kinds of things I am focused on… getting settled and breaking into a new market.

This is the part of the work I enjoy most… It’s just brainstorming. Just let your mind go and imagine the positive changes you would like to make in your life over the next six months or so.

Again, don’t worry if they’re perfect – these will change and evolve over time. Just enjoy the process and see what you come up with. I have a list of about 10 changes I want to occur in my life, with the most positive outcome I can imagine for each one.

Keep them brief, keep them positive! Enjoy this process, and next we’ll take a look at what to do with these major life goals, and your list of changes.

What do you think? Leave your comments below…

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is an innovative, original episodic video and social media series produced for the web. Adapting Pride and Prejudice to the modern era, Lizzie Bennet tells the classic Jane Austen tale from the point of view of an Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet who grew up in a world of cell phones, video cameras, and social media. The series was created by popular YouTube personality Hank Green and Streamy Award winning web video writer Bernie Su.

Combining web video and social media in a way never before seen for a literary adaptation, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries takes the characters of Pride and Prejudice and tells their stories across a network of different platforms. Although YouTube serves as a “home base” for the story, fans can choose to further explore this modern retelling by following the characters’ interactions on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, all of which keep the fictional world “alive” for the audience in-between episodes.

Main character Lizzie Bennet maintains in-character social media destinations on Twitter, Facebook,Tumblr, and of course YouTube. Younger sister Lydia Bennet has her prime destinations on Tumblr andTwitter, while fashionista elder sister Jane Bennet incorporates Pinterest and Lookbook in addition to other social media sites. Fans and viewers are encouraged to interact with the all the characters on any media platform where they can find them.

PART 1 – Your Major Goals In Life

I do this in a Word document, and though I don’t deny the power of physically writing out a daily journal on paper, this is what works for me, and you’ll see why as we go.

A few years back, I opened a new document and titled it “Goals_1.28.07″. (January 28, 2007 was the date I started.) At the top of this document, I wrote the following:

My major goals in life:

1. I want to feel peaceful, confident, and happy.
2. I want the members of my family to feel loved, happy, content, and confident.
3. I want to make a lot of money and have a positive impact doing work I love.
4. I want to enjoy buying whatever goods and services provide comfort, security, and great opportunities for my family.
5. I want to help others enjoy life.
6. I want to actively participate in a community of positive, fun, motivated friends who enjoy life.
7. I want to be strong and healthy and have lots of energy. I want to live a long, joyful, and productive life.
8. I want to look back at the end of my life and feel happy knowing that I made excellent use of my time on Earth.

These are the things I am striving for in life. Rather than a bucket list of things like, “I want to win an Oscar”, “I want to sail across the ocean”, my major goals help guide me through the millions of little choices I make along my daily path.

Give yourself more options.

My major goals allow greater flexibility in achieving them, because they are not dependent on one single accomplishment.

Would I like to win an Oscar? Yes, but the reason I would like to win an Oscar is because it would make me feel confident, it would make me feel that I’ve had a positive impact doing work I love, it would presumably boost my income, and provide greater opportunities for myself and my family.

It’s most important to understand WHY you want to achieve each of your goals.

For me, winning a trophy, giving a speech, and getting my name on a list of Oscar winners that nobody’s going to remember in a few years are not particularly compelling. As you create this first list of major goals, keep asking yourself why you want to accomplish each one and you’ll discover a guiding force much more powerful than a giant to-do list.

So give it try… open a new document, title it, “Goals_(today’s date)” and write down what you think your major goals in life are. Don’t worry about making them perfect, just get them down on the page, maybe 5-10 goals.

In the next blog post, we’ll use this list of goals to predict your future.

What do you think? Share your comments…

Hi… how are ya. Welcome to the new blog. My name is Kipley, and I love success. In my life, I’ve experienced both great success, and tremendous, soul-crushing failure. I prefer success. I want more of it.

If, like me, you’ve spent any time studying success, you’ve no doubt come across the recurring notion that any positive change must first begin with your thoughts.

Whether you’re a no-nonsense “just the facts” type of person, a hyper driven success-a-holic, or a cosmic twinkle soul in search of a spiritual connection to the universe, the first step on that path to success is to check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.

(Ice Cube fans… anyone?)

Anyway…

Brain Surgery For Actors is an ongoing examination of the techniques and methods that highly successful people from all areas use to achieve their success.

“Success” is a very personal thing… my definition of success is mine alone and applies only to my life.  Yours will be different. The beautiful thing is that no matter the definition of success, the foundation for achieving it is the same.

Success begins with your thoughts.

Check back, comment, let’s take this journey to ultimate success together!

This is NOT a headshot

The quickest way to tell whether an actor is serious about his or her career is to look at their “headshot”.

Is it a professional photo? Or is it a snapshot taken on prom night? If you’re using a snapshot, it’s like showing up to race the Indy 500 in a VW Beetle. Nobody is going to take you seriously.

I’m sorry, people… you can send me as much angry e-mail as you want about this, but it’s true! Don’t tell me you’re destined to be a major Hollywood star but you cannot scrape together the cash to get professional headshots.

The single most important tool for the professional actor is a headshot. A headshot is a photograph that measures exactly 8 inches by 10 inches, which is why they’re called “eight by tens”.

Every professional actor must have a headshot… It is your calling card. Even with new digital casting sites and tools, every actor must have a photo ready to mail in for auditions and hand to agents and casting directors.

You must have a professional headshot if you wish to be a professional actor.

However, simply having a headshot is not enough.

Without doubt, the number one complaint we hear from casting directors, talent agents, producers, and directors is that so many actors do not look like their photos.

It’s true that photo sessions and printing can be expensive, but it is essential that you keep your photos up to date.

Question: Does your headshot look like you?

You just answered yes, didn’t you.

But c’mon now, be honest… does your headshot really look like you?

As the director and producer of numerous feature films, short films, commercials, PSA’s, a web series, and countless plays, I’ve seen thousands of headshots over the years, and I can tell you from personal experience that many… oh, so many… actors look absolutely nothing like their headshot.

I’m not alone in this observation… This is a complaint I have heard from virtually every casting director, producer, and filmmaker I’ve interviewed over the past several years for ActorsLife.com.

• Do you currently have a different hair color than you did in your photo, or have you significantly changed the length or style?
• Have you gained or lost a significant amount of weight since you had your last photo taken?
• Did you shave your head or grow a beard?
• Has it been two or more years since you had new photos taken?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to get a new headshot. You should be instantly recognizable from your photo the moment you walk in the door.

Like it or not, the first casting decisions are made based on appearance alone. For example, a casting director may be looking for an “athletic brunette with long, flowing hair” for a specific role.

So, she flips through a pile of photos and finds a young woman who matches the description perfectly. She calls that actress in to audition, uses valuable time to meet with her… only to discover that the actress has put on 30 pounds and dyed her hair sort of reddish since she had her headshots done.

This actress has wasted everyone’s time and given a bad impression. And this kind of thing happens all the time.

I cannot stress this enough: make sure your headshot looks like you!

It may be “expensive” to get new photos, but without a great (and accurate) headshot… think of all the auditions you’re missing. In the long run, using a bad headshot can be much more costly.

For some excellent examples of what a headshot should look like, click here to check out the directory at Reproductions NYC.

Heather Moran

Heather Moran has not only been a publicist for Chicago Cabaret Professionals in Chicago for the past 5 years, she has also been notably performing throughout the midwest for over 12 years. One of the unique qualities about Heather Moran and Girl Monday is that she has been inundated as a performer in the entertainment business for years and have developed strong and long-standing relationships with the Chicago media at large.

Girl Monday develops an exceedingly personal, highly collaborative relationship with our entertainers that put your professional goals front and center. What sets us apart is our ability to customize extremely creative media campaigns tailored to the needs, personalities, and professional goals of your individual client. Girl Monday coordinates with media contacts to place stories that communicate both the image and information that you would like to convey. Girl Monday will also prepare you for interviews to ensure that your message is effectively communicated, as well as supporting you through the interviews.

Heather… congrats on your new PR company, Girl Monday PR. Tell me about the company, your experience, and how you got started in PR.

I have been a vocalist in Chicago for well over the last ten years and I have had my share of press. I have worked really hard to learn how to market myself and get my name out there. You can’t perform for very long to empty seats so I have been very successful in developing ways to get the word out.

Eventually, I started working for other fellow performers. In the late 90’s and early 00’s, I was doing publicity for a company that I was acting with called the Factory Theater, so I also have a strong knowledge base with the Chicago theater scene. For the last 5-6 years, I have served as a publicist for a singing organization in Chicago, called Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

What is your job description as a PR agent?

I basically offer publicity and promotional services designed to publicize your events and your career on a short or long term basis. Not only can I handle your PR, but I can create press material for you, as well as manage your website updates.  I am also going to be delving into social networking hubs for clients, managing banner advertising and using news groups to target audiences. A PR person is NOT an agent or manager and is not responsible for booking.

Why is it important for performers, theater companies, etc. to use PR?

Like I mentioned before, performing is a whole lot more fun when the seats are filled with other people besides your grandmother. In order to maintain doing what we love, we have to generate an audience. In this highly competitive market and mind-boggling information outlets, having an eye-catching strategy to get you noticed is the pack is key. It’s vital to have your information listed so the public knows you are there and gathering credibility from critics can really raise your profile. There is so much over-saturation right now and the key is to make people notice you.

Can you describe the process you go through when working with a client to promote a show? What should a performer know or do before working with you?

First of all, I need at least 6 weeks out, if possible to start getting the word out. Some publications have month-out deadlines. We need to create a press release in order to supply to media with the information they need. They are responsible for giving me all of this information and then I take over to spread the word. I have a strict schedule of press drops that I do, as well as personal follow-up contact with media contacts.

This is the thing: There is no guarantee that any PR person can get heavy-hitting critics in to see an event. I tell this to my clients up front. I give 100% and do the same job for everyone. It’s all about what catches their eye at any given time, or what else is going on in the entertainment scene. This is why I always consult people to really think about their product and make sure that it is something that will catch people’s attention.

What are the essential tools used for promotion, and how can actors ensure that their promotional materials look professional?

The protocol is constantly evolving, but at this time, I would say that the most important things that performers need are a good website, current professional photos and as much online media as they can gather. The days of snail mail are out. Most people don’t even want things faxed to them anymore.

Many communicate through email and social networking like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. When I create material for people, there are hard copies, but I also supply everything digitally. Therefore, clients can drop of press packets to a club owner at a venue, or they can submit all of their promotional information online.

What is a “press kit”, what should it look like, and what should be included in it?

A hard copy press kit, geared to a certain event or show should have as much information about the concept and the performers as possible. This may include biographical information, press reviews and/or quotes, photos, past venues, song lists and a media CD is highly recommended. A Media CD will not only include digital copies of all the paper information in the packet, but it will also include sound, video and photo media.

A digital press packet, also referred to as an EPK (electronic press packet) is information that you have accessible online, most likely on a press page or link on your website. This way, a potential employer can gather all the information about you that they need, without the fear of them losing your hard copy information under a pile of other potential performers.

In your opinion, how important is a website for a performer or theater company? What are the most effective ways to use a website?

In this day and age, it’s critical. It’s just the way of the times. And it should be easy to get around. If there is too much flash or annoying music that is hard to turn off, it can be a deterrent. Luckily, there are a lot of website design options out there that are convenient for all price levels. I have preferred vendors that I recommend to my clients that fall into many different price brackets.

Creating websites in a blogging atmosphere seems to be a new, cheaper way to get a site done and I have some great vendors who specialize in this. Not only is it more economical, but it is a lot easier for the performer to update their own information.

Getting quotes and reviews seems essential to promoting a show and ones’ self as an actor. What’s the best way to get a show reviewed by local papers?

I will be the first to tell you that it is not easy to get people to even sometimes call or email you back.  There is just too much competition out there to get noticed in the crowd.

Also, come on, let’s say it out loud.  Critics are scary.  They frighten us, we don’t want to bug them or tick them off.  We don’t want them create any type of negative idea about you even before they have seen you perform.  It’s as if everything they say matters.

You have to remember that without us (the performers of the world), entertainment writers and publications will have nothing to write about.  They really do need us as much as we need them.  It’s just that they get a LOT of information and we need to make sure they pick OUR information. You have to find a creative angle to catch their eye. If you are putting a show together, you simply have to consider these things.

Great idea: If you are doing a Mamet show, pick the month that he is celebrating his 65th birthday, or coincide it with a release of his new Broadway show opening. Or, if you are doing a cabaret show on Johnny Mercer, try to plan your performances around the 20th anniversary of his death.

Just know that while your friends and family may love coming to see you do a show entitled, “Songs that Remind Me of What I Ate for Breakfast”. But unless you already have an enormous fan base and following, it might be a hard sell. Help the press write the story and the angle for them and they are sure to sit up and take notice.

Mailing and handing out fliers and postcards is a common way to promote a show. Is this effective in bringing in an audience?

Snail mail is costly and frankly, I think you are better off these days getting your information out through email, social networking and marketing tools like constant contact.

Is it welcome or frowned upon to call media and industry on the phone to let them know about your show? Is there a certain protocol for making phone contacts?

I can tell you what you don’t want to do.  Do not pummel people with too much information.  In the times of subscription email, all it takes is one click on the unsubscribe button and you will never be able to get your information to that person at that email address again.  I like to schedule my drops: One month out, two weeks out, the Monday morning before the show, and that is it.

I believe in a good phone conversation.  Everyone is busy.   Get over that icky, 8th grade nervous butterfly stomach feeling and make the call.  Introduce yourself and acknowledge that you know they are swamped but ask them for a few minutes.

Tell them that you wanted to let them know that you were sending over your show information and that you wanted tgive them a heads up.  Take nothing personally and be proud of yourself that you made the call because you have a leg up on 99% of the people that e-bombed them that morning.  They will remember you.

Are there common mistakes you see actors make when promoting themselves or their shows?

Truthfully? Know thyself. Be realistic and know your demographic…who you appeal to. For musicians, know that your Indie grunge rock band is probably going to be a hard cell to the public library circuit.

And for those of you doing a Cole Porter review, don’t bother trying to book college tours. An actor has to be aware of what brackets they fill as well. The professional theater scene doesn’t cast a 20 year old as Willie Loman with baby powder in your hair. They are going cast age appropriate and that goes across the board for looks, type, size and age.

You’ve had television and film experience, including Man of the Century (we’ll get to that) and multiple episodes of Law and Order: SVU as CSU Tech Pat Fisher.  But you continue to show up in obscure and exciting off-off-Broadway productions and downtown New York theatre—what’s the draw, for you?

I like working on new plays.  I have a tremendous affinity for films, plays, music, and art between World War I and World War II.  Talking pictures were new, Jazz was new the traditional “well-made play” was relatively new.   I think what those pieces have is not only technical skill, but also a lot of heart and an excitement about discovering what artists can do with this new vocabulary.  I think there is a similar excitement in downtown New York theatre today that I’m happy and very fortunate to be a part of.

What were your experiences like with Law and Order?  Was the process any different than what you would expect?

I have fun working on Law & Order.  Everybody’s really nice when I work there.  The pacing of hour-long television is not unlike an independent film.  Everybody’s really good at what they do and they don’t like to mess around.

The first L&O I did was an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and I remember reading in the script that my first scene took place at Port Authority bus terminal at 42^nd Street and 8^th Ave.  It’s one of the busiest street corners in the world, so I just assumed that they would be shooting the scene over on the side or cheat it somehow.  But I showed up on the set at 9am in the heart of rush hour, and the crew was setting up right in the thick of things.  I was surprised (and appreciated) the kind of relationship that the show has with the city.  It’s great.  And great for the New York actor.

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I always knew I wanted to do something with performance.   I started playing guitar when I was 10 hoping to be another John Lennon or David Bowie.  I went to a performing arts summer camp in the Catskills called French Woods. I played in a rock band there, but I enjoyed doing the plays so much more, so I think I just gravitated toward that.

Why did you decide to go to UCLA?  What was your experience with the UCLA theatre department?

I grew up outside of Philadelphia and went to a small prep school, so I wanted to try my hand at a bigger pond.  I wanted a big city so it was New York, Chicago, or LA. I knew I wanted to live in New York eventually, so I concentrated on Northwestern in Chicago and UCLA.  I got into both, but I had two friends (from French Woods) who were at UCLA so it seemed like a nice fit.

The program has changed so much since I was there.  When I was there, there were a lot of theatre majors, but no so many opportunities for students to act, so what resulted was a sort of positive unrest in which people were creating opportunities for themselves on campus, using unused rehearsal spaces, bathrooms, or even the benches out front.  Every area was a potential theatre and it made for an environment where creativity not only thrived, but was rewarded.

You worked out of LA after college and became a member of Los Angeles’s Buffalo Nights theatre company.

Buffalo Nights was founded from the same kind of energy that I mentioned above.   We were all kind of working and embarking on careers very soon after college, so the company gave us a chance to do the kind of theatre we wanted to do.  We were finding these crazy Polish Expressionism plays and putting our spin on it.  Despite what it may sound like, it was very unpretentious, but was good work.

You co-wrote and starred in the Independent Film Channel staple and cult favorite, Man of the Century.  So, tough guy, what made you think you could write your own feature film?

I met Adam (Abraham) shooting his graduate thesis (called Song of the Sea) for USC.  We hit it off, had a lot of the same sensibilities, and decided to write this movie.  I had never written a screenplay before, but when I look back at my high school experience, I realize I was always writing skits and sketches and little plays and things.

Adam certainly knew much more about screenplay and story structure than I did; and I had the acting experience to ensure that the characters were three dimensional; and we both had the love and knowledge of movies of the period to give the film the unique flair that I think we gave it.  It was a wonderful process.

Tell us about the steps involved in getting the movie made.

Adam and I had to make a choice early on if this was going to be a project that we were going to try to sell or if we were going to make ourselves.  We were both trying to forge careers for ourselves, so it seemed like if we wanted me to play the title character and for Adam to direct it, we would have to produce it ourselves.

It was a completely different time when we produced the film (in 1997).  It was before the get-rich-quick days of the internet-tech-.com boom; the stock market wasn’t all that hot, and four of the five nominees for best picture that year were all “independent films”.  It was actually a viable business investment at the time.

We put a packet together with information about the project and how much money it would cost and how much we would likely make and we went to every rich person that we knew.  We raised a pittance in terms of what we thought we were going to need, but adapted to make the film for what we had and shot on 35mm, black-and-white film stock in New York City in the winter of 1997.

We did post-production in LA and I went into serious, personal credit card debt, but finally the film was finished and we got into the Slamdance Film Festival, which had finally been legitimized after five years of programming good films, and that led to very good festival buzz and inclusion into other festivals.  Finally, we were able to find other investors, get out of debt, and eventually scored a distribution deal from Fine Line Features.

Is there anything you learned during the process that you would do differently today?

I think the whole process would be done differently today.  “Independent films” just aren’t made like that anymore.  Production companies with multiple investors or hedge funds or god-knows-what provide most of the financing for indies today.  And it’s not bad, it’s just different.

Adam and I had a lot of authority on Man of the Century because we were responsible for our investors’ money.  There were no battles between the creators and the producers, because we were both. But it was also lonely.  And we put our necks out there to be cut off by anybody who cared to.

Fortunately, we found a distributor, and though that had its own set of concerns and problems, we had the storybook ending for an independent film.  But as I’m putting projects together now, I’m trying to get other people involved in the early stages so that there are more people wanting the film(s) to succeed from the onset.

When did you make the move to New York, and why?

I finally made the move to New York after Man of the Century was released.  While the film has since found a life on cable and DVD, it never really got the chance to find its audience in theatres, and I was finding myself very frustrated in Los Angeles, so I decided to move back east and, basically, start all over again.

As if acting, writing, and producing weren’t enough, you also directed numerous one-person shows, including Christopher Titus’s Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, which lead to his FOX television show Titus.  You clearly believe, as we do at Actorslife.com, that creating your own work is the way to go.  What advice would you give people who are thinking about writing themselves a vehicle?

One of the things that Chris and I worked on with his show was making his story universal.  We are all individuals, and we all have our unique stories… but what in that unique story is a thread that nearly everyone in the world can identify with?

For instance, Chris’s show was about dysfunction families.  He had an unbelievable childhood.  His father was an alcoholic and his mother was mentally unstable, to put it euphemistically.  He had a childhood that very few people can relate to.  But what we tapped into, and what became the theme of the show, was that as human beings, we are survivors, and no matter what happened to us in the past, we have to let it go in order to step into the future.  So, my advice is to put yourself in the audience’s seat and ask, “How is your story going to help me transcend my life?”

Some people say that the entertainment industry prefers people to specialize in one area—be the best comic tap dancer you can be, say, and ignore your dreams to also direct Shakespeare.  What would you say to defend your more multidisciplinary, I’ll-do-what-interests-me approach?

I have no idea.  I don’t know if I can defend it.  Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe I should have become the best comic tap dancer I could be.  Damn.

What kind of representation do you work with, and what has been your experience with agents and managers over the years?

My relationship to representation has been spotty.  I have had eight agents and/or managers over the length of my brief career.  All of the jobs that I have gotten, the ones that have really transcended my career and helped me move forward, I have attained myself through my past work or creating the opportunity on my own.

And yet, for every experience like that that I have had, I know there is someone else whose agent or manager worked like hell to open a door for them.  It depends on the person.  My only advice in regards to this is that I have to be the CEO of my own career.  I can’t expect other to work as hard as I do for myself.  But if they don’t work at least 10% as hard, then I have a responsibility to my career to find someone who does.

What advice do you have for our younger readers who look at your career and say “That’s what I want to be doing?  How do I get there from here?”

The best advice ever given to me was that agents, managers, casting directors, producers, everyone in the business is lazy.  They don’t want to do anything.  So all that you can do is become the greatest, individual artist that you can be.  Eventually, if you are true to who you are and what you do, the public will respond and, all those suits will have to scramble to work with you.  That kind of blind faith in yourself and persistence.   That’s it.

]]> http://www.actorslife.com/video-judy-kerr-interviews-writer-producer-coach-bob-fraser/feed/ 4 http://www.actorslife.com/video-j-j-abrams-mystery-box/ http://www.actorslife.com/video-j-j-abrams-mystery-box/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:39:21 +0000 Kipley http://www.actorslife.com/?p=861

(From TED) “As the Emmy-winning creator of the smart, addictive TV dramas Lost, Alias and Felicity, J.J. Abrams’ name looms large on the small screen. As the writer/director behind the blockbuster explode-a-thon Mission: Impossible III, Cloverfield and the new Star Trek movie, these days Abrams also rules the big screen — bringing his eye for telling detail and emotional connection to larger-than-life stories.

Abrams’ enthusiasm — for the construction of Kleenex boxes, for the quiet moments between shark attacks in Jaws, for today’s filmmaking technologies, and above all for the potent mystery of an unopened package — is incredibly infectious.”