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Acting Career Coach – Betsy Capes, Capes Coaching

January 1, 2011 By Kipley 1 Comment

Betsy Capes founded Capes Coaching in April 2004 after six successful years casting and directing New York theatre. Her mission is simple but ambitious: to create a new type of actor in the entertainment industry, the Empowered and Fulfilled Actor. Betsy has led the Capes Coaching team in developing a new method of personalized coaching that helps actors take their careers to the next level. She has coached over 600 actors to creating successful careers in film, television, theatre, and beyond.

Interviewed by Joanna Parson

What is Capes Coaching?
We’re a career coaching center for actors and artists. There’s a wealth of resources in New York for building the acting craft, but very little when it comes to building an acting career. We focus on everything that supports the craft – bringing the passion and joy you have for your craft to how you run your business. Our team comes from all sides of the industry, and we work to bring our knowledge of how the business works to our coaching and classes. Our style is to match the career plan to the artist – that’s why we work one-on-one, so that their business plan matches who they are and their specific goals. We don’t believe in one foolproof answer for everyone.

Our readers come to Actorslife.com because they already think and/or know that they want to be an actor. So, why would an actor need a coach?
The same reason an athlete needs a coach – even the most talented person needs to be pushed, get challenged, stay accountable. Determining whether or not to pursue an acting career is one of many things that may come up in a coaching session. We’re here to help you make it through your career once you make that commitment. There are lots of decisions, ideas, and plans to make happen. We help you stay connected to what fulfills you as you move along your career path when difficult times come up – and they always do. No matter who you are, challenges are going to occur if you choose this business. We help actors confront and overcome their challenges so they can avoid burnout and stay fulfilled.

You offer both group classes and private coaching. What’s the difference? And what differentiates your classes from typical acting schools?
What’s innovative about Capes Coaching is that instead of starting this company with a roster of classes, we started with individual coaching and then developed small classes based on the needs of the actors. And then we tailored our classes to meet the needs of the industry, like giving actors audition skills that align with what casting directors need to see when they walk in the room.

Also, the community aspect can be a huge benefit when it comes to career issues like where to train or where to find auditions. But I should mention that none of our classes are about one casting director or other industry person telling you what you should do. They are all designed to help you develop your approach based on who you are and where your talents lie.

Super/Capes Casting casts for film, television and stage. What kind of projects do you cast? In casting, do you give preference to Capes Coaching clients?
We’ve been fortunate enough to set it up so we only take projects that are the right fit for Super/Capes Casting, that excite us. I started out as a casting director and it’s been amazing to return to casting after three years of working with actors as a coach.
Like all casting directors who also teach or do seminars around town, we certainly meet talented actors through our work as coaches, but we don’t give preference to Capes Coaching clients. We pull from a wide pool of actors that we meet through agents, showcases, and even events. We’re hired by our clients to solve a problem of a specific role and we use all our resources to do that. However, in-house, we make it very clear that Super/Capes Casting is a division of Capes Coaching and not the other way around – in fact, everyone who does coaching or a class here signs an agreement that says they understand that meeting us does not give them preferential treatment in casting.

Let’s do some role-playing—what would you say if someone said to you, “I think I want to be an actor, but I don’t know whether I’m good enough?”
Okay. I don’t know what “good enough” means to you, so we have to start by getting clear on that. So how would we know whether you’re good enough? Are you good enough because you get cast in something? Great! So have you been cast in something? Not yet… so what do you need to do to get cast? Audition – but for what? Are you ready to do that? What do you need to do to get ready? What does success in this business mean to you? And then we would start brainstorming, and get very specific so they would walk away with clarity on what they need to do to become good enough.

It’s all about determining what your standards are for success in this business. This is a very personal decision… We’re not about telling you if you’re good enough, we’re about helping you zoom into exactly what you want, why you want it, and how to get it.

How about this old chestnut: “I’ve really enjoyed being an actor for some years now, but it’s time to get paid! How do I be an actor and yet get a hold of my finances?”
Another opportunity to explore what’s really behind that statement: what does “getting a hold of finances” mean to you? What about getting paid is important to you? Is it the validation? The freedom? The actual money in your bank account that you need to see in order to stay in this business? To tell mom and dad? There are so many possibilities for getting in control of your finances that may tie into your acting, but don’t have to. We challenge you to think outside the box – what are ALL the possibilities for getting what you want, not just the first few that come to mind.

You used to write a hilarious blog on your web site, fake personality Factor Von Factor’s “How to be an Actor in New York“. It’s basically how to do everything wrong. Not to be negative, but what are the most common mistakes that you see actors making in their approach to their career?
Not being true to who they are. Being preoccupied with what they assume the rest of the industry wants from them. Lack of clarity on how to run their business with confidence. That’s why our motto is “talent is only half the equation” – you have to run your business in a way that puts your talent across in the best possible way in order to be successful.

Most actors come to us asking “what more can I do” – but 9 times out of 10 it’s not about what they’re doing, it’s HOW they’re doing it. And they’re too dramatic about it! Keep the drama on stage. You guys are so hard on yourselves! Actors beat themselves up, try to attack every goal at once, and don’t plan the path from here to there. We have a class called “The Path Class” that’s all about setting up a business plan for the next year of your career. Every actor who has gone through Path walks away not only with a plan, but with clarity, and that leads to confidence, a truer energy that’s not going to take away from what they are capable of as an artist. Now their talent is supported rather than strained.

I know that at Capes Coaching you’re as big a fan of self-starters as we are, and have encouraged many people to write their own shows, produce films, and write screenplays. Why?
No one will ever care as much about your career as you do. Our philosophy is to focus on what’s in your control. Other people’s projects are, to a degree, out of your control. Creating your own projects, at any level, has helped our clients reconnect to their creativity, their artistic voice, and helped them discover other skills sets they have. One of the beauties of being part of this business is that you can do more than one thing – we encourage them to strengthen those muscles if that’s the right fit for them.

Many of our readers are interested in many different aspects of the business—they would like to do TV, film, and television, but they also write, but they also dance, but they also fill-in-the-blank. Do you encourage people to find one or two niches and stay there? What’s your opinion on multi-threats?
We call this “multi-goal syndrome.” Definition: the burning desire to have it all without a tangible plan for how to go about getting it – and it’s contagious! You’ve got to have a good enough strategy that you’re not changing it every time you see someone else doing something different. Seriously! The only time you should be doing everything another actor is telling you to do is if you want the exact career they have, and have the exact resources, talent, and look they do. I believe the most important resource you have outside of yourself in this business is your network of contacts, including other actors, but you have to put your own talent first.

There seems to be some overlap in what you do and what actors imagine a wonderful manager might do, in terms of guiding a career. Can you address what the difference might be, aside from the fact that you don’t submit clients for projects?
Clients book sessions with us; we never take a percentage of anything earned. In fact, agents and managers regularly refer their clients to us.
We don’t fish for our clients. We teach them how to fish! We give you the tools to make the decisions that are right for you, but we don’t do it for you. Coaching should not be a relationship that lasts forever; you should use coaching as one of many resources to move you forward when you need it.

Do you give advice to your actors about headshots? What do you think is important in a headshot, and what are the first steps actors should take when planning to get new pictures?
We have a specific process for supporting actors through their headshot process from beginning to end, including selecting the photographer, what you want your headshots to say about you (type clarification), selecting headshots once they’ve been taken, and managing the feedback you get from other people.

The first step is to be clear on the purpose of the headshot. Research, research, research! I’ve seen people get burned spending tons of money on headshots because they weren’t clear about what they want. Getting headshots you love is more in your control than you think. Before you put down a lot of money, know what you want to get out of that investment. In fact, that’s how you should be approaching everything in your career.

You do audition preparation work with your actors. What are a few things every actor should do when they know they have an important audition coming up?
This is where we see actors getting in their own way the most. We have a whole workshop designed to identify and overcome what’s blocking them in auditioning. Auditioning is its own skill, and is not synonymous with your performance ability, but it can support it. Have a process that you can count on – this may be the most important thing an actor can do.

Do you help actors with their personal presentation? For example, are you gonna tell me to spend more than $5 on a haircut? How can actors learn to look their best without becoming crazy neurotics about appearances?
We definitely believe physical presentation is an important part of the actor’s arsenal – we even have an image consultant on staff as a resource for actors if they need support with their image beyond a coaching session. But it’s just one of several things the actor has to be on top of to present themselves well. Don’t obsess – be balanced in your approach to your career!

Does a person have to live in New York in order to take advantage of Capes Coaching? What advice would you give to someone in a smaller market—Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, who wanted to ramp up the professional momentum in their career?
Absolutely not – we work with clients all over the map. Our coaches do sessions over the phone when they’re on tour, on location, or based in other cities, especially LA. We do the same work with clients regardless of where they are: working on their network, setting goals, building their resume. That’s the great thing – we don’t have to be in the same city to teach you a process for moving forward.

Like I mentioned before, after working on your craft and getting clear on your goals and strategy, your contact network is a great next step. Keep meeting people and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! And stay in contact – let them know how your career is growing, and be sure to ask them about what they’re doing too. People don’t forget someone with authentic, positive, generous energy.

Can you tell us some of the books and/or resources that have helped shape your philosophies?
We have a great book list on our website, and our clients keep telling us about new books that have helped them. And remember to think outside the box – anything can be a resource! Read plays to get new monologues. Read books about networking and communicating well. Get some books that inspire you, whatever that means to you. And don’t forget all the great stuff online – like ActorsLife.com! Search online for articles, podcasts, and forums – we also send out a monthly newsletter with career advice and tools.

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Talent Agent: Naomi Kolstein, Kolstein Talent Agency, New York, Los Angeles

September 6, 2010 By Kipley 10 Comments

Naomi KolsteinNaomi Kolstein is the owner/agent, Kolstein Talent Agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Naomi catapulted to prominence in the entertainment field through her successful special event business called, “Naomi’s World of Entertainment, Inc..” In that world Naomi and her staff contracted with corporate America to provide the very best performers in every arena of show business to make it available to every part of the world.

Today, with the enthusiasm of Professor Harold Hill and the visionary spirit of PT Barnum, Naomi Kolstein works her magic to ensure that the tremendously talented roster of actors represented by Kolstein Talent Agency are, indeed, WORKING actors. The Kolstein Talent Agency represents actors in areas including film, television, commercials, theatre, voice-overs, industrials, and print.

Naomi says a short bio on her would read, “I love my work. I will travel far for a good story. I live for a great face. I seek authentic emotion” Naomi relishes the opportunity everyday to connect the actor with the project. She adores the art of the sale.

Interviewed by Joanna Parson

How did you get into the business?
Getting into the business was an evolutionary process for me. I grew up in a family where my parents were partners in a Public Relations firm that handled among other things, a theatre, a shopping mall, and some political campaigns. Their office was part of our old Victorian house and because of that I was always privy to the goings on of the family business. I attended theatre on a weekly basis and brainstormed about live entertainment for the shopping mall and positioning, presenting, speechmaking on the political front.

From a childhood filled with glimpses into both the world of entertainment and the arts (sort of) I went on to create “Naomi’s World of Entertainment, Inc” , entertainment company focusing primarily on the corporate market. The world of custom corporate entertainment led to representing talent for corporate gigs from NY to Japan to India, England, Italy, and more. And then quite unexpectedly to calls from both casting people and ad agency people interested in booking our talent for film, commercials, and spokesperson work.

A passion had always been representing the slightly offbeat and original in talent and I guess word had spread that we could be a resource in other areas as well as corporate entertainment. We were thrilled to cross over have our Chinese Paper cutter doing national commercials along with our banjo player, Joe Pesci Look-alike, 85 year old beauty queen, etc.

After a time of doing both the special event and commercial/film work simultaneously I decided to focus on this new challenge of film, television, commercials, and theatre and look for and represent actors for these specific areas. So no more 1000 person company picnics with stilt walkers, magicians, and sidewalk street artists.

What impresses you the most when you meet actors?
What impresses me most when I meet actors is a blend of passion, originality, and reality. I want to represent people who are stand-outs in their look, their performance style, their bold choices. Also I am impressed by actors who know about the business of acting and all that it entails.

How do you find and meet new people?
I often attend showcases, go to shows, participate in seminars, consider referrals, and do research to find appropriate actors for specific roles.

Do you ever work with people based on mailings and headshots alone? How often do you call people in for an interview based on mailings?
We receive many unsolicited headshots and resumes daily and often we do invite actors in from mailings if their look combined with their resume peak our interest. Generally we would not respond to a beginning actor from a mailing but we might be inclined to respond to an actor who speaks multiple languages or a child actor, or a musical theatre person with great credits in this way.

Some years ago we received a headshot of Anthony Berry in the mail. He had the most unique and wonderful look. His resume was almost non-existent but we met him because his face was the best long sad face we had ever seen. Anthony came to our office and we found him to be charming, intelligent and very funny. We began introducing him to a few casting people and he immediately began to book. Then he was picked up as a regular on the Dave Chappel Show.

Sadly, Anthony Berry died a few years ago. We would never have known him had he not sent that unsolicited headshot to our office.

You do a lot of freelancing, and have a large pool of actors with whom you have relationships. How does freelancing help the actors you represent? Is there a downside?
Regarding freelancing, it is our practice to represent a large pool of unsigned actors mostly in the area of commercials. We feel the requests for looks/types are so scattered and specific we might be hampering an actors ability to get work if we limit their opportunities to be sent our by other agents as well for commercials.

We do work primarily with our signed clients in film and television and theatre but reach out to our freelancers as well in these areas.

When do you typically decide to sign an actor exclusively?
 We usually begin by working in a loose verbal agreement with our clients for the first three months. If we see that the client is well received (even if he/she has not yet booked for us) we tend to move to the next level and sign that client. If there is no visible response from our submissions after three months we often keep the client in our files and continue to submit but without a contractual commitment for either party.

Can or should an actor freelance with many agencies? If so, how can he or she avoid being sent out for the same audition by multiple agents, and keep everything running smoothly?
 This is a hard question to answer. If there are multiple agents submitting a client for a single job that is not an ideal situation. Sometimes we clear through a manager or directly through the talent. We do keep in close contact with our clients so in our case it’s usually not a problem. We often discuss specific roles with the talent and check schedules, character descriptions, etc.

You work with a number of older actors. How can older actors without extensive credits expand their marketability? Are there particular professional areas on which they should concentrate?
We enjoy working with older actors and find there is a tremendous amount of work in this area. I suggest any older actors without extensive credits might consider some of the following ideas:

Make sure you enroll in some good training for your areas of interest.

Consider the possibility of work in the field of corporate industrials and commercials.

Look into teleprompter and earprompter and on camera classes.

Study improv – essential for commercials

Make sure your headshot shows some personality

Take time in writing your resume and be sure your special skills area is complete and detailed

How important is theatre training for actors who want to target TV and film?
 The best actors I have seen ALL have theatre training. It may not be essential for commercials and industrials but I believe it always helps improve the actor.

How much film and TV work is there in New York City, anyway? Are your clients being seen for projects on both coasts, or is it mostly TV shows and movies that are shot in New York?
 Jeremy Zall heads up our film and television division in New York and, happily, he is busy all the time. There is more work now than in the past few years open to NY actors for film and television. Most film projects that are set in LA also cast in NY and while we do have an LA office, our NY actors are often seen for these same projects.

You are a boutique agency that works in all areas—film, TV, commercial, theatre, and print work. What advantages does that small size and wide scope give you and the actors you represent?
We are a small office and being such have a commitment to know the talent we represent and to do a good job in representing that talent. We have divided responsibilities in our New York office between our three agents, i.e. I focus on theatre, industrials, and commercials, Jeremy Zall focuses on film, television and commercials, Pam Wisneski focuses on voice-overs and print.

Our assistants focus on being a wonderful support system for us and we each sit with each other each day working on projects jointly and making sure we share information about our clients. We are a team and collaborate extensively with our clients and with each other.

I feel we have very strong relationships with casting directors. They know how closely we work with our clients and that we make a tremendous effort to submit people who are well qualified for each job.

You love pro-active actors, and describe the agent/actor relationship as a collaboration. What do you mean by that? How can actors help you?
 I want to know everything I can know about an actor. I’d like to know what roles were most challenging to him. What casting directors know him by name. Who he studied with and when and why. If he says he’s a baritone I want to hear it. If he says he can play angry or sad or shy I want to feel it, see it, know it. If he e-mails (and I welcome this) and says they are casting… and I hope you consider submitting me, I want to know why he feels that role is perfect.

His suggestions are no guarantee that we will agree and submit him/her for that role, but I like the suggestions and I like the reasons even more and I will think and listen and discuss with my staff; that is what I consider a collaborative effort.

Let’s talk about the tools of the actor. How important are headshots? How often do you suggest actors get headshots, and is there actors can look out for that might signal that their headshot is out-of-date or unprofessional?
Regarding headshots, they are vital. While I spend more time with resumes than with headshots, I always look at the headshot first. I don’t have a “rule” about how often headshots should be taken. I think any new headshots should be done in color. Like most agents, I imagine, I want to see headshots that look exactly like the actor. Additionally, I want to see eyes that show some sort of emotion. Pizaaz.

What about resumes? Some professional resume services encourage photos, catchy typefaces, and graphics on resumes. Is it important to spend time and money on the design of a resume?
I am not a fan of catchy typefaces or graphics on a resume. I much prefer simple and clear and uncluttered.

You have begun to work a lot with online casting. Which parts of the industry are going online the fastest? If casting is now happening online, will I soon be using my unused pictures and resumes to wallpaper my guestroom?
For now commercials are the only area that is almost exclusively on-line. Many industrials and many voice-overs and some print are submitted electronically. All other areas including film, television, theatre still usually require hard copy. I love submitting on line with attached notes. I look forward to an office with no file cabinets- doubt if that will be in the near future.

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Acting Business Coach: Brian O’Neil – Acting as a Business

August 29, 2010 By Kipley 1 Comment
BRIAN O’NEIL is a former talent agent and personal manager who has represented actors for theatre, film, television, commercials, and radio. As a talent representative he was responsible for the career guidance and professional placement of hundreds of actors including some of todays biggest stars. Brian is the founder of Acting As a Business, a one-on-one career-consultation and career-coaching service for actors. He lives in New York City and is a frequent guest lecturer at some of the nations finest acting-training programs including The Yale School of Drama and The Juilliard School.

Interviewed by Joanna Parson
You recently came out with a new edition of your book, Acting as a Business: Strategies for Success. What do you mean, acting is a business? I thought it was just fun! Seriously– why is it important for actors to educate themselves about the business side of the business?
I think it’s important for actors to know what they’re getting themselves into, and to know realistically what’s expected of them from those on the other side, that is, agents, casting directors, directors etc. It’s good for new actors to see how it all works. It helps to see the big picture. In doing so, an actor is at least somewhat less likely to take every disappointment so deeply and so personally. It’s also important for someone who is entering a profession where there appears to be so little control to know that there are many things he or she can do to advance his or her career.

I bought the second edition in 1999 when I was just getting started in New York, and I know there have been a lot of changes in the profession since then. Can you describe how the industry has changed in recent years, and how you address those changes in the new edition?
Sure. I am always trying to teach actors new and innovative ways to gain access. For example, most of us know that it’s not easy to get a main stage acting job at a top theater. It’s somewhat easier though to get in a “reading” of a new play at a top theater, simply because logistics and finances dictate that more readings can be done than main stage productions.

In the new edition I talk about how a reading at a top theater is vital, and can be placed on a resume in such a way that it doesn’t misrepresent the actor but still gives the actor most of the credibility that he or she would have gotten if they had been in a main stage production. I’ve had a lot of actors set up their resume like this and had their phones ring from agents and managers.

I also dig much deeper into how an actor should prepare an answer to the dreaded “How do you see yourself?” question so often posed by agents in an interview. As far as industry changes go, I talk about the escalation of actors meeting industry people through paid seminar events, and I analyze the value of said events. I also show that working in regional theater can get an actor an agent sometimes even faster than if he or she is appearing in a play right here in New York. I also point out that actors, via the Internet, often get to directors and playwrights and directly. And it should come as no surprise that I reinforce the importance of stage visibility to the New York actor who wants to work in film and TV, which is just about everyone.

The overall theme of the book is, as before, learning to create quality audition opportunities for yourself and learning how to communicate effectively as a person in the business of acting.

You’ve been helping actors get agents for years– you must know what agents are looking for in new clients. So– what the heck is it? And what can actors DO to make themselves more appealing to agents?
Most agents are looking for an “easy sell.” A prime example of an “easy sell” would be someone who just got out of a top school, or is really good-looking, or better yet, a combination of those two things. That aside, many agents feel they can be effective when someone has already gotten themselves “on the map”, so to speak.

For example, through a prior contact, an actor might have gotten himself or herself in a play at a really good regional theater, or gotten themselves in an independent film that got distribution. Luck of the draw stuff like that. If an actor wants to be more “appealing” to an agent, sometimes he must realize that he has to get some work first, before an agent will even be interested. I outline strategies for getting that work in my book. See, some actors get an agent, and then they get a career. Some actors get a career and then they get an agent. And some of the best careers happen in the latter manner!

You’ve said about headshots that “a preoccupation with this subject is, at best, time-wasting.” What do you mean by that?
Perfect timing with that question! But remember, I also said that good pictures are important! What I mean is, there is often OVER emphasis on the photo. With the current digital color pictures, the quality of photos has never been better. And yet actors often go on and on and on about their picture, when the real problem is often their RESUME!!! As in, there’s nothing impressive on it!! Recently, I was on a panel with three casting directors, all of whom concurred that if the picture is a quality photo and looks like the actor, then fine. They all said they were far more interested in what that actor had done! Training, jobs, in other words, THEIR CAREER!! Touche!

Here’s what I mean. An actor recently showed me his picture. I thought it was a great picture. He told me that he was working with two different agencies. One of the agencies was getting him a lot of auditions and the other wasn’t getting him any at all. The agency that wasn’t getting him any auditions told him his picture wasn’t any good and that’s why they couldn’t get him any auditions. “Go get new pictures”, he was told!

I asked him to name the two agencies he was working with. He did. I said: “The agency that’s getting you lots of auditions is the ‘such and such’ agency, (and I named it) and the agency that is getting you no auditions is the ‘so and so’ agency(and I named it). He said, “Yes!! How did you know?” I said: “I am very familiar with the industry reputations of both agencies. The ‘such and such’ agency has a lot of clout and access, and the ‘so and so’ agency has very little. As such, the ‘so and so’ agency is ineffective in getting you auditions so they are blaming it on your PICTURE which happens to be a very good picture of you!”
Similarly, another actor that I know had a meeting with an agency who didn’t like his pictures. Wanted him to go out and get new ones (he had just gotten new ones!) Wouldn’t work with him with those pictures! He met another agent the next week who LOVED the pictures! They send him out all the time and now he’s working like crazy. Okay, best of all: A really smart young actor friend of mine showed me his pictures. I liked them. He said his agent didn’t. Then he said: “But isn’t that what agents almost always say? That they don’t like them? I told them I couldn’t afford new ones right now, which wasn’t completely true. Anyway, I just laughed it off after I left the office.” Well, he’s talented and they “made do” with the pictures and guess what? This kid is now the star of a huge hit prime-time series and making tons and tons of money and he NEVER got new pictures! His pictures were fine, but his TALENT is sublime, and so it goes. I think I’ve said enough.

If an actor is planning to move to NY/LA to pursue a professional career, what should they do to prepare before leaving, and what should they focus on when they first arrive?
They should get great new pictures!! (Kidding). Before departure, they should get the best training locally that they can, explore the local scene for film, commercial, and stage opportunities that may help build their resume and possibly even give them a demo to show when they get to the big city. On arrival, survival stuff aside, get in a good class.

You’re a big fan of working in soap operas– how does one “break in” to soaps? Should I spend my resources on getting into soaps even if I may not be targeting them as a focus of my career?
I like soaps for a few reasons. One is that I used to work on them in my earlier years when there were many more of them around. But it’s still a good way to get on a professional set and learn a few things. Also, there is an “access” factor in soaps that doesn’t quite exist in prime-time television. To cut to the chase, let me put it this way.

If you watch a soap, and you see an actor who has, say, a scene with maybe four lines in it, he or she probably got that job by themselves. If you watch a prime-time show, and you see an actor with a four-line scene, he or she almost definitely had an agent send them in to read for it. Also, one can get upgraded on a set from extra to small part on a soap, which is under AFTRA’s jurisdiction without union membership much faster than on a primetime SAG show, where the upgrade will almost always be given to someone who is already a member of SAG.

Actors get called in by soaps from their mailings to casting directors every day. That’s a fact, but there is far less access for the actor in primetime work. So it involves mailings! And it’s greatly detailed in Acting As a Business. Actors call me and stop me on the street all the time telling me they got soap work using the same techniques that worked for me years ago. As far as whether or not you should spend your resources approaching the soaps, just remember that if you are a New York actor there are only four soaps left in New York, so a small handful of postcards a couple of times a month wouldn’t likely take up too much of your energy or your money.
Are “mass mailings” of headshots to every agent in town an effective way to build a career? Should actors continue to send postcards and headshots to agents if they don’t have any bookings or callbacks to report?
A “mass mailing” might work—depends on what you look like, how old you are, and possibly your credits. One young Brad Pitt type I worked with recently did a mass mailing. It probably won’t surprise you that it worked! He got an agent immediately,and two soap screen tests within a couple of weeks. Again, going back to what agents want—he was an easy sell. But for most, effective follow-up every month or two—with progress will be critical. Some will call actors in to see monologues, others still would want to see your work in something, and won’t call at all.

But remember that your progress can determine whether they come see you when you are in something! The bigger issue is that you have a goal and through regular progress reports, you are chipping away at having your goal come to pass. Not to get all “new-agey” on you, but when we have a goal and we have an ongoing strategy, things happen that might not happen if we didn’t have the goal-mentality in place from the get-go. So when actors say “mailings don’t work”, sadly, they’re not making a statement about mailings, but they’re making a statement about themselves, i.e. the way they look, or that no progress is happening. And if there’s no career progress to report, something is wrong and I wouldn’t keep writing to someone if I have nothing new to say.

With the proliferation of the Internet, actors may be tempted to find the e-mail addresses for agents and managers and overuse them. When is it appropriate to e-mail people in the industry?
Generally speaking, and there would be exceptions, I would say to e-mail someone after you’ve met them. E-mail is also easier than post office mail (I hate the term “snail-mail”), so it has proliferated. Sometimes a combination of using the internet for research, and then using postal mail is most effective of all. I’ll give you an example later (it will appear as an answer to question # 14, but don’t read it yet!!)

You have always believed in the stage as a route to film and screen acting careers– certainly for actors based in New York. How has the advent of digital cameras and the proliferation of indie films changed that? It’s easier now than ever for an actor to create film or video work as a calling card– is it still important for New York actors to be seen on stage?
I invite the reader to go to amazon.com and look at the free sampling they offer of the first several pages of this third edition of Acting As a Business just to see how alive and well the stage to screen connection is! And those examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s wonderful that technology has made film making easier, but the problem area is that the overwhelming majority of small films and independents don’t really get much visibility. There are exceptions, of course.

Remember that theaters have reputations, high level productions get reviewed, and even if someone doesn’t see the production you’re in, they may see a review. Or even if they don’t, it’s on your resume for keeps, which highly valuable if the theater is respected. Most independent films on a resume are simply titles that don’t mean much or often don’t mean anything to anyone. And even if you get a demo, you still have to have someone want to look at it. Okay, here goes. A young actor friend of mine got in a play at a really good off-Broadway theater two months ago that was scheduled for a four week run. The New York Times said he was “excellent”, so did The New Yorker. Boom. He had a great part on an episode of a New York prime-time show within two weeks. He also told me that his auditions through his agent had escalated after the show opened –from one per week to five or six per week –and that his call-back rate had also escalated from 30% to 80%!

I asked him if he thought he was auditioning better than before. He said, “No, I’m auditioning worse than before because I’ve been sick as a dog for the last three weeks. But it doesn’t matter because everyone that auditions me has either seen the show or read the reviews so I’m being seen in a new light. The perception of me is different.” He was absolutely right, although many casting directors, directors, and producers would probably be in denial about just how much they are influenced by outside sources, which in effect, make them somewhat less scared about who to cast.

Many actors believe they can’t make headway in the New York theater scene unless they’ve gone to “the right” school. What do you tell people with that mindset? In your opinion, is a degree in acting essential to a successful career?
It’s not essential, but the facts bear out that people from top academic training programs have a far better shot at being considered for major New York stage productions. Still, it’s no guarantee. I’m a little amused in that I work for many top schools and the students at those schools often say to me: “Okay, so I’m at a top school, but if you aren’t a name from film and TV, you still can’t get theater!” This isn’t true of course, but everyone points to the next group up the ladder and blames it on that! My solution is to show actors how to get into good, smaller places that still are good to perform at and be associated with, and from there I can show them how to get the bigger stuff.

Some new actors have trouble identifying their look, or their “type”– and it can be a self-defeating trap, trying to second-guess how other people might see them. How can a person get ideas about their type without limiting themselves?
As I mentioned at the outset, I really delve into this more deeply than ever in the latest edition of Acting As a Business. My approach is to think about the essence, that is, the makeup or the traits of the characters you have already played well, if only in class. Watch a profile emerge as you compare one character to another. You will discover that these characteristics often also describe you as well, in varying degrees. This way, you can start to get a “rap” ready to answer the “How do you see yourself?” question. If you have a prototype, think about a specific role that he or she played that most makes your point and it will bring your discussion full circle. In other words, don’t just name someone simply because you look like him or her. After you’ve done this, get out of the house and find an audition to go to. The business will guide you to where you fit in so by all means have a realistic sense of where you fit in, but don’t overstress the “type” thing. (Sorta like the pictures).

There are many ways to get in front of casting directors and agents by paying for seminars or “audition workshops”. When do you think this a good use of an actor’s time and money? What should actors be wary of when considering these workshops?
I think an actor needs to know exactly which accounts a casting director has, and if the actor is going to pay to meet them, prepare appropriate material. Most venues provide this information. One actor I worked with did this: He waited to meet a specific casting director when he knew the casting director was preparing to cast an Irish play for Broadway. The actor came in and did a monologue with a flawless Irish brogue. When he finished, the casting director said: “Wow! That’s great! In two weeks it so happens that I will be casting a play for Broadway that requires what you just did!!” The actor (laughing up his sleeve) said: “Really? That’s just great!” Yep, he got the Broadway Now that was smart! When it comes to agents, I think an actor should be aware of the career level the agency handles. Is it realistic for you to meet them at this time? Are your skills agent ready? Or, perhaps, whether it’s a particular agency’s policy to free-lance, which would make for a flexible situation, and sometimes offer a more realistic chance to be able to work with that agency.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve seen actors make in terms of approaching acting as a business?
I guess I would say they’ve made the biggest mistakes by NOT approaching acting as a business!

Tell us a story– in the last six months, what’s the most innovative thing you’ve heard of an actor doing to get a part?
Well, I’ll take some credit here, because I told the actor what to do, but here goes. An unrepresented young actor whom I know wanted to get an audition for a production at an A-list off-Broadway theater. Not so easy to do, but here is where the internet-post-office connection I mentioned earlier came in. No casting director had been listed yet for this play, which was a revival. He told me that he had the director’s e-mail address. So I said: “What are you going to do, e-mail this director who doesn’t even know you and ask him to go to the trouble of downloading your picture and resume and your letter just because you want something from him?” No, no, I said! I suggested that he do an internet search for the director, and we discovered that the director was directing another play between then and the time of the play this actor wanted to be in in New York the play was being done in the midwest.

I told the actor to put together a photo, resume, and a letter telling the director why he felt he should be considered for the part. He did. I told the actor to extend his best wishes to the director (in the letter) for the play he was directing at the theater in the midwest and then to “post-office” mail the package to the director care of the theater in the midwest the week the play was opening. I told the actor that the director would get the package, which of course, he did. The director read his letter, was impressed by what the actor said, and kept his photo and resume and then called him directly when casting was imminent a few months later. He got the part!! Now, isn’t that a smarter approach than firing off an email to someone who has no clue who you are and making them work to find out what YOU want from them? It’s called “the extra mile” and it so often makes the difference in work and in life. But you already knew that!

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