Ask Me!: NYC resources for actors?

Anonymous asked

As an actor in NYC wha were some valuable resources and some of your favorite go to places?
Whenever I look up resources for myself they only have la based things.

Continued: Ask Me!: NYC Resources for Actors? | The NYC Actor

Ask Me!: Commercials?

What do you think about commercial work?

Anonymous

Continued: Ask Me!: Commercials? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

Ask Me!: I'm a Broke Actor!

Anonymous asked

What are some thigns an actor with not a lot of money can do, I know that is tough since backstage etc cost money.

Continued: Ask Me!: I'm a Broke Actor! | The NYC Actor

Ask Me: Actors Connection?

Anonymous asked

What do you think about Actors Connection?

Continued: Ask Me!: Actors COnnection? | The NYC Actor

Word to the Wise: Get Your Calendar in Order!

These are the words I said to myself in the mirror this morning (and the following few hours). If you’re a person who is chronically late, who forgets appointments, who double-books.. This post is for you.

I am pretty good with scheduling. I’m generally an “on-time” kinda person. And I pretty much always call ahead if there are delays/problems. But even I can forget or miss an appointment if I don’t have it written down in my calendar or unforeseen circumstances (a family emergency or train trouble, etc) take over. There are a lot of things that can get in the way of getting to a booking or an audition on time. One thing that can help is to be religious about your calendar.

Continued: Word to the Wise: Get Your Calendar in Order! | The NYC Actor

Learn to Ignore First Refusals!

One day I hope to be at a point in my carreer where a “First Refusal” for a job has zero impact on my day. It’s very exciting to get any kind of positive feedback for an audition - especially if it’s for a big job - but it’s imperative for your sanity to keep your feet on the ground.

What is a First Refusal?

Continued: Learn to Ignore First Refusals! | The NYC Actor

Anecdotes on the job: Break-neck Speed!

I just had to record a VO audition from home.

The direction was “young, animated and under 22 secs.” Fine, right? Well, sure.. unless the text you’re reading is technically 30 secs in length at best and not one of those hi-speed legalese tags. No, I’m still responsible for sounding like a normal human being.

Continued: Anecdotes on the Job: Break-neck Speed! | The NYC Actor

Ask Me!: Get SAG card before moving to NYC?

Anonymous asked

I want to move to NYC from Atlanta,Ga. The acting here is ok but I really want a shot at the industry at its finest! Should I get my SAG card here first, or can I waite and just go to NYC without it?

Continued: Ask Me!: Get SAG card before moving to NYC? | The NYC Actor

The Best Acting Training?

A lot of you have either emailed me or asked me personally about my training and how/if you can work with my coach.

For those of you who don't know I have studied acting in a number of different schools and with a number of different coaches/techniques in both the UK and the US. But the technique and person that I have found the most exciting and equally the most successful is the work taught by John Osborne Hughes.

Continued: The Best Acting Training? | The NYC Actor

Character Typing Survey

It is good practice to get familiar with your "type" as an actor.

What is a "type"? It is the character/persona that the you are identified as. For example: Meg Ryan was always type-d as the "Quirky girl-next-door"; Angelina Jolie the "Femme-Fatale"; Joan Allen is a "W.A.S.P."; Jack Black might be a "Crazy, funny, fat guy"; Terrence Howard "Leading man with an edge"; Luiz Guaman "Latino character-type", etc.

Continued: Character Typing Survey | The NYC Actor

Are you a “real” actor or “just a comedian”?

*NB: the following blog contains edited expletives. I tried to write it without any.. but I couldn’t.

What’s all this bullsh*t I keep hearing about “real” actors versus comedians/improvisers?

I am continually shocked by this odd separation within our community over who is really an actor and who is “just a comedian.” What’s really disconcerting is the amount of improvisers and comedians that brand themselves with this archaic label. I have heard friends who I hold in high esteem as performers condescend to themselves in a conversation about being an actor. It is completely ludicrous. 

Continued: Are you a "real" actor or "just a comedian?" | The NYC Actor

Ask Me!: A Moral Dilema?

What do you do if you get an audition/job for something you fundamentally disagree with? Morally speaking?
For example I once went out for a Malboro commercial. I didn't want to support the tobacco industry and didn't give my best performance in the callback because I didn't want to book it. The money would have been really good, but I just couldn't stomach the karma of it. Is that crazy?

Anonymous

Continued: Ask Me!: A Moral Dilema? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

Anecdotes on the job: They're listening!

I was recently doing a little background work. I had been placed on a street corner with another lady and we were standing in one spot take after take. I started to get a sore back about an hour (or lets say 5 takes) into the second to last scene of the 10-hour day. It was late, the sun was fading, people were beginning to get silly. I discovered that if I, in between takes, crouched down into a squat it relieved my aches. This was an unfortunate discovery on my part primarily because anything that can peak my scatological sense of humor.

Continued: Anecdotes on the job: They're Listening! | The NYC Actor

ASK Me!: Reviews?

Could you help me with my "Reviewer/Critic Theory?" I go by the 50% rule. Only 50% of both positive and negative reviews are honest. The other 50% are either trying to get on your good side at the ground floor or are trying to look good and get more hits on their website by making you look bad. Am I off base here? How should you treat your theater reviews?

lettersofdispleasure

For the answer: Ask Me! - Reviews? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

ASK Me!: Getting clips for your reel?

I've done many videos/films where it was non-paying but they promised the footage for my reel.

What do you do when even after contacting the director/producer/whoever, they don't respond and you never end up getting your footage!? It's not frustrating when you're trying to put a reel together.

Anonymous

For the answer: Ask Me! - Getting Clips for your Acting Reel? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

Ask Me!: Getting into VO's?

How did you get into voiceovers? And how would you recommend I start?

Anonymous

For the answer: Ask Me! - Getting into VO's? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

Ask me! - How much do I charge for voiceovers?

A.D.,

A.V.L. here with a voiceover question. Say your friend Anna has been doing voiceovers for her friend's video tutorials. I've started charging as of the last project, as I am unemployed now and can no longer do pro bono. So--how much do I charge? Or rather what calculation do I use to figure out a price? Any advice would be appreciated.

Anonymous

For the answer: Ask Me! - How much do I charge for voiceovers? | The NYC Actor

Ask thenycactor a question

You've been framed! - Acting for camera

If you are auditioning for an on-camera project ask the CD/shooter/director what the frame is - or in very poor lay-terms where the outside of the shot is in relation to your face. Is it close-up, medium (head and shoulders) or a wide?

WIDE

<-- This is the outside of the shot/FRAME

MEDIUM

CLOSE UP

EXTREME CLOSE UP

Why ask?

Read more: You've Been Framed! - Acting for Camera | The NYC Actor

Resume

For the full article: The Actors Resume | The NYC Actor

Building the Perfect Website

These days an actor website is a MUST-HAVE. It's really important. Primarily because the industry that is not connected through your agent (if you have one) is online. There are so many casting websites that an actor should be linked up to and one thing you'll find you need is a link to a website.

There are many ways to do this and many of the casting websites out there offer you hosting and a page on their site. However you do it, if you have a website on your resume and/or business cards you are making it THAT much easier for a prospective employer to see your work - which'll make getting hired easier.

Read more: Building the Perfect Website | The NYC Actor