Headshots: The Shoot

If you're like me, you HATE having your picture taken! So the headshot session can be intimidating. The best shots I've ever had came about in an environment where I felt most comfortable. But even the shots I use today were a challenge to get as there are many variables that can make or break a shoot. Here's a check list of things to keep in mind to help make your shoot a success and minimize those variables:

Read more at the new, improved The NYC Actor website

Ask Me!: Light on the resume, should I wait to network?

Anonymous asked

So I wanna get out there an network and go to seminars but all I have to my resume is 2 jobs doing extra work and non sag membership, should I get more credits and a membership or go to those seminars regardless?

Continued: Ask Me!: Light on the resume, should I wait to network? | The NYC Actor

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

What to wear? What to wear? - Wardrobe Staples (Men)

Wardrobe Staples: MEN

I think guys get overlooked in the fashion world - it's not easy to find good clothes - but that's no excuse to overlook your own image as an actor. Especially when it comes to auditions.

Here are some basic staples I think every man should have ready to go in his wardrobe:

Continued: What to Wear? What to Wear? - Wardrobe Staples for Actors (Men) | 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

Advice for the week: Scheduling

So much of our success as actors comes down to time-management. Casting Directors and other industry professionals take in to account your ability to be where you’re meant to be WHEN you’re meant to be there.

Continued: Advice for the Week: Scheduling | 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

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

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

Know Thyself

Getting comfortable with your "type" - or, in other words how the rest of the world sees you - could be one of the most important things you do as an actor. So many of us are confused, even deluded, about who we are and what type of roles we should be playing that we can waste a lot of time working against ourselves.

When I first moved to New York I was 20. And I was deluded about my type. As an actor, I was told that I had a natural talent and a great "look." I was tall, thin, had a decent body and occasionally people would tell me to model. When I was a teenager and looking out into the world for successful female role models Kate Moss and the other supermodels of the 90s saturated the market. So of course, being associated with a model inflated my ego and made me feel VERY good about myself. I assumed that I was an ingenue and immediately set out to secure the roles that would reflect this: Juliette, Desdemona, Olivia, or anything commercially that had the words "young" "beautiful" and "ingenue" in the breakdown. 


Read more: Know Thyself | The NYC Actor

Auditioning jitters

Jitters - try tremors!

Since I've been out here working for a few years now, my relationship to auditioning/performing has changed somewhat. At some point I crossed over from fearing them to actually really enjoying them. So, my empathy for how terrifying it can be was numbed somewhat.

Until one specific audition.

Read more: Auditioning Jitters | The NYC Actor

Ask Angela directly!! - Finding auditions/representation

I've started to get individual questions from some of my readers. I will post the questions with my answers when I can as I think they are fantastically helpful! If you have a question for me please feel free to email me or post it on the blog and I will get to it as soon as I can. NO QUESTION IS CONSIDERED TOO SMALL OR STUPID. You'd be amazed how much you can help by sharing.

Question: From Patty, New York

okay, so how do you find auditions/ management? Its a pretty basic question but I know there are a lot of scam artists out there, so where do you find legitimate agencies?

To read the answer and for more: Ask Me! Finding Auditions/representation? | The NYC Actor

An Actors Toolkit

As an actor who wants to be taken seriously in the professional world (aka entertainment industry, y'all!!) there are a few things you should have handy. Here is a basic checklist if you're just starting out:

HEADSHOT

RESUME

WORKING PHONE WITH VOICEMAIL

EMAIL ADDRESS

WEBSITE

MONOLOGUES

REEL

AUDIO DEMO (IF DOING VOICEOVERS)

ACCOUNTS WITH ONLINE CASTING SERVICES

APPROPRIATE WARDROBE

POSTCARDS FOR SHOWS

PENS

BUSINESS CARDS

For a detailed breakdown and to read more: An Actors Toolkit | The NYC Actor

Do I pick up that phone??

What do you do when you eventually start receiving phone calls (because it's going to happen - mark my words!) from agents and such regarding auditions and call-backs?

When I first got started in this industry, the pager was in. Eughh!! That makes me sound ancient. Most agents and casting directors would simply call it, leave a message on a voicemail system and you'd return their call to confirm. Simple.

Read more: Do I pick up that phone? | The NYC Actor

Book out!

For those of you who don't yet know, "booking out" is when you alert your agent of an upcoming conflict in your schedule that would inhibit you from going out for an audition, etc.

For example, I am shooting a film in Memphis at the end of September. This will take me out of commission for roughly a week as far as auditioning is concerned. So it is important that when it gets closer to the date, I let ALL my representation and other ongoing industry employers (eg: producers/directors who hire me consistently) know that I will not be here.

Read more:  Book Out! | The NYC Actor

VO Agents Won't Sign Foreigners

I was just given some fascinating information about representation as a foreign voiceover artist.

I currently freelance with a few different agencies in the city and after booking a number of "big" spots was curious why no one was signing me. Then, thanks to the insight and wisdom of my new voiceover coach, Peter Rofé, I learned something that I've never heard before:

Voiceover agents won't sign foreigners!

Why? As a foreign VO artist I am considered "specialty" talent and due to the rarity of available work in this field most agencies will refrain from entering into a contractual relationship with me - avoiding the contention that will undoubtedly arise when there aren't any jobs to send me on and I start harassing them about their "obligation" to me, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah.

Pretty straight forward, I suppose.

Read more:  VO Agents Won't Sign Foreigners | The NYC Actor