Acting Business Boot Camp

About Jason:

Jason has been head of the commercial voice-over department of Stewart Talent NY for 15 years. He initially trained as an actor and screenwriter at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts before making the shift to the business side of entertainment. His first job was at the William Morris Agency where he served as booth director for their commercial department, able to draw upon his creative background to effectively interpret copy and direct talent. When Stewart Talent was looking to start up their own voice-over department in NY, Jason jumped at the opportunity.

The last 15 years have seen huge amounts of growth for the division, including the hiring of additional voice-over and on-camera agents, and he represents a flourishing roster of clients.

The massive importance of networking as an actor is equally important on the agent side.

Jason's Advice to Actors:

• Be honest about your skills
• Communicate book outs
• Be aware of your commercial exclusivities
• Knowing your type is really knowing who you are
• Owning and finding confidence in your neutral sound, where your voice lives
• You can tell the difference between a scripted read and someone who owns their voice
• Be "agent ready" before submitting

Recognize how busy agents are.

The difference between the Chicago market and the New York Market

Do you need a VO manager?

The problem is perfectionism is a good thing up to a point.

When it crosses that line of paralysis, the excitement burns off, or it becomes too late.

A story about learning imperfectly.

If I was trying to do it perfectly, this podcast wouldn't exist.

When it's imperfect, it's exactly the way it is meant to be.

Perfectionism is what stops me from getting the really important things done.

Full Focus Planner

Every day you do three things that are towards your goal.

Allow yourself to be an imperfect person, and allowing yourself to show your imperfections to the world.

Allow yourself to be brave.

The process of being comfortable with yourself while you're not doing it perfectly.

Learning to soothe yourself, when you get scared or uncomfortable.

• Having the presence to feel those feelings, and feel safe and good to feel those feelings inside that.
• Feelings aren't facts.
• "What other people think of me is none of my business."
• Seeking balance.

98.6 is our body temperature. When we work out, our temperature rises. But when we pass 100 degrees, we have a fever.

When is your perfectionism reach a fever and burns you?

Perfectionism leads to procrastination, leads to paralysis.

When it burns me, I use it to pick on myself.

• "I should be farther along"
• Shaming myself
• That shame blocks us

If we can keep that perfectionism to that 98.6, we are still able to access the helpful tools of self-love and self-acceptance.

It enables us to grow and change.

Keep your perfectionism under 100 degrees.

Lean into the life lessons perfectionism teaches you.

Slowly allow yourself to let go of it.

When we hit that 100 degrees, there's a certain high that we get from it, but when we do that we're flying too close to the flames and burning ourselves.

About Melissa:

Melissa Berger Brennan has been an agent for Theatrical (Film and Television) since 2002 and is Senior Vice President of the Young Talent Voiceover Department at Cunningham-Escott –Slevin-Doherty, (CESD), a talent agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Founded in 1967, CESD has been one of the most prestigious and popular agencies for commercial and voice over talents as well as a pioneer in the theatrical representation of young talent in all areas of the entertainment industry.

As a theatrical agent, she has placed clients on such diverse projects as PAPER GIRLS, EXPATS, LIGHT YEARS, GOOD GIRLS, BLACKISH, THE GOLDBERGS, GRIMM, GLEE, SHAMELESS, MAD MEN, PARENTHOOD, and THE WALKING DEAD.

Melissa is also the Senior Vice President of the Young Talent Voiceover department. Her clients have voiced leading roles in animated movies such as TURNING RED, MOANA, BIG HERO 6, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2 & 3 & 4), GOOD DINOSAUR, PEANUTS, KUNG FU PANDA 3, PEABODY AND SHERMAN, as well as upcoming features.

Animated series regulars include leads in MOON GIRL, RIDLEY JONES, MY DAD THE BOUNTY HUNTER, A TALE DARK AND GRIMM, PETE THE CAT, OWL HOUSE, JURASSIC WORLD: CAMP CRETACEOUS, GABBY'S DOLLHOUSE, VICTOR AND VALENTINO, LOUD HOUSE, GUMBALL, DRAGONS, NIKO AND THE SWORD OF LIGHT, SOFIA THE FIRST, ADVENTURE TIME, LION GUARD, PHINEAS & FERB, AVATAR, DOC MCSTUFFINS, JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES and LEGEND OF KORRA, to name a few.

Her clients have also voiced interactive games, including leads in JEDI: FALLEN ORDER and GOD OF WAR: RAGNAROK, plus numerous television and radio commercials, and done ADR for major feature films.

Melissa studied theatre and acting at the University of Michigan and holds an MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts.

"Good work is good work is good work."

It's all about the slow game.

"You've got to come out guns blazing, you have to get out on the jump."

What do you look for in new talent?

• Training
• Is there a spark?
• Is there something inherently watchable about them?
• Do they have an artistic point of view?
• Did they make my heart rate change?
• Partial to school programs?
  • U of Michigan
  • Cal Arts
  • Pace
  • North Carolina School of the Arts
  • Boston
  • Julliard
• She listens to teachers

Never stop growing never stop learning.

Melody Beattie: The Language of Letting Go

"Many of us have someone in our life who challenges our ability to trust and care for ourselves.

When we hear that person's voice or are in his or her presence, we may forget all we know about what is real, about how to own our power, about how to be direct, about what we know and believe to be true, about how important we are.

We give up our power to that person. The child in us gets hooked with a mixture of powerful feelings—love, fear, or anger. We may feel trapped, helpless, or so attracted that we can't think straight. There may be a powerful tug-of-war going between feelings of anger and our need to be loved and accepted, or between our head and our heart.

We may be so enamored or intimidated that we revert to our belief that we can't react or respond to this person any differently.

We get hooked.

We don't have to stay under a spell.

We start by becoming aware of the people who hook us, and then accepting that.

We can force ourselves through the motions of reacting differently to that person, even if that new reaction is awkward and uncomfortable.

Search out our motivations. Are we somehow trying to control or influence the other person? We cannot change the other person, but we can stop playing our part of the game. One good way to do this is by detaching and letting go of any need to control.

The next step is learning to own our power to take care of ourselves, to be who we are free from their influence. We can learn to own our power with difficult people. It may not happen overnight, but we can begin, today, to change our self-defeating reactions to the people who have hooked us.

Help me identify the relationships where I have forfeited my power. Help me unhook myself from my person and begin owning my power."

Who do I forfeit my power to?

Ask for guidance.

You get to a crossroads:

I don't feel like it vs. I want it this bad, so I am going to do it.

Use your mind to govern your brain.

There are going to be times where it's not always about pushing yourself so hard.

The knowledge of knowing yourself.

About Anthony:

Anthony Arkin is an actor and filmmaker best known for his work on THE AMERICANS (FX), nominated for Best Ensemble Cast at the 2019 SAG Awards. His directorial debut (feature documentary STATE OF ROCK) premiered at the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival where he won Best Editing. Since then Arkin has directed and/or edited dozens of films and series. His work has shown at Sundance, Berlin, NY Anthology Film Archive, Telluride, Fantasia, Frightfest and various other festivals around the world. His feature film, SENDER, will be out Fall of 2021.

The importance of remaining teachable.

Enjoying the day-to-day of it instead of fantasizing.

Enjoyment of getting up in the morning and doing new things.

Admit you have limitations and things to learn as an actor.

It is essential as an actor to create your own work.

When you have a job you come prepared for a performance.

The ability to keep your energy primed for long days on set is extraordinary. It's about physical, mental, and emotional energy.

Feed the camera.

Harrison Ford described his role as an actor as an assistant storyteller.

If the work is good they can't mess with you.

You become the solution to the gigantic problem.

Commit fully, in life and in acting.

Demo Reel Tips:

• Relax when it's getting cut
• Several versions of it
• Get your manager and agent's input
• It's not a vanity project, it's about business
• Know what your business is
• Brevity is always appreciated
• Best work forward
• Really understand that the agent's and managers pov is all that matters
• They are the ones who are using it as a tool
• Let them feel like they have a contribution

Take your emotion out of your to-do list.

Take the emotion and put it into the work.

Listen to his Podcasts:

The Arkin Brothers Talk about Movies

Rated P for Paranormal

Business Insider Article by Drake Baer

In Outliers, Gladwell wrote, "10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness."

Gladwell also said, "The point is simply that natural ability requires a huge investment of time in order to be made manifest."

So Good They So Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport

"What makes ridiculously successful people so successful is that they are experts at practicing."

Deliberate Practice:

• Goal/ Want
• Thought
• Action

Your goal needs to be supported by your wants and actions.

What are the things you are doing for your Acting Training, your Business Steps, and your Core Work?

Rigorously honest with yourself whether you can do more, or you need to stop?

Are you deliberately practicing your acting in your rehearsals?

Kevin Durant, "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."

"It's hard to play well, but it's easy to work hard."

Consistence, persistence, and determination.

Do what you feel is going to overwhelm you.

You baby step them.

Rule #1: Do everything you are afraid of.

How bad do you want it?

About Mark:

Mark Bennington is an American actor, photographer, drummer, and author. After graduating from Mike Nichols's New Actors Workshop in NYC, Mark worked in theater for 10 years, with such directors as Sir Trevor Nunn, Paul Sills, Charles Marowitz, and Diane Paulus.

Mark also did the guest-star grind in LA before picking up the camera in 2004, which quickly morphed into him becoming one of the 'Top 10' headshot photographers in the country. He later added both advertising and documentary portraiture to his repertoire with his work being published in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, UpWorthy, CNN, PDN, GQ India, Varity, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times and many more. Mark authored the acclaimed photography book Living the Dream: The Life of the 'Bollywood' Actor (HarperCollins) and in 2016 his photography project America 2.0 about Muslim youth in NYC received worldwide recognition and was exhibited at major galleries in Jerusalem, Rome, Tokyo, New York City, Hudson, San Francisco, and Berlin.

He also did a brief stint as an adjunct professor of photography at The S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University and for 5 years was the drummer of legendary LA roots/rock band '50cent Haircut' (Knitting Factory Records), playing over 400 shows and recording 3 studio albums. Mark currently lives in Mumbai, India and after returning to acting full-time, is one of the most sought after 'white guys' in Bollywood.

How Mark ended up in India!

Differences between Bollywood, and Hollywood

• No Unions
• Some Agents and Managers
• Everything is done on a phone call and a handshake
• Make sure you get paid before your last day of shooting.
• Didn't have to audition at all last year
• You don't get the script until you are walking to set
• Everything is written in Hindi except your part
• No rehearsal

YOU CAN DO THIS ANYWHERE

THINK OUT OF THE BOX

What else he has learned:

• Letting go
• The cost of living is so much cheaper
• No residuals

What is auditioning like in India?

Can do it at your own pace at your own time is amazing.

Diversification of your art and interests.

"I don't need to act anymore to be creative"

Make sure you have something else in life that you love.

It takes the pressure off.

COVID took energy out of us.

A lot of feelings are coming up.

How do we dig deep? How do we find the things to help us through this?

So you can continue to pursue your dream…

I go back to baby stepping.

How can I break this down?

When you feel exhausted, instead of getting dramatic, get really quiet, reach out to the energy that knows best, and say, "Please guide me in this day, I invite you into this day, and please help me to just take care of things one thing at a time."

I go as slowly as I need to to take care of myself.

Things like:

• Drink enough water
• Eat
• Permission to reach out to invite the energy that knows best and invite it in

Stop and create space for something else to come in so that it's not only your will, it's inviting another energy.

When we are exhausted and depleted, our past coping mechanisms come up from the past.

You may start to put yourself down, which is so unhelpful.

You want to have as much of yourself working for us instead of against us.

It's ok. Focus on this day.

What are the things in Good Orderly Direction that I can follow today?

Awareness, Acceptance, and Action.

None of this we have experienced, so we must be gentle with ourselves and kind to other people.

We are all going through it.

Take care of yourself first, and the rest will follow.

Know you are lovable.

"Anyone can eat an elephant one bite at a time."

About Steve:

STEVE HARPER is a playwright, TV writer, producer, and actor who writes about the "invisible things" (like race, sexuality, politics and religion) that people don't usually talk about. He currently serves as Co-Executive Producer for the CW series Stargirl. Steve has written for God Friended Me (CBS), Amazon Prime's Tell Me Your Secrets, ABCs American Crime (created by John Ridley), and Covert Affairs (USA). His web series SEND ME, about time traveling black people, garnered a 2016 Emmy Nomination for series lead Tracie Thoms (Now on YouTube). Short films: Three People (#WhileWeBreathe creative protest online) – also director, Intelligence (Dances with Films), and Betty on the Bed (also director and actor). His Full-length plays include Black Lives / Blue Lives [co-written with Bill Mesce, Jr.] (The Theater Project, NJ) and Urban Rabbit Chronicles (Georgia Southern University world premiere 2022). Steve's acting work spans TV, film, theater, commercials and voice overs. Awards and honors include a selection as a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Theater Center, the Artistic Achievement Award from the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale, the Millennium Telly Award, a Weissberger Award nomination, a MacDowell National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and two Yaddo fellowships. Steve is a graduate of Yale, The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard and the playwriting program at Juilliard. When on hiatus from TV work, he coaches professional and aspiring writers. Follow him on Twitter: @harpercreates and @yourcreatvlife

It's so challenging to find a way to drop into that space of regular discipline.

• Artist
• Self Care
• Focus
• This is the key

How he casts actors on the other side:

We all think whoever is in charge has all the power— just. not. true.

Surround yourself with things that remind you that you are more than this moment, or audition.

No matter where you are at, you need to master that level, because that is

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome, or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".

Letting Go of Shame by Patricia S Potter-Efron and Ronald Potter-Efron

"Shame is more than a feeling, it is a set of physical responses such as looking down or blushing combined with predictable actions such as hiding or withdrawing from others or having uncomfortable thoughts such as, "I am such a failure in life" or spiritual despair.

The definition of shame is a painful belief in one's basic defectiveness as a human being."

We make choices based on our belief systems, our past, our values, and our collective consciousness.

We always choose what is the best possible choice at that moment. We are always doing our very best.

You are not responsible for your first thought, but you are responsible for your second.

What do I intend to do for the next audition?

What is the lesson?

You prevent it from becoming an assumption.

Reframing allows you to be more positive about what is happening.

• Can't—choose not to
• Should— Could
• Have to—Want to, Need to
• Try— Will

You need to be there for you.

"Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change."

Reframing is changing the way you look at things, to decide if that's who you want to be.

You can restart your day at any point.

When I am in imposter syndrome and I find myself asking, "who do I think I am?" Instead reframe it and ask, "who would I be if I don't do this?"