Acting Business Boot Camp

Two Types of Goals

Achievement Goals and Habit Goals

Achievement Goals- One Time Accomplishment

Habit Goals- Regular Ongoing Activity

• Requires maintaining a practice
• You want them to begin with action verbs
• Want to have a start date
• Frequency
• Time Trigger
• Streak Target

"Right Goals" and Action Plans: AIM

A-cceptable- What is the acceptable minimum?

I- Ideal- What is the acceptable maximum?

M- Middle. What is a reasonable stretch?

SMARTER Goals

Specific

• What is the first step you are going to take?
• Make it really simple!
• "Anyone can eat an elephant one bite at a time."

Measurable

• Action-Oriented (ex: run 3 miles 2 times per week)
• Verbs!

Reasonable OR Risky

• How reasonable is it that what you're say8ing you're going to do, you're actually going to do
• Out of our comfort zone

Time-Oriented

• By when exactly will you complete the first step of the goal

Exciting

• Compelling
• Does it ignite your imagination?
• What will you feel like when you finish accomplishing this?

Relevant

• Is it appropriate for your season of life?

If the ideal image of you doesn't resonate with the image of you now, then no matter how bad you want to achieve it, it's not the right goal for you now.

You want to make sure that your goal is in line with your current concept of your who or your consciousness.

Your consciousness is your awareness of who you really are, as opposed to the you that you believe that you are or that you were taught that you are.

The Power of Empowering Questions- they are powerful, they open-ended, they are clarity seeking, they are probing, they are challenging, they are thought-provoking, they are future-directed, they are solution-oriented questions that cause you to search for answers and new possibilities, they are value-seeking questions.

1. Why? Why do you want to achieve this goal?
2. What is at stake?

Action Steps:

1. Write down all of your goals.
2. Ask yourself these two questions
3. Go through AIM and SMARTER
4. Rank your motivations for these goals

"Leave what you are good at aside, and focus on your great."

About Heidi:

Heidi Dean is the industry's top social media expert for actors. She's a social media writer for Backstage Magazine and a frequent speaker at film festivals, conferences, SAG-AFTRA foundation panels, podcasts and the creator of Marketing4actors.com. Heidi was a proud member of SAG-AFTRA & AEA and a working professional actor for over 20 years. Now she combines her years of industry experience with cutting edge social media strategy to help actors and content creators open more doors for their careers. Her clients include Emmy Award-winners, Broadway stars, recording artists, directors, producers, and filmmakers. Heidi turns social media rookies into rockstars!

Social Media can be an AMAZING TOOL.

• Build Relationships
• Research
• A Virtual Stage for you to Perform

First thing actors need to know on social media?-- People are looking you up!

Social Media Profiles are a direct reflection of you and show you're a team player.

5 Things You Absolutely Need to Know:

1. People are looking you up and that first impression is everything
   • You are so much more than the projects you book
   • Mix of storytelling posts, community posts, self promotion posts
   • Free video, youtube.com/heididean
2. It isn't just a self promotion tool- it's a storytelling tool
3. You don't have to be good with technology to rock your social media
   • Who do you know in the business? Who do you want to know?
   • Use social media to talk with people, rather than a megaphone to broadcast at them
4. Social Media is all about RELATIONSHIPS
5. Video is your Best Friend

Perfectionism leads to procrastination, leads to paralysis

Use social media as a business tool, create a strategy.

Check out Heidi at marketing4actors.com

"Lead the good aside and focus on the GREAT"

About Bill

Bill Timoney has worked in the Arts & Entertainment industry for over four decades. As an actor, his extensive resume includes Broadway and regional theatre, films, prime time & day time TV, commercials, and voice-acting (he specializes in dubbing English language versions of foreign language movies, TV shows, and animated programs). Bill's eclectic and wide-ranging work experience also includes producing independent films, writing (including a screenplay for the Nickelodeon Channel's TV movie division), directing, stand-up comedy, brief stints working for both a casting director and a talent agency, advising film festivals, and even coordinating stunts for low-budget Horror flicks. For the last five years, Bill has operated a coaching service for actors and a script coverage & assessment service for producers and talent agencies (by recommendation only). He often works with his longtime friend and collaborator Bryan Cranston; Bill helped Cranston's production company "Moonshot" create & develop the Amazon Prime TV series "The Dangerous Book for Boys" (for which Bill also served as the on-set acting coach for all the child actors in the cast). Bill currently writes the column "Heard and not Seen: Adventures in Voice-Acting" for the national publication Videoscope Magazine.

Why you need to create your own opportunities.

Become an Actors +

3 Things to Know Before You Begin

1. Know the Market
2. • Debra Jo Rupp
   • It's Always about the Work
   • Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello's Mixed Tapes
   • Parody Current Events
   • Matt Stone and Trey Parker
3. Collaborate
   • Stop writing only dialogue
   • The less you speak, the better
   • The less verbal your film is, the wider the international audience
   • It's about the global industry now
4. Stop talking

Plus: Bryan Cranston Anecdotes!

The Truth is: The point of Power is in the present moment.

Staying in the moment in acting, is the same way in life and humanity.

1. You can handle this when your anxiety shows up.

2. Ask the question: What do I think I can not handle in this moment?

Anxiety is about not wanting to take responsibility in the moment, and not accepting the reality in the moment and feeling a lack of control.

Once I ask myself what am I not accepting? What is it that I'm trying to control but can't.

Then things have the space to shift.

The fact of the matter is we are going to have these feelings and these situations are going to come up, so the only thing we are left with in a productive way is, "How can we best deal with it?"

3. "I will never be given more than I can handle, but I will be given more than I can control."

4. What do I think I can not handle in this moment?

Live life on life's terms.

3 Energy Levels

• Victim
• Anger
• Responsibility

The difference between catabolic and anabolic energies.

How am I behaving like a victim in my acting business?

Where is my anger coming into play in my acting business?

How can I take responsibility in my acting business?

Journal on these for 20 minutes.

Share with someone you trust

Susan Jeffers: "Fear is a fact of life, it is not a barrier to success, the fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow."

Use your fear to succeed.

Fear Success

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You need bravery!

Assignment: Ask yourself, "What is your ultimate career goal?"

"What are you afraid of in regards to that goal?"

Journal for 10 minutes

"What would I do if I were brave?"

Journal for another 10 minutes.

Fear Truths

• The Fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow
• The only way to get rid of fear is to go out and do it
• The only way to feel better about myself is to go out and do it
• Pushing through fear is less frightening than that underlying fear that comes with a feeling of helplessness

1- Post-Covid: Movie Tickets— Research a theater near their office/ home

2- Gift Certificate— Research what do they actually like (ie: Starbucks vs. Dunkin)

3- Charity— Ask which charity they support

4- Food Bank— Possibly to one in their hometown

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The Crucial Follow UP List

Go through you contacts

Type up writers/ directors/ producers/ agents/ managers/ CD's

The Benefits of Postcards

• Holds
• Avails
• Callbacks
• Bookings

Separate commercial/ print list from theatrical list

Forward moving energy, put all your resources towards what will move you forward.

No E-Cards

About Roger:

If New York City is the voice-over capital of the world, then Roger Becker is the Mayor. "Hizzoner" has been working steadily in every aspect of the business for two decades. With a background in post production, Roger left that world in the 1990's to direct talent at a prestigious NYC talent agency. Along with running their in-house studio, he worked in the Broadcast Promotions division to bolster his understanding of talent/producer relationships. In 2005, he returned to directing voice-over full time at a casting house in New York City, eventually accepting the position of vice-president of the company. He has cast for major accounts in all arenas of the business, from commercial to film to narration to animation…and has taught children and adults about all facets of VO work.

Show Notes:

Audition Space must be comfortable. You're going to spend all of your time in your booth setup.

Overview of 3 things to Up your VO Game:

1. Specs
2. Perspective/ POV
3. Proximity and Visualization

Bonus: Be the Alpha

How to approach Specs:

• • The value is in the WORDS
  • Want creativity and to make the words their own.
• Be aware of specs but focus on the words.
• They either want you or they don't want you so just BE YOU. Humans. Own experience
• It's up to you to bring your essence and A-Game into the audition room
• Not interested in adjusting vocals up and down in register. Just BE YOU for commercials.

What you think they want and Confidence

• Confidence- perspective. Point of View. You Must know what you are saying. What does the person at the other end want to hear? How does the audience want to receive the message?
• What is the script about?
• • What is the value of the script? (Hint: it is NOT the product)
• Be the "ALPHA" in the booth

Don't get trapped into "how can I make this sound so they'll like me" It's Fraudulent and they will be able to hear it. JUST BE YOURSELF

Roger's One on One Formula

• Now Hosted over zoom
• Everybody is different with skill level and life experience so he takes that into account
• Break it down- power of the words
• POV and Perspective
• Breakthroughs happen when actors confront what scares them and makes them uncomfortable

Roger's Self Mantra: Remember that actors are auditioning and donating their time for Free.

He understands that this is an acting business far more than it's a radio business.

Study with the best so the best can guide you to the best you can be.

"There is no glory in thinking of yourself as less than."

Core Work:

"It's about who doesn't blink."

The Power you can harness from your own Strength Story.

"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free-spirited in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."— Helen Keller

Brain Cell A, Brain Cell B Synapses. Changing the "I am not enough," to "I am enough."

Something happens

Something Happens

React

React

STOP!

Take a Step Back

Observe

Is this healthy for me or is this unhealthy for me?

Respond

Affirmation- I LOVE MYSELF AND I APPROVE OF MYSELF.

There is no glory in thinking of yourself as less than.

Stop continuing to play small.

Affirmation- I AM ENOUGH

I AM SUCCESSFUL AT COMMERCIAL AUDITIONS.

Enjoy being you!

1 - Resume

1. simple
2. easy to read
3. quality is more important that quantity
4. list by credible credits, not by date done
5. the importance of CREDIBILITY!

2 - Pictures

1. embrace your age and "you-ness"- "I am what I am"
2. don't try and be something that you are not
3. watch TV and find yourself - be what you see on TV, but be yourself!

3 - Cover Letters and Emails

1. Mailings DO WORK! But they MUST to be done in the Language of the Agent and the Casting Director or they just don't work
2. Helpful to study with teachers that the industry recognizes as the Best.
3. Keep all communications brief!
4. Cap & Bold anything credible!

4 - Follow up List

1. Always mark down and keep an updated list of every Agent/Casting Director/Writer/Producer, etc you have met face to face on on a Zoom call. Have their updated contact info and let them know when you have booked a job, gotten a call back, or been put on hold.
2. Keep these updates solely to the people who work in the particular area you have booked a job or gotten a callback in - for example - Commercial and Print callbacks and bookings only go to Commercial and Print Agents and CD's - not to Theatrical Agents/CD's - same with Theatrical (Film/TV/Theater) those updates go to Theatrical Agents and CD's - not to Commercial and Print Agents and CD's

5 - Demo Reel

1. Something is better than nothing - it is about the WORK!
2. A 30 second great scene is a better reel than 2 minutes of blah that includes a 30 second great scene - get right to the good stuff and delete the blah

6 - Website

1. EVERY ACTOR MUST HAVE A WEBSITE!
2. Keep it simple and user friendly!
3. Website Pages: Home/Pictures/Resume with Downloadable PDF/Reels/Press (Optional)/Contact Page