Hey guys, we're in episode 3 of season 3 of actors.
You are enough guys, if you, if you like what we're doing here,
can you just follow, subscribe, share?
I mean, we don't get paid for this.
We're just hanging out talking, you know, and giving you great
information. So that's how you pay us, by
telling us that you like what we're doing.
So do that. We are talking today about
actors. How do you stand out?
Like, how do you stand out in the sea of thousands of people?
And how do you stand out when you go to meet an agent?
Cause Ophelia, I can't say your freaking last name, Havel.
Did it. He did it.
I did it. You stand out.
You stand out amongst the people in my life that can say my name,
yeah. If you could say her name, then
you already say that. You win something, you get more
free, spent free tips. We'll send you some, some secret
tips. I've I've had my name, I've had
things addressed to me. Ophelia.
How about like, HOWABOUT, how about it?
I've had Bolivia, people call me Bolivia.
I mean, I've had it all. So I'm kind of amazed.
They think you're a drug. They think you're, you know,
Bolivian. A Bolivian drug.
How about it? How about a Bolivian drug?
OK, How do you stand out? I mean, how do you stand out
when you go to an agent meeting? Let's talk about that first,
'cause you're an agent at Johnson Talent Agency.
So when a client comes in, let's talk from your perspective and
then I'll talk about when I was managing and why somebody stood
out. Yeah.
So how does somebody stand out when they meet you?
So, you know, typically the way, you know, things have changed so
much, right? We've talked about that other
episodes how things have just everything's gone online.
And so now when we get submissions, they're all online.
So they all start out with an e-mail and we get multiple
everyday, 24/7 day in and day out.
Sometimes they go to our like general submissions in box and
then sometimes they go through the work of finding our
individual emails or they'll, you know, be referral from
someone and they'll e-mail directly.
And so when I get, we get so many, you just start to kind of
glaze over. Well, I'm sure you look at the
referrals first one. 100 percent, 100, you guys.
Referrals first, so when I send your packages out to get an
agent, that's why the success rate when I send packages out,
it's crazy. Totally.
I always, I, I, not only do I look at them first, but I always
look at them some general submissions.
You know, we have someone who is specifically in charge of our
submissions inbox at the agency and so true.
But as far as if I get them directly, I don't look at them
all because it's like they just all kind of a lot of times sound
the same so. So how do they sound the same?
So they it's like they I will, they try to, it's like if
they're trying to sell themselves and probably someone
recommended they do that. But if I feel like someone's
trying to convince me, I'm like, what are they?
What are they trying? Trying.
Like trying. To pay.
It's like, I mean, that's why I don't buy anything from Timo,
you know? We could do a whole podcast on
Timo. Yeah, seriously.
Like it's always like, it's always like something comes up
and then there's a wheel and then you could you get a
discount on this and it's like. Yeah, it's too much.
It's like too much. So it's like if they and and
then like so you know, in the heading, it'll say like with
something that catches my attention.
If is if you're SAG, you put that in the head heading like
you put sag actress and then you put like you're something that
might make you one thing that might make you stand out.
Let's say you are a different ethnicity, you know like African
American or I'm or Hispanic bilingual.
Yeah, I write. I.
Figure out what what a pitch is, you know, like what would you
you guys stop thinking like actors think like think like
business people. OK.
And so I think that's probably why people sign my people so
much because I think I was you. So I know what I would open, you
know, so it is subject. It's exactly what Ophelia's
saying, that, you know, write, write something that like, I am
a union African American, 18 to 23, five languages with the rap.
That's it. That's it.
That's that that would catch my attention.
You know, if you're not sag, then you you just you can say
you don't have to say you're sad, but you can say like start
off with like the skill or like the age range like so I don't
because I don't want to have to search through.
The other thing is if the e-mail is long, I just I'm I'm like it
does something to my nervous. If I just see that it's long, my
like nervous system starts. Like, OK, now let me address
that from the other side. You know why her nervous system
is doing that? Because it all of a sudden sends
a signal that you're needy. It's it's they're gonna
immediately look like you're high maintenance.
They're gonna get a ton of phone calls from you, a ton of long
emails and and that's why it's shut down.
I didn't even think about that's the the specific reason, but now
that you're saying that, I'm like, that is it?
Yeah. I don't want to be have like
like multiple long texts coming through and.
Yeah. Like, is this what our
relationship's gonna look like? Are you gonna always be sending
me these long emails and I don't have time?
And it also tells me that, well, that's what it is 'cause it also
tells me they don't understand what an agent does.
Because. Adhesion does not cannot be
reading paragraphs and paragraphs of information.
It it, you know, you want to say like here's one paragraph,
here's my actors access link. Always have that in there that
kind of expand a little bit on what's in this subject line and
make sure your, your headshots in there.
So I can just see it off the bat.
And, you know, really only need your actor, actors access and
make sure it's updated so that your headshots are updated.
Make sure your reels are updated on there before you send it out
to anyone. Make sure your most recent, you
know, biggest projects are on there.
And you touched on this on an earlier podcast.
Don't just be throwing stuff in the drawer.
Don't put all kinds of, you know, I, I don't even need to
see, I don't want to see your student films on there.
You know, if you don't have, if you're brand new and you don't
have anything like you can put that on there or even if you
just have theater, But just know that, you know, you have to kind
of be with a certain agent to be that developmental unless you're
like a teenager or like 18. The way to get out of
development and not look developmental and stand out is
to understand the structure of resume, the structure of a
package, the what is, what does that look like to somebody
looking at it? So first we're talking about
letters. I always go through how many
movies you book? Now we're not going to
understand what those films are anyway, so just give me a
number. So within, since I graduated
college, I've booked 12 films. One, give people numbers.
Agents are are business people. Give them numbers.
I, I, I, I did a web series pilot.
I've shot 7 episodes of this of this project web project.
I've done 12 verticals. Just give them numbers.
I I play between the ages of now make sure you say what you play
between the ages of 30 to 40 and and mostly when I get cast as is
da da da da da da da da period period.
You just got your, your structure right there.
You just got it. That's.
Exactly how I write. That's how I write the words
like. No more than a paragraph.
No, it is just a paragraph. And then after that's done, then
you then if you have something cool like I just won an award or
I speak, let's say Iraq Iranian, like I speak Farsi fluently.
Those are additional skills that somebody might think is a really
great thing. So that could be in the sub
paragraph and then please feel free to to check out my package
here Colon your your actors access link and feel free to
contact me to set me up for an interview here.
Your e-mail, your and and your your phone number.
Thank you so much. Whatever your name is.
Exactly. And here's another.
And here's another important thing too.
You know, if I get through that and I'm like, oh, this is
interesting enough to open their.
Actors, what would what would stand out is do I need this,
this ethnicity exactly. You'll you'll be interesting
right away. OK, so since let's say
somebody's East Indian, well, I don't have a lot of East Indian
actors. Let's go to the next paragraph.
OK, that's interesting. OK, now let's go to the link.
Exactly, and make sure you have good headshots like you guys you
want to. What is good headshots?
What does that mean? Well, I have a whole headshot
document that I send people and it it it's it's it's like a page
because there's really specific things that you want to be
looking for. So when I'm going to give a
shout out to my pretty much my like one of my favorite, There's
a few, but one of my favorite, Jeremy David creative, he is in
Alhambra, I think, which is like over near like San Gabriel,
Pasadena, like under, under Pasadena.
He we, we get a lot of traction with his head shots.
We probably get the most traction with people who, I
mean, it's not a nothing's a guarantee, but he is really,
really good. OK, So what is it about his head
shots that you think people are responding to?
There's a couple things, one of them he they're the quality of
them. Like I've seen people who use,
you know, headshot photographers that even have like a like
they've somehow developed a good reputation, but we get them.
A lot of them are dark. Like they try to be dramatic and
make them like kind of dark, but then like half of their face is
like shadowed and you can't. Yeah, and also side note guys,
whenever you upload to Actors Access, for some reason it makes
it a little darker. So be on the lookout that your
pictures are on the little lighter side when you upload and
your videos. For some reason their software
and. You notice that a lot with the
videos, it's, it's, it's kind of annoying actually.
But with his, with his headshots, they're always
bright. They're not, they're not
overexposed, but they're like they're, they're bright and you
can really see their face. Clarity.
Talking about the clarity of it. You don't want it to be over
edited. You you know, there's there was
a trend for a minute and sometimes I still come across
them where they they the pictures look like video game
characters. What's going on here?
And he doesn't over edit. You shouldn't have, you know, in
your headshot. You don't want to have you want
to have women, you want to have minimal makeup on.
I would not recommend getting hair and makeup when you do your
headshots because when you get an audition, you need to look
just like your headshot. I had.
AII agree with that. And you should just do your own
makeup. Like, you know, I have a
tendency where a little bit more than most people because I'm
character. I'm very character.
So that's, that's my brand, you know, but for the most part
they're going to end up touching it up a teeny bit here and a
teeny bit there anyway, so. Exactly, yeah, you don't want to
you don't want to, you know, over edit any like, you know,
major birth marks. If you have a little acne, like
you're a teenager and you know, or young adult, like you know,
they'll they'll get like you said, they'll edit that.
But you don't want to have anything major like covered up
because when you show up on set if or an audition, if that's
showing, they'd be like, what the heck, like this wasn't the
headshot, you know, like a birthmark or a mole or
something. Don't don't cover too much up.
Just do some basic basic. There's some like famous actors
that that have a distinct mole on their nose.
Absolutely. And it's awesome and.
You're like, well, you're a major actor.
Like, why didn't you get rid of that?
Right? Yeah.
But it's like they're shapely. They are, yeah.
Absolutely. Yeah.
It's, it's like kind of fun. Don't women do not wear jewelry,
you know? Don't.
It's really distracting. It also sends a message of the
kind of character that you're playing, and sometimes one
picture needs to cover like 7 different characters.
Exactly, Yep, for sure. If you do like an extra bonus
one that's like a real, real character look and you know,
it's like big hoop earrings with like, you know, shirt shirt
that's like off the shoulders and you know, you, you, you
know, that kind of a thing or something you that's fine, but
don't don't you know that's only going to be used by your agent
for like a certain specific look.
You know. That we always want talent to
get like 5 different looks and one of the things that Jeremy
does is he he's really able to pull the character out of out of
the person. So we want like 5 different
characters we get we have seen headshots come that the quality
is so good they they're let up. Good to see every single
expression they have like. Yeah, they just changed the
outfit. It's exactly the same.
Like what I can't, We can't use. We can only use one of all the
400 that you got because you look the same in every single
one. Yeah, let me, let me speak on.
Let me speak on photos, guys, It's really important to figure
out where you fit, OK? Like where do you fit?
I was coaching a guy named Abdullah yesterday.
And I mean, I didn't even know he worked in the science field.
And I said to him, I said you are, you are such like a, a
forensic blood analyst guy. And he's like.
Oh my. Gosh, I'm in the science field.
I medical stop right? I'm like, that's your whole
essence, That's who you are in like that would make you would
make an incredible forensic guy when like like in Dexter, they
had the Asian guy be the forensic guy series regular.
Well, Abdullah, you could have been that for an ethnic guy.
He's very character ethnic. He, he speaks, he speaks the
language perfectly. He does the accent perfectly.
He's a short ball. You know what I mean?
Like so interesting. Yes, Oh my God, he'll pull you
in. Yes.
So I said to him, I said Abdullah, I said, I hope you
have a forensic looking shot of a guy that would be like a
scientist. And that same picture is a guy
for NASA. Yeah, same picture is a guy
that's a, that's a like a a certain kind of a surgeon, like
a specific brain surgeon. Yeah, same guy, same guy.
If you put on a stethoscope or you add jewelry or a hat or a
jacket or a white coat, it changes everything.
So what I would rather you guys do is let's use Abdullah, for
example, and and we're putting him as a forensic analyst.
Like like he could be up on the stand.
They could be paying him for his, for his expertise, right?
Do a bio, call the guy Sammy. Sammy.
I don't know, Sammy, give yourself a name Sammy Sheikh.
That's actually a guy that I used to coach.
So don't do Sammy Sheikh but but but like that and do a whole bio
of, you know, my parents immigrated here to America.
Nobody speaks English in my house.
I'm the only one that went to Med school and college.
I graduated top of my class. I work at Cedars Sinai.
You see what I mean? Like duo duo.
So when you show up for your photos, Abdullah will be acting
his can. You tell.
Can you tell the? You tell the photographer, OK,
this is the look I'm going for, right?
Now I have them send a picture of the polar, what used to be
Polaroid but the picture of what you're wearing, and I have them
send the bio with the name and what shows they're going for.
That's awesome and that is something else that it that I
tell my actress to do. Before you get your session, I
want you to make a board and I want you to go talk to your
acting coach. You talk to them, say what?
What are my strongest roles? I need about 5 different looks.
One of them we always say because we do go across the
board, commercial and theatrical.
We always say one of them is just going to be your smiling
like your pup. We call a puppet shot like this
is your commercial shot. Just big open smile.
Believe it or not, your commercial shot is also your
sitcom shot. Yeah, exactly.
It's really the same shot. Totally, absolutely you're
bicycle. Mom, you know, or nosy neighbor.
That's the gossipy, loudmouth friend.
Hi Cam, this is going to be your multicam look as well.
So we need one of those and then do it like four other.
If you want to do one extra bonus one, that's fine, but do 4
about four. You don't want to have too many
because then it it's like. Yeah, but if your last name is
Ramirez and you speak Spanish and you do a Spanish accent, if
you don't give me an immigrant, then you'd be wrong.
It has to look like you just crossed the border and you got
caught and you're in some truck somewhere, you know, give me a
story. We're sad.
We need to see a story because because what we're trying to do
and what you're trying to do is actor is when casting, you get
in front of casting, you need to help their imagination.
Yeah, using their imagination the whole time they're casting.
And so you need to help them out.
You need to have like 5 different distinctive looks.
Just don't you know your outfit. You need to study that think
about you wear do not do costume.
I I don't want to see The only exception.
A couple times I've had someone do like like a cop like like
top. Yeah, that's kind of nice
because military is a big deal and it also, you know, it it it
sets a certain precedence about the power that is you.
Absolutely, if you can play that role, we again.
Don't shoot it, you can't play it.
Not play if you get run the camera, you just can't.
You just can't be that tough, you know, like then don't do
even if you look out outwardly like.
Yeah, so that's how, that's how you'll stand out.
I mean, but, but we want to see the, the, the life in the
picture. So it's family, the
photographer, it's it's you. If your photographer's picking
your clothes, then you have no business shooting in session.
What? Absolutely.
Like you just go home because honestly, you're not ready.
You're really not ready. Just just go home.
Exactly you need to. Find I used to say that if I was
in the outer office at a casting facility on a callback and I and
I looked at a girl there and said, why didn't I do that?
I should have just gone home. I just gave her the job, right?
So it's like, like, just go home.
Just just forget it. Just forget about it.
OK. Just call it.
Yeah, seriously, you. That's how you stand out with
your photos when you're really specific and you know what
you're going for and you you are consulted.
Don't just throw a bunch of crap up against the wall because you
need to educate your the people that are representing you.
Yeah. They need to know, oh, this is
this and also your media guys don't just throw a bunch of
media up there and go, you know, like every anybody's going to
know what it is. Your clips need to match your
photos, which needs to match your resume, which needs to
match you. And so that's a comprehensive
package. Yeah, if you don't have, you
know, if you have enough, like if you're just starting out and
you don't have real material yet, you do like some self
tapes, but don't do, please don't do a monologue.
Please get a reader and pick something that pulls something
offline that fits who you are. You just do not have to be over
2 minutes. Maybe do and separate it into
dramatic and comedic. And then after that you can, if
you want to put individual clips that have like, you know, nurse,
you can put that, but you want to have, you know, so that
casting has choices of what to look at, but you also want to
have like dramatic and comedic and you can start with self
tapes. In the meantime, get yourself
into some student films. So even they, even though they
don't pay, typically don't do just any student, any school.
Jump over Nichols to save pennies.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, look at how many credits
I have, like 172 credits or something like that on IMDb.
And that's not even the ones that they didn't even put up
there. OK?
I just act because I love to act.
And you guys, you need to do that too.
If you love to act, stop looking at what they're paying you.
Just think about the car ride home.
You like Skippy? Skippy and the car ride home,
aren't you? Like I'm an actor, I'm an actor.
It's going to be, yeah, I mean, you don't want to like if you
have an agent, you don't want to be like submitting for tons of
student films, you know, while they're trying to submit you and
then booking out for bigger stuff that they're trying to
find you. But you need you.
Can you keep either? They're not going to likely
submit you to student films. Like I don't 'cause that's.
No, but there's certain student films to look at though, like
American Film Institute, second year.
I've been in two of those and they both went to Sundance so
that's a big deal. So you guys second year now?
AFI is not postgraduate, it's post post Post postgraduate come
from other schools that graduated top of their class in
a lot of them have masters. Yeah, AFI is a great choice.
It's a great and sometimes they even they and sometimes they
actually pay. It's low, but they still pay.
So that's like ideal USC. Deferred.
What happens is, is that when they sell it, and they do, they
sell those shorts later on 'cause you sign a sag agreement
and it's deferred and so they'll pay you later.
Yeah, yeah, it absolutely. USCUCLA Chapman See son.
I would do I wouldn't do like random schools because you will
never you may never see and probably won't ever see the
footage. So it's like a.
OK, the reason why? The reason why you won't see the
footage? The reason why you won't see it
is yeah. Why do you think the reason why
you don't won't see the footage? Well, sometimes they never even
finish them. There you go.
They didn't. If they can't afford to go to
UCLA or USC, they're not finishing their movie, right?
OK. Or it's going to take much
longer. And doesn't mean it's a bad
movie. But the reason why you're doing
it is to get footage. And you and I would recommend
when, if you do something like that, that in the contract that
you get something in writing that says within 90 days, I will
have my, I will have my footage because that's the whole reason
that you're doing this. It's so right you guys.
You got to get something in writing, otherwise you're going
to be chasing. They're going to finish their
project and be like, oh, I'm done.
And then forget about you. Exactly.
Yep, 100% you got, you got. You can't just trust.
You need and you need to know it needs to say like how many days
you're going to be working. It needs to say the hours you
need to decide am I going to go, oh, 'cause it's not going to be
it's usually not going to be sag you're.
Almost your own manager, you know, so learn how to manage
yourself until you are until you're at a level where you can
get proper management and the and the way to do that is to
just say, well, what what might happen.
Yeah, go through all the scenarios like I don't want if,
you know, I'm not going to work over 12 hours.
It's not unusual to work 12 hours.
And and if and then some student films, they might, it might, you
know, they might say no, we that we need the flexibility to do 14
hours. And if it's, you know, if you
can do that, do it but. You know what, it's really good
to like if they're not done because sometimes they're like,
oh, I'm not done. You can just say, hey, listen, I
totally respect that. But how about giving me my raw
footage so you can get the raw footage and go to an editor and
shadowbox out the numbers and it'll look like a big movie
'cause it'll have a shadowbox on it?
Absolutely. That's a great idea.
You just get, yeah, get whatever they have done.
Like just get it you, you that you want to, you got to get.
If you don't have reels on actors access in both
categories, it's like no casting director is going to pay any
attention to what's going on there.
Like they're going to they're, it's like, you know, I, I won't,
I won't even, you know, represent, move forward with the
people. If they are, if they don't, if
they don't have reels, 'cause they're just starting and, and
we're developing them where it's like, I give you a certain
amount of time to get a reel up there.
And then from there, you have to, you have to, you know, look
at in, in shorts, get, get into some shorts.
Those are great ways to get and a lot of those.
Shorts, I think shorts are great and I love, you know, your
career could be made in a Film Festival.
You know, also, I have to say, if you don't like what's in your
actor's package, I mean, even if your reps love a picture that
you think is just plain old fugly and you just like freaking
hate it, take it down because you have to resonate with
everything that is you, you know, did that you.
Should not. Having said that, an actor
should not, like, be picking out their own headshots because the
way we see ourselves, we cannot be objective.
Your Rep knows what to look for. They know what casting is
looking for because this, this has happened several times.
Someone will be like, well, I really like these pictures.
And we're like, no, those are not going to work.
Yeah. But you know, on the other side,
the devil's advocate side, a lot of agents aren't picking your,
your boutique agent. You, your approach to your
actors are more like a manager, right?
And so most agents are not picking and they'll fly through
the pictures. And that's how you get the fugly
pics. You're not really looking.
They're not taking the time. That's why you guys have to be
so clear in your business and what's in your shoe store.
You know, like I gave you the shoe analogy the other day, but
you know, you're a store, So what are the products in your
store? And they have to be just clear
and people buying them because they're clear.
You know, definitely, if you don't like a video, take it
down. Fracking's not great.
Take it down. You don't want anybody seeing
just sub poor acting or that was me.
Like a lot of people go BA before Amy, that was me BA and
I'm like, take it down. You're not that person anymore.
Well, absolutely. And the other thing too is if
you have like, let's say you have you don't have a lot of
real material, but then someone filmed you in a play and but it
the quality isn't great. Don't put that up.
I would rather you get yourself like like you're doing a self
tape. That's clear you.
Yeah, get coached on that self tape, guys.
Do not randomly put up a self tape 'cause that could be bad
too. Yes, you want it.
You don't exactly you, you want, you don't want to put it like a
a previous audition up. You want to get?
You want to pull something. Off.
You'd book it and then also like, you don't know what it's
like. A lot of these things are like
copyrighted, so you could get in trouble on top of it.
You just pull something online that you know is OK to use.
Don't. Like an actor that's famous
where they could go and they're thinking of Heath Ledger while
you're doing it. Like don't do that.
Like the first episode of Friends, Like go like the first
five years of Friends and pick something from that and change
the names. Great, fabulous idea.
Yeah, 'cause what are they going to be thinking about if they're
watching like some famous scene from what are they?
Going to be Monica. Yeah, they're going to be
thinking, well, that they're not anything like them.
Oh, that's terrible. Like they're going to, they're
going to be comparing. And the other thing too is some
people like when you do yourself tapes, you don't it, it doesn't
need to look like you don't need to like make a set like you
don't Oh. My God, these people.
Because it's never going to look that way.
So don't sit on a couch like this, right?
I mean, yeah. Oh my God.
No props. No.
No props. No, props don't because if
you're trying to make it look high quality, it's never going
to look like that high quality. And so looking like, well, this
looks like a bad movie, like, you know, just either do the
self tape or getting you the real footage.
OK, But I want to what I want to talk about the most today is how
do you stand out in a self tape? Because this is what we're
trying to do in a book. And This is why you developed
your whole technique was to get people to book auditions.
So how do you stand out in a self tape when you turn your
audition in? Why are some people getting
called back? Why are some people booking and
why are others not? Well, the first thing that
everybody has to think about is like if you got an audition, Oh
my God, for today's standards, they what are they getting like
between 5 and 10,000 auditions? But that's something on actors
Access. It just came out and then they
closed it. That's how fast people are.
I mean, you guys, it's crazy what's going on out there.
So you're, you're getting an audition.
They want to see what you're going to do because you're going
to be one of eight or ten people that they're going to call back,
right? And so you're already special.
Right, right, right, exactly. You've already like like, wow,
look at you stood out amongst all like hundreds and hundreds.
Yes, there was something about your picture, something about
your ethnicity, something about your whole thing that that
caused them to tell the agent or manager to bring you in.
OK, So that alone, you're already you're already doing a
good job. OK, so there's that.
Absolutely. And my old thing is why buy it
back? You know, if they're looking for
somebody that they saw in the picture, why are you trying to
be any different than that? Most of your time needs to spend
be spent either in therapy. Exactly.
Like, like find out who you are. That's how you stand out.
And that's just in a nutshell. I mean, of course, I've been
doing this 30 years. I have 15 guidelines.
And then I could teach you how to technically break down a
script and read better and how to use this frame because this
is a 16 by 19, which is why all my classes runs in.
It's how to use this frame. Like, that's what makes it
interesting, like the choreography of what's in this
box. Geography, I mean, thinking
about choreography when they're doing a self tape, probably not
a lot, right? They're not, they're because
they're just standing there. The it's moving pictures.
Film and television is moving pictures.
So it goes frame by frame by frame by frame by frame.
And so if when you get a script after you, you know, one of the
10 times I ask you to read it is watch it being played by
somebody else that's not you. Like, because if you could see
it, you can understand it. If you can't understand it, you
can't play it. You don't even try.
Like, like literally you don't even try because then you're
going to play at it and you're not going to be in.
It. So you know, people don't want
to see your rehearsal process. So if you are doing a self tape
and you're already like with you and your reader on like #10 then
you know, like, like tell your reader come back tomorrow
because you're not ready to self tape.
Yes, you should be rehearsing between self tapes.
Like if you're just, you know, doing other stuff and going
doing other all these other hobbies and you're also a writer
and also like directing and producing.
You're doing all this stuff, but you're not practicing.
You're not focused on being. Practice.
You need to be practicing. All the, all the.
Time in between. That's your result.
That is. You know what I tell my students
is to take a self tape that they did like a year ago 'cause let's
say they've been with me for a year and re tape it and then
look at the difference. I think it's so it's, it's so
important to see your growth. You know you're not going to get
better unless you're feeling like you're getting better.
Yeah, stop beating. Yourself up.
You know, oh, that's so good. You need to actually believe
that you're getting better a lot.
And this is, I think, why you touched on therapy.
A huge part of why people get called back, why they get books,
why they get auditions, is because of what they are
believing about themselves. Yes.
What? What do you believe about your?
Do you believe that you are enough?
Let's start there. Yeah, most people get into
acting because they feel broken and and that's what makes you a
great actor, but that doesn't make you a great Booker, OK?
Is people don't want to like hire any needy people, OK?
They just don't want to. And so the moment that they feel
you're reaching towards them, they pull back.
It's like any relationship, right?
So, so if you can get to a place where you really know who you
are when they're calling you in and feeling special that I got
this opportunity. And then breaking down a script
according to the writer's intent and really understanding story
and then inserting yourself in it after understanding and
really knowing the genre, the tone in the show and the network
and the base. And like, what is it?
What does it remind you of? Because everything should remind
you of something, unless it's the bear.
OK, that's its own thing. Like why are you even calling it
comedy? That's a couple of other topic.
But anyway, so if that's all recognized, then it needs to be
for you and not for anybody else.
So that's part of the process. And when it's for you, then
you're going to represent a strong way to go because you'll
swing all the way through, you'll send it in, you'll feel
proud and you'll walk away and not think about it and just go.
If they don't hire me, it's not my fault, it's their fault.
It's your fault, yeah. Yeah, I did everything.
I I'm done. Absolute.
That's such a great way to to explain that.
And you said something that reminded me of something.
It'll come back to me. Oh, I know what it was.
So you, there's a difference between taping and and acting on
when you're acting on set and taping, booking on audition.
Those are two different skill sets.
Oh yeah, Booking is a separate beast.
It's a separate beast. You're by yourself.
You're like a, you're like an actor magician.
Yes. Yeah.
OK, so you transport if you're great, if you're great, you can
just have a background and transport me into your
imagination with everything that you're doing, seeing and saying.
And and the the the bigger, the most places I go watching you,
the more you're going to be a working actor.
Yeah. Oh, that's so good.
That needs to be like a mantra. Like a a mantra type of.
Thing. Yeah.
Actor, magician. You're an active magician.
Literally and a lot of the training that people are getting
and, and with, you know, different acting studios, even
some of the well known ones. Not get me started.
Don't get me started. Oh no, I'm awakening.
Well, I get all those students from all those teachers and I'm
like, you were there. How long?
And you're giving me this, you know?
I look at resumes and I'm like, oh, they were five years and
blah blah blah. I'm not going to name.
That's kind of good thing. Either they're auditions.
I'm like, what did what was going on in those five years?
I'm so confused. Well, also, if your training is
like this on your resume and your credits are like this,
there's a problem. Yes.
You know, that means you are you are a student who won't get out
of the the everybody loves you. Pat you on the back.
You guys have coffee and you go, no, no, you're good.
No, you're good. No, you're good.
You know what? I really love that moment when
and and if you're doing that a lot, then you're not out there.
You got to be out there falling on your face.
Learn on set. Like, I know I could teach you
like a million things, but unless you take what I'm
teaching you and you go on set, it's a whole another thing.
You have to practice. You have to go out and practice,
right. A lot of a lot of times people
are like, no, I'm not ready. Well, who told you that?
That's a great question. Where did that come from?
Who told you that you're not ready?
Yeah. Because if your teacher's
telling you you're not ready, then you might need to re
evaluate your process. Yeah, definitely.
You have to take where you're at right now and practice it in the
real world, and then keep training and take the next thing
and practice it in the real world and then take the next
thing and practice it in the real world.
It's practice, training and practice.
Yeah, exactly, exactly. And you, yeah, a lot of the
stuff that actors are learning, I'm finding that that that's
more applicable to like once you get on set, but it's not helping
them book jobs. Yeah.
There's something missing. Well, it's a lot of it too.
I mean, this is a very long conversation I've had like
lectures and lectures and lectures and lectures about it.
Which you guys, you can go to the Actors toolbox.net and get a
free week on there and you can just watch a whole bunch of
videos. We'll be lecturing about so many
different topics regarding booking, but I think like the
the biggest thing is that people are just not understanding how
strong you need to be. Like one of my students booked
booked Rise of the Pink Ladies for Paramount Plus.
She had eight callbacks on Zoom. Wow.
She never even met anybody. She met them in person when she
got the job. 8 callbacks on Zoom.
So intense. Yeah, Marissa Davila.
Yeah, it is #1 on the call sheet, 8IN takes a lot of
stamina, takes a lot of of focus.
It takes a lot of discipline. And if you're not training in
that way, and that's how I train people.
I train people to discipline, focus, stamina, strength, power,
and it's all to train you like you're going to be an Olympic
athlete, yes. That's the level.
That is the level. Of level.
This isn't. If this is a hobby for you,
that's OK, That's totally fine. Like.
Don't expect anything. But don't have the same
expectations as if you've decided that you are, this is
what you're going to do. Because if it is, don't, don't
give your age in a heart. I, I know my talent.
I, I know like when I, you're always as an age, you're taking
a risk every time you sign someone.
And then the longer you do it, the, the more you can start to
filter out the risk. But there's still risk involved.
And so I have people on my roster that I know are not going
to, I'm not, they're not going to be on there.
They're not going to go the long haul with me because I'm likely,
it's likely going to be that I don't keep them.
But you know, you, you as an agent, particularly boutique
you, you do your best to try to make it work.
But there's people that I they're, you know, when I see
people getting their auditions in like a minute before they're
due consistently or when I see people, I ask them to do a
retake and they give me a hard time.
You know, I think it's fine or I don't really have time,
whatever. It's like, OK, that tell that
right there tells me a lot. It tells me a lot.
And they never grow out of that even after I've conversation
about them. Why that?
Why that is not the right answer.
I just know they're not going to be long for their life with me.
Like, yeah, they're not long for this world with you, They're
not. They're not long for this world.
That is a way an Olympic athlete would respond to their coach
before like one of the biggest races of their.
No. And there's a lot, a lot more
respect, you know, that people have when you're in high
training with people who know that they have your best
interests and they know what you need to do to succeed.
And. So like, where's the respect?
I don't get paid if you don't get paid, like, what do you,
what do you think is happening here?
Yeah. There's no respect.
Yeah, you know, reason #5,000,333, while no longer a
manager, is nobody had. It's like being a producer.
It's so freaking thankless, you know, like, like not as a
boutique agent, 'cause you're not like that.
But if I was an agent, it wouldn't matter as much.
But when you're a manager, you're like, in their lives,
Yeah. And it's it's your kind of
relationship and I the responsibility of their careers,
wanting it more than they did. It's crazy.
It starts to be like, I am, I, I'm, I need therapy because why
am I doing this? And they don't even want it as
much as I why am I doing this? Like for them, you know,
absolutely. You got to evaluate.
Yeah, after. And you there's a sense that
your agent is working harder than you are.
If you find yourself giving those kinds of answers, like,
oh, I'm good. I don't need, I don't, I don't,
I'm fine with it like that. I, I don't think I need to re
tape it or, or you're like, I don't I, you know what?
I don't know if I, I don't know if I have time.
You have to remember if I called you or your agent calls you
right now and said you have an in personal audition in three
hours, would you say, oh, I'm sorry, I can't rearrange my
schedule? I don't think you would say
that. There's something about self
tapes that has changed people's attitude about.
Oh yeah, they're like I'm going person.
Yeah, or like something you. Mean I I booked a matches for a
commercial commercial in person last year, right?
In person, Yeah, person. I think you could book more in
person. Yeah, definitely, if they get
to. Know you.
You get the vibe the director's able to work with it on the call
back. Yeah, exactly.
We can give you feedback on the first call.
I mean, the casting directors liked it too, you know?
Yeah, I know. I know.
Most cast directors I talked to like they, you know, they, it's,
they're not, it's not going back.
But they're like, oh, I miss in person, you know?
Yeah, it was a vibe. And and likely if I say you have
to be there in three hours, most of most, not all, but most of
them, my talent would be like, all right, But if it's a self
tape, suddenly it's like, oh, I don't, I don't, I put all I
already put my stuff away. I don't, you know, I took my
makeup off, all right? Wow.
You I, you probably. Won't.
Well, that goes in your notes. Yeah, I I-100.
They already took their makeup off.
It's fine. It's not like it's bad if you
did, but then it's like, so do you need me to tell you that the
solution is to put your makeup back on or what is like you
can't think of that? Like why are you telling me this
like? No, because because it you don't
want to do it, they're easily inconvenienced.
Yeah, and that and that's not the mindset of it.
Because we're not in a convenient business.
No. You're not in a convenient
business, things are so inconvenient.
And if you want a really big audition, book a cruise.
Oh yeah, right every time. Right, every time.
Every time you're like, I'm sure you see it when, when you get
auditions for people like, Oh my God, they're booked out.
They're on a cruise. Yeah.
We've had people that have flown back, who have flown back from
family vacations. And I'm not.
I'm not saying. Or they're taping in the
bathroom of the hotel room. Oh, what absolutely.
That's like I'll figure it out. I will figure it out.
So when I have, you know, when I have you talent and I have some
of my talent or like I tell them to do something, they're like
I'm on it like that's my I I've posted that in my stories
before. Look at this amazing response
from my talent. I told them to do this, the XY
and the I'm on it. That was their response.
You know, it wasn't like, oh, I don't know, I don't know.
But it's, it's basically what everything boils down to.
It's inconvenient, right? So there's a difference and
agents see it, they see it quickly.
If I am having people, you know, consistently turn things into
the last minute, meaning I don't care if it's not good because
I'm not going to have time to re tape it.
But obviously you obviously don't care.
Or it's like also like knowing that just because the, you know,
the clock turns 6, it doesn't mean your agent's going to be is
sitting at your their computer waiting on you to turn.
I might be having dinner. You might miss the deadline
because I'm not going to stop everything because you got it in
at six on the dot. Like I might be in a meeting,
like I'm not going to change my plans for you, you know, So I, I
think, you know, as an actor, if you are, if you really want the
things that you're telling people that you want or you're
telling yourself, you have to look at what you're doing and
seeing if that. Yeah, and I think it's always
good to get things in early because, I mean, as long as it's
great, OK? But but, you know, maybe they're
exhausted. Maybe they already saw like 80
auditions and they could pick somebody from that.
And you were #81 because you got it in late.
So I say get it in early. Set the bar.
Exactly that that and then also not only does it actually give
you better chances, but it also communicates to your agent and
to yourself. I mean this is that should be
the main and. The casting because they get it
right away. The casting, absolutely.
That's what it communicates. Sitting at your agents, they're
getting it. As soon as your agent says yeah,
I I'm going to go with this, they're getting it.
Exactly. So let me see your name showing
up early. Yeah.
That's somebody. That's somebody that you want on
your team. Yeah, definitely.
Definitely. Yeah.
We could talk about this forever and ever and ever.
There's so much to talk about regarding this subject.
Yeah, there really is. Yeah, like so much.
But I think the biggest things that actors need to to think
about is how much do you want it?
How much do you want it? How much do you want it?
Yeah, I think that's the question of the week.
How much do you want it? And, you know, and if you don't
want it that much, that's OK. Don't expect more.
Yeah, yeah, like. OK, That's like being in a
relationship with somebody and you tell your friends, yeah,
yeah, I'm not going to marry this guy.
He's like, whatever. And then he leaves you and
you're crying that he left you. Yeah, right.
And they're. Like yeah, but you said I don't
care, you left me and I'm rejected.
I'm upset. Well you know you didn't care.
So if your agent dumps you because you showing you don't
care and then you cry and you bitch about the agent that
jumped drop dropped you, why don't you start thinking about
what led up to that? Yes, yeah, if you want to grow
and get better, think about that.
Think about why why did why did this?
Where can I grow from this? Because if you just keep blaming
your agent or blaming something or someone else or blaming
you're you're, that doesn't serve you like you're never
gonna that. Doesn't serve.
Trust me. You know, I get people that are
crawling. They're freaking crawling.
I had 40 auditions and I know I've I've heard about you.
I. Don't know but my friends have
trained with you, my agent told me about you but I need you to
help me now because I have a feeling they're going to drop
me. What?
You are not my perfect student. I I literally don't even want to
train you. Wow, wow.
That's that's what you get. I'm getting a lot of because
they come crawling to me to fix them.
I'm like, I'm not going to fix you.
This is a whole process. This is a whole process and it
started with everybody told you and you did nothing.
That says something about you. I don't want somebody that like,
that's why I don't advertise. When people find me, they
finally find me because you know the Lord sent them.
You're looking at that way. God said you.
God sent them. That's right.
I really didn't hear. That way I could match.
Yeah, like when we met, at least in London's party, God did.
God did that. That's the God.
Thing see that just happened out of nowhere.
It was a God thing. That's a God thing on so many
levels. Yeah, yeah.
So, I mean, you guys, if you don't believe in God, that's OK,
But you maybe believe in spirit, maybe believe in the universe, I
don't know. But there are no coincidences.
Things happen for a reason. And and if you're coming to me
after you're crawling on your knees, then you should have
thought about it 35 auditions before.
And probably and you need to do some internal work before you
start trying to fix anything. You need to do some internal
work before you. What I mean that dialogue was
correct, right? Oh my gosh, I just, I was like,
I almost fell out of my chair because it was like, this is
real. It happens all the time.
Or like let's say one of my students is now booking after
being with me for a year. Now they're booking Co stars and
recurring and heading into guest star.
And so I'll get a phone call. Yeah, Someone told me about you
a year ago. They wanted to see what they
were going to do. They were looking at their
friend going, well, let's see what you do.
So now they've had a year of not training with me.
Right. What their friend was going to
do when it took their friend about a year.
Yeah. You just up everything to get
ready and how to hit it. Yeah.
And that's now they're behind. Yeah.
And it's, that's not a, it's, I understand why people like.
Well, I want to see what happens for you or for this.
I understand why people think that, but it's actually like a
logical fallacy because that's not you can't, you can't obtain
information from about your life, your future based on
someone else's life. There's so many factors involved
in why someone books. You know, there's so many.
It's it's obviously what we're talking.
About let's talk about, you know what, we got to go.
Let's talk about that next next time.
Yep, that'll be our that'll talk.
Well, we're going to talk about it next time, like we'll name
it. Why aren't you booking?
Oh, that's so good. You better, you better.
If you're, you better turn in TuneIn for that.
If you're in this, you're better tune in for that and.
You guys, we really want you to write us and give us some topics
that you want us to talk about because I mean, we'll just be
talking. I mean, like we're already over
at this point. So you want to know this is your
chance. This is your chance.
Let's go. But subscribe, share, comment,
follow. You know we did our thing.
You do your thing. Exactly.
These are free tips, so show us some love.
Show us some love. Right.
OK, you can follow Ophelia where?
At this happens every time 8 OK. It's JTA under score.
ATA under score agent under score Ophelia and it's OFOF
Frank Lia. Thank you love there.
Yeah, yeah. So follow her on Instagram.
Yeah. And she will remember her.
I keep testing her. Maybe you'll be ready for the
next test. You guys, I'm everywhere.
I'm like, shit, I'm everywhere. Just, you know, at Amy Linden,
OK. OK.
Bye, everybody. Hi.
Everybody.