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The Alliance is a cooperative of Central Texas casting directors, talent agents and acting coaches.
The Bottom Line:
Reminders and Advice for the successful Austin Actor
Our goal is to "raise the bar" on the level of professionalism by educating and informing all members of the acting community on various topics. We care about you. We want you working. We want to help you grow and to continue being educated to insure
your success.
COMING SOON:
Ask a Casting Director,
Ask a Talent Agent, and
Ask an Acting Coach.
Send your question to TheAustinAlliance@gmail.com
and watch this space for answers to the questions you submit!
April 23, 2008
On Monday, April 7th, the Alliance members sponsored a "Town Hall Meeting" for their respective talent. The Panel consisted of Casting Directors Beth Sepko, Rachel Flanagan, Sally Allen, Vicky Boone and Shelly Reese. Liz Atherton was the moderator.
After introductions of each of the Casting Directors, they individually elaborated on their casting preferences. The meeting, which was attended by approximately 450 talent, was then opened to questions from the floor.
This was an incredibly successful event. Please watch for an upcoming announcement for the next "Town Hall Meeting" when all talent will be invited to join us for an evening to include comments from member casting directors, agents and coaches. A similar format will be followed in order to allow all of you the opportunity to get to know us and learn how to be more competitive in this market.
We thought you may be interested in reading some of the comments we
received after the meeting:
"I really thought that was a wonderful and important night here in Austin for all of us. I was wondering if you needed any volunteers to help out with the next event or whatever. Just seems important and I want to help if I can.
Thanks."
Andrew
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"I LOVED the Alliance panel the other night with casting directors. It was nice to know that they are rooting for you when you walk in that door. I just had an audition at Beth Sepko on Friday and it was great because I already knew her face, and felt very welcome. So I thought overall it was a great, pleasant experience and thank you all!!"
Nikki
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"The meeting was great!!!! Not only did the CDs provide a lot of helpful insight, but it humanized them too in that you got a sense of who they are as people.
A few of them I have only had a few auditions with, and it takes time to feel comfortable with a CD. Now that I know exactly what they expect of me as an actor (and that they all have a sense of humor), I know I will be more relaxed next time I am with them in the room.
Not only that, but it was amazing to see every actor I know under the same roof. You got a sense of the entire community and how big it is for such a little town.
Tell the Alliance and the CD's Thank you, thank you for providing us with that event at no charge and for all the work you did to do it."
Jennymarie
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"Thank the Alliance for such an awesome event, it was certainly informative and helpful in many ways. It was great to see all of the Casting Directors and hear their insight about the other side of the audition process. I will certainly apply the knowledge gained to more ably further my career here in Austin. I love this business and I love this state! Thank you all for bringing together the resources to help actors be successful right here at home."
Ryan
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"I thought last night was absolutely wonderful. I was so surprised at how well each casting director seems to know the Austin actors. After hearing them talk, I felt so much more comfortable about going on auditions. I can't say that it was one comment in particular, but rather hearing them say that they all understand how hard the audition process is and are not as judgmental as many actors think. I was
obviously aware that all casting directors are human, however, it made me feel so much more at ease to get a sense of their personalities. I really loved that they said that they like to see actors having fun.
That made me realize that I'm in this business for the pure love of it and should not spend time beating myself up over not getting a part. I appreciate all the work the Alliance Board members did to put on this event. It was so informational...and definitely a lot of fun. Thank you!"
Ash
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"I had my first audition since the Casting Director Q&A and it went quite well today and it was largely due to the session. Just seeing and hearing who she was made me feel at ease and made it easier to prepare. I even asked for a second take with a totally different angle and got some nice laughs. I found it quite useful.
Just seeing the CDs like that made me more comfortable with all of them, which should help in the future. There were also a few details I picked up in how to prepare and what to expect. On a more esoteric level, the notion of "taking over" the audition makes sense I will certainly have that perspective in a professional and polite manner."
Thanks to all,
Charley
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"I thought the meeting was so helpful, especially since I've only been in Austin for a year and signed with an agent for about 6 weeks now. I have not been before all of the casting directors yet. So being able to hear what they had to say about what they look for in the casting suite was wonderful!
I think that having that knowledge will help me in any upcoming auditions I have to feel more confident and relaxed...which is all part of a good audition anyway!"
Lisa
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"I am hearing positive feedback from many. For me - I took great comfort and getting some knowledge I didn't have before. Or I knew it- but needed to hear it from them. Things like.. we are looking for real people - not perfect people. We want to see who you are. We don't hold a grudge against a bad audition. We believe in you and want to see you succeed. The casting process is complicated, with many
different people having input - so many times the person who the casting director believes should be cast is not.
You can ask questions or ask for more time to digest new direction given during the audition. My favorite comment (and others have expressed the same) was Rachel Flanagan saying that she respects what we go through to get up there and do our thing. It does take some guts to be an actor and I forget that sometimes. It was a heartwarming comment to many. I also really benefited from hearing that we don't need to be sending gifts or gratuitous thank you notes and post cards. It was
nice to hear that the Casting Directors have respect for the financial investment that goes into headshots and headshot reproduction and that it's unnecessary to do mailings of them.
So kudos to the Alliance for doing this for us. We needed it."
Wendy
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"Boy did I benefit from the Alliance meeting. I was almost nonstop
writing!
1. Beth Sepko saying that she looks at resumes (and to see if they've changed since last time!) was a kick in the pants to continue training (get back in class) and submitting for things! I thought it was cool that she looks to see if you keep training.
2. Rachel Flanagan saying to choose your projects wisely- get a small role in a quality project!
3. That everyone agreed we can ask to do it one more time if we F up!!!!!! Yay!!!
4. That Vicky Boone said to not focus on passing/failing auditions but in the meantime find your creative outlet in other ways. That was so true (to feed your creative soul), but we forget when we focus on "succeeding".
Just my thoughts."
Katherine
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Thank you to all who wrote! We are always pleased to serve our community and are looking forward to the next meeting which will be open to all talent. We are in the process of planning it now and will announce the date as soon as the
arrangements are finalized. See you there!
In the interim, don't forget to send questions to: theallianceaustin@gmail.com and that they are always appreciated and will be answered.
-The Alliance
March 4, 2008
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Congratulations!
You have an audition! Or, even better, you have a callback!
Some agents will leave you a message telling you that they have an audition or callback for you. Please check your email and voicemail for all details, prior to calling them to confirm or cancel. It'll save you both time!
1. WHO is the Casting Director? Get other relevant names (producer, director, ad agency, etc.) if possible. If you've never met the CD before, ask your agent what he/she looks like and make sure you know how to pronounce their name. There are so many embarrassing situations that could have been avoided if you had that little bit of knowledge.
2. WHERE are the auditions to be held? Confirm address. (If you receive a callback, be sure to confirm that address as it may be held in a different
location.) If this is your first time to that address, download a map. Your agent doesn’t have time to give you directions and NEVER call the Casting Director’s office to ask directions!
3. WHAT is the day and the date of the audition? Callbacks? Shoot dates?
4. WHAT is the project? (Union vs. non-union, film, TV, commercial, industrial, print, music video, etc.)
5. WHAT is the character? Get description, if possible. Wardrobe, hair, makeup?
6. WHAT are the conflicts? Do not accept any audition if you have a conflict (i.e. fast food restaurants, dairy products, casual dining, soft drinks, automobiles, beer, etc.) or are unavailable for the shoot dates.
7. WHAT are the rates/usage?
8. HOW MANY headshots, resumes and size sheets are needed? (You should always have at least 15 extras in your car!) Staple headshot and resume back to back, making sure they are the same size! This may not be done in the Casting Director's office! You should always bring more than requested.
9. ARE sides available? Script? If available, have it emailed, faxed or go pick it up at your agent's office! Work on the material in advance. Check definitions and pronunciations.
11. If this is a callback, you usually wear the same wardrobe, hairstyle and makeup unless specifically told otherwise by your agent.
10. Most importantly, this is YOUR audition, you need to go alone! Parents, keep in mind the rule: “ONE PARENT/ONE CHILD”. Never bring others along on an audition.
Relax, have fun and enjoy the experience! Good luck!
Please feel free to write us specific questions you may wish answered.
-The Alliance
January 15, 2008
Hello, Talent! The Austin Alliance hopes that you and yours enjoyed the holidays. We wish you continued success in 2008 and hope that our suggestions help you become more competitive in the workplace.
Congratulations to all of you who booked projects last year! Let's make 2008 an even better year for all.
The Bottom Line, for your consideration:
*Auditions are usually very tightly scheduled, so please be on time. If you arrive really early, please don't go in or sign in until about 10 - 15 minutes prior to your appointment. Seating is usually limited.
*After you have signed in, please sit down and focus on the audition. This is not a social hour, so be respectful of others by being quiet in the waiting area.
*When seeking representation, you may want to visit www.licensed.state.tx.us/licensesearch in order to insure that you are applying to a bonded and licensed agency.
*Business cards with your photo and either your agent's contact information or yours, if not represented, are a wonderful way to network at mixers, workshops, festivals and any other place you run into someone who should know whom you are.
*Be sure and consult a tax advisor (your agent is not an accountant!) when filing your income taxes. Many of the items you are required to have, i.e. headshots, resumes, business cards, etc. may be tax deductible. Keep a receipt for everything you do, whether it is buying drinks at a mixer, attending a class or workshop or anything that is strictly industry related and not necessary for any other occupation you may have.
Please write us with any specific questions you may have and we'll try and address them in a future installment of The Bottom Line.
Happy New Year!
-The Alliance