My Audition & Prep for TV Film Commercial Castings

Every time we audition, we learn something new. This one was no exception. The ad below the pic was in one of the old trade papers we had back in the 80's and 90's. The Backstage West and Dramalogue. They competed to get paying auditions, so it was good for us. Lots of pilot game shows to try out for, music videos, v/o's, union auditions, even fun to work on paying shows like Supermarket Sweep, The Gong Show, and many others. We could earn $300 - $600 a day a few times a year and it helped out. I guess the reality shows, and skynet came along and did them in. It's up to us to try and find work in addition to our agents. It's just a little harder to sift through all of it now.

At the professional level, almost every time we walk into the casting room for an audition, we are up against the best in the world for just about every single role. So we have to be at our absolute best, and make sure we are in the best mindset possible. Got to be prepared with the material, carry ourselves like a professional, and ready to change and adapt to direction almost instantly. We can't take the safe choice at a casting, that's what most of the other actors are doing.

We have to be different, and take a risk in order to stand out and get that callback. Odds are, they will either love you, or hate you, but most of them will respect you for taking a risk. Often times if you do, they are open you letting you give them a different take if you ask for it right. Even if you weren't right for this job, they will likely remember you for something in the future.

When I got to LA, I had quite a few commercials under my belt, but I knew I needed to find a way to get a leg up on the competition. After a couple of months of auditions, I had met a few of the bigger commercial casting directors. I approached a few during off hours, and offered to intern for them. I wanted to get a little “inside baseball”, and see what their job really entailed. I wanted to see their day was like, and see things from their perspective. I also wanted to see if I could watch some of the other actors audition. I figured that would give me an edge.

I was honest and up front with them, I said, “I’m not trying to get on the inside track for auditions with you, I want to learn how your work day goes.” “I’m willing to work for free for a few weeks, do whatever grunt work you need done, and run your errands.” One of them said okay, if I would keep my mouth shut, and stay out of the way in the audition room. So I got run pretty ragged doing all kinds of things, but I learned more from the experience of being in that audition room. More than any acting or auditioning classes I took, acting coaches, stand up comedy, or anything else.

I was amazed to see how many actors would come in unprepared. Some come in that had no idea what they were really doing. Some were arrogant, or had chips on their shoulders. Some simply couldn’t hear, and react to, direction when it was given to them. Some were just plain too nervous, and would start running their mouths unnecessarily. Trying to be a kiss ass, and etc. Many of them had their auditions deleted from the audition tape, and they never even knew it.

Then there were the professionals. They were the ones who stuck out like sore thumbs in the bunch. They knew exactly what they were doing. They listened to direction, and were just “in the moment” being themselves. They were letting their individual personalities out, following direction, and being creative. The way they walked in the door said it all. This actor is a real pro. Those were the ones the casting director wanted the clients to see. It was a real wake up call for me.

In addition to that, I had no idea what casting directors go through in a “normal” day. They are fielding phone calls from producers, directors, ad agencies, and clients changing up the copy. They are auditioning actors all day long, often without even getting a lunch break. There are calls coming in from agents, and even actors who are running late, trying to reschedule, or cancelling. They are also dealing with breakdowns for other jobs, and have to make preparations to cast those. Their average day is utter madness, and chaos. By 4 pm, they are pretty worn out. I never realized how much work they actually have to do. I figured they just sit around there and audition actors a few hours a day. Knowing all of this was very helpful, because if I went on an audition and the casting director was a little snippy with me, I had a better understanding why.

All of this taught me how to be able to “read” a room better when I walked into it. I became much more sensitive to what they go through. Most of the time, they are friendly and supportive to us. But if I came in a room, and they had some kind of negative energy going on, I didn’t let it affect me personally - we can't afford to. I became one of the pro’s who walked in the room, listened closely, made strong choices, owned it, was always polite, and left the room promptly. I didn’t want to be that “deleted” from the tape actor.

I ended up having a sort of audition ritual. I did many mechanical things before auditions, then I would just adapt and improvise around them. So, summarized, here’s my commercial, and/or theatrical audition routine: When I get the call/email from my agent, the first thing I do is make sure I don’t have another audition conflict, or any direct product conflicts. Big trouble if you do.

I never discuss an audition or any details with anyone. Most of them have non disclosure agreements anyway. If I have anything else non-acting related going on, I cancel or reschedule it. I want to always be that actor that when they call me, I will be there no matter what. If you are late to an audition; the casting director might figure if you are late for the audition, you might also be late to the set. Same with your agent, we want to be that go to actor. So unless you have a broken leg, or a family emergency, no excuses, be there early, or on time. If something like that does happen, call your agent right away. Most of the time, your call can be rescheduled if it’s a real emergency.

Just as a side note, when I got my first smartphone, I noticed that when my agent called me for an audition, and that the sides were attached, I didn’t see any attachment. I was going to call them, but I figured it would be best not to bother them until I was sure. When I got home, I checked the email on my computer, and there it was. I spoke with a few of my other actor friends about it, and sure enough, some brands of smartphones don’t show the attachments. So check it out on your computer first, before calling your agent.

I do get some rush call auditions, but most of them are scheduled for the following day, sometimes two. I don’t know how it happens, but auditions always seem to come up around rush hour. They’re at 9 am, or 4:30 pm, where you would run right smack into it. It's important not to be a dick on the set, and with everyone you come in contact with. The word about your rep gets around. As big as Hollywood may seem, it's really a small town for industry people. Sometimes after you've been worked for a number of productions, they just up and call to book you for another job. "Can you be here in 2 hours?" (and it pays scale.) Um let me think, yes.

It’s rare, but if I do get to pick an audition time range, I go for the earliest possible time. For some reason the early actor tends to have a better chance at booking the role. I think they may just get tired after seeing the same thing all day. Go for early if you can pick an audition time.

Most of the auditions are scattered around a 25 mile radius in Los Angeles. So no matter how centrally located you may try to live, you often still end up with a long commute. They are where they are.

If the agent emails me the storyboard and script, I go over it and think of three or four different reads I might use, that may not be the first and most obvious ones. Then the next day I revisit them, and go over it again. How is the commercial’s message being conveyed? How do I fit into it? What is the product, and how are they selling it? If it’s a film, what’s the theme?

Most of the time, there are no sides beforehand. It is just a type they are looking for and I have nothing much to go on except for a time, and wardrobe suggestion. Often it’s just something very generic, like a construction worker, taxi driver, fisherman, or a dad in a polo shirt, etc. Fine, I have lots of junk in the trunk, just in case they have gotten the roles mixed up. (It happens.) Maybe I might get to try out for a different role I think I might be better for, whatever it may be, I’m ready for it. I might also be able to get another audition for something else while I am there at the same facility I am going to visit.

Having various wardrobe changes with me, saved me numerous times. I also have plenty of extra headshots, different hats, and eye glasses, just in case. I’m ready to change it up completely if I need to. (If I do choose to wear glasses, I slate with them off, and put them back on for the reading. That way I can show them two different looks.)If I see there are 2 roles I'm good for, I get familiar with both of them just in case. On a number of occasions, I've said, "If time permits I'd like to read for the other role of the mechanic", etc. and it has worked - even booked me a few I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

I make sure I am wearing no colognes or other heavily scented things, which some casting directors might be allergic to. Then I put on the most comfortable shoes I have, and suit up in my wardrobe for the audition. (Or I have it ready to do a quick change in the car when I arrive.)

I like chewing bubble gum. Always remember to take it out before you go in for an audition. Directors hate it when actors are auditioning and chewing gum. I got busted once, and that was it. I never made that mistake again. Plus, there was no place to spit it out, so I had to put it in my pocket. I forgot it was there, and my pocket was permanently gooed shut. What a mess. But it served as a good reminder.

I eat a small meal before I leave the house, so I’m not starving when I arrive. I don’t want my stomach to be growling. I have fluids like Gatorade, or bottled water, and some honey cough drops in the car for when I get there. (Learned that from an old radio host. Honey cough drops.

I leave early enough so that even with a traffic jam, I will arrive there at least 30 minutes ahead of my audition time. The same for call times on the set as well. Then I can get as much information as possible prior to my audition. They also might spring some dialog on me, and then I at least will have some time to work on it.

When I arrive, I take at least five minutes of quiet time just to gather myself, and calm down from the drive. If you like to say a prayer, or anything like that to help you get your mind right, then you have time for it then, and you can do so.

I stay away from drinking ice cold beverages, because it contracts, and affects my voice. I avoid anything with caffeine or sugar in it. Chocolate gives me a sugar rush that makes me appear to be nervous, so does caffeine. I avoid that, and any candy that is sour, or eating anything spicy before my call. My throat is part of my instrument, (I hate calling it that.) But I need to keep it in prime working condition. If anything, I take a honey cough drop 15 minutes before auditioning. I learned that one from a radio broadcaster.

I always go in way ahead of my call time, so I can gather some more information about the audition. I look at the casting area and size it up. A glance from my chair into the casting room when the door opens even helps a little. I can visualize things better. I look at the sides for my part, and all of the other parts as well. They might be interacting with me, and that info is useful. If there is a storyboard on the wall I study that. If there are boards up for related spots they are casting, I study those as well. It gives me a better idea of the direction of the commercial campaign, and I might want to hint towards one of those. Study the name of the campaign and the particular spot. That is a tip off on everything.

If there is another spot they are casting at the same station, or another role I think I might be better suited for, I study that closely. I might want to wear an article of clothing, such as a mechanic shirt underneath my businessman shirt. Then I can easily transition in seconds to the other role if the opportunity presents itself. Always be on the look out for other parts to audition for.

I observe all the other actor types that are out there waiting to audition for my part, and try to speak with a few as they are leaving the facility. I try to gather any information about the audition that I can. Sometimes I need to talk with a few different actors to get some decent intel on that particular audition.

For example, how many actors are they auditioning at one time? How many times did they let you read for the role? Was it on camera? Is the casting director, the director, or are the clients in the room? Was there a rehearsal before the audition? What did they have you do for it? Obviously, you are not going to get all that information from one actor, so I usually speak to a few, catching up with them as they walk out to their cars. This is why I need that extra arrival time. I share this with other actors if they ask me when I'm leaving as well. You get back what you put out there, and being supportive to your actor peers (even if they are competition) is the right thing to do.

usually then I return to my car, digest all the information, make adjustments to my wardrobe, my look, and think about some different reads I might give. More often than not, I end up throwing all the reads out and go with something else when I get in the audition room. If my instincts guide me in a certain direction, then I go that way. I eventually learned to just trust my first instincts. (If I over-think it I'm done.) At least I am prepared to deliver something strong, be different, and take a risk, even if there is no direction given. Many times, there is none, and they want to see what you as the actor will bring to it. If they do give me some, I take it.

I make every effort to go into a room with nothing but a positive mindset. Anything that’s troubling me or negative, I push it out of my thoughts. I leave it at home, or at least in the car. You have to, because if you have something lingering in the back of your mind, it shows in your audition and sometimes even in your face. Ask most any casting director, or someone who works behind the camera and they will tell you that. You've got to block all that out, as hard as it may be sometimes. Things like relationship problems, financial problems, even being in some heavy rush hour traffic can affect you. These are all good reasons to get there early and get your mindset right.

Aside from arriving there early and chilling in my car for a bit, another thing that helps me get in the right frame of mind is this: I say to myself, “I love, and approve of myself.” I repeat this slowly three times. (And you have to really mean it!) As I do this, with my left hand, I tap my right hand area just above the thumb, right on the flat area where my hand meets my wrist. I just lightly smack it about six times with my left hand index and middle fingers pressed together. I learned this from a close friend that is one of these “new age” types. In order to audition well you have to love yourself and what you are doing, despite what ever is going on in your life. Leave it all there and focus on the job at hand, the audition. There's plenty of time after to thing about it.

She explained that this is one of the body’s Meridian points. I thought to myself at the time, “Man this sounds like a pretty stupid idea.” But I went ahead and tried it at my next audition, and, as odd as it may sound, it helped me. I was always a bit self conscious, and it helped my state of mind. You have to learn to love yourself, and like who you are, as hard as that may be sometimes. So doing that is a part of my pre-audition routine. If there is something that I do, or try out and it works, I continue doing it next the next time at the callback. But I always go in ready to make adjustments. We need every edge you can get in this line of work.

When I get out of my car, I do some stretching up against it just like an athlete, or a jogger does. I want to get my body limbered up for a little acting exercise. I exercise my facial muscles and my voice a little also. Other actors parking and getting out of their cars nearby look at me and think I’m some kind of a nut, but I don’t care. I am there to do one thing, out shine the competition, and win this job.

When I do get in the room and sign in, I do everything I can to stay relaxed and focused until I get into the room. Sometimes we can be stuck waiting there to audition for as long as an hour or more, waiting for our call. I don’t get pissed off, or get an attitude about it. We are all in the same boat, some actors handle it better than others. As frustrating as it can be, I try to be disciplined, and just be patient. It is very hard, because it is almost always loud with all the other actors yakking away in there. Many are blabbing loudly into their cell phones, like this is some sort of a social gathering. It’s a job interview, and I treat it that way. This is all business.

About twenty years ago the “size sheet” appeared on the scene. Casting directors almost always have you fill one out before auditioning, and we would give it to them with our headshot. (Thankfully, now most of it is digital.) It was kind of annoying, because when you got a callback, they'd have you fill out the same stupid size sheet form all over again. The obvious things are on there, like your eye and hair color, weight, and various clothing sizes. Also your agent, your contact information, and if you have any conflicts on the product. Be honest about that one, you shouldn’t even be there if you do.

But at the bottom of the page there is usually this little box that says, “Are you willing to do extra work?” My advice is to don’t ever check yes on that one. Many times the producers want to hire you as a principal, but they know the rules, and might just use you as an extra on the job instead. (For more on this, and much more, drop 6 bucks and pick up my Kindle book. I'm not a book machine I have only one, and no plans to write another.)

Sometimes for these auditions, we would end up sitting there for an hour or more. According to the SAG rules, if we are kept waiting longer than an hour, we’re supposed to be paid 30 bucks or some silly amount like that. But not many of us ever pursued it, because if you did…you probably weren’t going to get an audition for that particular casting director again. (And most of them know that.) So if they ran a little late, we just had to deal with it, and keep our mouths shut. This is not a battle that’s worth fighting, for thirty bucks.

Often when I am at my particular casting, they would also be casting two or more roles, or maybe even a series of commercials at the same station. I really liked the ones that would post storyboards on the wall for each one. It gives us a much better idea what the ad agency’s vision, or concept was. Many of them don’t, because some aren’t exactly sure what they even want yet. All of them would usually have a script for us unless it was just a “look” thing that they were casting.

I found that it’s important to study all of the roles I might be appropriate for, and even learn some of them, just in case. I can’t tell you how many times I was hired for a different commercial than the one I was actually there for. Especially at the callbacks, be sure to study all the parts. Often, after auditioning for the role I was there for, I would say, “I would like to give you a quick take on the other role for such and such”. Just don’t ever phrase it as a question. “Can I do it again?” Answer: “No.”

This one time I was there as a dad, and I saw they also were casting a car mechanic spot. That’s something I played a lot, so after the first audition, I pulled a blue mechanic hat out of my back pocket and put it on. I said, “If time permits, I would like to quickly read for the role of the mechanic”. It worked, and I got the role, so keep an eye out, and study the other things they are casting.

Trust your instincts, they will guide you. If you feel you are better suited for another part, you might be right. Plus, it gives you a chance to get more time in front of them. I found out that with many of these commercial campaigns, they only have a vague idea of what they want. If you walk in, and give them your interpretation of it, and nail it – you’re in. Some other spots are cast in stone, they know exactly what they want. If you can walk in the room, and be that image of what they had in mind, you’re probably getting that job. Sometimes it is just a "look". That always kind of frustrated me. The same with "real people" auditions. I never, ever got one of those!

I don’t want to create any kind of negative energy prior to going in for my audition, but if someone is overly loud for an extended period of time in my audition group, I will ask them to please tone it down a bit. I’m here trying to get a job. I try not to do this unless it is absolutely necessary, because some actors I’ve met at this level, have ego / anger issues, or a real chip on their shoulders and don’t care about anyone else but them.

Most of the time, I tune it out any way I can, and stay focused on the job at hand. I use my mp3 player if need be, to white out some of the noise. The music I play is something instrumental so I can still stay into things, and not be overly distracted by it. (Back in the day before back in the day, it was a CD player, and before that a cassette player!)

Other times to get away from noise, I will just walk away to the far side of the room so I can be alone. Even if everyone else in the room is loosing their heads, keep yours on. I don’t talk to the other actors, unless it’s a scene that needs to be rehearsed with a partner. Try to find a compatible one. As far as chatting with other actors, other than perhaps a quick reply to a question, that’s all I want to do. During my pre-audition routine and warm up I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to be rude to my peers, but I don’t want to be distracted, loose focus, my prep or concentration either.

If someone does want to talk with me, I just politely explain that I am focused on my audition right now. I will be happy to speak with them afterwards. Some actors cop an attitude about it, but I am there to get work not to be a social climber. I just get up, move and find another seat if I have to.

Inevitably, at many auditions, you will hear someone loudly boasting about all the wonderful jobs they have done, implying how great they are and that you don’t have a chance against them. Some of them are just knuckleheads, but others are trying to get inside your head. They try and get you depressed and/or thinking that you can’t win against them. It can get to you if you allow it in. Don’t fall for that crap. It’s usually their intention, or they just need some attention, because they are probably weak themselves. Many of these characters can talk a big game, but in reality they probably haven’t done much of anything. Don’t let those big egos get to you in there. It affects your confidence, and your audition.

I’ve seen a lot of mind games, and attempts to intimidate others going on in the waiting room, especially at callbacks. Some actors will try to psych you out in the waiting room, and they love trying to do it. Some even get off on it. Unfortunately there are some people like that when you get to the professional level. There is a lot of money on the line.

Other times it’s done in more subtle ways with things like glaring at you, or just body posture. If you are sitting there all nervous about it, and someone else is sitting there confidently, relaxed and ready to go, that’s not good for you. I admit, I have been in both of those seats. Solutions? The same as before, tune it out, ignore it, look away, but not down. I turn on my mp3 player, or I go to another part of the room to get away from it. Mostly I just try to tune it out however I can, and get my focus back on.

I pay attention to the two actor’s names that are on the sign in sheet just before mine. Then I know about how much time I have before it’s my turn. It’s part of being ready, and prepared. I don’t want to be surprised, and not be ready to go in. When my name is called, I want to be sharp, and at my best.

I’ve learned to breathe through my nose, and not through my mouth as much as possible. A doctor explained to me many years ago, that more oxygen can get to your brain that way. This helped me with auditioning a lot. I breathe like this until it is time to speak. As simple as it may sound, it takes some practice to do it. Normal breathing helps you to be more relaxed.

One way I learned was bicycle riding. I would close my mouth and breathe only through my nose. It’s hard at first, but if you practice it enough, you can master it. Many professional athletes do this to build up their cardio, and endurance. It’s a way to give your body more strength when you need it. Breathing normally under stress is a skill that takes a lot of work to master. Relaxation and breathing exercises help to keep my body centered, and grounded.

When I know it is about five minutes before my audition, if I’m sitting, I stand up and move around a little bit to get the blood moving and flowing throughout my body. Otherwise, I go into the audition a little flat, and with less energy, and by then it’s too late. (It always happens after you come out of the room, and it’s not going to help you very much then.)

I look for a private spot and stiffen up each limb of my body really hard for a few seconds, and let it relax. I focus and think about that body part as I do this. I feel the muscles tense up, and then relax them one at a time. It helps to get my blood moving. I do this with each body part, my arms, my legs, my hands, my feet, my neck, and my abdomen. Then I repeat the process up to three times. It takes me two minutes maximum to complete this.

I also do some facial exercises to limber up my face, like making different expressions. Warming up my face is important because usually the audition involves expressions of some kind. I limber it up like I would before doing any other exercise. I stretch my lips a little, move my tongue around some, and limber up my jaw bones. People do give me some strange looks, but it’s what I like to do before going in. I look a little strange anyway.

Nobody can really see what you are doing, if you are discreet about it. You don’t need to move from a standing, or a sitting position. When I can, I prefer to stand. I find that doing this relaxes my body more, and I am more prepared.

When my name is called, I walk in confidently, set my briefcase inside the door, and head straight to the mark unless otherwise instructed. I don’t look down to see it, I can feel where it is based on the room, the set up, and the camera’s position.

They sometimes offer me a little direction, prior to an audition. I can't stall or it looks bad, but I don't want to rush it either. I only got one shot at this, so if I need a few beats I take it, or request it. I listen to it clearly, and give the logical analytical side of my brain a moment to digest it fully. That allows me time for my creative intuitive side to be freed up, to come up with something. But I have to listen clearly and absorb the direction. I take a moment to let it sink in and process it. Sometimes that is easier said, then done. Like I mentioned, so many actors aren’t able to hear direction, and act on it, in stressful situations. I give my brain a second to catch up to my body. I don’t ever rush it. I drove 2 hours for a 3 minute audition after waiting in the room for an hour. I am making the most of this thing.

When they ask me to slate my name, I say it clearly, and with moderate projection. It does not tail up in pitch, or down, it is just a clear confident statement of my name. I am proud of who I am, and what I am doing. Without being asked, after a second or two, I turn right to profile one beat, then left for one beat, then back to center, and hold. A mistake I saw many actors make was to beam a fake smile or some other stupid expression after the slate. I just hold it with a look of confidence, but not arrogance.

The camera person will usually stop us after that, and then queue us to begin the reading. It gives the impression that I have been there so many times, that it’s a reflex. Like the player who scores a touchdown and doesn't need to spike the ball. He's been there so many times, he doesn't need to.

There may be some direction before or after I slate also. I do the same thing, listen and absorb it, so I can follow it. I at least use it as a guideline. I may need to just toss out all the reads I had planned in advance up to this point, but that’s okay. I was prepared a certain way, but I am ready for something else completely different if need be. Sometimes there are no sides, it's just improv. so you have to be prepared for anything. Even a couple different anythings.

Sometimes when we are standing there on the mark, they will ask us if we have any questions about the audition, right up front. I am usually ready to go, but if I do have one, I ask. Sometimes I am not clear on something, and I ask. Better to do it now, than screw it up and regret it later.

If they ask me if I would like to do a rehearsal first, unless I am feeling unclear on something, usually I say no. Unless I am feeling uncomfortable with my choice, or there are other actors auditioning with me, and I want to get a feel for blocking the scene, our timing, and chemistry, I will say, “No, I prefer to get right to it.” I came in that room ready to go, and I want to if I can. I keep my focus better if I can get right to the actual audition straight away. If I am with a few other actors I try to give them a nod to, “Let’s just do it.”

I find that my first take is almost always better than my second one in an audition situation, so I don’t want to burn a good one up, and loose it as a rehearsal. When I’m working on the set, of course, that’s a totally different situation.

As I mentioned, I try to give a read that is not just a safe one, or the most obvious choice, unless I’m otherwise instructed. Most of the actors I saw audition, would take the safe or obvious read. I want to stand out from the crowd. I usually go with my first instinctive feel on it. I try to dig deep for a risky and different one that the others may not have thought of. More often than not, my first impression it is the best one. It took some experience to get there, and just trust my instincts.

When I finish the first read, if I have what I feel is another good take on the spot, or other spots, I say that I would like to do it quickly another way if time permits, and then I pause for reply. If it’s a no, I cop no 'tude, thank them and leave. If it’s a yes, I do it to it. If I get a chance to do a second read, I make the most of it. Often I will get some direction, casting directors and directors love an actor that can take some direction. If there is none, I try to have something completely different ready for them. Our job is to roll with it.

After I am done, I thank them for their time, and leave, (Not forgetting my briefcase on the way!) When I do leave, I try to let it go. This whole thing is now out of my hands. I did my best under the circumstances, and that’s all I can expect from myself. Even if I feel I made a mistake in there, I need to just let it go. It is time to focus on the next audition. It's a fickle business, there are times I felt, man, I totally nailed that thing...and nothing. other times, I felt I made a poor choice, or even blew it. Then I get a callback and book the stupid thing! So you never know.

Just don’t ever try to “crash” a casting. Even if it looks completely disorganized, and you may think you can slip in unnoticed, they will find out later on from the tape. They also keep records of all the actors they are seeing that day. Asking to audition is okay, but crashing one really pisses casting directors off. I did it a few times at the nonunion and union level, and burned myself with a few casting directors as a result of it. Don’t crash, you will get busted and not even know it. It’s not worth the risk to your reputation.

After the audition when I get back to my car, I relax and process the whole thing for five minutes before starting it up to leave. I treat myself to something nice if I have the time. A decent lunch, some tasty coffee at the Coffee Bean, or just chill out in a relaxing spot for a little bit. It takes the edge off, and reduces stress a little. Then I head home, and try not to dwell on the audition, as tempting as it may be. What if I had done this? Or if I did that? Or, I should have done it this way... got to let it go. There’s nothing we can do about it, and beating myself up for a bad choice doesn’t help. Maybe it wasn’t a bad choice after all? Sometimes I think it was…and then I get that callback. Time to focus on getting that next audition, not dwelling on the last one.

I try to keep things in perspective. There is no way to really predict what you are going to be asked to do in most any audition. Every one of these auditions is different. Even after auditioning for 1000’s of these, I can say that with confidence they are never the same. I can’t advise very much on the actual “acting” part for you. You need to find a good, and reputable commercial and/or acting coach or teacher to get as much acting training as possible.

Commercials was how I earned most of my living. Keep in mind that auditioning for commercials is an art form in itself. We have to convey an expression, attitude, or emotion in seconds. There's no time to build a character, you have to be it, instantly. Film and theater training don’t help us much here.

All we can do is be as prepared as possible, know our material, be confident, ready to improvise, and make changes on the fly if we need to.

I hope some of this helps you out a little. If you would like to read the balance of this chapter, and the rest of my book, (I'm just now getting to the good stuff!) Anyway, the title is, "An Actor's Face, Audition, Casting Advice, And Anecdotes From A Working Actor". It's $6 at the Amazon Kindle book store.

It is my story, and adventures as a working actor in Hollywood, but it's also filled with lots of practical advice, casting, and auditioning tips. Also for actors who are making the move to NYC, or LA, to pursue their dream as an actor, as well as for people who are thinking about breaking into the acting business, whatever market you live in.

At the end of the day, earning a living as an actor boils down to one thing: winning the job. I've learned a lot about increasing your odds, and putting yourself in the best possible position to get hired.

I earned a living for 2 decades as an actor, and even though I never really got that breakthrough role, I was able to earn a living doing what I love to do - acting. You'll read about ways to audition better by being more prepared, to gathering information that will help you get the edge on the competition, and the goal, to book more jobs. I discuss common sense ways to acquire the best possible tools at the lowest possible costs, because I had to do it myself. I vowed that if I ever made it I would share everything someday, because it was so danged hard getting information and breaking into the business. Obviously, that's changed a lot since the web. Info is a lot more readily available if you take the time to dig for it and sift through all the crap. I priced my book low, because I'm not into gouging other actors, and I'd rather you had the extra money for things like good headshots. Something we have to do on a regular basis. I hope some of what I've written helps you.

Here's the Amazon Kindle link:



For more information, visit my actor site, ShannonRatigan.com

Shannon Ratigan

Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.

Intimidating Actors in Hollywood and Show Business

Hollywood seems to like you if you have a dysfunctional body part. It’s true, I’ve been hired quite a few times because of my hook nose with a huge bump on it. It was a nice nose once, but a bully broke it for me in high school. Things were a little different back in the 60’s. It healed up, bit the end result was it looked like a long hook nose. That became my new nickname which added years of insults to injury. Fortunately most people that are bullies end up never amounting to much. That particular one never even left home, never went out to see what’s out there in the world, explore new careers, and so forth. He never left home and still lives in the basement with mommy. Pretty sure that’s a win.

Bullying has become such a buzz word, that people ten to throw it around too much and the real meaning of it, and worse, the serious cases have become watered down. “The cashier wouldn’t take my coupon – I was bullied.” Really? I think people are getting a little tired of hearing, “I was bullied here or there” in way too many situations where it really doesn’t apply. With the term bullying being so commonly used these days, I think I’ve actually bullied myself a few times.

For me, I kind of figured that bullying was a thing that happened in school, and it ended there. The majority of it was verbal, that’s not to say it doesn’t hurt – because it does and usually for a long time. I figured when you graduated out into the adult world, verbal bullying stopped and it became things like intimidation, manipulating, pushing and shoving, abuse, or worse. However hurtful and painful it was, I think it helped me to have more courage and backbone throughout the rest of my life and career. Being bullied a lot helped me to recognize when to just stand there and take it, to stand up to it, or to just walk away. Physical abuse, or actual violence it a completely different matter, but if you’ve experienced enough bulling you learn how to handle and deal with each individual situation. Granted, I’m speaking in general terms here. I got to the point where I said to myself, when I get out in the real world, I’m not going to just stand there and take it, or be intimidated. So it actually strengthened me, and made me a tougher person. Which I needed.

It’s true that too much bulling can really damage a kid in their formative years. Believe me, I had my share of it being a rather frail and dorky looking kid. I was an easy target, and I just took it. I wasn’t big enough to battle with 200 pound jocks. Many of the kids did it just to impress their friends, or they just got off doing it to the weaker kids. I imagine a lot of that still goes on today.

One of the messages here, is to embrace the things that the kids made fun of you for. Because in the world of casting in Hollywood, something different, odd, or quirky about you, actually gives you an edge amongst the beautiful people. The thing the kids made fun of me about, became an asset to my career. Granted, I’m a character type but I think this applies in general. Something unique or different looking about you, can get you in the door. Obviously, you still have to deliver once you get in there, but it does the hardest part, getting you in the door for that casting opportunity.

I’m not suggesting that you need to get socked in the eye socket to make you more marketable and/or castable. Or, that being bullied is a good thing to go through to make it easier to live in a business environment, but it did help me to have the backbone, inner strength, and courage to stand up to it when it did happen. It’s not a peaches and cream world in most career fields, and many employers, supervisors, managers, or competing businesses will try it on you. When I was starting out as an actor, I let it go for a few years because I had that fear that they would just hire another actor. And trust me, they are lined up behind you, with many of them willing to work for free thanks to the reality show mentality. But each time I let that overtime pay or something like that get past me, it took away a little piece of my self confidence, pride, and my self esteem.

The majority of intimidation happened to me at the non union level. With talent agents, casting directors, production companies, studios, and even actors at callbacks I was auditioning with. At the professional level, there are serious contracts, and a lot more laws to deal with so there’s a lot less of it. But it does still happen. True, the agent negotiates the pay rate, but things can change when you show up to the set. During the 80’s and 90’s you couldn’t just call your agent or the union because things would usually go down either before or after business hours. My agent expected me to handle things. It was my job to know the contract rules, and conduct myself as a professional, which I did. In the back of my mind, I wanted my agent to be thinking of me as their “go to guy” in my type when a casting came along. So being low maintenance was one of the ways I earned my agent’s respect.

Things have changed a lot with contracts, and contract rules since then. We have cable residuals, new media, internet use, and etc. There are a lot more sneaky places on contracts now, so it’s not as easy as it once was to interpret the contract rules, but that’s part of our job – to know them. A good agent catches most of it, but things can change when you get to the set. Before I would attempt to resolve a pay dispute I had to make sure I was absolutely in the right about it. I carried the contracts booklet in my car, and knew them like a script. I could make sure, as well as show the production person the actual rule in writing. Most of the time if I presented the facts calmly and professionally we could settle the issue, and move on to the job at hand.

But there were a number of times when intimidation on a pay issue couldn’t be resolved. Standing up for yourself in that situation is scary, especially if it’s a big name director who towers a foot over your head, or if it involves a name casting director, or even with a major studio. Once they realize that you have a backbone and won’t just roll over, chances are things can be worked out. There were a few times they just wouldn’t back down even when presented with clear facts in writing. My last resort was contacting my agent, and, if necessary, the union to resolve it.

At the professional level being an actor is difficult, especially on the business side. I know a lot of actors who gave in on something really significant because of the fear of being replaced, or what might happen later.

Many production companies don’t realize what the life of an actor is, and we just trying to earn a living is like. For us, the average of booking a national commercial is 1 in 83 auditions. That’s a lot of time, fuel, emotional stress and running around all over town - for free. That one commercial we do book helps to cover some of that. Or, try the 4 callbacks for a guest star role on a TV series, only to have it go to another actor and you ending up number 2 on the role. Sure, I can feel proud I made it that far, I made it that close, and maybe even impressed the casting director to boot, but at the end of that two week roller-coaster, I have bupkiss to show for it.

As bad as this sounds, I think being bullied actually helped to prepare me for the adult world, and especially the acting and music fields. We have agents, but we are pretty much alone out there. We are a brand like in any other business. The only difference is that we are independent contractors and have to handle most of the business part ourselves. And often, it happens right at wrap time when everyone is rushed and busy running around so they can get home, and don’t have time for it.

There is a lot of attempted manipulation, and even intimidation (usually involving pay) in acting and show business. I’ve been at it over 30 years and I’ve seen it a lot. It happened with me, and also with other actors. I learned very quickly that the first place a production company tries to cut costs is on the actors. Our own country’s production costs, and shooting permits is a big part of it. That’s why you see “Filmed in Canada” and the ACTRA union logo at the end credits on a lot of popular shows. Runaway production has been a problem for decades. Unfortunately, many production companies have to go where it costs them less. I’m hoping more of the states get this figured out, lower costs, and offer more incentives to film companies so they will shoot in the USA. I’m still waiting.

I had a variety of careers before pursuing show business full time. Over the years lots of employers, employees and even customers would try to intimidate me. I was able to know when to stand up for myself, choose when it was necessary, and do it.

Had I not been bullied or intimidated so much, I don’t think I would have stood up, or knew when to confront these people. I learned to develop higher self confidence, self esteem, and wasn’t afraid to stand up for myself. Like a lot of you out there, I was bullied in various forms starting back in grade school. Everything from simple insults, to intimidation to being beat up for no particular reason, other than being a little different. I was one of those kids that really didn’t fit in anywhere – with the cool kids, with the in crowd, even the outcasts, and so on. And yes, at the time it hurt – a lot. I was probably bullied at least a couple dozen times in school.

The only place I seemed to fit in was the drama class, and the school band. I was pretty good at both, but now there were more reasons to pound on me. “Hey, it’s the band geek, get him!” You get the idea. Looking back, music was one of the things that saved me, gave me an outlet for frustration, rejection, and kept me sane.

I had this one school class where they would bus us out to a machine shop, and every time I entered or left the bus, each person on it would get in a shot or a punch. I felt like Clint Eastwood in The Gauntlet, but I just took it. Naturally, my seat was in the back. I got pounded on a lot. The teacher would yell at them but it didn’t help.

Back to pay rate disputes in Hollywood. My basic threshold for bringing up a pay rate dispute was $30 or more. Choosing your battles is important. For example, if you have to wait an hour past your audition call time, at the time, the contract said we should get paid around $25. I felt it just wasn’t worth it, and casting directors know it. We want them to call us for more auditions, so I always gave that one a pass. More often than not it’s because the director or client is late, or they just didn’t schedule auditions all that well. It happens. Getting upset just takes you out of your audition game.

When I moved to LA I interned with a casting director for a few months. I got to see how hectic their life, and trying to schedule everything was, so I never made a stink about it. It’s part of our job as frustrating as it can be some times.

The best thing to do is be polite and professional to everyone you meet. That receptionist in the waiting room probably will be a casting director one day. That PA on the set doesn’t always want to be a PA. The scruffy looking guy in a t-shirt could be the client. A make up person can put in a word for you on a job if you were polite to them, and easy to work with. You get the idea. The disputes usually happen with the bean counters, and their underlings.

After you get established, and build a decent reputation, sometimes casting directors or production companies who liked working with you will just call you direct, and ask if you can work on an upcoming role. Sometimes you get calls on jobs, or from casting directors you submit headshots and resumes to yourself. With me, most of it was theatrical and AFTRA (before they merged with SAG). My first year in LA I was with a larger commercial agency that just kind of shotgunned me all over town for everything. I just kind of knew I wasn't right for some of this stuff I was being sent on. They ran me ragged - like 10 auditions or more a week! I got some callbacks, but didn't book a single commercial with them, so I made a move to another mid-sized agency. It was a good move, I ended up with a solid booking ratio, and was very happy. I was fortunate enough to be with a great team of 3 commercial agents, and I stayed with them 14 years. They knew my strengths and targeted me for roles I was really right for. We created about 5 different brands for me, and they all worked. I was auditioning a lot less - maybe 4 times a week. But in 6 months I was hitting 1 out of 25. Pretty darned good booking ratio.

But for theatrical, it was a different story. If I got a single film or TV audition in a week, it was a good week. When I did get a offer for a direct booking from a production or a casting director it was usually an AFTRA under 5. (5 lines of dialog or less.) It was still a principal speaking role, you got screen credit, and the pay was about $350 for the day. At first I would turn the calls over to my agent. Big mistake. After having a few of them out-negotiated for me, I chose to not bring the agent in on them anymore. After all, I did get the job on my own. I was trying to move up on their client list. I ended up doing quite a few of them, but usually when we did contracts at wrap, I would see the other actors were getting full scale doing basically the same role I was. They auditioned through an agent, and were not hired direct, so I didn't bitch about it. Kind of pissed me off, but I rolled with it. Many of them hired me repeatedly with no agent involved. I'm doing the same job for half the pay, but it wasn't a battle I felt was worth fighting. That was one of my smarter moves.

I worked for a few of those production companies for years, because they knew I was reliable, would show up on time, and get the job done. The phone would just ring...can you work tomorrow? Umm let me think...yes. One of them that called me direct wanted to dump barrels of green slime on a bunch of us. At wrap, I hear all the other actors complaining about it. When they got to me, I sad, "Hey no problem, anytime at all. If it makes people laugh, I'm good with whatever you got." And we both laughed. As it turned out, I was the only one that didn't complain about it. It make an impression with the talent co-coordinator, and they hired me dozens of times after that. Sometimes it's okay to be paid less than everyone else, and not try to negotiate. It takes time to learn the tides.

One thing I never did was work for free. Early on I did community theater, and a few student films. Some of the directors do go on to have film careers and will remember you. Others go on to deliver pizzas. I needed some experience and film credits until I could replace them with better ones. Lots of productions will try to hire you to work for free. Again, is the director, camera person, sound person, or even the caterer working for free? No, probably not. I'm not either. I'll audition, but then I'm going to negotiate. If they want to hire you bad enough, they will pay you - even if they try to hire you for free first. You're in a good position to negotiate. They want to hire you. No deferred pay either, none of that. The reality show mentality has made it even worse.

I broke into acting back in the early 1980’s. Unless you are fortunate enough to be born into the business, most of us have to start at the bottom, doing non union extra work. I think the most verbal abuse and bullying I ever experienced came during that period. We didn’t have access to all the information about how to start an acting career, other than a few outdated books at the library. I read them of course, and did all the research I could, but like in most fields you start at the bottom, and have to learn how things work. What the various on set terms mean, how things function, who does what, how professional actors conduct themselves, and so on. Now you can just Google things, helpful articles from experienced industry people on social media, ask other actors questions, and so forth. I would have given anything for that kind of information when I was starting out.

Not all the extra wranglers treated us badly, but a lot of them did. And they knew they could get away with it. They essentially knew we needed the job, and any sort of backtalk or questioning them meant getting fired and/or the word getting back to our agent. So being treated somewhat less that a human prop is how it was. Being yelled at constantly by a pimple faced 20 year old PA on a power trip is pretty humiliating. But I had to learn the business and how it worked, so I realized right away that I had to just take it and learn all I could, until I could work my way up to principal work. It was like being paid 50 bucks to get bullied for a day. It was a pretty rough year of on set learning, but it’s part of what we have to do. Things have changed a lot since then, and with union extra work they do treat you a lot better. The point is, I had to just take it, and I knew it, because I needed to learn, and not piss people off in order to work my way up.

After a few years I had a few principal film credits, and a number of commercials under my belt, and a reasonably passable demo reel. I risked it all, and moved to LA to work at the professional level. Commercials were my bread and butter, and I got pretty good at auditioning and booking them after figuring how things worked out there.

Not to be overly cynical here, because I would say that 75% of the time producers and actor SAG contracts are on the up and up. It’s just that there were numerous times a production would try and slide one by me, (or us). The terms are usually set once you are confirmed – booked by your agent. Sometimes we even know beforehand the pay rate. I mean, most of the time, it’s scale or better so I don’t make much note of it until a callback.

With foreign buy outs, things can get a little more blurry. I had a lot of those in Florida, where all of a sudden you show up at a fitting, or on the set, and it’s a different pay rate than was agreed to, or some other whack thing. It’s up to us, or call the agent to get it sorted.

My first year in LA I was booked after a series of additions for this foreign film industrial. It was one of those “road trips” to Oregon. A two week shoot. It was a buy out of $5000 plus travel, accommodations, and per diem for living expenses. It was one heck of a nice gig.

So two months go by, and a week before we are scheduled to leave, the call goes out for the actors to come in for a fitting and to sign contracts. There were just two of us actors there. So we go through the size and fitting motions, then one of the producers brings over the contracts. He hands them to us with a pen and doesn’t say anything. I wasn’t the most savvy actor at that point, but I did see the part where the pay rate had changed from $5000 to $1200 and now we would only be on location for 2 days instead of 2 weeks. I whispered to the other actor, whoa, hold up a minute there. Look at that pay rate change.

The other actor and I compared notes, I asked if he was booked for 2 weeks at $5000 by his agent, and it was the same as me. This was a SAG industrial. So was got together when the producer came back and explained that when we were booked for this, the pay rate agreed upon was $5000. He said, “Well the script was changed, and they only need you for 2 days now.” We both explained again that even if that I the case, this is the rate we were hired for at booking time and we need to call our agents before we can sign them. The guy kind of freaked out, and ran back to one of the higher ups. We were kind of freaking out as well. That was a huge drop in pay. So he comes back and says, “Sorry that’s what it is now, they only need you guys for 2 days.” So we both had to call our agents, we weren’t making any progress, and nobody else would speak with us.

We called them, and our instincts were right, if you are booked at that rate, you should be paid that rate even if the role was reduced, it happened after booking terms were agreed upon. This thing was a SAG job so it was a bit surprising they would try to pull that. We relayed what our agents said, and the producer went back to some other producer and explained what was going on. Still there was no agreement. We both said we are not signing that contract until you speak to our agents about this. Finally our agents got on the phone with them, and miraculously new contracts for the full $5000 appeared about 10 minutes later. That was a big one. Other than a few angry glares from a few producers, the shoot went beautifully. That company never hired me again though.

This one didn't work out quite as well. On this one regional commercial it was 95 miles outside the LA area. They didn’t want to pay the mileage, and were adamant about it. At the end of the shoot, the 2nd AD said absolutely not, no pay for mileage. It amounted to $70 or so. I showed him the rule in the contract booklet and still it was an emphatic no. Actually he got madder, so it was clear I couldn’t work this one out on set. I had no choice but to call the union and ask them to try and resolve it. They called the AD and explained that I was in the right. So at wrap time, they lined all of us actors up by the production trailer and we all had our contracts adjusted. There was about 40 of us, so it was a significant amount of money. My actor peers were very pleased that I stood up for them alone, but production was pretty upset. It was just a call I made, because I knew I was in the right, and I would do it again if I had to. I wonder why I never got residuals on that one.

I have to say, the union does stand up for us with contract rules, safety on the set, and numerous other things, but they don’t actually help us get work like most other unions do. They protect us when we get work, pay rates, safety, etc. It’s a risky call when you have to make it because of the “what ifs” implications, but there’s more to it than just that $70 for mileage. It’s my pride, dignity, self esteem, self confidence, and running around auditioning we do for free. Are they short paying the caterer? Or sound person, or make-up? I don’t think so.

Another time, I get to this TV pilot shoot. At the callback they asked if I was okay having my arms bound. I said sure, no problem. Being personable, and easy to work with are a few of the keys to being a working actor who gets called again, so I hesitate to ever raise a dispute as much as anyone else. When I got there they explained that the script has changed and my scene will be shot with my arms bound and me hanging upside down from a building! I’ve done that before, and the blood rushes to your head very quickly. All the adrenaline, the copy, honestly, it’s not easy to do, especially if they want multiple takes. And you know the answer to that.

Granted, I was only hanging a couple yards from the cement by my feet, but this clearly was a hazard pay situation and clear place to negotiate, get it settled, and still get the scene shot on time. A 6AM call with shooting my scene at 7AM. So what to do? Stall? Walk away, call the agent, or try to negotiate? I wanted this job, and it paid scale. There was only a handful of copy, and the AD said if I didn’t do it they would just upgrade an extra to do it. So I was in that risky situation, and had to handle it delicately.

Anyway, at 6AM my agent was asleep and wouldn’t appreciate a call from one of his actor clients. The union was closed also, and I didn’t want to bring them in on this unless I absolutely needed to. It would probably cost me the job if I did it I figured.

So thankfully the production coordinator came over, wanted to know what was going on with the delay. I calmly explained that I was not informed about this hanging me upside down change, but I’d be happy to work out a compromise. After some wrangling around they agreed to double scale. The AD was a dick, but the coordinator was a reasonable man. Sometimes it’s up to us to handle business. One thing non actors don’t realize is that some of roles we do often come back to haunt us in our dreams. Things like being shot, or other dramatic scenes. Even though it’s pretend, part of it is still real, and it stays with you.

Sometimes I still have nightmares about that one. Hanging upside down from a building over a cement sidewalk is pretty freaky. After each take, the crew had to bring up a ladder and lift my body up (while still tied up) so the blood could come back to my head. I had to repeat this about 8 times, so I was happy I negotiated on this one. I’m not going to be taken advantage of. I let it go a few times during my first few years because I didn’t want to loose a role. I knew how hard it was once I found out what they wanted, but I wanted that job – but for a fair pay rate. They were trying to cut costs. I wasn’t really bullied on this job, but it’s part of the self-esteem confidence thing that gave me the courage to stand up for what was fair, and what was right.

I had a really traumatic one. It was a run in with one of the biggest directors in Hollywood, and it was with one of the major studios. At the end of the day, the AD tried to intimidate me on the pay rate. I calmly went through the usual motions – showed them the contract pay rate and so on. They just dug in their heels on me and got madder because they wanted to go home. How dare this punk actor actually object? The director came over, I explained the pay discrepancy, and he just laid into me. I explained that all I was asking for was what was written in the contract rules and that’s all. I didn’t want anything extra here. So he starts screaming at me so loud, the entire cast and crew freaked out just hearing it. My being calm seemed to anger him even more. I think he expected me to be in the fetal position, and not actually standing up to him. I imagine he did this kind of thing before, and later on I found out that’s what he did. He was even known for it. I took one last try to resolve it, but no go. I explained if we couldn’t resolve it, I would have to turn this over to the union.

I knew I was in the right on this one and to me, it was a lot of money, not to mention my pride. Things really escalated then, so he says to me,“IF YOU DO THAT, I‘LL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU NEVER WORK IN FILM OR TV IN THIS TOWN EVER AGAIN! NO STUDIO WILL EVER HIRE YOU”. That director was seriously pissed off, and yes it shook me up. I was pretty intimidated, and even trembling inside, but I didn’t show it. This was a $1,800.00 dispute in pay, so this was a LOT of money for me. I stood my ground and calmly explained I would have to turn this over to the union and let them sort it out. After shooting, the footage was reviewed and the decision was that I was right, and I got my check. I wasn’t edited from the film, but got no screen credit.

Suffice it to say, it wasn’t exactly the best career move I ever made. I never did get many film or TV auditions after that one unfolded. Fortunately for me, the commercial casting world is a bit more forgiving. That’s how I managed to eek out a living doing what I love to do, acting, and being paid what the rules state I should be paid. I had to stand up for myself to this director, and the studio. I refused to let more Hollywood people chip away at my pride and dignity. Even though this incident hurt my career, if I had to do it over, I would do the same thing.

For the most part, most of the casting directors I’ve come in contact with are honest decent caring people who genuinely want to help and discover actors. It’s what they do, and they love doing it. Many of them were actors before they became casting directors so they have a pretty good idea what our life is like, how hard it is for us to earn a living, and what we go through. So many people in the acting field want a piece of our money. Headshot photographers, casting workshops and sites, managers, agents, all sorts of people. There’s a bit of bullying with some casting directors as well. But it’s a little more subtle. It’s almost an implied “Take my casting workshop or you will never audition for me kind of thing.” I fell for it a few times myself. As a general rule of thumb, I would only pay for these casting workshops if they were CSA members and also volunteered some of their time doing free ones at the conservatory, foundation, and etc. Charging an actor to get seen is just wrong, but a lot of them still find ways to skirt the new laws against it, and do it. It’s especially bad at the non union level.

Just as a side note, when you audition as a principal for a commercial, I suggest you never check that little “Are you willing to do extra work?” box at the bottom of a size sheet or info sheet. The directors know they can hire you for extra rate and not pay out the principal rate plus residuals if you fall for that. It’s hard to turn down a day’s pay that’s $300, but potentially $10,000 or more is a bit more attractive, and reason to stand your ground. There was a few occasions where the casting director would call me directly to do extra work on a principal role commercial I auditioned for – when I said no, I was later hired as a principal. This isn’t really bullying, it’s more like manipulation.

Lots of intimidation goes on with non union talent agents. To be union franchised they have to follow strict laws and conditions. In the non union world they can pretty much do whatever they want as long as they aren’t violating some labor laws. I’ve seen lots of intimidation to use their in-house headshot photographers, casting experts, career advisers, or get kickbacks from ones they have arrangements with.

During my first year in Florida, I was non union, and we could have multiple agency representation. Most of the actors had 4 or 5 agencies representing them. So did I. I had this one non union agent that was charging all their clients a 25% commission. The norm was 15% for film and TV, 20% for print, so this was pretty outrageous, and most of us knew it. All the clients, including myself were afraid to say anything for fear of not getting anymore auditions. After all, they were getting me lots of work. A local casting director finally got wind about them overcharging their clients, and apparently she went to town on them. I don't know what was said, but all of a sudden, about 20 of us were lined up outside the agency getting refund checks for the commission overcharging. The point is, a lot of casting directors know what we go through, don't like seeing actors they book getting ripped off, and sometimes they will step up for the actors on their own. It was a form of intimidation.

The same goes with acting classes. If a teacher or coach won’t let me audit a class first, I would move on. There are lots of acting teachers out there who couldn’t make it as actors. And I want to learn from them? I don’t think so.

Many parents trying to get their kids discovered are especially vulnerable to this. Lots of times at auditions I would see children that really wanted to be there, and really wanted to do this. Then there were the other kids who would be screaming and crying about having to do this. Rejection is hard on adults, let alone on children. Honestly, it hurt me inside to see this same thing repeated over and over. What could I do? I’m there trying to focus on getting a job, and believe me the last thing you want to do is speak up to a Hollywood mom or dad. Sometimes I just wanted to say to them, “Do you really want your kid to end up looking like me?” I probably would have saved a few kids from rehab or therapy. Or maybe got punched again.

A few times when I was a principal on set, some of the actors with larger roles, (or smaller) would try to intimidate me. I have no idea why, we already went through everything, and have the job. Maybe just bitter actors, I don’t know their reasons, and didn’t ask. I just completely avoid actor on actor on set drama. I’m there to do a job, and that’s it. Occasionally it was with one in a scene. Just focus and let it go, it’s not worth getting upset over unless it gets way out of hand. A production can go on for months and we are guests among the crew - sometimes for a week or even just a day, so it's important to try and get along.

One thing that surprised me about working in show business was the actors I thought would be real jerks to work with, most of them ended up being some of the coolest and most supportive people I met. And, on the other hand, some of the ones I thought would be the greatest to work with ever - were kind of dicks to everybody. I never figured on that growing up watching many of them on TV. I guess I got used to an actor’s TV or film persona, and figured that was kind of how they were in real life. I was pretty wrong.

During my first year as an actor back in Florida, the only work I could get was non union. Back then, it was hard to become SAG eligible – let alone join. I’d done a number of local and foreign buy out commercials, but I did manage to work on a couple of films that came down there to shoot. One of them was union and did a Taft Hartley for me. It was a defining moment in my acting career. But on the next one I had to cough up the initiation fee. I wasn’t really ready to join, but it was a speaking role and I had to.

Prior to that, I booked this principal role for a day on a non union film with Ernest Borgnine and two other name actors. This particular one was such a low budget production, they didn’t even have a trailer for him. I was surprised he was even working on such a rinky dink low budget thing. The title was “The Opponent” it also had an alternate name – I think it was in Italian, "Qualcuno pagherà".

The set that day was at an old run down general store way out in the sticks in Homestead. There was this sun burnt picnic table out back, and that was for us. As many of you know, when working on a film, there’s lots of down time in-between set ups. The other two lead actors had kind of a “thing” going – so unless we were actually shooting, they were off in the brush most of the time. So it was just Ernest Borgnine and I waiting around sitting at this beat up picnic table most of the day. To tell you the truth, after a gesture hello, I just sat there and kept my mouth shut. I was a little scared and intimidated by him. Plus I figured it was the respectful thing to do. Who knows what’s in their head? Preparing, rehearsing, personal problems, or just don’t want to be bothered by a day player.

So I sat reading a book most of the time as he gazed off into the palm trees, and tropical foliage. About half way through the day, he just up and slams his palm down on the table, (about scared the crap out of me!) and bellows out to me, “I like you kid...you’re not always running your mouth!” When I recovered, I said, “Just respecting your privacy Mr. Borgnine.” After that, he just opened up, and started sharing stories and anecdotes with me. I felt so honored and humbled to be just sitting there shooting the shit with him.

About half way through the day, the AD sees us talking, runs over and starts screaming at me about speaking to him, I shouldn’t be sitting at the same table, how dare I be talking with Mr. Borgnine, on and on. It was pretty rude. As I was starting to get up to move away, he stared back at the guy with genuine anger in his eyes. I sat there and watched his face transform. It was fascinating. He glared at him for a moment, and in this deep tone, he spoke up for me and told the guy to leave us alone and go take a flying (you know). My best acting role of the day was keeping my composure, not hiding under the table, and/or not bursting into laughter. All I could think at that moment was, wow, nice seeing an AD on a power trip getting intimidated for a change.

Most of the day I just listened, because he was in a talking mood. I barely even recall the shooting parts because all that was so much more powerful. Sharing personal things like what it was like on his first big film, “From Here to Eternity”. Working with Tim Conway on Mchale’s Navy, on westerns, war films, and lots more fascinating stories. Then he started sharing acting tips and tricks with me. Many of them remembered, and used over the years. Some of them helped me to audition better, and be a more convincing actor on the set. One of them was when you play the bad guy, convince yourself that you are the good guy. It will read as more believable on film. That got me hired a few times.

He obviously knew I was a beginning actor like he once was, and I guess he just took a liking to me. And apparently it was because I left him alone, tried to respect his privacy, and kept my mouth shut. He even said, “Everywhere I go, everywhere I work, people are always asking me things…yapping away…I just get tired of it.”

I never admitted that I was just pain scared of the guy at first. He was a pretty imposing figure, much more so in person. As it turned out, he was one of the coolest, most interesting, and helpful men I’ve ever met in my life. I was so lucky that day. To be able to hang out and talk, and learn from his experience. What a blessing that straight to VHS film was.

I was heartbroken when he passed away. It was like a little part of me was gone.

Sometimes actors at auditions play a few games as well. There were times when I had to audition with someone who was just so grouchy, bitter, or negative. That can actually work to your advantage in the casting room if you are the cool composed professional and prepared one, you stand out more. Lots of mind tripping, intimidation, and even bulling goes on between actors at callbacks. There’s a huge amount of money on the line, some of them even get off on trying to intimidate the competition. Trying to get in their heads, bragging about all their credits, all kinds of things. Some of them do it with just body posture or a look, not even uttering a word. I learned to just put on my headphones with some instrumental music (less distracting for me.) and completely tune them out. I don’t want any part of it.

I’m there to focus and deliver the absolute best audition I can. I’m prepared, ready, and most of all, listening for, actually hearing, and reacting to direction if it’s given to me. I was shocked when I sat in on a few casting sessions how many actors were given some direction, and for one reason or another didn’t take it. Nerves, stubborn, green, not listening, or whatever it is. That really surprised me. The best advice I can give is to know the material, be personable, and professional. But most of all, be able to hear and take direction. If there isn’t any, take a risk and make strong choices – not the obvious ones.

I’ve been screamed at for no real apparent reason by directors at callbacks. I later found out that some of them are just plain screamers, and others really want to see if you get rattled and can handle the pressure. We often forget how much there is on the line for everyone. The cast, crew, casting staff, client, ad agency, and the production company. I had a few of them just up and tell me on set, “We just wanted to see if you can handle the same pressure we are going to be under all day.” “Sorry I yelled at you at the callback.” It really surprised me when I first heard it.

These days, all too many people will cry wolf and complain about being bullied or sexually harassed over next to nothing. So, it is important not to do that unless it is really serious. Save it for major incidents, not trivial comments or actions. That is probably the hardest lesson I learned, and the most important.

I never really got that breakthrough role, but if I had a do over, would I change careers at age 26 and chase my acting dream? I absolutely would. I was able to earn a living as a working actor in a difficult field, and I’m proud of it.

If you enjoyed my article, please consider picking up my acting book on Kindle. It's 6 bucks, and it will help me afford a meal. "An Actor's Face" is the title. It's so popular, it doesn't even come up in the first page of search results.

I'm not one of these acting book machines. I've written one book, and that's it. I don't plan to write another one, so I put my heart and everything I have into it. If you do pick it up, thanks in advance for helping out, and I hope you enjoy the read.

Shannon Ratigan

Actor site: ShannonRatigan.com

Twitter @Starving_Actor

Tips on Self Taped Auditions & Web Interviews For Actors

The only good thing about self taped auditions is you don’t have to wear pants. (Okay, I'm kidding!) Part of our job description as actors is constantly being able to adapt, whether it’s being given some direction, evolving with casting trends, or technology. After almost 30 years in front of the camera, it’s been a challenging adjustment for me also being behind it. Now we can do some auditions from the peace and comfort of our own home. And, even audition for directors while they are in other parts of the country. I’ve been getting more and more of these self tapers over the last 2 years so I thought I would share a few of my thoughts, tips, and feelings about them.

I can tell you this, they get a lot of video submissions for each role, so you have to grab them in that first 10 seconds. Just like when you go to an audition, many casting directors have sized you up by the way you carry yourself when you enter the room, and already made up their minds on you before you’ve even said anything.

No doubt you have heard of the guy who self taped an audition on his iPhone at a soda fountain, and got a lead in a film. But seriously, I do like the convenience of not having to pay for gas, slog through traffic, ignore mind games in a noisy holding room, and all the rest of that fun stuff we do for free at an audition.

I have 2 real issues with self taped auditions though. One is that it’s hard to be objective about my best takes. Just like it’s hard to be objective about picking my own headshots. Each year I pick what I think are the best, and my agent sees something in other ones. They are the experts, and the ones who send them out to casting directors to get me auditions. I never seem to pick what is right, and chances are you don’t either.

I run into that same quandary with my self taped audition takes. I can only send one, and it needs to be the best one I can possibly do. Sure getting a second opinion from someone else helps, my wife, or a non actor friend, I’d grab a hobo off the street if I thought he could help me choose my best. You can’t ask your agent, that’s not a great way to move up their favored clients’ list.

The other problem I have is the meet and greet at auditions. I believe it increases my odds if they get to meet me as me, and then I go into character for the audition. I like the, “Hi how are you” and a handshake if they are one of those “not afraid to touch the actors” types. I like to meet them and show some confidence and experience. Sure some of that registers with self taped auditions, but not nearly as well. Usually the direction is slate and audition. It’s kind of hard to show your glowing personality and how easy you will be to work with, not to mention do “risk assessment” on you as an actor. That’s a big part of what casting directors do.

When I’m in a casting director’s office I either read with them, or they might have another person there as a “reader”. Even if they aren’t giving me that much - reading just slightly above the energy of a corpse, I would rather have someone to look in the glazed over eyes and react to. I like that rush of trying to get the reader’s embalming fluid flowing through their veins, so my audition is more authentic and genuine.

Having so little experience behind the camera, I spoke to a few of my industry friends, director’s of photography, AD’s, CD’s, soundmen, and web techies about how to get the best possible quality for these self tape auditions. So here’s what I have to share:

I’ve found that I have got to memorize the material so I can go completely off book. Reading the sides, or a pdf on your laptop just doesn’t look convincing. If you do use the sides, don’t let the camera see them. Practice doing it if you need to. I have to use someone to read to, or there’s just a bad disconnect. My friends want money, so my wife is usually the reader victim. Who ever your reader is, have them stand right next to the camera so it simulates a casting session. Ignore the camera, and focus on the reader. I like to stand, so my reader stands right next to the camera. I suppose you could be seated, if the reader is seated and camera set properly. I find that I have better energy if I’m standing.

Whatever the instructions for the self taped audition are, think of it like taking direction from a director. If they want a full body slate, medium shot, from shoulders up, ECU, etc. Make sure to do it however they want it both artfully, and technically. We’re not reality show morons that say well, “I know better, I’m just going to do it the way I want to.”

I prefer to use a video camera, as the resolution is much better, and the editing is easier for me. They are relatively cheap these days now anyway. It's a tool we actors need, just like a good headshot. A webcam works in a pinch, but most of them are barely 2 MP in quality, and the audio kind of sucks. Phones and tablets just don't cut it for me either. Again, we want to look and sound as good as we possibly can. If you send a 10 MB emailed audition it looks like a pixilated butt cheek, and you’re not getting that job, let alone even get it looked at. It has to be good quality resolution, HD if possible, and set it for the highest quality setting you can. A few minute audition can be 200MB in HQ. We end up needing a file sharing service like “wetransfer.com” because we're sending very large files. There are a number of other ones, I like that one because it’s free.

This is something they all said, find a steady surface to set the camera on, if you have a tripod, great, use it. If not, pile up a bunch of stuff to set it on if you need to. Don’t go for handheld, there’s already too much shakey-cam in the world.

The camera angle and lighting are almost as critical. If it’s looking up at you with upward lighting – the “Dexter” angle is interesting, but probably not what we want for an audition. Looking down at you is even worse. Try to get that camera looking directly straight at you, just like we see it at a regular audition. Camera to eyeline.

Unless I’m instructed otherwise, I use a medium shot about 5 feet from the camera. I always use a plain white (or very light colored plain wall) with nothing on it to distract from the viewers eyes. Hang up a big sheet if you need to. Create a studio space wall for yourself that you can easily set up quickly. Performing is enough to deal with, so having a ready to go set-up is a big part of doing these. We need to get all this technical stuff figured out so when the audition happens, we can slap it together, and just focus on that. You know about wardrobe, so I'm not going into it.

I try to use natural lighting facing toward me whenever I can. (Even an angled piece of it can look interesting.) I had to locate a wall I could clear out that gets lots of sunlight coming in all day. We don’t want to end up being a silhouette. Do a few tests against your audition wall, get that lighting angle right, and picture looking clean. The “auto setting” does not look good on my camera, and I need to adjust the white balance setting. Once it’s set, I’m good to go, and I leave it set.

Sometimes it’s a rush submission, and there’s no sunlight. Or I might need to do it at night with artificial lighting. Most of the time I have a day or 2 for a self taped audition, so at least I can take my time with these. In both situations I use the common 3 point lighting set up. If you work on cars, it’s just some shop lights. They aren’t very expensive. Google 3 point lighting if you aren’t familiar with how it works. Think about how they had the lighting set up at a few of your past auditions...those bedazzled silver umbrellas reflecting light on you, and so on.

Before you start taping, remember to tell everyone in the house you have the home studio going and you will let them know when you’re done or taking a break. (Don’t forget to do that!) Put the pets outside or somewhere else. Bribe people to shut up if you need to. Turn off your phone! Like a bonehead, I forgot one time, and my best take had a stupid ringtone going off right in the middle of it. What a dope.

When I started doing these I would just bang out 5 reads, then try and pick the best one. Over time, I found out that mindset is all wrong (for me anyway) for self taped auditions. Now, what I do is a couple of takes at 3 or 4 different times during the day. I’ll try things to set a different mood for myself prior to my audition sessions. Read part of a book with a similar theme...listen to some instrumental music...or just go for a walk outside. Anything that will get my head in different places. Then I get back in there and fire off a few takes. To mix it up, sometimes I do a session sitting, (with reader sitting and cam eye line set properly.) Then when I'm all done I take a break, and revisit all the reads I did. I choose the top 5 out of the bunch. That’s always fun. Then narrow it to 3. Then I pick that final choice.

For many of us, we have gotten so conditioned that an audition is usually only 2 – 5 minutes long, we are used to it. We forget that we usually have a full day to tape an audition now. We are home and have all damn day to record this sucker and get the best we can. So we might as well take advantage of all that time we never had before.

Once I started spacing my auditions out over a few different times during the day, (and with different mindsets) I started seeing that one of my sessions was always better than the others. But more importantly, I started booking some of these things. Granted, it’s kind of hard to judge ourselves making a choice on ourselves, after all, we aren’t casting directors. But you can usually tell your strongest read. So with self taped, and voiceovers auditions I record them a few times during the day.

The editing is pretty straightforward. I just trim the video so there is about 3 seconds before the slate, another 3 second pause, and then into the audition. 2 seconds of silence at the end, (unless otherwise instructed) and that’s it.

When I record each audition session I usually slate only once. If I choose an audition that doesn’t have one before it, it’s pretty easy to cut and paste it before the one I chose to send out. That’s just my style, I like to bang out 3 or 4 reads after my slate, and then take a break. For self tapes usually my 3rd or 4th is my strongest. With in person auditions my first take is usually the best. Go figure.

When I’m done making my choice and editing it up, I review all the submission instructions to make sure I have it all correct. I’ve been focused on the reads, not the tech. Often they want the video file named a very particular way, (your name – project – role - agent (sometimes all of that) and if that’s messed up it doesn’t look good. I say a quick prayer and send that thing off to my agent or where they want it sent, and put my pants back on.

I’ve been getting more and more online auditions live via programs like Skype also. Mostly though, it’s more of a live video interview, (or even video conference) so if you aren’t already familiar with it, get familiar. Be sure to also work on your home studio, as well as you home camera stage presence. Even after decades of taped auditions, all the technical stuff got in the way for me at first. Then I had to find ways to be comfortable and relaxed in that setting. It’s a whole new animal.

Self taped auditions, live video auditions, and interviews are the future. The good thing is if you live somewhere away from Hollywood like I do now, projects out of LA that are going to be shooting here, cast some of the guest roles, and day player via self taped auditions. Sometimes they want to use local talent, but don’t have the time or resources to travel there to do it. This way they can see dozens of actors they like much more quickly and at their leisure.

More and more casting is actually happening from sites like YouTube and Vimeo also. Just be sure you are putting some quality work, and quality production out there. I know a few success stories about actors who started a monthly web series, someone saw it, their talent was recognized, and they got hired. You can make your own breaks now, and the cameras cost less. Yay.

A lot of us are getting more voiceover auditions these days thanks to less expensive audio recording equipment costs, and the access to more v/o auditions online. I do my self taped auditions, webcam interviews, and voiceover work, all with the same room set up. I have this one well lit room that gets lots of sun from the West. I guess you could call it a home studio that also doubles as a padded cell on bad days. I ended up springing for a decent microphone once I got a few jobs. I started auditioning, and recording them with just my laptop, and it grew from there.

“At some point in my life I went from loser look to marketable.”

I hope some of this helps you. Please visit my page: shannonratigan.com or dig for my IMDb page. It’s buried here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711781/

Shannon Ratigan

Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.

An Actor’s Perspective on Getting a Good Agent (Or a Better One) in Hollywood

Many casting directors, and even agents tell us we need to be authentic and be ourselves. Well, I agree with that, but we have to get IN the door first, then we can be ourselves. That's the focus of my post. Even as a character type out in LA, I noticed that there were 1000’s of SAG actors similar to me. I had pretty good headshots that just looked like me, that worked reasonably well, but I wasn’t getting in as many doors as I honestly felt I should be. I had to find a way to stand out from the crowd a little bit. I knew I had to try and re-brand myself. That is why I ended up using character specific headshots n 1989.

As a SAG member you can have representation for commercials, and/or for theatrical. Generally speaking it is a lot easier to get signed with a good commercial agency, because they are almost always looking for fresh new faces. Theatrical on the other hand is a lot more difficult. You have to have some pretty serious credits, or a good referral. And even then, it’s hard to work up to the top of their list to get audition calls.

Many actors sign with “across the board” agencies, (commercial and theatrical) and for some of them it works, or it may feel necessary. I like to have 3 different teams working for me. A commercial agency, a theatrical agency, and the team of “me”. Just because I have an agent for each doesn’t mean I should sit there and wait for the phone to ring. I need to be self submitting to trade paper castings, online castings, bulk casting director mail outs every 6 months, and even blindly to shows I think I might be right for.

Let’s face it though, many people new to the business think they can self submit through all these online casting sites and start at the top without even having an agent. Sorry, it just doesn’t work that way. You might luck out and get a day player Scooby Snack, but if you are in NY or LA, you have to have good SAG agency representation or you are pretty much screwed over the long haul. I’m not saying you shouldn’t self submit, and do mail outs, I never stopped doing it, and I never will. Even if you live in other markets, and don’t have an agent yet, self submit all you can. Something to keep in mind though, is most casting directors do not cast actors outside their area. (Name actors excluded.) So if you are non-union and live in Kentucky, submitting to agents and casting directors in LA is probably a waste of your money, or maybe even a scam.

I managed to get quite a few nice roles on my own without an agent. But without SAG agency representation I never would have survived long enough to make them happen. The meat of auditions always came through agents, and it probably always will.

Agents get the breakdowns of roles from breakdown services, and they call the actors they think have the best shot at booking a role. It will probably always be that way. A few of them filter out on to casting sites, but not many.

So getting to LA was my priority one objective. Once I had enough decent credits, a demo reel, and headshots, I made the move out there. Something we lose sight of is that for every role, we are competing with the most highly trained, most experienced, and best actors in the word. After all, it is Hollywood, and that’s where they all go to earn a living.

Going there before you are ready is a huge mistake. There are way too many SAG actors that have only done one SAG role, and the majority of union actors earn less than $5000 a year. If you don’t have a demo reel yet, you are probably not ready. I had to find a way to increase the odds. In the theatrical world, character specific headshots are kind of frowned upon, but not so much in the commercial world. And that is where you can earn the real living for yourself. Getting that breakthrough film role can take years, if at all.

Booking a national commercial on the other hand can happen a lot faster. The average odds of a SAG actor in LA booking a national commercial is 1 in 83. That’s a lot of running around for free. My first year there, it was even worse than that. Something like 0 for 240. A few callbacks, but no bookings. It was very discouraging.

A good national spot pays a whole lot more than a guest spot on a sit-com. Sometimes just a look can get you hired, but don’t kid yourself, you still have to have some chops. Producers, casting directors, agents, and directors can spot experience and confidence. So yes, you do need some years of training and on the ground audition experience. After you get IN the door, you still have to deliver the goods. All the pros are going to be doing it. But nothing happens unless you get in the door first. My hope is that sharing my story will give you a few ideas, and help you a little. What worked for me, may not work for you. We’re all different. Especially me.

Flashback to 1987, I had been in LA for a year. Lots of auditions and callbacks, but no significant bookings. Finally, I lucked out, and worked with a guy who became a friendly acquaintance of mine named Stan Yale. He’s an actor who plays nothing at all but homeless guy characters, and that’s all he does. That’s his read and butter. Look him up on IMDb. (Most anyone who is considering hiring you probably will look you up on there also.)

Anyway, one time on the set in-between shots I asked him, are homeless guys the only kind of roles you do? He said to me yes that’s it. I went character specific because I needed to find a niche’ for myself in this business. I grew out my hair, wore grubby clothes and got headshots done of me as a hobo. I realized that not many actors wanted to play homeless guy roles like this because they think it’s bad for their image of who they wanted to be, or their ego got in the way. I don’t give a crap how people look at me, or if they laugh or feel sorry. I just want to work and make it in this town as a working actor.

That conversation really opened my eyes. I thought to myself, why don’t I do the same thing on a little larger scale? I got laughed at and made fun of all through high school...I can do that. I’ll be a homeless guy, a workman/mechanic with a ball cap on, a lab guy with glasses, a cowboy, and a dopey dad. Let them make fun, or laugh at me…at least now I’ll get paid for it.

As it ended up, it turned out to be a pretty good career move. More like it saved it. There were lots of character specific castings that came along, and if my headshot appeared I got called in for them. Now granted, there aren’t many bums in TV commercials...well...wait. Skip that.

Anyway, I got the wardrobe together for each, scheduled a new photo shoot and told the photographer I needed these 6 looks and negotiated a decent rate. (Up front) At that time we could use an 8 x 10 composite with 4 photos as well as headshots. I wanted to increase my odds, and the comp did just that. I could show 4 completely different characters on a single 8 x 10. Eventually I had a full size headshot done of each look. Yes it cost me a lot, but we as actors have a toolbox. Inside it are all the years of acting training, coaches, and years of shows, auditions, and experience we bring to the table. But on that top rack is our most important tool, our business cards, our headshots.

When I got to LA, I got the list of SAG franchised agents, and blindly submitted my headshot to almost all of them. (100’s) That was pretty stupid, and I wasted a lot of materials, and money. I did get signed with a larger commercial agency, but other than the audition experience I got, I pretty much blew my first year.

So after that first disappointing year, I went agent shopping. There’s just too many to blindly submit to all of them, so I targeted the ones I felt were going to be right for me. With a few exceptions, most of them all get the same breakdowns for roles anyway. I purchased an agency book at Samuel French that they publish monthly. This way I knew who was too big, who was medium sized, who rep’s commercials only, how long they’ve been SAG franchised, what kind of clients they rep, and the contact names and addresses. Getting just a list of agents like I did is too vague, and it’s way too expensive to do mail outs to all of them. I selected 20 primary, 20 as backups, and put together agent packs.

A nicely typed professional looking cover letter needs to accompany it, or the odds that it’s going past the receptionist decrease by half. The letter shouldn’t be more than a paragraph or two at the most. These people are extremely busy and don’t have time to read about your life. Keep it short and sweet but with some personality. I used the same letter for each agency, but changed the agent name on each one, so they appeared individual. It only takes a little longer, and shows that you took the time rather than just a form letter. They don’t need to now you are doing 20. Remember to put your email on the cover letter.

Include a link to your demo reel if you have one. Address it to that agent, and sign it. I hand wrote their address on the front of the envelope, attention to, and my return address in my best handwriting. Rather than just mailing them out, I dropped each one off over the course of my travels in a week. It was a brief cover letter, in a manila envelope, attn: the rep., with no stamp, and that’s it. If it makes it to an agent, they will see it’s an actor pounding the street, someone who’s willing to take some initiative. My plan was a follow up letter, or a call 10 days later.

Even in the 80’s most actors were too lazy to drop them off personally. I didn’t insist on speaking to anyone, just greeted the receptionist politely, handed it to them, I would mention I was seeking representation, thank them sincerely, and leave. 15 seconds at most. They are way to busy to deal with babbling actors or schmoozing. Kind of like I’m doing here. The thing many actors don’t think of, is that one day that person at the reception desk may become an agent or a casting director. If you are rude, they will remember you. If you are prompt and professional, chances are good your envelope might make it back to an agent. One of the best friendly acquaintances you can have IS the receptionist. If you sign with that agency, they know all the inner workings of that office, and everything going on inside it. They can be your best friend. This industry is a lot about networking. Most everybody knows everybody else, and word gets around.

If you are brief about it, most medium sized agencies don’t mind if an actor drops off their headshot seeking representation. These days many actors are so lazy they just email their headshot thinking that’s going to work. Maybe it will, probably not. Going that short extra mile shows them that you are willing to put in a little work, and you are taking the time to do this because it matters to you more than it does than the actor who only emailed it.

So anyway, out of the 20 agency drop off’s, 4 of them called me in the next week. I used a hobo, and car mechanic headshot with my cover letter in each envelope. A few of them got past somebody’s desk, and got me 4 interviews. For each one, I showed up in a suit and tie and did my thing. Not too eagerly either. It was a nice contrast from my character headshots to seeing me cleaned up and professional looking.

At each interview I told them the truth, that I had 4 interviews, and I would make a decision in 24 hours. Most of them want that long, (or more) as well. I felt I would go with the best vibe I got from there. A few said we want to speak with the other agents and we will call you tomorrow. Okay, thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Others wanted to sign me there on the spot. I asked for 24 hours to make a decision. I ended up going with the one that felt the best to me. I got the feeling they were going to target me for the right things, and not just splatter me all over town. That’s what the larger agency I first went with did. They pretty much ran me ragged, and over time I felt I wasn’t being sent out for the right things. I made that agency move about a year later. It was an expensive learning process.

Loyalty is a big thing with building a working relationship, so I felt it was important to give it that long. I got that new agent booklet, and went through the agent hunting process again. This time I went with a medium sized boutique agency. It was much smaller. It had an owner, receptionist, and 2 agents. I got called for fewer auditions, but I started booking commercials. Nice ones. I was hitting 1 in 25 now. They were targeting me much better. They knew what roles I was good for, and where I fit in the business. I ended up working a lot, and stayed with them for 12 years. They had faith in me, helped to groom my brand, and even when they went through some rough times, and other agencies approached me, I stayed loyal to them. After all, they had invested years in me, like I had with them. A good working business relationship is hard to come by. They worked even harder for me after that.

You just have to be careful about changing agencies. You don’t want to be known as an actor who’s an agent hopper, going from agency to agency every 4 months. Especially if they’ve invested lots of time and work into you, and then you jump ship to what you might think is a larger or better agency. Think about that real hard before you do anything rash. If it’s the commercial season, and you’re not getting a commercial audition or two a week, well yeah something’s probably wrong. Most of us have to have a crap job to get by, but acting is our passion and this is what we want to do. I lost many a day job because of a callback. I don’t regret it either. I booked some of those that I toiled over. You have to earn a living and pay the bills, but sometimes you have to make a hard choice.

If you give your agent some time, and things just don’t seem to be working out, maybe it is time to move to another one. It’s a good idea not to leave until you have another one locked down. Back to the agent booklet, and mail outs again. I think it was smart to be honest with both agencies when the time came, the old agent, and the new one. I want to minimize any hard feelings that might exist. And a good actor agent working relationship is built on honesty. Don’t ever badmouth an agency you were with, to anyone. Even to other actors. Bad words have a way of working their way around. I only know that because I was stupid enough to do it, and it came back to bite me.

I think it’s a good idea to let a new agent know I can do rush auditions, and that I keep changes and headshots in my car so I can do it. They know I’m prepared on a moment’s notice. I had many a rush call audition. That, getting callbacks, and being low maintenance moves you up the list when the breakdowns come in.

But back to one…it was that top shelf in my tool box that made all of this happen for me. Those character specific headshots. When calls came in for any of those 5 looks I got called. And as time went by, for lots of other things as well. Looking back, had I not done that, I wouldn’t have gotten that agent, or those auditions. I would have been just another character in Hollywood with headshots pasted all over his car.

Most of what I’ve written here is about the commercial world. Some of it applies to theatrical, but generally they don’t like character specific headshots. All I can say is it worked for me. Had I not done that, I would have only lasted a year like most other actors when they move to LA. So for what it’s worth, I hope some of this helps you to get an agent, or a better agent, or find a niche’ for yourself in the business. There are just way too may actors to be just another face in the crowd. This worked for me, I’m not saying it’s going to work for you. I’m just trying to help with some of my experiences and things I did to help me survive. Being authentic and just being yourself doesn’t do you much good if your dream gets crushed and you are broke.

I’m also not going to say that seasoned agents and casting directors can’t visualize us in other character roles, but sometimes, (just like in an audition) we have to show it to them. Many of the people involved in the hiring process do lack a bit of imagination. Those new headshots helped to get me past some of that. I have to get the audition before I can bring things to life, and I need an agent to get me consistent auditions.

Once I re-branded myself, agencies interest increased in me, and my auditions turned to bookings. When a cowboy role came along, I was called. A car mechanic? same thing. That bum headshot Stan suggested I do? It got me lots of auditions, and I booked a role on a Mel Brooks film. That headshot was worth the cost just for that. Without that headshot I never would have been submitted for it. Thank you Stan, you gave me the best career advice ever. I left all that “just another actor in the crowd” stuff behind.

Some of you might be thinking well it’s easy for you because you’re a character type. Well that’s true, but believe me I suffered getting there just like everyone else. The point is to try and find a place in the industry where you can stand out, be a little bit different, and get an agent. Then hopefully some auditions. We often loose sight of how many actors there are for every single role. And, how well trained most of them are.

During my first year in LA I really wanted to know my competition, and what I was up against so I interned free for a commercial casting director a couple of months. She kept me busy and kicked the crap out of me, but I learned a lot about how their day goes, and I got to sit in on a lot of casting sessions to watch the other actors audition for the same roles. I got to see how the other actors approached them. More importantly the mistakes they made, and the ones that did things right. The ones that did things different to stand out, rather than making the obvious choices. The ones who took risks. Going forward from that, I had a huge advantage from that little bit of inside baseball. Go to all the casting workshops you want, but you never get to see the real behind the scenes actor auditions. I think looking back, I learned more from that, than probably from anything else.

Unfortunately for newcomers to the biz, reality TV gives too may people the impression they don’t need to put in the years of work and training. They can start right at the top. They don’t need an agent, they can sing on key, and get instant fame just like on FaceBook with a popular cat photo. Sorry, you have to work hard at it like any other career choice. And fame? You’re lucky if you can get work. That was my goal, just to work, doing what I love doing, acting. Fame is a dumb goal, respectability is not.

But wait, get this…watching TV is part of your job! Always be looking at the constantly changing, and current trends in TV shows, and commercials. Try and visualize where you can fit in, and try and work your way into some of those places.

When I was young, I remembered seeing the Big Red gum TV commercials all the time. There was always the couple kissing, and then you would barely notice this generic workman guy that would walk by pushing something, or just standing there, rolling his eyes because they were wasting so much of his time, or he was jealous. Actually, it was both. I became that Big Red guy for 5 years. The point is, after seeing his type of character so often in commercials I created a similar look for myself, and it worked. I became that guy. It was just a trend that was going on at the time. It’s not about the person, it’s about the product, so they don’t necessarily want you to stand out. Just be the necessary body that moves the object. It hurt my ego all the way to the bank. In commercials if you are hired as a principal, it all pays the same. Study the products and their current ad campaigns. Part of the reason I got that one was I knew the workman guy was waiting for the kissing couple. They didn’t say any of that even at the callback.

But that was just one instance, I had other commercials that ran only 1 week, some only ran 1 time, and some not at all. That’s pretty heartbreaking after all we go through to book one. But it happens, and it’s out of our control. I learned to never get excited until I saw a spot air for a few weeks. Talking about one you just booked on social media before it airs is not a good idea. It pisses of the ad agencies, and a few others. Plus I think you can jinx it.

I wanted to be in films and in TV shows like everyone else when I got to LA. As it ended up I started booking commercials after that first year. I kept booking them, and I became typecast as a commercial actor. It wasn’t my plan, I really didn’t want that. It just happened and I made the choice to roll with it. I figured it might lead to film and TV. I was wrong, but it worked out okay. Theatrical agents didn’t want any part of me as a result, I was too well known. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get with a good theatrical agent. And believe me, I tried, year after year.

I ended up booking more TV and film roles on my own. I couldn’t buy theatrical auditions, (Yeah, I also got ripped off on a few paid CD showcases.) so I blindly sent headshots to a lot of TV shows I thought I might be good for about once a year. AFTRA had a show sheet at the time we could pick up at the office. One of those shows on the list of about 50 was the Tonight Show right when Jay Leno took over. And out of the blue, they called me up and booked me and 11 other strange guys to do a poorly donechorus line sketch in front of the audience. It was funny and everything, but after 6 hours with out of shape guys in dance bootcamp, we were all hurting really bad. They used a professional dancer who taught choreography to us. We were lambs to the slaughter. That choreographer kicked the crap out of us learning that routine. I had a whole newfound respect for dancers.

At the end of the day filling out our AFTRA contracts, I overheard many of the actors complaining about it, so I thought about this for a bit. When my turn to fill them out came I quietly said to the talent coordinator, “Anytime you get anything strange, weird, or funny, have no problem doing it okay?” “If it makes people laugh I don’t care what you do to me, call me anytime.” He was kind of shocked after all the pissing and moaning he’d just heard from the other actors. I worked on the Tonight Show for 78 episodes after that. They just called me direct. And no agent was ever involved. The writers thought up something crazy, call Shannon, he’ll do it. Those were some of the most fun, satisfying, and happiest career moments of my life.

I got on a few other shows that way also. Any many came from industry people referrals that I worked with. Always remember to be nice to everyone you work with on the set. You never know who is who, and if you are cool to work with, people will suggest you for roles. People like to work with responsible, professional, and easy to work with actors. It sure is nice when the phone just rings, “Are you available to work tomorrow?” But really, it was the commercials that paid the bills and kept us alive. I never got that big film or TV break, but I worked. So, I guess it wasn’t so bad, I ended up being a working actor, and looking back on it, to me that was success.

If you would like, (or can stand more) please consider picking up my acting book. “An Actor’s Face”. It’s priced at five bucks on Kindle or Nook. I wrote it last year, so it’s not too dated. Other than the unions merging, everything is pretty up to date. I hope I can help you to avoid some of the scam artists I fell prey to. I made lots of mistakes I learned tough lessons from. Maybe I can help you avoid a few, and even entertain you along the way with my adventures, misadventures, possibly save you some heartache, and a few bucks.

My book is over 240 pages of practical advice, casting, and auditioning tips for actors who want to book more work. Also for actors who are making the move to New York, or Hollywood, to pursue their dream as an actor wherever you are, as well as for people, young or old, who are thinking about breaking into the acting business.

I wanted to price my book at $10 or more, because I put a lot of time and work into it. I chose to price it low, because I would rather you had the extra money for more important things, like good headshots. There are a lot of "slightly' overpriced acting books out there. My intent is to inform, prepare, educate, and explain the realities.

I hope that one day, you will do the same thing, and help other actors along. I think reading all the books you can by acting teachers, casting directors, actors, and anyone else who has extensive experience on the front lines is a good idea. That's where it really means something. Make yourself as well informed as you possibly can. This is a tough line of work to get into, and even being a starving actor is expensive.

If you choose to purchase my book, thanks in advance, I really do appreciate it. It makes me feel good to know I am getting some good out there in the world. If it helps just one person from making some of the mistakes I did, then it was worth the effort.

Shannon

ShannonRatigan.com