Which Path Are You Going To Take To Success?

It's been one of those weeks where you can't help but notice the differences between some of the kids running around Hollywood.

I'm not talking about their different talents or their various social and economic backgrounds.  I'm talking about the approach they take to their careers.

There are plenty of teen actors who support each other as they navigate their way into the industry. They share tips, stories and support each other as they all attempt to discover what exactly "their thing" is in the entertainment industry.

Zach is lucky in that he has a very supportive group of friends.  Many of them audition for the same roles and the ones that audition early share tips about the casting directors.  They will run lines together, go see each other perform and do their best to enjoy a normal teenage existence.

On the other hand, there are some kids that want to take the shortcut route to success.  What do I mean by "shortcut"?

They like to show up at any event possible and take tons of photos with the celebrities attending the gathering. After making sure to annoy the featured guests for photos and autographs, they spend the next few days making sure everyone knows they met a famous person.  

(Full Disclosure...I do enjoy some of the photos just to see the ever increasing annoyed look on the face of the celebrity during the photos.)

Don't get me wrong.  There's nothing wrong with asking for a photo.  It's the "famous by association" aspect that is the shortcut route of their career path.

This set of kids who want to be famous are well known for scoring free tickets to events in order to try and be seen as a "VIP", attending free workshops and gatherings with no intention of coming back for any of the paid sessions and never telling anyone where they're going so they don't have to share their "inside information".  These are the kids that are encouraged by their parents to latch on to any celebrity connection possible so the kids can be seen as successful and in the loop.

No matter what career you choose to pursue, there is no one certain path to success.  

If you feel that getting your photo taken with celebrities will help you achieve success in the entertainment business, then by all means continue on that path.  It seems to have worked for Kim, Khloe and Kourtney.  It also seems to be the path to fame for many characters on "Entourage".

I'm glad that Zach and his friends have decided to take the "hard work" route to success:

• He has one friend who performs stand-up comedy on a daily basis to anywhere from 5 to 50 to 500 people.  He just wants to perfect his craft no matter the size of the crowd.
• He has another teen friend who writes and produces her own films in between booking jobs on big budget productions.
• A good number of his friends sing, dance, put out YouTube videos and do whatever they can to improve their skills.

If you're thinking about trying to make it in show business, what path to success will you take?

After a hard day at work, it's video games for this guy!

How Does An Actor Spend His Summer Vacation?

"Summertime and the livin' is easy"...According to George Gershwin.

The first (and best) answer to the question of "how does an actor spend his summer vacation"?

Skipping the vacation and working on his career.

Summertime is traditionally a slower time in Hollywood.  The television business is waiting to crank up the production schedule for the fall season.  Auditions are a bit slower because not as many industry types are working thanks to the production break.  The amount of production crew jobs is smaller since the total number of shows being produced is not as large this time of year.

There a few exceptions on the production front thanks to the amount of network and cable channel choices as well as the original shows produced by Netflix and Hulu.  Overall, the time between pilot season and the start of episodic season in late July/early August is the perfect time to work on the main product of your acting career....Yourself!

1. Use the time wisely and make sure your personal publicity machine is running at full power:

• Is your headshot up to date? 
• Is the resume you attach to the back of your headshot current? 
• Is your demo reel and contact info correct on the various casting websites?
• Is your personal website and social media sites up to date?

2. Use the downtime to reconnect with industry contacts:

• Be on the lookout for casting workshops
• Build relationships in your acting classes that can translate into future projects
• Work on your own material - Screenwriting, Acting, Songwritng, Improv, YouTube videos
• Send postcards and handwritten notes to casting directors you've met in the past
• Target the casting directors you'd like to meet in the near future
• Follow your contacts on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

3. Be aware of the trends for episodic season:

• What are the majority of the new shows - Comedy? Drama? Single or Multi-Cam? 
• Are you working on the skills specific to those types of show?
• Know what parts are right for your look and acting skills

4.  Check in with your representation:

• Make sure your manager knows you're in town for episodic season
• Make sure your agent knows you're in town for episodic season
• Find out if they prefer phone calls or texts or email confirmations for audition notices
• Let them know you're available for auditions with little to no advance notice

5.  Spend some quality "me time":

• Don't go into episodic season feeling stressed
• Focus on your strengths
• Remember why you're here and what you want to accomplish in the long run
• Believe in yourself and you'll be on the way to success

Even though we're still in the final days of the month of May, the start of episodic season will be here before you know it.  Being prepared before auditions begin means you're one step ahead of the competition.

Summer Vacation Means Sleeping Late To This Actor

Quiet Chris Speaks!

After a season of being part of the Bulldogs team on the Nickelodeon show, "Bella and the Bulldogs", Zach finally got a chance to speak on the show this weekend.

The episode (filmed in March) is not the last episode of the season.  It's the last episode they filmed before they wrapped for the season.  Zach has been part of the show all season as a member of the football team.  He was one of a handful of kids (both on and off the team) considered for the speaking role. He went to the Paramount lot for his audition and landed the part two days before they began shooting the episode.

After a few months of waiting for the episode to be scheduled by Nickelodeon, it aired on Saturday the 23rd.  This was a big deal for Zach since he's been working at the Nick on Sunset lot all season. What better way to celebrate his speaking debut than having a viewing party at our place?

The evening started with Zach's regular Saturday night gig as a member of the "Detention Hall" performance troupe at Second City Hollywood on Hollywood Blvd.  After the show, we ran to North Hollywood to watch a concert by one of Zach's best friends at Republic of Pie.  A good portion of the kids (and their parents) from Republic of Pie made their way to our place to watch the episode.

I was one of the last to arrive home for the viewing party.  I had to stop and pick up 8 pizzas to make sure everyone had enough to eat during the show.  The episode aired at 8pm but we finally had a chance to watch it around 9pm.  Armed with pizzas, chips, hummus, vegetables, sodas and adult beverages, we settled in to watch the show.

After a brief introduction from Zach (kind of a in person commentary track), we started the show. How was the experience of watching it with around 30 friends?

Wonderful.

The Artist has a large group of friends who are all very supportive of each other.  It's a collection of actors, singers, YouTube stars, writers, directors, dancers and improv performers.  They all clapped, cheered and laughed while watching the show.  All of the parents and kids gathered on the main floor of our place and watched the show together.  It was heartwarming to see his pals support him on his big night.

Plus, it gave all of the kids an excuse to hang out in our basement after the show.  The basement is filled with a big screen TV, a pinball machine, video games and a giant llama rug.  The room is affectionately known as "The Llama Room".

Here are some screen shots from the episode:

Quiet Chris is happy with his plate artwork.

The horror! Quiet Chris discovers he has to make a speech.

After a season of silence, Quiet Chris speaks.

Zach's name in the closing credits of the show.

It was a great night made even more special by the love and support shown to Zach (as well as Dana and myself) by our friends.  It just drives home the fact we've been lucky enough to build a nice community of friends here in Los Angeles.

Some of our friends asked me last night if Zach is anything like the character on the show.  

I laughed and said he has never been accused of being quiet in his life.

If you have a moment, check out the IMDb page of Quiet Chris.

The Actors Are Fine...It's The Parents That Are Annoying

My favorite teen actor has been lucky in that he's been around some really nice people on his various projects in the past year. From "Marshall" to "Abercorn" to "Bella", we haven't met any annoying actors or parents.

It seems all of the annoying parents were waiting for the audition Zach had this week.

The Artist had a early evening audition on Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles.  Thankfully we were going the opposite direction of the heavy traffic on the 101.  

We arrived at the casting office and proceeded to sign-in on the talent clipboard.  It wasn't 30 seconds after we put down the clipboard that the first of five amazing stage parents emerged from the elevator.

1.  Out of the elevator stepped a mother and her actor daughter to sign in for the audition.  The mother took the clipboard and proceeded to take it into the bathroom.  Everyone in the room stared as she disappeared with the sheet.  Her embarrassed daughter said her mom is a slow writer and needed some extra time with the sheet.

The bathroom mom eventually emerged after about 5 minutes of alone time with the clipboard to make way for stage parent number two.

2.  A stage mom arrived with her teenage daughter as well as a baby in her arms.  The mom was rocking the baby and telling her what a great job she did at her audition.

It turns out the 8-month-old baby had a Gerber's audition earlier in the day.  The mom also spent the whole time telling the baby she needed to learn to take stage directions or she would never book a job.

3.  I wasn't the only dad at the audition.  The other father was dressed like he was trying to be the "rebel" character described in the script.  The dad was wearing a yellow bandana, an Ed Hardy jacket, glitter under his eyes and ripped jeans.  He wasn't there to audition.  Was he trying to channel the character while running lines with his daughter in the waiting room?

Or maybe that's just the way he likes to dress.  I'm trying to be nice to the guy.  Did I mention he had a dragon tattoo on his neck????

4.  My favorite mom was the one wearing a jacket that said "Love Is The Answer" on the back of it. One kid asked her if it's the name of a show which caused her to launch into a 5-minute rant about the song by that name recorded by Utopia.  She also made it clear she believed the Utopia version is far superior to the England Dan and John Ford Coley version.  (Truth!)

5.  The final parent that caught my eye was the quiet one in the corner.  I only noticed her when she asked if anyone knew where a trash can was in the room.  Zach and I were there for 40-minutes and she proceeded to eat four candy bars and two packs of peanut butter crackers in that time frame. The trash can was full by the time we left the audition.

All of the odd parents didn't make me laugh as much as what happened to the two of us when we arrived at the audition building.  Zach walked up to the security desk and asked for directions to the casting office.  They made sure his name was on the list and printed out name tags for us.

"Hi, my name is Visitor,  Nice to meet you."

I'm thinking about using my name tag as my new social media profile photo.

This Actor Is Not Listed As "Visitor" On IMDb.

Are You In It For The Long Haul?

There are many actors that arrive in Los Angeles with enough money to last them 3-6 months.  They believe that's more than enough money because they'll land a film or TV role soon after they arrive in town.  Their career will take off and they'll be set in the entertainment industry.

That fantasy does work out for some people...Just not very many of them.

When we first arrived in town, Zach's manager told us how long it takes to make any headway in the business.  She has been completely right about the amount of time necessary to gain some momentum.  In fact, I'm sometimes amazed at how accurate she's been on her timeline prediction.

Are you ready to learn how long it takes to "make it" in Hollywood?

If so, then keep reading. If not, thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in my next blog post.

Still with me?  Great!

The plan is quite simple...It's the "3-5-7-Year Plan".

What???

How can it take that long to succeed in your chosen profession of being an actor????  Let me explain to you why it's called the "3-5-7-Year Plan".

1. It will take you 3 years before you start making headway with casting directors.
When you first arrive in town you'll want to find casting director workshops to attend.  These are a great way to get in front of casting directors (or their assistants) and receive feedback about your acting skills.  You'll perform a scene for the CD and he (or she) will give you honest feedback.

The CD will also ask you a few questions in order to learn more about you and your personality.  It's also a way for them to determine where you are in your career.  Are you now a local resident building a life in Los Angeles?  Are you staying with friends or at an extended stay hotel? Are you here "for a few months looking to see what happens"?

Whatever you do, don't tell them you live at The Oakwoods!  Made famous in the documentary "The Hollywood Complex", The Oakwoods is famous for being a gathering place for those not willing to commit to living here long term.  There are many people who will warn you to never tell a manger, agent or casting director that you live at the Oakwoods.  It's seen as a warning sign that you're not committed to living here long term.

One thing to remember about casting directors?  They meet lots of people.  I mean LOTS of people. It takes more than one meeting to make you memorable to them.  Also, the more times you see a CD the more they realize you live here on a permanent basis. They'll eventually see you as a professional and not as a person dropping in to chase a dream.

The first 3 years are filled with background work, casting workshops, freebies for friends and anything else you can do to get your name out to others in the business.  It's also an expensive time filled with money spent on headshots, acting classes, workshops and promo postcards to send to casting directors,

Zach is in the middle of Year 3 right now and he is starting to see the connections and chance meetings of the last 3 years start to pay off for him.  Some of the roles he's booked in recent months have come directly from folks he's met on past projects.

2.  Year 5 is when the pieces start to come together.
You've been here for a good amount of time.  You've networked with others and built a solid foundation of friends and coworkers.  You've also (hopefully) built a good resume of on-camera work that you can spotlight in a demo reel.

Year 5 is also the time that you'll have your first chance at landing a permanent role on a TV show. All of the guest shots, networking and hard work come together and take you to the next phase of your career.

If you last that long in Los Angeles.

3.  Year 7 is a year of transition.
The final year of the plan is the year you're supposed to be doing so well that you leave your old manager behind.  It's the year you get so busy and so successful that you need a new team to help guide your career.

We haven't hit Year 7 yet but it will be a good problem to have in the future.

The big question is....Will you be here for Year 3 or Year 5 or Year 7?

As I mentioned at the start of this post, many aspiring actors come out on the 3-6 month plan. That's not nearly enough time to lay the groundwork for a successful career in front of (or behind) the camera.

Some people give up when they don't achieve instant success.  The fact that you're the star of your high school play doesn't mean you have great talent.  It means you're a bit better than the other actors in your school.

Some people give up because they can't take the constant rejection of not landing a role.  I understand that it's not easy to be told "No" every week.  Do you have what it takes to prove the casting directors wrong?

Others go back home because they miss their friends and family.  This is a fun town but it's also a hard town to love without the support of your family.  There are many families here that consist of one parent and a child while the other parent and siblings stay behind.  Not everyone can make the complete sacrifice and have all of the family members move to Los Angeles.  Some parents have a job that can't be transferred to another city.  The siblings might not want to leave their friends or school behind to support the dreams of the actor.  There is also the expense of paying rent twice a month since you live in two cities.  That double expense can quickly drain your bank account.

We got lucky because Dana and I were both able to find jobs in Los Angeles so we could be together all the time.  We did the first 8 months apart.  I landed the better end of the deal because I had the kid with me and the California sunshine.  It's not that bad a prospect to be thrown into a completely new environment when you know that you're escaping the Midwest winter!

It really comes down to each individual actor.  It doesn't matter if you're a child/teen actor or an adult chasing your dream.  Are you willing to put in the time, money and effort it takes to navigate your way through Hollywood?  Is your drive to succeed enough to help you stand out from the thousands of other actors out here trying to live their dream?  Are you sure you want to be an actor or are you willing to experience a really long and expensive vacation which ends in you heading back home for good?

These are hard questions that only you can answer for yourself.  Once you know the answers to your questions, your best path should be right in front of you.

This Actor Is In Year 3 Of His Continuing Artistic Journey

Are You Ready To Be A Star?

It's time to check out some of the latest casting calls for TV and movies currently holding auditions in Hollywood.  While you're waiting for your call from Spielberg or Tarantino, let's see if you fit any of these casting notices.

***Do you want to work on something "out there"? Do you love UFOs and conspiracies? Are you a Sci-Fi junkie? Here's your chance to save the human race in a film if you are a dark haired male 25-35 of Italian descent.

***Seeking men with flamboyant personalities.  Any ethnicity age 21-32.  Great sense of style to be an on-air sidekick delving into topics such as beauty, health, fitness, sandwiches, the environment, pets and great hot wing recipes.

***On the hunt for an actress, 35-48, with strong ties to money.  Help secure funding for my film and you'll be the lead actress.

***Are you an older looking woman willing to make out with a younger looking man?  Make $200 for 90-minutes of serious lip service.

***Seeking actor 25-42 who looks like Bogart and acts like The Rock for a feature length detective movie with modern day car chases, explosions and dating issues.

***Want to star in a reality TV show?  Have an idea what the show will be about?  Great!  We have no idea what our next show will be so we're waiting to hear from you.  Serious inquiries only from professional actors.  Must have SAG credits but no regular gig.

***Attractive female singer needed for Christmas music video.  Age 25-45.  Must be willing to play a horny Mrs. Claus in a video for a traditional family Christmas song.  Singing experience optional.

***Looking for a sidekick for a late night horror movie host.  Must be willing to dress in a top hat and makeup while riding in a coffin each episode.  Males 21-28 encouraged to submit.

***Have a family member with an odd or unusual habit?  Reaching your breaking point?  We want to hear from you!  A major cable network is searching for people with unexpected habits, hobbies and obsessions for the feel good show of the summer.

***Looking for a young Ali MacGraw type for a feature film where you'll romance a cranky older man (think Bob DeNiro or Ed O'Neill).  Must be willing to swim with dolphins, climb a mountain and eat pasta every day for a month on film.

Do any of these roles sound like a fit for you?  If so, you just might be a star!!!

This Actor Is Always Open To A Good Role.