Bringing Marshall's Miracle To Beverly Hills

A little over a year ago, I was standing in a field outside of a house in Illinois chatting with Bill Chott, Dana Daniels and Zach Louis.  Zach and I had been in Illinois and Missouri for a few weeks while Zach was filming a movie called "Marshall The Miracle Dog". Dana was in town visiting us. Just like us, Bill was a California actor who was working on the film in his former home of St. Louis. We were chatting about mutual friends and how odd it was to build a career in California only to find ourselves back in the Midwest working on the film.

After returning home to California, we kept in touch with the friends we made on the Marshall crew. We were able to keep track of the movie's post-production process and even watch a screener of the film online earlier this year.  There were a few ads in some of the Hollywood trade magazines announcing a distribution deal for the movie but no concrete news about a release date for the film.

All of that changed earlier this month.

As I type these words, the movie is playing in 14 of the Top 20 cities across the country.  The film is now called "Marshall's Miracle" but it still tells the inspiring story of a dog who wouldn't give up despite incredible odds against him.  Marshall himself headed to Chicago to celebrate the release of his movie.  The film's director, Jay Kanzler, traveled to Los Angeles to bring the story of Marshall to the Music Hall 3 Movie Theater in Beverly Hills.

Many of the Los Angeles based actors that appear in the film attended the Saturday afternoon screening.  Zach Louis (the bully), Bill Chott (his father), Dingani Beza (the baseball coach) and Matthew Settle (the doctor who saves Marshall's life) were all on hand to celebrate the release of the film.  The Marshall movie is Zach's first appearance on the big screen and I was excited to see how he looks bigger than life.

The marquee of the Music Hall 3 in Beverly Hills

Channeling his bully character to torment the character of Finn (again)

Not sure why his eyes are closed by he seems happy to be there

Acting like a tough guy on the big screen

Riding to the rescue

Is the character of Luke regretting his actions or is Zach the actor wondering what's for lunch?

Dingani Beza, Bill Chott and Zach Louis before heading inside to watch the movie

I hope you get a chance to see "Marshall's Miracle" during its run in theaters.  If not, Marshall lands on DVD, VOD, PPV and other formats with initials in early October.

It was kind of crazy to see this actor on the big screen.

Sitting On Pins and Avails

When the word "pinning" is mentioned these days, most people assume it has something to do with Pinterest.  In the acting world, pinning has a completely different meaning.  Pins and avails are both related to auditions and (kind of) booking a role.

As with many things in Hollywood, the process leading up to being pinned begins with an audition. Hopefully you did well enough in the audition that the casting director finds you to be a good fit for the part. If so, you'll get news from your agent that the casting folks have "pinned you" for the role.

Does this mean you have the part? Not exactly.

It means you are one of the few/many actors being considered for the part. It doesn't mean you have definitely booked the job.  It just means that you are in the final running for the part.

Once you've been pinned you will (more than likely) get the dates the role is shooting and your agent will put you on "avail".  Being on avail means you are aware of the shoot dates and are keeping yourself open and available to work on those dates.

With all of this talk about pins and avails, it appears they like you so why don't they just go ahead and book you???

The reasons you don't get booked instantly are out of your control:

• The casting director wants you but needs to run the idea by someone else
• The script hasn't received final approval so the part might not make the final draft
• You might be the backup choice in case the person they really want is unavailable
• They might be trying to book a bigger name
• It might be something completely different from the above reasons

Don't let the pin and the avail take control of your life.  Don't cancel previous plans or skip another audition because the pinned part is not a done deal yet.

One thing you should do is be proud of yourself.  Getting pinned and having your availability checked is a sign of confidence in your abilities. It means the casting director feels you can do the part justice and add something to the role. It also means the casting director (and maybe the producers of the show) see you as potentially being part of the show. As I said earlier, whether or not you get the part is out of your control. You now have the attention of the creative minds behind the show and that can pay off down the road.

You won't always hear if your pin has been released.  Obviously, you'll know you didn't land the role if you don't report to work the week you were pinned for a part.  If you do find out you've booked the part, feel free to tell your family and friends to look for you on television in the near future!

This actor has been pinned, and released, a few times in his acting life.

I Bet I Can Do That!

No matter what your chosen profession is, the job will present challenges unique to that position. Many people look at doctors, lawyers and CEOs of major companies and think there is no way they could do that job.  However most people look at actors and say, "I can totally do that!"

Not really.

I know what you're thinking right now. "Acting is just memorizing lines and repeating them at the right moment."  It's true that part of acting is memorizing lines and saying them at the right moment in the scene.  Memorizing lines is easy.  I memorize scripts and individual scenes all the time to run lines with Zach.  Just because I remember the lines, and know where they go in a scene, doesn't mean I can deliver them with feeling or in a way that fits the character.

The rehearsal process is a vital tool for an actor. Going over each line, the cues to enter and exit scenes, working out the blocking of a scene and discussing the motivations of a character all help an actor inhabit a role. Once the lines become second nature, the actor is free to focus on the emotion and feeling of the role.  An actor has to be willing to let himself go and show real emotion in front of others on a daily basis.  Many people are so shy or nervous that they can't show real emotions for fear of being embarrassed. 

In a way, acting itself isn't that hard of a job,  With enough training and rehearsal an actor can let himself go and completely inhabit a character.  The hard part (and the part where most people lose the "I can do that" attitude) is getting to the point of being able to inhabit a character. Nailing the proper body language, dialect and facial reactions isn't something that just comes to a person, Training is vital to being a good, and successful, actor. If you just try to "act" without the proper training, you'll come off as fake and superficial to the audience.

There are many acting coaches who use the phrase "leap and the net will appear".  The saying means an actor must move forward and have faith that the necessary skills for the part will appear when needed the most.

Maybe I'm just too logical but I hate that phrase.

I can't imagine Michael Jordan not practicing hard before every game.  Michael once said that playing the game was 99% training and 1% being on time for the game.  There's another quote of his that also fits acting. "Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you." 

There's no thought of leaping without a net in Michael's world.  The key is preparation and knowing what needs to be done before the game. You can play basketball but you (more than likely) won't be able to play as well as Michael Jordan. You can act but you won't act on the level necessary to be a successful working actor without putting in the time and effort to learn the craft of acting.

I'm not trying to discourage you from being an actor.  I'm just asking you to think about the hard work it takes to be an actor. I'm sure there are a few people who think "I can do that" and actually have the natural talent and skills to be a successful actor.  I just haven't met any of those lucky few people (yet).

This teen actor still works on learning more about acting on a daily basis.

Sometimes The Waiting Is Not The Hardest Part

Zach has been working at Nickelodeon recently reprising his role as "Quiet Chris" on "Bella and the Bulldogs". The call times have varied so he's been finishing his day on set anywhere from 3pm to 10pm.  He enjoys being there and catching up with his Nick buddies.

The only con to being on set lately was when we were trying to schedule an audition for Disney. The audition notice arrived via email on a Tuesday for a Wednesday afternoon audition. Normally this is not a problem but the audition was right in the middle of his workday at Nick.  I let his agent know this fact but the casting folks were slammed and couldn't fit Zach in at a different time.  I looked at the on-set schedule for Zach and realized there was absolutely no way he was going to be able to leave the set for any length of time to audition.

His manager suggested a self-tape session at their office to record his audition.  This was a great idea because it meant we would definitely get him submitted him for the part.

Zach finished up his on-set work on the Wednesday of the audition and headed to the office to record. The moment he got in the parking lot of his manager he received an email saying the casting directors had scheduled a new time for him on Thursday.  Could he make the rescheduled time?

It worked out perfectly since the audition was in the morning and his Nick call time was late in the afternoon.  He walked inside to tell his manager he could make the new appointment time and that he would work on the audition scene in his acting class that night.

Zach headed off to the audition the next morning feeling confident and prepared. His acting coach worked on the scene with him and also gave him some videos to watch to help him get in character. The entire audition process took about 30-minutes between arrival, waiting to be called into the office, doing the actual audition and leaving the studio lot.  In fact, Zach left the lot around 12:05pm.
The downside to auditions is the waiting!  It can  be anywhere from a day to a week to even longer before an actor finds out if they landed the part.  More often than not, an actor never hears anything about the part again (which means he or she didn't get the role).

Zach felt good about the audition but put it in the back of his mind.  He had to work that day and needed to get some lunch before going to Nick.

As I said earlier, he left the studio around 12:05pm.  Our cell phones started ringing around 12:20pm. The call was good news because he had booked the part!  We were all stunned because it hadn't even been 30-minutes since he left the audition.  No complaints here because I'm happy for him as well as proud of him for landing the gig.  I've just never seen it happen that quickly before.

Zach was thrilled by the news and put the shoot dates on his schedule.  He even had more of a smile than expected after he got the news.  I asked him why he was smiling so much and this was his answer:

"I just realized something.  I get to skip the first week of school because the shooting schedule is the same week!"

I don't know if he was more excited about landing the part or getting to skip school for a week.

The IMDb page of a very happy teen actor.

When Is It Time To Leave Los Angeles (And Acting)?

My last post (here) discussed why Los Angeles is your best destination if you want to be a working actor.  Unfortunately, sometimes the dream of being a working actor doesn't match the reality of your situation. When is it time to call it a day and give up on your L.A. dream?

In a way it doesn't matter how long you've been trying to be a professional actor. If you feel like you're not getting anywhere in your chosen field, trying to get ahead for only three months can feel the same as three years.  It's also hard to see actors you started with moving up the professional ladder while you're still in the same position.  It's not always jealousy that causes these feelings.  It can sometimes be as simple as frustration with yourself as well as the path of your career.

This is a situation that every actor finds themselves in at one time or another. It's important to determine if being an actor is important to you because it's a need you feel in every fiber of your being or if you want to be an actor for the fame, recognition and money. There's nothing wrong with fame, recognition or money.  However, if that is your ultimate goal, and you're not reaching that goal, it might be time to find a new career.

Here's another thing to consider as you decide whether or not to continue being an actor. Are you just waiting around for your big break?  Rarely, if ever, is someone randomly discovered by a director or an agent. There are too many people without a real game plan waiting for an happy accident to make their dreams come true.  It takes hard work, practice, networking, developing your craft, casting rejections, small parts and understanding the day-to-day realities of the industry to be in a place where you can succeed as an actor.

Are you performing any reality checks during your acting journey?  Setting goals, as well as making sure you're on track to achieve your goals, is essential in the life of an actor.  Are you seeing any progress in realizing your acting ambitions?  The goals don't have to be completely related to landing acting jobs.  They can be goals related to the business of acting such as having an agent or a manger, regularly booking roles on established TV shows or becoming a member of SAG/AFTRA. Having solid proof in front of you can help you stay in the acting zone.  If you're not reaching your goals, and you don't know how to reach those goals, it might be time to call it a day.

Although the next question might seem like an obvious one to ask, many people don't take the time to consider the answer. The question is...Do you still enjoy acting????

It's okay if you're not getting the same satisfaction out of acting as you did earlier in life.  Your priorities might change over the years. What you find fulfilling in life can change as you grow older. The sacrifices necessary to be an actor might not seem worth it to you anymore.

While it might be hard to take a long look at yourself, it's also necessary to look inside in order to determine your path in life.  Is acting still fulfilling or is it an obligation?  Are you excited when you get an audition no matter how big or small the part?  Is this the life you want to live?  Are you an actor because you want to be an actor or because your spouse, significant other or parents (hello many child actors!) want you to be an actor?

There's no shame in deciding that acting is not for you. What seems like a dream job doesn't always live up to the reality of the life of a working actor.  It's best to make the hard decision to stop being an actor before you end up completely hating your existence in Los Angeles. In fact, you might be surprised to discover that quitting acting is not really a hard decision at all.

This teen actor still loves being a working actor.

Choosing Los Angeles As Your Acting Destination

While most people think of Los Angeles as the place to be in order to be a TV or movie actor, there are plenty of locations where an actor can earn a living.  New York, Vancouver, Chicago and New Orleans are just a few of the "acting destinations" available to those who want to be a professional working actor.  Those locations are great cities but there are still many reasons why you should make Los Angeles your acting destination.

• While New York offers opportunities for actors, it is still a better place to go for stage opportunities.  Los Angeles is the best location for on camera opportunities in film, television and commercials.
• Being in L.A. means you have a chance to be rejected in person by some of the top casting people in the business.  While I realize that sounds horrible, it's actually a good networking opportunity. Being rejected in person by a casting director means you were seen by a casting director.  The part the casting director feels you weren't right for today just means he (or she) might have the perfect part for you in the near future.
• Los Angeles is the home of more actors than anywhere else in the world.  Come to L.A. and you might find the perfect acting partner, form a writing team, become part of a production house, make contacts that help you land jobs in the future and even discover your real passion lies behind the camera.  The possibilities are endless.  
• As I mentioned above, there are various cities that have a thriving local film and television industry.  There's a good chance that most of the movies and TV shows in other cities are being cast out of Los Angeles.  You'll need to build connections here to land the jobs located elsewhere.
• There are plenty of lessons to learn outside of an acting class.  Being plugged into the community of Los Angeles actors allows you to: 

1. Learn how others market themselves 
2. Witness the triumphs and failures of your friends while gaining insight from their experiences 
3. Discover how well you handle competition because all the other actors want the same success that you crave 
4. Decide if the lessons you're learning spur you on to fulfill your dreams or send you back home with plenty of stories to tell your friends

• Being in the heart of the entertainment industry also gives you the opportunity to make a living by combining a variety of entertainment jobs.  Not everyone can make a living by doing a number of jobs but the chance to be involved in TV, movies, theater, voiceovers and crew work can best be found in Los Angeles.
• Los Angeles is home to a wide range of dreamers.  While your hometown might see you as a freak or an unrealistic person, Los Angeles is the town where anything goes.  No dream is too large and no personality is too outlandish.  Come here and live out your dreams.

It's up to you to decide whether or not making the move to Los Angeles is right for you.  There's nothing wrong with being known as "the actor" in your hometown.  If your dreams and ambitions extend beyond your local acting community then it might be time to make the move to Los Angeles.

This actor is still living his dreams in Los Angeles.