Great Piece of Advice

Just want to highlight a terrific piece of advice for any actor:

http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/secret-agent-man/advance-your-career-yourself/

If you read this blog you probably know that I produced my own play last year.  The aftermath of that:  I'm involved in three productions right now.  A short film, a play in the NY International Fringe Festival, and a feature film.  One of them is paying me a salary.  One of them has the potential to put me on the map as an actor and a writer.  ALL of them are giving me invaluable experience and improving my network of connections.  I wouldn't be doing ANY of them had I not produced my play last year.  Every single one of these opportunities sprung out of the work I did for my play.

Create your own work.  It's the way the industry is moving these days.

Keep It Professional...

I've recently signed on to produce the play "Suicide Math" at the New York International Fringe Festival.  We're currently in the process of casting, and I'm reminded again of how often actors get in their own way.

So I'm combing through the submissions, and I finally see a headshot I like.  Solid resume.  Solid training.  Great.  I'll bring him in.  Then I look at his other headshots and I see something that resembles a family vacation photo.  I shake my head and move on.

We get hundreds of submissions.  We bring in maybe 40 people.  Every detail counts.  We want to work with perfectionists.  We have to be picky.  If you can't manage to present yourself in a professional manner then what does that say about the commitment to your craft?