If there is one motto that sums up the actor’s dilemma it is, “hurry up and wait.” You spend most of your time waiting for that next audition, or rehearsal, or performance. It seems you’re dependent on everyone else to put your skills to work. Since there is so much “waiting”, it’s easy to see the “waiting” as wasted time. That need not be the case. There are ways to put that “waiting” to work. Continue reading Hurry Up And Wait→
Improve your work with the best training around…. and then get that work seen by Casting Directors and Talent Agents! Our On Camera Training Program just got even more effective…
It’s been great watching Courtney Rioux navigate her acting career from early on. I first met her when she took one of our on camera commercial classes years ago. She’s was a great actor even back then, and she really took up the technical aspects required of effective storytelling. Like any young actor, she had frustrations with the ups and downs of the business, and I remember one conversation we had when I offered a simple piece of advice that she actually implemented….
Cristin is an actor, improviser and writer living in L.A. She is also the admin extraordinaire for The Green Room.
When I first graduated from college with my degree in theatre I thought I was prepared for my future life as a professional actor. And in a way, I was. I auditioned for and was cast in plays. It was fun and I got to do the thing I loved. But then I started auditioning for commercials, TV shows and films and I wasn’t getting bookings like I thought I should. I knew I was a good actor but for some reason no one else seemed to agree. So I took one on-camera class and called it a day. It helped, but I still wasn’t booking.
It wasn’t until I came to The Green Room TEN years ago in 2009 that things really started to click. I’d never had anyone break down all the aspects of on-camera acting in a way that felt manageable and helpful the way The Green Room did. All of a sudden, I understood what a commercial casting director was looking for and how I fit into the story they were trying to tell. Continue reading What the On-Camera Training Program Did for Me→
As a recurring character on a network television show and an acting coach, I get a lot of emails from people asking what they can expect from their first day on set for an episodic.
I remember my first day on a network TV set, as “EMT #1” on Chicago Fire. I was excited, but mostly nervous. It was a hot Saturday in July. Most people I knew were at Lollapalooza and I was on 290 in an ambulance.
At lunch, I was eating alone and my background EMT partner sat at another table alone. I called him over. He told me he wasn’t allowed to talk to “1st team”, which is why he didn’t automatically sit by me. It wasn’t my first time on set ever, but it felt like it and I could have used some company. I hope I can shed some light for you here on a day in the life on set, so you can be less nervous than I was on day one. Continue reading Episodic Season: Your First Day on Set→
We’ve just launched our new series of videos about The Acting Business in Chicago!
…where we will explore all sorts of business aspects of the acting world to help actors make more informed and strategic decisions – both in their business decisions AND in their audition performances.
We’ll release a new video each week. The first video is an introduction to the series- and the educational info starts next week – – so subscribe to our newsletter now!. Upcoming topics include:
– How the commercial business is structured
– How Casting Directors Prep the auditions for commercials
– How the actual commercial audition process works
– How the Prep for a TV & Film audition differs from commercial
– How the actual TV or Film audition process works
– Who’s the best talent agency in town
– Headshots
– Resumes
– Marketing
– Unions
– Bookings
…. and loads more!!!
Here’s the video below, and check us out at www.thegreenroomstudio.tv and sign up for our newsletter now!
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Just like that, December rolled around and it’s time to send off some holiday gifts to your industry contacts. Of course, we all want to acknowledge our hard-working agents and managers, and who could forget about the casting directors who called you in over and over again this year?
I get this question from actors all the time: what is an appropriate gift for my agent/manager/publicist/that awesome CD who booked my first co-star role?
So, I decided to go directly to the source and ask some of my industry contacts what they enjoy receiving as gifts during the holidays. Check out their comments below for some great ideas!
Okay, I admit it. I used to be insanely jealous of other actors who were having more success than me. I was unhappy with my career and I thought I should be further along than I was.
The funny thing is, the more I focused on lack and comparing myself to others, the harder it became to allow new opportunities and growth to come into my life.
Ever been there?
…Are you there now?
It sucks, doesn’t it?!
When it comes to money or opportunities, a “lack” mindset can really keep you feeling like crap. Energetically, there’s no room for growth or success in that space.
Nowadays when I catch myself in a “lack” mindset, I stop and examine the thoughts that are running through my head. You wouldn’t believe the creative (and majorly unhelpful!) ideas that I would cling to – although you might be able to relate to some of them.
When I graduated from college with a theatre degree, I thought for sure I would move to a big city, audition for a big play and get cast. Right away. After all, I had my degree and I was talented and knew so much. Wrong. Didn’t happen. Continue reading The Audition Is Your Job.→
