Teresa Reilly – Page 2 – TheRightCast.com

How to Run Your Apartment Like an Office

September 2, 2009 teresac 2 Comments

There’s a well-known actor saying that goes, “Nobody’s casting in your living room.” In essence? Get off your butt, and get out to auditions, because you can’t just dream a career into existence while you lie on your couch. (That is, unless you live with a casting director.) You have to develop the courage to walk out your door every day and try to book work. However…you can’t get the work, unless you live in an office.

Okay, obviously, I don’t mean that you should actually sleep in an office building. (That’d be weird.) But you do need to have a space set up that is conducive to all the paperwork you have to do to propel your career forward. I didn’t realize until well into my career that a large portion of my job was about the paperwork. (Ugh! Paperwork! Where’s Ibsen? Where’s Shaw? Where’s Mamet, for goodness’ sake?! I want to work in the theater, in movies and television, not dilly-dally with paper! Well…tough.) You got a lot of work to do, and you need a safe space to do it. You’ve got casting notices to submit to, cover letters to write. Read More

Shh! The Secret to Being Happy and Rocking Your Auditions

July 29, 2009 teresac 2 Comments

The moment has come. Are you ready? I’m going to tell you the super secret key to rocking all your auditions. Yes, that’s right. I’m going to divulge with all you wonderful actors at The Right Cast the secret, singularly perfect way to do yourself proud in that casting room. Okay. Here it comes… Read More

Make Your Own Work, Be Your Own Producer

July 8, 2009 teresac 1 Comment

I am the youngest of three children, all of whom have made their careers in the entertainment business, and our shared childhood is pretty indicative of the choices we’ve subsequently made as professional performers. My sister, the oldest, directed my brother and I in every version of “Cinderella” she could brainstorm and film on my mother’s old camcorder, including “Cinderella: The Musical,” “Cinderella: The One-Woman Old-Time Vaudeville Revue,” “Cinderella: The Claymation Tragedy,” and, last but not least, “Cinderella: The Stop-Motion Melodrama Starring Barbie.” My brother wrote and performed all the music. I was lights, props, costumer, and, when I was allowed to act, diva extraordinaire. (I liked to keep my sister on her toes with my obnoxious yet witty ad-libs.) Challenging and ridiculous as the process was, Do-It-Yourself filmmaking (as well as DIY theater production, DIY neighborhood newspapers, and DIY cover performances of Barbra Streisand’s “Hello Dolly!” done entirely on roller-skates) taught me an invaluable lesson: DO IT YOURSELF. In between community theater projects? School’s out for the summer and no creative outlet? No one casting in your cul-de-sac? Make your own! Read More

Fund Your Career with the Actors Fund

July 1, 2009 teresac Comments Off

A few months ago, I was on a spec commercial set, bemoaning my lack of work. No, not the acting kind (although, I frequently bemoan the lack of that, too). I was complaining about the absence of rent-paying jobs. That’s right, folks, the vital and often annoying Survival Job. The classic joke is that every waiter in New York and Los Angeles is actually a broke actor (a joke I find to be used in a rather crass way. Hey, buddy, that broke actor is serving you your dinner in order to support his/her artistic pursuit! Very noble, if you ask moi.) The good news about acquiring Survival Jobs to support the oft-expensive acting habit that we’re all addicted to: you get to work in various interesting job markets and develop all kinds of cool skill sets! (Not only do I know how to market annual subscriptions for a suburban theater company, I also know the technical terminology of candle-making, how to mark up and sell high-end men’s suits, and how to flyer three city blocks at a time with membership coupons for the local gym.) The bad news: you have to look for a Survival Job almost as much as you have to look for the ultimately important Acting Job.
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Keep Working, Keep Healthy

June 24, 2009 teresac Comments Off

When I was but a naive, young thing still in acting school, I came down with a long-term, emotionally and physically exhausting illness. One particularly difficult day, as I was on the verge of tears and really lamenting about how badly I was feeling, one of my very favorite teachers took me aside to impart some words of wisdom, some encouragement, some hope.

“You’ve got to keep working,” he said. Huh?! I sniffled.

“I know it’s a hard time,” he said, “But now is when you have to work. Now is when you show up, and you do your job, and you use every ounce of your strength to get it done.”

WHAT?! Why wasn’t he telling me to go home and rest my weary body? Why wasn’t he pouring me chicken soup? Why wasn’t he picking up the new releases at Blockbuster for me and sending me flowers and telling me I was the greatest actor ever and I was allowed to take as many days off as I needed?!! Clearly, he didn’t make me any soup. And, clearly, I never forgot it.
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Headshot Extravaganza Part 3: How to Make the Most of Your Shoot!

June 17, 2009 teresac 1 Comment

Congratulations! You’ve figured out what kind of headshots you want, you’ve you’re your research, you’ve found your killer photographer, and now…all you have to do is actually shoot the darned things. The irony of the situation is, of course, we get our pictures taken all day long. We have digital cameras, camera phones, video cameras, security cameras, web cams…the list goes on. We’re constantly seeing photos of ourselves on Facebook and twitter, and submitting our portraits on casting websites. It should be a piece of cake to take some headshots, right? Wrong! For some annoying reason, taking headshots can be super stressful and/or nerve-wracking, which is why you should find a photographer who is relaxing and fun; isn’t that how you want your pics to look? So, let’s talk about what you can do to maximize your Zen-like calm during your photo shoot, both before and during the big day.
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Headshot Extravaganza: How to Find the Best Photographer (part II)

May 20, 2009 teresac 1 Comment

I am so excited to explore Part Two of the Headshot Extravaganza! To set the record straight, I am NOT a headshot-loving actor. I get antsy when I’m taking new headshots. I feel insecure. I smile weird. My eye twitches. All in all, I am very unappealling. Luckily, I found a fantastic photographer who I love to work with. She makes me laugh when I’m pouting over my ugly hair. She spurs me on with encouragement when I get tired. And she helps me find a picture I confidently can use as my calling card in this crazy business. So! Let’s find out how to find an equally amazing photographer for you!

How to Find the Best Photographer For You:

Headshot Extravaganza: Why You Need Fantastic Headshots!

May 13, 2009 teresac 1 Comment

Well, folks, it’s been quite a day. A long, exhausting, anxious, finicky, neurotic day. To be more specific…Headshot Day. The day I’ve been putting off for three whole years. (When I got my last headshots taken.) I finally got my new headshots taken, and now that Headshot Day has passed, and all I have to do now is narrow down my option and print up my new pictures, I’m in the mood to share some tidbits I’ve learned along the way. First off, I’m hoping I’m not the only one in the world who is consumed by an overwhelming desire to run far away to a nice job in insurance sales when I think about getting new headshots taken. The fact is, getting good pics is a job on its own! If you’re new to the business, you might wonder why everyone makes such a big deal about headshots. Read More

Team YOU: Build Up Your Support System

April 22, 2009 teresac 1 Comment

“Do you have an agent?”

Possibly the most popular question ever posed to an actor, second only to “What have we seen you in?” (Or, my mother’s favorite, “When do I get to see a copy of that student spec commercial for diapers you shot in December in Oxnard so I can send it to all your cousins?!” Oh, Mom…) The representation question is certainly one we devote lots of time and energy to, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Because, in reality, the agent is only one (albeit very important) part of your team. That’s right! You are building a team to help you build, support, and sell your product: YOU.

Think I’ve been watching too much college basketball for my own good? Yeah, well, just think about it for a second. When you read any of those interviews in gossip websites or celebrity tabloids, or listen to who award-winning actors thank at the Oscars or the Golden Globes, they always mention a whole slew of random people you’ve never heard of: publicists, managers, assistants, coaches, teachers, casting directors, and, yes, agents. It’s like one of those commercials for children’s advocacy groups: “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.” And it totally takes a village to raise an actor’s career! Your teammates can offer you everything from advice to auditions to just plain moral support. So let’s talk about the important players you can start gathering for your team. You’ll be surprised how many people you can count among your teammates… Read More

Taking Care of Actor Business

April 8, 2009 teresac Comments Off

Welcome to April! Can you believe we’re back again at tax time? As I slogged through my own piles of forms and receipts yesterday, I tried not to get frustrated at the complications of being a working actor during tax season: working several jobs, working in several states, working sporadically, working “under the table.” All highly confusing when you try to fit your eccentric artistic life into countless small numbered boxes. But it’s all part of the actor’s business. Because you are, after all, running your own business (and if you don’t agree, the IRS does soooo…the bad news is you might have to pay taxes on your own actor business, but…it’s worth it!) and you’ve got to organize your life to accomodate that.
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