TheRightCast.com – Page 3 – Acting resources to help actors find auditions and book roles.

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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ACTING 123 by Linda Stuart

June 19, 2009 linda 2 Comments

ACTING 123
by
LINDA STUART

I learned from a top acting teacher that an aspiring actor must take a minimum of 3 actions per day, every day, to advance his or her career. It could be emailing 3 pictures and resumes. It could be making 3 cold calls. It could be setting up 3 auditions. If you don’t take at least 3 critical actions per day to help yourself as an actor, you are severely undermining your career.

Not everyone is born Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn’s daughter, who hit big-screen stardom at a very early age.

Other young screen stars today – Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Amanda Seyfried, and Ellen Page – are more the rarity than the norm.

So, you’ve got to work your career. If you don’t have an agent or manager, if you’re not in SAG or Actors’ Equity, you mustn’t let a day go by without aggressively tackling these obstacles.
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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

Just Tank One

May 11, 2009 noahapplebaum Comments Off

Just Tank One.

Congratulations- you’ve come all this way and you finally have a few auditions. It’s a scary process to have worked so hard to get past one obstacle only to find yourself staring into the jaws of an entirely different beast. This one is bigger, meaner, and more direct. When we set ourselves up with fruitful situations and they finally flower into true opportunity, we have put in the legwork on the business side. Almost forgot about the creative side, eh? How terrifying it is to be judged in a matter of seconds and perhaps roasted over the proverbial fire after much sacrifice.

Sometimes, it is a matter of focus: when all of the conditions aren’t perfect, how can we still dig down and find that concentration to do what we know to be right as it pertains to our craft? To me, if we don’t test ourselves under these circumstances, there will always be some form of doubt which can negatively creep over our subconscious and have quite an adverse effect on our performance. Simple solution: tank one. 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

To Pay Or Not To Pay! That Is The Question!

April 20, 2009 linda Comments Off

For the actor or actress who isn’t in SAG, doesn’t have representation, and is without the industry contacts to get you in to an agent or casting director’s office… paid showcases can be an excellent way to meet and perform for prominent agents and casting directors. Some actors are adamantly against paying to audition. But for many actors, showcases are just about the only way to get that coveted foot in the door.

I want to impart some valuable tips from an agent showcase last night with DEDE BINDER-GOLDSMITH, President of Defining Artists, a prestigious boutique agency in Los Angeles. 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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