Headshot Drops

I've been in LA over 7 years now and I've never done drops, well not officially. I've actually paid others to add me to a pile, but found that didn't seem to show significant results.

Today I had the time to actually do headshot drops at all the casting directors in the Valley who are currently casting pilots. Two friends added my headshots to their drops last week and this week I added to the list and took theirs.

I've often heard that actors have good results from drops, but prior to this year, I'd always had y time divided between my day job and my acting career. I've done both for 5 years now, but am really wanting to pump up my acting career and be a well-paid actor. I've been an actor all this time and generally booked one commercial per year, but now I want more. I want to work as an actor. Part of working as an actor is doing drops. Exposure is key and drops help.

If you'd like to accelerate your career, perhaps you should try dropping your headshots in casting directors bins. Certainly your chances improve through the exposure, plus there's the added benefit of knowing where the casting directors are located. When they call you in for an audition, you'll have already been there! This might add to your comfort level and give you a subtle edge or a level of comfort. Only you can know for sure, but I'm glad I dropped mine. Will you be dropping yours?

When your agent calls - it might be something else

This morning my agent called while I was in the shower. I'd missed the call because the phone rang while the water was running, but luckily I was intending to call a friend and found my agent's phone listed as having called within the last hour.

I was so excited that I called back without listening to the message. LOL! I was so sure that I'd booked the callback I had yesterday. I said,"I called back without checking my messages because I was so excited. I was hoping you called to tell me I booked yesterday's callback." The intern said,"You have an audition Monday." I said,"Thanks, let me get a pen," and took the information from her.

I'm very excited that I have an audition Monday. It has some fun sides that I'll work on over the weekend!

So, I thought it was one thing and it turned out to be something else.

When your agent calls, it might be what you think it is and it might be something else. Either way, call back. It's always good to nurture that relationship!

Be prepared - the story might change

On the callback this evening (from yesterday's audition), the story boards changed. Instead of three CEOs around the cooler, we were just three co-workers gossiping about other co-workers, semi-nicely. We were told to be positive. The guy going in with me and the other woman said,"She has a tumor." LOL! And the casting assistant who was coaching us said,"That's too negative." So, we went with the start of "our co-worker dated Elvis Presley." LOL! We had a great time and it went very smoothly. It was so vastly different than the audition that the recognizable similarities were our suits (of which the guy had none-but he did have a tie and it was his first call) and the water cooler which was mentioned but non-existent in the original audition.

So, when you go in a callback be sure to be flexible and follow instructions, because callbacks are not always like the original audition. My agent said,"Go do the same thing again." Ordinarily, that might be good advice, but be sure and think it through and feel your way through the process for yourself. The story changed, and it was fun because we all just went with it! I love working with other professionals!

Additionally, I often here that copy can change as well. So, be prepared by keeping your skills sharp and remaining flexible. Flexibility is key for a working actor.

Be prepared - the story might change

On the callback this evening, the story changed. Now instead of three CEOs around the cooler, we were just three co-workers gossiping about other co-workers, semi-nicely. We told to be positive. The guy going in with me and the other woman said,"She has a tumor." LOL! And the casting assistant who was coaching us said,"That's too negative." So, we went with our co-worker dated Elvis Presley. LOL! We had a great time and it went very smoothly. It was so vastly different than the audition that the recognizable similarity was our suits (of which the guy had none-but he did have a tie and it was his first call in) and the water cooler which was mentioned but non-existent in the audition.

So, when you go in a callback be sure to be flexible and follow instructions, because callbacks are not always like the original audition. Additionally, I often here that copy can change as well. So, be prepared and keep your skills sharp and remain flexible. Flexibility is key for a good actor.

Auditioning is Fun!

Today I had an audition with two other actors. We were 3 CEOs discussing business around the water cooler. In a matter of 3 minutes, we covered money, profit, revenue, avoiding layoffs, and profit sharing with shareholders. Having been in business for years and having worked for one of the largest companies in the world, I thoroughly enjoyed a our repartee. I’m not sure if the director and casting decision makers will enjoy hearing all that, but it sure was fun. The other actors were consummate professionals so they appeared to have fun, too. Hope they had as much fun as I did.

Auditioning is particularly fun because it offers freedom sometimes in the form of improvisations. Often, we are given basic guidelines and asked to improvise. This means we create or get to play new characters every week, sometimes more than one in the same day. Actors have the rare quality of being able to work until they day they leave the planet. And in the meantime, while we’re here acting, are constantly expanding and delving deeper and more fully in to our experiences. It never ends.

Auditioning is great fun, keeps skills sharp, our craft ever expanding, and occasionally results in jobs! Two books I recommend for auditioning are Audition by Michael Shurtleff and Breaking into Commercials: The Complete Guide to Marketing Yourself, Auditioning to Win, and Getting the Job by Terry Berland and Deborah Ouellette.

Another great book I recommend (that I saw while looking for the two above) is Acting is Everything: An Actor’s Guide to a Successful Career in Los Angeles by Judy Kerr.

Performing means dance and music too!

The Grammys honor great musicians from multiple categories. And each year, there are performances in between awards. I love them, especially this year! Since I don't watch music videos much, it gives me a chance to put faces with the music I've enjoyed over the years.

This year was remarkably different for me, in that, I watched almost the entire show. I enjoyed every performance! It was so wonderful to watch artists that I knew by voice only until that night! Now I'd recognize them on the street like everyone else!

Great performers are typically just great performers. That's why so often you'll see singers become actors and actors become singers. Performing is performing in so many ways. Sometimes, being famous gets you your first acting gig, but if you're not talented and do not pursue it seriously, you won't get to stay in the game or be taken seriously. We all have to work for it and stay on top of our craft or crafts.

Once upon a time, most actors could sing and dance, too. A lot of them still can. I took two years of ballet because a mentor of mine, Ernestine Mercer, said that I needed "stage presence" and that my motions were too small. She told me to take ballet. So, I did.

As it turns out, I'd finish class in our big dance hall and then pour my sour, tired, and very happy body in to my Eclispe only to find that I was stomping on the clutch a bit and wondered who moved my stick while I was in class. It's amazing how broad sweeping your movements are after a hard ballet workout. She actually told me to be careful driving when I first began. She knew that my physical expectations even after one or two classes would change. Helen Hunt danced ballet all through the years when she was working in lots of movies per year.

There's so much that goes in to dance that can beautifully and fully impact your acting. All the stars of yesteryear could dance. I realize we live in a fast-paced society where many of us actors have jobs in addition to daily career pursuit, but I still recommend that every actor at least take a few ballet classes for the appreciation of it. For the serious actor, I recommend more. My mentor was right. Dance makes you better as an actor. The artists winning Grammys know the value of music and most know the value of dance, too. Do you?

Caffeine free - Prince Too!

Nearly a month later, it was time to give you the update. I am still caffeine free mostly.

Last Wednesday night, I ordered a tea I hadn't tried and didn't consider the caffeine content. LOL! I had a cold and was very, very tired and just wanted to sleep. I'm one of those people who can go to sleep nearly any where, any time when I'm tired, but Wednesday night I could not sleep. At 2am (which was Thursday morning), I finally started to doze a bit. Then I sat straight up and bed and said,"It was the tea! It had caffeine!" I felt much better and drifted off to sleep.

I don't even have any wants for coffee. I think at some point we just decide to quit and we're done. It really took me a year and two months to finally decide, but I decided for good this time. I don't miss the stomach aches that coffee used to give me. I don't miss the ups and downs of needing the caffeine occasionally in the middle of the day. I don't miss feeling the need to roll out of bed every morning and head to Star Bucks. It's great being free!

I feel great most mornings, and honestly, the fog lifts more quickly just by breathing and moving around. Most mornings, I wake up clear now.

Prince performed at the Super Bowl last night. He was excellent as always! I remember seeing him in an interview years ago. He said he did not put drugs of any kind in his body. And the interviewer looked at him in amazement and said,"Not even caffeine." Prince said,"No drugs of any kind." That stuck with me. And while I was watching him last night at half time, I thought to myself,"Prince. Me, too, now. Me, too!"

Sprinting on Hollywood Boulevard

So, I had an audition in Hollywood last week.

From my parking spot, I could see the Renaissance Hotel , you know - the one connected to the Kodak Theatre...where the Ocars will be held in a few weeks. I loved the view from my parking spot! The fact that it was only a block away from the casting office was a happy thought, too!

Walking up to the casting office, I felt great. Everything was going well and this audition was going to be fun. We had been called in as "biz casual," which I thought meant Hollywood biz casual. LOL! So, I dressed biz casual not business casual. I was the only one in jeans and felt great! I definitely stood out. I was the only one with long hair...and the only redhead in the crowd, too. It all worked for me.

I had a great audition. It felt great. I really liked the casting assistant and the camera person. These were wonderful perks!

I left feeling great! I stepped out and it started to pour rain in big drops from seemingly nowhere. All of sudden, my great parking space only a block away seemed far away. So, I found myself sprinting in my Stuart Weitzman suede shoes and my silk sweater down Hollywood Boulevard! I heard someone whistle as I went racing by. It made me laughed. I wish I had a picture!

I jumped in to my car and watched the rain pummel my windshield. I laughed again and had a wonderful moment! I took one more look at the Renaissance Hotel and headed home.

What a great day! Some days, no matter what, you’re going to have a great day!

Lydia's Journey in Hollywood: I Like Good News!

Lydia's Journey in Hollywood: I Like Good News!