Commercial Agent Interview #2

One of my goals for this year is to secure commercial representation. I've got a couple months left, and commercial representation is theoretically easier to get than theatrical representation (it's a numbers game). Today marked another solid step towards that goal. I met with an agent at a mid-level agency located in Universal City.

Waiting for the Interview
I arrived at the interview about 10 minutes early – a smidge too close for my comfort. I checked in with the receptionist and sat down to read my current novel; I always carry a book with me as I constantly find myself waiting for things to happen. In this case, I waited about 20 minutes. During my wait, I heard the entire staff of the agency off in some other room laughing at YouTube videos.

After a particularly hilarious viral video, the receptionist returned to her desk and provided me with copy for two different commercials. One of them was for Coors Light, a monologue in which I, The Coors Light Guy proclaimed that it was my duty to serve a Coors Light to every thirsty member of "this stadium." In the other, I played a full-service gas station attendant who "love[s] looking at the ladies." After a trip to the restroom where I read the sides aloud, I returned to the waiting room. A couple minutes later I was greeted by an agent, that for the purposes of this post, I will call Bogart.

The Interview
Bogart escorted me into one of the open meeting rooms, and began by asking me a series of questions:

• Where are you from?
  
• So, are you a Berkeley kid then?
  
• What was high school like?
  
• How long have you been down here?
  
• What have you been doing since you got here?
  

As opposed to my last interview, I feel like I had an opportunity to meet and get to know the agent I was interviewing with. It was a much better vibe all around.

The Audition
Bogart then had me read the commercial copy while standing. After I gave a controlled and earnest rendition of The Coors Light Guy, Bogart gave me an adjustment ("This is your mission in life. Make sure everyone in the stadium knows it!") and I took it. I then performed the second piece – it felt a bit flat, but there were still some connected moments.

The Debriefing
After I finished my audition, Bogart went into a little speech about how your first year in Hollywood is probably going to be a wash and the goal should be to do and experience everything you can. I took this to mean that bad news was coming. Bogart surprised me and told me that he was concerned about my only having been here 3 months – but that if I took a commercial audition workshop that he would be interested in bringing me on as a client. He then asked if I had any questions

My Questions
Q: Do agents divide the work by actor or casting director?
A: Agents divide labor by project, not CD.

Q: How many actors do you represent?
A: The agency has 2.5 agents and 560 actors.

Q: How do you see me most easily being cast?
A: Oh, you're definitely the young everyman. Which is great. You're not quite model good looking, but you're not character either. You remind me a lot of an older client of mine, and he's made me lots of money.

Conclusion
Bogart concluded the meeting by saying "Before you sign with anyone else, make sure that you contact me first." Hearing this and finally getting a solid lock on my type is very encouraging. I'm going to research commercial casting workshops and then make a go of it.

Agent Meetings Are Like Dates

I got into a discussion about agent meetings with my friend Lucas this evening. Lucas is an extremely talented and charming actor who’s a good human being to boot. The topic of how to handle agent meetings came up when I mentioned that I was meeting with a mid-size commercial agency tomorrow. Lucas has great representation; without a TV/Film credit to his name he went to producers for the lead in a network pilot. So, I feel that his opinion on the issue holds some weight.

Lucas had a few great points:

• Treat your meeting as seriously as you would an audition. Prepare for it.
• Come in with a set of questions that you want to ask.
• Ask how many clients the agency represents (they are obligated by law to tell you).
• Specifically: how many clients that look like you?
• If they want to sign you right away, wait. Don’t be too eager.

“Don’t be too eager?” I said. “So it’s like dating.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Said Lucas.

“Desperate is unattractive to everyone.” I said.

“Yep. Treat it like a first date. Who are they? Are you a good match? If you like them, you can always go on a second date.”

So there you have it folks, seeking representation is like seeking a relationship. But my question is: How do you get representation drunk and convince it that you are more attractive and charming than you really are?

Neil Patrick Harris is my Competition Now

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday. I spent it up North with family, friends, and my amazing girlfriend in Davis, CA. It was really wonderful to get to spend the day with so many people that I cared about. I was reminded that I do have a complete life; it’s just that different parts of it may be located farther away than I would like.

21 was a really great age for me. I had my first successful year as a teacher (I taught for 2 years previous to that, but didn’t feel wonderfully about the experience). I was in a successful production of “Take Me Out” that played to sold-out audiences and great reviews in the main stage at The New Conservatory Theater. I matured a lot in my dealings with other people and I finally “sacked up” and moved down to Los Angeles to pursue my acting career.

I am optimistic about how this coming year will pass, but not without some trepidation. I can no longer be considered a whiz kid, boy wonder, Doogie Howser, or prodigy – all terms that were bandied about in my previous careers. I am at last going to be judged as an adult.

Just like Neil Patrick Harris who is now forced to prove his mettle beyond his child stardom, I will be evaluated against the same, more universal, yardstick. Here’s hoping I measure up.

My Own Speed Reel

I can have the prettiest headshots, the best training, and party with all the coolest people and still have it mean nothing when it comes time to get work. Why? Because how well you market and who you know only opens the door, it doesn't get you inside.

But almost no one, including casting directors and producers, can turn down something that's free. So, if you're an actor with no real credits to speak of, like me, the way that you get in the door is by working for "food and copy". This basically translates to a bagel, bottled water, and a copy of the film on DVD. I've been acting in a lot of student films recently, and I've been requesting that my directors give me my copy in MiniDV format so that I can edit my own reel.

The demo reel is becoming an industry standard. In particular the Speed Reel, a one minute distillation of an actor's best work on film, is the thing to have. For an example of a speed reel, you can check out my cold-reading buddy Carl Peterson's reel here: http://www.speedreels.com/talent/carlpetersen

My problem is that all of these MiniDV tapes are stacking up and I have no way of capturing the footage onto my computer. I need to get my hands on a MiniDV camera somehow. As a member of the proletariat, I'm really wishing that I was in control of the means of production right about now...

Protecting my Money from Myself.

Since my arrival, I've been dipping into savings on a monthly basis. On average, I've been taking $1k-$3k out each month. In part this has been due to move-in costs, classes, headshot reprinting, etc - but mostly it's been due to my own complacency.

Before the move, I had $17,232.43 in savings. Earlier today I had $12,474.50 in savings. That was until I took out another $2000 to make rent and pay my various bills.

Clearly this pattern of spending way more than I make is unhealthy and unsustainable. As a stop-gap measure, I've taken 8k of my remaining 10k and placed it in a 6-month CD through ING Direct. That means I can't touch the last of my savings for at least 6 months.

My goal: Change from a monthly loss to a monthly surplus.
How to get there:

1. Finish the application process at LA Unified (I just need an ID Photo) so that I can work as a substitute teacher.
2. Finish my current training project, and begin on the next immediately.
3. Take every paying gig I can get my hands on.
4. Prioritize my spending and make some cuts.

Realizing how poorly I've been handling my money is absolutely terrifying. Let's hope the fear can fuel my productivity.

Upcoming Commercial Agent Interview

A lot of working actors make the majority of their income by performing in television commercials. Most commercials are shot in a single day, but if an actor negotiates their contract well they are paid royalties based on where and how long a given commercial runs. A national commercial that runs on network television can bring in tens of thousands of dollars for an actor.

Getting a commercial agent is a very common first step towards a career in film and television. One of my goals for this year is to secure commercial representation. SAGE has been submitting me to various agents, and I just got a call today from a great agency that wants to interview me for placement in their commercial department. I'm excited about the interview, and am currently trying to work out how to best present myself.

I attended another Q&A at The Actor's Network tonight and I was able to glean the following list of agent-meeting turn-ons and turn-offs from the agent's perspective.

• Turn Ons
  
  • When an actor says "Let me show you what I can do," and then he/she performs a scene, monologue, or cold-reading.
    
  • When an actor is well-groomed.
    
  • When an actor is on-time and prepared.
    
• Turn Offs
  
  • When an actor says "I got the goods, I'm a killer actor."
    
  • Over-selling themselves.
    
  • Showing up late, unprepared, or looking nothing like your headshot.

Why Some Actor's Are Stiff As A Board

If you've ever watched a film and then found yourself jerked out of the world of the film by the crashing realization that a character switched which hand they were holding their coffee with in a microsecond, you have witnessed what is called a "continuity error". Films, and most good fiction, are constructions made mostly of lies in order to get at the truth. In film, actors perform the same actions repeatedly over a period of hours so that they can be photographed from different angles. These different shots are eventually edited into what appears to be a single continuous series of moments. For the editing process to work, the actor needs to perform their physical actions in exactly the same way, with the same timing.

Today, I was shooting another USC film school project (the director from a previous project, produced this one). In it, I played the more responsible of two good friends who are seeing each other for the first time in years. (For the sake of ease, I'll write in first person as the character) The scene takes place in my good friend's bedroom. I come in, kick his bed and wake him up. He then throws on his shirt, pants, tie, socks, and shoes. At one point, I hand him a sock and then he heads into the bathroom to take care of his morning routine.

I had my lines down pat, had done my homework regarding these characters and their relationships and felt connected with the given circumstances. However, I kept turning in what I felt were flat reads of the lines. It took me a little while, but I figured out why: I was so terrified of messing up the continuity of the scene, that I had made the conscious decision to move as little as possible. With my body locked down tighter than dick's hat band, it was no wonder that I didn't have great emotional access. It's an understandable fear, because if I made a spontaneous hand gesture in one shot, and forgot to include it in the next – I personally would be making the editor's job harder.

A film actor is responsible for knowing every single gesture, nod, and dart of the eye, before the camera rolls on the first shot. I'm still adapting to this style of working, but in short order I should be able to move from conscious incompetence to unconscious competence. Physical acting is one of my strengths, I can't wait to leverage that in my film acting.