Category: Adult Acting Tips

Headshots.

There is so much to say about head shots I have broken it down into two blogs. So Blog 7 will be covering this subject also.
There is so much confusing advice out there about head shots therefore I will try and make it more clear for you.

1.What is a headshot?

A headshot is a professional photograph usually your head and shoulders which is attached to your actors cv. It is the first thing that casting directors see on your cv and therefore is usually placed at the top of your resume. I believe it is the one of the most important features on your cv obviously backed up with an excellent resume and show reel. If your picture has the right look for the character and they are looking at a professional head shot then the chances are they will call you in for an audition.

2. Do I really need a professional headshot.

Well the short answer is yes!
If you are a professional actor and you have been working in the industry for a number of years you will know you do need a professional headshot and I would suggest you change it if you change your look. However if you are very new to this industry and still learning well my suggestion if you have the money and you really want to have one done then yes go ahead but what we do with our new actors is suggest they get someone to take a nice head and shoulders shot that is well lit until they are ready to go on Spotlight or have had enough training, assessing regularly until we feel they are ready to commence auditions.

3.I am in training do I still need one?

Student actors/actors in the industry take advice on when your agent, trainer or drama school informs you to have some headshots taken.
If you are at a training school then you would need to talk to your acting coaches about CV headshots. If you are at a drama school they have their own way of promoting the students this usually takes place in their final year and you will have an actors CV and headshot taken which is sent out to agents along with an invitation for them to attend a final play or musical with the intention that the agents will take you onto their books for representation.

4.How much do you think I should pay?

I get asked this question a lot. You can pay from a few pounds to hundreds. You just need to use your common sense. If you are an established actor well it is advisable to have a good quality headshot. In years gone by I have recommended photographers but they have been very expensive and if the actor does not get any auditions with the photograph then you do end up feeling that actor has wasted his/her money. It has taken me years to find the right photographer for us who is very reasonable (£30.00) and does a great headshot with me doing the make up and hair etc. We look at each picture taken until the actor and I are happy with one. It is all about team work and works well for us. I must however stress this is usually a group of actors and so the cost is more reasonable.

5.Where do I go?

My recommendation is to do your research, there are so many photographers out there now doing this as a living and the chances are you would be able to negotiate a good price. But please look at their work on line and make sure they do headshots for actors. If you know of any actors ask them if they have been successful with their photographs. If the photograph is working for you please don’t change it. However you will have to change it eventually as everybody changes with time.

6.How often do I need to change the headshot?

I would recommend you do change it every 18 months to 2 years and with children every 12 months as they change so quickly. Babies and toddlers even more regularly.

7.Will it help me to get parts?

It will not get you parts but it could help you secure an audition which could lead to an offer of a part.
If the look is right (how they visualise the character). The information on your cv is up to date and it fits with what they are looking for then it is looking positive that you will get an audition.

8.How do I know it is a good headshot?

If you can see your eye, hair colour, and your complexion then it will probably do the job. Also to mention at this point just because you like the picture does not mean that the casting director will, so ask professionals which photograph they would choose. If you do not have anybody who can give you that advice then ask somebody who can give you an honest opinion. It might be somebody who you do not know that well. Family and friends will love everything that you do so might not be the right people to ask! Sorry. If you come into contact with a casting director show them three and ask them which one they like best.

9.How do I need to look?

It has to be as close to what you really look like so please no heavy make-up or different hair styles that in day to day life you would not dream of looking that way. It has to be an honest look that when you turn up you look like the person in the picture . ( I am not talking about modelling pictures. That is something I do not deal with.) This is just for acting only. Many times over the years I have been caught out because the picture was taken along time ago and they now look so very different or the picture makes them look a lot more glamorous than they really are. To be on the receiving end of this can be a bit disconcerting!!!!

10. Black or white or Colour?

Colour is now the preferred industry standard.

I think this is enough information at the moment but will continue with headshots in my next Blog as there is so much to say about them.
Please remember this is based on my experience only.

If you wish to ask me any questions please do not hesitate in contacting me I will be very happy to answer any queries.

I would be grateful if you can share my blog with other aspiring actors.

Wishing you all the luck in the world:)

Blog 5

Continuity with Lines

It is very important that you learn your lines and in the right order, I can’t stress this enough. So many times the actor has said they have learnt their lines but this is not usually the case, they think they know them but they don’t. When learning lines at home you are in a comfortable environment, but out of that environment and put yourself in front of the camera the actors are under more stress and mistakes are made. They always say they know them but I say to them please if you think you have memorised them go over it another hundred times. You need to know your lines as you can say your name, so you don’t have to think about it? It really can affect your performance as I see far too often, the actor is searching for words instead of making sense of them and not concentrating on delivering the right emotion etc. If they do not know the lines then the quality of acting is going to suffer. I hope that makes sense.
I have to say this does not apply to all actors.

How does this affect the editor?

If the actor gets it right on some takes but on others it can vary from getting the words mixed up to substituting different words.

So when it comes to editing in the editing studio and we realise what has happened it can become complex indeed and we have to find clever ways to cover up the mistakes made. Please let me try and explain by using a simple script and the consequences when the actor changes it.

The actor gets it right a number of times on some takes and then on others he gets it wrong for example;

Correct Script

Actor 1.

Are we going out tonight, let’s go to the Pizza Place? We will have a good time there!

The actor now changes the script

Actor 1

 Are we going out tonight for a pizza? We should have a good time.

So in the editing suite we start on a wide shot and then cut to a close up on the word ” to”. So it then reads:-

Actor 1 (two separate shots)

Are we going out tonight let’s go to for a pizza? We should have a good time.

So if we start on a wide in which he gets it right and then we want to cut into a close up in the middle of that sentence you can now see we’re going to have a problem. This is because the words are different and not in the right order so that leaves us with two options. One where you the actor probably misses out as we instead do a close up of the shot with the other actor who is not saying anything but we would then probably stay on them with your words being said off camera. Or we would have to use another shot of Actor 1. which we probably didn’t want to use, that is if we have one?

So hopefully you can see more clearly how NOT knowing your lines can affect not just the edit but also your performance. Time and time again when on set actors say to me

“Oh just got a little muddled with the lines but it will be fine.”

Well the answer is yes it does matter and no it will not be fine. You must know your lines so put in the work and effort beforehand.

Also some actors are unaware they are getting the lines wrong. I really don’t know what to say about this!

There are now some great apps online that can help you with line learning. So my suggestion is that you take a look at them and use them.

So hopefully this has given you an insight and idea what goes on behind the scenes.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your lines right and to focus on what you do and how you carry out your directions and action.

Please think about the bigger picture. If you are an actor who knows his/her lines the chances are you will be booked time and time again because you are making everybody’s else’s job so much easier.

This is based upon my experiences only.

Finally I wish everybody all the luck in the world.

Alyson

Blog 4 Covering Action and direction continuity

Blog 5 (next week) Covering Script continuity

So continuity, what is continuity?

Well it is self explanatory. On a professional set a continuity persons (script/continuity supervisor) job is to watch the actions and listen to the words of the actors. They also do a great deal more, but I am going to address continuity with the actor in mind. The two main points to cover in my experience are :-

1. To make sure you, the actor is saying the right words in the right order every time. (Basically exactly what is written down on the script) (Blog 5)
2. To get the actions to correspond with the script or direction given.

Why?

Because when we come to editing and I will try and give you a simple example to start with.

If we start with a wide shot in the editing suite and you are holding a cup in your right hand in which you are wearing a ring and a watch, and you put it down on the table in front of you and let’s say we want to go in on a close up on a different shot but in this shot you’re using your left hand without the watch and the ring, this means we would have to use the long shot or close up all the way through which probably lessens the impact of the shot.

You are probably saying now this would not happen to me, but it happens to every actor at some point in their careers. That is an obvious example, but there are many simple mistakes in continuity and also so many silly mistakes so please be aware of all your actions.

I think actors are unaware of all the takes that are taken on set in many different angles and places, and sometimes they can become complacent especially when we are on the 23rd take and the camera has now moved onto another actor, but you are still in the background. Somehow they don’t think they can be seen but it is still vitally important that you still carry out all directions and actions at the right time in the right place every time.

A couple of weeks ago I was shooting with a cast of young students from the age of 12 to 14 years. This I knew was going to be difficult, because I was doing the camera work and sound I couldn’t keep an eye on continuity. I had a student who had to get up and go over to another student and pull her hair. I had a number of difficulties in the fact that sometimes she walked over to the left of the student and then others to the right, not only did she do this but the girl in question was moving her head in different directions in every take. Not a good environment. So when I wanted to use a different edit the girl was not in the same place to where I  wanted to join both the takes, so a lot of that footage was not used. However I did get something I was happy with in the end but it probably took me much longer.

The students are learning still so they don’t know how important this is but hopefully they will read this 🙂

Simple examples and tips below.

We are looking at a shoot for one scene. The scene usually takes place on the same day in the actual film itself  but could be filmed on a number of different days hence why continuity has to take priority!

Dress:
Must be the same clothes in one scene (unless you have to change). One scene maybe shot on different days. Make sure you have the same outfit with all the bits and pieces. Take a photograph.

Hairstyle:
Has to be the same. Take note ribbons and hair clips same side of the head and same colour.

Make up:
Same lipstick, eye shadow etc.

Shoes:
Must be the same

Nail varnish:
If you are wearing any, make sure you have it on all the time. (Don’t change the colour!!!)

Hat and gloves.

Tie.

Props:
Remember your props.

Jewellery.

Sit down and make a list of everything. As you go from location to location tick everything on your list. Take it with you!

Take a photograph of all the above.

Just to mention here facial hair and hair cuts for men.

Obviously try and maintain the same look. We did a scene recently where we had to film the same day in the film weeks apart. This was not a problem with the ladies but one young man, his hair had grown so much. I looked back on my continuity pictures and was very lucky to have had a hairdresser on set that day who she trimmed it, but it would have certainly looked out of place. It always makes our jobs easier if you are involved too and I would be really happy if you were coming to me and questioning it because it helps, it really does.

I am just covering a one camera shoot. There are many multi camera shoots i.e soaps. Continuity is still important but obviously the issues and complexities are going to be a lot less.

As I said earlier there will be somebody in charge of continuity, but it is best that you keep your wits about you also because mistakes are made. We don’t have luxury of having a continuity person every filming session so we have had to educate the actors in everything to do with continuity. I am very proud of how they have mastered this and more times than ever now I am not having to check. It can get a bit scary when you are managing over twenty actors and moving locations on different days although it is the same day in the film. As you can imagine it can become quite complex. They are now exceptionally good with dress and props but I am not going to say anything else! (Don’t want it to go to their heads to much. :))

Anyway as I have said before this is based upon my experience only.

Again I wish you all the luck in the world:)

Alyson.

Show reels.

1. Please keep them as short and to the point as possible. Too many show reels are far to long. On average if the first 30 seconds doesn’t catch their attention well sorry, but it is game over. My personal opinion is that a minute and a half is more than enough for a show reel. But you can do individual pieces which I will talk about later.

2. Everybody feels they need to have a professional show reel done. Now if you have fabulous material, I would say great idea. The number of show reels that come into my inbox, I can tell they have been expensive but they really are not worth it.
I have had more success in the actor doing an honest, natural, heart warming piece to camera that shows them as their true selves. If they can capture themselves in this way it really does work.

3. An example of this although it was not a show reel. We had a casting to do in a matter of an hour. The poor guy was in rehearsals. I gave him the brief. He sat in his car at the side of what sounded like the M1 and did a self tape to camera. The quality and sound was shocking but it did not seem to bother the casting director and she thought he was excellent and offered him a commercial.

4. Now this doesn’t mean that you should cut corners, but a simple camera filming you (take note of myself tape tips) can do the job at a fraction of the price.
It just confirms to me every time that if it is simple, short and to the point and you give that Oscar winning performance they will not rule you out.

5. Another tip is that if you do go down the show reel route with lots of different clips please make sure you are seen straight away. So many of the show reels that I look at, another actor is seen well before your performance and to be honest it is the first 30 seconds that count the most so make sure you are seen in the first few seconds. It must be riveting thoughout to keep their interest.

6. Finally what I do as an agent and it has worked time and time again. Film three one minute acting pieces to camera, one comedy, one serious drama and then something that really appeals to the actor but improvised only. A scenario needs to be given (examples given below) to them or decide what you as an actor feel comfortable with that can show off your best qualities. This one usually works best. For the written pieces, I write most of mine for the individuals themselves or I get them to write it. When I submit their cv to the casting director and let’s say it is for a part that wants a comedy actress, then I put their comedy piece at the top of their cv. You have probably doubled your chances of being seen.

Anyway I could quite happily go on forever but will finish now. I do hope this comes in handy and remember this is based on my experience only.

As always I wish you all the luck in the world:)

Alyson.
Examples of improvised scenes.

1. An inexperienced waiter serving in a posh hotel
2. Stuck in a lift with some very annoying people or you can be annoying.
3. A court room scene. This can be any character you would like to portray.
4. Going on a first date. Not the dream date you thought it was going to be or the date cancels but they send someone else on his/her behalf.
5. Birthday party. E.g. You were mistakenly an uninvited guest.
6. Funeral Scene. Could be emotional.

You can vary the themes or come up with ideas yourself. Could be based on something that has actually happened to you.

Basic tips
On all the above you need to think of the character, the characters background, the situation he/she is experiencing, the mood, the pace. Has to have a great beginning and ending.

Basic pointers.

Most scripts for auditions are usually sent to the agent a few days before the audition. In my experience you are lucky to get them two days in advance. Everything in this industry seems to have a fast turn over. Commercials from cv’s submitted, audition, casting and filmed, the whole process takes just a couple of weeks. TV drama/films take a lot longer as you usually have to go for recalls, this can take a number of weeks but once again from cv’s submitted to audition will only take a few days.

Anyway once your script is sent to you.

1. Learn it. I always tell my students that they must be off sides. ( Industry terminology for you to memorize the words)
2. Please do not learn your cue from the last word spoken by the other actor. You can see that you are waiting for that word instead of being immersed in what they are saying to you. So listen to every word that your character is saying to you and react to what is being said. It will look and feel more realistic.
3. Do not speak their words. I see this a lot especially new actors who are just learning. Actors are unaware they are saying the other actors lines.
4. Feel comfortable and relaxed. This is harder than you think, if that means you have to sit down during the audition then please ask to do so. I have seen actors so tense when they are standing and then go on and do a less than adequate audition but sit them down it transforms them. You need to wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict you in anyway.
5. Always arrive early. Be polite with everybody, you don’t know who you are talking to, it might even be the casting director.
6. Be yourself. Don’t be over confident or lacking in confidence.
7. Interpretation. This is so important. If you do not understand the script then unfortunately no matter how hard you have tried to learn the words and have turned up for the audition it will probably not go in your favour, if you misinterpret the script.

(There is so much more to be said regarding auditions and will cover this in future blogs)

 

So how do you know if you have understood the script?

If you have an acting coach ask them or ask friends and family, I would suggest somebody who reads a great deal.

Look at the writers style. See if they have written anything else. Go and look at their work.

Go and do your research. I can’t recommend this enough.

Some scripts can be easy to understand, for example if boy meets girl and girl meets boy and fall in love happy ending (a romcom) then that should be straightforward and you know what you are dealing with but some can be more complex eg a crime, thriller or mystery. You are not sure which character kills who and you are kept guessing right up to the end and there are a lot of twists and turns. At this point I must mention that a character breakdown and storyline of plot is essential and if you have not been given one then please ask your agent/ acting coach or the casting company. Sometimes they are very brief. We had a very difficult audition recently and submitted a screen test. We had very little to work on, but the casting director liked him and then spoke to me at length how she wanted the character to come across on his second screen test. It certainly helped us a lot and she really liked what he did. The film company decided to cast the actor from a different country, but it was a positive experience and the actor got some exposure.

You need to look beyond the words. They are only the surface!

They might be saying one thing but the actor should be thinking something else, especially if the words written are a lie. Some actors say words and you know that they have no idea what they are saying and why they are saying them. So the clue for you to overcome this is to start asking questions, especially about the plot. This is not so easy if you just get one page or two pages to learn for the audition and you don’t know the plot. See if it is based on a book and then read the book but if that is not an option then you are going to have to put your own style and spin on it and keep everything crossed and hope for the best. I find when I am prepping an actor for audition who has been given a complex script, is to read it many times over and act it out in different ways until both of us find that it feels and looks right. The more scripts you practise the easier all this becomes. Another tip, which may seem a wacky idea is to start reading poems, as they can be interpreted in so many different ways. Read them out loud and it would be best to read them to friends or family and get their opinions on which way they feel is interpreted correctly in the style that they are written.

Anyway I could write so much more but I think this is enough to take in for the time being. I do hope it helps even if it is just in small way. Remember this is only based upon my experiences.

And again I wish you all the luck in the world. ?