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Business of Acting

card reads "how to use acting feedback to get better"

Data over drama: using acting feedback to your advantage

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I have a mindset tweak for you. It’s a tweak about acting feedback.

This tweak is for you if:  you’re consistently putting yourself out there with live auditions and challenging classes and self-tapes and you feel like you “should” have a career by now but you just haven’t had that big YES you’re hoping for yet. Maybe you even feel like an acting failure.

I know how frustrating it can feel to plug away inside your career and feel like you’re not getting any big payoffs. And the “no”s can feel like a slap in the face. They can feel so personal.  Acting feedback from a coach or director you trust can feel deeply personal.  It feels like a criticism of you as a human.

What if you play with a little tweak and look at the acting feedback and roles you didn’t book as data points instead of as personal comments?  The good news about consistently putting yourself out there is you have a steady stream of data points.  And all that information is so helpful.  “Data over drama” like my mentor Dallas Travers taught me.  All that acting feedback is just free information for you to use to get better. Plus, as you’ll see in this clip, the other huge mindset shift becomes; “failing” gets you closer to your win.

Check out this conversation from class where we talk about the importance of being in the arena!  I think you might find this clip very helpful.

(And for more help dealing with rejection and how it can eat away at you, check out this post on that little voice in your head.)

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Sarah: I really…I know you know this, like, intellectually. But sometimes it’s hard to know things all the way inside. That you, being in the arena, and willing to show up and get feedback at a point when you feel like, “I should have a career by now, blah blah blah,” and to get a note and to have it mean like, ugh.

But how great that you can continue to get the information that you can do something with? Rather than just being like, fuck this, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, or I don’t knwo why I’m not getting in, or I don’t know why…like to start to gather information, get data. And you have the data over the drama.

Student: Right. Yeah.

Sarah: And with that, also keeping in mind, is the data that’s coming in consistent? Does that data that’s coming in start to fall in line with, okay I’ve heard that, I’ve heard that from me, I’ve heard that from other people. Does some of the feedback that I’m getting make sense? And then let me get to work on that.

Student: I feel like feedback is always just all over the place. That’s why I’m so exasperated, you know?

Sarah: So then I think at that point it becomes, where do I go? Who do I trust? I’m gonna hang out there. And everything else is like, I can listen and take in if a note resonates. I can take it in and be like, okay, I can see what I can do about that. But in terms of—well, before we get into that, the win of that would be, I agree, I mean what I hear as a win, is you showing up to do it. Just being in the arena. It’s really easy to be critical of people when you’re sitting on the outside watching what everybody is doing. 

But when you’re in there, the only way you can win is to fail.

card reads "to achieve your little goals"

Why ambitious goal setting for actors is essential

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Let’s talk about goal setting for actors and getting unstuck for a minute.  I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about setting little goals (or SMART goals) that break your big goal down into manageable pieces and yes, I think this is super helpful.  And as important as it is to focus on the step by step, sometimes in order to get out of inertia it’s time to circle back to the big dream.

Sometimes in the day-to-day it can be hard to show up.  It’s too easy to let the time you had set aside for finding a new monologue turn into binge-watching time, or to stay cozy in bed instead of getting up early to get your voicework in before you go to work. That’s why it’s so important to regularly visualize and (re)connect to your BIG juicy goals that are clear, specific, and important to you.

It’s the WHY.  It’s those juicy goals that propel you forward when you get stuck because you’ll remember that every rehearsal you stick to, every play you read, and every extra minute you spend prepping for an audition is getting you one step closer. That’s why ambitious goal setting for actors is so important.

**Important note:  In the time since I worked with this student on goals, I read Atomic Habit by James Clear which talks about the power of “identity based habits” which is really powerful.  Essentially instead of simply setting the big result oriented goal, you would also go a step further and ask yourself what kind of person am I becoming and then take steps in service of that.  Highly recommend that book!

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Sarah: Yeah, none of these things actually take that long.

Student: No, it’s the inertia, though, to get yourself to do it. To go from zero to…

Sarah: It’s so much easier if you make yourself busy to stay on track.

Student: That’s the thing. This was a not good busy period, but the times when I’m busy doing things that even if I don’t like doing all of them, but I know that are progressing me somewhere…yeah.

Sarah: The reason I think the goals are important is it will help you show up every day because you’ve got a vision and an end in mind. Right, I’m working on a short term goal of getting x tapes so that I can do what, you know? So that I have my materials in place so I can get out on more auditions and get more opportunities. Staying connected to the vision of where you’re headed makes it easier to do all this stuff leading up to it because you’ve got a goal you’re headed for. It’s not just like, what am I doing all this for?

Student: Yeah.

Sarah: Right, this is all in service of a bigger plan.

card reads "what actors need more than talent"

Are you showing up for your talent?

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There’s a myth that gets thrown around when it comes to acting that you’ve surely encountered:  actors either have talent or they don’t.  I’d like to suggest a different dichotomy: actors either show up or they don’t.

How do you show up?  You take classes, read plays, sharpen your technique, do the work to break through the emotional blocks that stop you from being both your best self and a powerful actor.  An actor could be born with the most innate talent in the world, but if they don’t want to show up, they won’t be able to use that talent.  Focus on the aspects of your career you can control like the effort you put into it. Check out this clip from class on why showing up for your talent is more important than anything else.

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Sarah: It will get better. And of course, I think this is also worth saying because it’s true — yes, there are people who come to class or people who get cast in things that have an ability that is uncanny, right?  People who have these abilities who are born with these abilities — we can’t all totally understand.  And I also believe that those people still, like Stella Adler said, they need the talent for their talent, as we all do. 

But I’ve seen so many examples of people who came to class at the other end of the spectrum, and became so great at what they did because they showed up and did the work and did the work and did the work and did the work and did the work.  And it’s so — I’ve seen it with singers, as well. There’s a lovely actress I coached for years who does a lot of Broadway tours now.  And she started out with a good singing voice, and now she has an incredible singing voice. So I really believe in this work, and I know what is possible, and I do believe, and I know — that if you keep showing up and showing up and showing up and doing all the work to heal the inner stuff and doing the inner work that you’re also doing, to heal the emotional problems which prevent us from being the great artists we wanna be, if you keep showing up and doing that, you will be unstoppable.

title reads "Working together with the right representation"

Is it time to ditch your team? When to get a new agent

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The question in class was: how do I know if I should stick with my current representation or move on? I want to be loyal to my team but I’m not when to get a new agent… Check out the video to hear my answer.

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Sarah: So the question that came up in class was, I’ve been with this manager for five years and they’ve really hung in there with me and I’m growing a lot as an actor and I’m not sure if I should hang in there with this manager because I’m not getting any opportunities lately. What should I do because I do want to be loyal to this person, but I also really want to have a career.

And this is a really good question, and it’s not the first time this question has come up. The first thing I always say is, are you doing everything you can possibly be doing on your end to make this decision? Because actors don’t mean to do this, but there’s this internally held belief that when you get representation, that you’re just gonna show up to auditions and they’re gonna make this career happen to you. And I know you think of yourself as a hard-working actor who would never do that, but it can feel like they’re gonna give you your career. And so unless you are doing everything on your end, you can’t know if your manager is able to do their job well.

So, meaning: what’s the state of your Actors Access profile right now? Or whatever world, whatever casting profile you use, whether you are the one who electronically sends it yourself, are you giving your representation all the tools that they need to get you in the door?

You know, sometimes I’ll have an actor say, you know, I really wanna be auditioning for these kinds of roles, but I’m not getting anything like that. And we’ll go and we’ll look inside their profile, well, there’s nothing to indicate on that profile, there’s no headshot that looks like that, there’s no work sample clip to indicate that, so…your managers and your agents can only take you so far. So you’ve gotta get that profile in such great shape. So that’s step one, like are all my credits and special skills up there? Do I have the slate? Is it a solid slate? I think that actually bumps up, that actually puts you ahead in the queue of who’s gonna be seen first. How many, if your current reel doesn’t represent what you’re capable of, then do you have other samples of scenes that you’ve put on self-tape that are up there in Actors Access, short scenes that show what you can do, the kinds of roles you could book right now, that are totally in your wheelhouse.

This is something that, I would say, 97% of actors haven’t totally done. That their profiles could be better, and this is something that, so many of the actors that I’m working with are working on in class. So, if your profile is not in great shape, they don’t have the main tool they need to open those doors for you. So you haven’t given them what they need to do their job. The headshots, the samples, the resume.

In addition to that, what are you doing to make new connections? You know, some people really like casting workshops because they get to make relationships, sometimes it’s hard to make relationships in casting workshops, but sometimes you can, especially if you are going back and going back a few times and becoming known.

So there’s strategies, there’s things that you can be doing, you can set up a meeting with your reps and ask them, what do you need from me? What else can I give you? I just taped this, I’d love your feedback. Are there any gaps? What else do you—how do you see me? How do you want to be submitting me? Do you have all the clips you need? Do you have the headshots you need? Give them a shot. Otherwise, you can’t possibly know.

And if you really are working really hard and you’ve got all the clips, and everything’s in place, then maybe it’s time to have that conversation and reevaluate. I always think it’s a good idea to leave representation when it’s really not a fit. I have some stories…any time a rep is doing something shady, asking you to do something that you’re not comfortable with, that’s not a fit for the long term. So I think that’s really important. And also just to keep in mind, sometimes you’re not ready for representation. Honestly, it’ll be really frustrating for you and for them, if they get you the opportunities when you’re not ready, so work on your craft. That’s what I’d say.

Being Repeatable on Set

How do I keep continuity as an actor?

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Many actors feel intimidated on set, even if they have been around the block.  There’s a lot to think about and a lot to keep track of.  In this clip we discuss how to maintain continuity in your takes and the best way to use your rehearsal time.

Beyond these tips in the below clip, keep in mind that you are on that set for a reason. You’re there to do a job so respectfully own your space on set.  You’ll probably get limited rehearsal time, so use that time to make sure you’re ready to go. Ask the director clarifying questions if you need to and don’t be afraid to prepare how you need to prepare, even if the leads or other actors aren’t going full out.  Of course you’ll be respectful of the time, but don’t feel that you can’t get what you need.

When it comes to continuity, another element not discussed in this particular clip but which must be considered is emotional continuity.  Not only do your physical activities with blocking, props, etc. need to be repeatable — but your basic emotional arc should usually remain the same unless you have the green light to go a totally different direction.  Sometimes your best take won’t get used because it doesn’t cut together with the other shots.

While the director is always your main go-to, if you aren’t getting the support you need from the director and you have a very intense eating or prop or blocking scene, the script supervisor can be a great person to have in your corner.  Great script supervisors freaking blow me away.   I have been on sets where they’ve absolutely been the key to helping emerging actors keep track of everything so they can also focus on rediscovering their choices fresh every time and not become a robot.

This rediscovery of your choices is what we work on all the time in class so that you can repeat things and still keep it fresh.

Try filming yourself to practice continuity in your scene work so you are less thrown when you get to set!

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Student: When you’re worrying about continuity, but also trying to, you know, stay true to the moment, what is something that you’ve done to deal with that?  Because I know in my experiences playing with stuff like that, I’ve always found it difficult to do things that are very easily repeatable or something that’s not going to, if we have to go back, something that’s not going to be completely unrepeatable. Or like not repeat the same, you know, like not get stuck in the same performance over and over again while trying to keep continuity going.

Sarah: It depends on what—it’s a good question, and I think it really depends on what the action is that you’re doing. For simple things, it will be your responsibility when you first do some of your first wide shots, to repeat, like oh, this is where I was drinking the water, this is where I was…and so you want to think about that ahead of time. But if you have a really complicated scene, it’s’ a really good idea to make good friends with the script supervisor. Because that’s what they’re for. They are there for you for that. And they’ll help you, and so you can enroll them and say, hey I’m really trying to…and they will help you with that.

But I do think it’s one of the reasons why you can also figure out a lot of that stuff in the first blocking with the director and talk it out a little bit. Especially if it feels, it’s really, I think it’s really good to just say, I just want to make sure I don’t screw this up. But when you rehearse, a lot of actors get a little nervous on set, especially if they haven’t been on set a lot, and they’ll see other like, you know, if you’re on a show and you’ve got the other series regulars, I think what happens sometimes is you can get nervous and intimidated by regulars who’ve been on the show, and they come in and they do their rehearsal, and they’re like, they’ve barely memorized it yet, and they’re kind of half-assing they’re blocking, and they’re not acting in the rehearsal, and so then you can feel like, oh that’s kind of what I’m supposed to do. Like I’m not really supposed to act.

I really think it’s positive to take that time to really, that is your time, that might be your only rehearsal. So to ask all those questions of the director at that moment, to practice, like okay I’m cooking eggs, what am I doing to my partner and how can I use my action to help with that? And get every opportunity to rehearse that you can. And don’t be, don’t be…there’s, I mean there will literally be like series leads who will show up and barely know their lines and kind of fumble through it, but don’t be fooled. Because there’s plenty of other people who will not do that, and who will come up and school everybody. And they’re the ones who have the careers that you want.

card reads "how to tell stories on your own terms"

Empower yourself and create your own work

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Want to be a storyteller?  Tell stories.

You know this already but it bears repeating: producing your own work is not only a great way to get unstuck, re-inspired, and connected to your purpose as an actor, but can be a career launcher for some actors, too. 

Start small.  Go one step at a time.

And be sure you have extremely clear goals.  Don’t make a film simply because you need footage for your reel — make a film because you are lit up by a story that won’t stop nagging you.  (If you simply need footage, please talk to me before you start shooting stuff!)

Here’s what Filmsupply has to say about optioning material:

“Tracking down a relatively unknown author isn’t nearly as hard as it used to be. Self-promotion is just as essential to some writers as it is to filmmakers. So they ought to have some sort of website or platform with contact information listed. According to Rob, the most important thing to keep in mind is how you sell yourself and your vision in those initial conversations.

You want to build a personal connection with the author. The best move is to get them on the phone and say, ‘Look, I’d like to option your property. I don’t necessarily have a lot of money; but I’m super passionate, and I’m super excited about your vision, and I want to make sure your property gets set up the right way.

Speak to what excites you about their story. Be specific. Drive home the idea that you want to see their work treated with respect and consideration. After all, if the shoe were on the other foot, you wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t have genuine excitement for your work trying to turn your film into a book.”

CLASS CLIP TRANSCRIPTION

Sarah: Pay attention to the stuff that really inspires you, to the shows that inspire you, to the stories in the news that inspire you…to, you know, listen to news stories, podcasts. I listen to the Daily, which is the New York Times podcast, pretty regularly, and there was an incredible story about—kind of about drug cartels, but not really—and I just thought, that would be an incredible story to tell.  You know, you can option, you can option (the rights to) these stories, and what that means is essentially you pay—and it doesn’t always have to cost a lot of money—but as a producer you option the rights to that (author’s) story.  And then you can team up with people and have a writer write it if you’re not a writer, and write yourself a role. And then become a producer and start putting people together that are really good at those things, simply by being inspired by the story. You know, by reading a novel and thinking, “oh my God this would be an incredible film,” I’m going to option the rights to this novel and work with a screenwriter to adapt it and get it made and put a team of people together and get the funding and make it!

Sam: I didn’t…that’s really cool.

Sarah: And that’s possible! That is 100% possible and in the world of possibilities. Whether or not you get to go make a studio version of it, you know, maybe not, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get it made and tell the stories that you want to tell.

Sam: Yeah. I like that. That’s really cool.

Sarah: There’s a lot of ways to empower yourself.