Five Mistakes Actors Make That Stop Them Getting Work

Getting work as an actor is hard. With long periods of unemployment and vast competition. This was the main reason I wrote my book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming An Actorpreneur. The odds are not good but you can tip them in your favour. You can make your own work, work on your skills, get your name out there. They say success is opportunity meets preparation. So here are my top five tips to make sure you are prepared and stop making the mistakes that stop you having the best career you can. Here are five mistakes actors make in their career that stop them being successful.

 

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book become How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur

Arrogance

Far too many actors are arrogant. Especially just after they have left drama school. Thinking you are the best actor that ever walked the earth is not going to convince anyone else to hire you. No one likes arrogance. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Be humble and modest. The traits that make a good human being also make a good actor.

 

Marketing Yourself Wrong

Yes, you are an artist but you are also a product. You have to brand yourself correctly so people know what you are ‘selling’. If you are Irish and want to market yourself as an Irish actor you must be prepared for only getting Irish roles. People will try to put you into a box but you can do yourself a favour by making yourself versatile. If you don’t want to be known as a certain type of actor, (like Australian, Irish, etc) don’t market yourself that way. Play up to your strengths and downplay what will limit you getting mainstream work.

You must also update your head shots, CV and showreel at least yearly. Don’t forget to update the various online acting sites you may be on every time you get a job.

 

Not Continuously Working On Your Skills

Actors can go months, and even years without working. If you do not work on your skills when unemployed not only will you be rusty when it comes to audition and getting work, but you will also not be as confident. Your CV will also be lacking. You are a business, invest in yourself. Even if it is getting a camera and making some short films with friends.

 

Thinking The World Owes You a Living

You are not special. You do not deserve to be a super-successful world famous actor. The world does not owe you anything. A sense of entitlement is not going to do you any favours. This was the main piece of advice American casting director Daryl Eisenberg gave me for my book on becoming a successful actor. Don’t think you are better than anyone else.

 

Being a Jerk

No one wants to work with horrible people. The film industry is tiny, as is the theatre and TV industry. If you are rude, horrible and difficult to work with then you will have a pretty short career. Be nice. Manners cost nothing.

 

Catherine Balavage is an actor and writer with over ten years of experience in the industry. Her book, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, came out in June this year. She also co-directed and wrote her own feature-length film, Prose & Cons, which will be out later this year.

 

 

Frost’s Editor Catherine Balavage Writes How To Be A Successful Actor Book

Frost’s Editor, Catherine Balavage, has written a book on How To Be A Successful Actor. It is called How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It has gotten as high as number 5 on the Kindle charts under Stage & Theatre. It will also be released on paperback and Smashwords soon. Handpicked Future did a great piece on it and Catherine was on the front page of the Entertainment section in The Huffington Post with her Actors Who Make Their Own Work article. You can also read an article by Catherine written on her own blog.

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book_cover The book is available here for UK readers and here for US readers. It is also available worldwide.

Cover art by Steve McAleavy

 

 

Innovative Films Raising Funds: Alpha

A_poster_ENFrost Magazine is doing a long-running series on innovative movies which are raising funds or about to be released. We love film at Frost Magazine. In fact quite a few of us work in the film industry as actors, producers and writers. (Myself included. I have been an actor for years, and have also written scripts and started a film production company with Steve McAleavy. Our first full-length film, Prose & Cons is currently being edited) We want to support other filmmakers out there. Making films is hard and getting them seen is just as hard. We hope you like some of the films we showcase enough to invest in them and/or watch them. Thank you.

Alpha

A is much more than a feature film, it is inspired by the ancient myth of Antigone and has a totally different approach to filmmaking as a whole.

SYNOPSIS

A woman -Alpha- is forced to sit and watch her hanged brother rot in the middle of a burned forest, until the authorities decide that she has been punished enough. She will find the strength not only to rebel against this unjust order but also to confront her brother when they meet in the afterlife.

Alpha is a movie inspired by the ancient myth of Antigone and talks about what we are all witnessing and experiencing as consequences of the so-called “crisis”.

We are using an old story, not to reiterate the past, but to explain the present and take a glimpse of the future.

With this film, we want to make our voice heard not only as artists but as active citizens, and share how we are experiencing the “crisis”.

And not only do we want to, but we have to, because this is our duty as active participants in the society we are leaving in.

HOW WE FUND THIS MOVIE

The way we cover our budget (196,000€) is as follows:

The main artistic team (Screenwriter, Director, Photographer, Production Designer, Composer, Actors) and the communication team, capitalise our work.

Our co-producers, Imagina Pictures, provide all the necessary editing and post-production equipment and facilities, for both image and sound.

Imagina Pictures also provides the camera and related shooting equipment.

All of the above constitute 40% of the budget (69,000€). To help fund Alpha go here.

What is left for us to cover :

The crew fees

The catering

Special equipment (steadicam, crane, hexacopter)

3D animation & visual effects

The above constitute another 40% of the budget (70,000€).

We cover this part with private sponsorships.

The remaining 20% (57,000€) is the Production Design cost.

This is an essential part of the movie because the aesthetics of the image need to be treated with great care.

This is the part we want to cover with crowd-funding.

This is the part in which you are actually contributing to the final look of the picture.

This is the part in which we are asking for your help.

We hope you will become our fellow traveler during this difficult but exciting journey.

WHAT IS THE MYTH ABOUT?

Antigone is the daughter of King Oedipus.

King Creon, who is now the ruler of Thebes, demands that the body of her dead brother Polynices be left unburied and eaten by predators. Whoever does not comply with his orders, will face immediate execution. Antigone will defy this unjust order and bury her dead brother, thus losing her life, but coming to terms with her feelings and her inner sense of justice, regardless what the Authority says.

There is no need to point out the relevance of the myth of Antigone with the current political and socio-economic status quo. In this new world order governed by numbers and economic indicators, an invisible King Creon has not only invaded our lives, but is gaining power day by day. Few dream of taking an active stand against him, while most of us conform to his irrational and inhuman demands.

New Film From The Makers of Prose & Con

Filmmakers Catherine Balavage and Steve McAleavy.

The filmmakers behind Prose & Cons, a black comedy about poetry, alcoholism and plagiarism, have started an ambitious new project: The Descending of Fate.

The script is written by Catherine Balavage who also co-wrote Prose & Cons. It will be produced, directed and edited by Catherine and filmmaking partner Steve McAleavy.

The film is about a 10-year-old boy who kills his best friend. Was it an accident? Can people be rehabilitated? Can forgiveness every be given, to yourself and others? And is it right that someone should be blamed for the worst thing they have done for the rest of their life?

A dark drama about criminal responsibility and healing. Will life ever be the same again?

[disclaimer: Catherine Balavage writes for this magazine]

Jack Bowman On Directing Stephen Fry and the Wireless Theatre Company.

from left to right: Jack Bowman, Stephen Fry, Sue Casanove, Nick Lucas, Adam Hall, Mariele Runacre Temple.

Jack Bowman, actor (he plays Jamie in my film Prose & Cons), director, writer and all-round brilliant guy recently directed Stephen Fry. He was then lovely enough to give Frost Magazine the low-down;

What was it like directing Stephen Fry?

An enormous honour and incredibly exciting! No, really, even my dad was impressed, which doesn’t happen that often…! One of the most amazing things about Wireless Theatre is how willing Mariele Runacre Temple – the artistic director – is to give good, new talent a chance. It was a combination of her trust in me and pure luck which meant this project AND Stephen’s involvement in it happened to be the one that ended up on my slate as a director. When Mariele forwarded me the email, I couldn’t believe it, honestly, I just couldn’t. And what’s lovely is, this isn’t a one-off – it’s happened to other directors as well; it’s a massive testament to the quality of the work in attracting the best talent and ethos of what Mariele instills in Wireless Theatre from the top down.

Were you nervous?

I don’t think I ever was – though once the initial excitement passed, however, there was more a nervous concern that something might occur which meant it wouldn’t happen. He’s got QI, he’s been filming the Hobbit, hosting the BAFTAs, writing a new book, Tweeting constantly, he’s about to appear at the Globe… and so on. He makes the hardest-working people look lazy. He has such amazing energy and work ethic. But would something happen? Would something else come up? And yet, it all came to pass with the exact timing, as scheduled, some four months previously by his brilliant reps. Who knows what they are doing, to the hour four, months from now? That’s a man who has a brilliant agent and keeps a perfect diary. Wonderful.

Was it intimidating?

It could have been, as the man is a national treasure. However, I know a few people who have worked with him before and assured me I had nothing to worry about, that he was a lovely man and a true gent – And no-one gets to be a national treasure unless they are anything but wonderful as a person. And he was! Ultimately, thanks to the experience I’ve gained from Mariele and working with her and at Wireless, I know how to direct my actors and what she expects from them. Also, the quality of the new writing means we’re always able to offer great scripts to great actors, known or unknown. Once you have the experience of having met and worked with 160+ actors, passionate about what they do, passionate about Wireless, and often wanting to return time and time again, you quickly realise that there’s no difference between a ‘name’ and anyone else. We work so hard to look after our various casts, and it pays off. Everyone, barring Stephen, in the session was returning cast, so that made things easier, each was playing a returning character, and I’ve all worked with them elsewhere. I know what Adam Hall, Nick Lucas and Sue Casanove can do and trusted them all. It’s another fun day with good, talented friends.

And then, suddenly, you realise that five years of Wireless have gone by, now Stephen Fry is in the studio coming along to play too. Yet you never feel worried or intimidated in any way. He’s another addition to what’s been a very happy, transitory and ever-growing, professional family.

What I have to do – as part of that family at that particular time as a director – is to serve the script by getting the best out of the cast. If you approach and support any actor with that attitude, that sense of play, then you have nothing to fear from anyone. With that in mind, just before we began recording, I simply asked Stephen if he had any ideas on how he wanted to approach his opening scene, and he simply said, “no, I’ll do it and you tell me what you’d like.” And that’s how it worked – he’d do a blissfully wonderful take, and once he hit his stride, I’d give him the freedom to play around some more. There’s one scene that I wish I could tell you more about, but in it Stephen started ad-libbing and we were all in hysterics. The words, “oh God,” have never made me laugh so much…

How did you get him to do your project?

Right at the very, very start, when Mariele Runacre Temple first launched the Wireless Theatre Company five years ago, she started to write a list of people to approach – and Stephen was the very first person she asked to be involved, given his love of the spoken word. However, he’s an incredibly busy man, and despite a lot of support from his agent, we began to wonder if it would ever happen.

Then Sue Casanove revealed she had an idea for a sequel for her audio comedy, We Are Not The BBC, which I directed last year. The central gag of We Are Not The BBC features Christopher Timothy, of All Creatures Great And Small and Doctors, sending himself up. So, I asked Sue who she was thinking of in that sort of role for the next installment and she said, “Stephen Fry.” Knowing it had been tough until now, I thought, “it’s going to be tough, but if Sue’s script lives up to the quality of the first one, we might just stand a chance here you know…” We had a meeting in London, she knocked some ideas back and forth and off she went, back to Wales.

A few months later, the script arrived and I was blown away. Sue had knocked it out of the park – I couldn’t put it down. I text her straight away, saying, “if the first one was A New Hope, this is your The Empire Strikes Back.” By that, I mean, this wasn’t as good as the first one, which was great, it was better, absolutely better than what had come before. It was so, so clever; darker, smarter, more ambitious. She’d told me where it might head, yet I didn’t see this coming. Having evolved from what she’d told me, beyond what I imagined, it gripped me from start to finish.

And I let Mariele know that maybe, just maybe, this might be the one Stephen might say yes too. Mariele dispatched it to his agent, we waited nervously and then, some months later came the message, out of the blue – Stephen loves the script. He’s free for one hour, June 6th, it’s in his diary.

Were you a fan prior to the recording?

Oh gosh yes! Who isn’t? Yes, I grew up with him from the days of Blackadder as a child. However it’s been wonderful to watch him have such an amazing career since – A Bit Of Fry And Laurie, Me And My Girl, Wilde, Bright Young Things, QI… The funny thing though, my favourite Stephen Fry memory is not one most people may even remember, but it’s the time he affected me the most deeply. He was presenting the BAFTA Film Awards that followed 9/11, and in his final speech of the evening, he spoke from the heart and talked about the need for film to spread hope and love across the world, as it would enrage the heart of anyone who struck out in anger in the way we’d seen on that terrible day. There’s so much to love that man for, and his work, yet that for me is the pinnacle.

Tell us about the project.

It’s called We Are The BBC, and is a sequel to We Are Not The BBC, which saw a Welsh Am-Dram group try to record a BBC-style audio play while the politics and egos threaten to topple the production, not to mention confuse poor Christopher Timothy. A lot. We Are The BBC picks some time later, when Stephen, playing himself, wins a BAFTA for his performance in a script by a promising new celebrity writer who used to belong to the same Ad-Dram group. However, it’s quickly clear that all is not as it seems and Stephen finds himself at the centre of the intrigue as things start to unravel…

And, touch wood, we’ll have another name joining the project next week too… But I can’t say anything yet.

How long did it take?

Wireless works exceptionally fast and Mariele always runs a slick studio – something that often surprises anyone new to Wireless! We had a professional cast and crew and Stephen’s exceptionally good at what he does; just as well, because we were allowed one hour of his time! Even with several retakes, we were able to get Stephen’s material all down in 40 minutes. Not only did he respond wonderfully to direction, he did that rare thing and with each note; he’d elevate it into something even better. Combine that with the well-oiled Wireless machine, and it was job done – which was just as well as he was straight off to record QI that afternoon after finishing with us. What’s even more extraordinary was on arriving, he apologised, revealing that he was suffering from flu symptoms. Yet he still turns in a barn-storming performance. When you see that happen first-hand, you realise why he’s as loved and respected as he is.

Do you think Stephen will stay in contact?

I hope so! At the very least, I’d love him to follow Wireless, Sue and myself on Twitter -@wirelesstheatre, @suecasanove and @realjackbowman, in case he reads this! At best, we’d love him to come back sometime in the future and work with Wireless again, even if it means we have to find an hour of our time five years from now. It was an amazing pleasure!

Who else do you want to work with?

ooh, well… On my list as a director… Michael Sheen, David Suchet, David Tennant, Sir Derek Jacobi, John Simm, Adrian Lester, Dame Judi Dench, Tom Hollander, Simon Russell-Beale, Samantha Bond, Imelda Staunton, Paterson Joseph, Joanna Lumley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Firth, Bill Nighy, Keeley Hawes, Patrick Stewart, Idris Elba… Also, one day, I’d love to direct or act alongside or write for Sophie Aldred. I can 100% tell you I would not be here today if it wasn’t for her inspiring me into acting, and would love to repay her until the end of time.

I know Mariele would love to work with Rik Mayall, who’s amazing. Again, who remembers his 90’s anthology series, Rik Mayall Presents? Three specials, and two of them broke your heart…

The thing to strive for, though, is that even if I’d love to work with X, the questions always have to be, “are they right for the role,” “does casting them serve the story?” There’s no point in shoe-horning in X for the sake of it, because then you don’t do the script any favours, the cast any favours and your reputation any favours. The right actor gets offered the role because they’re right for the part. Simple as. It’s tough, as recently two real heroes of mine have recently turned down the chance to work with Wireless on our acclaimed Springheel series. They were perfect fits for the material and you see that rare thing of a dream part for one of your dream actors, hope for the best, cross your fingers, ride your luck… and it doesn’t quite happen, often because of scheduling. However, you just have to say, ‘it’s always for a reason, and you have to remember that’, and when you look back on what happened, rather than what could have been, it always worked out for the best. I cannot wait for what Wireless Theatre and Mariele ends up sending my way next time.

We Are The BBC, starring Adam Hall, Andrew MacBean, Sue Casanove, Nick Lucas and Stephen Fry will be available to download from www.wirelesstheatrecompany.co.uk later in 2012.

It is written by Sue Casanove, directed by Jack Bowman and produced by Mariele Runacre Temple for the Wireless Theatre Company.

109 Scenes, 14 Locations, 17 Actors.

I am finally making a feature film. Since I got my first camera when I was 14 I reckon I am slacking a bit. We have 109 Scenes, 14 Locations and 17 actors so far. It is a mammoth task which started today. We had a brilliant days filming and got quite a few scenes.


Prose & Cons came about when Richard Wright saw me tweet that I wanted to make a film with strong female characters. He handed me a 39 page script that he had written and told me to write the rest. I did. Richard was initially the director of Prose & Cons but we had some artistic differences and he has now left, proving that people can have artistic differences and remain friends afterwards. Richard is now a brilliant comedian making his way around the London circuit.

I am now directing the film with Steve McAleavy. Steve was originally the producer and DOP but his passion made it impossible for him to not direct with me. Steve is still DOP and producer.

Just before I wrote this I worked out the schedule for the film. Sorted out what scenes were filmed, what actors were needed and what props were needed. It is using all of the skills I have acquired during my decade long career.

I also cast the film. Needless to say it is a labour of love and a passion project. I have been turning down work and putting my time and effort into this film and so has Steve. We want to make the best film possible.

We previously did a night shoot in Hayes FM with the lovely Becky Talbot. We have a great cast, the best equipment and, finger’s crossed, it should all go well.

I will keep blogging about the making of the film. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.

Is The Film Industry Sexist?

Is the film industry sexist? It is a broad question, and unfair to label everyone with the same tag. I think the answer is; less so. I think, more specifically, some people in the industry are sexist.

I recently had lunch with a director that had cast a female friend in something. My female friend has three children. The director offered me her part, and all the future work he was going to give her as ‘she could not be totally committed to her work’ as she had children. I was appalled and turned him down. What if I have children soon? I couldn’t work with him after that. The irony is that the director has FIVE children. But no one ever asks a man how he juggles work and kids.

Most of the castings I see are for men, the rest are for women, usually between 18-35, size 8-12 and the part usually requires nudity. I don’t do nudity. The most depressing thing about the movies I see are the amount of naked females in them. Rarely any naked men. What kind of message is this? That women are sexual objects?

Some castings require you to wear a bikini or ask that actresses are a specific weight. Age discrimination is rife, so much so that an actress who was the same age as me when we started out is now four years younger. I won’t lie about my age although I have been told to. It’s a stance against idiocy. I am still young, but I am cast younger. This is a problem. They can cast someone who looks like a teenager, or an actual teenager.

I am making a film, Prose & Cons. I am buying equipment and have been asking for a lot of advice. The most annoying thing about making the film so far is how condescending some of the men are in their answers. If I ask a general question on where to buy a microphone I get a lecture on what a boom is. I have worked in the film industry for eleven years. I know what a boom is, thanks mate.

But this is what happens when a ‘girl’ makes a film, or wants to be taken seriously. When she gets sick of the girlfriend roles, which become the mother roles and go on to be the hag roles. And the constant requests for nudity.

She says I have had enough and I am not taking it anymore, then she goes off and makes her own films while finding other amazing people who make films she wants to be in.

Prose & Cons Casting and Update

Prose & Cons update….

So, we are on IMDB! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2014324/ We are really excited now. We are tweaking the script, casting actors, getting ready for a funding blitz. )If you would like to become a producer contact us at frostmagazine@gmail.com)

Lots of people have asked me about casting, and hundreds of people have already applied. I have put a few of the characters we are casting below, but there is more. Feel free to apply, and if you are a filmmaker or actor who has something worthy of being in our film section then email frostmagazine@gmail.com.

The film has no funding at the moment so it is completely a collaboration. No one is getting paid anything, however, if we get funding; you will be paid. I know its annoying but Richard and I are not rich so we can’t fund our own projects.

Thank you!

Company: Run Pictures Film Company

Production Name: Prose and Cons

Production Type: Film (Feature)

Location: London

Salary: Pay depends on whether we get funding!

Production Details: We are doing a feature film, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2014324/ It will be entered into festivals. We are trying to get funding but if we don’t we will be making it for no money, no one will be paid, we have cameras and location, etc, all for free.

We understand if this is not for you, but please realise that if we don get funding, it is not just the actors not getting paid.

Paula: female, artistic, good at writing poetry, agoraphobic, anti-social, melancholic, slightly unstable, has to be okay with not showering everyday and looking a bit dishevelled. We are flexible on age. Gender; female Min Age 29 Max Age 40

Spud: Sarah’s best friend: Description25-35, must be able to drive a car. No exceptions.

Spud (not her real name, she loves potatoes) is a screenwriter about to make it big and go to Hollywood. She is best friends with Sarah. Spud has an on/off thing with Jamie.

Jamie: Male, 25-39, eccentric, slightly dim but warm and loving. Terminally unemployed. Loves Spud.

Two Dog Walker: We need two dog walkers with good comedy reactions for one day filming. Any gender.

Sarah’s Publisher; any gender. 35-45. Literary agent. A little heartless.

George White; Male, 45-55, TV presenter, think Philip Scofield but arrogant. Or any American TV anchor.

Anna Whiteman ; 25-35, Female. TV Anchor/presenter. Presents own TV show with Matt. 25-35.

We have more roles to cast but that’s it for now.