Written by Alexia Robinson

Okay, I know most of you have been going out for auditions. Some of you have booked, others have gotten very close to booking and some have not gotten out at all.

Let’s discuss this.

ACTORS WHO HAVE BOOKED

First of all congratulations! Now it’s time for the table read perhaps, depending on the show. Just a word on table reads (when the producers, directors, casting directors meet and read over the script with all of the characters together), ‘Give it your all.’ Common error is that actors can sometimes get comfortable after booking the role.  In my opinion, actors should not get comfortable until they see their work on the screen. I’ve been fired after a table read and I’ve been edited out before that project was released (thankfully, that only happened once). Okay, GROWING PAINS!  I learned the hard way and I’m actually pretty happy about it, because having that experience allows me to educate actors first hand.

BEFORE THE SHOOT

It is crucial to work with your private coach to make sure everything is still in place since your audition.  You will also find ‘moments’ to go deeper with the great choices that helped to get you the job in the first place.  Yes, I’m talking about multiple coaching sessions! Most actors do one coaching session, book the job, and that’s it! Others do multiple coaching sessions for that one role and do ‘Brilliant Work!’

Also, know that once a Pilot gets picked up, the the producers need to decide which actors they want to keep! So, make sure you do everything in your power to ‘Give it your all without being fearful.’

ON THE DAY(S) OF THE SHOOT

1.)  Please be prompt and prepared.

2.)  Check in with the 2nd A.D. (Assistant Director) to let them know you have arrived.

3.)  Having your own trailer is nice, but get out and mingle. Being an excellent actor is one thing, but being an excellent actor who knows other industry professionals is even better.

4.)  Listen and do what the director is asking you to do regarding your work.  Remember that we as actors don’t run the show.  Sometimes it’s tough thinking that directors and producers can have so much power.  They know their show and what is needed to get it picked up. One of my favorite tips is to ’Be Nice To Everyone.’ I have to constantly remind myself of that one too.:-) We never know who we are talking to while on the set. We might have been ‘not so nice’ to the makeup artist.  That makeup artist might be the director’s wife!

ACTORS WHO HAVE GOTTEN VERY CLOSE TO BOOKING THE JOB

It is hard not to take it personally, but it really is not personal to CD’s and producers as to who gets the BOOKING.  If you’ve gotten that close to booking, that says, you’re pretty special and your time will come! I know it can be frustrating, but this is the business you’ve chosen. That goes with the territory.

It is a business for them, so they must do what is best for their business. Maybe you are too tall, too short, too dark, too light or whatever!  You get the point. You might have been the best actor talent wise, but someone else might have been really, really good too, but they were a better fit with the other characters that had already been cast. 

To deal with the possible frustration, you almost have to be like a soldier. You must be able to let an audition roll off your back.  You have to be able to UNDERSTAND fully that there is nothing wrong with you. You have to have PATIENCE and STRENGTH beyond what is normal for most people. 

FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS TO GIVE YOU BALANCE

Focusing on areas other than ‘Acting’ gives you balance in ‘Life.’ An example would be if you like to sew, then create some time to sew, if you like to go to the beach, then go to the beach. You get my point.

LIVE YOU’RE LIFE! At the end of the day, this is a profession. This does not dictate who you are as an individual.  This will take a load off of you and you will find yourself booking more jobs.

NO PILOT AUDITIONS YET …

Mmmnnn, this could be anything. 

Do you have an agent or manager? If so, have you provided them with the tools they asked for?

Do you have enough credits to be seen for pilots?

Typically the more guest star roles you have on your resume, the better.

You can still however get in for pilot auditions with aggressive representation, but it is usually more difficult for your reps.

Do they have the connections to get you in the bigger doors based on their reputation?

Some reps encourage communication (briefly) with their clients. If yours does, see if there is somethingyou can do differently. Just remember to take a look at yourself first to see what you can do differently versus what I call the Blame Game.

That last comment may seem slightly  rough to some people, but you guys need someone to be honest and direct with you.  Most people appreciate that. If you guys need more information on this section, just email me with your specific questions at Alexia@AlexiaRobinsonStudio.com.

Still time left to BOOK! Pilot Season is still going strong!

Blessings, Peace, and Prosperity!!!

Alexia

1.) RECOGNIZE SYMPTOMS: When we fear success, we procrastinate, we talk ideas to death instead of doing them, and we never quite finish a project. We read every book on the topic but do not implement or execute the required actions.

You have already succeeded once, you are an expert, you know what to do, how to do it and you have excelled in the (near or far) past. Still you hesitate to put in the next set of actions.

When you become aware that thoughts such as these exist in the subconscious mind, take the following precautions since the fear of success has started to sabotage your efforts.

2.)  EXAMINE WHY: Confront your fears, speak to them, give them a face and the death of fear is sure. Make a list of your fears. Here are a few; pick and choose from these or add your own. Enjoy the mixture.

Let us examine a few of the common fears of success:
(a) You fear the changes in your lifestyle that will accompany your success: the loss of privacy, the decrease in time for your loved ones, the need to travel a lot, meet new people, be more on the move.

(b) You fear that the time demands from your profession or business life will increase out of proportion; you fear that your body and health will not permit you to sustain success that you achieve. You fear that the wealth, which accompanies success, will spoil your character or that of your children.

(c) You fear that if you succeed once, your friends and customers will expect you to succeed more often; people will increasingly expect more of you; when the bar is constantly raised, you fear that at some point in the future you will fail to deliver the goods.

(d) You fear that success will turn your present friends away from you; you fear being surrounded by sycophants and shallow friends who will ride with you along the success wave and abandon you when the going gets rough.

(e) You fear that some acquaintances will envy you, back-bite about you; you fear that you will make enemies, that some people will wish you ill, that they will be malicious enough to plan your downfall; you fear their black anger at your success.

(f) You fear breaking the barriers and boundaries of stereotypes. The fact that men dominate the boardrooms and upper echelons of business world keeps back many women from attempting to work towards success.

(g) You Fear that your accomplishments can self-destruct at anytime. You fear that too much success will make the gods angry with you and that you will lose in some other arena of life.

Which of the above describes your fears? You MUST identify these fears and control them or offset fears with positive feelings and thoughts. When you give in to such fears and listen and believe in the case studies of people who have successfully ‘failed’, then you will become your own worst enemy.

3.)  SERVE OTHERS with no thought of recognition or reward. Service to others takes the focus away from our own fears and turns the spotlight onto others’ needs, issues and troubles. Our insecurities, fears and doubts will melt away the moment we see the smile(s) of relief when we share our solutions, time and expertise with others.

 4.)  RE-EVALUATE YOURSELF Periodic self-appraisals of your achievements and accomplishments with honesty should be a habit. You can make excuses or you can make money and create true success: you choose which you want.
(a) Work from within and not without. Change your thoughts to change your emotions and this will change your results. What your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. When the student is ready, the success will appear.
(b) Surround yourself with good, honest friends who will call a spade a spade and help you put a proper perspective on your achievements, accomplishments and successes.
(c) Focus on your creating plans to improve your strengths. Plan to spend 80% time on your strengths and a mere 20% on your weaknesses.
(d) Develop skills in your weak areas just enough to get by, to ‘pass’. Focus on identifying people on your support team who can strengthen your weaknesses.

 5.)  CELEBRATE and record your triumphs, reward and reinforce yourself for the hard work, effort and sacrifices you’ve made to achieve the success. Include your team, your customers, the people you served in your celebrations. Request them for references, word of mouth services for more chances and opportunities to serve many more people.

- Article from eHow.com