15 Things Every Actor Better Know Or You Won’t Be An Actor Long & #14 is a Must for Us!

My first love is acting, but I am now a Producer/Director. Coming from that lens, here are my 15 things an ACTOR should know.

 1. Put in for roles that you actually match. Doing the “buckshot” approach of auditions not only is a waste of your time, but also the producer’s and puts a bad taste in their mouths. They may find they remember your name for all the wrong reasons. Sean Pratt, a DC area actor/coach (www.seanprattpresents.com), calls this your “essence”. This is knowing who you naturally are. Knowing you will always be cast as the biker gang member and never the cop is good to know. It doesn’t narrow you, it streamlines you. I’m doing that in my head anyway, perhaps you should help me come to the right conclusion.

2. Have a professional looking headshot. I was “sold” a bill of goods when I was primarily an actor, thinking I needed to have a high-end headshot by a certain photographer – and I wasted a lot of money on getting headshots that I still have a few boxes of. You don’t need such a high-end headshot, but it does need to 1) look like you now, and 2) be professional enough. I’ve seen people send me shots with long hair and when I speak to them, they have short hair – not good. I also don’t want to go down the road of what is “professional enough” – I just mean it should not be a small black and white printed picture taped to a resume. It should appear you put some effort into it, and there is a standard size, 8”x10”. The reality is a producer/director is “looking” for someone. And this is where it’s not personal. You will either strike them or not. Being able to act is actually assumed. They make up their minds in split second decisions of who they see in their mind’s eye. PS. Resumes are only skimmed.

3. Know your craft. If acting is assumed (see #4), then you better ensure you meet their expectations in skill. You are there at the audition because they can at least potentially see you as that character – now is the time for you to show them that you are that character. It’s usually the little things that stay with me, as a casting producer. And let’s face it – if you are just not an actor, wouldn’t you want to stop the madness. Just because you’re not actor doesn’t mean you’re not a filmmaker – there are so many other positions to fill! That said, be all in, go for it in the audition – be remembered.

4. Be unique! Joaquin Phoenix has a great career even though he has a big scar on his face that he doesn’t hide. It gives his characters more depth and uniqueness. He is a leading man, but he is also unique. When young Daniel Radcliffe walked into the audition for Harry Potter – they knew right then and there that he was Harry Potter. No audition had even taken place – he had the right look, the essence. What you may see as a weakness can be turned into uniqueness if putting in for the right role! So your weight, your height, the fact you look young or you can play “the nerd” – great! Use this to allow the director to come to the right conclusion; that you are unique and are the person the director is looking for. I have seen headshots that look like “the cop” or “the mobster” or “the cowboy”…I like these, I know they are not the norm, but they really allow me to see who this person can be.

5. Autopilot. On most indie sets, everyone is running around like mad. Show up on time and be ready to roll, but also be a bit on autopilot. You know you’ll need 1) Wardrobe and 2) Make-up/Hair. 1) a chair. Trust me, you think you can stand around but it’s a long day and as excited as you are to get the part – your feet will thank me. 2) Bring a water bottle. Everyone appreciates being financially responsible. Instead of taking a ton of bottled waters and leaving yet another half drank one around, coming with your own water bottle is a good thing. 3) Bring a book/magazine. Or certainly continue to go over your lines. Film is a lot of hurry up and wait, and many times you’ll find yourself in a green room away from the action.

6. Be professional & offer no drama! Show up on time with reliable transportation. Ask  where the PM is and go check-in, everyone appreciates initiative. FYI, if you have a 2nd AD on set, they will need to know where you are at, at all times. Yes, even if you make a head call. When the director calls for you, it’s the 2nd AD’s responsibility to know where you are. If you are asked to bring your own wardrobe, have a few options (obviously no logos or crazy patterns). Be ready to rock and roll. I know some method actors, and they do what they need to do prior to me asking if they are ready. When I call them – they are on point and I can see it. https://youtu.be/Qu3xxq5F3Gw 

7. Know your lines, I mean it. I’m surprised how many actors show up and don’t just flub lines, but don’t know them. You can’t just wing it. We all botch it from time to time, but be prepared. Set yourself up for success.

8. Go for it early! Trust me – everyone is hoping we each will bring our “A-game”. Acting can be a bit silly, but if each one of us does it, suddenly you find yourself transported to another time and place. We all want to be “there”. I have found the actors will either pull another actor up or pull them down, based upon energy, not just ability. If you need to tone it down, that is the director’s job to let you know. But if you don’t go for it, the director will never know how high you can go.

9. Don’t direct. I have a rule – give me exactly as the script was written and then on the next take, if it feels right, feel free to go off script a bit to deliver what you feel the character is giving. You definitely should not be chiming in on other performances – stick to your own performance. They have cast you for a reason, so if you feel a word is tripping you up or your character would not say something – ensure you bring this up to the director prior to being on set. Own the character as they are entrusting you with them. Also, if you botch it – don’t quit/call cut on yourself. You may yet still have a performance, but if you give up/quit – the director has nothing and now you truly have wasted time and money.

10. Be ready to go again. I have seen actors give 110% on a Master shot and then are dead by the time they get to their close up. If the director needs it again, bring it – pace yourself. Communicate with the director if need be, but telling me you cannot do another take is not an option. I get it, crying is hard, but you must trust the director – they will want to do this in as few takes as possible, but they also must capture the magic.

11. Rehearse when & as often as you can. So long as the cameras are not rolling, get with your fellow actors and go over the scene as much as each other needs. Or slide off to a “greenroom” and ensure you all are solid and ready to roll. When I am acting, I love to run lines all the way up to shooting and even between takes.

12. Stand in. Even though someone is acting to another off screen, stand in for the other actor even if it is not your part and give them the energy they need to lift their performance.

13. When in doubt – ask. Many times between takes it’s about some other thing so everyone is running around fixing lights or sound or getting a new angle and many times the actors are left to wonder, “at what point are we picking this up?” – trust me, the director means to keep you in the loop, but it’s going to happen, so just before you begin – raise a hand and ask to ensure everyone is on the same page. The director will likely laugh and thank you and explain the vision of what is about to happen.

14. Don’t talk crap on set. Trust me – it ALWAYS ends up getting back to  the producers. I’m surprised about how many times people do this. It’s just plain unprofessional – just don’t do it, because if you do you won’t be invited back. Negative Nellies will always find an ally  onto set, don’t feed into it.

15. Follow through! Producers don’t want to keep auditioning new faces, make yourself someone they want to work with again. Once they find an actor they like, many times they will stick with them – just look at Tarantino films. One of the things I have found that goes a long way, is helping market the film once it’s ready to be released. I’m always surprised about actors that just “do their job” and I never hear from them again. That is not the kind of relationship indies are looking for. In fact I have seen this ask starting to show up in contracts. It’s your work too, support it on social media, spread the word. It’s also a value add for an Indie, and good practice for when you’re on a bigger film and asked to do some publicity. Be the actor that is excited about a project and eager to let others know of it.

These are things that are good to  know, some of it seems like common sense, but it’s good to keep in mind. I also hope I get to see you audition for one of our projects over at Film Programhttps://www.theforgestudios.com/#!film-program/c1ijc OR join our Newsletter to stay in the know! Please do check out our Filmmaking Resources page for further links to filmmaking stuff.

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