Time to Transition

Hello Working Actor wisdom visitor! It's been a long time since my last post, and that's because I've been fortunate to have steady acting work. However, it also means I haven't been able to give Working Actor Wisdom the time and attention it deserves.

For that reason, I'm no longer accepting new coaching clients, and am shuttering several parts of the Working Actor Wisdom website. I will leave the blog up and continue to respond to questions and comments so readers can continue to use it as a resource. I also write regularly about the business of acting on Quora and am happy to answer questions there.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to be a part of your journey, whether we've met in person, online, or just crossed paths through this blog. Thank you for sharing your questions, insights, and talent with me, and I wish you great success on your path, wherever it takes you.

Be well,

Rebecca

Money in the Mail

I've gotten lots of great feedback from readers who checked out MileIQ! I'm so glad you're finding it useful — and if you missed what all the fuss is about, check it out here!

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In keeping with the practical theme, let's talk about pay stubs. It's always exciting to get money in the mail, and I've been guilty of being so happy about it that I don't bother to make sure I've been paid correctly. 

It’s a bad habit, because in the random sampling of times I have checked, I’ve found errors. Missing overtime, missing agent commissions, even whole episodes I’d never received residuals for. This week, I got a residual check that seemed a little low. Upon closer inspection, I saw a deduction line item called “Minors Trust Fund,” indicating that I’d been marked as a minor in the payroll system and money was automatically taken out and set aside in a separate fund.

We hear people say ‘it’s a business’ all the time, but what does that really mean? Part of what it means is being our own accountants. It’s our responsibility to check every payment we receive for accuracy, and to address any problems quickly. SAG/AFTRA has a form http://www.sagaftra.org/residual-inquiry-form you can fill out if you have a union-related question about residuals. You can also call the payroll department for the payment in question at the number on your pay stub. 

So while you’ve got all your paperwork out for tax prep, take a little extra time to check those pay stubs. If you find something confusing or wrong, call. You may get a little extra money in the mail — and you will cultivate a habit that will keep paying off as you keep working.

Let's Talk About Sex (Scenes) - Part 2

I’m back in action after a several-week-long fight with pneumonia. Thank you sincerely for your understanding and patience while I recovered.

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Where were we? Oh right — shooting a sex scene. Hooray…?

You’ve probably heard that there’s nothing sexy about shooting a sex scene, and it’s true. 

Depending on the specifics of the scene, the set may be closed or locked down, which means anyone who is not absolutely essential to getting the shots will be asked to leave, and playback in “video village” will be similarly restricted. If this doesn’t happen and you’d like it to, talk to the AD or director. 

You will almost certainly have had a conversation with wardrobe about what you'll be wearing before the shoot day. You’d be amazed what they can do with flesh-colored undergarments. In all but the most explicit scenes, you will at least have some privacy garments covering your most private areas, in order to prevent any actual contact. For less revealing scenes, you may actually be covered to the same extent that you would if you were wearing a swimsuit. 

Depending on how exposed you are, you may be given a robe to cover you when you’re not actively shooting. Often, someone from wardrobe will take the robe off just before “action” is called, and bring it to you as soon as the director yells “cut.” Again, if this is not offered and you’d like it, just ask.

The tone while shooting a sex scene is often pretty serious and subdued, as no one wants to make the actors uncomfortable. (In my experience shooting sex scenes, the actors tend to take the lead in terms of how relaxed, humorous, or comfortable the feeling is on set.) If there’s anything about the tone on set that is making you uncomfortable, let the AD or director know.

If you are at all unclear about what you will physically be doing, ASK. Which body parts will touch other parts? How explicit does a given shot or act need to be? It may feel uncomfortable, but it's far better to get it all on the table rather than being surprised in the moment.

Your job as the actor (besides doing the acting itself) is to communicate, communicate, communicate. You can’t get what you need if you don’t ask for it. It can be scary to do this, especially as a guest actor, because you don’t want to seem demanding or needy. But everyone there really does understand that you’re in a vulnerable position and want you to have a positive experience… they just need you to do your part to make that possible. In that way, a sex scene is kind of like a crash course in on-set communication. If you can ask for what you need in that heightened context, you’ll be great at asking for what you need when you’re fully clothed and on your feet.

Let's Talk About Sex (Scenes)

I shot a sex scene this week. There's no other way to say it... sex scenes are weird. They're weird to audition for and even weirder to shoot, and that weirdness is far worse when you don't know what to expect.

So let's talk about what to expect.

Before the Audition

Make sure you're ok with the script as written. There's absolutely nothing wrong with declining an audition if you're uncomfortable with the content of the role. If you have questions about what's involved, ask. (However, a lot of the detail is up to the director, so depending on what you want to know, casting may not have the answers. In that case, it's up to you to decide whether you're comfortable moving forward despite the unknowns.)

The Audition

Auditioning for a scene that involves physical intimacy is a bit like auditioning for a scene that involves a fight. You probably won't do any of the physical action, unless it is absolutely integral to the story of the scene. You should definitely not touch the casting director. If you are expected to undress or engage in any kind physical contact with another person in the audition, that's something casting should tell you when they call you in, before you confirm the audition. If you are asked to do something in an audition that makes you uncomfortable, say so. At minimum, you can step out and call your reps to discuss what's happening. You can also just walk away. 

The Booking

The booking process typically involves your agent or manager letting you now you're the choice and giving you details about the job before confirming with casting. This is the most important time to ask questions and express concerns, because once you're confirmed, you’re committed to the role. If you’re unclear about what will be expected of you or have any kind of question, speak up. 

Before You Shoot

Often, you will receive nudity clause between the time of booking and the shoot date. This is a legally binding document, signed by you and the producer, that details the boundaries of what you can and cannot be asked to do. Read it carefully, ask questions, and be sure to sign only if you’re comfortable with what it says. 

You may also have an opportunity to meet with the director to discuss his or her plan for shooting the scene. This might happen at the table read, on set, or elsewhere, anywhere from several days before you shoot to the day of. Again, do yourself a favor and be honest and forthright in this conversation. If you’re not clear on what the director is expressing, ask for clarification. If he or she says something that differs from your previous understanding, you can either ask then and there or contact your reps, depending on how comfortable you are with the director. 

Each step of the way, the goal should be to ensure that you feel as comfortable and prepared as possible. You, your reps, casting, and the production team all have a role to play in doing that. Your role is to voice any concerns or questions you may have. Don’t hold back or be timid out of fear that you’ll annoy someone. On any good project, everyone involved wants to do whatever they can to make the actors comfortable. (And if that’s not the case, better to find out sooner than later!)

Next week… The Shoot.

The Wisdom of Alan Rickman's Voice

The first two weeks of 2016 have been a bit bumpy in the entertainment world. We’ve lost some legendary artists, most recently Alan Rickman. 

Rickman was a legendary theater and film actor. He was known for his emotional range, his intelligence, his ability to move seamlessly between comedy and drama… but more than anything, he was known for his voice. It’s been described as a “silky tiger’s purr,” but he has often said his drama school teachers told him it was his biggest problem, and sounded like it was “coming out of the back end of a drain pipe.”

Rickman is far from the only actor who became known and loved for something their teachers said was a handicap. At my alma mater, there’s a famous story of the faculty threatening Holly Hunter with being cut from the program if she didn’t get rid of her now famous and beloved accent. And in my own career, I’ve been noticing lately that I often get hired to play very wry and deadpan, which is something my own drama school teachers tried to get me to stop doing for years.

It’s obviously incredibly important to know yourself as an actor, and that means knowing what’s distinctive about you. It’s also valuable to have the ability to regulate those distinctive qualities, so they’re not beyond your control. But it’s easy to get stuck in the habit of thinking of those distinctive qualities as problems. They aren’t. In fact they may be among your greatest assets.

Think about the things about you that you consider problematic. Maybe it’s something a teacher told you, or a parent, or something you tell yourself. It could be something about your face, your body, your voice, the way you move, or something else entirely. Then try, just as an experiment, thinking of it as an asset. Like Alan Rickman’s voice. Try on how that feels. Think about characters, stories, even current projects to which that distinctive quality could bring something new and interesting. Make a deal with yourself to try to shift your thinking about whatever it is from handicap to asset, and see how it affects your work.

And if it helps you stay on track, watch an Alan Rickman movie and listen to that voice. As if you need an excuse.

A Gift You Can Use

Image via Flickr by asenat29

This is it. The end of 2015. How do you feel about this year? What did you accomplish? What challenges did you face? How did you tackle them, and how does that inform what comes next?

I’m working on my annual goals project. Every year at this time, I look back on the goals I set last year, giving myself credit for the work I did to accomplish them, allowing myself a victory dance for the successes, and forgiving myself for the ones I didn’t reach.

Then I set meaningful, actionable goals for next year. Some may be continuations of my current goals, while others may be brand new. Setting annual goals keeps me energized, and when I feel lost, discouraged, or overwhelmed throughout the year, I check back in with those goals as a reminder to focus on what’s important and within my control.

Between now and the end of the year, give yourself the gift of a goal project. It’s the single best thing you can do to set yourself up for success in the coming year. 

Working Actor Wisdom came out of my goals over the last few years, and I want to thank you for being a part of it. I wish you much joy and fulfillment in this season of reflection, and can’t wait to storm 2016 with you.

Happy, happy holidays,

Rebecca

PSSST... See that box over there? ->

Most of the time, I post things here on the blog and then send an email with a link to the post.

But sometimes, like this week, I send short-and-sweet, email-only things... but if you're not on the email list, you won't get 'em!

So if you're not getting Working Actor Wisdom emails, take a second to jump on, won't you? Zero bad things will happen, and you'll get a once-a-week-or-less nugget to help you build your acting career.

And now, I'm off to write this week's nugget, coming soon to email subscribers! *waves at email subscribers*

Cheers!

Thank Your Obstacles

Seven years ago, I was not in a good place. I had a full-time office day job that had become toxic. I’d been with the company for several years, always with the explicit understanding that I could leave for auditions when they came up (which happened pretty infrequently.) That understanding was what make the job work for me. But in a matter of weeks, the economy crashed, I was given different responsibilities, a crazy new schedule, and a new boss, and was told I could no longer go to auditions, and if I didn’t like it, I could leave (a cruel touch, given that the job market had just collapsed.)

I remember sitting in my car after the last audition I was allowed to go on, sobbing inconsolably. I felt like I’d made a series of fatal decisions in a Choose Your Own Adventure book, and had hit a permanent dead end. I felt like I’d ruined my life, and there was no way to fix it. I plunged into a state of deep depression and anxiety that lasted for months and impacted every part of my life. Just thinking about it now, my heart starts pounding, and I can feel the familiar darkness creeping into my stomach. It was a bad, bad time.

It all came back to me this past week. I got into my car, and looked up to realize I was in the very same parking space as on that awful day. And then I realized that I’d just finished shooting the 10th episode of a recurring role on the very same show I’d read for at that ‘last’ audition. 

I sat there for a good 10 minutes, crying happy tears this time, and sending a huge hug back to the me that sat there all those years before, thinking it was never going to get better. And as crazy as it sounds, I heard seven-years-ago me say, clear as day, “thank you for not giving up.” 

With the benefit of precious hindsight, I can see that going through that horrible time made me stronger, by testing my commitment to being a working actor and showing me what I'm capable of. Because I went through that, I am able to face things like losing roles I desperately want, and know, no matter how much it hurts, that I will be ok.

This holiday, while you’re giving much-deserved thanks for your family, friends, and good fortune of all kinds, remember to save some gratitude for your obstacles, past and present. It’s easy to love the good things in our lives; but our challenges deserve love too. It may not seem so in the moment, but they are often seeds that grow into incredible gifts.

While we’re at it, thank YOU, Working Actor Wisdom readers, for being such smart, talented, courageous artists. You continue to challenge and inspire me, and I am endlessly grateful.