Actor Screw-Ups on Social Networking Sites
This week: Being a Twit on Twitter. A Farce on Facebook. A Loon on LinkedIn and a Moron on MySpace.
(Sunday, June 14, 2009)
“Kevin Kemperer is doin' Brittany in the hot tub.”
 Sadly the only thing fictional about the sentence prior, pulled from a Facebook status, is the user’s name; Kevin Kemperer. His “doin’ Brittany in the hot tub”, whether true or not, was only known to the user who posted the Facebook status and Brittany.
I have a lot of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace friends. I'm gigged out by digital detente. About one percent of my computerized companions are 3D friends. I.e. people I actually call friends in the real world. An additional quarter of the techno-byte buddies are people I’ve met or worked with on occasion; acquaintances. Leaving the rest of the 74 percent of the thousands who Friend, Link, Space and Tweet me as strangers who I only know of by their statuses that stream by in a flood on my laptop screen.
Most of that 74 percentile deluge flowed to me. I know it’s not because of my sapphire eyes, curly locks or sexual preference (damn). I know full well that when I confirm or accept the invites from strangers to become a virtual friend that it’s my work as a director, casting director and/or author that’s being exploited. I’m being networked. I have no qualm or complaint about that. That’s part of this business. It’s a vital survival component for success that anyone in any business should constantly be doing. As long as they befriend business buddies in a professional manner.
If you’re going to network on social internet sites you would do yourself a professional service by creating two profiles. One for your true friends and family. Another to represent your career. Keep your contacts separate and relative for each profile.
I’m often amused and remain amazed about the number of inappropriate “statuses” streaming on my news feeds from the people who are using me as a professional networking connection. Some things are never meant to be witnessed. Like Rush Limbaugh repeatedly jumping naked on a bed.
Below is a sampling from a recent quick glance of actor Facebook & Twitter statuses better left un-texted. If you recognize any of them you can thank me for not revealing your name which I have replaced with "Anonymous".
“Anonymous fuck my life.”
“Anonymous ain’t gonna go and act a fool and be the lead story on the nigga news? Neva me sucka, I'll never be your lover, I'D RATHER MAKE YOU SUFFER. You stupid motherfucker.”
“Anonymous thinks there is nothing better than belting out songs that make the neighbors want to complain!”
“Anonymous is burnt as a lobster and totally depressed as hell that CHANDLER has left her forever (crying of course)”
“Anonymous is extremely frustrated…”
“Anonymous’ back is surprisingly tight after yesterdays climbing, and longing for a back massage”
“Anonymous’ headache is gone and I cleaned my own bathroom like a big girl.”
“Anonymous is not good at this hope thing, but desperately needs to know so she can move on with her life. So the question is to act or not? Will either choice help for the better or worse? Or has fate already decided? Really... this is torture!”
“Anonymous has never been so humiliated by someone who calls her his best friend”
“Anonymous is generally displeased.”
“Anonymous is Dear BestBuy, thanks for ruining my fucking day by accusing me of being a criminal. WHY WOULD I TRY TO SHOP LIFT A 5 DOLLAR DVD!?!?!?!?!?!
TMI folks (too much interconnection). O.K. and too much information for me and other people you’re networking with professionally to know. Way too much.
The current constant connection fad of passive aggressive communication via keystrokes is in overdrive. Online social networks can be great tools (of which a later blog on successful exploitation will be forthcoming). But for now; the lesson here is to keep your private thoughts just that. Private. With possible exceptions contained to family relations and reality friends.
If you still doubt about blindly proliferating inappropriate prose to the masses think about this. If you were applying for a school, employment at a Fortune 500 company or keeping in contact with your grandparents via a social internet web site would you advertise to them and the world you were “doing Brittany in the hot tub”? If so, then your narcissism challenges that of Paris Hilton’s. Get offline. Get help.
My Best,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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Actors Effectively Exploiting Social Networks
This week: Modern Actor Marketing via a Modem
(Sunday, July 19, 2009)
I found a wonderful status on Facebook recently:
"Christopher Stadulis TODAY - Auditioning for a role on Law & Order: SVU & auditioning with CD Jamie Schulman (Jen Euston Casting) & CD Jessica Kelly (Chrystie Street Casting) THURSDAY - auditioning with Agent Holly Vegter (Hartig-Hilepo Agency)"
One day later it was followed by an updated status:
"Christopher Stadulis got a callback for L&O:SVU! Just finished auditioning with CD Jonathan Strauss who loved my work. He wants me to go back today @ 4:15 to audition with the Director of this episode of L&O:SVU. Then I will be meeting & auditioning with CD's Jessica Kelly (Chrystie Street Casting) & Jamie Schulman (Jen Euston Casting)."
Finally! An actor, among the thousands who have friended me as a “networking receptacle" using their Facebook status for something other than telling me:
- My cat is in heat and so am I.
- I hate life and people. You should too!
- I just took this quiz to find out that my personality for religious sects is: Amish.
People (i.e. bitter career-barren-actors) have written nasty notes to me that I utilize Facebook as a marketing tool for my book ACTING: Make It Your Business and for my classes. My reply? “Why, yes. Yes, I do. I'm also marketing my career as both a director and casting director and dispensing casting and career information at no cost to actors. Got a problem with that?”
And here’s something I don’t openly share (until now); I’m not thrilled with having to be a self-described “marketing whore” but when it comes to survival we all have to have a bit of the selling slut in each of us. Online social networks have become a modern medium for everyone to sell their wares with the least amount of cost for the most return.
As I replied to a mean-spirited missive from one actor (I've never met) who friended me to market himself:
“Facebook is a marketing tool for all. Know that our office daily receives inquiries and requests from actors to attend their shows (often at a cost to us), seek representation (of which we do not do since we are not an agency), provide employment (of which we're happy to offer access if the actor is avail., willing and correct for a project).”
What I really wanted to reply was, “You friended me. Stop bitching and market yourself.”
In my classes I often instruct my students to watch what I do on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and excel past me. Some do. Others remain timid. It’s timidity that keeps one from advancing.
Joining a Facebook or MySpace group that is administered by a casting office, producer, director, theater or an actor collective is not actively marketing oneself. It’s passive and lazy. Friending same and expecting the person you networked to suddenly look upon you as brilliant for your talent just because you’re on their friend list will garner the similar response; electronic crickets.
Like Christopher Stadulis, put in your status something of use. Provide career advancing information to the person(s) you’re networking. Let the people from whom you want notice know that others are noticing you for your talents and/or achievements.
I recently had a student who exploited Facebook well with the release of his film The Graduates. For weeks he would put in his status, links to trailers for the film plus announce screenings and praise for his performance. A few of his friends may have tired of the promotion but what kind of friends were they if they didn’t support and encourage his achievement?
If you’ve joined an online social network you should be seeking out directors, writers, producers, agents and casting directors. And not just the household/industry name names… go for the up-and-comers. They’re the ones who need you as much you need them. Find industry people who have friends in common with you. Strangers are more apt to electronically accept a virtual friend if they see there are a number of mutual friends between themselves and the person inviting the online friendship. They’ll ignore the ignore button for fear that they may offend someone whom they may have met but can’t recall. It’s that fear, doubt and potential for embarrassment that is the Achilles heel to a stranger’s friend list.
If you’re not comfortable with networking online. That’s O.K. You’re leaving open vacancies to be filled. Thousands of other people are taking your place and their fearlessness to network is putting them ahead of you in this journey that is life.
I’ll be the first to admit that I hate promoting myself. Always have and probably forever will. But I’ve learned to deal with my squeamishness of selling out of necessity (medical bills, rent, food, etc). If I didn’t get a reality check I wouldn’t have worked on Broadway, wouldn’t have done films for 20th Century Fox, gone would be my directing credits, and never would my book have been published by Random House. I also would not have been able to share my insights here with you. My fear would have left my life empty. And it did for awhile at the beginning of my career to which I have great regret. What I missed can never be recovered. For I’ll never know what opportunities I let pass me by for my being passive.
The choice is yours. Use effectively the social network tools provided. Or ignore them and they’ll ignore you.
My Best,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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This week: Actor E-mails – Asinine Addresses Used in Addressing Professionals
(Sunday, June 7, 2009)
The pre-pubescent use of sexually suggestive, “personality expressive”, childish monikers misused and abused in e-mail addresses utilized for business correspondence has got to stop. Now. If you’ve read my book you know that I stress “this industry is all about image, image, image…” That’s not a mirror mantra for the narcissistic. It’s a reality of the entertainment industry.
Often as I go through the actor mail (hard copy and digital) I groan or sigh heavily in disbelief as I come across actors seeking professional work from a casting person or representation by an agent while utilizing e-mail addresses that are in no way professional.
Below is just a small sampling from the saturation of sophomoric e-mail addresses that I’ve found on actor resumes or spammed to my in-box. In order to spare these fools of flippant font further shame and protect the sillies from spam; the servers (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc) have been removed.
dirtyprettyone2000 (The video prequel to nastynaughtyone2001?)
chinkychinese (Does this person have a severe case of self-loathing or are they utilizing the addy as a dating advert to rice queens?)
AnnoyinActress
swishyfishy
foolishactor (Yes. Your e-mail address proves the message.)
instantactor (Just add bottled water!)
danceweasel (Shirtless, twitching twinks-with-drinks in hand comes to mind.)
puzled.one (If you can’t spell “puzzled”; yes… indeed, you are “puzled”.)
Grahammy_poo (Let’s not even envision to where this double entendre could lead.)
And….
pussylvr
Really? Are these people kidding or are they just insane, myopic morons? This is a business folks. A profession. If the e-mail address in use for your professional correspondence resembles a fifth grader’s ha-ha quotient (i.e. fart jokes and school yard nicknames) then I and others who hire will not take you seriously. Seriously.
For any professional, electronic correspondence an actor’s e-mail address should include the performer’s name or part of it. Such as:
NormaDesmond@whatever.com
N.Desmond@whatever.com
Norma_D@whatever.com
“IngénueForLife”, “MyManMax” or “IamBig” would not be appropriate, professional, e-mail address monikers for Ms. Desmond. (And if you’re wondering who Norma Desmond is… please hand in your acting and/or gay card. Now.)
Keep the silly and inane e-mail addys for friends and family who may be more forgiving than a business contact. Leverage your electronic loony-ness with them. Put a professional, digital image to your e-mail address when addressing professionals. Got it danceweasel? Good.
‘Nuff said.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director
Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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THIS WEEK'S TIP: Part 2 of 2 Negotiating Black Market Breakdowns
(Sunday, March 29, 2009)
This has got to stop. Actors paying thieves for black market breakdowns. Especially actors with representation.
Last week’s Part 1 of this blog caused a stir. It also prompted a reader to send me an e-mail he received from a thief selling the black market breakdowns. Attached to the e-mail was an example of the breakdowns. I couldn’t fucking believe it. Disgusting is the best I can say of the e-mail’s contents.
Here was someone preying on actor vulnerability and profiting off of actors by committing a serious crime of fraud and theft. Actors who engage in buying these breakdowns are just as culpable and can be prosecuted as well. I immediately contacted Breakdown Services.
More than likely the person who was selling the illegal Breakdowns is/was an intern or an assistant at a talent agency. Agencies pay a subscription fee to receive the Breakdowns. And Breakdown Services scrutinizes their subscribers. Joe-blow-off-the-street can’t get a talent agency subscription from Breakdown Services.
Now, actors with talent representation who receive black market breakdowns: Stop it. Beyond the illegality of the act you’re jeopardizing your relationship with your agent. For those with or without an agent who may be wondering how.... here we go;
The represented actor getting the illegal breakdowns often calls their agent and says, “I just saw on Breakdowns a role that I want to be submitted for...” The agent does one of two things (or both) rolls their eyes and reminds the actor, in terse tone, that as an agent THEY get the breakdowns and submit appropriate clients. After the call is ended, the agent usually mumbles to another agent in the office, “We need to drop that one.”
When an actor phones an agent with the, “I just saw on Breakdowns...” call; immediately the agent is thinking, “This client doesn’t trust me. Why should I be representing them?” Agents hate, repeat; HATE clients who use this supposed proactive choice for career advancement. Often the client doesn’t advance, they lose representation.
Agents talk to me often about this, including my partner who owns a talent agency. It’s one of the surest ways for a client to stop being a client. If you’re still not convinced think of it this way. Calling up your agent and telling them you saw a role on Breakdowns you think you’re right for, is equal to one actor giving another actor performance notes. It’s wrong. It’s rude. It’s not professional. And it needs to stop!
Trust that your agent is doing the best that they can for your interests. Stop engaging in activity that could bring serious charges against you and cost you money, time, reputation AND representation.
And finally; a reader asked me, "Is it effective for actors living beyond the metro areas of New York or LA to subscribe to Actor’s Access?" (Breakdown Services subscription service to actors). No. Most of the auditions are in NY or LA. Auditions come quickly after they are announced. You need to be living in or near the area that the majority of auditions that are happening. Casting personnel don’t want to bother with actors who submit themselves for an audition in NY or LA when the actor permanently resides in bum-fuck Kansas. (No offense to Kansas, my finger just went for the “K” key and there were only two state options after that. I'll offend the blue-grass moonshiners another time).
So, wrap up here. Represented actors, stop using and paying for illegal breakdowns. Stop calling your agent with the, “I just saw on Breakdowns...” call. Unrepresented actors, I do not condone or suggest the use of illegal breakdowns. But if you do engage in that illicit behavior read Part 1 of this blog (which is below). But be warned, you are committing a crime.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director
Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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THIS WEEK'S TIP: Navigating black market breakdowns
(Sunday, March 22, 2009)
There’s a not so secretive practice among unrepresented AND represented actors; black market breakdowns.
If you’re not familiar with the term “Breakdown” it’s the casting notice that casting offices (or other entities seeking talent) release to agents through a service called Breakdown Services (See example). Agents pay a pricey monthly subscription rate to receive these. And Breakdown Services scrutinizes the agencies before offering the subscription.Black market breakdowns are unauthorized copies of these breakdowns that are sold (or some other way shared) within the actor community. It’s illegal. Repeat; illegal. It’s also damned annoying for agents with clients who receive black market breakdowns and often does irreparable damage to the relationship between actor and agent.
First; let’s talk about where you can get these black market breakdowns. I don’t know. And if I did; I wouldn’t tell you because that would get me deep into trouble.
Breakdown Services tried to stem the tide of the black market breakdown flow between actors by offering, via its web site, a service called Actor’s Access. Actors would receive the same breakdowns that talent agents receive. Well... not exactly.
A few weeks ago I was with one of my private students who subscribes to Actor’s Access. We were sitting at my desk with a number of film, television and theatrical breakdowns from my and other casting offices. When I showed my student what type of roles he should be submitting himself for (ones that matched his type) he looked at these breakdowns for major films and network pilots and said, “I’ve never seen these kinds of breakdowns on Actor’s Access!” He was shocked and pissed.
Casting offices have the option to either have Breakdown Services release their breakdowns to agents and Actor’s Access or strictly to agents only. But that option to have our breakdowns go to subscribers (a.k.a. actors) of Actor’s Access is not made clear and so most, if not all, of the big project breakdowns for film, TV, Broadway and regional theater go straight to agents only and bypass the actors.
O.K. so you’re thinking; “Fuck... where does that leave me?” Well, you could seek out someone who trades in black market breakdowns but be warned that Breakdown Services is rightly aggressive in protecting its published property. I and my office do not condone this illegal activity. It's theft, plain and simple. I advise that you do NOT pursue the use of them.
If you do unwisely receive black market breakdowns you can then submit yourself on the announced casting. This used to be much simpler when casting offices, like mine, accepted submissions from agencies via snail mail. Now nearly everything is electronic submissions and only if you have that electronic access to the other casting office can you submit... (yes, again you’re thinking “Fuck!”) BUT there’s another way to get around electronic submissions.
Back to my shocked and pissed student. We found a few projects that he was dead-on right for and I suggested that since he had no representation it would not hurt to submit himself to the casting offices. He balked, saying it wouldn’t be appropriate. Really? Then why the fuck are you an actor? To get jobs an actor MUST be proactive and look out for their first interest; getting work for themselves.
The breakdowns asked for electronic submissions to which my student would not have access to do so. So he was about to give up. Again; Really??! Here’s what you do. Do some research either via the Internet or The Ross Reports to get the address of the casting office. Then put the name of the project and role(s) on the outside of your submission (and in the cover letter as I write about in my book) and send it! You never know who may be opening up that mail. What damage could sending your materials do other than about a buck spent in postage? Jeez, be aggressive. Jobs just don’t land in your lap as you’re texting about last night’s episode of The Girls Next Door.
If you’re an actor who does not have an agent, having access to the money projects will be limited (unless you include cattle calls as “access”). Having an agent is the best way to avoid the black market breakdowns and be submitted for the first class projects.
Now if you do have an agent and are getting the black market breakdowns... come back here next Sunday for Part II of this blog; Actor Breakdowns over Breakdowns. We need to have a talk.
And... speaking of agents; the last few positions for the April Access to Agents seminar are going fast. Registration ends soon for the four-week intensive which involves you and me working on your marketing materials, audition technique and then concludes with my introducing you to the agents and you auditioning for them.
Register at the classes page for Access to Agents.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director
Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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THIS WEEK'S TIP: How often should an actor send a submission to an agent when seeking representation?
(Sunday, March 15, 2009)
That was the question that came flying at me this week during my Access to Agents seminar. And it was a great question. The look I got when I shot back my answer, "Every other month for 12 months" was jaw dropping surprise.
There are valid reasons I suggest that actors seeking their champion do the costly (and soon to be costlier) land-mailings with frequency:
As I was sitting at a talent agency this week, I was going through the multitudes of actor mailings bound for the trash. At this particular agency the assistant opens and filters who gets a glance from the agents and who gets sent off to Fresh Kills, Staten Island.
I was perusing the landfill bound P&Rs and noticed one mailing from an actor that should have been given a once over by the agents. It came from an actor who is a regular on an ABC series. He wanted to leave his present agency and start anew with another (an unjustified trend happening a lot lately as many actors panic over the economy).
So here was an actor, with a series and some other good credits on his resume that was being tossed. I handed his materials over to one of the agents.
Often at agencies it is NOT the agent who opens the submission you sent to them. It's an assistant or more than likely an intern (as I write in ACTING: Make It Your Business, there is a way to exploit that filtering system to your advantage).
So being that your materials are often not opened by the intended recipient, you want to hit the agency more than once; preferably every other month for 12 months. This way if your submission is misplaced, overlooked or worse never opened you're giving your marketing materials more opportunities to be seen.
Now you may be thinking; "But Paul, the agents will think I'm being rude or obsessive compulsive. They'll hate me." Guess what... if they DID look at your materials once and tossed you into the trash; they weren't interested in you to begin with. So what are a few more mailings to someone who wasn't previously interested? But you could change that. Also how do you know the agent even saw your materials?
Plus another reason I advocate re-sending several times is that if you have new project announcements to put on your resume or in your cover letter (you SHOULD always, always have a business formatted cover letter) there's something for the recipient to discover about you. You're working. Which means you're a valuable asset that an agent can exploit and champion.
There's a wonderful study that was done and written about in The Tipping Point, which talks about the point at which someone stops saying "No" to an inquiry and relents with a “Yes”. You could hit that tipping point with someone with multiple mailings (just don't do it every week or month).
So send. But make sure what you're sending is professional, clearly defines you, doesn't have a lot of prose bullshit or gimmicks. If so, you’ll be always going into the trash. Or worse placed into the Freak File.
For more info on finding agents and successful mailings read ACTING: Make It Your Business and/or register to meet and audition for agents in our Access to Agents seminar.
Never give up.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director
Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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