“Me No Feel So Good”

by Kate McClanaghan, www.voiceoverinfo.com

Ah-choo! Sniff, sniff.

It’s that time of year again when here at SOUND ADVICE, we are most often asked, “Should I go to an audition/gig if I’m sick?”

Well, certainly if you’re contagious and running a substantial temperature, the responsible thing to do is stay home.

You’d think that’d be a no-brainer and it would be, except, when faced with this situation, you may feel a bit torn.

If we’re referring to a booking (a job), then, yes, that’s a real problem. The studio’s already been booked, if it’s a voiceover, and the company will be charged for any last minute cancellations. If it’s an on-camera production, there are crew and fellow actors relying on you as well, so calling in sick can become rather complicated.

You must assess the situation honestly and completely, without amping up your symptoms for dramatic effect. The opposite also applies: don’t down play the situation if it’s clear you have acute appendicitis or something.

We actors have it hammered into us early on in our training that we are expected to accept every audition and job without question no matter what.  While there is a good deal of truth in that, there are rare exceptions. For example you should never arrive grossly ill. This is a deal-killer on so many fronts, not the least of which is the fact it shakes others confidence in you.

If you’re simply feeling a bit under the weather, it’s probably best to just buck up and rise to the occasion. Getting to the audition, especially if you haven’t been landing many callbacks of late, is half the battle. We all have to play through a handicap from time to time. This applies to arriving for scheduled coaching and acting sessions as well! It’s amazing how good you might feel by simply being productive.

As a professional, you’re expected to maintain your health. When a production is threatened due to a Principal player being ill, producers are less likely to trust whether you will pull through for them in the future and therefore will be less likely to hire again.

Our aim, as talent, is ALWAYS repeat bookings from the producers, directors and casting directors, or at the very least make those who’ve hired you so happy they can comfortably and confidently refer others to hire you in the future as well.

No matter what, you’re expected to be responsible as well as driven enough to show up and deliver the goods whenever you’re booked.

If you’re sick the day of an audition, again you’re expected to be a grown-up and assess the situation.

Of course, it’s always best to attack cold or flu symptoms in the first 24-48 hours and I can’t speak enough to homeopathic remedies such as Echinacea with Golden Seal, ‘Airborne’ and ‘Emergen-C’, for instance. But again you have to catch it early, so it’s up to you to always have these things on hand.

This is your career, after all. It’s your chosen field, so you must run it as best you can while doing your level best to remain healthy and upbeat, and often in the face of a great deal of adversity.

So, choose wisely, Young Grasshopper.
And take care of yourself, your future reputation depends on it. 

Thanksgiving; sights and sounds!

Finally!

Thanksgiving offers time to watch some really GREAT flicks!

Think of all the calories you’ll save.  None of these have any fat or calories…nope, just VEG!

So here’s my suggestions for Thanksgiving Day holiday-themed movies I’m sure you’ll LOVE!

1. The Savages (2007) Laura Linney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Phillip Bosco star in this black comedy.
2. Pieces of April (2003) Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson; this has fast become a contemporary classic for me!
3. Home for The Holidays (1995) Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning; great performances, funny, sweet, story of my life in many ways.
4. The Lion In Winter (1968) Katharine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole and Anthony Hopkins (And you thought YOUR family had problems!)
5. Miracle on 34^th Street (1947) Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood; here’s the game plan: watch the parade (Macy’s, of course) while you’re making yourself useful by peeling potatoes, then follow it up with turning your youngest niece/nephew/cousins on to this puppy. It’s a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
6. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) Directed by Vincente Minnelli and stars Judy Garland and one of the best kid roles EVER (Tootie) played to perfection by Margaret O’Brien. The score alone is awesome (features ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’), the story is endearing. Besides we’d never know Liza Minnelli if it weren’t for this picture!
7. White Christmas (1954) Big Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney; okay, if I have to explain this one…that’s a flat out shame, because my friend you have been missing out! If you really, really, really need to have that long talk with your Dad after the football game… fine. Save this one for tomorrow and that mountain of leftovers. But watch it from start to finish and do it cuddled up with someone you love!

Other than that…you’re obligated to listen to the entirety of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant” while stuffing your bird and/or your face. Your call. Consider it tradition.  It’s comforting to know some things still stand up over the years. It’s thoroughly entertaining!! (If you’re unfamiliar, check out iTunes… I’m sure it’s there.)

Enjoy this wonderful day—it’s the onset of the season (it’s the very best part).

Enjoy family and friends. But most of all… enjoy yourself!

It’s comforting and important to be reminded of all the things you can be thankful for this holiday season!

Me? I’m just thankful I know YOU!

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Pursue, Persist, Prepare, and Promote

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” –Samuel Johnson

Pursue, prepare, persist and promote. These four elements are absolutely vital to succeed at ANYTHING. They are required of you as a talent regardless of your experience or skill level. They simply never go away if you expect to continue your career—It’s up to you to ensure these balls are continually in play.

Whatever it is you may end up doing in this business, success will occur only if you pursue it. It won’t come to you no matter how much talent you may have and regardless of how much nepotism you may have at your access. Ultimately it falls to YOU. So set your sights on what you intend to accomplish and then persist upon your pursuits.

If you’re easily frustrated, don’t apply yourself consistently, or you simply give up, you’ll never know for yourself what could have been created without some persistence on your part, and very often with that, patience. That said, there are times when you should not wait idly by and be patient. That’s why patience isn’t included in our little alliteration here.

Preparation is continually required of you as a talent on a variety of levels. Your own skills will develop as you continue to work them, so keep on it. The moment they lay dormant, your professionalism will be shaken. And with that, so will your confidence. And with that, your integrity (something no one can afford to lose, especially in this business!) So continue to prepare. It’s vital to keep your skills sharp.

Then there’s promotion. Frankly, so many artists repel this puppy that many fall into oblivion without ever even giving self-promotion a fair shot. I think it was Charles Grodin who said, “It doesn’t take one big break, it takes about fifty.” He’s right. But that doesn’t occur left to its own devices.

If you leave your career alone, I promise you, nothing will happen.

If it’s some sort of ‘humility’ thing that keeps you from promoting yourself, consider this: there are a great many talent who, at the onset of their careers have minimal skills, yet have miles and miles of promotional chutzpah who end up on top, while scores of ‘creative geniuses’ end up in their dust. Believe me, there is nothing more humbling than that! Concentrating on all that ‘humility’ will only accomplish the ultimate of all humbling experiences—complete and utter failure. (Perish the thought.)

The fact remains: people who persist at promotion inevitably succeed. Granted, they may be something of a one-trick pony at the start, but through perseverance and proper promotion, these folks gain experience after becoming known to those most likely to hire them. And all this, often to the chagrin of those ‘creative geniuses’ who’ve always known perfectly well they could (and should) be working twice as much as they are, if it weren’t for their Achilles’ Heel: they’re above self-promotion.

The sad fact is there are far more ‘creative geniuses’ out there who end up falling between the cracks leaving their remarkable talent to die on the vine because they don’t know how nor want to face promoting themselves. They ‘only wanted to act’. These actors secretly hope someone will come along and do it for them, rather than taking any responsibility for their careers themselves.

So, while these ‘creative geniuses’ are off doing nothing to make themselves known, gradually those ‘less-talented’ promotional hotshots are gaining experience and becoming more and more valuable to their agents and to producers and directors that enjoy working with them. And, if they continue to stay with it, they will eventually become consummate professionals, often completely bypassing those ‘creative geniuses’ who will never fully understand the importance promotion truly is to realizing their dreams.

It’s a tale as old as the industry itself.

So, when you find yourself up against it, keep your eye on the ball in play by considering the following:

• Determine what it is you’re trying to accomplish as a talent.

• Keep your skills sharp by working them DAILY. Do something each day that drives you closer to your overall goals.

• Find out what it is you need to know to get you closer to your aims. Discover who knows what you need to know to PURSUE, PREPARE AND PROMOTE… and then apply yourself!

• You need to create momentum to propel a career… and that starts NOW.

• Elevate your standards. Keep them high. But get on with it. Quantity precedes quality. Again, keep the ball in play. Keep the mule train moving forward.

Acting is your small business. Run it well. But RUN it! 

By Any Other Name…

It happens all the time.  Actors ask me, “Do you think I should change my name?”

To be honest, asking anyone with a name like mine (‘McClanaghan’) is sort of a silly question, don’t you think? 

Frankly, unless someone in SAG already has your name, I’d avoid it going to all that trouble.

I say that primarily because what may seem a simple, harmless thing to do at the onset may quickly become a terrific obstacle standing between you and cashing your checks unless you do it legally.

Even then it can come with all sorts of setbacks.

I ask you, what actor needs yet another obstacle coming between them and getting paid? Ugh.

The topic begs yet another question, if you’re still bent on this notion: “How do you find out whether your name is taken by another SAG member?” which would render your own name unusable by you as a professional actor. 

Here’s what SAG suggests (from their site): “Because the list of available names changes daily, it would not be helpful to you for us to research your name choices before you join. During your joining appointment, we will ask you for three alternate name choices, in case your first choice is not available. A final name-availability check is done at the time the initiation fee is paid. Only then can an applicant be assured of having a particular professional name.”

Now, this may be convenient for SAG but frankly it may not be for you as a talent. In fact this is how a young Phil Hoffman ended up professionally known as Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He had NEVER used his middle name prior to joining SAG at the ripe old age of 25. However, when he landed a plum, supporting role in “Scent Of A Woman”, SAG told him he could always change his name later. Not an easy task especially once you’ve establish your brand and identity.

And, let’s face it, that’s really the deal here, isn’t it? Identity.

On it’s own the name ‘Seymour’ might immediately evoke images of your nebbishy, old uncle, whom you loved but he had more than his share of hair growing out of his ears. (Okay, maybe that’s me.) But that’s the thing about names—they are all about whatever significance you attach to them.

My point is it certainly didn’t hurt Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s career any, using his middle name. We all know who he is NOW. He created a wonderful association to his name before long.

That’s a key element to keep in mind in the long run, because while you may find your own name tired and lacking pizzazz at the moment, you have to allow yourself the opportunity to connect your name with a remarkable body of work.

Of course, if you have a name that’s likely to already be taken by someone already in SAG, and we know there cannot be two of you…(makes for far too much confusion and wacky SAG paperwork problems and we can’t have that) then, okay, you should give it some thought in advance. After all, having to accept a name you rarely or, worse, wouldn’t care to answer to isn’t much of an option either, now is it?

Best advice: keep your name as it is whenever possible. But if you must change it, be sure you can cash your paychecks without having to dive through too many hoops of fire.

If your name is relatively common, best look it up on the SAG registry ahead of time so you can rule it out in advance and allow yourself the opportunity to make arrangements for something you, the bank and SAG all can live with for the duration of your long, lucrative, rewarding career! 

Cool? Good. Go get ‘em, Ace! ›

In Memory of a Legend

We lost Studs Terkel this past week.

He was ninety-some-odd years old, a Chicago icon and a national treasure. (No kidding. He literally was.)

I met him at a bus stop many years ago and he had me follow him to his office off Michigan Avenue, only to load me down with about 15 paperbacks he insisted I read right away.

I told him of my love of radio theatre and how I wanted to revive the medium.

He leaned in and told me, low and sincere, “I don’t know many people who can say this, but…during the ‘30’s, I was gangster in Chicago… on the RADIO!”

I was immediately enamored with him.

He came to see me in shows. We’d sip beers and chat about everyday things at the Red Lion Pub on Lincoln Avenue across from the Biograph Theatre where they shot Dillinger.

He even introduced me to Jean Sheppard once, the fellow who wrote and narrated the now-classic, “A Christmas Story”.

These two together were priceless. There was an easy rapport between them and about them. They never made you feel like you were intruding. The more the merrier.

Jean’s been gone for many years now.

But Studs always seemed timeless to me, somehow, like the three-story graystones and row houses that have littered Chicago since the place was renovated some ten years or so after the fire. He seemed ageless.

He was a kid—like me. He wasn’t older or younger… he just was. He wasn’t famous, even though he had won a Pulitzer and had a listening audience well into the millions for decades on end.

He just loved people and a great story.

And much like one of the characters in his novels, he was simply one of us.

He lead a long, remarkable life.

All of us should be so lucky, so kind… and so very, very alive!

May flights of angels greet you, Studs.

You shall be missed. ›

Tools of the Trade

Okay, here’s your homework, folks…when you have an audition or a booking for a product you’ve never heard of  or barely know, I strongly urge you to ‘Google it’! (What’s the point of having the Internet at our fingertips, if we  don’t access it? Go to www.google.com.

Make a habit of becoming familiar with what the product is, the direction of the current ad campaign and show some interest in the subject. It will certainly reflect in your read! If you are interested, you are interesting.

And if we’re recording your demo here at Sound Advice, we expect you to take responsibility for making
yourself familiar with not only the script, but the subject of each script by ‘Googling it’ so you know what you’re talking about at the session. This is a great way to better familiarize yourself with the product and overall concept. After all, you’re never selling the product you’re selling the concept.

Additionally, use www.imdb.com (‘imdb’ stands for Internet Movie Data Base) when you’re given a reference such as “this character should be a cross between David Morse and David Strathairn”, especially if you have no idea who they are referring to! If you do you’ll know precisely the feel those auditioning you are aiming for and be more prepared to deliver.

In fact, check out the two actors I just mentioned on imdb.  They’re pretty remarkable and so are their
careers. Also, look up actresses, Lili Taylor and Amanda Plumber, director Spike Jonze and screenwriter, Robin Swicord.

You’ll only BROADEN your industry vocabulary and knowledge by doing so!  Besides, it’s fun.

A Good Problem to Have

You may, at first blush, consider “good problems” to be something of an oxymoron. Okay, you’re right! It is.

But, consider what would be a good problem to have.

How about:

• Having too many auditions.
• Or having so many jobs you have to quit the day job and focus on being a professional talent full-time.
  You’re getting so many gigs–you have to hire a whole staff of people to handle promotion, finances, scheduling–the works.
• How about being so book-able, you set a trend in the industry and the client has to consider the fact whether you might be a bit over-exposed. That would be a very good problem.
• Or how about having a handful of truly outstanding talent agents and managers vying to rep you.
• How about delivering so many great reads at every session, the director/client can’t decide which one to use as the ‘keeper’. (“Man, they’re ALL awesome. Tough call.”)
• How about having too much work you couldn’t possibly take on even one more gig. (I mean there are only so many hours in the day.)
• How about being too smart, too good-looking, too articulate, too sane, too happy, too pleasant, too fun, too patient, too decent, too popular, too desirable, too savvy, too cool, too talented, too insightful, too intuitive, too playful, too clever, too buoyant, too considerate, too “right”, too thoughtful, too appreciative, too able, too sought-after, too healthy, too clear-headed, too rested, too young…too young. (How old would you have to be to be too young?)
• And, of course, (it’s almost too cliche to mention it…but) having more so much money, you couldn’t possible use even…one…more…penny. (Please…get it away from me! Ugh!)
• Or how about having too much time to pursue your deepest dreams and most heart-felt wishes.
• Well, there you have it…all of them very good problems to have.

We wish you all of them…and all at once. We will very happily assist you the best we can when they arise.
We’ll be here for the not-so-good-problems, too, of course. But never hope for ‘no-problems’ at all. You’re not in the game if you haven’t got a single problem. In fact, it would be doubtful you’d be alive at all.

Instead, check your pulse. Pinch yourself. Know you’re awake and kicking. And roll the dice again when your turn comes around.

Play for keeps. Play for fun. But just…play! You’re in very good company. And it is YOUR turn.

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” —Edgar Allan Poe