GARY MASON

443.624.3014

gary@gary-mason.com

Encouragement

Overcoming Inertia – or – Bloom Where You are Planted

Acting, Encouragement, Getting Started, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading! This week I’d like to talk a little bit about what I’ll call “overcoming inertia”. What do I mean by that? I mean, (to use a few cliché phrases) – getting the ball rolling, a rolling stone gathers no moss, you can’t get where you are going If you stay where you’re at, if you never start, you’re already finished…and other equally cringy things people say.  What I want to talk about this week is pursuing your dreams instead of just dreaming about them.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

A conversation

Several years ago, I was speaking to one of my in-laws and he was lamenting the fact that he was almost 40 years old, unmarried, childless and without a clear direction in his career (OK, simple truth is he had a job and not a career). He moaned that all of his friends were married, with children, had a good career and owned a home. He was living in a sibling’s spare room, single and working at some entry level job (I don’t recall what it was). He expected to be in the same place as his friends by this point in his life.

A question…

In response to his whining (did I say that out loud?) I asked him: If you expected to have these things by this time, what steps have you taken to get them? He looked at my quizzically and just said: Huh. Truth is, he just expected them to sort of, happen. When I explained to him that these things don’t just happen, but we have to pursue them he seemed dumbfounded. I don’t take credit for it, but now several years later he has a career he loves, a wife, three kids and owns a home. He didn’t get them overnight, but once he decided to start taking steps to achieve what he wanted…he did. He stopped letting life “just happen” to him.

A different conversation

Not bragging, but I am personally pretty well off. I am retired with two pensions and a fair amount of money set aside to carry me through this last phase of life. I made some good decisions early in life and am now reaping the benefits of them. Many of my family members over the years made comments about how “lucky” I was and how “unfair” it was that I had more than they did. I finally got fed up and told them: If you want what I have, do what I did.

More recently

Social media is a wonderful thing. I recently had a distant friend post something about how “lucky” veterans are to have VA benefits. And, yeah, the VA benefits are great, but the 20 years of active duty, while it had some great moments, were not always so great. The VA benefits are deferred payment for all the birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and other important family events we got to miss because we were deployed in some far-off place.  The only response to something like that is: The recruiting office was open for them too!

And so…

Some recent events got me thinking about this, and it occurred to me that there are people in this world who just let life happen to them. They look at other people and think about how lucky they are or blame past events or other people for their “lot in life”. They do this without ever considering what actions they should take to change their situation. Here is what I have learned in 63 years of life: No one has a “lot in life”. Nothing is pre-determined, and you can ALWAYS do something about it. Granted, nothing happens overnight…but if you don’t take steps to change things then…nothing changes (at least not for the better).

Maybe that sounds insensitive.

Look, I recognize everyone’s situation is different. Some people have health issues or disabilities that hold them back from pursuing a dream. Some have financial issues that limit what they can do right now. Some have responsibilities that reduce the amount of risk they can take. Not everyone can become an astronaut, or a pro basketball player, or President of the United States. Everyone’s situation is different. It may be necessary to let go of one dream and pursue another more attainable dream. I maintain there are steps you can take to begin improving your situation and move you toward the pursuit of a dream.

And here’s the thing…

The time to start pursuing a dream is NOW, not LATER. It doesn’t matter what your situation is, it doesn’t matter what happened in the past, it doesn’t matter how old you are or how long it will take to get there. I will caveat the, it doesn’t matter what happened in the past with: What happened in the past matters only insofar as how it informs what you do now. What happened in the past is useful only for how it informs your future (my kids hate this saying of mine).

It doesn’t matter how old you are…

I want to park on that for just a moment. Many people will think it is too late or it will take too long to achieve that dream. To that I say: poppycock! (OK, I just wanted to write poppycock). Seriously, think about this: If it is going to take 5 (or 10 or 15) years to achieve some milestone in your life, those 5 or more years will pass whether or not you pursue it. Whether or not you actually achieve it, at a minimum you’ve given yourself a goal and a purpose to focus on. And you’ll be a lot closer to the dream than you are now too.

What does all this have to do with acting?

If you’ve made it this far into the article, you may be wondering what this has to do with acting. Well, I’ll tell you. Everything, assuming your dream is to be an actor. Or maybe nothing if it is something else, but hey this is an acting blog, right?

How many people…?

I wonder how many people watch a show or movie, or listen to an audio book and think: “I could do that!” (This thought is EXACTLY what got me started) …and then just watch another show or listen to another audio book. I’m making an assumption here, because I doubt any studies have been done, but I am going to assume a fair number of people.

And you know what?

The truth is, you’re right. You COULD do that. But many times, you don’t.  But you SHOULD. If it is something you dream of, and desire you absolutely should! Will you be the next big A-list star who makes millions and is a household name? Probably not (but it is remotely possible – I mean hey, SOMEONE has to win the lottery). But you CAN become a working actor. The simple truth is you’ll never know if you don’t try. Sure, there will be obstacles, there will be difficulties, there will be failures even. While it’s not guaranteed you’ll reach the level you dream of, one thing is certain: If you don’t try you are guaranteed not to achieve that dream. And, of course, if it turns out you are just a terrible actor, or acting winds up not being what you thought it was…discard that dream and find a new one.

But I have no idea how to pursue an acting or VO career!

Yep, I get it. None of us knew how to go about it at the beginning, so you are in good company. It took me two years to figure out how to start narrating audio books – 0/10 I don’t recommend THAT). And the way to do it is different for everyone, there is not one fool proof way to go about it. But there are a lot of people out there who have traveled the path and can help. If I was going to tell you exactly how to pursue the dream to be successful, I’d say: find someone who is doing it and ask them for help.

But I don’t KNOW any actors!

You may know one or more without realizing it. It’s not like we wear a name tag or special T-shirt or something and we don’t typically go around announcing it (unless we’re asked…then we can talk about it for hours). You can, however, head on over to social media and find groups that have actors and ask them. Almost every actor I know is MORE than happy to help someone just getting started. If you run into one of the rare ones who isn’t, leave them behind and find another who is. You just have to ask. And of course, I am also happy to help, feel free to reach out with questions.

Don’t just let life happen to you.

No matter what your dream or passion I encourage you to pursue it. Find people who can point you in the right direction, find a local community theater to get some experience…do SOMETHING to “get the ball rolling”. Remember: A rolling stone gathers no moss. Get rolling!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!  

 

 

A day (week) in the life of…ME

Acting, Encouragement, General, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!   Here we are in the second week of my renewed writing, and finding topics is no easier than when I started my very long break. I will NOT let that deter me though! This week I’d like to talk about what a typical week looks like for me. Sort of a “peak behind the curtain” if you will. I often wonder how other actors use their time, so hopefully this will help someone else who may be wondering.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week , but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

A typical week…

What does a typical week look like for you? Many, if not most, of you have full time “survival” jobs. What’s a survival job, you ask? Well, if you don’t already know this; Acting is a tough career to survive on. Typically for anyone who is not an A-list (or even B-list) actor you are not earning enough with your acting to make ends meet. It’s a tough profession, for sure. So, your survival job is what you do to pay the bills until you either give up (Please, don’t give up!) or start earning enough as an actor to pay the bills. It can be anything from the stereotypical waiter/waitress (do we still use that non-gender-neutral term?) to an engineer, or factory worker, mechanic…you name it.  For most, that means a full time 9-5 job somewhere.

For me…

Well, I’m fortunate enough to have begun my acting career at a late stage in life and am retired. Twice actually. Frankly, I don’t recommend this…but we “bloom where we are planted” so no regrets (or as some tattoo artists without a dictionary say it-no regerts). I tell you this not to brag that I don’t need to act to pay my bills, but to say it is never too late to start. Well, and to say that my week will likely look a lot different than yours. You’ll probably have to inject a “Work 40+ hours” in there somewhere. I don’t envy you, but don’t envy me either because there are not nearly as many roles for a 60+ year-old slightly overweight man with greying hair.

One thing I do…

One thing I get to do each day that most of you won’t is I take some time each (well, most) afternoons to relax, watch a movie and maybe take a nap. Hey, don’t hate me, I wake up at the butt-crack-of-dawn every day. And I worked more than 40 years for the privilege.  Presently I am making my way through all the Marvel movies. I also spend at least 15 minutes (that is starting to turn into 30+ minutes) each afternoon practicing guitar. At this stage, it’s not pretty and I definitely don’t want anyone hearing me elicit some really bad sounds on my guitar.

OK, let’s start with Monday.

In my short three year (Wow, has it really been three years!?) acting career one thing I have found is that Mondays are slow days. Especially when you wake up at an ungodly hour like I do. It’s not just Monday either, I wake up between 4 and 5:30 every day. Without an alarm. This is not for the faint of heart and I admonish you not to try this at home. It works for me, though. At any rate, there is very little (read NO) industry stuff happening Monday morning. So, for me Monday looks like coffee and writing my blog. After Wordle of course. I’d love to tell you I write for you, but I’d be lying. I write for me. Hey it’s an outlet. Anyway, the remainder of Monday is dedicated to doing things around the house and now guitar lessons. Yeah, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Tuesday…

Tuesday starts a lot like Monday with coffee. Honestly every day starts with coffee so I’ll stop mentioning it. I spend the early part of the day reviewing how many people opened this blog and read it, as well as responding to any comments I may get. NEWS FLASH: I love it when people comment on these. It lets me know someone is reading it and also lets me interact with some of you. If you ever think “I should comment…”, please do…I love it. Then I head out to my weekly acting class (9AM-2PM) and when I get home, I have some time to check casting sites for jobs that were posted between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon. If I’m lucky, there is an audition request in my email, and I prep for that.

Wednesday…

Everyone else calls this hump day, I just call it Wednesday. When I can remember it’s Wednesday. Not having a full-time job means I use my pill case (yeah, getting old aint fun sometimes) to remind me what day it is. After I get done with Wordle and clear out emails I’m back on all the casting sites looking for roles that fit me. If I’ve gotten an audition, I’ll set up and tape it and then do some work on the podcast I am co-producing. By Wednesday, there are usually a lot of jobs posted, so it can be a busy day.

Thursday…

Much like Wednesday Thursday is filled with checking casting sites, working on the podcast and by this time of the week I usually have anywhere from 2 to 5 auditions to complete. Thankfully I have two “built-in” readers, my GF and son, so auditions are pretty easy to get done. It takes a fair amount of time to film and edit them for submission though. One other thing I typically do on Thursdays is head to the grocery store to shop for the week. Not my favorite thing, but I mind it less than my GF does, so I do it. A bonus of being retired is shopping mid-week and mid-day when everyone else is at work. It’s amazing how many parking spaces are available close to the entrance at 1PM on Thursday, and there are almost no lines at the checkout. PRO TIP: I have found Thursday afternoon to be the least busy day at the grocery store. If you can manage it, I highly recommend it.

Friday…

Much like Mondays, Fridays are pretty slow days. By this time of the week casting directors have all their roles posted (mostly) and are just waiting on auditions to arrive. So, Friday is spent finishing any auditions that have come in, finishing any hangers-on from work I need to do for the podcast and clearing my inbox from the week. Friday is kind of a closeout day for me.

THE WEEKEND!

You might think that every day is the weekend for a retired guy, and in some ways that’s true. I surely don’t have anyone else directing my time like I did when I worked full time, but honestly, I stay pretty busy all week, so it still feels like a weekend. Sometimes I feel like I am busier without a job than I ever was with a job. If you haven’t noticed, there is very little industry work going on over the weekend, so I get to spend my weekends relaxing, taking care of stuff around the house, catching up on anything that I didn’t get done on Friday and getting together with family and friends who DO work full time jobs.

Other stuff I didn’t mention…

Of course, this is not a completely comprehensive list of everything I do each week. There are meetings that happen periodically (this week I have a BIG meeting for some very exciting stuff I can’t talk about yet…more on that if it happens), sometimes I actually get to be on set and working, which throws the whole thing off, the inevitable “honey-do” stuff and occasionally being available for tradesmen to come fix stuff around here (our AC is out downstairs and the guy is coming today – yeah I know it’s winter but we are getting ready to sell and move so things have to work). You know, all the normal stuff that happens in a person’s life.

So, there you have it…

A pretty normal week in the life of me. I know you probably have a full time job that puts a major crimp in your acting life, but I encourage you to make time for the things you are passionate about (for me, that’s acting…hopefully for you as well) and keep putting one foot in front of the other so that one day you can do like I do (no, not wake up at some ridiculous time of day); have a nap in the afternoon!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!  

1000 “no”s

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  It’s said that you have to go through 1000 nos to get to a yes, or kiss 1000 frogs before you find your prince.  The idea of rejection has been with us for a long time.  This week let’s talk about rejection and how to deal with it.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

FIRST

We say that rejection is just a part of being an actor.  Rejection can really get an actor down, and sometimes that can spiral into the “I’m not meant to be an actor, I should just find a full-time day job” thought process. While it is true that we book only a small fraction of the gigs we audition for, I do not think of the ones I don’t book as a rejection. It’s not a process of rejection, it’s a process of SELECTION. I’ll explain later.

Rejection thinking

The problem with rejection thinking is that it’s negative self-talk. Get rejected often enough and pretty soon you’re thinking you are not worthy.  This thinking makes you feel defeated and tired. It drains your energy, and energy is just what you need for an audition. Pretty soon you are feeling rejected going IN to an audition and at that point your acting career is in a death spiral. Some call this “rejection fatigue”.

Negative Self-Talk

The problem with negative self-talk is that it is much easier to convince yourself of something than it is to convince someone else.  If you are not careful, you’ll have yourself convinced you are a terrible actor.  That can lead to low-effort auditions, and you have a self-perpetuating cycle. You are sure you’re terrible and won’t book a job, go into the audition already defeated, put up a less than stellar audition, don’t get selected and affirm (to yourself anyway) how terrible you are.  Negative self-talk can actually damage your auditions!

Not to be confused with

Just to stop the folks thinking I am being all Pollyanna about this, don’t confuse my eleven part “You’re not getting the f*&^ing job” series with negative self-talk. There is an enormous difference between a healthy understanding of the casting process and thinking you are not good enough to book work.  One is freeing, and the other is a prison sentence. Know that you can both be good enough AND not get the job.

Maybe you are terrible.

The GREAT thing about being a terrible actor is you have no place to go but up.  Go back and look at or listen to your first audition self-tapes and compare them to your latest.  Are you happy with that first one?  If I were a betting man, I’d guess probably not.  My first self-tapes make me cringe when I see/hear them!  But my most recent ones?  Maybe not Oscar worthy, but a WHOLE lot better than those first few.

Each no brings you closer to yes.

Every time you step in front of the camera or sit down behind the mic, you have an opportunity to improve.  I mean, you ALSO have an opportunity to book a job, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.  My point is, if you do happen to be a terrible actor today, every audition helps you become a little better.  Like with many things in life, the more you do something the better you get at it.  Acting is no different. But feelings of rejection make it tough to even GET in front of the camera or microphone (I know, I’ve been there) and that defeatist attitude negatively affects your audition!

Trying to get a job.

Here’s the thing, and it may seem a little non-intuitive.  If you see your auditions as trying to get a job, you’ve already lost half the battle.  Hanging your hat on the outcome of an audition is a recipe for disaster. Yeah, I know you have bills to pay and booking the job is how you pay them, but bear with me here.  If you see auditions as an opportunity to do something you love (act) and to showcase your talent with a casting director instead of as a path to employment, then you’ll enjoy doing them more and be a lot more relaxed and confident.

By the numbers

And remember: There are 100 (or more) people auditioning for the same role.  They will only select one of them. You have a 1 in 100+ chance of booking a particular role.  Ninety-nine times out of a hundred you won’t get it.  If, instead of auditioning to get a job, you audition to provide a CD with a selection of how that role can be portrayed, then not getting the role gets easier. You were not rejected, just not selected.

The Menu

I like to use a menu analogy.  If I go into a restaurant and want to buy dinner the first thing I do (after ordering a drink) is to peruse the menu.  Odds are the menu has a selection of different foods: Beef, chicken, pork, pasta, salads…sometimes even pasta salads. Sometimes I can also choose breakfast items like eggs and pancakes. Usually there are MANY choices.  If I choose chicken, have I rejected beef?  Or Pasta?  Or pork?  NO!  I just selected chicken and tomorrow I may choose beef. It’s the same with auditions.

YOU are the menu item.

When you audition, what you are doing is giving the CD a menu selection.  It sucks to be beef when they want chicken, but it doesn’t mean they don’t like beef or that beef “just isn’t good enough”.  Sorry to all the vegetarians/vegans out there for the meat focused discussion, the same can be said of plant-based food. Stay on the menu long enough and before you know it, they’ll be ordering chicken…or whatever you are.

Lots of reasons

The simple truth is this: There are a of of reasons you may not be selected and most of them have nothing to do with your acting ability. Maybe you are too short, too young, too old, have the wrong color hair.  Perhaps you just don’t have the right chemistry with a scene partner. It could be that the choices you made for that audition are just not what the casting folks were envisioning.  Great performance, just not the one they imagined for that role. It’s not rejection, it’s selection (even if the selection was someone else).

And remember:

Also keep in mind that when you DO book a gig, there are 99+ people who weren’t selected.  That’s both humbling and gratifying at the same time. Even big-name A-list actors are sometimes not selected for roles they want. If you don’t believe me, check this out.

Motivation is the key.

If you understand that you simply can NOT book every role, and that the selection process likely has nothing to do with your acting ability then it is much easier to stay motivated.  And motivation is the key to success here. If you aren’t motivated to audition, then it’s going to take you a LONG time to get through all the no’s to find your yes. And the yes is what we really want because that yes allows us to do what we REALLY love: Perform. And every audition is an opportunity to perform as well!

At the end of the day

Every actor, the guy or gal who started acting today and the people whose names you recognize immediately ALL auditioned for roles they wanted but didn’t get. Sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves that when we don’t book a particular role we are in good company.  The trick is to not think of roles you don’t get as rejection.  Rejection fatigue is real, and that feeling of despair will come across in your auditions leading to that self-fulfilling prophecy of “not good enough”.

You are.

You are good enough. You are talented enough (or on your way to being talented enough). You are just a few no’s away from that yes that will launch your successful career.  You just have to keep pushing, keep auditioning and keep working till the yes arrives!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!  

A Balancing Act

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  For the vast majority of actors, a “survival job” is a reality.  On top of that we have family obligations, and let’s face it we need to take a break from time to time too. Working a 40 hour a week job and staying connected to family & friends while also pursuing acting can be a balancing act.  This week let’s talk about Balancing your acting career, day job, and personal life.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

It’s wrong…

The image of the life of an actor as portrayed in the mainstream media is misleading.  What most people see about acting are the “A”-listers who are nearly always working and can afford the lulls between roles.  The reality is that those actors are a miniscule portion of actors overall.  More commonly, actors aren’t working enough, or  in enough high paying roles, to even support themselves.  Most actors either have to barely scratch by, rely on friends and family for help, or…as is most common…work another job.

Reality

The simple reality of an acting career is that it is horribly unpredictable.  One week you may be on set working 12 to16 hour days, the next week you are juggling 5-10 auditions and the next?  Nothing.  Looking for roles and twiddling your thumbs.  When you do book a gig, there is a fair chance that it will require travel and time away from home (and maybe not paid travel) unless you are fortunate enough to be a Voice Actor with a professional home studio.

And it’s expensive.

Yeah, life is expensive, but not JUST life.  Actors need training, head shots, marketing material, technology, and all of that is expensive on TOP of life.  Given that most actors do not earn enough to live on, paying for the things they need to support their acting career gets even more difficult.  The need for a survival job exists for all but a very small handful of actors. Unless they have a wealthy (and generous) family or a SO with a great income who supports their acting career most actors are going to struggle to finance their career.

Technology

Thanks to COVID-19 the industry has changed some to take advantage of technology and make things a BIT easier for those who work full time to support their acting career. In-person auditions are much rarer these days, but self-tape auditions also add another level of complexity to the job.  In addition to delivering a great performance, now we also have to know a bit about production, lighting, sound, and audio/video processing.  And we also have to have the space and equipment to provide quality audition tapes.

Equipment

In addition to all the other things actors have to pay for – training, head shots, reels etc. – Now we also have to buy the equipment and software needed to produce a professional audition tape.  On top of THAT, we have to learn to use it all proficiently – AND find our own readers.  Compared to what a typical actor earns, acting is less an income than an outgo.

Unfortunately

The bad news about adding technology and self-tape auditions to the mix is that many times, the turnaround time is much shorter.  Sometimes that time can be as little as 24 hours to prepare, memorize, perform and process an audition.  It ALSO allows access to even more actors for a given role, which means competition has become tighter. The need to get your audition done and submitted as quickly as possible adds additional stress.

Family

If you are fortunate enough to have a spouse and kids, then it’s a safe bet that they’re going to want you to be “present” for them.  Actors with a full-time survival job AND a family are balancing work and family against their passion to create and perform.  Guaranteed one of them suffers, and it is likely their acting career that comes in third place in that hierarchy. So how do you balance them?

Work

I’ve written about this before but the best job an actor can have is one that provides the flexibility to be able to have time for family and auditions as well as those rare times when you are on set for an extended period.  Back in the day, many actors took waitstaff jobs in restaurants, but these days things like Uber, Lyft, GrubHub and DoorDash are available and are very flexible. If you have a regular 9-5, things get more complicated.

Schedule

One of the most important things an actor can do is discuss their acting career with their boss at their day job.  This both lets the boss know that there could be times when you need to be out of the office, and also lets the actor know what the expectations are at work.  Is it possible to perform your job remotely for some period of time?  Will you have to take vacation days to work a gig? Understanding expectations helps you know what you can expect from work, and also allows you to communicate restrictions to your agent.  Can you only work a job that lasts for a week or less?  Your agent needs to know that.

Stress

All of these competing elements can be very stressful.  Working a full day, then returning home to have dinner hour with family before heading into your booth or studio to do your acting work leads to less sleep, potentially unhappy family members and ultimately stress and anxiety.  That stress and anxiety affects every aspect of your life including how you will come across in auditions – and generally that is negatively.

So how do you cope?

I regret to inform you that there is no good way to completely eliminate that stress unless you get rid of one or more stressors.  No, I am not suggesting you divorce your spouse and abandon your kids or quit your day job and pitch a tent under a bridge.  Nor am I suggesting you stop pursuing your passion.  And while you can’t completely eliminate the pressure, there are ways to reduce it.

With family

Start with a frank discussion about your passion as an actor with your family, particularly your spouse.  There is a good chance they neither understand the industry nor your desire to be a part of it.  Help them understand these things but listen to their concerns.  While it may be your goal to work in feature films, perhaps a compromise to pursue only local commercial work will allow you to keep acting and alleviate their concerns.  Or…you could just leave, but I don’t recommend that.

With work

Discuss your acting career with your boss.  Ask about remote work opportunities that you can possibly perform outside normal working hours. Maybe it is possible to take a short leave of absence and protect your position. Understand their requirements and if need be, consider looking for work that allows the flexibility you need.  You may have to pause your acting career temporarily to find the right job, but giving up on your passion altogether is just going to lead to regrets.  Trust me, I did it and I know.

Time

Take some for yourself. Make sure you are not hustling for work 100% of the time.  Make sure to make time for family and unplug altogether occasionally to take time for yourself.  Your kids are only going to be “today years old” today.  Don’t miss it in pursuit of the next gig.

Prioritize

At the end of the day, the real cure for the stress of balancing a full-time job, family and acting career is to set and maintain priorities and boundaries.  Put those three elements in priority order and any time there is a conflict defer to the one with the highest priority.  No one can tell you what the priority should be, that decision is purely personal, but if you can do that then when there are competing priorities the decision of which to do becomes a lot easier.  Trying to “do it all” is just going to lead to burn-out and then ALL of your priorities suffer.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!  

The Elephant in the Room; How a writers strike affects everyone.

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  I know I’ve written a bit about this in the recent past, but as the deadline for negotiations looms at midnight May 1, it bears talking about again.  What follows are my conclusions drawn from a myriad of news sources. They do NOT necessarily reflect the positions of the labor unions. This week let’s talk about how a writer’s strike may affect everyone.

First:

I know I’ve been absent for a couple weeks…sorry.  I have been on location in Western Tennessee filming the Western “Unnatural” and unable to post both because of the remote location AND exhaustion.  Look for Unnatural in the spring of 2024.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

It’s not looking good…

While negotiation results are being held pretty close to the vest, all indications in the news these days tend to point to the eventuality that the writers will go “pencils down” at midnight May 1st.  Talks were held Saturday Apr 29th and again Sunday Apr 30, but it seems the two sides (WGA and AMPTP) are still petty far apart.  Unless something miraculous happens today (Monday May1st) a strike is all but inevitable.

So, bad for writers.

Yes and no.  From the position of the WGA, things are ALREADY bad for writers, which is what prompted the strike vote.  Union writers apparently agree since they voted 98% in favor of striking if an agreement cannot be reached.  While writers will stop working (AND getting paid for writing) if there is a strike, the long-term result should be better wages and working conditions when the strike ends (and they always end).  And it may not just be the writers.

Almost everyone…

It’s not just the Writer’s Guild whose contracts expire this year.  The Directors (DGA) and actors (SAG-AFTRA) contracts also expire this year, albeit later (June 30th).  Historically, the first union to begin negotiations set the tone for the others, so it is possible the Directors and Actors negotiations could be contentious as well…after all they have some of the same concerns as the writers do.

Similar issues

The issues preventing the WGA and AMPTP from coming to an agreement are, or at least are to some degree, the same issues facing both the DGA and SAG-AFTRA.  The big issues concern the rate of pay for streaming platforms, residuals, and the introduction of AI writers like ChatGPT.  Pay for projects headed to streaming platforms is lower (traditionally) than for network/studio projects and streaming has blown up over the course of the pandemic. And AI presents a HOST of issues, not the least of which is copyright infringement.  While the DGA and SAG contracts don’t expire till June 30th,  WGA negotiations will influence their negotiations as well.

Solidarity.

Other unions, most notably the Teamsters, DGA and SAG-AFTRA have issued statements indicating solidarity with the WGA on negotiations.  Essentially, while not mandating their members honor writer picket lines, each of these labor unions have stated that they “don’t cross picket lines”.  Even if the respective unions do not strike, not crossing picket lines means their members (in large part) will also cease working which is effectively a strike as well.

Non-Union writers are OK, though?

Well, maybe.  The WGA has posted their strike rules and one that sticks out is that any writer who is not part of the union who works for a struck company will not be permitted to join the union at a future date.  That might be OK if that writer never intends to become a union member, but bad if they ever intend to join. Nonunion writers can continue to work on nonunion and independent projects…just not for companies that are being struck.

Union vs Non-Union talent

Clearly the impact to us talent will be different depending on if you are union or non-union.  If you are a member of SAG-AFTRA, thanks to global rule 1, when union work goes away so does any opportunity for work.  And should SAG-AFTRA decide to strike as well, then there is ZERO chance of work.  And if you are non-union hoping to become eligible, it’s going to take longer to get there.

For Non-Union talent?

The largest immediate impact is that there will be fewer projects to cast so not only will there be fewer opportunities for work, but competition for those roles will also be fiercer.  Fewer roles with the same number of actors means there will be FAR more people submitting to each role which means more competition. So not only is there less work, but a lower chance (as if it wasn’t low enough already) of actually landing a given role.

Already a slow-down

You may have already noticed a slowdown in new roles.  I know I surely have.  Why is that?  Well, producers are reluctant to start a new project if there is a chance that they will lose their writers on May 2nd (tomorrow!  YIKES!).  While the networks and studios have spent the early part of the year gobbling up scripts, without a writer on staff to make changes/polish them during production completing those projects will be difficult. This is particularly egregious for series as many times scripts are changed or even written in near real time during production.

For consumers

The biggest impact to consumers of the industry – the audience – will be that release dates for projects already underway (whose productions may pause) will be pushed back (fewer new movies in the theaters AND on streaming) and series seasons will be truncated.  Late night television and scripted variety shows will go first, then series TV then movies.  Look for a LOT of re-runs and shorter seasons.  On top of that it takes a while to get moving again after a strike, so next season’s release dates will be moved out as well.

For performers

Polish off your side gigs, you’re likely gonna need them!  I mean it’s not like you can just stop eating and paying your mortgage! For some, this is a reality even when there is NOT a strike.  For the A-list actors who are uber wealthy (all >1% of them) it’ll just be like a vacation. For everyone between them it is going to hit pretty hard. If you have been able to support yourself and your family solely on acting and VO work, that may cease being a possibility. Those folks “in the middle” are the ones I feel for.

For some

For some people this may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and causes them to quit acting altogether.  It’s tough to keep moving forward when you are forced to take a 9-5 job that prevents you from being available for whatever jobs may be available in order to keep a roof over your head or feed your family.  It’s sad that some people will give up on their dreams because of this nearly inevitable strike and slow down.

If that’s you…

I’m sorry.  My heart goes out to you.  I can only hope that when this ends you are able to find your way back to pursuing your passion.  As a very good friend would often say to me: “This too, shall pass” – which I recognize is of little help immediately but gives you something to look forward to.

At the end of the day

Everyone hates to see it come to a strike, but it’s understandable when workers are not being fairly compensated for their work.  While the workforce will feel the pinch during a strike, the studios and networks are the real losers during times like this. Many of these companies are publicly traded and their bottom line will suffer dramatically – which of course is the point of a strike.

Don’t give up!

Keep your head up, keep moving forward and look forward to all the new work waiting in the wings when it’s over.  And hey – they COULD reach an agreement by midnight today and this entire post can have been for naught!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!  

What to do when things are slow (like now)

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  I don’t know if it is just me, but MAN it sure seems pretty slow around here these days.  I mean, I’m still working, but not nearly as much as I’d like to, and future jobs are slim pickings.  This week let’s talk about what you should do to keep busy during slow times.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  Yeah, I know I say this every week, but it falls under the heading of “The things that go without saying are the things that most need to be said”.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

Slow times

It happens in everyone’s acting careers.  The nature of this business is that there are going to be times when work is slow. Maybe there are just fewer productions in the works. Maybe there are just not a lot of roles you are fit for.  This year, for example, all of the major unions are up for renegotiating their Minimum Basic Agreement contracts with the major producers . Also, this year there is some major contention with the Writers Guild, and they are threatening to strike.

Potential writers’ strike

I wrote a bit about this previously, but the threat of a writer’s strike has increased risk for big union productions, so there is a pretty significant reduction in new productions starting.  It’s understandable, because negotiations with one union group (WGA) can, and often does, affect negotiations with the other unions.  The natural result is that productions are holding off going into production (and casting actors for them) until things are settled.  Consequently, there are fewer jobs for actors at the moment.

So, what do you do?

It’s bad when work slows down, but there are still some things you can do to keep busy during slow times, and maybe even earn a little money as well.  What follows is an exploration of things an actor can do to keep busy and maybe earn some cash during slow times. The first thing you need to note about the following is that doing these things requires a lot of self-motivation, especially for the things that don’t earn you money while you’re doing them.  If you are not self-motivated, well, maybe you are in the wrong field!

A note

Listen, we all experience slow times for varied reasons. Even seasoned and famous actors have periods, sometimes long periods, where they are not working.  I’ve read several books about actors whose career was SO slow just before a big break they were considering getting out of the business.  Consistency, persistence, and motivation are what you need to get through slow times. These slow periods are NOT an indictment of your talent (usually) so do what you can to weather them and get through it.

Side jobs

Unless you are an A-List actor (or maybe even a B-List actor) with a ton of reserve cash, which the vast majority of us are not, then you probably have (or need) a side hustle to get through lean times.  It’s sad, but since we are all pretty accustomed to eating and having a place to sleep, during slow times you should try to ramp up your side gig.  Take more hours, hustle more or do whatever you need to do to allow you to survive.  I know this goes without saying, but a slowdown in acting work leaves you some extra free time to concentrate on your side gigs.  Thus, when things slow down the first thing to do is to increase your non-acting work.  I mean, you do have more time for that, right?

Training

Even a busy actor should continue training and coaching, but during slow periods in your acting career you have an opportunity to commit to something a little longer term.  Is there a class you’d like to take but were too busy for the commitment before?  Now is your chance to take that class.  True, you never know when things will pick up again, and there is a bit of risk involved in committing to a long term class. It’s a personal decision, to be sure, however if things pick up again before you finish you just have a scheduling issue, not something insurmountable.

Explore other acting venues.

Are you primarily a screen actor? Voice artist? Theater actor?  Branch out!  Try community theater, audition for VO roles.  If you don’t pigeonhole yourself your opportunities to act will increase.  Try looking for low-paying or unpaid independent gigs just to keep working those acting muscles.  Find a local theater or film school and volunteer to perform in their productions. Many of these opportunities are completely unaffected by things like union negotiations and strikes, and student productions are always looking for actors…some are even paid opportunities.

Meet with your agent or manager.

Slow times are a good time to meet with other members of your team.  Approach your agent or manager with an open mind, mention you are not getting as many auditions/bookings and ask what you might do to improve your odds.  Maybe it is time to learn a new aspect of the craft (such as stage/screen fighting or stunts), maybe it is the right time to concentrate on updating your marketing materials like head shots, or maybe your resume needs some work.  Slow periods are good time to take care of those things.

Network

Slow periods are a great time to nurture industry relationships. Reach out to your network and set up that lunch meeting that you’ve not had time for.  Attend industry events like Film Festivals and premiere screenings.  These are great places to meet people in the industry and get to know them.  Remember, though, that networking is a way for you to get to know people and them you.  They are not auditions or interviews.  And when networking remember that your goal is to find ways to help them not to get them to help you.  Networking is not an opportunity to pitch yourself or your ideas.  Networking leads to new friends, which may lead to opportunities to pitch yourself or your ideas, but that is not the point of networking.

Research

Study productions that fit your “essence” to see what makes them good.  Seeing (or hearing) other successful actors in roles you would be auditioning for will help you know how to prepare for these types of projects when things pick back up.  It definitely will give you a leg up on other actors auditioning for the same roles who did not do any research.  Also, research what productions are waiting in the wings to see what might be coming up.  A subscription to Casting About will give you a good idea of what to be preparing for and also an idea what producers/directors are getting ready to start casting so your agent or manager can pitch you directly.

Get in shape.

Is the crafty table just a little too tempting when you’re on set so you’ve put on a few pounds?  Slow times are a good time to concentrate on you and your health.  Do you need to take off a few pounds?  This is a good time to think about exercising or maybe starting that diet you’ve been thinking about. You should always be concerned about your health, after all, it is tough to work if you are incapacitated or dead, but slow times give you more time to concentrate on that.  And you even get to control what gets put on YOUR crafty table.

Create

If it is slow for you, it is likely slow for your circle of friends and acquaintances.  Slow times are a good time to create your own content.  Get together with other industry folks you know and produce some fun short content, then post it on your YouTube channel.  It’s fun, doesn’t cost a ton of money and it gives everyone involved a chance to keep practicing the craft they love. These projects should be fun and don’t have to be “highly polished” productions. You never know where something like this may lead.

At the end of the day

There are always going to be slow times as an actor.  It’s inevitable.  The key is to keep working, keep moving, don’t stagnate.  If you allow yourself to slow down at the same pace as the industry, overcoming the inertia to get moving again will be difficult.  You may not actually earn any money from some of these, and some may even cost some money, but they will pay off in the long run when the industry picks back up.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!