Greetings! I wanted to post an update in response to some questions I received in the Guest Book. If you’re looking to get started in the business, either on camera, or in voice over, here are some tips I offer up to you like a platter of sandwiches. If they don’t appeal to you, don’t take them, but these are some of the things I wish I had known when I was starting out:
1. Don’t take anything personally. There are many reasons why someone gets hired and someone doesn’t. Some of these decisions are made for political reasons, subjective reasons, you will never know, so don’t spend a lot of time ruminating over an audition. Do your best and let it go. Nothing is more of a turn off than an actor who comes across as desperate.
2. Study your craft so that you have something solid to offer. Become so good that producers have no choice but to hire you.
3. If you want to be in voice over, make a demo cd of all the voices you can do. Try to include as many different ages and ethnicities, as you can (as well as the opposite gender. ) Send it out to voice over agents and see what happens! You can also try taking a class in voice over technique at Kalmenson & Kalmenson. My manager says they offer excellent advice – http://www.kalmenson.com.
4. Work on your inner life, get to know yourself so that you can discern exactly what it is that is unique about you and what you have to offer that no one else has.
Hope that was helpful.
I’ll be starting to film the next season of “Men In Trees” this month. We will be on again in the fall on ABC on Friday nights at 8PM.
Cheers!
Lauren Tom