The Acting Biz 101 (and our tributes to Heath Ledger)

Muchos thanks are due to the folks out there who stick with us each week and tolerate our reckless behavior on this so-called blog. Scooter is thankful, too. High-five!

Now back to us:

Jo and I are teaming up this week for a little thing we'd like to call Acting Biz 101. We've been getting great responses from our little blurbs; most of them come from curious parties, eager to learn about ACTING and what makes it tick. For example:

Crucial Questions We Received This Afternoon via Text Message:
1. Like, is the writer's strike like totally bumming you guys out or what?
2. Can I be an actor?
3. What's Brian's shower gel of choice?

Answers:
1. Yes!
2. Sure!
3. Axe Vice!

But rather than fielding all of those pressing questions uno-a-uno, we thought we'd hit them all at once (or at least over several posts). Fellow thespians, feel free to pass on this one. Here goes:

ACTORS
There are two kind of actors: union and non-union. These are not synonymous with "good and bad," but there are good and bad actors out there, too. More bad than good.

UNIONS
There are three unions to know: SAG (Screen Actors' Guild, i.e. film), AFTRA (American Federation of TV and Radio Artists) and Actors' Equity (which pertains to theater).

SAG
Even if a person is really nice, he/she cannot hop off their couch and join SAG. To become a member, an actor must do one of two things: (a) earn 3 SAG vouchers, which can be earned on movie sets (but are not easy to acquire, by any means); or (b) be "tafted." The Taft Hartley labor law insists that if a non-union actor is given a speaking role in a film (even a one-liner), he/she is eligible to join SAG. There's a fee to join (this fee may spike to nearly $3K by the summer, whoopee!) in addition to annual dues.

ACTORS' EQUITY
AE works similarly - actors must earn points and/or be inducted in. For instance, if Jo was to be cast in Legally Blonde, she would (99% of the time) become eligible on the spot.

AFTRA
...we know much less about, so we're gonna skip this one, don't be offended.

CASTING DIRECTORS (CDs)
CDs are assigned to projects, i.e. Ellen Chenoweth was the CD for Michael Clayton. CDs work on a case-by-case basis.

AGENTS (i.e. Ari Gold on Entourage)
Agents are buddy-buddy with the CDs, assisting them with casting. All actors want a good agent to represent them (but there are a bunch of mediocre agents out there, and there are a handful of scam artists posing as agencies). You hope to build a relationship with an agent - he/she will put their actors' names and faces into the world to help them score auditions and gigs. Agents are also privy to information that actors themselves are not.

A MAJOR MISCONCEPTION:
Getting an agent's a walk in the park.

You've heard the stories on Dateline: an actress - fresh off the bus from Tulsa - goes to Rodeo Drive for the first time. Out of the blue, an agent appears! "I really want to represent you," he tells the starlet. "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away..."

It isn't the case. Sad but true. Getting an agent is a grueling process and in general a huge pain in the butt. Joanna's freelanced with a couple of them, but there was no interest in "signing" her. An agent won't sign with an actor until he/she is certain that the actor has potential to sell.

WAYS TO BOOK AN AGENT
1. Do a showcase!
Jo and I have done two showcases, both in NY. None of the agents showed a real interest in either of us. But why, you ask? Well, agents see 10-20 showcases a month. Ari Gold and his cronies are looking for the fresh, the new, the sell-able, never settling for less. Most importantly, we don't take it to heart - in most cases, it's not about us, it's about THEM.

2. Ask friends for help.
SO, you got an agent? That's great! Congrats! Anyway you can drop my name, say I'm really well-proportioned and seeking representation? Awesome! Thanks! Oddly enough, this works. Sometimes.

3. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE.
Keep auditioning, keep attending networking events, keep meeting people, keep a blog.

WAYS NOT TO BOOK AN AGENT
1. Reality TV shows.
2. Knock on their door.
3. Voodoo.

MANAGERS
Managers are great, too - they help keep their actors organized and in shape and offer smart advice. Very simply, they manage their client's career.

ME AND JO AND NON-UNION PEOPLE LIKE US...
Jo and I get our notices about auditions from two online services: LA Casting and Actor's Access - both of which are reliable sources. However, 9 out of 10 notices (because these are Non-Union jobs) are unpaid student films or TV shows like Deal or No Deal seeking enthusiastic audience members. The good work to be had (Domino's pizza commercials, soap operas and feature film auditions) are in the agents' hands. And while Jo and I would have loved to participate (or even audition for) Superbad or Cloverfield or whatever other hit teen action movie comes out next, there's no means of telling where or when those auditions will be held. We sign on to do these "lesser" projects because (a) it's good experience and because (b) we can use the film footage on our reel...

...but that's for a later date. We'll leave it there for Acting Biz 101. We hope this has been enlightening and entertaining.

TEXT MESSAGED COMMENTS WE'VE RECEIVED SINCE WRITING THIS BLOG
1. Brian, get off the couch! Write a screenplay and put Joanna in it and that's it, for chrissake!
2. You two should get on Grey's Anatomy. That show is cute-cute-cute.

Will do. Will do.
love,
b&j&s


BRIAN's TRIBUTE TO HEATH
Yesterday's news struck a chord not only with the film and theater community but with the whole world. I believe Mel Gibson said it best:

"He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss...''

Heath was at the peak of his career, taking on mature roles and standing apart from his peers, working at a level that is un-heard for an actor in his mid-20s. His work alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain (earning an Oscar nod at the age of 26) was remarkable. His skill, professionalism and talent were well beyond his years, as we will surely see in his sure-to-be-stunning portrayal of the Joker in the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight. He will be missed.

JOANNA'S TRIBUTE TO HEATH
Waiting for an audition yesterday, I overheard the casting intern chatting on the phone about Heath Ledger's tragic passing. My stomach dropped. No way. Not the Heath Ledger who lived in my neighborhood, who I used to see playing with his daughter at the park, carrying her on his shoulders, unassuming in his shorts and t-shirt. I suppose it's for this reason (and more) that I have taken his death very personally. I must admit, I'm still in complete denial that he's gone. I am mostly baffled by how someone so genuinely talented and sincere, a devoted father and just 28 years old, could be taken from us -- for what seems to be no reason at all.

But Heath will grace us with his talent again this summer, and I look forward to his work. It just goes to show the amazing power of film -- and one of the reasons why I strive to make it my life's work. Heath will be immortalized not only in his loved ones' memories, but in the roles he has created and breathed life into, from one character to the next.