Los Angeles Acting blog by David August: May 2007

Monday, May 21, 2007

Agency Due Diligence

A few places to check an agent's background:

this posted by David August at 5:33 PM - 0 comments -

Friday, May 18, 2007

48 + 48 + 1 = submission

Update 2012: postage rates have gone up again.

At a post office in Hollywood, I found there isn't yet a 97 cent stamp available. Nor can you add a first class letter stamp to a postcard stamp, as you used to, to reach the amount needed to mail a headshot (24+39=63 which was what it cost before Monday). You can do one of three things to get to exact postage:

have the postal employee spend roughly 30 minutes with you printing out exact postage for each piece of a fifty piece mailing
buy two 48 cent stamps and one 1 cent stamp for each headshot you wish to mail
have access to a postage meter

Yes, one can simply spend 3 cents more and buy $1 stamps, but after mailing ten submissions a week for fifty weeks (maybe a year's worth) you'd spend $15 more than you'd need to spend on postage... and I'd rather go to one and a half movies instead. Anyone have a postage meter I can borrow?

Labels: money, submissions

this posted by David August at 4:25 PM - 1 comments -

Yale Uncensors Weapons

Stage weapons will again be allowed in University theatrical productions... Administrators decided Monday afternoon to require that audiences instead be informed of the use of stage weapons before the start of every performance

(from yaledailynews.com). I previously posted about this.

Labels: trends

this posted by David August at 2:52 AM - 0 comments -

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Acting for Free vs. Acting for Money

A friend asked about how to pursue acting, and specifically asked, among other things, about acting for money verses acting for free. This is what I wrote:

Working for free for some is always acceptable since acting is for them more avocation than vocation. If one wants to make a living, I'd recommend, once you have some credits that may not have paid on a resume, only accept work that compensates in some way:
financially

artistically [helps to hone craft]

builds career [looks good on resume]
Like all professions, eventually one must get paid for one's work if one plans to make a living at it. Doctors take 10 years to become doctors after college. Actor's should expect the same kind of investment of time to become established.

Anyone have any other thoughts? Leave a comment.

Labels: booking, money

this posted by David August at 4:04 PM - 4 comments -

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Postage Rates Increase May 14th

So do your mailings now. Find and agent, announce a project, whatever; it's about to cost more.

Labels: submissions

this posted by David August at 3:37 PM - 0 comments -