Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Firearm Safety

Actors: if you are in a scene with a firearm, always clear it (check if it is loaded) yourself, with your own eyes, before each take.

Directors: always cheat the aim of firearms on set, never point them at living things; angles can make it look like it is aimed directly.

Read more on gun safety for movies on moviegunservices.com

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Acting with Uncertainty

Part of the magic of our work is that it's not guaranteed. As soon as it is, we can digitize it or mechanize it or outsource it

(from Note for Note). Remember, that is only part; this isn't a license to be haphazard or randomly failing to deliver. Just don't become a robot. I have referred to this before as actors being the squishy.

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Monday, June 11, 2012

Tablets Changing TV Viewing Habits

Tablets are one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies in history and are poised to fundamentally disrupt the way people engage with the digital world both on-the-go and perhaps most notably, in the home, said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP, mobile.
It's not surprising to see that once consumers get their hands on their first tablet, they are using them for any number of media habits, including TV viewing, he adds.

(from Online Media Daily).

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Sunday, June 03, 2012

How Not to Choose a Headshot

The key, and challenge, is knowing what you are offering as an actor, who you are as an actor. What actor the market sees you as, who you are as an actor, is not usually identical to who you are as a person. And, the actor you want to be and the actor you actually are may not be the same. Choosing pictures becomes easier to do by yourself if you know who you are as an actor.

A not good way to go about choosing a headshot is to ask someone else to choose it for you. Bob Fraser explains why:

You know exactly what it is you are trying to accomplish - and why. No one else in the world has the knowledge you have ... at this point.
DO NOT ASK ANOTHER ACTOR'S OPINION.
Believe me, the great majority of actors are generally not 'clued in' about this process and their advice is, by it's very nature, skewed. Other actors may have an "agenda" when you ask for their help.
Some actors think this is a competition.
This is just not a very good idea at all. (One exception: If you are friends with a successful actor - who has a lot of experience - it might be worth asking a favor.)
But again, most actors have a difficult time explaining their own procedures - so take all advice with a grain of salt.
BE CAREFUL ASKING AN AGENT'S OPINION.
Your agent is a salesperson. Do you think that the salesmen are consulted when a car company takes photos of their cars? Many agents will try to help when asked, but it has been my observation that a good agent is not necessarily a good judge of what constitutes a good headshot - for you.
ASKING FRIENDS & FAMILY IS NOT A GOOD IDEA EITHER.
If your friends (or family) are not in the business (as a casting director, director, or producer) - they will be almost totally useless in helping you choose a 'working' headshot.
If you happen to have a friend who IS a casting director, director or producer, then by all means, ask for opinions.
BUT ... don't go to your professional friend with several dozen photos and expect them to spend the kind of time it takes to pick out the good ones.
That's asking too much.
It's always been my experience that when you ask too much - you will receive too little.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: Before you ask anyone else's opinion, take the time to cut the choices down to a manageable number.
YOU have to do this!
You must practice becoming the best judge of what will get you to where you want to go. If you're looking for someone else to help you, or merely justify your choices - you will be searching for a good long time - maybe forever.
Most of the time, other people do not care deeply about your dreams.
You DO care deeply, so I urge you to 'gird your loins' and do the hard work part.

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Saturday, June 02, 2012

SAG-AFTRA Makes Music Video Deal

The three-year deal includes minimums, pension and health benefits and a range of working-condition protections.
Capping a year of effort, SAG-AFTRA announced Friday that it had reached the first-ever industry wide agreement covering dancers in music videos. The deal, which encompasses Sony Music, UMG, Warner, EMI, Disney and their subsidiary labels, came less than two weeks after the union's board gave its executive director, David White, the power to issue a Do Not Work Order against the labels.
The three-year agreement was reached in the early morning hours of June 1, after the current round of talks between the union and label representatives commenced on May 30 in Los Angeles. The agreement is a milestone not only for the music video business but also for the new union: it's the first agreement reached by the post-merger SAG-AFTRA.

(from The Hollywood Reporter). Read SAG-AFTRA's statement about music videos.

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