Mark Burnett: Choose Your Companions Before Your Road

In this video, Mark Burnett, one of my heroes in television, talks about what makes you and your business successful. Burnett is an expert in producing reality television and has had a successful run with creating such shows as "Survivor", "The Apprentice", "The Contender", and now, "Sarah Palin's Alaska". He is a "no-nonsense" entrepreneur with the business savvy and interpersonal skills to be one the most successful media giants. I have been reading Mr. Burnett's book, "Jump In, Even If You Don't Know How to Swim", and have been quite inspired by his can-do attitude followed by the model of just jumping in, even when you are not sure what you are doing.

 I have learned quite a bit from this exemplary man, and am happy to have stumbled upon this video, highlighting the importance of building the right team of people around you on whatever project you are working on.  It once again proves the man knows what he's talking about. In his time with creating reality television, Mr. Burnett has succeeded in building one of the most successful teams in the industry today. In the video, he notes that he has kept about 85% of his employees from his first reality endeavors with EcoChallenge. He has indeed built a team of rock stars who produce top-notch entertainment. 

Mr. Burnett wisely says to the entrepreneurs he is speaking to in the video, "Having a successful business plan is one part of it...you have to have good people surrounding you." He goes on to say that if there are poor employees in your organization, business, etc, it's best to fire them, or you will not reach the full potential of success. Though firing is something not always easy to follow through on, it's a necessity in order to bring the most success to any project. 

I find Mark Burnett to be an incredibly fascinating human being, one who has certainly not let his thinking remain "in-the-box". His knowledge regarding business, entertainment, reality tv, casting, and life in general has been most inspiring as I have read through his book over the past few weeks. I highly recommend, "Jump In, Even If You Don't Know How to Swim", to anyone looking for a little inspiration to follow your dreams and not be bound by your doubts. And from listening to this excerpt about building the right team, I am confident he is speaking from the heart and from experience. Thanks, Mark, for your incredible energy, vision and drive. You are truly an inspiration. 

Actors West: SoCal company gives feedback and training to up and coming talent.

                          

This post is for all those aspiring actors/actresses who are looking for a little more feedback when it comes to an audition. It’s quite common in the audition process to walk out of the room thinking you nailed it, and then subsequently never hear back from the casting director. Instead of hearing valuable feedback about what you could improve on, you go home and dissect those fateful 2 minutes, wondering: “Was it may hair?”; “Or maybe it was my accent?”; “Did I have something in my teeth?” Without direct feedback one could work themselves into a tizzy wondering what the heck went wrong. Thankfully, a SoCal company, Actors West, has got your back. Actors West is a company devoted to you, the actor or actress looking to receive training from Hollywood’s top experts, and actually get that feedback you are lacking from a normal audition.

Actors West specializes in directing up and coming talent in how to snag that new part whether in a film, TV series, or commercial. They are fused with some of the best in the industry who are actually out on the frontlines and know what a director is looking for.  Offering regular events including: connecting new talent with a manager or agent; commercial acting workshops; audition workshops and intensives; and the casting director intensive, Actors West is a well-rounded company offering a valuable stepping stone to those who want the ultimate exposure into the industry. Click here to see the many success stories of their clients. The list is deep with many mainstream shows and movies their clients have been connected with because of attending an Actors West event. If you or someone you know is trying to break into the industry and might need some great feedback about their auditions, and are looking to meet some incredibly professional and well-connected contacts in the industry, Actors West looks a viable option. 

Calling Future Casting Directors!

Do you have a desire to work as a casting director within the entertainment industry? This entry is dedicated to helping those who have an eye for talent, and skills of negotiation to take the appropriate action steps to move on to a successful career within the industry. I read an article this week called, “How Casting Directors Work” from Discovery Channels, How Stuff Works, which lays out some pretty practical tips on how to make your way into this exciting career. In their opinion, it all comes down to education, experience, networking and personality.

In terms of education, they suggest attending either a two or four year college dedicated to dedicated to either film or theater, as well entertainment business courses that can help seal the deal in the art of negotiations and contracts.

Experience is another area that will be key in becoming a casting director. It’s pretty common for casting directors to have moved through the ranks, starting at the very bottom of the so-to-speak food chain, and working their way to the top, sometimes offering their services for free. A great place to start is offering your time to a successful casting director as their assistant. This is an incredibly valuable mode of getting first-hand experience while learning from the best.

Networking serves as another great tool in getting where you want to go within the industry. The bigger your “rolodex” the bigger opportunity you have to provide meaningful opportunities for your clients.

And you can’t forget personality. As a casting director you will be interacting with a wide spectrum of people. It’s imperative to be able to manage all types of interpersonal relationships. Without the ability to mesh with a wide variety of personalities, one will be limiting the amount of clientele they can work with.

For more tips on how to become a casting director, check out this page on amazon.com.  

Reality TV Casting Tips

I recently watched a video from the casting directors from NBC’s, “The Biggest Loser” in order to gain tips on how to cast for a reality television show. Though it’s a fairly brief video the advice for the hopeful contestants is both practical and quite easy. The running theme I heard throughout the course of the clip was to be yourself; especially regarding a reality show where it’s fairly unscripted and you are cast because of your personality. It makes the most sense to be who are in front of casting directors rather putting on a false persona. This way you don’t have anything to hide if you are indeed cast for your desired show, which is easier on you in the long run, and far more genuine. Along with being yourself, have fun! Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, but be careful not to be overly dramatic or over-the-top. This can be a huge turn-off to casting directors and producers.

Website AuditionFree.com, gives some great tips on audition tapes from making sure to have the proper labels, to ensuring you have the proper lighting. They comment that a common mistake is shooting an audition tape in front of a window where it will look like you are one big shadow. Your lighting does not have to be professional, but you need to give consideration to the fundamentals in order to present a clean look. AuditionFree also goes on to suggest staying away from overly produced video footage, or footage that has too much computer graphics. They are not impressed with your computer knowledge and would much rather see a genuine version of yourself, and what a typical day entails in your life, rather than seeing your killer transition or graphics.

For more advice and tips on landing a role on your favorite reality television show, visit AuditionFree.com and Reality TV, where “The Biggest Loser” clip came from. And remember, when push comes to shove, “Be Yourself”! Good luck! 

Interview with Adam She, "Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ" (AMTC) Director of Operations -Written by: Molly Ptaszek

The following is an interview with Adam She, Director of Operations for Actor’s, Models, and Talent for Christ (AMTC). Adam was incredibly gracious to speak with me over the phone and let me in on this very successful and unique talent management company known for it’s strong Christian values. With an industry overwhelming full of smut and filth, AMTC is a breath of fresh air, providing wholesome, moral, yet beautifully talented individuals to bring a new perspective to the industry. For a deeper look into this one-of-a-kind company, check out their website – http://www.amtcworld.com. Don't forget to check them out on facebook as well.

Thanks to Carey Arban (AMTC - CSO) for responding to my e-mail and connecting me with Adam; and thank you Adam for your valuable time and insight. May the Lord continually bless your efforts to bring Light to an incredibly dark industry. The Lord is so good. 

Friday, November 5, 2010

Molly Ptaszek (MP): How long have you been with AMTC, and what is your job is as the Director of Operations?

 Adam She (AS): I’ve been with AMTC for 7 sevens years. I oversee all aspect of AMTC operations. I manage and supervise all of department heads and I also head up marketing. I am also a national scout and do some traveling for AMTC.

MP: What is the size of your organization; how many full-time employees?

AS: We have about 15 full time employees, and 100 contractors for anything from coaching, event planning, to administration. Some of our full-time staff are in satellite offices full time is in L.A. and Dallas, but our main offices are in Georgia.

MP: What makes AMTC stand out/unique compared to other talent management companies?

AS: We are very unique. We are one a kind; there is just nothing like us out there; that makes us unique. We have a history and reputation in our 29 year in business. We have never made making money out primary objective; that’s always been a little further down the list. Now that we please God as our number one priority, money has moved even lower down on the list. Publicly, we became a Christian about 4 years ago when my mother-in-law because a Christian. She is our CSO (Chief Serving Officer.) She does a good bit of traveling as a national talent scout., but she is more of a visionary for AMTC.

MP: Tell me about AMTC’s main events.

AS: We have two big tickets items; two, 6-day conventions They are opportunity in a nutshell. What we do is we teach people. The industry is all about what you know and who know. We teach people what they need to know to be successful. That’s why we have the convention.

MP: Who comes to the conventions?

 AS: Agents, managers, and talent directors from the major markets...

 MP: How have you built these contacts?

AS: God has been good to us. We have a good reputation. Industry contacts talk with each other and let people now. We have people reach out to us all the time as scouts. We are very blessed. We only accept those who are established and have a good reputation and track record. And we say 50-100 agents and managers because what we guarantee is one agent for 11 performers. We can from 500-1000 performers. We have closer to 1 agent to every ten performers.

MP: What is the success rate for your performers?

AS: 65percent will get at least one call back. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it mean they have some interest. It’s an open door, like a first date. What that performer does with that open door is up to them.  As for the percentage who book work, that’s harder to say; many placements can take place right away, or months down the road.

MP: Do you follow up or keep in contact with your performers?

AS: We do keep in contact with performers down the road. There is a follow up group who is available to answer questions as long as they need down the road; they can call and ask for advice…

MP: Where do see AMTC headed in the next five years; what are some of your goals?

AS: In this economy, any business is planning for growth or they will go out; so we are planning for growth. We are setting things in action to prepare. We are opening a training center in Dallas and Atlanta, and performers who are selected would train at these locations.

We are not doing any layoffs. We are hiring; for these new facilities; we are redoing the online curriculum; bringing in more coaches, people who are well trained at what they teach with the curriculum…

MP: Many talent organizations are using digital technology to bring more opportunities to their clients. The Screen Actors Guild has iActor, which allows their members to create an online profile to upload their head shots, resume and also video samples, and gives casting directors around the world the opportunity to search quite easily for new talent in the database; where does AMTC fall in regards to technology in this regard?

AS: We have an online curriculum and our students have a profile. It’s more teaching and not exposure. As far as offering details about talent online, most of our bookings, they are going to want to see people person on person.

Mp:  How has the use of social media affected your business strategy, and what social media techniques do you use?

AS: We have facebook and Twitter, as well as a team that maintains those accounts and posts regularly. We make announcement when we have auditions. Technology is future.

MP: As someone who will be starting fresh and will be up against a lot of competitors looking for the same jobs in the industry, what is some advice you would give to stand out about the crowd?

AS: I think if you are going to achieve success you must be a networker and have a strong desire to build relationships. You also have to have high core values. There is no substitute for core values. My advice is to work as an apprentice with a reputable person; to learn the ropes day and in and day out. Don’t be afraid to volunteer your time. Everyone has to pay his or her dues in one way.

A new day in the world of casting -Written by: Molly Ptaszek

The following entry is based on a few articles and websites I have come across in the past few weeks:
http://www.universalmind.com/portfolio/case-study/eco-cast-case-study/
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/09/16/business/doc4c92b49e3af66065375165.txt
http://www.sag.org/files/sag/documents/iActor_Backgrounder.pdf


******************************************************************
Casting for television shows, commercials, film, etc., has gone through an extreme makeover over the past few years. In years past, hopeful actors would take valuable time to visit their local Target, buy a video camera, clunky blank VHS tapes or DVDs likely to get scratched, followed by sending their audition tape in a highly overpriced envelope or box to a casting director, in hope the contents would arrive on time. In the same vein, on the receiving end, casting assistants would receive said packages and sort through the mire of VHS tapes, DVDs and paper resumes in order to present the budding clients to the casting director; not so with digital casting. A new day has come within casting, as more people are accustomed to the amazing benefits of social media to find the right job or right talent.

Universal Mind (UM), a digital solutions agency, recently developed a product currently changing the casting industry; Eco-Casting is a digital platform for Breakdown Services, a leader in casting. Actors are able upload photos, videos and resumes to this site in order to gain instead visibility to casting directors around the world. UM’s website mentions some advantages of how this new platform will revolutionize the industry including it’s earth-friendly approach and convenience for families. Regarding its earth-friendliness, UM and Breakdown Services estimated “…104,000 gallons of gas will be saved annually by enabling actors to audition remotely—to say nothing of the reduction in air travel, time and expenditures spent by casting directors on the road and actors traveling to Hollywood”. In an article in the Oakland Press, Curt Howe, an employee of Charlie’s Talent Agency in Ferndale, MI, agrees about the convenience for especially for families; “It’s especially nice for the Michigan people who cannot travel to an audition in L.A.,” such as child actors who are in school or aspiring actors who cannot afford to attend every audition that pops up”.

The Screen Actors Guild has also paved the way of creating an online platform for talent to submit auditions. Unlike Eco-Casting, only their 120,000 members have access to cutting-edge technology called iActor, an online database of SAG members who can create a professional profile for casting directors to peruse when they are looking for talent. Actors are permitted to submit professional resumes, photos, as well as video and audio clips of their work. Casting directors simply type the requirements they are looking for such as gender, credits, special skills, and physical features. This is a great way for casting directors to get a quick look at client and easily contact them if they are the right fit for the part.