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HOLIDAYS from Acting Classes – What to do……

Suzie Steen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:37:48 +0000

Oh no! I can’t act until February! What will you do? How about pick up a book and READ. French’s Bookstore in Los Angeles and New York is fabulous to get anything you want.

Read biographies on your favorite actors (who are over 16)…..Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine is always a fun one.

Read books about acting: “How to Get the Part without Falling Apart”, Margie Haber

“Audition Secrets”, Suzie Steen

Just go look and yee shall find during the Holiday Season. Happy Holidays

Oh yeah, keep up with my blogs — I’m “Almost Famous”.

Go see FILMS old and new!!!! It’s an actor’s job! Do some Independent films, Theatre — just do something every day.

Forget it Now (FIN)

Suzie Steen — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:41:14 +0000

Forget it NOW: (FIN) from the book “Audition Secrets” available at: info@audition-secrets.com

djsteen 'Face of' Nickelodeon & Crazy guy

We can harass ourselves to the ends of the earth about what we did & did not do in an audition…Can’t we?

Well, take a ‘leaf’ from my book and MY experience as an Actress and one who trains Actors & Actresses:

Remember to learn from this experience you were fortunate to get, of course – but go home & play. It’s over – until next time! An actor has to nourish him/herself because nobody is going to do that for them – honestly.

If you really need to, call your Manager and cry or tell her/him what a wonderful job you did. If you do the latter, chances are the next day she will tell you the scene has been cut and ‘they’ would have loved to work with you.

The moment the passion is gone – get out of the business.

Aw shucks let’s be optimistic!! Keep up the passion. Get in a crappy play and be the best. Look in the mirror and say, “not too bad”, and keep on going. If you can’t do that, then yeah, take some classes and if that doesn’t work – perhaps you are a better car Salesperson.

Agents & Auditions

Suzie Steen — Sat, 22 May 2010 08:10:45 +0000

Hi guys! Being an American and now from both Continents, I know how difficult it is to find a Good agent who will take you and is right for you, here are just a few tips!

1. Ask other successful actors who have had the training and experience that you have in common.
2. Get referred by one of them.
3. ALWAYS make sure your Biography and Headshots are in tip-top shape (NO EXCEPTIONS).
4. In Los Angeles, you can go to a company called GLOBAL P.R.E.P. They have an amazing knowledge of the industry and I can attest to the fact that they have integrity.
5. If you get the interview with an Agent, interview them too. You need to know that they are the agent that will work for you — as long as you have the ‘goods’ to sell.
6. Never under-sell yourself. “Oh I only did” etc. Better is: “I did a play….” and it was a real eye-opener and I feel so much more confident…..” etc.

I use the word “sell” rather loosely as I don’t like to think of us as merchandise — however, aren’t we? If
you are buying a shirt/skirt and they cost the same, won’t you pick the one that is displayed better?

Here is a page from my book “Audition Secrets”. This passage is really more about Auditioning for Casting Agents, but don’t Talent Agents want to know HOW to handle audition situation?

Accept/Adapt
Accept what is going on in the room, some like a chat, some like to say hi, do your bit, bye – so adapt to each situation as it arises. It’s their party. You may be the star, but they invited you.

 Take your cues from the room

 As above, accept that you may have 2 minutes (in and out), if the auditioners ask questions you don’t quite understand…..ask and adapt to it.

 Accept that you may not be reading with someone you like, but adapt to it.
 It’s you’re time to make an impression. Please make it a good one!

I once went into an audition and no one really spoke to me. They sat back and talked to each other, told me to talk to the camera and said bye. Hmmm – really all they wanted to see was if I was pleasant, professional and looked right for the character on camera — which they would look at later!

I also once auditioned for the Director (big one) myself. The Casting Agent did not even speak to me, so away I went and just talked to the Director about my life in Hollywood and Australia — dropping, of course, all the names I could think of. Well, I got the part! And it has just been released in Australia to rave reviews. I’m a lucky American in a ‘foreign land’. It’s all a foreign land isn’t it?

So chin up, be happy, HAVE FUN, and good things can happen. Go to www.imdb.com/name/nm0824800/ to find out more about me. I am your American in Australia. Love what you do!

A GREAT AUDITION that makes ‘them’ remember and want you!

Suzie Steen — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:37:23 +0000

Another book to read is “Audition Secrets”, by Suzie Steen (oh yeah, that’s me and it’s in it’s third printing!) This is a very good time of year to read as it is what is called Pilot Season in the USA.

Here is a positive quote from the book as written by Los Angeles Casting Agent, Cathy Henderson:

“We audition for the Directors, the Directors audition for the Producers,
The Producers audition for the Studios,
And even the Studios audition for the Corporate Chairman and their distribution departments.
Despite all this, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. We are in awe of the artistic endeavors and we love talented people.”

See there, everyone is human and the people you audition with really do want you to do well because it makes their efforts look good to their clients and so on…

Professionalism in Auditions

Suzie Steen — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:08:55 +0000

Professionalism in Auditions

A word of encouragement, A casting Agent in LA says, “All I have to do in the morning is shower and show up. The actor showers, rehearses, chooses wardrobe, rehearses some more, throws up, memorises in the car. Faces a room full of people vying for the same part and get five minutes of my time. There has to be respect for that. They have certainly earned mine.”

Know your lines (Inside and out! Know your lines)
Know (or visualize) Who, What and Where (explanation below)
Know who you are auditioning with, what they are like, what they expect, what they have done. (do your homework)
Be on time! Organise yourself to (give time for traffic, public transport problems & getting lost, my personal favorite)
Re-read your CV so when the camera is on, you remember what you’ve done
Be ready with 10 things about yourself – 2 being funny
Five to 10 things about your acting abilities (studies, past projects or show, TVCs, perhaps an interesting thing about one or each of your experiences.

HAVE FUN!

This is an extract from “Audition Secrets” by Suzie Steen. Buy the book.

ACTING – ME?

Suzie Steen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:58:53 +0000

From “Audition Secrets” book, author Suzie Steen: I’ve been there — If you haven’t been there and want to get there — You’re either an idiot or you have something called passion.

When you get there (let’s say to your first audition), no matter how many times you tell yourself – “I’m cool” — check your armpits — or go outside the room and walk and see if your knees are shaking so badly that you fall down. Now pick yourself up and LAUGH!

Anyway, this book has some ‘buzz words’ and simple ideas on what to do and what NOT to do.