Kerry Beyer

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUSTON

acting

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WHAT NOT TO DO AT A FILM FESTIVAL

Recently attended Dances With Films in Los Angeles… this is one of my favorite indie film festivals. They have been going strong for 15 years, and they are truly indie, only screening films with no stars… not like some so-called independent film festivals who only show studio films.

This year’s festival was held at the famous Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. I’ve been fortunate to have 2 films selected to DWF in previous years, but was just a guest this year. It’s one of those festivals where you will make friends that you will keep for life.

The Festival has a collaborative spirit, and filmmakers tend to support each other – Although I did have a classic LA moment at the festival – and this is something you should never do:

I’m waiting for a screening to begin along with 2 friends that had a film in the festival, when a cute girl comes up to me and asks if I have a film in the festival… I say “no, but my friends do…”

Before I can finish, she’s stepped over to them, introducing herself, shaking hands, but totally ignores me and doesn’t shake mine. I find it amusing and comment that she must be an actress, which gets me the evil eye. She’s a production designer looking for work. …Well, she won’t find any with me.

My advice when networking: Try to build genuine relationships – even with people who you think can’t help you, or who are “unimportant.” You never know who they may be, or become, in the future.

From there, I hopped into a cab and headed over for a meeting at CAA.

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THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL ACTING CAREER

Want to know the secret to a successful acting career? It’s not talent.. it’s no secret that talent is a requirement. It’s not luck… it’s no secret that a lucky break can catapult your career. But neither of those will mean anything if you don’t have the secret ingredient.
So, what is it you ask?

PROFESSIONALISM.

Without that, no matter how much talent you have, it’s likely that you won’t be able to create the opportunities that will enable a lucky break.

Sure, luck exists, but luck is really a product of creating enough opportunities for yourself. Unfortunately, this is the one business where people think they don’t need talent, hard work or professionalism.

A surgeon doesn’t operate without years of training and discipline. An NFL quarterback doesn’t just walk on the field having never thrown a football before. Yet actors think they can be movie stars just by calling themselves an actor.

As an actor, you are running a business – you need to treat it as such. In all of your dealings. Whether it’s with an agent, a casting director, a photographer, a director, or crew, etc.

I recently had a client contact me last minute, wanting a shoot for the next day. I went out of my way to accommodate them. They no-showed the appointment because they didn’t have the funds. While it’s better to tell me before, rather than after we shoot, they should have never made the appointment and wasted my time knowing full well they didn’t have the funds.

Usually when someone contacts me last minute, it’s the first clue that it will be a less than professional experience. It means they didn’t plan – It means they don’t care enough. There are too many actors out there for you to not care about your business. You can’t just skate by.

Here are 6 RULES you should always abide if you want to be successful:

1. Whether it’s an audition, a photo shoot, a booking… you must always show up on time (and on time mean’s 15 minutes early).

2. Be professional and courteous to everyone… even the people you think are unimportant (…and here’s a clue, it’s a collaborative process, everyone’s important).

3. Keep the drama on screen, and leave everyone with a good impression. It’s a small community, and people talk.

4. Offer to do more than what is required of you.

5. Help promote the projects you are in, and other actors and projects as well. Be known as a positive, supportive force in the industry.

6. Do what you say you are going to do. Don’t be wishy washy. Keep your appointments and commitments. Directors like people they know they can count on.

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REVIEW of ‘JACOB’ with MICHAEL BIEHN


Check out this National Lampoon review of the film JACOB, starring Michael Biehn (and me). (If you don’t know, Michael has starred in some of the most memorable films of the 80s and 90s (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Tombstone).

I have a small part in the film where I get in a bar fight with Biehn. (Look for me as a pissed off redneck with an ax). So, now I’ve fought both Chuck Norris, and Michael Biehn on screen. I lost both times, but I threw the fight… really.

Here’s a link to the review, and be sure to check out the film when it hits BluRay and DVD.

Jacob Review

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10 TIPS TO BOOK YOUR NEXT AUDITION

You can be the greatest actor in the world, but if you don’t audition well you may spend your career languishing in obscurity. Auditioning is a skill unto itself and one that you better master – at least until you become an “offer only” actor.
Auditioning is the equivalent of speed dating… and you’ve got roughly three minutes to score a second date. You need to focus all of your skill and training, and turn in a camera-ready performance at the flick of a switch. You are working without a net. You don’t have the luxury of getting comfortable, taking time to explore your character, or the safety of a second take.
Most actors I know will tell you that their best performance was in the car on the way home from the audition, when there was no pressure. The light bulb switches on… “ah-ha… now I know what they were looking for!”
Here are a couple of tips that will greatly increase your chances of booking the next audition:

  1. Show up 15 minutes early, sign in, find a corner, and start rehearsing. You’ve just battled traffic, and a million other “daily life” issues just to get there, so you need to take time to re-focus. DON’T CHIT-CHAT! Say hello, greet your friends, then politely excuse yourself. This is not a time for socializing.
  1. Smile and be courteous to everyone. The person behind the sign in desk… the camera guy… the casting director… you get the idea. You never know who’s who… and believe me, if you are rude to an assistant, you can be sure word will travel.
  1. Take a moment to re-focus again once you are in “the Room.” Casting directors will often speak with you briefly before the audition, getting to know you. Be engaging, interesting, and give the impression that you are easy to work with. This is where it’s ok for a brief chit-chat, but take cues on when enough is enough. The downside is that this can throw you off your game a bit – especially if you have a heavy, dramatic scene. It’s okay to ask for a minute to focus yourself before beginning your audition.
  1. Bring your audition sides with you into the room. Don’t get me wrong… you should be “off book,” but you should always have the audition sides in your hand in case you have a brain freeze. It also reminds them that this is still an audition. I was at an audition today and I saw an actor set her sides down as she was called into the office… the casting director asked me to read with her, and guess what… she was dropping lines.
  1. Remember that you are in charge. Sure, this is their show, but this is your audition. Take control of the room and do what you need to do to work. Do you want to sit? Do you want to stand? Do you want to step into frame? Do you want to have some “business” for your character? Discuss your preferences for how you’d like to do the scene with the casting director – they will most likely accommodate you.
  1. Ask what your frame is. You will need to know if they are shooting a medium, close up, or extreme close up. It will affect how tightly you focus your performance. Plant yourself on your mark, and only move when it’s necessary for your character. Don’t fidget or sway – it weakens your performance. Practice at home with a video camera.
  1. Realize that you are only in competition with yourself. They may see 500 people for a role, but honestly, only a small handful will offer something unique an interesting to the role. Be one of the handful. Make strong choices, give a layered and dynamic performance, and bring something to the party, as they say. If you make the strongest choices possible, even if they are “wrong” for the character, they will score you points. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard a director say, “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I like it.”
  1. Take direction. You may finish your scene, and the director may ask you to do it in a completely different way. Take a minute, process the change, and then do it with the new direction. If you don’t understand, then ask for clarification. As a director myself, when I give an adjustment, I always ask, “do you need to take a minute?” Invariably, the actor always says “no,” and then goes and does it exactly the same way they did originally, ignoring the direction. There is no way I can cast an actor that can’t take direction. Take your time… process the changes.
  1. Ask for an adjustment. If you’ve finished your read, and they are looking at you with blank faces, ask if they have any adjustments? I have turned a train wreck into a job many times by asking that simple question. If I’ve made it to a call back, and I know I’m in the running, after my read I will ask “is there anything you haven’t seen that you need to, in order to cast me in this role?” It’s a bit of a bold move, but sometimes it’s appropriate.
  1. Have fun. Don’t focus on getting the job. Desperation stinks. This is 3 minutes where you get to do what you love to do… ACT! Who cares if you get the job…? If you have fun in the moment, and focus on your work, and not on the pressure of the situation, you may just find yourself booking the next audition.
Hope that helps! When you need a great headshot to get that audition, you know whom to call 😉
Best,
Kerry
www.kerrybeyer.com

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7 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TIPS FOR ACTORS

Are you getting cast as much as you’d like? …well, we both know the answer to that – you wouldn’t be reading this article other wise. Here’s 7 social media marketing tips to help you book more acting work – you’re ready for your closeup, aren’t you?

As CEO of You Inc., it’s your job to make sure your marketing department is up to snuff. (And by marketing department, I mean you.)

1. Get social media accounts with all the popular platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. I know this sounds remedial, but you’d be surprised at the number of actors I meet who don’t have a Facebook or Twitter. I know, it can get stupid and annoying sifting through an unfiltered stream of moronic consciousness, but social media is what you make it, which brings me to the next tip…

2. Treat social media professionally.  Sure, some people make desperate grabs for attention, air their dirty laundry, whine about their problems, post while intoxicated, or describe bodily functions in detail – but unless being a jackass is your “schtick,” keep your posts on point, informational and positive.

3. Don’t talk about religion or politics. Seriously. No matter what you say, half of the people will think you are wrong. Why cut off half of your market?

4. Pick a great, close cropped image of YOU as your profile picture. Don’t change it too frequently, and if you do, make sure you remain recognizable to your followers. Brand recognition is important, and you are a brand. There’s nothing worse than people who use a random image as their profile pic (or worse, a picture of someone else [or even worse still, a fantasy art fairy]). Sure, your close friends know who you are, but the casting director you met once is going to have no clue.

5. Start a blog. Post, tweet, blog something every day. Yes. Everyday. Keep it relevant, on point, and educational if you can. Can’t think of anything to say? Newsjack… Newsjacking is taking a current headline and interjecting yourself into the conversation.

6. Be supportive of other actors, directors, projects. People will return the favor, and nobody likes self obsessed narcissists.

7. Keyword optimize your titles and content. Think like a search engine. Better yet, think like the people using search engines. You can have the best content in the world, but if no one finds it, it’s not going to do you any good.

So, how is all of this going to get you an acting job?

It’s going to help you build a following, network with peers, and establish yourself as an expert. Producers like actors that have a following. Followers buy DVDs. I’d love to cast an actress with a million twitter followers. If you have a million followers, contact me… I’m sure I can find at least a cameo for you.

People often ask, what’s the ROI (return on investment) of social media?  You can’t put a price on it. It’s not going to happen overnight. This is a long-tail strategy… but well worth it.