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Actor Resources
Welcome to the Actor's Resource Section of CourtneyRoy.com! This is the section where we provide various acting articles, tips, tools, etc. to help actors improve themselves. If you have an article or other related information that you can share, please register and submit it as an article. Alternatively let us know in the Website Feedback forum. Thanks, and we hope you find this information useful!
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ACTORS TOOLKIT #1 - ACTING FOR MONEY |
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ACTING FOR MONEYby Bob Fraser Let us start with an underlying truth behind all the info and advice I'll be passing along to you in this series: Actors who depend on talent, training, looks, age, or their 'connections' - have a very small chance of succeeding. In fact, it is this misplaced emphasis that causes most actors to fail -- and eventually quit trying. The actors who succeed are those who determine early on that what they are engaged in is a BUSINESS. One of my hobbies, during my active career, was watching the results of other show biz folks. I kept journals for about 5 years, then I noticed that I didn't need to keep a journal because it was becoming redundant. The fact is, that all the successful people I met over 40 years, (and when I say ALL I mean 100%) were capitalists. I don't mean that in a political way - I'm talking about store-keeper capitalism. All the successful people I've known in the show business are successful because they are good business people. Good store-keepers. The other side of the coin is the unsuccessful actor, writer, director, producer, etc. Believe me, most of them are not untalented, or untrained, or unconnected. Generally, their real problem is that they are just lackadaisical business people. The biggest mistake I see is the total time and energy the unsuccessful actor puts into the business side of their careers. This amount of time can be called: NOT ENOUGH. IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIf we are not working at our business to keep things running smoothly on a daily basis, if we ever sit back and wait for things to happen, stop marketing and promoting, or quit trying new ideas to get people into our store (to buy our product) well, every business around us will say a big thank you - and grab our customers. |
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ACTOR'S TOOLKIT #2 - ACTING LIKE YOU'RE A BUSINESS |
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ACTING LIKE YOU'RE A BUSINESSby Bob Fraser OUR REAL BUSINESSToo often we actors get so caught up in the sub-atomic details of our 'inner lives,' our insatiable desire to perform, the lengths to which we will go - to satisfy that itch, our financial distress, and our recent lousy experiences with the business - that we tend to neglect our REAL interests. Take it from an old fish - who has traversed these waters for 4 decades - in real life, it is an absolute necessity to view your acting career as a business. A small business to be sure, but one that has the real potential to grow into a rather large small business. And, as naturally as putting on weight follows Krispy Kremes and Coca Cola, we must conclude that in order to have a successful small business, we are probably going to have to learn some skills that will help us in ... 'Anyone? Anyone? - Bueller?' ... BUSINESS. |
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ACTOR'S TOOLKIT #4 - QUOTES THAT WILL HELP YOU |
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QUOTES THAT WILL HELP YOUby Bob Fraser FAILURE & TRACKSI'd like to pass along some words of wisdom from seven very sharp people, who have all made their way up the ladder of success by following their own advice and probably the wisdom of each of the others. First up is George Burns who made his living in 'on the boards' for about 85 years (not a bad run), who reminds us of the first law of success, in this
timeless classic:
"I'd rather be a failure at something I love ... than
a success at something I hate." ~ George Burns
This is crucial: You must love what you are doing if you ever hope to be successful at it. Most actors do not have a problem here. We all love it. Next is Will Rogers, probably the most beloved entertainer of all time. He points out that loving it is not enough - all by itself - you also have to do something about it.
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over
if you just sit there." ~ Will Rogers
Like all great remarks, this one cuts right to the heart of most career problems. I don't think I'm talking out of drama school when I suggest that most of us (actors) have a long streak of lazy. It is something we all have to work to overcome - I know I did. TIME AND YOUR MAIN CHANCEThe third important piece of advice comes from Milton Berle, who spent his whole life in show biz (his mother started taking him to auditions before he could walk).
He imparts another critical factor - a huge piece of the puzzle:
"If opportunity isn't knocking, build a door" ~ Milton Berle
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ACTOR'S TOOLKIT #3 - THE SEVEN ACTING MYTHS |
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THE SEVEN ACTING MYTHSby Bob Fraser Myth #1 - YOU HAVE TO START YOUNGThis commonly held belief is far from the truth. Although starting young will certainly give you more time to perfect your craft, many stars have started "late." Phyllis Diller started her career at age 38 after raising a family and spending almost twenty years as a newspaper writer. Richard Farnsworth was over fifty before he began his acting career. When he won an Academy Award nomination for his role in Comes a Horseman, it came as a surprise to many in the industry that this 'newcomer' had been around since the '30's - as a stuntman. There are literally hundreds of these examples. No matter how old you are, if you love it - TRY. Myth #2 - IF YOU HAVE TALENT ... YOU WILL MAKE ITAlthough it's important to have some talent, any reasonable observer can point to dozens of successful actors who might be considered 'talent challenged.' In fact, depending on talent alone is a strategy for disaster. There are many other skills (mostly business skills) that lead to success as an actor. If you're talented, great. But don't depend on your gifts for success. It's mostly hard work. Myth #3 - AN ACTOR MUST BE OUTGOINGNot at all. In fact, I'd say that the opposite is closer to the truth. Most of the stars you watch and enjoy are basically shy people. It is under the cover of a role that actors seem to be demonstrative. If you are shy or retiring, you are like most successful actors. Don't sweat it. |
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ACTOR'S TOOLKIT #5 - TELL ME A STORY |
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TELL ME A STORY by Bob Fraser One of the questions I get asked frequently relates to something that most actors face ... interviewing with agents, managers and casting directors. Here's how a typical letter reads; Dear Bob, I met with an agent yesterday and the first thing she said was "Tell me about yourself." So I told her what my credits were, where I went to school, people I knew in the business and so on. She didn't really listen. She said she'd let me know. I already know. She's not interested. What did I do wrong? What am I supposed to say when they say, "Tell me about yourself." Signed, Frustrated
Dear Frustrated, Whatever you do, DO NOT recite your resume, where you went to school, the people you know and so on. Always keep in mind the kind of work you want to do ... STORY TELLING In the case of an agent, you are interviewing a prospective salesperson for your business. It's your job to convince a thoroughly professional salesperson (an agent) that representing your product (you) is going to produce a lot of income. An agent's income depends on finding, representing and selling the best story tellers he can find. An agent learns quickly how to spot the 'comers' and ignore the 'wannabes.' The major criteria is this: Is this actor a good story teller? |
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