Erica S. Bream Profile picture
Sep 26, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read Read on X
Actors, this is your periodic reminder that the only "rules" you truly need to follow in your career are: be professional and be kind.

There are no other unwavering practices that are as important as these two. Everything else is either subjective, or ever-changing.
There are plenty of suggestions, tips, opinions and advice (as evidenced by this accountant.) They are shared through experience, wisdom and a desire to help. Those things will change and evolve as you grow, so they're not always one-size-fits-all.
Tips, etc. should be considered, and applied as needed.

But your two absolutely consistent "rules" to be taken seriously and move forward as a professional actor are simply be professional (show up on time, work your craft, communicate, et al,) and be kind.

#CastingLovesYou
*Account. LOVE that autocorrect for me.

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More from @ericasbreamcast

Feb 7, 2023
Alright. Controversial opinion:

I don't like unsolicited self-tapes.

It's happening more and more. Reps/Actors/Coaches get the materials and just pass it along to some of their other clients/friends/talent to tape.

But here's the thing...
Casting teams have a very specific process we go through to select people to audition. It employs a number of factors depending on the role, the character arc, our other cast members, production logistics, budget, etc. Not all of that stuff is listed in the breakdown.
You might have sent in an unsolicited tape, but ultimately cannot be considered for the role because of one of the aforementioned factors that *we* know, but the public doesn't.

That's not a great use of your time or energy unless you're simply looking for a self-tape exercise.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 26, 2023
Actors, this has happened MANY times in my career:

Over the course of the audition process, we (Casting) and prods have fallen in love with an actor, and for one reason or another, (out of a million possible,) did not cast them in that role.
Almost ALWAYS, those creatives work their butts off to get that actor in the show or on the project in some capacity. Some have even written roles *specifically for that actor.

Because that actor SHOWED UP in every sense of the word.
They gave an amazing read. They took notes and redirects. They were professional and open minded. They were game. They held onto a good attitude and sense of play, even when the process was arduous. They showed themselves as a great actor AND the kind of person you'd want on set.
Read 4 tweets
Jan 25, 2023
Actors, for your reel, you don't need to show us a clip of every type of character or genre you can play. You need to show us strong work and let us use our imaginations to envision where we can put someone with your vibe and chops.

Casting folk have REALLY good imaginations.
We can get a sense of your range and abilities from your resume as much as your reel. Show us good, strong work (even w/ minimal footage,) and we'll be more apt to try you for a range of characters bc you're a STRONG ACTOR, not because you have 18 different clips on your profile.
Say goodbye to the old stuff if it's no longer a good reflection of your abilities. Don't keep it solely because it shows you playing in a specific genre. If the acting isn't strong enough, there's a chance that clip can work against you.
Read 4 tweets
Aug 24, 2022
About 15ish years ago, there was a young actor. They were (are) stunning and unique and at the time, bc they'd had a few nice roles in some big-ish things, they were deemed "the next big star."

It didn't happen that way. They've worked steadily since then, but...
not in a break-out capacity. They even came close on a few big things I worked on, but it never fully clicked. We loved seeing them though. They were always incredibly professional, prepared and directable. And they worked HARD. They trained, they took their job seriously, but...
you could always tell they carried the weight of those expectations with them. You could see it on their face at times, or in their disappointment if they felt they hadn't done well with an adjustment.

Couldn't blame them for feeling it. It's a lot.

Well...
Read 4 tweets
Apr 1, 2022
A real benefit of self-taping is that you get to choose your best take(s) to send to Casting. The downside, of course, is that you can do as many takes as you want.

But here's a little secret: your performance is (usually) not going to get better after your 4th or 5th take.

1/
Remember how many takes you got during live auditions? One. Maybe two. VERY occasionally three. Almost never more than that, right?

Want to know why? Casting Directors know that after three takes, you start to get in your head.

2/
We can see you spiral and we know those internal voices are saying, "what am I missing? I'm blowing it! Why can't I get this?! I bet they think I'm terrible..." etc.

So we give you up to three takes because we know you're prepared, and that you can nail it in that time.

3/
Read 9 tweets
Feb 23, 2022
I've talked with a lot of actors who lately feel like they're getting good auditions, pins, callbacks, etc. but aren't sealing the deal.

This is normal. Only one person can get the job. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's another actor. What is for you will not go by you.

1/
But more importantly, getting meaty auditions is great. Getting called in by the same offices over and over is fantastic. Being pinned or receiving callbacks is a perfect sign that you're on the right track.

2/
The down side here is the self-doubt that creeps in when you continually get close but don't book. What happens is you start trying different things to move the needle. And oftentimes, those "things" only move you away from your natural instincts and your honed technique.

3/
Read 6 tweets

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