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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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/

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/

Actors, here's a hot tip for your Tuesday: if you see a prototype in a breakdown description, that is for your REPS, not for you.

1/ We use prototypes all the time when we're discussing the concept of a character. Writers often write with a voice or specific person/type in mind. Occasionally, we'll include those names in the breakdown to help your reps have clarity as to the type and tone we're going for.

2/

Story time:

We read an actor for the series lead of a pilot. He was perfect for the role but the network wasn’t convinced. We read/taped him 2x, but they still weren’t seeing it. In an act of passion, the prods wrote a brand new scene for him, one they felt would seal the deal. His agent didn’t want him to read again. They felt like the writing was on the wall and didn’t want to put him through it. We pleaded, the producers wrote a love letter for the agent to pass on to the actor… the actor said yes to reading again. One caveat…

Hi, I'm hearing from a lot of actors who are feeling left behind as they see more of their friends back on set.

So I'm here to remind you that... 1. You can't compare your journey to anyone else's - you are apples and oranges.

2. People only share the good stuff on social media - you have no idea what their bad days are really like (or how frequent.)

Actors, you should ALWAYS read *all* of the instructions for your self-tapes, as they (and we) are all a little different.

But in case Casting hasn't specified certain things, here are some simple basics you can follow, (to protect your/your reps sanity): #minithread Again, these are to guide you ONLY if Casting hasn't otherwise specified. (Read all of the instructions, every time, I beg of you!)

1. Slates: if Casting doesn't say where to put your slate, (beginning, end, separate) put it at the end. We should see your performance FIRST.