"Lead with speed, follow with power" 3/30/15 Never underestimate the power of good notes.

While I was going through thousands of actors' head shots and resume submissions online for a series I was casting principals the other day, I was  reminded of the martial arts phrase (I had trained in Tekkenryu "iron fist" Jujutsu) "Lead with speed, follow with power."

Dear Actor,

    Never underestimate the power of good notes. Like the martial arts saying goes, "Lead with speed, follow with power." It helps if your agent and manager who are submitting you for projects, are also making good notes for you also. Make sure you are all on the same page about how you want to present yourself.

Sincerely,

The other side

 Other than great head shots (PLURAL) to catch attention, it would be cool if more actors understood the value of the notes they leave the casting directors and noting quickly and BRIEFLY their best highlights, selling points, or credits. 

Sometimes that makes the biggest difference in if the casting director will click on a listing. 
As mentioned in a prior post, good, right to the point reels make a ton of difference too, but the saying "Lead with speed, follow with power."applies to both reels and notes. 

Lead with your highlights, then back it up with your credits. Sometimes that will make up for a less than stellar head shot. Good notes can make a difference and give you an edge.

I won't use specific actors examples of good notes, but examples, depending on the listing, might include

-proficient at this at that

-fluent in this or that

-career highlights include this or that

-recently did this show or worked with that director

-heck, even if you have a following on social media

Being pleasant, sincerely interested in the project and not desperate helps too. A casting director may be initially looking at your submission and profiles, but the director or executive producer may also be looking.

As an actor, I totally understand the thinking some fellow actors may have of "Well, they're just going to look at my picture and then choose what fits", which is true to a point, but that's just the starting point, not the saving grace... There have been some actors that I looked at that I had no idea that they were SERIOUSLY credited actors with major roles on major TV and film and major followings who I might have skipped over because they or their managers/agents that clicked on the castings didn't mention anything. A few submissions I skipped over initially, who I re-clicked, ended up in consideration on a few of my projects and a few I've helped cast.

Break a leg and have a great pilot season.

Be well,
Vincent

My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician and martial artist. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.

I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps  just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances,  people can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.

imdb.me/vincentveloso

vimeo.com/ondemand/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/cenotaphtheseries

dearactorfromtheotherside.blogspot.com/

 © 2015 Vincent Veloso, Xavmax Multimedia Productions L.L.C. All rights reserved

Dear actor, "Get for Reels". Get to the point 3/24/15

I was watching hundreds of actor reels for a few different projects I am casting this upcoming year for me and for others the past few days..... I was again reminded of the jazz improvisation saying (I studied jazz sax in college) : "Get in, get hot, get out," Some observations:

Dear actor,  about your reel....

-GET TO THE POINT. Cut the 20 sec music intro/any intro. We want to see you speak and act NOW, not fish around your reel searching for you, hoping to watch you speak and act, not your scene partner or watch the whole cast.

-We want to see you acting in several contexts/scenes to assess your range, skills and approach.

-Singers/musical theater players/models, please have reels that show you acting not just musical numbers or music videos or fashion, if you want to act in a dramatic TV, film role.

-3 to 5 LABELED reels are cool. 18 (labeled or vague) is overkill.

-Make sure your reels work and play and weren't erased or aren't password protected with no password.

-Reels ON the casting page are MUCH better than having to open another window and search or input a link. Saves time and helps us not wanting to go to the next actor, when we have THOUSANDS of submissions to get through.

-Ideal length, for me personally, is 3 minutes tops, hopefully with varied material, not just one long scene. Even having a few taped monologues is better than no reel.

-Just HAVING a concise, good reel up separates you from most actors, even a lot of experienced union and nonunion actors who don't even have one up, and having an excellent reel keeps us from having to guess if you can act, take care in what you do and piques our interest, even if you don't have a great headshot, extensive credits or notes, to invite you to a casting. Good luck and happy hunting this pilot season.

Sincerely,
The other side.


Be well,
Vincent
imdb.me/vincentveloso
vimeo.com/ondemand/changelingstheseries
facebook.com/changelingstheseries
facebook.com/cenotaphtheseries
dearactorfromtheotherside.blogspot.com/

My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights  making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.

I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances,  people can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.

 © 2015 Vincent Veloso, Xavmax Multimedia Productions L.L.C. All rights reserved

Dear producer, "Get in, Get hot, Get out" comments to an aspiring producer/director 3/18/15

Dear producer.... from the other side... 3/18/15 "Get in, Get hot, Get out" comments to an aspiring producer/director...

I received an email from an aspiring producer/director asking for advice on creating a new film. I was flattered, as I am still continually learning and doing what I can to improve my craft like everyone else. Of course there is that saying "Be careful who you take advice from, there is a tendency to end up like the people you take advice from." Always keep your own council and consider carefully your own experiences.

    I have been a music professor for many years and found that when you have to teach something, to put it into words so that someone else can learn it easier, you learn it all over again, and gain insight to your own processes as well as the advice you had received and observed. It is a very valuable activity and it is one of the reasons I write this blog, not only to hopefully help others, through my experiences and stories, but to help myself get better. Here was my response to this person's request for my insight on film making:

Dear Producer...from the other side...


-Begin with the end in mind. Then, reverse engineer as best you can what needs to be acquired and required to complete your vision. Know what you want to do with it when it is finished before you even start.

-Even if you don't quite know how to do something, figure it as best you can and then find people who can provide insight into how to get it done. However, if you are the executive producer, you are the captain of the ship at the end of the day, and have the final decisions what goes.

-Reach into your network and the network of your team to see if you already have the leads and resources: script, actors, funds(self, investor and/or crowd funding), equipment, locations, editing and post production, distribution platform.

-Make sure you can clearly and calmly communicate your vision as a producer and as a director, even and especially if you are not directing.

-Put out the best possible product you can with the resources you have in the time you have.

-Plan your shots and know what you want and when you get it. Time is valuable. Like the old jazz musicians used to say about soloing. "Get in, get hot, get out." I tend to do 3 to 5 takes per set up. Of course, you do want to get what you want and if you need to take a lot of takes to get the result then that's fine. However,  I have observed that a lot of takes and a lot of set ups takes a lot of time and can deplete your cast and crew, especially if you really don't know what you want and are searching for it.  Improvisation is always fun, and searching for an interpretation can be invaluable, but be sure you get what you need to get.

-Vet your crew and cast well. Your job is to communicate your vision and make decisions, if they are truly qualified, trust they can do their areas of expertise, many have spent years and lifetimes to acquire their skills and wisdom.

-Be collaborative, but know what you want and what your boundaries are.

-Don't burn your bridges, but you can always make your bridges into drawbridges.

-You may have to wear many hats, but trust in your Director of Photography, Assistant Director, crew and cast, their experience is many times much better than your own and they can see things and alternatives you many not.

-Figure out the minimum amount of cast and crew(director, camera, assistant camera, sound, makeup, actors, etc)  you need to accomplish a shot and the filming schedule. Resources are at a premium.

-As a director and especially as a producer, you should try to be versed, at least a little bit as much as you can, about the technical side and the actor side of film making so that you can best communicate with your cast and crew in their languages.

-Be flexible, things will not go 100% as you plan. Make sure you keep your focus on the outcome, but be prepared to deal with the inevitable Murphy's law(what can go wrong will go wrong/there is always an X factor) and in those events, be inventive and look for alternatives and solutions, not worry about who is to blame or why things are not running smoothly. Remember, the clock is ticking.

-Make sure your sound recording and edit are impeccable. When experiencing a film, the eyes forgive, the ears do not.

-Feed your cast and crew very well. A well fed company is a better and happier company.

-Be kind, be cautious, be yourself, be your best self. Be well.

-Do what you can to leave people places, things, and situations in an equal or better state in which you found them.

-Please be respectful.

-Have a budget and stick to it. Do what you can to stick to your deadlines.
Always have a reserve and back up contingencies.

-You can potentially lose your film at 3 spots: casting it, shooting it, and editing it. A good edit can work miracles and a poor edit can ruin everyone's hard work. Be sure you have an excellent editor.

If you need assistance or need to speak about specifics about your project, or if I can assist you as a writer/producer/director/actor/musician, feel free to subscribe and leave a comment or email me at  xavmaxmultimediaproductionsllc@gmail.com

Be well,
Vincent
imdb.me/vincentveloso

My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician and martial artist. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.

I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps  just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances,  people can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.

imdb.me/vincentveloso

vimeo.com/ondemand/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/cenotaphtheseries

dearactorfromtheotherside.blogspot.com/

 © 2015 Vincent Veloso, Xavmax Multimedia Productions L.L.C. All rights reserved

Dear Actor, beware of "actor-ial-sclerosis" 3/13/15

I recently was casting a production... here are some stories from preproduction.... from the other side of the casting table.

Dear actor,
Please don't freak out during an audition or on set if the director tells you to direct your eye line to camera left and it is just a grey box and not a human being, especially if we are in a close up shot. Please don't argue with us. Sometimes we use green screen, or are in tight quarters and you don't have anyone to play your scene with and you have to sell the scene with just your face and eyes. Pretend like you are in a theater play or like you are 3 years old again If that helps.

Sincerely,
 The other side.

Actors are quirky sometimes. I know, I've acted in a few things can be peculiar too. I don't pretend to be the most experienced at all nor the best, but I've seen many actors, and auditioned them for TV and film, that spend years and years training and sometimes, they forget that it is really all make believe. They get caught up in method, or style, they forget to have fun, they forget to be open to new ways of thinking and doing.

There is a thing called Arteriosclerosis  which is the hardening of the arteries being clogged with gunk, fat, whatever. There is a term called Psycho-sclerosis which is a hardening of the soul or spirit. I'd like to introduce another term called actor-ial-sclerosis, which I'd like to say is a hardening of the actor. Taken in this context, it is an actor unwilling to be flexible to new alternative ways of doing things and alternative "reasonable" situations. of doing a scene. 

Hey, I know sometimes directors can be demanding or sometimes hard-asses. When I wear my director hat sometimes I've been a major hard ass. But hopefully, you remember why you are acting in the first place, and hopefully one of those reasons is having fun and being open to trying good alternative ways of acting and being...  And sometimes directors love working with actors who are collaborative, creative and open minded to help create great visions on screen. Have a great audition and break a leg =)

Be well,
Vincent

My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician and martial artist. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.

I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps  just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances,  people can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.

imdb.me/vincentveloso

vimeo.com/ondemand/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/changelingstheseries

facebook.com/cenotaphtheseries

dearactorfromtheotherside.blogspot.com/

 © 2015 Vincent Veloso, Xavmax Multimedia Productions L.L.C. All rights reserved