Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Dangers of venting & texting and possible remedies & tips.... 7/28/15
Dear actor, producer, director, writer, musician, human being...
Be aware of dangers in lack of discretion/forethought in venting/blasting and texting/email. Understand what these dangers are, and know what you can do to make sure there are no misunderstandings and that real issues are addressed properly and in the best way.
Sincerely,
The other side
I was on the phone with a music producer friend of mine who was working on an album some time ago who was venting to me about a subcontractor who had let him to believe the subcontractor was working on the files for five months.
The subcontractor had texted him at 1 am one night, to say he was sending the files back to the music producer so that the producer could work on it himself and that the subcontractor was too busy and giving up. When that producer opened the files up, the files were a mess, the tracks were unlabeled and the tracking timelines were incoherent... no work had been done, and my friend was stark raving mad and venting.
I bring this episode to illustrate the importance of the proper uses of text messages, direct phone calls and of venting. I seen and have been on both sides of these kinds of episodes and hopefully these tips will help you avoid giving and receiving the consequences as I had.
TEXTING/EMAIL
-you should be using emoticons as needed. and sometimes a j/k or lol can help. On texts, people may not get your sense of humor.
- Any mistake or big news should be delivered in person or a phone call ( if you need too additionally text then do so, but deliver the message in person or a phone call!)
-REMEMBER that once a message is sent, it is out there. It can be copy/pasted and forwarded anywhere and everywhere, taken in context or out of context. Before you put it out there, you better be DAMN sure it is conveying what you want to put out there.
-On occasion, the relationship and transactions are not just between the 2 parties but may involve many other people and projects, both personal and professional: choose your actions and words wisely... they may have very lasting effects.
VENTING/BLASTING
- Sometimes things DO need to be expressed right away in real time, not only after some time has passed. Many times if a screw up happens, there is an urge to blow up right then and there.
-The author Dale Carnegie once wrote that one should (paraphrased) "Praise in public, criticize in private"
-Sometimes it is best to take the person aside and give your two cents away from the rest of the group. I had to do this with someone on a production not too long ago. The person had screwed up and I let them know privately away from the rest of the cast/crew. Doing so let them save face at that time, let me address the concern and take a corrective action immediately, avoided spilling toxic vibes into the set and ultimately let us finish the filming on time.
-One tip I had given to this music producer was to take some time and his phone/recorder and tape himself talking to himself in private, in a mirror or to an object that represented the person he wanted to vent/chew out/ reprimand/ explain things to. Go full force, say everything you need to say.
Then, go back and listen and transcribe what was said.
Hopefully, you'll figure out really quickly what you want to keep and what you want to erase. Once you get the words out and on paper for you to try to clearly communicate , ***THEN DELETE THE RECORDING!!*** and when the communication is finished ****DESTROY THE TRANSCRIPT*** (as applicable)
Sometimes pausing and buffering is the thing that will enable you to salvage a potentially devastating outburst from happening, potentially poisoning future activity. (my friend's priority is currently trying to get the project completed and done... so he has to communicate with this person to at least see if he can figure out how he recorded things, then he'll see what he has to do with everything and everyone else involved)
-Yes, boundaries and expectations have to be reaffirmed and the working relationship has to be redefined. However, It's like a play in a sporting event, or a maneuver in a battle:
If something goes wrong, what are you going to do? Will you sit there, vent, complain and blame? OR will you get your emotions under control, use your mind to get the next actions/alternatives figured out, get back in the fight and get whatever needs to get done completed?
Your call.
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, others 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
Monday, July 20, 2015
"Numbers must have tags" Never assume I know how to reach you, and who you are and what you want. 7/20/15
Dear casting agent,
Thank you for contacting me via a certain messaging service, but if you want me to get in get back in contact with you, please remember to leave your contact information because there is no reply option or no way else on the site or service to get in contact with you via that certain messaging service... thanks!
Sincerely,
The Other Side
When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher always reminded us that "numbers must have tags" 35 by itself means nothing, but $35 and 35 degrees Celsius have very different meanings.
Today we have caller ID, email, but you'd be surprised how many times your number won't be on the call history if you leave a message.
Never assume a casting director or, from the other side, an actor knows how to reach you and/or who you are.
I've seen it from both sides and am probably just as guilty as everyone of not remembering to do so. I've gotten voice messages from both actors and from production wanting information from me and not being specific about who they are and forgetting to leave their contact info. There are certain online services which don't allow you to reply to a message or the user may have forgotten to enable that option.
John could be about 20 people I know. It could be anyone, John Rambo, John Doe, John Wilkes Boothe, and if you have a similar name to another actor or production member, googling it may not help getting found. Numbers must have tags, names must have numbers, contact and context of what you want and how you know me or how I know you.
Also, another tip from an actor friend is when an actor sends a requested photo, the actor should name each character photo with their name/phone number... You shouldn't just name the photo "lawyer" (for example) if 10 pictures all get forwarded to the director, he may not have time to look up who this actor was. Adding your name to photos can help your chances of being called and ultimately booked.
If you do happen to find an email/contact number online with a number and want to take it on yourself to contact, remember: NEVER ASSUME IT IS THE PERSON WHO SENT YOU THE INITIAL MESSAGE.
Please be polite, get to the point and get out.
possible example
Hi (casting director),
Mr. Actor responding to a message about X. You had asked me about ABCDE. Response and details
. There was no contact reply listed, I am presuming this is your email contact. If this is not X for casting Y, my apologies and please disregard this email. Thanks.
Be well,
Mr. Actor
555-555-5555
your website
your email address
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, others 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
Friday, July 10, 2015
What to do when you have a screw up on an audition or film set: Recover. 7/10/15
Dear actor and director,
Everyone messes up. We hope you don't. But, the important thing is if the mess up happens, it's about how fast you get back up and how you recover and keep going that can make all the difference. RECOVER AND KEEP ON GOING
sincerely,
The other side.
I had spoken a little bit about screwing up in an audition/performance in a prior blog entry "Ain't nothing but a lesson son" , which dealt with viewing past mess ups as a building blocks and lessons for future improvement. Today I will talk about mess ups on the actual day, what you should do, and what I've seen in the casting room and on sets.
Firstly, there is a saying that "Fortune favors the bold." I would like to slightly amend that to "Fortune favors the bold and prepared"
The more prepared you are with the audition material, the greater chance you will be confident and competent in your performance. There is no substitute for preparation/rehearsal for great execution.
That being said, what do you do if things don't go smoothly and mistakes happen? (this happens in live acting, live music, sports, human interactions, the crew and producing)
One word: RECOVER.
One sentence: RECOVER, ADJUST AND KEEP GOING
No matter what happens, keep your composure and keep going. Get through it. If you forget/mess up a line, you recover by completing the scene or going to the next lines until you are stopped. (It's like sight reading for a musician, just get through it, keep going.) It may seem like a fairly basic concept, but I have seen people forget that that is what they really should do.
An audition room and a set are really the SAME thing. As a director or producer , we hope you, the actor, are ready and don't mess up, but we may also look to see how you handle a potential screw up if/when it occurs. How you handle yourself and adversity in an audition can be an indicator of how you may carry yourself on a set.
After all, things can change on the day, and you may have very little time to prepare a new set of rewritten lines or action adjustments on set and hopefully your training, instincts and understanding will help you deliver the performances.
The casting director or director in the room or the director on the set may do one of the following on a mess up:
1) the director may stop you or ask you to take a passage over again right away.
2) the director may ignore it and just hope you keep going and not disturb the recording. Sometimes the director just wants the scene to keep going to collect footage, and if you draw attention to a screw up, it will interrupt the flow of the action and acting and may give less material to work with later as the editor won't be able to use because you are freaking out, potentially making part of a take unusable.
As a director, you may have to deal with actors who are frustrated, upset or flustered because they are messing up or not getting the performance they want from themselves. I've seen it on sets I've been on and have had to personally direct actors through events like that.
How you communicate and deal with them at that moment will make a difference if the work gets done or grinds to a halt, if people are offended to the point where they won't work, or if they will be empowered to finish.
Remember to treat people with respect and empathy.
You may want to give them space and time to recover as needed. Sometimes you have to challenge them to get back up. It's kind of like being a sports team coach. Sometimes its like being a therapist. Each situation and actor/crew/business contact are unique.
I have also seen actors, even name actors and stars, go back immediately and start over an earlier line on set, although many will keep going. Both are always a possibility, depending on the actor's influence, and how the show is produced. But I've also seen that many understand that part of being a good actor is understanding that 'the show must go on' and the professionals will recover and very quickly keep going .
Be well,
Vincent
Break a leg.
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, others 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
Everyone messes up. We hope you don't. But, the important thing is if the mess up happens, it's about how fast you get back up and how you recover and keep going that can make all the difference. RECOVER AND KEEP ON GOING
sincerely,
The other side.
I had spoken a little bit about screwing up in an audition/performance in a prior blog entry "Ain't nothing but a lesson son" , which dealt with viewing past mess ups as a building blocks and lessons for future improvement. Today I will talk about mess ups on the actual day, what you should do, and what I've seen in the casting room and on sets.
Firstly, there is a saying that "Fortune favors the bold." I would like to slightly amend that to "Fortune favors the bold and prepared"
The more prepared you are with the audition material, the greater chance you will be confident and competent in your performance. There is no substitute for preparation/rehearsal for great execution.
That being said, what do you do if things don't go smoothly and mistakes happen? (this happens in live acting, live music, sports, human interactions, the crew and producing)
One word: RECOVER.
One sentence: RECOVER, ADJUST AND KEEP GOING
No matter what happens, keep your composure and keep going. Get through it. If you forget/mess up a line, you recover by completing the scene or going to the next lines until you are stopped. (It's like sight reading for a musician, just get through it, keep going.) It may seem like a fairly basic concept, but I have seen people forget that that is what they really should do.
An audition room and a set are really the SAME thing. As a director or producer , we hope you, the actor, are ready and don't mess up, but we may also look to see how you handle a potential screw up if/when it occurs. How you handle yourself and adversity in an audition can be an indicator of how you may carry yourself on a set.
After all, things can change on the day, and you may have very little time to prepare a new set of rewritten lines or action adjustments on set and hopefully your training, instincts and understanding will help you deliver the performances.
The casting director or director in the room or the director on the set may do one of the following on a mess up:
1) the director may stop you or ask you to take a passage over again right away.
2) the director may ignore it and just hope you keep going and not disturb the recording. Sometimes the director just wants the scene to keep going to collect footage, and if you draw attention to a screw up, it will interrupt the flow of the action and acting and may give less material to work with later as the editor won't be able to use because you are freaking out, potentially making part of a take unusable.
As a director, you may have to deal with actors who are frustrated, upset or flustered because they are messing up or not getting the performance they want from themselves. I've seen it on sets I've been on and have had to personally direct actors through events like that.
How you communicate and deal with them at that moment will make a difference if the work gets done or grinds to a halt, if people are offended to the point where they won't work, or if they will be empowered to finish.
Remember to treat people with respect and empathy.
You may want to give them space and time to recover as needed. Sometimes you have to challenge them to get back up. It's kind of like being a sports team coach. Sometimes its like being a therapist. Each situation and actor/crew/business contact are unique.
I have also seen actors, even name actors and stars, go back immediately and start over an earlier line on set, although many will keep going. Both are always a possibility, depending on the actor's influence, and how the show is produced. But I've also seen that many understand that part of being a good actor is understanding that 'the show must go on' and the professionals will recover and very quickly keep going .
Be well,
Vincent
Break a leg.
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, others 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
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Dear producer, remember the martial arts phrase "position before submission" 7/5/15
Dear producer,
There is a saying in martial arts circles that may come in handy before you start sending your clips, movies and trailers for contests and festivals.... even before you start preproduction... remember "Position before submission"
Sincerely,
the other side
Happy 4th of July weekend.
There is a reason you build a foundation before you build the roof of a house. There is also a reason you draft blueprints before you build a foundation. It saves, time, resources, effort and you have a pretty clarified idea of what your expected final outcome is going to be.
It really isn't any different in producing film, or baking a cake. Every new endeavor will be unique and have its own challenges and advantages, but there are similar overall steps from project to project.
The same goes with what you are going to do with your film in the end, after you've completed it. What is your final platform for it? Will it be on youtube? social media? on demand? fourwalled into theaters? submitted to contests and festivals? sold? all of the above? some of the combination of the above?
I am not in a position to tell you what you should do with your project. And there are many options and deals you can pursue. But before you even start casting, getting crew, equipment, lighting, locations, you want to BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.
There is a saying in wrestling and judo: "Position before submission" before you try to lock up or pin your opponent, you must put yourself in the most advantageous position or know what moves you can do from the position you are already in. A lot of that comes from training with people better than you and gleaning experience from them and from yourself.
Likewise, in this example, before you start submitting to tons of festivals, which can be very expensive even if you have allotted a post production budget (we'll get into that another time) you want to put yourself in the best position to succeed to have a successful submission.
Why are you submitting to that particular festival? Why are you submitting to the number of festivals you are? What items do you need to submit?
Each festival has it's benefits. Be sure you research what they are and aren't just collecting laurel leaves to make yourself feel good and brag about it on social media.
The two primary submission sites I have encountered are filmfreeway.com and withoutabox.com. Each has it's particular festivals. Sometimes they overlap. Each site has it's own strengths.
Just like as an actor, to put yourself in the best position, you might want to think about having a good headshot, resume, reel and business cards as your basic toolkit (on top of your training and actual acting skills)
When you start producing and submitting, you should also be prepared with some kind of E.P.K (electronic press kit)
-reel
-set photos
-press photos
-press statement
-director statement
-project description and press blurbs
-any press
-any awards
-cast and crew listing
-etc
This should be factored into your PRE-PRODUCTION and PRODUCTION plans and budget, so that you have them for POST PRODUCTION.
Both websites help you set up things for uploading, but you actually have to have things ready to upload to them otherwise you are wasting your time.
Always remember there is a huge difference between activity and accomplishment.
Always welcome and be grateful for support from friends, family, colleagues, supporters, and fans, but never assume or expect it.
There is a saying "If it is to be, it is up to me" No one does everything by themselves, especially creating film, but that mindset of "I am responsible. If it is up to be, it is up to me" will take you far in producing and may help in other aspects of your life.
Be well,
Vincent
There is a saying in martial arts circles that may come in handy before you start sending your clips, movies and trailers for contests and festivals.... even before you start preproduction... remember "Position before submission"
Sincerely,
the other side
Happy 4th of July weekend.
There is a reason you build a foundation before you build the roof of a house. There is also a reason you draft blueprints before you build a foundation. It saves, time, resources, effort and you have a pretty clarified idea of what your expected final outcome is going to be.
It really isn't any different in producing film, or baking a cake. Every new endeavor will be unique and have its own challenges and advantages, but there are similar overall steps from project to project.
The same goes with what you are going to do with your film in the end, after you've completed it. What is your final platform for it? Will it be on youtube? social media? on demand? fourwalled into theaters? submitted to contests and festivals? sold? all of the above? some of the combination of the above?
I am not in a position to tell you what you should do with your project. And there are many options and deals you can pursue. But before you even start casting, getting crew, equipment, lighting, locations, you want to BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.
There is a saying in wrestling and judo: "Position before submission" before you try to lock up or pin your opponent, you must put yourself in the most advantageous position or know what moves you can do from the position you are already in. A lot of that comes from training with people better than you and gleaning experience from them and from yourself.
Likewise, in this example, before you start submitting to tons of festivals, which can be very expensive even if you have allotted a post production budget (we'll get into that another time) you want to put yourself in the best position to succeed to have a successful submission.
Why are you submitting to that particular festival? Why are you submitting to the number of festivals you are? What items do you need to submit?
Each festival has it's benefits. Be sure you research what they are and aren't just collecting laurel leaves to make yourself feel good and brag about it on social media.
The two primary submission sites I have encountered are filmfreeway.com and withoutabox.com. Each has it's particular festivals. Sometimes they overlap. Each site has it's own strengths.
Just like as an actor, to put yourself in the best position, you might want to think about having a good headshot, resume, reel and business cards as your basic toolkit (on top of your training and actual acting skills)
When you start producing and submitting, you should also be prepared with some kind of E.P.K (electronic press kit)
-reel
-set photos
-press photos
-press statement
-director statement
-project description and press blurbs
-any press
-any awards
-cast and crew listing
-etc
This should be factored into your PRE-PRODUCTION and PRODUCTION plans and budget, so that you have them for POST PRODUCTION.
Both websites help you set up things for uploading, but you actually have to have things ready to upload to them otherwise you are wasting your time.
Always remember there is a huge difference between activity and accomplishment.
Always welcome and be grateful for support from friends, family, colleagues, supporters, and fans, but never assume or expect it.
There is a saying "If it is to be, it is up to me" No one does everything by themselves, especially creating film, but that mindset of "I am responsible. If it is up to be, it is up to me" will take you far in producing and may help in other aspects of your life.
Be well,
Vincent
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