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 Commercial Work Interviewed by Joanna Parson Brooke Thomas and Mary Egan, casting directors at HOUSE Production and Casting (www.HouseProd.com) in New York City, teach an on-camera commercial class under the name. So, my (non-actor) friends and I are sitting around, and we're watching TV. Some girl comes on the screen, makes one goofy face to sell yogurt, and pockets $25,000. My friends ask me why I don't do commercials. It seems easy enough! In your opinion, is it? Brooke & Mary: We think doing commercials is very different from stage or film acting. You have to have a certain confidence in being yourself in front of the camera rather than taking on a character as you do in the theater and film. It is the ability to truly relax and have confidence in being "yourself" that makes for a good commercial actor. This is easier said than done. Casting directors and directors look for these natural attributes to match with the brand that's going to be advertised. Obviously, most of the time the people who are successful at doing commercials are trained actors (with an occasional "real person" here or there) but it's a different way of acting all together. And don't forget, there are many people out there who want to do commercial acting; it's very competitive. But because there's a larger volume of work for new faces, it sometimes seems easier to break into the commercial world than into legit roles in film and television. Are commercial agents and casting directors more approachable than legit agents? Brooke & Mary: In reality, despite the appearance of a boom in entertainment, there have been only modest gains for union actors in recent years according to Actor's Equity and Screen Actors Guild statistics. Having said that, commercial agents and casting directors are always looking for new faces, particularly in the non-union sector. They usually have a large roster of clients in order to keep up with the larger volume of work. Legit agents are very selective and usually keep their client lists small. You teach a popular class in acting for commercials ("Brooke and Mary")-- I learned a lot from it myself. But why should people study commercial "acting"? Is it its own style, or does any other acting training give you the goods? Brooke & Mary: Commercial actor training is very different than classical actor training. In a commercial audition for example, you frequently use cue cards, which is unheard of in a legit audition. We believe that all actor training is beneficial to acting in commercials. For example, if the feel of the commercial is very conversational the actor may apply the technique of putting himself or herself in a location that is quiet and intimate to prepare. How important are looks in commercial work? Is it only for beautiful people who can afford all the trendy outfits? If I can't afford a trip to the salon every week, am I doomed? Brooke & Mary: As an actor your looks are always important, but it's not about "beautiful" people per se but attractive character types. Keeping healthy goes without saying. The trend in commercials is to cast for "real" people. This simply means directors and agencies are casting more for the "every person" out there, people who are diverse in their looks, all types, all ages, all ethnicities, all sizes and shapes. I've also always wondered how important it is to "dress the part" for an audition. If I get a call for Captain Morgan Rum, for example, should I dress up like a pirate? Do gimmicks like that often result in booking the job? Brooke & Mary: Uhhh, we'd suggest not donning a pirate outfit to an audition. A small prop or accessory can be interesting and helpful to you as an actor, but don't go overboard with a pirate outfit, pun intended. We would not advise putting on a full costume for an audition as it could distract from your performance. You'll look like a goober. We don't believe that gimmicks ever work. However, it is important to dress appropriately for the audition. Example: If you were called in for a Pepcid AC commercial and you were going to be a truck driver, it would be beneficial for you to dress very casual. You work with commercial agents every day. In your opinion, what are the best ways for actors to approach commercial agents when they're looking for representation? What are those agents looking for? Brooke & Mary: Actors should approach commercial agents in any way they can without being intrusive or annoying. If a listing says "don't call or visit" in the Ross Reports directory, don't call or visit. With that being said you must use all your friends, and friends of friends for referrals. If they have agents ask them to set you up with an appointment. If none of your friends have agents then take a class that offers a visit from an agent or casting director. Do mailings, send postcards. Agents are looking for perseverance and confidence from potential clients. I personally "freelance" with about four commercial agencies-- meaning that they have my name on file and call me occasionally, without an exclusive arrangement. Is that an okay thing to do? Aren't they all getting called for the same jobs? And when do you know when it's right to sign exclusively with one agency? Brooke & Mary: Freelancing is the perfect way for you and an agent to get to know each other. It gives you the opportunity to see how that agent perceives you and their ability to get you out on auditions. Most agents get the same breakdowns. If you are submitted to audition by several agents, it is the casting director's job to give the agent who submitted you first an appointment time. There have been instances where agents have called us to ensure they got an appointment for an actor who freelances with several agents. As for signing with an agent, it's only right if you and the agent have a good working relationship. You need to question whether you think the agent gets you out on auditions enough, do they respond to your telephone calls, are they sending you out on the right auditions for your type, do you trust them? Commercial casting directors often go to Actors Connection, or other situations where actors are paying for the opportunity to audition. But should an actor knock themselves out trying to meet casting directors if they're not represented by an agent? Do casting directors such as yourselves ever call unrepresented people in directly? Brooke & Mary: We call unrepresented talent in to audition all the time. Actors should make connections with anyone and everyone in "the business ". We know of a legit agent who has met actors and thought they were fantastic but already had their type on their roster so they referred the actor to an agent friend of theirs. You never know. What should actors be wary of when paying for seminars with casting directors, and what can they realistically expect? Brooke & Mary: Any advertised class that promises to "make you a star" is way high on the cheese factor. Avoid them. You should always ask around and get opinions of what are the best seminars and classes to attend and they're often smaller classes like ours. Always ask if you can audit the class. If not, you can ask for references. Often, the best way to find a great class is through word of mouth. Do you open unsolicited headshots? Should actors do large mailings to commercial casting directors, or is it better to target commercial agents with mailings? Brooke & Mary: We read all our mail. Actors should target both casting directors and agents with mailings. Target a little of both, no need to go crazy trying to send something to everyone in one mailing. Here's what we suggest. Send to five casting directors and 5 talent agents every week. Keep a record of whom you are sending to and follow up with a postcard every 30 days. Everyone's always talking about "trends" in the commercial world. Can you catch us up on the latest trends? Brooke & Mary : As mentioned, the commercial trend is for "real" looking people. But we would also add that the industry wants people with improvisation skills . If you haven't taken an improv class, now would be the time to do it. Improv skills free you up from self-consciousness and provide the ability to make quick decisions in support of the copy. When it's good, this is sort of the X-factor that wins the hearts of directors in viewing call-back auditions. It's often hard for an actor to decide where to spend their time and energy. Should an actor target commercial work to the exclusion of other kind of acting work, or is it important to commercial industry folks to see that the actor is also pursuing stage and legit work? Brooke & Mary: It is very important to pursue a variety of acting work. Keep working however and wherever you can. The old adage that "work begets work" is true. When it rains, it pours! It's annoying to listen to actors complain about the lack of work and then turn down extra work because it's not the type of acting they want to do. We know several actors who have done extra work and made important connections on the set that has led them to lucrative jobs. Lots of actors feel that talking into a camera about a product feels "phony". Is there a way to get more comfortable with that? Brooke & Mary: This is something we deal with in our class and we provide techniques to overcome it. Suspension of belief happens to a viewer watching an actor, and it follows that an actor needs to suspend his or her belief when acting in the context of promoting a product. Hawking a brand may not be the most artful thing an actor can do, but there is exceptional skill in the act of doing it successfully. A guy I knew used to memorize commercials and practice them by saying them into his mirror. Do you recommend that? Brooke & Mary : Only for extreme narcissists. We don't recommend that. Commercial copy is always changing. It can change in the middle of your audition and you need to respond freely to that. Use the cue cards. That is what they are there for. Secondly, reciting copy into the mirror is the worst thing you can do. In order to succeed in commercials you must develop the ability to get out of your own head and stop being self-conscious. Looking at yourself in a mirror promotes self-judgment and memorizing locks you into something that often changes at a casting. What are the biggest mistakes people make when they walk into a commercial audition? Brooke & Mary: Not listening and sensing the scene. So many times actors come in to audition and they are so nervous or excited that they completely miss any direction that is given to them. Acting is just as much about listening as it is about speaking your lines. Pay attention and get a sense of the copy, consider the brand, watch the temperament of the casting director, and listen to his or her direction and suggestions. What's the most audacious choice an actor has made in your audition room that won him/her a commercial job? Brooke & Mary: Talented actors, many of whom have improvisation training, have sealed the deal with something additive to the copy when reading in an audition. That is why we recommend improvisation classes to all our students. Improv gives you the confidence to make daring choices and commit to them. To be sure, it's a risk to go off the copy with an improvisation that an actor thinks improves his chances of getting the job, because they can fail. But without the risk there's less reward. Brooke Thomas Brooke joined House's on-camera division in 2002. She brought to the team a decade of experience she amassed as a casting director at Liz Lewis Casting Partners, where she was responsible for casting campaigns for the likes of Diet Coke, Verizon, and Volkswagen , as well as correspondents for The Daily Show. Brooke also teaches an on-camera commercial class-with House colleague Mary Egan-tapping into the city's undiscovered talent. In 2005, Brooke appeared as a guest casting director on Martha Stewart's version of The Apprentice, hosted and moderated panel discussions at the first New York Television Festival, and was recently featured on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. Mary Egan Mary came to the commercial division of House in 2004 with eight years of casting experience in New York. She has cast independent features and television shows, including MTV's Damage Control. And she's worked on the other side of the camera, too, offering casting advice on E! and the Learning Channel. Her expertise is in comedy, and often it's the so-far undiscovered students in the commercial acting classes she teaches-in a side project with House colleague Brooke Thomas-who book the commercials she casts. |
phone: 626.200.6993 - email: contact@paulbellos.com |
