Acting Twitter Conversation

September 27, 2009 by Dennis Baker 

Had an interesting twitter conversation that I thought the blog readers would like.

@dennisbaker: 30 year old actress on @suzeormanshow incurred $30,000. Her excuse, “I thought I would book something”. C’mon #actors get real!

@dennisbaker: Actress: “I was hoping I could just book one of these commercials” @suzeormanshow: “Hope is not a finical plan.”

@dennisbaker: Actress on @suzeormanshow makes $9/hr. #Actors learn skills that U cn #freelance at an hourly that allows U 2 pay bills & pursue acting

@bwaysaint: I can believe it – I’m $25K in debt & paying it down. You can still “hope” no matter what Suze says.Keeps u positive & focused

@bwaysaint: You just can’t rely on JUST “hope.”

@dennisbaker: @bwaysaint I think U make the same point Orman is making. The mindset of going in2 debt until “I book that commercial” is hope w/out action.

@bwaysaint: Exactly. I still hope for that opp. that will take me out of it, but I’ve stopped spending…had to. I was drowning! lol

@__dana__: @daniellecasting Question Pls– about the prevalence of “national” commercials these days, and earnings abilities for commercial actors?

@daniellecasting: @__dana__wellll.. If they book it yes!! They could do two or three and be good

@daniellecasting: @__dana__ it’s a crap shoot like everything else in our business

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ @daniellecasting Is that is book 2-3 commercials a month for rent? Realistic?

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ @daniellecasting What I keep hearing is the days of the $40,000-$50,000 national commercial are over.

@daniellecasting: @dennisbaker you know honestly it depends u get lucky ur what the director is looking for ur good. The more u go out the better the chances.

@daniellecasting: @dennisbakerbut yes u can still make that money not often as b4 but u can

@__dana__: @dennisbaker YesI keep hearing that too! That’s why I asked her. (you, Danielle) That makes me hesitant to advise it as “fallback career”

@__dana__: @dennisbaker I am not certain that #actors can make a living in commercials these days. @daniellecasting Do you think? Solely from them?

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ When has anything acting related bn considered a fallback career?

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ Annual Median income of a AEA actor is $0 dollars a year. http://tinyurl.com/yew4oun My guess is SAG actors are not too far off.

@__dana__: @dennisbaker Interesting to investigate. I think SAG #actors make more, simply cuz film always pays more than theatre. But not sure, average

@__dana__: @dennisbaker Commercials have been “fallback” career, as long as I was in the business.Many actors in NY + LA used to earn there, as living

@__dana__: @dennisbaker When I was actively in the business, my consistent income, before I got ’series regular’ type level, was voiceovers. Back up.

@__dana__: @dennisbaker Think she [@daniellecasting] means 2-3 National Commercials a year–because nationals (vs regional, et al) pay a residual evry airing-

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ I see what you mean. I would also say the percentage of actors, that have acting related back-up jobs, are small.

@__dana__: @dennisbaker I think you are right, but I do know that it’s very diff in NY and LA. I heard the other nite at a SAG event-NY actors grt av $

@__dana__: @dennisbaker I think it also depends on whether an #actor has representation, and the quality and status of their representative.

@dennisbaker: @__dana__ Luv to hear any SAG stats you can get. I agree, 10 yrs ago commercials were considered backup work.

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Filed under: Acting, Auditioning, Los Angeles, New York, Social Media, Web 2.0
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Medieval Festival – Fort Tryon Park

September 27, 2009 by Carrie Edel Isaacman 

Just in time for the upcoming Medieval Festival which takes place on October 4th from 11:30am to 6pm at Fort Tryon Park. This is a day long event and you will be able to indulge in your days of Renaissance Faire. In fact most of the Faire participants are from Tuxedo Renn Faire.

There are many stands, vendors, great food and traditional jousting. People do come in costume if you like, but if you are just there to watch, that is all good also.

One of the principal organizers is Eileen Merle-Rao as the Performance Director of the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park.  Also, she has been a patient fighting non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the past 11 years out of her 16 as Performance Director and feels that working on the Festival keeps her going all year!  Coming to see the Medieval Festival in its first year, Eileen then joined as one of the singers in its second year and has been involved with every Festival since then.

I was introduced to Eileen a few years ago and she had allowed me to be part of her cast of characters.  This year I am involved in a mini-show of Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath, adapted by playwright Alexandra Devin, a co-member of  WorkShop Theater Company. We will both play the Wives of Bath.  Ian Heitzman plays Handsome Johnny and our Older Husbands.  Actor/ Director Elena Araoz has collaborated with us and helped to shape the piece.

What I find so great about working with Alexandra and Ian is thier training in Stage Combat. They have trained under the likes of Combat Inc., Fights4.   I mention training in stage combat because of the fact that Renn Faire is known for stage combat, such as jousting, and our theatrical piece has a bit of fighting.

A word about women in stage combat, Alexandra says, “There are quite a lot of women who are in the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD), it is really the field that has fewer opportunities for women, at least in roles demanding weapons. We tend to get more unarmed roles. Cross-gender casting always gives nice opportunities for more fighting on stage for women.”

I am interested in all kinds of teaching and learning, even if it’s a form that I don’t have a lot of experience in, like stage combat. I really have enjoyed hearing Alexandra and Ian talk about the form, teaching it and learning from it. 

The location of the show will be the Unicorn Forum stage, just across from the New Leaf Café. The times of the show will be announced closer to the date of the Festival.

Hope to see you all at the show!

Carrie Edel Isaacman is a regular guest blogger, look for her posts to come out on the 27th of the month. She was an Adjunct Lecturer at Bronx Community College and substitute teacher in the NYC Public Schools. She is in her second year of the masters program in Educational Theater at City College and is a Linklater Trainee. 

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Freelance Artist: Debunking the Myth of the Starving Artist

September 6, 2009 by Dennis Baker 

There is an article floating around the internet of an interview given by actor Thomas Jane promoting his new HBO show “Hung”. It is about how he “hung” on through the hard times to make it where he is today. In the article, Jane talks about how being a starving artist helped him. He mentions that at moments in his life he was living off of food stamps and sleeping on park benches. “There were a couple times I wanted to quit, but fortunately I didn’t have anything else I could do,” he says. “So the thought of quitting would come when I couldn’t find any purchase in the barren soul of the artist, and I carried on. I think I had that advantage over some of my peers, who were very nervous about not having a car and very worried about the social status of being poor, whereas it didn’t bother me at all. I actually thrived and had a good time being poor and made fun of people who looked to social status. I was shown the light in India that that was a bunch of hogwash. It was irreversible and untradeable and an absolute gift. It gave me the strength and wisdom to overcome a lot of rejection.”

While I agree that social status is not something that one should hold in high priority, I disagree with the starving artist myth that is being continually promoted. The acting field is a business, and to come from that perspective, one will see that the mindset of a starving artist could be detrimental to one’s career.

Diversify
The current economy is causing the work force to realize something that artists already know, one needs to diversify their work skills. The age of the freelancer is here. Many people are having to work many different part time jobs to create a stable finical foundation. This should not be news for an artist. As an artist, you need to have many different skills that you can market to many different fields. Sure you got the acting business down, but that is not going to pay the bills. What other skills do you have? Are they ones where you can freelance and create your own hours. Have you set up a business model to sell your many different skills? There are many freelance options: wedding photography, child care, dog walking, virtual assistant, etc. Do you think you do not have any skills? Well, then teach yourself. There are plenty of cheap (and free) online training programs to help you in learning a variety of skills.

Branding
Once you have your multiple set of skills. I emphasize multiple, as things will be slow when you first start out and you will need many different potential ways to generate income. Now it’s time for you to create your personal brand. Here is a hint: the personal brand is you. As an actor, you are the product. Make yourself the product for your other freelance jobs. This is what Marci Alboher calls, in her book in her book One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success, “The Slash Effect”. An evolving workforce in which people are defined through multiple identities rather than just one job title.

Create a brand that ties in all your skills. A great place to do that is a website. As you can see here at DENNIS BAKER LLC, the website highlights my different skills. With Permalinks, it is easy to send a potential customer to the specific page that promotes the skill they need. If I am promoting my web design skills, I give out the web address “www.dennisbaker.net/web-design/”, if I am promoting myself as a teacher than I give out the address, “www.dennisbaker.net/teaching-artist/”. The potential client can read the specific information that pertains to their field, without searching pages that have nothing to do with job they are looking to hire.

Freelance Is About Freedom
Being a freelancer takes a lot of work, but in the end it is about freedom. Freedom to pursue what you want, when and how you want it. It may not feel that way at first as you will probably be working more hours in training yourself in the a variety of skills you need, building your brand, and finding freelance jobs. But for the artist, the positive out ways the negative. With many freelance jobs, you can work from anywhere. Take your laptop (and wireless internet card) on set and while you are waiting hours upon hours to be called to shoot your scene, get a couple of hours of work in for your client. Are you on tour, or away from from home for three months with a theater job, no problem your work can go with you. Your client doesn’t even need to know you are not at your home office. Being a Freelance Rockstar is about maximizing your potential income hours, without having to be tied down to one location.

Share Your Story
I am coming from the perspective of an actor. What artists in other mediums and fields are creating a freelance model that works for them? How have you branded and promoted all your skills. Please leave a comment. Share your story and help your fellow artists. Knowledge is power!

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Filed under: Acting, Auditioning, Film, Los Angeles, New York, Theater/Theatre
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SAFD SPT Broadsword and Shield

September 1, 2009 by Dennis Baker 

I received a recommended pass for the skills proficiency test in broadsword and shield through the Society of American Fight Directors. My instructor was Joseph Travers from Swordplay and the test was adjudicated by Fight Master J. Allen Suddeth. The video above is from our rehearsal just before the test.

UPDATE: My AMAZING partner was Renee Rodriguez, who is also artistic director of the Curious Frog Theater Company. Go see their Romeo and Juliet playing Sundays till Sept. 20th.

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Filed under: Acting, New York, SAFD, Shakespeare, Stage Combat, Theater/Theatre
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