Acting in Columbus Newsletter | November 2009

The Ohio Department of Development today rolled out Ohio's new Motion Picture Tax Credit along with a new Web site that provides a one-stop resource for production in Ohio.

Ohio's Motion Picture Tax Credit provides for a refundable credit against the corporation franchise or income tax for motion pictures produced in Ohio. The term "motion pictures" is broadly defined and can include an array of media including feature-length films, documentaries, digital media, video games, commercials, music videos and more.

"The Motion Picture Tax Credit was created to further encourage and develop a strong film industry in Ohio," said Interim Ohio Development Department Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel. "This tax credit is responsive to the needs of Ohio's film production industry to help incentivize producers and companies to do business in Ohio while at the same time being fiscally responsible with Ohio's budget."

Up to $5 million in credits will be available per production with a total of $10 million in credits available in fiscal year 2010 and $20 million available in fiscal year 2011 (total of $30 million for the biennium). Additional information on the Motion Picture Tax Credit is located at DiscoverOhioFilm.com along with links to: the Ohio Film Tax Credit Application, registration to receive tax credit email updates, and the tax credit legislation.

"We are enthusiastic that Ohio's new film tax incentive will help create a vibrant environment conducive to attracting new productions and creating jobs across our state." said Assistant State Tourism Director Alicia Reece who is serving as Interim Ohio Film Office Director. "In addition to the tax credit, our new Ohio Film Office Web site, DiscoverOhioFilm.com, will allow us to showcase our state's talented crew members and outstanding variety of locations."

This on-camera intensive is designed to enable the actor to handle commercial auditions, film and TV sides, scenes, and monologues for film. Working with the camera, actors will break down scenes to discover the humor, emotional moments, pacing, beats and more. The class will also explore the fundamentals of film and commercial auditioning, including slating and how to interview effectively, while exploring the entire audition scenario.

The class will focus on strengthening performances and working with confidence in front of the camera during cold readings as well as prepared sides.

All exercises and scenes are video-taped with playback critiques an essential part of class time.

All students will receive a DVD DEMO REEL of their work at the conclusion of this workshop. Friends and family members are invited to attend the WRAP PARTY on Saturday March 6, 2010 12:00pm for the screening of Student's DEMO REELS. Parents will receive information on how to navigate "the business" and manage their young performers' careers.

A.D. - The Assistant Director.

AD LIB - Extemporaneous delivery without relying on a prepared script.

AEA - Actors’ Equity Association; also called “Equity”. SAG’s sister union which represents stage actors.AFTRA - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Represents radio artists and news broadcasters, and, in earlier times, television performers. In more recent times, however, television performers may be represented by either AFTRA or SAG, depending on the producer’s contract. Discussions about merging the two organizations have been ongoing for several decades; recent Television & Film and Commercial Contracts have been jointly negotiated.

ART DIRECTOR - Person who conceives and designs the sets.

BLOCKING - The actual physical movements by performers in any scene. Also can refer to the movements of the camera.

BLUE SCREEN - Shooting in a studio against a large blue or green backdrop, which allows a background to be superimposed later on the final image. The actors must imagine the set they are on and be aware of the limitations of their movements. Casting Workbook’s Audition studio in their Vancouver location is a Blue Screen.

BREAKDOWN - A summary description of a script prepared by or for the casting director often including the names of the director, producer, network or studio, together with audition location and times, storyline and roles available for casting in a production. These are, and have traditionally been, provided only to qualified talent agents.

CALL SHEET - A sheet containing the cast and crew call times for a specific day’s shooting. Scene numbers, the expected day’s total pages, locations, and production needs are also included.

CALL TIME - The actual time an actor is due on the set.

DAY PLAYER (DAY PERFORMER) - A principal performer hired on a daily basis, rather than on a longer - term contract.

D.P. - Director of Photography or Cinematographer.

HERO (BOY, GIRL, MAN, WOMAN) - Unassumed Lead in a commercial where the lead isn’t prominent, but most important.

INDUSTRIAL - Non-broadcast film or video, usually of an educational nature

Here is your opportunity to take on more challenging scenes. To work with people who are serious about the work. This is an on-going, eight-week course designed to stretch your skills. Actors work, stage, and shoot several film scenes during the eight-week session. Scripts from soaps, sitcoms, dramatic TV and film are used. This is an on-going on-camera scene class. Actors receive a new scene each week to be prepared but not rehearsed in order to most closely reproduce the working situation in TV and Film.

Intermediate and Advanced level actors - Audition May be Required.

Your final scenes will be screened for area Agents and Casting Directors.

It wasn't how Dwight Pigg expected to spend his 45th birthday -- staring at a fixed point on the wall and extolling the virtues of a glow-in-the-dark remote control. "No more fumbling around. And it glows in the dark. Glows in the dark! And here's the best part -- it's only $19.95!"The exercise was part of "Acting for TV Commercials," a seven-hour class yesterday inside the Ohio Theatre. Pigg, a mortgage loan officer from Westerville, was one of nine aspiring actors who attended."In this day and age, you have to convince someone to pay attention to you in less than 10 seconds," said teacher Richard Mason, a 27-year acting veteran and founder of Acting in Columbus. "That means you have to be a dynamic performer. It's tough. People don't have any idea how tough it is."Pigg's wife bought him the class as a birthday present because she was "tired of me watching TV and saying, 'I can do that better,' " he joked. "Besides, there have to be some parts out there for a middle-aged balding guy."

Before the afternoon was over, the students learned the basics: how to find a reputable agent, going through the audition process ("It takes 15 auditions to book one job") and, eventually, how to perform for the camera. They even learned the finer points of chewing food convincingly. All that didn't come cheap. Mason charges $200 for the afternoon. Lunch is not included, although snacks are provided. Welcome to the business, indeed.The monthly class, held inside the chilly confines of rehearsal studio No. 3, usually caps out at 12 students. Mason, who also works as a casting assistant, said he was surprised by the number of students who attended yesterday's session. "Because of the economy, I was panicking that I wasn't going to have anyone," he said. "Acting classes are a luxury, and the industry has been hit pretty hard. Advertising is one of the first things companies tend to cut. "It's a tough time for breaking into the industry, but there are still jobs out there."Landing those jobs is the tough part.

Renee Ritchey, a 40-year-old account executive from Worthington, said she caught the acting bug 15 years ago but never truly pursued a career before the camera. Not surprisingly, her acting resume is limited, including roles in community theater and a commercial for Big Bear in which she dressed like the Easter Bunny.Her first take was deemed "too stiff." The second take, after Ritchey was instructed to loosen up with 15 jumping jacks, worked just fine.Mason said that 60 percent of the people who take his class book a job within two months -- more than one for SafeAuto Insurance. "SafeAuto is kind of a rite of passage for actors in Columbus," he said. He said that actors can be paid $3,000 for a regional spot that runs 13 weeks, while a national ad for the same run can deliver a paycheck as high as $10,000.