Acting in Columbus Newsletter | November 2009: STUDENT UPDATES

STUDENT UPDATES

Photo: Brent Shearer

Derrick Collins: was recently cast in the film KILLER (http://killermovie.net/ ) shooting next month in Central Ohio and is also appearing in several episodes of ADIAN 5 - the web series (http://www.aidan5.com/ )
Kenyatta Foster: is also appearing in several episodes of ADIAN 5 - the web series (http://www.aidan5.com/ )
Brent Shearer: was also cast in the film KILLER http://killermovie.net/ shooting next month in Central Ohio.

Mark Cummings: "A romantic-comedy, “Best Supporting Daddy”. This film stars myself, Quiana Wiley, Maurice Hall, and my wife Dana. Former Buckeye and current Buffalo Bills defensive back, Ashton Youboty is also in this movie. I wrote this screenplay sometime back and my company Awalkonwater Entertainment is producing it. Logline: Upon hearing the news that an A-list Hollywood socialite wants to have a baby, a once thriving romance novelist, in desperate need of a bestseller, plots an extreme romantic scheme to impregnate the Starlet and use the ordeal to fuel his next novel."

Brian Elles: "Recently we shot a video for the Doritos "Crash the Superbowl" contest and I wanted to share! This is :30 second commercial that we are hoping to make on air during the Super Bowl."

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.