The Power of Positive Self-Talk in Casting Calls

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Casting Frontier

“…I can do anything good, yeah, yeah, yeah. Better than anyone! Better than anyone!” –Jessica’s Daily Affirmation (over 10 million hits)

When you’re preparing for an audition, surrounded by similar types in the lobby, what messages is your mind giving you? Are you comparing yourself to the others? Do your thoughts reflect self-doubt: “I should have worn my other shirt.” Do you find yourself thinking, “You have to relax,” or are you anxiously admonishing your inner self to “act natural?” Are you remembering a past audition that didn’t go so well? If this sounds like you, it’s time to realize you are the thorniest, most intimidating beastly competitor in the lobby! These thoughts are self-sabotaging and can limit your career potential. It’s time to take charge of the situation and learn positive self-talk. So what are some positive affirmations you can repeat that will actually empower you to enter the audition room naturally and brimming with confidence?

It’s important to use words that feel right for you; words that resonate deep within your soul. But, here are a few suggestions for you to consider:

If there’s a long wait in the lobby, rather than saying, “This is taking forever,” instead picture your audition going well and say, “I’m going to book this; it’s well worth the wait!”

If you’re wishing you had a better look or made a different wardrobe choice, instead of saying, “That other actor looks the part; I wish I looked more like that specimen,” say, “I love myself just the way I am. I’m grateful for what I have.” And no one else’s talent or experience can ever defeat you when your mind repeats, “I’m the best fit for this role.”

If you’re stuck in the mire of past audition blunders, you might say, “I learn from my mistakes and move on.”

If you’re remembering a nasty remark by a short-tempered director, you can say, “I choose to be positive.” And then act accordingly. If you’ve heard a certain casting director is a nightmare to work with, you can rephrase it in your mind, “This person expects others to give their best effort. And I’m willing to do just that.”

What if other actors received the sides before you, and this seems unfair? You can tell yourself, “This is a challenge—or even a test; I’m up to the test, and I love a challenge.”

How about parking?! Is there any nightmare more horrible or more real?! Maybe you didn’t get to change, and you’re being called in for the audition before you’re ready; instead of saying, “I can’t handle this,” ask yourself, “How will I handle this?” By simply restating the perceived dilemma as a question, you feel a sense of hope and your creativity is called upon.

And taking one last glimpse in the mirror before being called in, you can tell yourself, “I love myself and other people love me too.” Doesn’t that help you feel centered and ready to go?

Frequent repetition of these kinds of affirmations can lead to self-mastery. If it feels awkward or silly at first, just keep repeating them till you stop resisting and the message truly sinks in. Make the most of your casting calls! Feel good about the job you are doing, and do it well! Affirm your success every day, and success will be a foregone conclusion.

Submit your profile for commercial auditions, TV auditions (and more!) in Los Angeles, New York & nationwide. Get more auditions using Casting Frontier's online casting system and showcase your talent! Post your reel & plus get your Casting Card that includes your personal Actor ID Barcode. Visit us at http://castingfrontier.com.

How Do You Feel When You Watch Your Own Work?

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Casting Frontier

So you landed a commercial or a choice TV role, and you’ve alerted your friends and family to look out for you on the TV screen. You pop yourself a big bowl of popcorn, crack open a beer or even a bottle of champagne; you huddle up with your closest friend, and then…it’s on!

There you are in full HD color. You’re prepared to behold your acting skills and the latest notch in your rising career. But, you’re suddenly overwhelmed by an out of body experience! It’s just plain weird seeing your own self in the flesh onscreen. Jennifer Aniston has said, “It’s always weird to see yourself on screen or in a magazine. It’s almost as if the image I see is another person and not the real me I know.”

By watching yourself you may notice things about your appearance for the first time. Maybe it’s how gorgeous you are! But it can also be, “So my left side really is better than my right,” “My hair is starting to thin a little at the crown,” or “Do I have a lazy eye?!” Perhaps the lighting is very harsh or–God willing–very flattering. The list is endless because no one is perfect–at least not at all times.

Moreover, actors are notorious for contemplating and over-contemplating their performances. There may be times when you’re perfectly pleased with your acting skills. You knew you were in the pocket on set, and the camera really captured the magic. But there may be other times when you find yourself wincing and scrutinizing every last detail of your work. You look at it over and over and you just know you’re capable of doing better. Maybe you find yourself wishing you’d used a different inflection; maybe you have an ah-ha moment, “No wonder the director kept telling you to tone it down or to put a dash of humor in the performance.” And some things are beyond your control. You may have done ten takes, but the editors choose the worst one because it’s the only take without the boom in it.

Paul Giamatti, the wine swilling schlubo of the inebriated comedy Sideways, hates watching himself onscreen. “But I’m not gonna get any better if I don’t,” he explained. “And no one else is going to pick me apart–well, they will–but I want to learn so I have to pick myself apart. I think I do it in a more useful way than I used to. It used to be dismissive. I couldn’t even watch.”

When you see yourself onscreen, you become cognizant of just how much you’ve really put yourself out there. Your work is exposed for any and all to lay comment upon or to criticize openly and freely from that point on. “I saw you on that TV show—You were terrible!” “I saw you on that hair loss commercial. Are you really balding?” Or, “ED must be a particularly agonizing affliction.” How about, “Do you use maxi pads exclusively?” Funny, yes; ridiculous, no doubt. But you’ve got to be ready for this level of attention and focus. It might behoove you to anticipate the reaction to any given role or persona, and prepare your witty, insightful response.

Jeff Bridges is the first actor in movie history to play opposite a younger version of himself –known as Clu 2.0 in Tron: Legacy. When asked if it was weird to see a younger version of himself onscreen, Bridges answered, “It’s not that odd. I’m used to watching old movies of myself. When I’m actually filming the movie, I’m just being myself; the younger side of me isn’t around.” Well there’s a healthy perspective for you.

Overall, when you watch yourself onscreen, you can learn from the experience. But keep in mind, it’s not up to you to critique your performance or even to make sense of it. It’s your job to do it with all the gusto you can muster, and then let the world figure it out. In fact, many actors wrap their projects and choose not to see their performances. They lay it before the bar of public opinion and then…move on to the next one. They simply grow to trust their work.

It’s important to remember why you became an actor in the first place: to express yourself deeply, to be imaginative, to have fun, and to challenge yourself constantly. So, when you see yourself in full 1080P HD, cringe all you will, but also, most certainly be proud. Because your livin’ the dream!

From Ordinary to Memorable in Casting Calls

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Casting Frontier

In many ways, life is maintenance. Working, paying bills, eating, cooking, cleaning, exercising, driving, getting the car registered, repaired, and gassed up–you know the drill. All the logistics required in a modern lifestyle trim down our available time; it’s easy to overlook what is going on within ourselves. Sure you’re aware you got angry when that guy cut you off on the freeway; yes, you found yourself laughing when you forgot your own birthday. But throughout banal tasks and daily foibles, it’s easy to feel somewhat emotionally cut off.

Then you go in for a casting call. Once there, you’re expected to be expressive and full of life. Whether it’s Gregory Peck playing the quiet, mild-mannered Atticus Finch in an intensely alive, nuanced, and complex manner, or Michele Williams making Marilyn Monroe a real person as opposed to an icon, actors are expected to rise above mediocrity and capture the intricate, ever-evolving drama of the human soul. You, as a dedicated thespian, are expected to have a command of your deepest inner workings in order to deliver whatever qualities are essential for any particular role. You don’t want to merely portray the role appropriately well—you want to play it remarkably well. You want people to remember it. To do so, you need to capture the depth and complexity of the human experience—characteristics that require a life fully lived, insightfully lived.

This is your dream. This is your goal. Don’t merely wait for your next acting class to inform how to express all that’s within you. Rather, continue your studies as you go about those humdrum daily experiences, If you can learn to be a keen observer of human behavior in both yourself and others, you’ll find that every human action from walking the dog to washing the dishes is often filled with joy, love, anger, confusion, and clarity all wrapped up into one. And all the gestures, word choices, lies, all the things left unsaid are grist for your mill. Ultimately, your duty is not to the director, your fellow actors, or even the audience. Your primary duty is to commit to your character in all of his or her complexities and contradictions.

While portraying a character, the devil is in the details. And details can be boring, or details can be intriguing. Watch Paul Newman pull the chair out for Piper Laurie in The Hustler. He executes a simple action as if his life depended on it. Or Marlon Brando washing his bald head in Apocalyse Now–he makes it epic. Charlize Theron in Monster as she’s preparing herself in the mirror–classic. How about Richard Gere peeling the label off a beer bottle in Looking for Mr. Goodbar; it’s as if he’s caressing a woman.

Breathe life into your characters by caring about all they do. Start by caring about all you do. You might even find your own life becoming more meaningful, and more memorable.

Don’t Miss a Casting Call, Use Actor on the Go

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Casting Frontier

If you’ve been an actor for any length of time, you understand you need every advantage you can get. Just walk in the lobby of a busy casting facility, and you immediately get a sense of the formidable odds one might face in pursuing a given role. Acting is your passion, your gift, your ambition—but it can also be daunting! That’s why you work so hard to empower your career: you eat all those foods high in antioxidants, you do extra crunches at the gym, you try not to party too hard, you network every chance you get, you’re in classes all the time. But what other tools are out there to maximize your efforts and rev up your career? Are you making the most of the World Wide Web? The Internet is ubiquitous, and we tend to take it for granted as it’s so firmly imbedded in our everyday lives. You have your personal website, you utilize online casting services for casting calls. But are you using this incredible resource to its full capacity?

Casting Frontier has been the leading technology innovator in the casting industry for the past seven years. They have empowered casting directors, agents, directors, and producers with amazing tools that use the power of the Internet to quicken digital communication and to streamline workflow. And now, with Actor On The Go, Casting Frontier has designed an app that gives you, the actor, the digital tools to audition and book on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Actor On The Go allows you to submit your profile for roles, confirm or cancel auditions, view public submissions, and choose your headshots. So, if you’re busy working in your side job, whether it be the classic waiting tables, tending bar, or any other actor-friendly day job, you don’t have to miss out on auditions. With Actor On The Go, you can be apprised of breakdowns and call times as soon as they’re available. So, if you get a confirmation at work, you have plenty of time to get a replacement, and prepare for the audition. Or say you take a drive up to Santa Barbara on your day off, you’ll get the audition notice with plenty of time to hop on the 101 and hightail it back to town for your next big role! Actor on the Go is for those who want more opportunity, more flexibility, and more bookings.

Actor on the Go is a free app for actors with Premium or Premium Plus profiles on Casting Frontier. Click here to get your Actor on the Go app now.