How To Secure Your Future On The Stage

If you’ve ever followed the work of theater directors, you may notice that they often work with many of the same actors repeatedly. Whether you’re an actor, dancer, singer or model, it’s important to remember that cultivating relationships with decision makers in the entertainment industry is paramount to career longevity. If a successful director takes a liking to you, that could mean steady work for you for years to come.

So how do you make an impression on a director to help solidify your position and success in the industry? Here are a few tips:

• Try to memorize your lines before your first rehearsal. There’s no better way to blow a director away than by showing him or her that you’ve come prepared and ready to work.

• Always be on time (and preferably early.) I know I always stress this and you probably think I sound like a broken record, but in the entertainment industry time is money and there’s no such thing as being fashionably late.

• Come to rehearsal prepared to take notes. You can use a pencil to mark up your script or bring an extra notebook. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember all of the notes that the director will give, or changes in blocking, so make sure you write them down. And be sure to review these notes often so that they sink in.

• Be courteous of the staff and crew during rehearsal. Unnecessary chatter can be frustrating and distracting to others in the theater, so when you’re not rehearsing one of your scenes, stay focused so you’ll be ready to tackle your scene when it’s your turn.

One of the last rules of thumb is to always take great care of your costume and your props. Most costume directors will require that you leave your costume at the theater, however sometimes actors become absent-minded and may take a costume or prop home with them accidentally. I once had a friend who not only took a part of his costume home (a Starbucks apron) but also promptly lost it. He spent the next day driving to various Starbucks locations trying to buy an apron from one of the baristas. While it may sound like a funny story now - trust me - it was no laughing matter.

Are you ready to use these tips to impress theater directors and ensure a long-lasting, and successful career on the stage? Visit http://StarSearchCasting.com today and check out our casting calls for theater auditions in your area and abroad. Good luck!

Member Spotlight – Car’ynn Sims

While many of our Star Search Casting members may be small, they are no strangers to BIG success. Car'ynn Sims, originally from Dallas, Texas is just 10 years old, but she's booked more than two-dozen acting jobs, appearing in various commercials and television and film projects.

Car'ynn's all-American girl image has landed her on commercials for some of America's most popular brands, including Burger King, Southwest Airlines, Blockbuster and Oscar Mayer. In addition to her work in commercials, she's also been featured in print advertising campaigns, including the Fall 2007 campaign for American Girl.

Car'ynn has also booked roles on several notable television series. She's recently appeared on Cory in the House, the popular Disney Channel show. She's also appeared on Yes, Dear on CBS and Girlfriends on the CW Television Network.

Like many of our SSC members, Car'ynn has a long list of talents. In addition to acting and modeling, she also sings and raps with her sisters and has performed at Macy's Passport, one of the largest fashion events in the United States.

Car'ynn comes from a very talented family. Her first film was Choosing Your Course, which she appeared in along with her father, and her two older sisters. Car'ynn is currently filming the movie Angel Wishes with her sister Chris'tol.

While it's clear that Car'ynn is a natural, she's also taken a number of classes to sharpen her skills. She's studied acting with some of the industry's top coaches including actress and director Chip Fields. Additionally, Car'ynn has studied dance at Millennium Dance Complex where Wade Robinson and Shane Sparks, both choreographers for So You Think You Can Dance, teach classes.

That's quite a long list of accomplishments for such a young performer, isn't it? We'd like to congratulate Car'ynn and her entire family on all of their recent success. She's an awesome example of how you can achieve anything, no matter how young you are!!!

If you're a young performer and you're inspired by Car'ynn's story, we want to help you achieve the same level of success! Visit us online at http://www.StarSearchCasting.com to find auditions in your area and begin taking the industry by storm!

Transitioning From The Stage To The Big ScreenMany great stage actors will eventually graduate to the big screen. While theater is a wonderful way to

Many great stage actors will eventually graduate to the big screen. While theater is a wonderful way to learn the craft of acting, and prepare for a long, dynamic career, when an actor transitions from the stage to television or film, a few adjustments must be made.

Projecting

As a stage actor, you are trained to project because everyone, including the audience members in the balcony, must be able to hear your dialog. However when performing for the camera, projection is no longer necessary.

Blocking

There is blocking in both stage and on-camera productions. However in theater you’re given a little more flexibility. If you’re slightly off your mark, the audience will still be able to see you. But, when acting for the camera, if you’re off on your mark, you may venture out of frame which will require the director to shoot the scene again until you get it right. This can be particularly maddening on the set of soap operas where you must shoot a lot of scenes in a short amount of time, therefore requiring that the actors be as perfect as possible when it comes to blocking and knowing your lines.

Delivery

When acting on the stage, much of your delivery is for the sake of the live audience. Your facial expressions, movement, gesturing, etc. are all to engage the audience. When acting on camera, it’s important to concentrate more on relating to the character, than relating to the audience. Additionally, you’ll have to learn to embrace the subtleties of the character, which can be a challenge initially.

Reacting

Theater is rehearsed so much, and the same scenes performed over and over until sometimes the actors forget to react to the other players. Instead they are just performing what they’ve rehearsed. It’s very important that you don’t do this when you’re performing for the camera. In film and television, the director always captures what’s called a reaction shot. Not only are you filmed performing your dialog, but you’re also taped reacting to the dialog of the other actors in the scene. In order for your performance to look authentic, it’s very important that you listen and react to other actors in the scene, rather than just delivering your lines based on vocal cues.

If you’re interested in roles on-camera and on-stage roles, visit www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today and check out some of our auditions.

Transitioning From The Stage To The Big Screen

Many great stage actors will eventually graduate to the big screen. While theater is a wonderful way to learn the craft of acting, and prepare for a long, dynamic career, when an actor transitions from the stage to television or film, a few adjustments must be made.

Projecting

As a stage actor, you are trained to project because everyone, including the audience members in the balcony, must be able to hear your dialog. However when performing for the camera, projection is no longer necessary.

Blocking

There is blocking in both stage and on-camera productions. However in theater you’re given a little more flexibility. If you’re slightly off your mark, the audience will still be able to see you. But, when acting for the camera, if you’re off on your mark, you may venture out of frame which will require the director to shoot the scene again until you get it right. This can be particularly maddening on the set of soap operas where you must shoot a lot of scenes in a short amount of time, therefore requiring that the actors be as perfect as possible when it comes to blocking and knowing your lines.

Delivery

When acting on the stage, much of your delivery is for the sake of the live audience. Your facial expressions, movement, gesturing, etc. are all to engage the audience. When acting on camera, it’s important to concentrate more on relating to the character, than relating to the audience. Additionally, you’ll have to learn to embrace the subtleties of the character, which can be a challenge initially.

Reacting

Theater is rehearsed so much, and the same scenes performed over and over until sometimes the actors forget to react to the other players. Instead they are just performing what they’ve rehearsed. It’s very important that you don’t do this when you’re performing for the camera. In film and television, the director always captures what’s called a reaction shot. Not only are you filmed performing your dialog, but you’re also taped reacting to the dialog of the other actors in the scene. In order for your performance to look authentic, it’s very important that you listen and react to other actors in the scene, rather than just delivering your lines based on vocal cues.

If you’re interested in roles on-camera and on-stage roles, visit www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today and check out some of our auditions.