things I learned from casting

We recently held auditions for my upcoming web series, "how to lose a girl in one date." The fabulously talented Becky Silverman was my casting director, and I am so thankful for the talented actors who came in to read.

As an actor who has been to my share of casting director workshops, I have heard many opinions/tips/pet peeves regarding the casting process. And I have found myself asking, "Why would an actor throw a sharpened pencil at your face?!" and other equally disturbing questions. Certainly, such a thing would never happen... Right?

Wrong.

In just one four-hour casting session, I witnessed firsthand just how weird/awkward/inappropriate actors can be. While there were no sharpened pencils thrown (thankfully), I feel I have some humble advice worth sharing. (Keep in mind I am not claiming to be a professional casting director by any means. This is merely a compilation of information I have gathered along the way that you may choose to take or leave.) So, here it is...

What not to do when auditioning:

1. Don't be 15 years older than your headshot... Please. For the love. They called you in because your headshot looks like the character they are trying to cast. If they are looking for a 19-year-old, and your headshot looks like you are 19, yet you walk in the room being 32 - even as I'm writing this, I am reminded of the Friends episode... anyone? Joey: "Dude, am I nineteen or what?" - No, you are not 19. And you have lost me at hello. Don't waste everyone's time - including yours. Embrace your age! Hollywood needs actors of every shape and size.
2. Don't touch the casting director... I repeat. Do not. At any point, at any time, for any reason. Touch the casting director. (Or anyone else in the room for that matter.) They don't know where your hands have been. Don't do it when you are introducing yourself. And certainly don't do it in the middle of your audition. It will pull everyone out of your brilliant read. Remember in fourth grade when your teacher would make you sit on your hands? Mentally sit on your hands.
3. Don't change the script... especially if the writer is in the room! When you change the dialogue, essentially you are telling the writer that what you came up with in a few minutes is better than what they came up with in a few months. Often you haven't even been given the entire script, so you can't possibly even know the full context. So, honor the writer. Honor the script. They are the writer. You are the actor. If you want to be the writer, go home and write your own script... Then have actors come in and change all the words :)
4. Don't stalk the casting director or writer, producer, or director. Don't track down their personal Facebook page and "message" them 32 seconds after the breakdown has been posted. Don't send them an email longer than Great Expectations with your life story, hopes and dreams, list of high school theater credits, and an offer of your firstborn if they will only call you in to audition. Unless someone has asked you to "friend" them on Facebook or given you their personal email, respect their private lives. Less stalker. More professional.
5. Don't say offensive things... religious or otherwise. You never know who is in the room. You never know what beliefs/background/etc these people have. Don't cuss. Don't say the Lord's name in vain. Keep it PG. Keep it clean. Keep it professional. Remember: this a job interview. You are a business. Treat yourself as such.
6. Don't act rude or condescending to the main character... unless you are auditioning to play their arch nemesis/ex-lover/imminent killer (or sometimes all three wrapped into one!) If you are reading for the role of the lead actor's best friend, taking a negative or derogatory spin on the dialogue makes that main character look bad in the scene. Which, in turn, makes you look bad in your audition. So find a way to keep it positive.

Speaking of positive, here are a few tips on what to do when auditioning:

1. Be a human being! Call me crazy, I know. But when you come into the room like a human being, it makes all the difference in the world! No need to be super awkward and nervous. Remember, they want you to get the part! Show the casting director/writer/producer/director your charming self. Let them see a glimpse of your fabulous personality in those thirty seconds of small talk. (Notice I said thirty seconds - be sure you don't ramble on. These people have families to see, lives to be lived, and a long list of actors coming in after you). Leave them wanting more... Just like in dating.
2. Be confident in your choices. Don't ask them how they want you to do the scene. Do the scene how you would do the scene. Bring yourself to the character. Let your essence shine through. They called you in for a reason. If you make a strong choice, even if it's the wrong choice, they will recognize your talent and potential and often give you a chance to do the scene again with some redirection. So check your timidity at the door, come in with a choice, and execute it confidently!
3. Stay in the scene! The actress that booked the role of my roommate actually "messed up" more than any of the other actresses. But she stayed in the scene, allowing the awkwardness of the moment shine through as the character. It was endearing to watch and honestly put me at ease as writer/producer/lead actress knowing that when we are on set, she will do the same thing. And keep in mind... you never know what magic might result from "messing up."

So next time you walk into an audition, just remember: These people are just that - people. If you feel nervous, they will feel nervous. If you have fun with it, they will have fun with it. So do your homework, go in there and be your charming self, and impress everyone in that room with just how confident, professional, and talented you are. 

Even if you don't get the part, you've given it your all, and that's all you can control. (And hopefully they will call you in for future roles for which you may be right.)

Remember: every "no," every closed door is an opportunity for God to point you in the direction of another door, to the right door, to the "yes" that will make this all worth it. 

All the best to all my actor friends (and strangers) alike. Your passion, pursuit, and perseverance are inspiring.

- M

“Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats.” – Amos Bronson Alcott

taking a step in faith

Jack Johnson has sung about it...

"Don't let your dreams be dreams."

Denzel Washington has spoken about it...

"Dreams without goals remain dreams, just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment." 

A Proverbs has been written about it...

"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." (Proverbs 10:4)

In life, it's easy to stay in a safe and comfortable place. It's easy to get complacent, satisfied with the status quo.

But if you think back to the most memorable times in your life, the times of greatness, were they not the times when you did something big, something scary, when you took a bold step in faith?

I've been developing an idea for a web series for a while now. Like well over a year. And while I enjoy writing the episodes, while I am excited about the project, it has taken me longer than I'd like to admit to actually make a bold move in creating it. 

I wondered:
- How will I ever get the right team together who are willing to work for no/minimal pay?
- How will we get the equipment we need?
- How will I get it edited on a budget and still have it look good?
- How will I get all the graphics, sound effects, and music put into it?

I think God often calls us to step out into the unknown before he works things out. After all, if we could see everything laid out perfectly before us, well, there wouldn't be a thing called faith.

In Joshua chapter 3, Joshua and his people are trying to cross the Jordan river, a huge, wide, vast, deep river. They knew where they needed to go, where the Lord was leading them, but they didn't know how they would get across. Oh, and they were carrying the huge Ark of the Covenant, too. But something crazy happened....

They put their feet into the water... and the waters stopped. The river dried up. And they walked safely across to the other side.

The Lord was faithful. But they had to act in faith. Sometimes God calls us to step into the water, to take that first step, before he will provide a way.

I don't know about you, but I've spent enough time waiting - for my agents to get me auditions, for people to hire me, for success to find me.

I have spent enough time waiting. I think it's time I take a step in faith.

I still have a lot of uncertainties about how my web series will pan out. But I have taken the first step. I have found a director and an associate producer. We have filmed a pitch video for Indiegogo to raise some funds to shoot the first two episodes. And already so many of the pieces are falling into place.

But are they really falling into place? Or is God putting them there?

I'd like to think the latter. I have been praying for God to work behind the scenes and help bring together all the right people and tools we need for this project. While there are still many unknowns, I'm taking that first step.

I am so inspired by this short speech Denzel gave to a group of young actors. In it he says:

"Between goals and achievement are discipline and consistency." 

"It's not how much you have; it's what you do with what you have."

I am in between my goal and achievement. I am disciplined and determined to make the most of the resources I have. Won't you help my dreams not be dreams?

how to lose a girl in one date. coming soon.

How do you lose a girl in one date? Let me count the ways... But before I do, I will give you a little background to this story.

Four years ago, I packed up and moved out to LA to pursue my career in acting. I didn't know what to expect. What to do. Where to go. I still don't. But my dad once said something that stuck with me.

If you ask anyone who has achieved great success how they go to the "top," they will likely tell you they had the confidence they would succeed and just figured it out along the way, taking one step at a time.

There's a great quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. that is such a beautiful picture of this:

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." 

Now, having faith that everything will work out and that success will come is great. But that doesn't mean we don't have to do our part, taking the first step, and then the next, and then the next...

There's another quote I love by Ann Landers:

"Opportunities are often disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them."

Ain't that the truth.

As an actor in LA, it doesn't take long for one to realize how incredibly competitive an industry this is. Even if you are incredibly talented, there are no guarantees for success. I believe those who do achieve success do so through a combination of perseverance (through all the rejection) and being proactive (making things happen for themselves.)

So, instead of sitting around waiting for my agents and manager to call me with an audition, instead of waiting for an opportunity to come my way, to magically show up on my doorstep...

and let's be honest: very rarely, if ever, will an opportunity just show up at your doorstep... unless yo're on one of those tv shows where some guy with a huge, oversized check shows up at your door with cameras and tells you that you just won millions of dollars...

I have decided to get out there and make my own. Why wait for someone to hire me to play a role when I can write one for myself?

I have combined my love for writing and acting along with my plethora of - eh hem, interesting - dating experiences to create a series called, "how to lose a girl in one date." 

I have developed the concept, storyline, and characters. I have written the first season. I have sat around wondering how I would ever get this shot. I have doubted my efforts completely. And then I have decided to take a step of faith.

And the Lord has been so faithful. I have prayed that the right team would come together to make this possible, and God has truly begun to bring such an incredible group of individuals together to help me bring this vision to life. And I can't wait to see who else he brings together to play a part in turning hard work into opportunity, turning a dream into reality, and ultimately turning a tragedy into a comedy.

And YOU can be part of that team. Find out how, HERE. 

How do you lose a girl in one date? I will count the ways. But you will have to stay tuned and find out! Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest.

Until then, I will leave you with some very deep, very profound words from the a great and wise lyricist of our time:

"I'm not the girl who always has a boyfriend; I'm the girl who rarely has a boyfriend." - Taylor Swift

That's deep, Taylor. So very deep.

when nothing is certain, everything is possible

The future isn't always so clear in life. There are times of great uncertainty... Which way should I go? Which job should I take? Should I move here? Should I serve there?

There's a quote I love that apparently multiple people claim to have said first. And I don't blame them. It's profound and inspiring:

"When nothing is certain, everything is possible."

I snapped this photo the other day while riding my bike at the beach, but it wasn't until I got home that I saw this bird soaring through the frame. Free to roam. Free to soar. No set direction or agenda. Endless possibilities. Endless opportunities.

What a great, positive outlook to have. Instead of looking at our future with anxiety, let the uncertainty be an inspiration to us, a sense of overwhelming opportunity ahead, a great unknown.

See, the Lord has is all planned out. We just have to seek his face and take it one step at a time. He will reveal the path to us, his purpose for us. Just not all at once.

I know, I know. It's easier said than done. Tom Petty sings about it...

"the waiting is the hardest part." 

The in between times are the worst. I've been there, literally crying out to the Lord, "Okay, God. I'm here. I'm waiting. I'm listening. I will do whatever you tell me to do, I will go wherever you lead me to go. Just show up." 

And then He does.

And somehow I'm always shocked. But nevertheless He is faithful. He shows up. He leads me. He guides me. One foot in front of the other...

One stretch of open space into the next.

Paul was one of the most dynamic, passionate, risk-taking preachers in the New Testament. He used to persecute Christians, until one day on the road to Damascus, the Lord appeared to Him and he experienced a dramatic conversion, an overwhelming passion to turn from his ways and live his life for the Lord.

He devoted his life to doing so. But the following excerpt from my Bible in Romans really stood out to me, especially at this time in my life:

"Some years passed, though, before Paul found his role."

Huh. So even Paul experienced an in between time, a time when he was trying to find his specific role, his exact purpose, the steps he needed to take in order to make the most of his life and serve the Lord the most completely.

I can relate to that. Knowing that my ultimate goal is to be a light for the Lord. Knowing that I want to do so with the gifts He's given me. But not quite "finding my role" yet.

But then I am reminded, and comforted, by those oh-so-wise words...

"When nothing is certain, everything is possible."

I'm standing at the edge of endless possibilities. One of which is this. I hope to turn this possibility into reality. Endless opportunities await...