Acting in Columbus Newsletter | May 2009

Acting in Columbus student HANANI TAYLOR: LA Bound

2009-05-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Photo: Hanani Taylor

Acting in Columbus student Hanani Taylor recently return from an exciting round of auditions in Los Angeles, California. We've been preparing for these auditions for several months and Hanani's hard work is finally paying off. Hanani's manager set up auditions with several top Talent Agencies and with the casting departments of Nickelodeon and Disney.

They loved her. Hanani and her mother are now preparing to make that long desired move to LA. They will split their time between Columbus and LA this summer and will spend the fall there for Pilot Season.

A pilot is the most common type of program used by television networks to determine whether or not a show will work on the air. Pilot season is when shows in development are given the go-ahead and casting begins. Traditionally, January is considered the beginning of pilot season, though some begin casting as early as November. Hanani will also be auditioning for other film, television and commercial projects.

Hanani has signed with Buchwald Talent Group. Buchwald is known for their youth actors. They have kids appearing on Nick and Disney and various movies. They are excited to have her.

Locally Produced Film to be Screened at the HOLLYWOOD BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

2009-05-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Producers of 'The Endangered' are pleased to announce that the Selection Committee of the Hollywood Black Film Festival has selected this film to be nominated in competition for the feature film category.The festival is in Beverly Hills, CA and will run June 2nd - 6th.

The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF), dubbed “The Black Sundance,” is an annual 6-day celebration of Black Cinema drawing together established filmmakers, popular film and TV stars, writers, directors, industry executives, emerging artists, and diverse audiences from Hollywood and around the world.
Attracting such stars and industry insiders as Academy Award® winners Sidney Poitier, Forest Whitaker, John Singleton, Spike Lee, George Tillman, Tina Andrews, Reuben Cannon, Cedric The Entertainer, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Sanaa Lathan, Antwone Fisher, Ice-T, Rev. Run, Bill Duke, Loretta Devine, Rockmond Dunbar, Lamaan Rucker, directors Tim Story, Preston Whitmore, Rob Hardy and Jeff Byrd, and producer Will Packer, the festival has become a hotbed for the Black Hollywood community.

"The Endangered" - The inter-racial relationship of two high school seniors (Patrick & Valerie) is strained when Patrick's sister is accosted and turns up missing, and Valerie's brother comes under suspicion for the crime. The respective families' challenging beliefs then come to the fore as the nature of both fathers' views on race may prove not to be so different after all. As the investigation of the crime unravels, both families discover that there is a lot of seething tension just below the surface. Click here to see the trailer: THE ENDANGERED

The film was shot entirely in Columbus, Ohio with a local cast featuring many actors from the Acting in Columbus community, including instructor Richard Mason.

CAST

Jim Azelvandere Old Codger
Frank Barnhart Det. Miller
Gabrielle Bullard Vanessa Gray
Anita Davis Zora Gray
Clint Elmore Det. Shank
Jasmine Herrell Valerie Gray
Kristina Kopf Elise Lumford
John S. Kuhn Connor Lumford
Richard Mason Malcolm Gray
Lindsay N. Miller Courtney Lumford
Matt Proctor Patrick Lumford
Danny Reese II Eldridge Gray

This film was Written and Directed by R.A. Nelson

ACTING FOR KIDS: TV, FILM and COMMERCIALS Summer Intensive for Teens (Ages 12-16)

2009-05-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Former ACTING IN COLUMBUS students Remy B. and Grace A. were cast in supporting roles in the film SPEAK starring Kristen Stewart. This film was shot entirely in Columbus, Ohio.

Monday-Friday June 22-26, 2009 10:00am-12:00pm $125

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 Friday June 25, 2009 12pm for the screening of Student's DEMO REELS and Parents will receive information on how to navigate "the business" and manage their young performers' careers. This class is limited to 14 students. As of May 5, 2009 there are 11 slots available.

UPCOMING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

2009-05-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Photo: Beth H. currently appearing in a FRISCH'S Commercial.

Go to our website actingincolumbus.net for details.

Acting for TV Commercials - Introduction to Acting for the Camera - Sunday May 17, 2009 1:00pm -8:00pm $200

Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. You will learn how to make the first contact with the agents. By taking this class you have the opportunity to show the agents that you are serious about pursuing this type of work.

WEEKEND ACTING BOOT CAMP - Friday/Saturday/Sunday May 15-17, 2009 $275

Weekend Acting Boot Camp is designed for the beginner who want intensive training over a short period of time or the rusty actor who needs to get back on top of their game. Boot Camp will give you a strong foundation in acting techniques as well as a firm grasp of the nuts and bolts of scene work and audition skills.

ACTING ON FILM SCENE STUDY - Acting Fundamentals for stage and film Wednesdays beginning June 10, 2009 - August 5, 2009 7:00apm-9:30pm $200

This class offers a focused introduction to the acting process. Beginning actors work, stage, and shoot several film scenes during the eight-week session. We work in depth on concepts central to the actor's role development for film.

ADVANCED ACTING FOR FILM - Tuesdays beginning June 9, 2009 - August 4, 2009 7:00pm-9:30pm $200

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 class 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.

Casting 101

2009-05-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Casting Process

It sometimes involves a series of auditions before a casting panel, composed of individuals such as the producers, director and/or choreographer. In the early stages of the process, candidate performers often may present prepared audition pieces such as monologues, prepared sides or cold readings, from the script. Later stages may involve groups of candidates attempting material from the work under consideration in various combinations; the casting panel considers both the talent of the individual actors and the chemistry of their combination.

When a Casting director is working on a Print Advertising or TV Commercial casting project, then the talent comes in and is photographed or put on video with no one else in the casting session. The day's work of all the talent is then viewed on an audition website by the clients. A choice can occur that day or the next day with the production being only days away. There is more of this type of casting (commercial/print) going on than any other type.

Depending on the prestige of the role, casting calls may go out to the public at large (typical for community theatre and independent films), to professional and semi-professional local actors (for supporting roles in theatre and film) or to specifically selected actors (for leading roles, especially in films).

In the production of film and television, a similar process is followed. However, especially for major productions, the process of selecting candidates for sometimes hundreds of parts and possibly thousands of extras may often require specialized staff; while the last word remains with the people in artistic and production charge, a Casting director (and/or Casting Assistant, Casting Associate) may be in charge of most of the daily work involved in this recruiting process during pre-production; in addition the "CD" may also remain as liaison between director, actors and their agents once the parts have been cast. Some of them build an impressive career, e.g. working on numerous ambitious Hollywood productions. The significant organization of professional screen - and theater casting in the US is the Casting Society of America (CSA), but membership is optional.

At least in the early stages and for extras, casting may be decentralized geographically, often in conjunction with actual shooting planned in different states, e.g. in Hollywood or New York (studio) and one or more exotic locations (e.g. Hawaii, the Far East) and/or budget locations, e.g. Canada, Ireland. Another reason may be tapping in to each home market in the case of an international co-production. However for the top parts, the choice of one or more celebrities, whose presence is of enormous commercial importance, may rather follow strictly personal channels, e.g. direct contact with the director.

The Role of a Casting Director

2009-05-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Most people associate the casting director with casting big name stars for film, stage, and television productions. However, the casting director usually defers to the main director on lead roles. Instead, the casting director must work on filling the roles of all spoken parts, and on overseeing the hiring of all extras.

In productions with lots of people, the casting director and his or her assistants may have to see thousands of people to fill hundreds of rolls. The casting director usually gets some direction from the director of the film, like “I need people who are between thirty and forty,” so he or she can make decisions about who will best fit these roles. Essentially the goal of the casting director is to employ people who will fit with the director’s, and possibly the producer’s, artistic ambitions.

Usually, actors go through several casting calls. At first, assistants may oversee auditions. If the assistants decide that the person auditioning for a role may be right for a part, then the person is given a callback. There may be several callbacks. The casting director who may only be present at the last audition usually makes final decisions. Unlike many extras or aspiring actors, most moderately to well-known stars do not have to go through as many callbacks to be seen by a casting director. A film director who wants a certain person for a role may initiate this audition process, or the actor’s agent may initiate it. Often the casting director will immediately hear a person read, or sing for a role, though callbacks may be involved if the casting director has not made a final decision.

Casting directors are often criticized for their choices regarding casting. Frequently, casting directors are accused of being sexist, racist, ageist, or otherwise discriminating. Criticism of casting directors arises from the belief that they cast actors that aren’t necessarily a true reflection of society. Usually, the casting director focuses on the artistic vision of the director, without preference to his or her own ideas on who should play a role. Thus decisions about the race, gender, or size of those employed are usually out of the casting director’s hands.

TRI-STATE AREA CASTING DIRECTORS

2009-05-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

Cincinnati

Jacquie Loughery
Dare to Dream Casting
700 West Pete Rose Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Web: http://www.daretodreamcasting.com/
Email: daretodreamprods@aol.com

Lynn Meyers
lynn.meyers@cincyetc.com
1127 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cleveland

Marcy Ronen Casting
http://www.marcyronencasting.com/
Cleveland, Ohio

Pittsburgh

Donna Belajac Casting
http://www.donnabelajaccasting.com/
109 Market Street, 2nd Floor,
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Nancy Mosser Casting
http://www.mossercasting.com/
Blackbird Studios3583 Butler Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Detroit

Carrie Ray Casting
http://www.carrieraycasting.com/
1012 S Washington Avenue
Royal Oak, MI 48067

Constantin Stanislavski - The Father of Modern Acting

2009-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski (1863 – 1938), was a Russian Actor and Theatre Director. His innovative contribution to modern European and American realistic acting has remained at the core of mainstream western performance training for much of the last century. Stanislavski organized his realistic techniques into a coherent and usable 'system'. Thanks to its promotion and development by acting teachers who were former students and the many translations of his theoretical writings, Stanislavski's System acquired an unprecedented ability to cross cultural boundaries and developed an international reach, dominating debates about acting in the West. That many of the precepts of his 'system' seem to be common sense and self-evident testifies to its hegemonic success. Actors frequently employ his basic concepts without knowing they do so.

His is a systematic approach to training actors. This system is at some point different from but not a rejection of what he states earlier in affective memory. At the beginning, Stanislavski proposed that actors study and experience subjective emotions and feelings and manifest them to audiences by physical and vocal means.

Among the actors who have employed Stanislavski's System in some form are Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Harvey Keitel, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Warren Beatty, Robert Duvall, Johnny Depp, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Jessica Lange, William Hurt, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Benicio del Toro, Mark Ruffalo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sandra Bullock, Kate Winslet, Adrien Brody, Denzel Washington, Elizabeth Taylor, Hilary Swank, Anthony Hopkins, John Alexander and Sean Penn.

Sir John Gielgud said, "This director found time to explain a thousand things that have always troubled actors and fascinated students." Gielgud is also quoted as saying, "Stanislavski's now famous book is a contribution to the Theatre and its students all over the world."

Stanislavski's goal was to find a universally applicable approach that could be of service to all actors. Yet he said of his System, "Create your own method. Don't depend slavishly on mine. Make up something that will work for you! But keep breaking traditions, I beg you."
Stanislavski's aim was to have all of his characters performed as "truthfully" as possible, relying on full commitment to objectives and physical actions, rather than artificial reproduction of emotion.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

2009-04-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

AN ACTOR PREPARES by Constantin Stanislavski

An Actor Prepares is simply one of the most essential books that anyone considering a career as a serious actor could possibly own. There are lessons to be found in this book that will serve you well not only on your journey through the often strange and sometimes wonderful world of the theater, but also on your journey as an actor. An Actor Prepares is written in an easily accesible and conversational style that is often laugh out loud funny even when it provides startling insight in the human condition.