David Ackert teaches a UCLA Extension course for actors.  After taking David’s “Business Plan for Actors” workshop at the SAG Foundation’s LifeRaft Event, I was curious about his teaching style and the knowledge that he is sharing with his peers as well as newcomers to the industry.

David was kind enough to allow me to sit in on his class, which is already in progress for 2008. In this session, he had actors Monique Edwards, Jenny Gago and Randy Vasquez present to share their experiences with the class. David asked them a series of questions that covered topics such as how they have been mentored, how they may have approached the change in the ethnic depiction of characters and how they have transitioned through agents and lulls in the business over the course of their careers.

Later, we reviewed current trends in Demo Reels and were given a handout quiz to test our belief system about our ability to succeed as actors in the industry. David then discussed how we might be able to change our beliefs and take action to better serve us on our journey as performers, so we can appreciate the experience as it unfolds.

I have to admit, after taking two of David’s courses, I’m inspired to rework my personal mission statement so that it’s clear and easy for anyone to understand my enthusiasm for other creative artists in a variety of mediums. More on that in another blog…

Tags: Acting Classes, Business Classes

After a special screening of the “The Dark Knight”, John Papsidera shared his perspective on the casting process and gave a more in depth view of how some of the main and supporting cast were chosen for this film.  He spoke about Heath Ledger’s meeting with the film’s director Christopher Nolan and how other actors were also chosen based on the versatility that they could bring to the various scripted roles.

John Papsidera’s casting credits include “The Dark Knight,” “Batman Begins,” “The Prestige,” “Momento,” “Enchanted,” and HBO’s “Carnivale.” Papsidera has a diverse background which made him choose casting as a profession.  He also has a current partnership in the restaurant, The Waffle.

Tags: SAG Foundation Events, Screen Actors Guild

David Ackert has applied his acting experience and business skills to help other actors in our community better understand how to plan for and reach their career goals.

At this workshop, David provided a Business Plan for Actors handout, which clearly and concisely provided the structure and key points of a typical business plan. He then guided us through the steps of how to apply that outline and process to the entertainment industry, so we could personalize our plans.

Rather than a lecture, this event was interactive and David encouraged actors to ask questions and participate in a dialogue about recognizing and utilizing our existing resources. His own background as an actor and his obvious respect for other actors created an environment that made it easy for participants to have fun during this valuable learning experience.

David empowered us by giving us insight, structure and enabling us to be pro-active by creating a plan that each person can make their own. He also reminded us to keep our integrity and abide by our personal mission statements, so that we can feel more confident about our choices, not only as actors but also as individuals as we go through life.

Tags: SAG Foundation Events, SAG LifeRaft, Screen Actors Guild, Screen Actors Guild Foundation

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted the West Coast premiere of the documentary Mitzi Gaynor—Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.

The film Mitzi Gaynor—Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years, chronicles the path of Mitzi Gaynor’s entertainment career and featured several of her television specials, many of which were Emmy Award winning performances.

Guests for the panel discussion following the screening included Ms. Gaynor herself, Ken Berry, Carl Reiner, Bob Mackie, Tony Charmoli, Jane Withers and more.

Bob Mackie talked about the challenges that they faced when it came to costuming, since many of Mitzi’s costumes were progressive at the time. Both Bob Mackie and Tony Charmoli talked about how tight the production schedule was on the television specials that they created together. It really was a collaborative effort among these talented people and each person had some wonderful stories to tell about the process.

I’ve had the good fortune to work with Tony Charmoli, many years ago, when he was directing “Star Search” during the early 1990’s. He’s always been a visionary when it comes to capturing live performances and has a genuine enthusiasm for how technology has changed the way in which the audience can view performers who are often doing a lot more than dancing.

We were treated to a performance from Mitzi Gaynor and Ken Berry. Mitzi also announced her plans to go back out on tour during 2009. Mitzi Gaynor is one of the founders of the Professional Dancers Society and is also active with The Actors Fund. She talked about her love of dance and dancers and as a former dancer myself, it was really a pleasure to be able to hear about Mitzi’s journey and how much she still does for the entertainment community.

Tags: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Dance, Mitzi Gaynor, Movies

Each of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences events I’ve been able to attend broadens my perspective of the entertainment industry overall.  My experience working in animation has been being one of the live action reference actors for Disney’s “Pocahontas” in 1994.  All of the actors involved were used to act out scenes based on the storyboard and timed with the voice over track so that the animators had a reference to keep their characters as life-like as possible when creating them.  It was amazing to be able to work with Glen Keane, a phenomenally talented animation artist who as created numerous characters for Disney.  I recall that Glen seemed to notice mannerisms of mine that I never realized, so he taught me something about how small gestures can add to any actor’s performance.

Panelists at the event included: Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids & Family Group; Lisa Henson, Co-CEO, The Jim Henson Company; Jorge R. Gutierrez, Creator and Executive Producer of “El Tigre”; Nancy Kanter, Senior Vice President, Playhouse Disney Worldwide; Ramsey Naito, Vice President Longform Development, Cartoon Network; Bruce Smith, President, Jambalaya Studios; Wilmer Valderrama, Star of Playhouse Disney’s “Handy Manny”.  The panel discussion was moderated by: Reginald Hudlin, Writer/Executive Producer, “The Black Panther”.

Listening to the panelists talk about their approach to creating animation projects and programming, there were some thoughts that resonated with me.  There is a consciousness about the powerful medium of television in our society as whole and among many of the talented professionals that I’ve met in the entertainment industry.  Each of the panel members were keenly aware that content makes a difference and gave some insight into what they look for and the try to present in the projects that they create.

Jorge Gutierrez talked about how as content creators, we are all telling a story from our perspective, which includes whatever life experience and beliefs we may have learned along the way, rather than trying to push an attitude or create a stereotypical situation.  As an actor, this made perfect sense to me.  It’s always a great opportunity when we are given a role where we can make choices to portray elements of that character which makes it clear that personalities and life choices can be color and gender neutral. Several other panel members also talked about how their journey and cultural background plays a role in how they view material.

After the panel discussion, Wilmer Valderrama was kind enough to share his insights about how he’s made the transition from being an on camera performer to also being a producer.  Being involved in the industry creatively in more than one area is a wonderful way to stay active and embrace the need to be expressive artistically.  His enthusiasm was contagious and it’s clear he has passion for his projects both as a performer and producer.

Tags: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Animation, Emmy Foundation, Voice Over

This was my first visit to Actorfest, a trade show type of event which features industry workshops, casting director drop offs and a whole lot of exhibitors who specialize in the needs of actors.

It was nice to see some familiar faces such as acting coach Kimberly Jentzen. Kimberly has some wonderful resources on her website for actors, so if you browse her website, make sure to take a look that section. Personally, I’m looking forward to her upcoming book, “Acting with Impact, Volume One”.

Whilst I’m on the topic of acting coaches, it’s worth mentioning that Judy Kerr is an acting coach whom I have had the pleasure of working with both on set and in a private coaching environment. Shortly after meeting Judy, I realized just how wonderful of an asset she is to the actors who work with her. In addition to her book, “Acting is Everything”, her website is full of valuable content and links.  And, her newsgroup is just wonderful too.

My favorite part of Actorfest was the opportunity to personally meet casting directors in the headshot drop off sessions.  Each of them were so kind and their love and enthusiasm for actors was apparent by how generous they were with their time and attention. More often than not, when actors have an audition session set-up, it’s on a time constraint that allows for very little, if any, personal time to discuss acting experience, training, or overall career goals. Not to mention that it’s always nice to just have the opportunity to be oneself in front of someone new and enjoy the experience.

Tags: Acting Coaches

This event was hosted by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, an educational, humanitarian and philanthropic 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to assist, educate and inspire actors.

The Business of Voice Overs Seminar featured a panel of working voice over professionals, casting directors, an agent and producer in order to provide a comprehensive look into the voice over profession.

Since I’ve worked primarily as an on-camera actress, my voice over experience has been in ADR.  So far, I’ve voiced a Reporter on the TV show “Clueless” and a Nurse on “The Young and the Restless”, in addition to looping lines on other projects.  Each time, I’ve worked in a studio environment.

Over the years, technology has really changed the voice over industry.  Gone are the days where an actor/voice over artist goes into a booth at their agent’s office to audition.  The internet has made it possible for artists to record at home and e-mail material to their representatives.  The upside is the convenience, the downside is that there is no longer the benefit of being directed in a session.

The panelists were:

Bob Bergen (Animation V.O. Talent, Animation instructor), Carroll Kimble (Casting Director, Carroll Voice Casting), Don Scotti (Producer/Director, SweetSpot Productions), George Whittam (Technical Engineer, Owner of El Dorado Recording Services), Joe Cipriano (Promo V.O. Talent, Announcer for the Emmy Awards), Marabina Jaimes (Hispanic V.O. Talent), Paul Pape (Moderator/V.O. Talent), Rodney Saulsberry (V.O. Talent & Book Author on the V.O profession), Vanessa Gilbert (Co-Owner, TGMD Talent Agency).

We discussed the most common types of voice over work:
ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement), Animation, Books on Tape, Commercial, Narration, Navigation, Promos, Radio, Radio Imaging (Station Identification), Trailer, and Voice Prompts.

If you are looking for a way to stay current in the voice over field, two resources that were mentioned during the seminar are the websites for Voice Over Universe and Voice Over Bulletin Board.

When you are browsing voice over blogs, it’s worth mentioning that a friend of mine, Dina Sherman, is using her voice philanthropically. For the next year, she is donating 50 per cent of her net earnings to the California Southland chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s always inspiring to have a fellow performer put their talent to use to support a worthy cause.

Tags: SAG Foundation Events, SAG LifeRaft, Screen Actors Guild, Screen Actors Guild Foundation, The Business of Voice Overs Seminar, Voice Over Resources, Voice Overs