On May 25th, 2023, I completed the fourth and final exercise that is required for returning students of the Richard Lawson Studios. This exercise was an Improvisation. After re-reading the chapter in “Acting Class: Take a Seat”, I knew that I wanted to focus on being moment to moment, to play what was in front of me, and to “discover each moment anew, fresh, using their imagination, without preconception or roadmap or censorship.” In other words, to not be driven by a blueprint and just allowing the scene to occur.
I had a blast with the Improvisation! And what made this exercise so special was that this was the first time I worked opposite another actor on stage since being back in class. Kelly Tighe taught that evening and she called me and my fellow actor (Jayne Marin) up onto the stage. The stage was already set up with a foldable partition in the center and two chairs that were placed on either side of it. Kelly walked up to me and secretly gave me my prompt for the exercise. She said that I was a priest at a confessional booth. Ah! Now I understood the setup on stage. Kelly went over to Jayne and secretly gave her a prompt as well. Jayne and I took our seats, the lights went down, the stage manager called the exercise, and the lights came back on. Keep reading below 🙂
And as the scene progressed in a patient, moment to moment way, I soon discovered that this married woman, who was confessing her strong desire and attraction for someone else, was actually talking about me. I was the object of her desire and attraction. And through her strong yes and my strong no, we created tension and humor. We created an Abbott and Costello. We created an experience where we impinged each other. We had a clear event and there was so much trust between Jayne and I. The scene ended with us kissing passionately and getting ready to make love. I had finally given in to her energy. I had finally given in to her. Keep reading below 🙂
Kelly opened it up to the class for comments about our work. I also asked for casting ideas and received quite a number of great suggestions. I’m grateful for the work I’ve been able to create through these four exercises over the last five weeks (Environmental With A Crisis, Song & Dance, Personal Monologue, and Improvisation.) I feel like I am placing my artistic stamp on the work and allowing myself to continue failing forward so that I can grow as an artist. And to also have joy and fun in the process! The next stop…SCENE WORK! Keep reading below 🙂
On May 18th, 2023, I did my third exercise as a returning student of the Richard Lawson Studios. This exercise was called a Personal Monologue. This exercise helps us to understand what it means to be personal in our work as actors. You share a true story that costs you something. The definition of cost that I love the most is “whatever must be given, sacrificed, suffered, or forgone to secure a benefit or accomplish a result.” What a powerful definition! No pain, no gain. Right? So you share a true story that costs you something because it helps you connect to it in a visceral way. It evokes emotions that you allow yourself to experience. You discover what’s possible in terms of the depths of your emotional capabilities. And so the degree of personalization, emotions, and experience that you receive from this exercise is something you can then bring to your work as an actor. You can apply that same personalization to any script you pick up, and it will feel as if you wrote that script yourself. Keep reading below 🙂
The second part of this exercise is that you should be working something out in your story. You are confronting something that is personal and vulnerable, something that is holding you back from being all that you can be, and you take this journey to figure out how to get to the other side in order to be at cause with solutions. And all of this is done through the medium of art, through an artistic lens and approach. Keep reading below 🙂
I looked at the evolution of my voice. I shared six milestone moments that influenced and affected my voice over the years. And what I wanted to solve, and what I wanted to get to the other side of, was how to take my voice to the next level to continue being heard. I felt that my voice had plateaued. I felt that I wasn’t being heard anymore, particularly on social media. I got to the other side by realizing that acclamation and condemnation are the same animal on different sides of the same coin. I can’t be seduced by either. I just need to keep doing me, showing up, and doing the work. Keep reading below 🙂
I designed my Personal Monologue as the beginnings of a Ted Talk/one-man show (Fun fact: I’ve done two Personal Monologues before and they were also designed as the beginnings of a one-man show.) Utilizing Richard’s assessment from my Song & Dance exercise two weeks ago, my intention was to fail forward in this exercise. I gave myself permission to fail. Meaning, I took risks. I allowed myself to have an experience. I allowed myself to explore a full range of emotional colors. I made an artistic fool of myself. I took up space. I followed impulses that occurred in the moment. I allowed myself to take a personal and artistic ride because I wanted to get to the other side of what I was looking at. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I HAD FUN!!!!!! Keep reading below 🙂
Kelly Tighe taught that evening and her assessment was wonderful and powerful. She talked about the power of give, letting go of the results, who to focus on, the reality of social media, and taking a look at where social media serves me. She provided guidance so that I can continue staying on the other side of what I discovered in my Personal Monologue. She also opened it up to the room so that my fellow classmates both in person and on Zoom could comment on my work. Keep reading below 🙂
The evolution of Jorge Ortiz the actor and artist continues!
“The WGAW and WGAE are on strike. SAG-AFTRA supports the Writers Guild of America in their fight to achieve a fair and equitable contract.” SAG-AFTRA has provided answers to frequently asked questions that actors have as it relates to the writers strike. Below is the link. When you click on the link, you will see the updated strike schedule for the new week, and below that, you will find the frequently asked questions. I hope these answers help my fellow actors in terms of how to support our fellow writers and also as it relates to the work we can and can not do during the strike:
On May 4th, 2023, I did my second exercise on stage at the Richard Lawson Studios. I did the Song & Dance exercise and it went great! Tension holds back feelings and emotions, and that’s not good for us as actors. Song and dance are tools that helps the actor to relax and be in a better position to be vulnerable, to access and embrace any emotional impulses, and to have an experience.
And through this exercise, I received an assessment from Richard that will be the keys to my career in this new unit of time. He said that I tend to get serious and significant. And to what end? Why? Richard has known me for years, so he has seen these qualities in me before. He’s right. I do tend to get serious and significant about my career. My thinking is, “I have to be serious about my career. I have to be serious about my career administration. I have to be serious about everything related to my career. I have to be serious about my art!” LOL. LOL. LOL. Keep reading below 🙂
Richard said that my default position is one of seriousness vs. one of being unmuted. Unmute myself, then experience and enjoy the freedom of expression that comes from that. Experience the joy of this journey that I’m on, and as a result, I will create a program of attraction. How can we “unsignify” so that I can enjoy the process? The main goal he wants me to focus on is to unmute, lead with freedom of expression, and to experience joy because I know a lot and I possess so much knowledge and skill set. I know a lot and possess so much! That is joyful! That should make me joyful and lead with joy! Keep reading below 🙂
He also asked me what percentage do I feel free to express. After some thought, I said I feel sixty percent free. And I shared with Richard why I am holding back from an even larger freedom of expression. I said, “I think I know a big part of that answer. I think being back in this environment, I have to learn to just take the fucking teacher’s hat off and be a student, and know that it’s okay to be flawed here. It’s okay to make mistakes here. I don’t want to put that pressure on myself just because I teach here, and maybe that’s where that seriousness and significance comes from. Versus, I want to take chances here. I think that’s what’s being playing in my head: ‘It has to be like this. It has to be like that because everyone’s watching.’ I’ve taught everyone in this room on some level or another, and I don’t want that pressure on myself.” Keep reading below 🙂
Richard said that in this class, I have a right to take chances and I have a right to fail. The right to fail forward because I’m taking the kinds of chances in the creation of my art. I don’t have to prove anything here. I can come here and fail. Take chances, try, and have my fun. Being in class is not office hours for me. These are my freedom hours, my student hours. Be free to fly! And take that significant face off whenever I feel it. Remove that face whenever I feel it. Keep reading below 🙂
Thank you for this caring surgery, Richard! I am empowered to do this! Your assessment will elevate my career to the next level! Below is a picture of me on stage doing my Song & Dance:
On February 2nd, 2023, I officially returned as a student to the Scene Study 3.0 class at the Richard Lawson Studios. To give you some quick context, I have been a student of Richard’s for many years. Then on March 13th, 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced all of us to attend classes virtually. AND WE MADE IT WORK! I remained a virtual student up until August 2020. At that time, I decided I needed to unplug (figuratively and literally) and take a break. Well, it’s true what they say about “taking a break.” A one-month break turned into two, turned into three, turned into a year, turned into…you get the point. However, it didn’t mean I was not doing anything for my career. I was incredibly productive throughout the pandemic, lockdown, quarantine, and beyond. I still am. And I was still a virtual student in the Professional Development Program 3.0 class.
I finally decided to return to Scene Study for a couple of reasons. 1) My good friend, Lindsay Hopper, kept hounding me about when I would return. She hounded me via text, via Zoom calls, at gatherings, via smoke signals, in my dreams, via numerous languages, via songs and interpretive dances…LOL. 2) When I looked at my raison d’être (purpose, reason for existence) at the beginning of 2023, I knew that being back in class was integral in keeping it alive and thriving. By the way, if you want to read my incredible blog entry from last week about raison d’être, click on the link at the end, but only after reading this wonderful entry first 🙂 Keep reading below 🙂
Returning to class, I knew I wanted to start from scratch again. I knew I wanted this to be a reset. I knew I wanted to get comfortable with being on a stage again. I knew I wanted to use the class as a space where I exercise my raison d’être. So with those things in mind, I told Lindsay that I wanted to start with exercises before jumping back into scene work (I also have a few scene ideas based upon the research I started doing once I was back in class. I am also interested in receiving a few scene suggestions from Richard and my classmates.) So in terms of exercises, I am on the class schedule for an Environmental With A Crisis, a Song & Dance, a Personal Monologue, and an Improvisation. Keep reading below 🙂
On April 27th, 2023, I did my Environmental With A Crisis exercise!!!! I was both nervous and excited. I joked with a friend and colleague earlier during class and said, “I feel like a virgin again!” The Environmental is the first exercise that every student does at the RLS, and it teaches us how to be a person in a place having an experience (which is one of our acting principles at the school.) In this exercise, you recreate a specific part of your home on the stage. And you live within that environment by doing an activity that engages, absorbs, and involves you. Keep reading below 🙂
I decided to recreate my home office on stage. I brought many things from my office and organized them the same way on two desks that the theater provided. I wanted to bring so many other things from my office, like paintings and my Vassar degree, but I knew there was no way to hang them in the theater space. For the activity part of this exercise, I decided to color in my drag queen coloring book because that engages and involves me. It also soothes me and brings me a sense of relaxation-which is important for the second part of the exercise. Keep reading below 🙂
So, during a class break, I set up my home office environment. Once I finished setting up, I sat down and began coloring in my coloring book. I wanted to get into the reality of my home office and the experience of the coloring book as soon as possible. Once the break was over, the stage manager called the exercise, the lights went down, and then the lights came back up again. And there I was at my home office, coloring in my book. My tablet played songs that I specifically curated on Spotify because these were the type of songs that I would have played while coloring at home. Keep reading below 🙂
The second part of this exercise now involves a crisis of some sort. The actor, at ease in their enviroment and absorbed in their activity for a few minutes, receives a crisis that turns things upside down. The point of this second part is for us to receive and respond to the crisis as a person would. Does the crisis land? Does it impinge? Do we question or doubt what we’re hearing? Do we process it in a moment to moment way? Once the crisis is delivered, what happens next? How do we continue living in our environment after receiving the crisis? Do we make a phone call? Do we continue processing what we just heard? How is our behavior and life altered because of the crisis? Are we able to go back to our initial activity? What would a person do in this situation? Keep reading below 🙂
My Environmental With A Crisis went great! I was so proud of the work that I created after being away from a stage for so long. I had a specific environment. I had an engaging activity. I had a clear event within the environment before the crisis occurred. I was in a relaxed state which then allowed me to receive the crisis better and be impinged by it. I had an experience. I got emotional. I had an inner and outer life. Keep reading below 🙂
I lost my virginity on stage again, and it felt so good LOL. Equally as impinging (no pun intended) was Richard’s assessment afterward and realizing how much love and support he and that room have for me. Richard said to me at point, “You’re back home.” He also asked me what I am after in this new chapter and how I can utilize class to achieve my goals. Pedal to the metal in terms of backward thinking for forward motion with my goals. I got to share my raison d’être as well! Keep reading below 🙂
Raison d’être:reason for existence. the most important reason or purpose for someone or something’s existence.
What is your raison d’être? Why do you get up every day to be an artist? What is the engine that keeps you going in the creation, passion, and involvement of your art? I would love to read yours in the comments section! Check out my raison d’être below…plus a picture of me embracing and expressing it as a young kid in kindergarten.
I AM HERE. And I am here to create. Art is the motherfucking vehicle for me. I am the most alive, happiest, and dangerous when I am creating art. I am a star of the worlds I create and I can be whatever I want to be in those worlds. I do not limit myself because others limit themselves or because of societal expectations, prejudices, and stereotypes. I love being seen and heard through art. TO BE SEEN! TO BE HEARD! Because my face matters. My voice matters. My stories matter. You see and hear me because art is powerful. It is universal. It transcends all. The time is now. I have always wanted to be–and have always been–the exception to the rule of what I can do/am supposed to do, and art allows me to do that. When I utilize art to be the exception to the rule, I body slam myself into endless possibilities, and as a result, I body slam humanity into having an experience. And through my work ethic, my professionalism, my empathy, my tough love, my God-given talents, my creativity, my charm, humor, irony, my intelligence, my assets and my liabilities, the world will see living proof and testament that Superman is also brown and queer. Keep reading below 🙂
**I don’t remember this teacher’s name, but I thank her so much for encouraging me to play and be an artist…to live in my raison d’être before I even knew what that word was! See picture below 🙂
Hello! The first quarter of the year is done, and a second one has begun. Time flies by, doesn’t it?! I thought this would be a good moment to reflect on some of my career wins of 2023. I’d also love to read your wins in the comments section below. This career is for life. It can get easy to lose perspective and think we are not gaining, growing, accomplishing, or winning. It’s easy to forget how great we are. So it’s important to take stock of our wins so that we remain in a state of gratitude within the “grind” of our careers. It also lets me see the A to B to C to D of my progression from one day/week to the next. I see exactly how I have been putting this puzzle together for what I want to achieve this year on the acting and writing sides. So sit back (or lean forward), jump into some of my wins, and I hope to inspire you to take stock of your wins and share them with others.
Acting wins: *Self-tape audition for a role in “Hacks”. *Uploaded my new theatrical headshots onto Actors Access, Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, and IMDB. *Created a pitch “For Your Consideration” email for my agent. *Came back to Scene Study 3.0 at the Richard Lawson Studios and started attending the first four weeks via Zoom. Now, I’m physically back in person. *Submitted my picture and resume to a feature film. *Secured commercial representation. *Celebrated the 29th annual SAG Awards and concluded my time on the SAG Awards Nominations Committee. *Celebrated the Academy Awards. *Casting director Stacey Pianko provided feedback on my self-tape audition as part of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Casting Access program. *Emailed thank you message to Stacey Pianko. *RSVP’d for another casting director workshop with Emily Fleischer through the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Casting Access program. Keep reading below 🙂
Writing wins: I was gifted the latest version of Final Draft to continue rocking and rolling on my writing. *Submitted my feature film script to the following writing competitions: Page Awards, Script Pipeline, and Screencraft. *Submitted my half-hour pilot script to the following writing competitions: Page Awards and Script Pipeline. *Re-edited my TV series bible. *On February 12th, I started posting my weekly blog entries again!! *Read different industry articles. *I generated 12 story ideas utilizing chapter one of “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story” by Jeffrey Alan Schechter. *Researched classes at the Sundance Collab. *Reached out to different organizations to take my blog to the next level. Keep reading below 🙂
Ongoing acting and writing wins: *Watched different shows and movies to find scenes to do in class. *Posted updates consistently on Instagram stories, Facebook, and Twitter. *Weekly relationship map outflow. *Practiced sides weekly to keep my memorization skills sharp. *Adhered to my policies every single week. *Writing sessions every Wednesday with Kelly Tighe for the feature film script being developed in PDP 3.0. *Looked up casting director workshops through the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Casting Access program. Keep reading below 🙂
At the Richard Lawson Studios, we teach the concept of “arrogance”. The particular definitions we focus on are “claiming for oneself” and “pride”. Pride in what I am creating and accomplishing. And if those definitions don’t inspire you to let your light shine, then I’d like to share a quote by Marianne Williamson that Kelly recently reminded me of:
I found myself getting into a little bit of K-SHIT FM recently. K-SHIT FM is a term that we use at the Richard Lawson Studios to determine which radio station we are listening to. K-SHIT FM is the station that plays all of the negative voices, doubts, fears, considerations, etc. that make us less effective as people and artists. K-SHIT FM plays very loudly and minimizes our creative genius and our ability to be causative, powerful individuals.
And then, there’s K-ART FM. This is the station that plays all of the affirmations, wins, celebrations, cheerleaders, etc. that make us more effective as people and artists. This is the station we want to turn up loudly and listen to instead.
So I found myself in a bit of K-SHIT FM with my blog. I felt that unless I was blogging about how I landed a series regular role or how my series got picked up by a major streaming network or how I won an Emmy or Oscar, that my blog wasn’t valid. That what I was sharing wasn’t important. But because of my training, I got off that bullshit really quickly. This career is a journey. Not every week of my journey is going to be an Oscar win or a series pick up. It’s about all of the little things in between that contribute to and lead me to the Oscar win or series pick up. It’s the little things and details that will get me closer to the top of my personal Mount Everest. Step by step. Keep reading below.
This is my journey, and I won’t minimize it in any way. I’m in the fucking trenches every day moving things forward. My career administration group recently acknowledged me for the way that I systematically, specifically, and methodically go after my career administration. It’s March 12th, 2023 (Happy Academy Awards day by the way!) I have done a lot in 71 days on both the acting and writing sides. It’s the little things and details that add up. Little things I’ve been doing like:
1. Now that I am back in Scene Study, what exercises do I want to do first so that I get used to working on a stage again? Song and Dance? Improv? Laugh/Cry exercise? Keep reading below.
2. Great, what scenes do I want to work on to work out my acting chops again? Jamie from “Yellowstone”? Dr. Berger from “Ordinary People”? Kendall Roy from Succession? James Novak from Scandal? Keep reading below.
3. Asking questions in class to expand my knowledge as an actor and storyteller. Keep reading below.
4. Submissions of my pilot script and feature film script to established writing competitions to get my work out there. Keep reading below.
5. Relationship map outflow to support others and put myself out there. Keep reading below.
6. Reading up on writing emails I receive to expand my knowledge as a writer. Keep reading below.
7. Signing up for Casting Access classes to get in front of TV and film casting directors. Keep reading below.
8. Looking at which commercial classes to take so I can book commercials. Keep reading below.
9. Looking at new ideas for my next pilot or feature film script. Keep reading below.
10. Social media posts to engage with others, to share my career wins and journey, and to share my interests. Keep reading below.
11. Attending my weekly career administration group meetings so that I’m held accountable for the things I say I’m going to do for my career, and to hold my fellow members accountable as well. Keep reading below.
12. Sending out letters to different organizations to build my blog audience. Keep reading below.
13. Finishing edits on my TV series bible. Keep reading below.
LOL Let me say right now that if you’re looking for a quick answer, a one-and-done, a wham bam thank you ma’am, “I just want to take headshots and not put any thought to it”, then stop reading right here LOL.
However, if you’re looking for a process, a systematic approach on how to prepare for your headshots, then continue reading. I got new theatrical headshots, and the road to them was productive and lengthy because I wanted to be prepared. I set a goal, “Shoot new theatrical headshots.” And I then created an administration plan to set myself up for success. In other words, pre-production. Keep reading below.
So, here’s the road I took to getting new theatrical headshots:
1. First, what castings am I going for in this new unit of time? What castings am I interested in? I needed to identify the kinds of castings I wanted to capture in my headshot session: Public school teacher. White-collar executive. Dad. Great. Ask the next question with these castings to get more specific. Keep reading below.
2. I looked at the auditions I went out for in the last two years to find consistency in the parts I generally go out for. How does the industry see me? What parts do I keep going out for? That was a great action to take for reference and revelation. Keep reading below.
3. I shared the castings from #1 and #2 with my trusted career administration group for feedback. I also asked them for shows where these castings exist so that I could study visual examples of them. And if possible, specific episodes to look out for. Keep reading below.
4. With the list that we generated, I watched a few episodes of different TV shows to study how these characters lived in their worlds. I also studied their subtext, their point of view, and the wardrobe they wore. Keep reading below.
5. I Googled still images of these same TV characters to find pictures that spoke to me and that I could then download as another source of reference and inspiration. Keep reading below.
6. I then uploaded those images into a headshot template that master teacher Richard Lawson created. The template helps us approach and embody the characters we want to shoot with specificity. These images visually represent the castings we are going for, and it helps the headshot photographer be on the same page to help us execute those castings. Next to each image, I typed in the essence and qualities of the character, plus two to three lines of what I thought they were thinking in that image (aka their subtext.) I also wrote down what they wore and their physical stance within the template. All of this information seduces me into the experience of these characters and how to embody them. As a result, the headshot photographer can better capture that experience and life on camera. I’m not just posing in front of the camera. I have a life that the photographer is capturing. Keep reading below.
7. I went on Google to find descriptions/biographies of the characters in my headshot template to deepen my understanding of them. For example, I Googled Mitchell Pritchett (a character from “Modern Family”) to get more insight into him. Why? Because there could be one word, one phrase, that the creator or writer uses that could be the key to unlocking who they are and how I can channel their essence and quality during the headshot session. If I found a keyword or phrase about the character that impinged me, I added it to my headshot template. Keep reading below.
8. I began window shopping for wardrobe that would be exactly/as close as possible to what the characters in my headshot template wore. Why? Because I want to match what Hollywood is buying and marketing on their shows. For example, one of my first circles of casting is a public school teacher. And I looked at different TV shows about teachers from “Abbott Elementary” to “A.P. Bio.” I eventually went with “Abbott Elementary” to be my source of inspiration. One thing that helped me was to ask Google where these characters shop for their wardrobe: “Where do the teachers at ‘Abbott Elementary’ shop for their clothes?” Keep reading below.
Boom. I found a Variety article that revealed where the show’s costume designer, Susan Michalek, shops for the wardrobe: “Created by Quinta Brunson, who also stars as Janine, ‘Abbott Elementary’ follows a group of teachers who work at an underfunded Philadelphia school, leading Brunson and Michalek to decide to constrain the show’s costumes to a realistic teacher’s budget. H&M, Zara, Target, and Old Navy became Michalek’s go-to stores, with occasional splurges at Anthropologie. ‘We really want to keep it at what these people could afford, as much as we possibly can,’ Michalek says.” Keep reading below.
Bingo! I went to OldNavy.com and bought a shirt that was nearly identical to one that Gregory (played by Tyler James Williams) wore in one of the pictures I uploaded into my headshot template. I even bought a lanyard to complete the look. Keep reading below.
10. I looked through Instagram pages to see what other actors wore in their headshots. Keep reading below.
11. I reached out to my headshot photographer (Emily Sandifer) to get her availability and deposit requirement. I got her availability and put down a deposit to hold my shoot date. Keep reading below.
12. I bought wardrobe for each casting. Keep reading below.
13. I created a musical playlist on Spotify for each casting as an additional way to get into the experience and belief of these characters. Keep reading below.
14. I did test shoots at home to make sure the wardrobe read and popped on camera. Keep reading below.
15. I practiced the subtext of my characters to make sure it impinged me and to make sure it read on camera. Keep reading below.
16. I booked out with my agent to keep my headshot date clear and open. Keep reading below.
17. I shared the headshot template with Emily so she could be on the same page with me. Keep reading below.
18. I shared the test shoots with Emily so that she could see the wardrobe that I purchased, and the options I had for a couple of the castings. Keep reading below.
19. I took my wardrobe to the cleaners to get them pressed. Keep reading below.
20. I picked up my wardrobe from the cleaners. Keep reading below.
21. I worked out three times a week in the month leading up to my shoot date. Keep reading below.
22. I practiced a skin regimen every night in the month leading up to my shoot date. Keep reading below.
23. I went to the dentist’s office to get a cleaning. Keep reading below.
24. No alcohol consumption in the week leading up to my shoot date. Keep reading below.
25. I got a good night’s sleep the night before my shoot date. Keep reading below.
26. Day of shoot: I ate a great breakfast for fuel and energy. I flossed, brushed my teeth, scraped my tongue, shaved my face, and showered. I arrived early. On the set itself, I had fun and let it go. I’ve done all this work, now let it go and be present with the photographer. Keep reading below.
The great thing about the specificity of the headshots I took is that they could also branch out into other characters within the same zip code. For example, one of my castings was a white-collar executive who is a truth seeker who challenges the status quo and fights for what is right. My visual inspiration from my headshot template was a lawyer. However, this same headshot can also extend to a Senator, a Congressman, a journalist, a reporter, the head of the board, etc. All of whom fight for what is right. Keep reading below.
So there you have it! Is it THE way to prepare for headshots? It is for me! It’s A way. Hopefully, you can draw inspiration from this and allow yourself to truly take the journey, the road, and the pre-production needed to take great, fulfilling headshots. Keep reading below.
On Friday, February 24th, 2023, I locked myself in my office to get through another exciting list of career administration: Continue edits on my TV series bible, submit my half-hour pilot and feature film scripts to the Script Pipeline competition, look up classes on Casting Access, identify potential scenes I want to do in Scene Study, write my new blog entry, etc. I was firing on all cylinders.
As I recommit to my weekly blog, which chronicles the journey to build the career I want for myself, I couldn’t help but remember a recent meeting I had with a commercial agent. It was one of the best meetings I didn’t win.
I submitted to this particular agency because I resonated with its mission statement. I got a meeting with them immediately, and we met over Zoom. My virtual set-up was tight, from the lighting to the close-up framing to the background curtain behind me. I was ready to share what I was looking for in an agent and prepared to answer any potential questions they would ask me.
The meeting could not have been more excellent. We were on the same page. We were moment to moment. We were easy and comfortable with each other. I shared what I was looking for in an agency and what I wanted to create with them. I answered all their questions with confidence. They could see my professionalism and training on full display. They were everything I was looking for in an agency. The meeting ended, and they told me they would get back to me in a few days because they still had to interview a couple more actors. A few days later, they told me they decided to go in another direction. I was disappointed for a moment, but I realized that this is the nature of the entertainment industry. At least I knew I booked the room! I could go to sleep at night because I booked the room. So, I still won.
As 2023 continues to unfold, and I see what’s on the horizon for me this year, I remember various meetings I had or projects that I targeted that I didn’t win or land but won and landed in my heart because I failed forward. I risked and put myself out there. I made a valiant effort. I booked the room. So here’s to booking more rooms this year. KEEP READING BELOW…THERE’S MORE!
And just for fun, let’s stroll down memory lane of some past meetings or target projects that I didn’t win, but I did because I booked the room:
Lost: I targeted the hell out of this show. Eventually, I got a meeting with the casting director in Hawaii, and I was able to pitch a character I envisioned for myself for the next season. Ultimately, the character didn’t fit the story arc the creators had in mind for their next season, but it was a meeting I’ll never forget. And I got to celebrate afterward in Hawaii!
Martin Scorsese: He was attached to produce a movie musical that Madonna was to star in called “Hello Suckers.” His production company was notorious for keeping their address private. After searching high and low, I found an address. I mailed my materials to the company, but a week later, it was back in my mailbox. The post office placed a stamp on the envelope that said the company was no longer at this address, but they were at this address instead. What?! I couldn’t believe it. The post office provided their actual address. I booked a flight to NYC, walked into their office, and pitched myself and my materials to the front desk staff. Their face, their subtext: “How did you find us?” LOL. I think they low-key loved that I found them. Unfortunately, the movie never got made.
My TV series: Pitch meetings to CBS, Showtime, Youtube, a network in the U.K., and a network in Latin America. Each one passed, but I booked every single room.
Looking: I wanted to be on this HBO series so badly. I targeted this series for one year, building relationships, and expressing my love and passion for this show before I threw my hat into the ring to pitch myself for their next season. I reached out to the lead executive producer and lead director’s agent, and they were more than happy and willing to submit all of my materials to their client. Unfortunately, HBO cancelled the series shortly afterward.
OMG! I just remembered another show called Pretty that I also targeted. I utilized my relationship map to shoot a cool music video at a mansion in Brentwood…and the best part was that it rained that day, so we took full advantage of it…do you know how much it costs to rent a rain machine?!?! Anyway, I found the email I sent to my agent about my efforts: “Hi Sharon. I created and starred in a music video. I was targeting a show that I really wanted to be on called Pretty. It’s a web series entering its 3rd season in the near future. And one of the story lines they revealed was that the lead character flashes back to his old days as the leader of a boy band. So, I created a boy band-type video to get myself on the show. I just sent the video recently to the powers that be. They loved it, but they are reaching out to their celebrity friends to play the other boy band members. But, if circumstances change, they will bring me in for an audition. The video is funny, sensual, plays with sexuality…all the elements of a typical boy band video LOL.”
Onwards! Like Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense, for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost, and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment.”
Chasing The George 