ASK THE LAWYER – Contract Advice for Non-Union Actors, by Attorney & Actor Robert Sciglimpaglia
Pen in hand, you are about to sign a contract for your latest acting gig as so many questions pop into your head…
Is this contract worded fairly? How will my image be used, exactly? Should I really sign away the rights to ‘everything in the universe known or not known’ because that wording sounds kind of crazy to me! Indeed, signing a contract can be both nerve-racking and intimidating to many actors, especially those without union, legal or agent/manager representation. So, NYCastings sought help from one of our own – Attorney and Actor Robert Sciglimpaglia.
Read full story at – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=ask-the-lawyer
NYCastings – TOP BOOKERS OF 2010!
and the award goes to…
2010 = A ton of work booked by NYCastings members!!
An outstanding number of NYC actors got the chance to submit for reputable work through NYCastings in 2010 and to celebrate the many successes – NYCastings is awarding two of our top bookers with fame, praise and some added pocket change.
Coming in at the top of their NYCastings class… Robert Keiley and Lauren Francesca, who brought in the highest amount of dough and gigs, respectively. Both Top Bookers will receive $200 in green thank you notes, from the team at NYCastings.
Full Story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanagertest.asp?post=top-bookers-of-2010
That’s a Plus! – What it takes to be a Plus Sized Model – with Anthony Higgins of MSA Models
Hour Glass… Curvaceous… Zaftig women can make over $200,000 in the plus sized modeling business. That’s a whole lot of dough – so to get started, here’s what you need to know…
“A plus sized model, in the past, was a size 10-12 – up to a size 18 for fashion. Now, they are calling a size 8 – plus sized,” shares Anthony Higgins – Director at MSA Models.
Anthony Higgins has over 15 years of experience representing curvy women and really enjoys his role in shaping careers.
“If there was an Anthony magazine or clothing line, I would hire all types because I see beauty in everybody,” says Anthony Higgins. “I would love to see things be more fluid and have Mario Testino or Steven Klien take pictures of all different types and have Vogue be seamless… here’s a size 6, here’s an 18, here’s a 2, here’s a 4.”
Full Story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanagertest.asp?post=that’s-a-plus!
To Join or Not to Join?! SAG – AFTRA – AEA – advice from fellow NYCastings actors
What a HUGE dilemma…
Do you join a union as soon as possible or when you have to?
Joining a union has many upsides – higher paying gigs, union protection and that much needed health insurance! Yet, joining also means turning down those smaller jobs that build both your resume and your bank account.
To help with this big decision, NYCastings asked some of our own top bookers to share their opinions.
Full Story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=to-join-or-not-to-join–
The Big Picture – An inside look into Indie Film Auditioning with CD Harley Kaplan
Can you imagine…
Being 3 words into your monologue… in front of a big time casting director… when the CD’s phone rings – AND she answers it!!!
It sounds like a nightmare but it actually happens, which is why it is “so important to think about everyone as your audience,” shares casting director Harley Kaplan.
“Your audience is always going to be a mixed bag no matter what you do. You will have kids crying or people nodding off. You never know what will happen but they are still your audience. So think ‘how nice of you guys to show up’ in your head and then have the time of your life.”
Full story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=the-big-picture
EXPLOSIVE AUDITIONING – Acting coach Kimberly Vaughn wants you to be DYNAMITE!
Want to have a BLAST at your next audition while BLOWING AWAY the agent / casting director?
OF COURSE YOU DO!!!
So NYCastings sparked a conversation with Kimberly Vaughn – performance coach, director, dramaturge, Broadway producer, and performer with decades of experience in building creative ammunition.
At Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio, Kimberly helps actors access their most authentic powers, so they can truly have a dynamite audition and make a lasting impression.
Read Full story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=explosive-auditioning
New Year Resolutions for Actors – from Agent Craig Holzberg
2011 is the… “Year of Perseverance!” says agent Craig Holzberg, founder of Avalon Artists Group.
“Everyday is a new opportunity and it is about seizing the moment – not worrying about what happened in the past or being freaked out as to what can happen in the future, but being focused on what is happening right now.”
Right now… every actor can help themselves achieve even greater results in 2011 with these 10 resolutions offered by Craig Holzberg – who started out as an actor/model, has over 25 years of industry experience and still, whole heartedly, believes in the actor’s dream – as a reality.
Read full story at – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=new-years-resolutions
Breaking News… What it takes to make it as TV Correspondent with Journalist Aimee Nuzzo
Ever picture yourself behind an anchor desk or reporting LIVE from a bank robbery… well then, you need “not only the acting abilities, but to be a good writer,” says former news correspondent Aimee Nuzzo, “because reporters always write their own stuff, especially starting out.”
Aimee Nuzzo spent 12 years as a television news reporter, after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. For the majority of those 12 years, Aimee worked as a general assignment reporter for major network affiliates in New York City.
Read Full Story – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=breakingnews
Audition Apprentice – What it takes to get hired, with CD Amy Gossels
You’re Hired! – That’s the call you hope for post audition/ call back… and Casting Director Amy Gossels knows how to help YOU make the best impression during the audition process.
Since graduating Magna Cum Laude from Brown University and graduate work at Rhode Island School of Design, Amy Gossels, has been the casting director, and in many cases a producer, for more than seventy film productions in New York. Ms. Gossels has also cast and produced more than thirty award winning short films, print campaigns and a wide range of television projects, including The Comedy Central Specials “Night of Too Many Stars” hosted by Jon Stewart and all the commercial challenges on NBC’s “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice” (2009-2010).
Read Full Story at – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=audition-apprentice
4 Vital Points on Auditioning for Film, Television and Theatre
Here are some essential pointers on auditioning for film, television and theater that performers of all levels can benefit from!
1. Develop Your Unique Artistic Agenda — What kinds of performing are you great at? What kinds of projects do you want to be involved in? What do you care about on the deepest levels? What kinds of performance and story-telling do you think the world needs? How can you contribute to serving audiences with great entertainment? The answers to these questions require personal, in-depth exploration in great acting and audition classes.
Read Full Story at – http://www.nycastings.com/dmxreadyv2/blogmanager/blogmanager.asp?post=4vitalpoints
6 Steps to a Successful Acting Career - The DVD 