First off, I always suggest that actors watch one episode of every show on television, just so they are prepared for the tone and style of the show, if called in for an audition. That’s a given. It’s as important as being familiar with the work of indie filmmakers as they move up through the system to become major players. You have to know the difference between a Woody Allen project and a Quentin Tarantino film. Sure… that’s easy. But what about knowing the difference between the tone on the set of Gilmore Girls compared with that of One Tree Hill. Subtle… but there’s a difference. Knowing it could make the difference in your ability to nail the read, when you go in front of producers.
So, aside from that homework, which is a basic requirement, there’s that of learning about the industry in every possible way. Read the trades, check. Keep up with what’s in production, absolutely. But where can the tube help in this part of your assignment? Start here.
The Biography Channel runs a show called 90 Days In Hollywood, a documentary profiling nine actors from all over the world as they endured pilot season, 2002. With behind-the-scenes interviews with casting directors and agents who have had meetings with these actors (or who have viewed their screen tests, custom-made for this experience), this program provides some really nice arm-chair critic moments for folks who’ve always wondered what goes on after the actor leaves the room. While its focus on an international mix of actors causes us to see issues of work visas and green cards that may not be on the minds of most Hollywood actors, there are still quite a few moments per half-hour episode that will provide insight into the decision-making process in casting.
“To be a good actor, you have to be a great stapler, you have to be a great salesman, you have to be good at so many different things before you get to a point where you can actually act.” This funny line came from an actor from Hungary who was disappointed that an agent refused to see him because his resumé and headshot were not attached. His attitude is good, though. Even when he’s told that no Don Steinberg works in a certain office (he’s made a mistake, while trying to do a drop-off to Dawn Steinberg), he shrugs it off, gets back in the car, and continues forward in his day of drops.
Getting to see the difference between an actor who lets “the little things” roll off his back and one who tends to turn every audition into a “make or break” predicament is golden.
Most actors know the Bravo series The It Factor (Los Angeles and New York versions) and Inside the Actors Studio. Joining those shows in 2005 will be the Sean Hayes project Pilot Season. This series looks to be a lot like 90 Days In Hollywood, with a more standard reality show focus. Candidates for the show must submit pilot presentations (scripts or reels) and the top five presentations will be ushered through the pitch process with “established sitcom producers.” Two of those folks will get to create pilots, which will be a part of the season finale. Viewers will get to cast the vote on whether those pilots are picked up.
While the American Idol-esque style of decision-making is a little odd, this show should still be a pretty good glimpse into the world of the pitch process and the development that pilots go through, before they even make it to the casting process (much less before they’re scrutinized for potential series development).
Sunday Morning Shootout, on AMC, is a great sit-down with industry hot shots Peter Guber and Peter Bart. These two power players basically debate and discuss the headlines and trends in the prior week’s trades and meetings, occasionally bringing in guests whose careers are hot or on the rise for a little coffee talk. It’s odd to imagine these two guys actually hanging out and talking about anything other than the industry, but I’d guess they’d find a way to disagree about even the most mundane topics. I’m not saying they’re Siskel and Ebert, by any means. They’re just really powerful people, chatting about this business. I’m amazed at some of the most basic insights into the industry mindset, as a whole, that I’ve obtained from keeping up with this weekly show.
IFC’s dinner show with host Jon Favreau is a delight to watch, for all of the various, wandering topics and behind-the-scenes gossip shared over dinner and drinks with interestingly-matched guests. It’s also quite educational, in terms of the information on each actor’s work ethic and decision-making process, along each one’s unique road to notoriety (I dare not say “fame,” as some actors involved in Dinner for Five are not quite famous, though all are busy working actors or directors). It’s nice to see working professionals “talk shop” and realize how few actors of a certain level even audition anymore (gasp!) or what conversations led to which poor choices (I always love it when they talk about “the one that got away” with regard to roles they were offered but declined).
Action! is another Biography Channel show. This one profiles directors. In each half-hour segment, a director discusses the road to his current position, including early chances taken (on material or unknown actors), goals not yet reached (which tend to be non-industry-related), and on-set accidents that turned into signature stylistic moves for his work. So frequently, filmmakers are overlooked in interviews while stars are given lots of face time. It’s really nice to get a more-than-soundbite-sized glimpse into the director’s mindset. This is homework on “tone,” for sure. Should you ever get to read for one of these directors, knowing how he reflects on the creative atmosphere he prefers will surely give you a leg up, in the audition room.
Hollywood, Inc., is a BBC original from two years ago. They still occasionally run the series, which includes episodes such as “The Art of the Pitch” and “Casting 101.” In complete documentary style, the cameras are in on meetings at levels of production and decision-making that few have ever had access to. When cameras from The It Factor and 90 Days In Hollywood are left on the other side of a door while a committee decides the fate of some actor’s career, the camera crew from Hollywood, Inc., is invited inside. This is fly-on-the-wall Hollywood at its best.
Face Time with Kurt Andersen
Face Time with Kurt Andersen on TRIO is a great series of interviews with power players and seasoned actors alike. The one-on-one with Les Moonves is one of my favorites, while the interview with Darren Star was the most surprising. This is yet another show from the late-2002 schedule, but TRIO does rerun it from time to time and I strongly recommend that you find time to catch it. As with most public radio-style interviews, these discussions are in-depth and no-holds-barred. There’s very little “ramp up” time to the big questions. Anderson starts strong and stays intense. Great TV!
“The numbers were horrible. But we were such a bad network, I could be patient.” That’s how Moonves described giving Everybody Loves Raymond time to get its groove on. Where else does a network president say — publicly — that his was a “bad” network? The candid moments are worth so much with this show.
Perfect Pitch
Another great TRIO show was a special aired 18 months ago called Perfect Pitch. Its intimate take on the “selling of a program idea to a network” is divine! Very successful producers, writers, and executives share horror stories about their worst pitch meetings and give advice on how to deliver the BEST pitch, based on the meetings that were successful.
“I had an executive tell me that he listened better if he was laying (sic) down. So he laid down, kicked off his shoes, and about halfway through it he actually started snoring so I snuck out of the room and I told the assistant, ‘Thank you, I don’t think he’s interested.'” That story from John Wells is typical of the gems shared by those interviewed in Perfect Pitch. This is a special I’d love to see drawn out into a longer format (series-length). Of course, with Hollywood, Inc., including “The Art of the Pitch” among its episodes, a full series of this special may not be necessary after all.
All this to say, basic cable television offers a lot of wonderful options to doing some alternative homework. And if you don’t have cable? Watch as many interview shows and segments as you can! While you may not love keeping up with the celebs on Access Hollywood or ET, you may spot the occasional interview moment with a casting director, show executive, or filmmaker that could somehow inspire you or give you a glimpse “inside.”
Happy viewing! Grab that remote!
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000038.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.