Ask A Stage Goddess - What Do I Wear For My Headshots?

Here is one of the headshots from my most recent photo shoot a few weeks ago. I, like many actors, do not even really enjoy this part of our job. Unlike models I hear who absolutely love it! Maybe because they are getting paid. Actors hope to land a job as a result of having good headshots.  It is probably the most important tool of the trade. At the very least it will get us in the door.

I went through my closet and pulled out a lot of different “looks”. You really only need to be concerned with tops: shirts, blouses, jackets, sweaters, etc. since we only see the upper part of your body for headshots. (I must note that the pink I am wearing in this photo and the video is a dress). I was going for colors that look good on me, bright and colorful for commercials and darker colors for the more dramatic look for TV and film. The photographer helped me choose my wardrobe, he knew exactly what backdrop to use for each look. He is also phenomenal at lighting for Black actors which is important and not to be taken for granted. 

Let’s talk about hair and make up for a minute. For the men, if you are an actor, you should already be familiar and comfortable wearing make up for the camera, so you might want to put on a little powder to help keep down the shine. Ladies, I heard an amazing tip recently. DO NOT hire a hair stylist and make up artist for your photo shoot!! Why? Because you are the one who will be doing your own hair and make up for every audition. The last thing you want to do is submit a photo that doesn’t look like you when you walk into the audition room. You can definitely style your hair differently in your photos and change up the make up for a specific look if necessary. The more natural the better.

Get a good night’s rest, be one time and be prepared…Camera Ready! I like to listen to music during the shoot, it relaxes me and gets me into character. So load up that playlist on your iPhone and have fun!!

Ask A Stage Goddess - I Booked It! What's Next?

Congratulations you booked your first acting job!! Now the real fun begins.

Here’s what you can expect next:

You’ll get a couple of calls from production. One to check your email so they can send you a script and one from wardrobe to get your sizes for the clothes you will wear for your character. They will probably also set up a wardrobe fitting at that time.

When you get your script, read it! When you get to set, know your lines like the back of your hand. No one has time to help you with your acting. That’s your job. You will quickly find out how many people are involved for a particular production. They are all doing their specific jobs simultaneously so you have to be able to hold your own. There’s lighting people, set decorators, assistant directors, production assistants, producers, hair stylists, make up artists, background players, script supervisors, transportation and of course the director and your fellow actors. Just think of the credits at the end of the last movie you saw. It took all those people to tell this one story and you’re all working together.

Continue to develop your character but don’t create anything drastically different than what you did to get the job. When I was on the set of the movie The Terminal, I thought I would just try something big and crazy in one of our rehearsals and Steven Spielberg looked at me and said, “Carlease, you already got the part.” I will never forget that! As a matter of fact, the best training is on-the-job training. Acting & audition classes cannot truly prepare you for what you will experience in a sound studio or on location. I often suggest doing background work for my rising star clients (especially the young ones) who are just starting out because I think it’s beneficial to know what to expect on a set. It’s a whole new world of make believe but for the hours you are there it’s your reality.

Keep your work ethic high. Be remembered for being pleasant, professional and talented, so you will continue to book more fabulous acting jobs.

Ask A Stage Goddess - What Is An Accountability Buddy?

 Ultimate Blog Challenge - Day 18

Today I would like to share about the value of an accountability buddy which is a tool that works perfectly with the mastermind I discussed in yesterday's post. An accountability buddy is someone (or more than one person) who helps you make sure you do what you say you want to do. It can be someone with similar goals and they want to see you succeed. It's a person outside of you, that keeps you motivated. It's easy to slack off if nobody knows your intention but if you share it with someone else your chances increase in successfully meeting that goal. For example working out. When I had a gym buddy who lived right across the hall for me, she would call me up in the morning and get me out of bed whereas without that external motivation, I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep when the alarm when off.

Sometimes we don't take action because of fear. We want or need to accomplish something that is a bit scary for us. In this case what we do in our mastermind group is something called a "bookend".  Say for example you'd like to be represented by a very prestigious agent. You want to call their office to ask for a meeting but you talk yourself out of it. "He'll never see me." "I'm not ready." "I've heard he only takes celebrities." So, before you make that call first discuss all of this with an accountability buddy who will remind you of all the reasons why you have nothing to lose and may also give you some tips on what to say. It is also a good idea to give yourself a deadline. After the call is made, you let your buddy know. The before and after chat is the bookend. By the way, the outcome of that call is not as important as the fact that you did it. The next time you are faced with a similar situation it will be easier.

Another one of our Ultimate Blog Challenge participants recently shared a Zig Ziglar quote, "You can have everything you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." Accountability is reciprocal. You must also be available for your buddy when they need a little push.

So review your goals and for the ones that never seem to get crossed off the list or that give you butterflies you may want to add that accountability element.

Share a goal that has you stuck and let me hold you accountable for getting it done!

Ask A Stage Goddess - When Do I Have Time For Fun?

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a job where you get paid to play like in the entertainment industry. Some jobs are so structured and serious there is no room for spontaneity. Responsible, hard working people are often involved with taking of  kids, parents and businesses preventing them from experiencing playful moments. 
A life without fun and games is not only dull, it's unhealthy. The benefits of play are being able to cope with stress, support of others in a class or group activity and having a place to blow off steam. Studies have shown that laughter and listening to music can lower your blood pressure.
So if you don't have time for fun, make some! Schedule time for a class, create an interesting project for yourself or start a new hobby. 

 Here are 10 ideas to get you started:

Learn how to play an instrument.

Take an art class.

Study a new language.

Make some silly YouTube videos.

Ride a bike.

Plant a garden.

Knit something.

Have sex.

Organize a game night with friends.

Go to a comedy club.

What do you do for fun?

Ask A Stage Goddess - Why Not Buy Bootleg?

As a working actor here in Hollywood, let me take a moment to share a pet peeve of mine. Bootleg DVDs. Bootleg refers to goods illegally sold and distributed, without proper taxation, and at a loss to the original manufacturer of the goods. They are counterfeit, pirated, and again ILLEGAL.

I can almost guarantee that the DVD you purchase from the dude on a New York City subway or someone in a strip mall parking lot is of poor quality. It may have been shot by someone sitting in a movie theater with lots of extraneous noise and people walking across the screen. You may think you are saving a few bucks but it deprives all of us who work in the media industry of the pennies that add up to form our salaries. I've been trying to explain this to a cousin of mine for years. Maybe if went to his job on payday to collect his paycheck and deposited it into my back account, he would understand.

I actually can’t believe that anyone would purchase this third generation, second rate crap these days. How often are you going to watch a movie more than once unless it's on cable anyway? There are so many options for owning, watching or renting good quality movies these days. For even less money you can use iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go or Red Box to name a few.

So do me a favor, stop buying bootleg and spread the word.

Stage Goddess has got to pay her rent.

Thank you.

Ask A Stage Goddess - How Important Is Punctuality?

This is Tip #1 in the Ask A Stage Goddess 30 Tips in 30 Days video series. Actress Carlease Burke shares tips for actors, comics and writers of all ages  & levels of experience  based on her day to day adventures in Hollywood.

Being on time for an audition is extremely important for 3 main reasons:

1) A relaxed state of mind. For me, it's much better to be calm on the way to an audition leaving plenty of time to find parking and go over my lines before walking into the casting office. If for some reason traffic is heavy, I don't get so stressed out, I'm a better driver and I arrive in a good mood. 

2) Respect. Everyone's time is valuable. It can be considered rude to keep someone waiting. Take note of how you feel when someone is late for an appointment with you. When things come up beyond your control, make sure to make a courtesy call to give a heads up. Sometimes it's better to leave even earlier than normal to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

3. Focus. It's difficult to concentrate on your audition if you're rushing out of the house, being angry at people for driving slowly and running through the door sweaty and out of breath. It's not a powerful position to be in to do your best work. Most actors have a little pre-audition ritual. Give yourself a few minutes to transition from the real world into the land of make believe.

Please share the importance of punctuality to you and your business.

Stage Goddess shares THE FOUR AGREEMENTS

Although this is not an actual book review it is somewhat of a combination of Ask A Stage Goddess and An Actor's Library. Here I tell you what the four agreements are and how to apply them as an actor. They are great principles to live by in every area of life. This video is part of my 30 Tips in 30 Days series on YouTube. Please take a few minutes to check out the ones that interest you or come back later as needed. I would really love your feedback both here and on YouTube so LIKE and leave your comments in one or both places. 

If you have a question about acting, stand up comedy, producing or any of the other topics discussed in this series, please contact me at askastagegoddess@gmail.com. Be A Star Where You Are!

Ask A Stage Goddess - TIP OF THE DAY

I have been inspired by author and producer Nikki Woods to video myself doing a behind the scenes Tip of the Day.
I got so excited by the idea that I offered myself a challenge: 30 Tips in 30 Days. It's becoming a glimpse at various moments and activities in my day to day life in Hollywood.
In this tip, I mention one of my favorite charities, A Window Between Worlds.
These little spots are short and sweet. I wouldn't mind if you took  moment to SUBSCRIBE or leave a comment on my YouTube channel and while you're there why not take a tour and enjoy some of my other videos.
Thanks for watching!