Monday, November 29, 2010

"Green Acres" was the place to be on CBS-TV from 1965 - 1971


I was a big fan of the 1965 – 1971 comedy series Green Acres – and I’m old enough to have watched in when it ran for the first time. Yikes.


Of course it’s been around in reruns for years, but what hasn’t been available until today is my 1992 interview with series star Eddie Albert. He talks about his career, the series, his role and his unforgettable co-star, Eva Gabor. Check out the preview below and watch the complete segment just added and now playing on demand at RerunIt.com.


BL

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Reviews and perspective matter in the "new" business of acting ... here is another


Happy to share another review of "The New Business of Acting."

It is always great to have one's work noticed -- and written about. Especially when the reviews and comments are positive about the book, helpful to potential readers and provide a fresh perspective for me in moving ahead with my own work (and future editions).

Thank you, Jane E. Seymour, for this one.

BL

Friday, November 19, 2010

Lights, Camera, Action!


Chapter 10 in The New Business of Acting is all about Action Plans ... why you need one, how to create one, how to stay on one and how to achieve success through one. I have written an article about this that appears in the new issue of Backstage, both hard copy and online.

Check it out!

BL

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A step in the right direction for both unions and all actors ...


Good news from SAG and AFTRA yesterday that a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has been reached. Given the climate under which the current contract was accepted – and the massive disruption that took place in the process – this is, indeed very good news.


The new business of acting is a changing landscape – and it was wise for the negotiators from both unions, working together in a collaborative effort, to take the strategic approach they did entering these talks. Some modest pay hikes and a significant increase in contributions to the unions’ health and pension programs is a big plus in this economy.

More importantly, the AFTRA-SAG teaming in this endeavor speaks volumes about how far both sides have come in mending the fractured relationship that resulted from the last contract go-around in 2008.

Next step is for the agreement to be presented to the joint board of both unions and then for a majority of members of both unions to give it the thumbs up.


Could a true merger be far off? As I discuss in chapter 7 of The New Business of Acting: How to Build a Career in a Changing Landscape, it’s about time. One entity to represent all actors/artists/performers and, yes, even soap stars and newscasters can work if structured with in matrix that includes different divisions that specialize in specific categories of talent. I see it as all very doable and very beneficial to all current union members and to those whose career journeys will eventually lead them to union affiliation.


Tonight I will have an opportunity to discuss this and other issues in the new business of acting at a gathering of AFTRA members in Los Angeles. Good timing.


BL

Monday, November 1, 2010

Kindle version of "The New Business of Acting" now available ...


The New Business of Acting is now available (finally) on Kindle!

The new eVersion is loaded with active links throughout the book that will take you directly to the websites and industry resources you read about as you journey through it.

BL