The morning after ... and a few thoughts about "winning"

It’s the “morning after” after in Hollywood this week as the post-mortem begins on this year’s Academy Awards presentations and telecast on Sunday night. I’ll leave that dissecting to the experts. I have something else to impart.

I haven't been much of a fan of award shows, in general, and not just because I have never won anything (it was an honor just to be nominated!).

I think the whole idea of awarding “the best” of anything leaves too many people feeling disappointed, feeling left out, feeling as if the hard work they did that they were so proud of meant nothing to anybody else.

The business of acting is a tough place to live. As multi-award-winning actor Hal Linden (Barney Miller) told me in our interview for our Web series Inside the Business of Acting, “Acting is a journey, and you have to be prepared never to succeed, and it was just they journey that made it worth it.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Tony Award-nominee and television star (One Day at a Time) Bonnie Franklin told me in another interview for our Web series, “This business is tough; it’s tough on families and it’s tough on your soul.”

In other words, if this is a line of work you wish to pursue, you had better pursue it for all of the right reasons and none of the wrong ones.

Recognition can be a great thing. An award from one’s peers for doing the work you would do anyway is icing on the cake of having gotten the job in the first place. My longtime client and friend Isabel Sanford earned the Best Actress in a Comedy Emmy Award for her role as Louise Jefferson on the long running, hit TV series The Jeffersons. It was a honor she cherished, but it was also an honor that came with certain responsibilities. To be crowned “the best,” comes with a set of qualifications and the expectation that you will continue to uphold the title in all that you do – an impossible task for anyone.

Indeed this is a tough business that forgives little. It’s nice to be awarded and rewarded, but it’s much nicer to work at something that gives you pleasure, that fills your spirit and that brings you joy (whether it brings you any money is another story entirely).

So, to young, new-to-the-business actors who seek success at the highest level, I urge you to define success as something achievable through hard work and personal advancement. Do not ever attempt to define yourself or your career in terms that others set.

Awards are nice, I'll say that, as long as you recognize that if/when you’re up for one and you’re not a winner, that you are clear that you're not a loser either.

I do salute the winners of last night’s Academy Awards. But, I also salute the work of every other artist and craftsperson in the business of acting who goes to work every day there is work to do and happily, passionately and eagerly does the work they were born to do, whether someone else recognizes their achievements or not.

Just a few thoughts on this “day after” the Oscars as I was thinking about all of the wonderful actors I represent, those I know, those I have taught, and those who have touched my life. And the winner is … you.

BL

It's fun to stay at the YMCA ... and the Sun Bowl

Congratulations to Village People!

Guinness World Records has just certified that 40,148 fans danced their into way a world record dancing to the VP hit "YMCA" as the group performed live at the Sun Bowl, in El Paso, Texas, on 12/31/08.

35 years and a television legacy ...

It was 35 years ago today that “The Jeffersons” became a part of the American (now global) television landscape. We first met Louise and George Jefferson (Isabel Sanford and
Sherman Hemsley) on Norman Lear’s grounding breaking 1970’s television series “All in the Family.” The characters proved to be so popular, that Lear and his team spun them off into a ground-breaking series of their own in 1975.

The program had a record-breaking run of 11 years on CBS-TV, the longest running comedy series at that time. Since then, “The Jeffersons” has found homes in international syndication, TV Land and, probably, in your own home through the release of most of the series’ seasons on DVD.

Of the many “firsts” attributed to the “The Jeffersons,” there was none more important and note worthy than the Emmy Award win of Isabel Sanford as Best Actress in a Comedy, in 1981, becoming the first (and to this date the only) African American actress to earn that title.

Much has been said about the legacy of “The Jeffersons” and the cast, crew, producers and writers who made it possible. But, there is nothing quite like getting it from the top source: Isabel Sanford herself.

Some things are worth repeating, so if you haven’t yet had a look, you can watch Isabel talk about the series and her career in three segments from our 1992 interview now playing on the RerunIt.com Home page.

Even if you have seen it before, it’s worth seeing again.

Movin' on up, indeed.

BL

It's not easy being a vamp ... and other lessons learned in the business of acting on the way to a career and a legacy ...

Emmy Award-winning actress Jackee Harry was an instant hit in her role as Sandra Clark, the neighborhood vamp in the long-running NBC-TV comedy series "227." Jackee talks about her career journey and how she landed that role in our part-four conversation now replaying on our Web TV series "Inside The Business Of Acting."

Indeed, some things are worth repeating. You can view a quick preview below.

Enjoy!

BL

The year in review and a look ahead in the business of acting …

In was in interesting year in the business of acting. There were few people who didn’t experience 2009 with a degree of economic frustration not usually seen.

It has become a fact of life in the “new” business of acting that even a “working actor” finds it nearly impossible to make a living at his or her chosen profession. Actors have always had to supplement their professional income by seeking and taking jobs in other areas. Most have no choice but to do so. It is, oftentimes, the occasional, paid acting job that makes the supplemental income job tolerable. So, what’s so different now?

As many of you have and are experiencing, the added layer to financial survival in the business of acting is now the shrinking supplemental income job market.

As 2009 saw the disappearance of so many companies, thousands and thousands of jobs lost, and an increase in the unemployment rate (which is now higher in California than the national average), the unavailability of “supplemental income” work across the board is putting added pressure on actors to ponder their futures.

“Can I afford to be an actor?” is the question many are asking themselves these days, as 2009 becomes a rear view mirror image and the hopes and reality of what might lie ahead in 2010 becomes the focus.

Frustration can kill passion; economic stress can deter, if not outright kill, dreams.

The business of acting has always been a balance of pursuing the dream while attempting to survive, both financially and emotionally. In The Business of Acting, there is an entire chapter devoted to this topic. It’s an important one. But, given what the landscape is currently, where do we go from here?

Here are some random thoughts on how to move forward:

1. It should always be about building your resume. If an opportunity to act in any project that will benefit you presents itself, take it, whether it pays or not. The emotional benefit of doing the work you crave to do will lift your spirits, reinvigorate your passion and make you feel that you are doing something positive and proactive in support or your career.

2. As the economy recovers generally, it’s important to recognize that 2009 was a good year, in general, for Hollywood. True and unfortunate, jobs were lost; but also true (and on the plus side), box office numbers were healthy and studios, independents, networks and other content producers and partners are currently engaged in developing a tremendous amount of new product for all platforms. While this may not mean big (or bigger) bucks for the working actor, the long- range impact will mean more opportunity. Opportunity opens doors.

3. Young and new-to-the-business actors need to learn to manage their expectations of their early years in the business; those more established in the business will need to reassess and reevaluate their priorities on the road to recommitting to their careers. It’s not like it used to be 10 years ago; for that matter, it’s not like it was last year.

4. Agents and managers are playing a different game in this economy. Understanding what we face in the new year ahead will be key for both actors who are currently represented and, especially, those who are not (yet) represented. Indeed, there are more opportunities for actors ahead, but “opportunity” doesn’t always, necessarily, or immediately translate to dollars, which, for an agency or management company whose income is rooted in commission on paid work, presents a problem. Managers are more like to “get” and, in fact, to pursue the right opportunity for a client, without regard to the money it will generate for either the manager or the client. Agents are much more rooted in immediate financial gain of any kind. It’s a quandary: pursue dollars vs. pursue opportunity … which leads me to my fifth point …

5. If you’re currently represented, learn how to be a great client; if you’re not yet, but seeking to be, represented, learn how to be the kind of client an agent or manager would love to work with. Any relationship with an agent or manager starts out great, with only the highest of expectations on both parties’ parts. But given that things never happen in the time frames we all want them to happen in, discouragement soon begins to set in. Soon, that relationship with a bright, prosperous future becomes disappointing and disheartening. Soon, both representative and client begin to wonder if the decision to work together was the right one to make. And that’s only after four weeks! Help your agent or manager help you. Be strategic; be proactive. Meet with your agent and/or manager to discuss your new year strategy. Set up a game plan. Ask how and what you can do. The danger as time goes on is for the actor to sit around and wait for the call from the agent and to cease doing anything positive for him or herself in support of their own career. That has to stop. For the unrepresented actor seeking an agent or manager, you must honestly ask yourself if “now” is the right time. Are you ready to be represented? For the young, just out of college, actor, the answer is usually “no.” Consider what it is that you currently would bring to the table. What does your resume say about what kind of actor you are and what kind of potential you have? Given the cost of representing an actor, in this economy, any smart agent or manager is going to want to hedge their bets on any new client by ensuring that the new client is ready for the challenge and prepared for the process. Work on building your resume first with credits and professional training, then seek representation. Lastly, and to the point, what makes a great client? It’s not the actor with the greatest talent. It’s the actor who has an understanding and appreciation of the process. It’s the actor who has an understanding and appreciation of the work involved to get even one audition for a client. It’s the actor who is a good person first; someone who is a joy to know and an honor for an agent and/or manager to represent. It is the actor who is willing to accept their responsibilities beyond just acting in the pursuit of a career.

Finally, remember, at any age, at any stage, it’s about the journey. Be planned, be prepared, be smart, be financed to support your journey to the best of your ability – and then have faith in your talent, your ability and your potential – and do the work. Finances are always an issue. Do what you can do and be patient and determined in your search for supplemental income work. You may not get paid to do the kind of job you really want right now, but it's a means to an important end.

I wish you much success in this new year doing what feeds your soul.

Your input, comments and questions are welcome.

BL

An agent's perspective on the business of acting ...

There is no better advice than the advise of a true pro who wants to help those who are on the way up. In academia, we call them "educators"; in the real, post-college world, we call them "mentors"; in the business of acting, we call one of them Sharif Ali.

Sharif is the co-president of the Los Angeles-based talent agency Aimee Entertainment. In our four-part interview on "Inside the Business of Acting," Sharif talks about the nuts and bolts of the business from an agent's perspective. If you're seeking your first agent or feel the need to change your current agent, what Sharif has to say will empower you on that journey.

In short, don't send a head shot or place a phone call to a new or perspective agent without watching these segments first.

Episode #1 premiered two weeks ago; Episode #2 was added today. At just (roughly) 12 minutes each segment, Sharif's advice on "how to" is worth its weight in megabytes.

Happy learning ...

BL

Drawing the line on commissions ...

It’s a tough economy – and while that’s, unfortunately, nothing new for most actors (especially new-to-the-business actors and recent college grads), it is the landscape in which we work (or want to). An opportunity to actually land an acting job is a great thing for any actor, both economically and emotionally, but the terms under which you get access to these opportunities are worthy of highlighting.

All of this is sparked by an e-mail I received the other day from a young actor who has found herself having a decision to make. New York-based, after a search for an agent, she found a company that was willing to take her on, under certain financial terms. The agency wanted to “charge” the actress not the usual across-the-board 10 percent commission on worked she booked, but, instead, 20 percent on any non-union work she landed.

A little understanding of this part of the landscape is in order.

Commission on union work is regulated by SAG and AFTRA; non-union work is not, which is why this agency (and others) often attempt to get a higher commission rate for non-union work out of their clients. While it is true that, generally speaking, non-union work pays less than union work, for the agent, it takes no more time or energy to do one booking over the other, but it is, indeed, you who show up to do the acting job.

Agent commissions should be no higher than 10 percent, whether it's a union job or not. The desperate actor seeking representation under any terms might accept such a deal, but this isn’t a smart move. If an agent offers you this arrangement, tell him or her what your terms are, take or leave it. If they say "no," seek representation elsewhere. Remember, agents work for actors.

It’s hard enough to earn a living as a “working actor.” While you can’t do it completely on your own, you must be comfortable with the terms you accept from any agent you hire. At the end of the day, you want to take home as much as you can, while still ensuring that those who represent you get what they deserve, what they earn – and no more. As your career builds, so, too, will the commission they are entitled to, in dollars, not percentages.

BL