Sabotage

Congratulations to Hakim Callender one of the co-owners of The Bungalow Productions for his recent appearance in the Arnold Schwarzenegger, feature film Sabotage. His scene partner is the Terminator himself. Be sure to check it out in theaters.

Speaking of sabotage, don't voluntarily "sabotage" yourself in an audition or in a scene. If you make a mistake or drop a line or feel off about something don't 'cut' yourself. That's the job of the casting director, your self-taper, or director. Frequently, some of the best, most natural moments occur when we drop a line or try something different. If you give up and interrupt your audition you may have inadvertently ruined your best take or your scene partners best take. Also, you may find a moment or "happy accident" that you never would have thought to prepare and you can play with it on the next take.

Don't give up and don't sabotage yourself.


TheBungalowProductions.com

Day Player

Day players, Under 5's or U/5, can sometimes be frustrating auditions, whether self-taping or in person. If you don't receive the entire script, information may be lacking from the scene and this deficiency frequently causes us to dismiss the audition or over act it. Under 5's help build careers and it's important to do one's homework and fully prepare the scene.

Day players are essentially the backbone to great projects. They are critical in advancing the plot. And, with great day players presumably comes a quality product. The reverse of this is also a truth.

With that said, don't over-think the audition. You're there to progress the story so don't make the scene about you. With self-taping we see a number of actors audition as if they are the lead in the project. How often is the episodic about the waitress that delivers the coffee, or the film about the cop that declares, "freeze? Keep it simple and real and your chance of booking will increase.

Be thankful your getting this opportunity that others dream of and don't take these roles for granted.

TheBungalowProductions.com 

Everything is Instant

We're no longer in the age of dial-up, pay phones or VHS players. Everything is instant. This is something people really need to adapt to and understand.  A majority of our auditions are no longer in person and they are sent out in digital files known as "self-tapes." Agents, casting directors, producers, and directors can view these auditions the moment they are uploaded. Casting views auditions as they come in and they frequently make their decisions just as quickly. Why not be one of the first to submit and help make their decision easy? Remember, they want you to do well so they can cast their project.

With that said, take note of your deadlines and DO NOT plan to have the audition submitted to your agency right at the cusp. They still have to download the files and send them to the appropriate casting director.

Moreover, you're probably not taping the audition yourself and you most likely have to employ a taping service. The service's schedule may be full or filling up, leaving you in a rush to tape your audition if you procrastinate. Now there are a number of factors coming into play that can delay your audition from the submission deadline.

Check your email frequently. Schedule your audition appropriately. Increase your chance of booking.

Self-taping and coaching are just a couple services The Bungalow Productions offers.


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Top O' The Mornin

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Hakim Callender, Jesse Malinowski, Aaron Smalls and all of us at The Bungalow Productions.

We hope your beer is green, your corned beef and cabbage isn't too salty,  and your feet dance a jig with the Irish spirit.

Although most of us aren't Irish, this is a day to be celebrated. We hope you celebrate all your accomplishments on your journey as an actor no matter how big or small. From the industrial booking to the feature film booking, they are all achievements and in no way should they be dismissed or minimized.

This is an adventure filled with "pinches" and "ouches" and we cheers to you from right here in the southeast!

"Show Friends"

Does something sound peculiar about that title? Well, it should. It's called "Show Business" not show friends. In this industry people frequently blur the lines between friendship and business and although loyalty and relationships are critical people can be misguided.

An agent, manager or acting coach should be helping you to advance your career not derailing your ambition or opportunity. Both parties have to make decisions that are independently beneficial and, hopefully, mutually favorable. This is YOUR career and regardless of any social interaction with the aforementioned authorities, when it comes to business we have to be aware there's a fine line.

This information may be obvious, but we've seen too many of our friends' growth in this industry hindered by those to whom they were loyal. Remember, this is a business and you are a professional.

TheBungalowProductions.com

 

 

South of Southeast

A majority of the projects we audition for these days are mainly in Georgia, New Orleans, and the Carolinas, but we can't forget about Florida.

There are a couple of projects taking place down in South Florida as well. Lori Wyman, an Emmy nominated casting director is located there, and she cast shows such as 'Magic City', 'Burn Notice' and 'Dexter'. She is currently casting 'Graceland' and 'Ballers' Her workshops are extremely informative and beneficial. When you're doing your research on casting, or maybe you're moving to South Florida be sure to check out Lori Wyman Casting.

TheBungalowProductions.com

Google Yourself

We recently Googled, both The Bungalow Productions and ourselves individually to see what popped up. We were pleased to find the search results were abundant and positive. We also noticed how many different 'Bungalow Productions' there are and more specifically encountered a verbose website with an even more relevant book titled, The Actor's Guide to the Southeast. The book has been circulating around this market for roughly ten years.

Our blog, similarly titled, 'The Actor's Guide to the Southeast,' has recently changed to 'The Southeast: An Actor's POV' is geared toward our perspectives on the market presently.

Regardless of whichever search engine you prefer, be sure to Google, Bing, or Yahoo yourself to make sure your brand is marketed appropriately.

Making sure your Actor's Access, IMDb, and other digital accounts are up to date and presentable is just another element 'The Bungalow Productions' offers to help guide you toward success.

TheBungalowProductions.com

Theatre or Theater?

As TV & Film actors training and experience is extremely important. If you want to be seen in the "theater", one should have some "theatre" experience. The theatre is the basis of our art. Keeping a performance "fresh" night after night is a true testament of staying in the moment and placing the focus and trust in your scene partner.

Here in Atlanta we have some exemplary theatres.  The most notable are the Fox Theatre and The Alliance Theatre.

Reviewing Backstage.com, we were made aware that the 2014-2015 season auditions for The Alliance Theatre are approaching.

Check them out below:

http://www.backstage.com/casting/alliance-theatre-2014-15-season-26341/




TheBungalowProductions.com

On To The Next

We've mentioned a few times, this is a journey. Stay in the "moment" and know this industry is unbelievably difficult.  Some have said, "It takes 20 years to be an actor." Don't get discouraged.

Actors have said, "I didn't get a callback," "I didn't book it," "I haven't booked in a while," and they forget there's a number of reasons why we don't book a role. If you have a great audition or a bad one, you have to learn from what you did. Take a breath, apply what you learned and move on to the next one. After Amy Adams booked 'Catch Me If You Can' she didn't work for a year after that- surely not by choice.  Also, casting director Erica Arvold has informative YouTube videos for actors. Here's one that is about not getting cast in a role. Why Didn't I Get Cast?

Keep up the hustle and know that you are the only one that can make you quit. 

Also, there's a great film titled, 'That Guy...Who Was in That One Thing.' It's currently on Netflix, but if you haven't seen it, watch it.

Stay in the moment and once the moment has passed move on to the next one.

TheBungalowProductions.com