Is Acting right for my child?

"YOUR CHILD IS SO CUTE! THEY SHOULD BE ON TV!"How many times have parents heard that?  As an actress and acting coach, many parents ask me about how to get their kids started in the business, oftentimes because they’ve been told their child is cute!

My first thought is, has the child expressed an interest in wanting to act?  If the answer is yes, then get them into a good on-camera acting class.   It’s no different than if your child was interested in dancing, gymnastics or playing a sport.  You’d enroll them in a sports league or class, right?  Do the same for a child who wants to act.

Like many things kids try, some will love acting and others will decide they’d rather be on the playground, or WATCHING TV rather than being ON TV.  But if they love it, having taken a class will give them the beginning tools and confidence they need to walk into an audition room knowing what to expect.  THAT can make a huge difference in which cute child gets the job.

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Donna Rusch Kids Classes

Donna has more than 20 years experience as a professional actress and broadcaster.  She is a former TV News Anchor and Television Show Host and has been seen in more than 100 commercials and Industrial films, most recently for clients such as Sara Lee, Suave, Curves, Farmers and Merchants Bank of California and Reliant Energy.  Donna can be seen in the Ben Affleck thriller “Gone Girl” and has a lead role in “The Periphery” now winning awards at film festivals.  Recent television credits include Criminal Minds, Revenge and the new ABC series “How to Get Away With Murder”.

Donna has extensive experience working as an acting coach for kids and teens.  She says “I so enjoy my career and find it both a thrill and privilege to mentor the next generation as they reach for their dreams. “

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The Castable Actor: Keys to get you in the door

So what exactly makes an actor castable? That’s easy, right? It’s an actor who is talented and can act whatever part they are given…uhmm…Not exactly. We all know actors, from classes or work or life, who are not really all that talented. Some don’t even seem to care or want it as much as the rest of us, and yet, they keep getting called in for auditions, and often, they even get booked. What’s up with that?

Simple…talent will always win out in the end (so keep working out those acting muscles in classes and workshops), but just being talented won’t get you in the door.

The Castable Actor is a series of workshops, lectures, one-on-one coaching sessions, and sequence of articles that helps actors acquire the keys to open those doors. Agents, managers, casting directors, and producers need to be able to look at you or your headshot or your reel and know that you are castable before they even decide to bring you in for an audition or meeting. Meaning, they need to know exactly who you are and what they can do with you…they need to know that you are a marketable commodity. After all, this is a business.

The Castable Actor helps actors find their places in the business…who they are and how they fit in. It teaches actors to expand how they view the industry, and most importantly, how to look at themselves the way the industry sees them.

Before we look at some of the castable traits that I explore throughout the course of The Castable Actor, there are three words that you need to etch into your brain: Honest, Realistic, Specific. These terms are extremely important in all aspects of your acting life, but it is especially vital to keep them on the forefront as you try to incorporate into your acting life the aspects of The Castable Actor:

-Knowledge. The actor that is not only castable, but also capable of building a career, is one who understands the business of this industry. Film and TV is so much more than red carpets, premiers, and huge paychecks.  The Castable Actor is one who can pull back the illusion and magic of acting to reveal a job with rules and parameters like any other profession.

-Self –Awareness. Knowing who you are and how you fit in this industry is the first and most important step to becoming castable. I am still amazed that 9 out of 10 actors I work with don’t even know their specific Type. As I always say: “No one is going to get you, til you get you.”

-Marketability. Part of knowing who you are and where you fit in is knowing what jobs or roles that you can be cast in today…not roles you want to do or dream of doing, but understanding and accepting the level you are currently at…this is when those three words (Honest Realistic Specific) play an important part.

-Presentation.  You know who you are, how you fit in, and the roles you can be playing today…now you need to start presenting yourself in that light. This is a visual business…look the part, and you will be asked to act it.

 -Individuality/Branding. When you are sitting in the waiting room with 25 other actors all your same type and marketability, what do you bring unique and special to the role that the others don’t? This is your Brand.

-Packaging. Understanding the importance of Packaging separates the actor who is castable from the part-time “I think I want to act if I don’t really have to do anything” actor. It is bringing everything together in a recognizable, branded, individualized package, including you, your image and presence and all marketing materials: headshots, reel, postcards, website, web series, etc.

-Image Maintenance. Once you figure out who you are, and how to best package your self and your brand, if you want to remain castable, you need to learn how to maintain and alter those aspects, while always staying true to yourself, in an ever-changing industry.

-Flexibility. Being flexible is a great quality of the Castable Actor. Not only do you need to be able to “Yes and…” in the acting arena, you should be as open to changing your image, look, dress, branding, etc. in order to constantly present the best most marketable you.

-Acknowledging Limitations. No, you can’t do everything, no matter what your mother told you, but what you can do is “be you” better than anyone else. Becoming the best at doing what you do within your own limitations not only creates a Castable Actor, it creates a memorable actor.

-Confidence not Cockiness. Confidence is an attractive attribute. A Castable Actor is one who knows who s/he is and more importantly, owns it…warts and all.  Cockiness is just a cover-up for insecurities and no one wants a cocky insecure actor on set.

-Goal Setting. Start thinking about your acting career from today plus five years. Let go of who you were or what you did in the past. That year you booked a couple jobs, or that month your hair looked amazing, sure, they were great, but the Castable Actor is far too busy to stay in the past. Look to where you want to be and set realistic honest and specific goals to get you there.

So there you have a number of the aspects that we will fully explore throughout The Castable Actor; aspects that can help make an actor more marketable, more desirable, ultimately, more castable, I invite you along on the journey, to take a workshop, read the articles, and put the information to work in your own acting life (remember Honest, Realistic, and Specific). Along the way you’ll acquire the keys you need to get in the door…not only for an audition or two, but if you’ve got the talent to back it up, The Castable Actor could lead you through the door to a successful career.

Tom Burke All in One Headshot, Not Just a Pretty Face, The Castable Actor Tom, a working model and actor, teaches seminars and gives lectures on the importance of headshots and discovering an actor’s image. He is currently consulting and coaching at Keep It Real Acting Studios in North Hollywood, CA where he also teaches the exclusive classes: All-In-One Headshots Package, The Castable Actor, and Not Just a Pretty Face.

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The Difference Between Commercial & Theatrical Auditions

A few years ago, a friend of mine I will call Ted approached me about getting into commercials. I was somewhat surprised, since he had previously told me that he was a “serious” actor, and would not even consider doing commercials. Which was too bad because he had a great look.

I referred him to a commercial agency that signed him, and soon he was on the audition trail. He was in on several sessions I directed, so I was able to see his work.

After a few months, he came to see me, asking why I thought he wasn’t booking spots. “I don’t get it,” he said, “I’m not even getting callbacks.” “What do you do to prepare for your auditions?” I asked. “Prepare?” Ted said, incredulously, “For a commercial audition?” “What kind of training have you gotten?” I asked. “Training? For commercials?” he responded.

I knew what his problem was from watching his auditions. He still believed himself too good to act in commercials, and so didn’t take the audition process seriously. He did not treat his commercial auditions with the same respect he had for theatrical auditions. Consequently, he was always “on top of the material,” not creating a reality around the audition situation. So his auditions came off as arrogant and aloof.

A student asked me recently what was the difference between auditioning for commercials and theatrical productions. I said “Usually, the length of your sides.”

True, there is more technique involved in commercial auditions, eg: cheating to the camera, inventing a button, etc. But both come down to good acting—creating a credible character that an audience can relate to.

Of course, commercial actors should always be aware of the style of the product’s advertising. For instance, you don’t audition the same way for McDonald’s as for Bud Light. But the same is true in theatrical. You wouldn’t audition for “Sons of Anarchy” the same way as for “Modern Family.” The biggest difference is that with commercials, the hardest part is actually the audition. Once you’ve booked the spot, everything else is easy. Whereas for theatrical, once you’ve booked the role, your work has just begun.

Another thing to consider when thinking about commercial auditions is that there are a lot of very good actors out there booking commercials. They know what they’re doing and how to audition well. They are your competition. Every time you audition you are going up against them and they take it seriously.

Remember, you’re an actor and auditions are precious. Honor your craft by giving them the attention necessary to make them credible.

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Doug Traer Commercial Wednesday Workout, Kids Commercial Class Doug has been working in film, television, theatre, and commercials for the past 26 years.  His film credits include Robert Miller’s Brenda Starr, the critically acclaimed Speak of the Devil and the black comedy Dead Giveaway.  He has had multiple roles on General Hospital, appeared in America’s Most Wanted and Saved by the Bell, among others.He has made a number of national TV commercials for products such as Mercedes-Benz, Sony Playstation, Sprint, Blue Cross Insurance, Baskin Robbins Ice Cream and Hardee’s Restaurants.

In addition to his acting gigs, he works as a commercial casting director and session director as well as teaching and providing career guidance to young actors or those just getting into the business.  He also directs theatrical and industrial video productions through his own independent production company.

Doug studied acting with master teacher Cliff Osmond for 15 years and improv with the LA Connection. He began teaching commercial classes 12 years ago and theatrical classes in 2003.  He has also taught in San Francisco, Chicago, Oakland, Phoenix and Santa Barbara and recently returned from Tokyo where he taught American acting to Japanese students.

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Judy Kain's Advice Column

"Hi Judy,

I'm wondering if I could ask your advice on a weird callback I had today.

I signed in and we all waited for a while. They had been going in groups of 4 but by the time they got to me they had no one left. They did ask one girl to stay and go again with me, but the scene was supposed to be with two other guys as well. There were two parts to the commercial - we did the first take and the director cut us off before the second part. He then quickly went into the next take and I felt rushed right into it, so the second take was probably really jumbled and again he never let us get to the second part. When the girl and I got outside she said that that was nothing like it was the first time she went in. 

I've been rushed through auditions and callbacks before and rarely feel good about how it went after. 

What would you have done in this situation?"

-Feeling Rushed

I understand your frustration.

It doesn't sound like an ideal callback situation. And I think you handled it as best you could. It is possible they were going according to appointment time and not according to the sign in list.

If you ever feel rushed. You can always say, "Let me do that again" or "Can I have another pass at that?" When all is said and done, you have to let it go and move on to the next opportunity. You did nothing wrong.

We have to adopt that attitude of divine nonchalance, in which we do our best but there is little to no need for the job. Always happy to be of service to the spot as you are a unique and fantastic talent, should they choose you.

All the best,

Judy Kain

Have a question? Ask an expert. Submit your question anonymously via email or in the comments below to have it answered in a future advice column.

Judy Kain has been a professional actress now for 37 years, showcasing her skills and talents in over 350 commercials and in over 80 roles for film and television.  

Some of her more well-known credits include a Television Series Regular on The Jackie Thomas Show and a Recurring role on the Emmy-winning show Mad Men, a role which won her a SAG Award.  Her other favorite recurring credits include Married with Children, For Your Love, Grosse Pointe, and Manhattan, AZ with Chad Everett.  She has done numerous guest appearances on the hit shows Modern Family, The Middle, Bones, Castle, Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, ER, Seinfeld, The District, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Friends, and The Drew Carey Show just to name a few.   Her teaching career has also lead to immense success, being voted BACKSTAGE WEST'S FAVORITE ON-CAMERA COMMERCIAL TEACHER IN LA in 2010 and 2011.  Her other acting classes have won BACKSTAGE WEST'S FAVORITE IN LA as well, and continue to produce amazing results for her students. She teaches Advanced Callback, Commercial A to Z and Commercial Wednesday Workouts.

Hosting 101

There are so many times a new student will come to me for coaching and just want to know a few basics on how to handle a hosting audition...whether it be a commercial spokesperson, entertainment reporter, infomerical, industrial, reality TV show audition, etc.

The FIRST to know when you're hosting is that you are ALWAYS looking at camera. The exception to that is if you have a co-host or your are interviewing someone on the red carpet. Then it's about 35% to your co-host or interviewee and 65% is into the camera lens. You are the eyes and ears of the viewer and you are giving them a play by play of all that your are experiencing...using all of your senses...so they can get the best perceived experience of being there without actually having to leave their living room.

The SECOND thing is you are always playing yourself. You may do different versions of yourself (more playful, more serious, more professional, more nerdy) but you are always yourself. There is really no character study required...which is great! You just use the lines given and have them go through your "operating system" to have it be the most fun, entertaining version of YOU delivering that information.

The THIRD and final basic thing to remember is to book-end your read. Just like book-ends on a shelf. Make sure you do a strong first sentence all into camera and a super strong last sentence into camera. THESE TWO SENTENCES ARE REALLY THE ONLY ONES YOU SHOULD TOTALLY MEMORIZE FOR AN AUDITION. It's usually so much copy you want to have the freedom to look down and gather your lines. But doing a solid open and close into camera (as well as saying your name and the name of the product and show) will make your audition POP!

Next time we'll talk about a few way to handle your nerves when you have LOTS of copy to get through..."See" you then! :)

Shannon O’Dowd is an on-camera coach specializing in hosting training for infomercials (DR), Entertainment Reporting, Shopping Channels, Reality TV, Talk Shows, Trade-show Narration, Career Coaching, and Teleprompter Training.  Shannon O’Dowd began her coaching career with Carolyne Barry Creative and Suzanne Sena as the instructor for all incoming students wanting to gain knowledge on how to be a working host. After years of instructing, Shannon is very good at getting the best performance possible out of her clients with spot-on adjustments & information that “sticks” & aids in many areas of on-camera work, even beyond just hosting!

Join Shannon for her 1 day Kids & Teens Hosting Class coming up October 26!

Stacy Edwards' Insights on Acting

Judy Kain interviews Stacy Edwards

Stacy Edwards in SANTA BARBARA

Over the course of her career, Stacy Edwards has brought to life some beautiful & inspiring characters. From her early films, like “In the Company of Men”, to her time opposite Mark Harmon on “Chicago Hope”, she always brings such depth to her characters.

But Stacy’s talent does not end there, as she’s also an amazing teacher. Every week at KIRA, she teaches an Advanced Scene Study class with a selected group of students, where she’s able to delve into scenes and push their limits. Our studio is fortunate to have her heading up our theatrical department.

I sat down with her last Thursday, where she shared some of her insights on acting, exclusively for our blog.

Stacy Edwards in HOUDINI

Judy: 

How do you prepare for a role? How do you prepare for an audition? What are the differences?

Stacy:

Actually, I prepare for both the same way. I approach my auditions as if I were reporting to set. First off, it’s important to know what it is that you are saying. For me, this does not necessarily mean memorizing the lines, but rather understanding the intentions of my character - what isn’t being said, but needs to be. I always have to know what I am saying before I make choices. Once I know what I am saying, I make decisions about my history. And know what it is that I want from the other actor. The more specifics you make, the richer the scene is and the richer the encounter with your actor will be. And once you report to set or go to your audition, you simply trust your homework. I think some actors make the mistake that they think the audition doesn’t need the same focus as the prep for arriving to set. But it does, especially in this day and age.

Aaron Eckhart & Stacy Edwards in IN THE COMPANY OF MEN

Judy: 

What was your favorite project/role? Why?

Stacy:

A couple pop into my mind that I really enjoyed working on and have a special place in my heart for different reasons.

The first is “Vietnam War Stories – The Promise.” It was such a collaborative experience. All of us actors were very young, it was our director’s first film, our producer was a vet from that era, and the story itself was just so powerful. So, we really immersed ourselves and created a world for ourselves out in the high desert. It was a true acting experience – like our first high! (Laughs) It stands out for me more for the experience, and not necessarily my work.

When I did “In the Company of Men,” I had the pleasure of working with two, at the time, unknown actors. It was very small, shot in about ten days and we really relied on each other. It surprised even us when our small little movie did so well! We threw ourselves in 110 percent and it showed. It was such a wonderful creative chance to work as an actor.

I do have the good fortune of getting acting gigs and I don’t take those for granted; but I will say, the creative acting experience is kind of rare. It’s great to have those jobs, don’t get me wrong, but its rare that they feel so rewarding! And when one does come along its incredible... It’s why we do it!

Stacy Edwards with Mark Harmon in CHICAGO HOPE

Judy: 

What keeps you inspired?

Stacy:

You know, a lot of things inspire me and I don’t know if this is going to come off sounding pretentious, but I am inspired daily. I am inspired by my students. Their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm, longing and desire to be and experience, truly is inspiring. But I’m also inspired by daily beauty; music, gorgeous LA weather & my son. Those are things that make me feel deeply and those feelings make me want to act. So at the risk of sounding completely pretentious, (Chuckles) that is my answer.

Stacy Edwards in LAW & ORDER

Judy:

What was your most challenging role and why?

Stacy:

Honestly, for me, I find every role challenging. I’ll have my actor insecurities frequently pop up. Once I calm myself down and start doing my homework then I can start building on the character. It almost doesn’t matter what the character, I approach them all the same way and find each one a challenge.

Stacy Edwards in SUPERBAD

Judy:

Do you still train and take classes? Why do you think training is important to even the working actor?

Stacy:

I do still train. I wish I could train more often and there are tons of wonderful workshops and classes I would love to take. We are humans and not robots, which means we’re constantly changing. I’m not the actor I was at 21, just moved out here. I keep evolving.

It is a muscle to listen, to trust fully and to remember the right questions to ask yourself. You can only keep all of this fine tuned, if you keep honing it and continuing to do it. Class is a great way to do this. I currently meet with other actors to keep on top of our game. Reading plays and scripts is also a way to educate yourself. Any opportunity you have to allow yourself to go into that imaginary world, and train yourself to know how you would embrace the imaginary circumstances, is crucial to keeping your mind fresh. I can’t say enough how important it is to get into classes. I know it can be a financial burden but it is a definite need and a must for one’s career.

Stacy Edwards has been a working actor for 28 years.  In television she was a series regular on Chicago Hope, has appeared in the TNT movie, Houdini, and was on HBO's Vietnam War Stories.  She has guest starred on numerous series, including CSI, CSI: New York, NCIS and Grey's Anatomy to name a few.  In film she was nominated for an INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD for her role in In The Company Of Men.  You can also see her in Primary Colors, Super Bad, and The Bling Ring. At Keep it Real Acting, she teaches Advanced Scene Study and Theatrical Thursdays - a cold reading drop in class.

4 Things Every Actor NEEDS to Figure Out If They Really Want to Work

Seriously…no matter where you are in your career, just starting out or entering a new category…before you have your headshots taken, or retaken…before you meet with an agent, or go into your current agent to discuss why you’re not going out more…before you go to any castings or more importantly, any casting workshops…if you want to work as an actor, you need to know your true image and marketability. In other words, understand who you are and exactly how you “fit” in the industry. BECAUSE…if you don’t “get” you, no one else is going to “get” you either.

You want an agent, a casting director, a director, etc., to look at your headshot or see you work and know exactly who you are and what they can do with you. A generic headshot, a generic performance, an audition in which you’re just trying to be what you think they want, will reap absolutely nothing. And if you think your headshot is going to land on someone’s desk and that they are going to snap you up and start developing you into a star…think again. No one has time for that anymore (unless you’re a breakout Disney tween).

So how exactly does one figure this all out? It’s not an easy process. Most of us have a difficult time exposing our true selves…and yet, it’s our true selves that set us apart from everyone else. In order to discover your true image and marketability, you need to be HONEST, REALISTIC, and SPECIFIC. This is why I strongly suggest actors seek help…and not from your mother, girlfriend, or roommate (they tend to tell us what we want to hear). You need someone who will keep you HONEST, REALISTIC, and SPECIFIC. Casting directors or consultants tend to keep it real…acting teachers are also a great resource since they not only know your work, but also know the business.

There are four steps to figuring out your image and marketability:

1.  Know your Type. It’s very simple: sex, age, physical description, and a couple main personality traits. Write a breakdown for yourself so that if a friend read it, he or she would immediately think of you…remember Honest, Realistic, and Specific.

2.  Know your Brand.  “Brand” just means what is unique and special about you. Think about it this way…when you’re at an audition and there are 25 actors all looking like you (same type) in the room, what do you bring to the party that they don’t? Be specific. I have dimples. I’m tall. I’m thin. I’m crazy. I have a rubber face. I am shy. I’m sensitive. I’m an excellent cook. I write poetry, etc.  Every aspect about you, both physical and personality-wise, sets you apart from all the others in the room making you unique and special within your type.

3.  Know the roles you can play TODAY.  Not what are the roles you want to play, or that you played five years ago, but what are the roles you can be cast in today? Watch television, movies, commercials, web series, etc. Look for actors your type, your age, and most importantly, your level of career. (If you are just starting out, you’re not about to be cast as the lead of a film.) Write these roles down, and make note of what those characters are wearing as well as their hair and makeup. If these are indeed the parts you will be auditioning for, you will want to incorporate those looks into your auditioning wardrobe (more on that another time.)

4.  Know what you will bring that is unique and special to each role.  Don’t make this more difficult than it is: take that list of roles that you can be cast in today and next to the role write down what is unique and special about you that you would bring to the role.  A very simple example would be for a role of “Mom.” Don’t try to think what kind of Mom are they looking for? What kind of mom are you in real life? (Even if you don’t have kids…how do you relate to children in your life?) Are you the mom that gets dirty with the kids? Or the mom that organizes everything right down to the last detail?  Playing your reality within the confines of the role will only deepen the character, so bring that “mom” to the audition, and definitely show that true image in your headshot session.

You are unique and special and awesome and amazing and no one can do you better than you. One gem of wisdom I try to impose on every actor I coach is this: You Are Enough. You don’t need to try to be what you think they want you to be, because in reality…they don’t know what they want. All agents, managers, casting directors, and directors want from the moment you walk in the room is an actor who knows who they are (image), knows what they have to offer (talent and marketability),  and who brings something unique and special to each role they play. They are looking for YOU…just make sure that you show up…to your headshot sessions, to workshops, to your meetings, to your auditions.

Now YOU get out there and start booking some jobs!

Tom Burke, working model and actor, teaches seminars and gives lectures on the importance of headshots and discovering an actor’s image. He is currently consulting and coaching at Keep It Real Acting Studios in North Hollywood, CA where he also teaches the exclusive classes: All-In-One Headshots Package and Not Just a Pretty Face. 

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What is your Goal in an Audition?

Nancy Linari in Cascade's "Kitchen Counselor" campaign as the judgemental mother-in-law

Someone once told me that actors have the wrong goal at auditions. He wasn’t talking about the character’s needs and choices, but what the actor in the waiting room wants that day.

To get the job. Of course, we all want the job, but this means that 99% of the people in that room fail.

As actors, we can spend a lot of time trying to figure out what “they” - the producers, the director, the writers, the client – want. So we try to adjust things about ourselves - our looks, our voice, our clothes, even our age – to become what we think they want. Sometimes we succeed in this, but often our audition doesn’t ring true. You can see the acting, when all you want to see is the character.

What if instead, our goal was to show the powers that be how we would do this role? What unique things we bring to the party? This doesn’t mean we are going to get every job; we are not right for every job. But we can succeed at each audition. We can leave the room knowing that we did a good job and will be remembered for it. Good auditions are like energy, they live on.

Nancy Linari has been a professional actress for over 30 years.  Her work can be seen and heard in both commercials and animation, on television and radio; from Bones to Modern Family, from ABC’s animated The Addams Family (the sexy Morticia Addams) to the Academy Award nominated The Social Network (the cranky secretary to the president of Harvard.)  Nancy has appeared in hundreds of commercials including Cascade, Swiffer, Honda, McDonalds, Bisquick and Walgreens.  Her voice over work includes national campaigns for Advil, Taco Bell, Radio Shack, Wal-Mart and California Avocados. She also works extensively in video games and is an award-winning audiobook narrator.

At Keep it Real Acting she teaches Youth Classes, as well as Commercial Wednesday Workouts.

How to deal with that Summer Slump

Recently. I had a surge of work fall in my lap. Well perhaps there was some skill and perseverance involved in landing them. But since then I have hit a dry spell in the booking arena. And what I find for myself and the actors who come to work with me is, while in a slump, self doubt creeps in, along with a desperate attempt to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

My advice is to reflect on the feeling you had right after booking a job: the sense of accomplishment, the joy of success, the walk with head held slightly higher, the bounce in your step, etc. Remember that, and only that, when you approach the room of your next audition. Some good, positive, self talk as if you just got off the phone with your agent and hearing the news of a booking can be very helpful and
change your frame of mind. It can totally alter your mental state... and nothing looks better on an actor than a recent booking!

Take a nice breath, even in the room, to connect to your success and then start the scene. Then start the work that you love to do.... Acting! Remember it is fun! Auditions, when you give 100%, can be tremendously satisfying. When we are not looking at the final result and just doing the work, we open ourselves up to our creativity and, ultimately, surprise ourselves!

This is why you got into acting to begin with, because you have a gift, a passion for the craft. So make that more important.

I also suggest getting another perspective from a coach or teacher when in a slump. Get a private coaching for an hour and see if there
are some old habits you have slipped back into. Or, discover another way to approach the copy that you had not thought of. It is always helpful to keep sides you have auditioned for, and use those when coaching to help pinpoint areas to work on.

Many times all that is needed is a boost of confidence, reassurance that you are making good choices and committing to them. Rarely, do we get any feedback from auditions and acting in a vacuum, in your own head, can bring on a big dose of self doubt.

Workout groups are great as well. Anywhere you can have the chance to get up and do copy and practice your craft is worth it. So when your agent does call, you are ready as rain to show up. ​Keep it Real Acting offers ​workouts every week, both Commercially and Theatrically.

Finally, take advantage of a get away this summer! A sure way to book a job is always to plan a trip; or if you can't get away, make a fun lunch date with a friend, or get that treat you've been denying yourself for a month.

Acting is a longevity game, and a slump can be put to good use if you use it wisely; reassess, get into that class, make a little time for fun, and then move forward. Remember, be kind to yourself and acknowledge your victories, because it's a surefire way to coast you to the next one.

Judy Kain has been a professional actress now for 37 years, (350+ commercials, 80+ Film/TV roles). She founded Keep it Real Acting, a studio dedicated to helping actors succeed in the business.

Read Her full bio here. She recently starred in a 26 commercial Campaign for STARZ, where she played a Superhero Hotline Operator.

She teaches Commercial A to Z, Advanced Callback and Wednesday Workouts at Keep it Real Acting.

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Judy Kain and Amy Lyndon discuss the secrets of Commercial Booking

Happy June Everyone!

I recently sat down with my good friend Amy Lyndon, where we talked about everything from from our recent work to the secrets we've found that help us book those jobs.

I've uploaded the entire conversation below so that you too can learn the secrets of commercial booking!

Enjoy,

Judy Kain

Amy Lyndon is a Multi-Award winning Actress, Director, Producer, Writer, International Booking Coach and CEO of the Lyndon Technique. Lyndon has 40+ films to her credit including; “And They’re Off” opposite Sean Astin, "The House That Jack Built” opposite Joe Mantegna, and "The Poughkeepsie Tapes" for MGM. On TV, she Guest Starred in over 30+ TV shows: “Adopting Terror” for Lifetime, “Law and Order: LA,” “Eagleheart” w/ Chris Elliot, “NCIS,” "Ugly Betty," "Entourage," "NYPD Blue," "JAG," Recurring in “Days Of Our Lives,” “The Bold and the Beautiful," "General Hospital," & "Young and The Restless." She Teaches Cold Reading & Booking Classes at The Lyndon Technique.

Judy Kain has been a professional actress now for 37 years, (350+ commercials, 80+ Film/TV roles). She founded Keep it Real Acting, a studio dedicated to helping actors succeed in the business. Read Her full bio here. She recently starred in a 26 commercial Campaign for STARZ, where she played a Superhero Hotline Operator.

She teaches Commercial A to Z, Advanced Callback and Wednesday Workouts at Keep it Real Acting.