http://theconceptofacting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/five-second-spots-Concept-of-Acting.m4v Five second spot assaults thirty-second spot online If the thirty second spot is the King of TV land then the five-second spot is sure to take the reign over the Internet Since the invent of the Internet, advertising executives have been faced with the problem of trying to figure what the future of the online digital landscape of advertising will be. The five-second spot could be the solution. Thanks to MTV and the fast cut generation born from specialized programming the average viewers attention span is now three to five seconds. The five-second spot plays directly into that concept and into the hearts of the hardest demographic to crack 11-24 and that’s just the way the kids like it. They don’t have 30 seconds to waste, but get a free phone call for watching a five second spot and they are good with that. Five-second spots can be concepted around a specific platform to allow for a more enjoyable user experience in the online digital Universe. These spots not only work in the fabric of online and TV entertainment, but fits seamlessly into other entertainment platforms such as Video Games, Cell Phones, wearables, portables, et cetera. How does this benefit the client? It usually takes three to five seconds to load your requested information online, and then you are given the option to skip after five seconds. Most advertising executed online are thirty seconds spots. This means that the client is not conveying the concept of their product fully. Why skip in five seconds when you can convey the concept of your product/service to a targeted audience IN five seconds. Problem/Product/Solution. The 5 sec spot is simple and straight forward, which allows the creatives to convey the concept of their campaign. This would guarantee the client one hundred percent viewers ship in turn making it more cost effective for its shareholders. Performer rates for these spots should be at least a twelve thousand dollar buyout for one year internet usage and a one thousand dollar shoot day for 8 hrs. This payment fits perfectly and is fair for clients, Ad Agencies, and Performers considering usage, exposure, and viewer ship in the online Universe. How does this affect you the actor. You now must be able to execute the client’s concept simply and clearly. This will be extremely hard to do for most actors and especially non-union performers, as most actors are unaware of the client’s concept and how to properly execute it in the audition room. So here’s the secret. Concept is simply what are they selling, how are they selling it, then lastly can the actor execute the clients concept clearly and precisely in five seconds? (See...

Why do I call it a “showcase” instead of an “audition”? Because this is your time to shine! This is what you moved to L.A. for! This is why you have invested hours upon hours in class studying and performing! This is why you left being around your friends and family! This is why you skipped college, a promotion, even a marriage. So you could do what? One simple thing: Follow your dream. I am here to say that it is truly possible to have an amazing successful career in the entertainment industry, because all you have to do is click your shoes three times and say one thing: I believe. Just simply believe in yourself. Believe that you are special. Believe that you have something to offer that no one else has. (Some would say that’s confidence.) Success is not defined by others, but only by what YOU define it to be. You will always be the defining factor in your successes. That being said, here is a simpleton way of thinking about your auditions or rather, your showcases. Basically this is your time to prove to the casting director, creatives, and director that you understand what type of project they are creating. Let’s not get it twisted. You have just driven two hours to Beverly Hills from Hollywood. Not to mention you have to go back to Hollywood for another audition. Oh, guess what? You just got a text about a last minute showcase. Back to Beverly Hills! Ugh! Another two hours. Remember this is your showcase. I, as the casting director, should feel privileged that you are in my office. I should respect the time you have invested in just getting to your showcase. I know most casting offices do not believe in this, I wish they did, but they don’t. If the casting director does not agree with my simpleton philosophy then here are a few reminders to help get you through the rough offices. Remember I, as the casting director, am defined by one thing: The choices I offer my clients, meaning you! I am only as good as you are. If you suck, I suck. If you rock, I rock! I always want you to be successful. The better you are, the better I am. No matter how negative, mean, ugly, or unwelcoming I may seem, never let the casting director define your audition, ever!!! Remember why you have given up so much to be an actor. Remember that first laugh you got, that first tear you stimulated, that one member of the audience that you were able to move. Don’t forget this is just a simple process. The process of simply seeing...

Why is he/she working and I am not? Why haven’t I had an audition? I was right for that role! Why didn’t I get a chance? There is a reason the saying 90 percent business and 10 percent show has been in Hollywood since the beginning. And I mean the beginning. Ninety percent business means planting seeds: networking, sending postcards, taking classes, going to auditions, attending showcases, studying your craft, etc. Ten percent is the actual show, i.e. the audition or execution of the client’s concept. Keep in mind, there are two types of people in this industry: Those that say they do! And those that actually, DO! So what’s your goal? Getting known – not famous, but known for actually doing. Known for being a great actor – an actor who not only delivers on concept, but who delivers on it in a creative way. Often you hear, he’s a great actor, but wow why is he/she so bitter? They must be having a bad day. You never want anyone to say that to about you! You always want to be on mark. You are a pro! You should be in control as an actor no matter what is thrown your way. Here are some very specific ways an actor can be proactive rather than bitter! 1. Enroll in a dance class 2. Shoot a project: web series, film, short film, commercial, anything. 3. Take a writing or directing class 4. Go to or start an improv class! 5. Start a blog. 6. Create a YouTube Channel. 7. Perform a one woman/man show. 8. Volunteer at a local charity 9. Intern in a casting office 10. Attend an art or drawing class 11. Go on a museum tour 12. Visit an elderly facility Always try and broaden your career as an actor. Concentrate on the positive aspects of your career, not others. The more you add to the texture of your life, the better and the more appealing you become to the advertiser. Remember acting is always a reflection of life. It’s how you re-create it that defines and separates you from everybody else. Break a leg! Robert Jr began his career casting feature films primarily for Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, and Ron Howard, but after crossing paths with Steve Jobs,Robert Jr began extensively casting Apple’s high profile World Wide product launches including the first iMac, iBook, Power Mac G4, Mac OS X, and iPod campaigns and has gone on to cast 1000’s of commercials, film, and TV projects. His casting company Digital Dogs Casting is best known for their unique, award-winning campaigns and a flair for blending improv and witty dialogue with performance-driven spots. Robert Jr recently...

After years of auditioning actors, one common trait I find among all of them is that performers forget about the camera when they’re auditioning. Actors tend to focus more on remembering dialogue, being funny, or trying to stand out. They focus on the casting director or clients in the room rather than the camera/audience. The most important part to any audition is the camera. It captures the story/concept that the actor is responsible for executing or portraying for us the audience. The camera tells the audience what the story is. It guides us along a path of discovery whether it’s a film, TV, or commercial project. What happens on set? Everything revolves around what? The camera. Actors, lights, crew, props. Everything centers around one thing: The camera. That means every thing you do in your audition should be for one person only: The audience or camera. The best actors know to always make the camera your friend. When you play to camera it gives us, the audience, a clear precise understanding of the story, just like on set. After all, it is the performer’s job to deliver the clients concept in an easy readable manner. How do you apply this technique? 1. Square off to camera, not the room, casting, or clients. 2. Place eye lines around camera, not into camera unless that’s the concept. 3. Place the reader next to camera. This is very important especially in your film and tv auditions when you are being put on tape. Most theatrical offices are small and cramped and the audition actually takes place in their office, not a real studio so the placement of camera is most likely in a strange location or odd angle. It’s imperative that the performer understands this process as the director and producers will be watching your audition back later on tape or via an online posting. Make sure that all your actions and motivations and execution of client concept can be read or seen by camera. Remember some performances are into camera, but most are from a voyeuristic view. Whatever you believe as the performer we, as the audience, will believe. Whatever you do the camera will believe you 100 percent. If you are nervous, the camera will read you are nervous. If you are confident and engaged, we will read that too. If you say you are going to fail, you’re going fail. If you say your going to be successful, you’re going to be successful. Now go out there stay camera-aware. Remember the worst they can say is, no. You’re an actor. Rejection is in your DNA and it’s the one guarantee in Hollywood that you will always hear. Break a...

How many times have we seen a film or gone to a theater production and found ourselves saying, “Great performance, but they just didn’t get it,” “Wow, that was funny, but he/she missed it”? Well, what didn’t they get or what did they miss? The concept or idea of the project is what the actor didn’t get. It wasn’t because they were a bad actor. It was simply because the actor made the wrong choices within the TONE of the project. Think about it. A Steven Spielberg film is going to be very different than an Oliver Stone film which is going to be very different from a Gus Van Sant film. Can you imagine auditioning for a Spielberg film as if it were a Mel Brooks project? Whether it’s a film, TV series, web series, or commercial, there is always a specific tone for the project. We have all heard the old clichés. What are you fighting for? Just make a choice and live by it. Well how do you find the “right” choice? You find it through the client’s concept. Here is an easy three-step proven process that I have used in all my projects to help find the right performance style and actor choices that deliver on my clients’ concept or idea and proves clearly, there are no bad actors, just bad choices. Step 1: What are they selling? What is the product? Soft drink, cell phone service, burgers, computers, bank? Each type of business has a very specific client base but also a very specific image or service they are trying to “sell” or “highlight” to the masses. You can look at it like this. How do you dress when you want to impress? Or when you’re headed out to a club? What about dinner with your parents? How do you present yourself to the people that mean the most to you? The advertiser is doing the exact same thing with their product. They are looking for a performer with the exact same qualities as their product. Step 2: How are they selling it? How are they highlighting the product? What’s the story? This is the creative part! This is where the ad agency would write the script, create the characters, and decide on the final TONE for the project. This is where they decided how to sell their “style” or their product to the world. The actor should be asking: What type of project is this? Is it a comedy, drama, horror? There are a myriad of styles and genres. So what style or genre are you auditioning for right now? This will help define the client’s concept, and in turn, help define actor...