Casting call advice : The importance of range part 2

Step 2: go over the line flat, fluid, and small. flat: NO inflections whatsoever. fluid: just because i'm saying flat, make the words flow, don't say them staccato-like - like a robot, and small: quiet. your lips barely have to be moving. dont work your mouth too hard, or you'll be tripping up all over the place. Do it at a speed where you make NO mistakes. If you do, go back to the top of the piece of copy, SLOW DOWN, and get through it without mistakes. when you've gone through it twice flawlessly, you can pick up your speed. do these steps until that piece of copy is flowin' outta your mouth like the disclaimers you hear at the end of car and bank commercials. When it's flawless, take that line, (or 60 seconds of copy,  or sides to a part on a tv show, or monologue for a play - get where i'm going with this??? USE MY METHOD OF FLAT, FLUID AND SMALL FOR EVERYTHING!!!!)
Til next week ... << MORE >>

Being a nyc casting director and coach to actors has certainly been filling my plate - to say the least. but as i stated so many times before, i'm blessed to love what i do... but sometimes it's hard keeping up...SO!  this topic has been hot on my teaching plate. an exersize that i have been giving out to many of my students - not ony in my classes, but privately as well. it's simple, but my GAWD does it help when it comes to giving range on reads, especially when it comes to those brief three-in-a-rows.

 

For those of you who are not clear on what three-in-a-rows are, let me explain: say you're in ...

<< MORE >>

•DOR IS STILL LOOKING FOR GREAT VOICES FOR VOICE-OVER AUDITIONS!

•AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHER FRIEND OF DOR’S IN TOWN FROM SHOOTING IN PARIS AND MILAN, AND IS OFFERING A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME PRICE ON HEADSHOTS!!!

•UP-COMING ON-CAMERA CLASSES, INCLUDING A FUN SEMINAR NEXT SATURDAY WITH WITH FELLOW CASTING DIRECTOR IAN WEISS! SPECIAL GUEST/WINE/CHEESE!

•UPCOMING VO CLASSES AT PHANTOM AUDIO! BUTT-KICKIN’ VOCAL FUN!!!


HELLOOOOOOOOO!!!!

AS ALWAYS, DORIANE IS STILL LOOKING FOR MORE AND MORE VOICES FOR HER IN-HOUSE VOICE-OVER AUDITIONS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH HER ABOUT IT, PLEASE STAY IN TOUGH. OUTTA SIGHT, OUTTA MIND, UNTIL YOU'RE IN HER IMMEDIATE RADAR...

She also wanted to let you all know about some awesome vo and on-cameraclasses that are coming up, and even an intensive with fellow Casting Director Ian Weiss in THIS SATURDAY!

On-Camera Intensive - Everything you need to know to prepare for on-camera auditions and on-camera commercial acting. Work with 2 Casting Directors  - Doriane Elliott and Ian Weiss - with experience casting hundreds of commercials.   This seminar will cover audition technique, marketing yourselfas an actor, reading and feeling comfortable on-camera, working with verbal and non-verbal copy, how to obtain an agent.  Intensive will conclude with a wine and cheese reception with a SPECIAL guest.  


WHEN: Saturday, December 12th - 11 AM - 2:30 PM

WHERE: Upper West Side

COST: $150 and includes wine and cheese reception (yum) with guest Talent Agent. (yahoo!)  

 

Work with 2 Casting Directors  - Doriane Elliott and Ian Weiss - with experience casting hundreds of commercials.   This seminar will cover audition technique, marketing yourselfas an actor, reading and feeling comfortable on-camera, working with verbal and non-verbal copy, how to obtain an agent.  Intensive will conclude with a wine and cheese reception with a SPECIAL guest. 

Please email decasting@aol.com to sign up.  Limited spots.  A $50.00 deposit is due to secure your spot.  Full payment is due on first day of class.  

 

“what’s so cool about this on-camera class is that it’s kept so small, it’s like a semi-private lesson in front of the camera. AND it’s taught by TWO Casting Directors -  who have the ability to call us in for auditions. That’s just beyond a perk!!!”

 Katia Hoerning


Doriane and Ian’s 4 Week Classes in 2010 will continue on Thursdays with the first class on January 7th.  Four Weeks with NOT ONE, but TWOCASTING DIRECTORS to FIVE students. MAX! This class will focus on getting comfortable in front of the camera, specifically doing commercial copy.  



WHEN: Thursdays, starting Jan 7th

WHERE: Upper West Side

COST: $300.  ($50 deposit id due to secure your spot.)

For more details please visit www.dorianeelliott.com/classes.html

 
2 week Intermediate/Advanced VO class at Phantom Audio, the place where Doriane casts, and produces VO demos.

 

“what I love about studying with Doriane, is that she’s an ACTUAL CASTING DIRECTOR!  I get to not only audition for her, but because I’m a student of hers, I get to sit in on her Casting Sessions, and watch the pros audition! How Awesome is that?! Then I get the chance to audition!!!!
Michael Siktberg

 

WHEN: Thursdays,  Dec. 10th, and 17th

WHERE: Phantom Audio, 48 w. 25th St.

COST: $87/class
 

“Hey - just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the class tonight.  It's great hearing other students and its even better suffering in front of them!  Builds a thick skin...I know how important that is in this biz! See you next week”,
Brian

 
“Wow. That was realllly helpful! So good to hear feedback on my own reads and compare to everyone else's. Lots to work on for next class and beyond. Thanks and I'll see you next Tues”.
Curt

 

"Hi Dori,
I just wanted to send a Thank You shout you for all of the help and the support that you have given to me this past year. In an industry where people sometimes just do for themselves, It's nice to see other people who wants to help other people follow their dreams.
Xo, Velvet

 

        

You read right!!! Hello, actors! This email is to inform you that for those of you who live far away, I can now teach you via skype. Already, I have students in the mid-west, Canada, and even England!!!! As long as I can see you, and WATCH you work, and you can see me teaching you, it’s like we’re in the same room. It totally rocks!

 

The following is all listed on my website, but for instant gratification, this is what’s doin’…

 
UP-AND-COMING CLASSES/SEMINARS WITH CASTING DIRECTOR DORIANE ELLIOTT

*ON-CAMERA CLASSES. 2 COACHES/4 STUDENTS (WOW!)
*VO CLASSES FOR ALL LEVELS
*PLAY-TO-WIN AGENT/CASTING DIRECTORS MEET AND GREETS


ON-CAMERA:

Commercial On-Camera.  You asked for this, so here goes:

Four or six week on-camera class with not one, but TWO coaches to four students. This class will focus on getting comfortable in front of the camera, specifically doing commercial copy. My co-coach will be Ian Weiss, an Awesome Freelance Casting Director. Ian has cast such notable commercials and campaigns as Life Cereal, WebMD, Advair, Bank of America, Campbell’s Soup, BMW, Nike, Bayer, and the list goes on – not to mention the gazillion Voice-Over commercials he’s cast as well!!! Why is it great studying with a Freelancer who not only casts, but SETS UP sessions at the various houses? Because like me, he gets to call in his fa v’s!!!! Not many Casting Directors get to set up the sessions; they just walk in and go. Not us. If we think you’re great, we get to call you in!!!! We will also be available for private coaching on Wednedays before class, for anyone who needs to prepare for monologues, commercial copy, and/or audition sides.

 
Dates: Weds, July 22ndh, 28th, Aug. 5th, and Aug. 12th

Time: 6:30pm

Price: $300, early bird special $280 if you sign up by July 10th


New 4 week class on Saturdays!

Dates: Sats, July 25th, Aug. 1, 8th, and 15th

Time: 10 am

Price: $300, early bird special $280 if you sign up by July 10th

 

VOICE-OVERS:

PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING VO CLASSES WILL BE TAKING PLACE AT PHANTOM AUDIO, (http://www.phantomaudio.com)  A STATE-OF-THE-ART RECORDING/PRODUCTION STUDIO, WHERE I CAST, AND WHERE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMMERCIALS, INDUSTRIALS, PROMOS (AND MORE) HAVE BEEN PRODUCED. THIS IS ALSO WHERE I PRODUCE MY STUDENT’S DEMOS, WITH THE HEAD ENGINEER OF PHANTOM.

 EACH CLASS IS LIMITED TO A GROUP OF 8, (QUALITY - NOT QUANTITY, PEOPLE!) SO EVERYONE GETS ENOUGH ATTENTION, MIC AND PLAYBACK TIME. STUDENTS ARE RECORDED ON PRO-TOOLS, JUST AS IF YOU WERE IN ONE OF DORIANE’S CASTING SESSIONS!    

 

Beginning Voice-overs: The adventure begins…

Okay. You’ve been told you have a great voice for Voice-Overs.

You’ve been behind the20mic, but basically have no sound technique. Start getting comfortable breaking down copy, and feeling at ease behind the mic in the same state-of-the-art recording studio, Phantom Audio (http://www.phantomaudio) with the coolest, easiest goin’ Casting  Director in NYC! This class will still have you up behind that AKG 414, in that booth, taking direction, and continuing to learn the art, craft, and skill of VO’s. You’ll be recorded on Pro-tools, and will listen to playback so you can  hear your progress. And…if you’re good… there will be a surprise guest at the end of the session!

 “she makes you WANT to learn, and laugh while you’re learning! I still get coaching from Doriane, after all these years as a successful voice-over actor!”- Timothi Jane Graham(http://www.timothijanegraham.com)

 Dates: Tuesdays, July 21st, 28th, and Aug. 4th

Time: 7pm

Place: Phantom Audio, large room

Price: $260

 
VO CLINIC. Getting stuck? The Doctor is in.
Three week brush-up seminar at Phantom Audio. (http://www.phantomaudio.com) Advanced only. Limited to 8 people, so as always, you’ll get good mic time. This is for pro’s only. Folks who have agents, who have booked gigs before, but for some reason aren’t booking as much as they’d like. You’ll be up in front of your peers reading either copy you’ve auditioned for – to see how I would have directed you to a better read,20or copy you choose from my files. You’ll be recorded on pro-tools. No edits! Ha!!! Definitely a vocal, reading, and nerves workout. Yes, a butt-kicker. But pain, is GOOD.

 Dates:  tue, July 16th, and 23rd

Time: 7pm

Place: Phantom Audio large room

Price: $175

 
PLAY TO WIN: MEET AND GREETS WITH AGENTS AND CASTING DIRECTORS: By Invite only. I need to know your level of acting first...

at these very civilized, cool, laid-back and very informal meet and greets, eight of you will have the opportunity to get about 20 minutes of Q&A with our guest, and then get 5 – 7 minutes alone with that person. If you have a voice-over demo, play it for him/her. If you have a demo dvd, play that! You may also be given a piece of copy to read for that particular person (whether they are legit, on-camera commercial, voice-over, soap, etc.) wine, cheese, baguettes, yummy munchies…

 Jenevieve Brewer from “About Face”

Jenevieve’s coming back! Out of the 9 actors who came in to meet with her, 7 have been called in, sent on auditions, and already several have booked through her!!! Yeah!!!!

 Dates/Time: Thurs, Aug. 6th, 7pm

Price: $65

Anyone who is on this mailing list, and would like to be removed, please email me at decasting@aol.com, and I will remove you promptly.

        

I hear this “dilemma” a lot with new and prospective students: “I see you coach privately, and that you also offer on-camera and voice-over classes…which should I choose?” Ya know what I tell all of them? “SHAKE IT UP!” In my case, I don’t always offer on-going classes. They come up every couple/few months for anything  from 4 – 6 weeks at a time. That’s when I advise my private students to “hop out” of private lessons (unless they either can afford both and/or are so serious about getting their craft together to take it on the road, so-to-speak.) There are pro’s to doing both. With one-on-one – whether it’s for on-camera, scene study, or voice-overs - especially with beginners -  you get that well…one-on-one time for the whole lesson focused on YOU, YOUR  GROWNG SKILLS, YOUR ABILITY, and your PROBLEM AREAS. This is the place and time where if any bad habits were going to form, your coach would catch them, work on them with you, and zap! strip you of them. This is where you grow and get those tools. The focus is 100% focused on you, you, and no one else but YOU.

In a class setting, you get to learn not only by getting your time up in front of the camera, or behind the mic, but with a time limit, in front of a “safe” audience: Your peers. Your fellow actors. And it feels more like a real audition at a real casting session. Pressure’s on. This is the place where you can learn from watching them, taking ideas from them, and putting yourself in perspective. Where do you stand in the class?  Who would you like to be more like? Who inspires you to want to be better? Both situations rock, really. The point is to get out there and STUDY. Intensive one-on-one, and Watch-and-learn-and-get-up-there.  So, I guess it’s pretty simple:  Shake it up, baby.

Over an’ out.


Doriane Elliott
http://www.dorianeelliott.com

        

Okay. Have I sinned again? Well, looking at the date, all I can say is “you betcha!” and for that I apologize PROFUSELY! But WHY have I not been able to get to my beloved blog? And WHAT, you may ask, is the day-to-day life of a Casting Director/mother of a four year old – who, by the way, JUST booked his first PSA?!  (Public Service Announcement)

Well, days that I don’t cast, I coach Actors like you. Sometimes my coaching sessions book-end my casting sessions. Sometimes I have a series of classes at night for either on-camera (which by the way is starting again April 15th, where I’ll be co-teaching with another fabulous Casting Director, Ian Weiss. Ian free-lances at a BUNCH of studios. Why is that good? Because when he’s setting up a session at any given studio, he thinks of his fav students, and calls them in – which is exactly what I do with all of my students. They not only come in to audition for me, but can sit and watch the pro’s for as long as they want, before putting their auditions down. pretty cool huh? But once again, I digress. Back to Ian and me: Two Casting Directors, to 5 students!!!  And when I’m not doing that, I teach classes at the same State-of-the-art studio where I cast and produce demos. Phantom Audio. (http://www.phantomaudio.com)
It’s there where thousands of commercials, promos, and industrials are recorded each and every year. It's my "home away from home", and i'm so happy there....

I also host very cool, very chill, VERY laid back meet-and-greets with Top Agents and Casting Directors, where no more than eight very READY and talented actors sit, drink wine, and nibble on goodies with their guest, have a Q and A with them, and then have a nice chunk of time to meet with that guest alone in my teaching studio. There the actor meets with/reads copy for/plays his or her voice-over demo, and/or acting reel for them.  
AND - drum roll, please! My newest venture is that I field auditions for an awesome voice- over talent management company out west. I receive dozens of auditions – both union and non – for commercials, industrials, and promos each week. Keeps me busy, let me tell YOU! I then farm the auditions out to my great list of talent, most of whom have been my students.  Some have home studios to send the mp3 the auditions to me, some come to my studio for coached auditions. It’s been pretty great, and I find myself CONSTANTLY looking for new fresh voices.  Are you one of them???

Now, just because I’m fielding these auditions, don’t go run out and get studio equipment. My next blog – I promise – will be about the pros and cons of trying to put together a home studio set up. Honestly, mostly cons. What I’ll cover is the issue of having to self-direct. Of having to build a studio that has a sound that competes with everyone else’s out there. So many factors, your head will spin. So, save your money until you read that blog. Until then, and boy do I hope it’s soon, be well, keep studying, and stretching your acting muscles.

Over an’out,

Dor

http://www.dorianeelliott.com

        

okay, peeps: i've been getting emails from folks saying: when are you going to have more CLASSES? well, here ya go. go to town! turns out, i've been missing them, too! also, i'm looking for more fresh new voices of all kinds - non-union and union  - for  auditions with an agency i've hooked up with. if you have GOOD demos, send them my way. if you're interested in learning more about continual voice-over auditions, read below, and check out my "One Night Only" seminars, where i give you an introduction to VO's, and i'll assess you to see your level and skill. if i think you're great, i start auditioning you immediately. if you have no experience but have promise, i'll encourage you to continue to study. if i think this may NOT be the thing for you...I'm brutally honest, as most of you know. i'll break it to ya gently. which reminds me: my next blog will be about the pros and cons of having your own "set up". most people spend all kinds of money to have their own recording set up - and find they're not ready to be out in the big bad world all by themselves. they lack studio experience, knowledge in voice-overs AND in technology... stay tuned, my readers, it will certainly be eye-opening... okay. so here goes. a little something for everyone...to learn more about HOW and WHY i teach, please visit my site at: www.dorianeelliott.com



UP-AND-COMING CLASSES/SEMINARS WITH CASTING DIRECTOR
DORIANE ELLIOTT (AND SOME CO-COACHES, TOO!!!)

*VO CLASSES FOR ALL LEVELS
*KIDS/TEENS VO WORKSHOP
*ON-CAMERA CLASSES. 2 COACHES/4 STUDENTS (WOW!)
*”PLAY TO WIN”: AGENT/CASTING DIRECTOR MEET’N GREETS



VOICE-OVERS:
PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING VO CLASSES WILL BE TAKING PLACE AT PHANTOM AUDIO, (http://www.phantomaudio.com)  A STATE-OF-THE-ART RECORDING/PRODUCTION STUDIO, WHERE DORIANE CASTS, AND WHERE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMMERCIALS, INDUSTRIALS, PROMOS (AND MORE) HAVE BEEN PRODUCED. THIS IS ALSO WHERE DORIANE PRODUCES HER STUDENT’S DEMOS, WITH THE HEAD ENGINEER OF PHANTOM.

EACH CLASS IS LIMITED TO A GROUP OF 8, (QUALITY - NOT QUANTITY, PEOPLE!) SO EVERYONE GETS ENOUGH ATTENTION, MIC AND PLAYBACK TIME. STUDENTS ARE RECORDED ON PRO-TOOLS, JUST AS IF YOU WERE IN ONE OF DORIANE’S CASTING SESSIONS!    

Copy Boot Camp. Okay. You asked for it. No, really – you did.
Three week brush-up seminar at Phantom Audio. (http://www.phantomaudio.com) Limited to 8 people, so as always, you’ll get good mic time. This is for SOLO reads only, intermediate to advanced only. You’ll be up in front of your peers reading longer spots, recorded on pro-tools. No edits! Ha!!! Definitely a vocal, reading, and nerves workout. Yes, a butt-kicker. But pain, is GOOD. Just know we’re ALL there to support, and give constructive criticism.
And though you won’t be reading the “fun” spots together, we’ll still make this boot camp a constructive and fun experience. Promise.

Dates: wed, march 4th, 11th, and 18thth
Time: 7pm
Place: Phantom Audio large room
Price: $240


One Nite Only: An Introduction to Voice-Overs.
A basic overview, with MIC time! Ooh, yeah, baby! A rockin’ studio, an awesome Casting Director, and a fun and informative nite of learning! Everything you wanted to know about the Art and Skill of VO’s, and how to get started. Learn how to break down a piece of copy, how to go over it correctly – with Doriane’s tried and true“FLAT, FLUID, and SMALL” technique. In this session, Doriane will determine your level of skill, and talent for this niche, and If you’re ready, she’ll start calling you in for auditions! You’ll learn the important does and dont's when going into a commercial audition, and how body language can make the read, plus much, much more!

Date: Thurs, March 26th,
Time: 7pm
Place: Phantom Audio, large room
Price: $50

Beginning Voice-overs: The adventure begins…
Okay. You’ve been told you have a great voice for Voice-Overs.
You’ve been behind the mic, but basically have no sound technique. Start getting comfortable breaking down copy, and feeling at ease behind the mic in the same state-of-the-art recording studio, Phantom Audio (http://www.phantomaudio) with the coolest, easiest goin’ Casting  Director in NYC! This class will still have you up behind that AKG 414, in that booth, taking direction, and continuing to learn the art, craft, and skill of VO’s. You’ll be recorded on Pro-tools, and will listen to playback so you can  hear your progress. And…if you’re good… there will be a surprise guest at the end of the session!

“she makes you WANT to learn, and laugh while you’re learning! I still get coaching from Doriane, after all these years as a successful voice-over actor!”- Timothi Jane Graham (http://www.timothijanegraham.com)

Dates: Tuesdays, April 7th,  14th, 21st, and 28th.
Time: 7pm
Place: Phantom Audio, large room
Price: $350

Kids and Teens Voice-Over Camp:
This fun and exciting class will help kids and teens learn all about doing voice-overs; breaking down copy, and learning the correct way of going over it without getting stuck on one way of saying it. Here, they learn to be able to “switch gears” on a dime. They will also learn about body language, but staying behind the mic. They will be given solo pieces, as well as copy where they are acting with fellow students. On the 5th week, agents will come to a showcase and listen to the students perform their copy in the booth, behind the mic. Each student will perform at least 3 times.

Dates: Wednesdays, March 25th, April 1st, 8th,15th, and showcase on the 22nd.
Time: 6:30
Place: Phantom Audio, large room
Price: $500

Intermediate/Advanced VO’s: By Invite only.
Sorry, newbies, it’s for your own good. When you’ve gotten to this stage, it means you’re ready to be seen and heard by the agents. Hopefully by this point, your demo has been recorded. Why? Two reasons:  your reel is your calling card. It’s your audio head-shot. Also, when agents/casting directors come to hear you live, we also hold ‘em hostage to listen to your demos as well! Why not? They’re there, right?! This fun class blends solo reads with reading in pairs – acting and Reacting with your fellow students.

TBA


ON-CAMERA:
Commercial On-Camera.  You asked for this, too, so here goes:
Four week on-camera class with not one, but two coaches to four students. This class will focus on getting comfortable in front of the camera, specifically doing commercial copy. My co-coach will be Patrick Johnson, who’s DEFINITELY comfortable in front of the camera. No, he’s not a porn star, but started out as one of the first famous male models out there, and went on to acting in commercials, TV shows, plays, etc. He is also a producer, and teaches/coaches actors and models literally all over this flippin’ country. We will also be available for private coaching on Tuesdays, for going over and preparing for monologues, commercial copy, and/or audition sides. Look out for more on-camera sessions with a couple of other coaches I may be teaming up with, just to shake things up!!!!

Dates: Tue, Feb. 24th, March 3rd, 10th,17th
Time: 6pm
Price: $240


PLAY TO WIN: MEET AND GREETS WITH AGENTS AND CASTING DIRECTORS: By Invite only.
at these very civilized, cool, laid-back and very informal meet and greets, eight of you will have the opportunity to get about 20 minutes of Q&A with our guest, and then get 5 – 7 minutes alone with that person. If you have a voice-over demo, play it for him/her. If you have a demo dvd, play that! You may also be given a piece of copy to read for that particular person (whether they are legit, on-camera commercial, voice-over, soap, etc.) munchies/drinks, too!

Dates/Times: TBA
Price: $65
 

        

Hello! 
See? As promised, not too much time has passed since my last blog. Okay. Today, I’m going to write about something that comes up quite frequently with actors when starting off commercial copy - whether it be on camera, or voice-over. I get things like “I know the first sentence was terrible, but then I settled into the copy.” Or “How do I start this off and sound natural?!” There are three things I teach my students that completely help get the most natural sounding, and clean start to a piece of commercial copy.

Here’s an example, but use these suggestions with any copy. Say your first line is “Don’t let painful arthritis flare-ups keep you down.” And you’re thinkin’, okay. How do I make this sentence sound real, genuine, informative, but empathetic, etc.

You can:

Imagine someone asking you a question, or telling you what their problem is, specific to the product you’re selling. So, you imagine your friend, a co-worker, family member, patient  -if you’re playing a doctor - anyone who’d fit in with the circumstance or situation you’ve put yourself in for your audition, and in your head, just before you start saying the copy, you hear something like “when I wake up in the morning, my hands are so stiff, I can’t make a fist!” or “the arthritis in my knee is killing me!” and you start off your copy with the line “don’t let painful arthritis flare-ups get  you down”. Now you sound authentic. You can also answer a made up question. You hear “did you know my arthritis is so bad that I sometimes can’t walk? Or “isn’t there anything I can take for these aches and pains?” and you answer with “don’t let painful arthritis flare-ups keep you down”. So in fact, you’re setting up the set-up. A made up question or problem has been stated you’re answering and thereby setting up the commercial with the spoken problem, which sets YOU up for giving the solution. Geez. I hope that made sense. But I digress. Again, this topic is focused on getting a clean entrance to a piece of commercial copy. 

Another way to get that authentic, real entrance, is by implying a “hey” or “Ya know”. In this case, I think the “hey” might work better: you imply “hey”. Then start with “don’t let painful…” so, here’s how it would sound when put together. “hey, don’t let painful arthritis flare-ups keep you down”. See? As my husband would say, “easy-peazy, one-two-threezy”.

The last way of getting a clean and noticeable start to a piece of commercial copy is something I refer to as “falling leaf”, which I’d have to either try and draw for you, or show you physically. I teach it to all my students, and they, agree, it works like a charm. The only way I can describe it to you, is - imagine a wind kicking up, and a leaf gets blown up off it’s branch, and then falls down (and then up a bit) and lands on the ground (which would be the end of the sentence.) I know this sounds so way out there and weird, but I promise, it’s as simple as all get-out, and is an awesome way of starting a sentence. I wish I could show you. Well, come on in for a lesson or a class,  and I’ll teach ya more tricks of the trade than you could ever imagine… hope this helped,

Over an’ out,

Dor
http://www.dorianeelliott.com

        

Hey, kids! So sorry it’s taken me like…FOREVER to write a blog. So many students, so many casting sessions, so little time! Also, I’m kinda in construction hell at the moment; I’ll have a new, bright and airy corner room to coach all of my students – both for voice-overs and for on-camera. For more information about that, please visit my site at www.dorianeelliott.com.

A lot of my newer students are asking me if because of the economic situation, will there be work out there for them. Well, yeah, it’s a bit slower, but…when you turn on the TV and the radio, are you seeing and hearing commercials??? You betcha. There may not be as MUCH stuff going on, but it’s there. And while it’s a bit slower, hone in on your skills, folks. Because I promise you this: what goes up, goes down. (see economy.) And what goes down, goes back up again. And while I’m at it, I (sadly) say that it’s a non-union market out there. So take advantage. It’s a numbers game, so play to win, and as often as you can.

Why did I say “sadly??”  Because I still believe in the unions; fair representation, regulations in payments health and pension, etc. And honestly, the best-of-the best are in the unions. But while you’re NOT in the unions, sharpen those skills and get that experience under your belt! Take lessons, go out on those auditions, get your reels, pictures and resumes ready, and be prepared for the up-swing. Like I mentioned in one of my last blogs, BE PREPARED. (I think I wrote that, like five times, to make sure it would sink in.) So, to summarize: is there work? OH, YEAH. Now get out there, and go, go, GO!

til next time - and i promise it'll be soon...

dor
http://www.dorianeelliott.com

        

When some of my students, who are working New York actors ask me “ya think I should have a website?’ My answer is this: “You of all people should know the answer to that!” Get with the times!

I mean, how often do you find yourself Googling someone? Now, in most cases, my New York working-actor-students can be either found on IMDB (if you don’t know what that is, look it up – one day you want to see your name/bio listed there) or written up for some play, movie, TV show, etc. So, yeah! Show your wares, peeps! Put your acting/voice-over reels on them, headshot, bio, and contact info on them. Anything you can think of that makes you accessible, noticed, known. Don’t make agents, casting directors, and producers hunt you down. Cause you know what? They’ll stop looking, and find someone else who’s easier to find, and who might have more credits, thus being easier to find.

So really, it’s a win-win situation for the lesser-known (or not known at all) actor, just so he/she can be reached. (Start off with just your headshot, resume, and contact info, and add as you go. Again - clips, reels, whatever you start collecting that shows off your talents. Just be professional.) And for the actor with more credits, stockpile, man! Just make it look great, and easy to get around. Don’t fill it up with so much stuff that it’s hard to navigate.

The guy who did my site - and my husband’s for that matter  - was not only BEYOND reasonable, but AWESOME to work with. His name is Wade Smith. In fact, I’m meeting with him shortly to update my site. Wade says about having your own website: “At its simplest, a basic website listing your contact info is essential to doing business today. If a name/business search on Google can't find you then you're invisible to your audience. A strong website will offer increased exposure and further your brand. It's a no brainer that a professional website should be the foundation of any venture.” To learn more about Wade, check out his website at: www.yeswade.com. And while you’re at it, check out his awesome work at my website, www.dorianeelliott.com. There, you’ll see a lot of the National TV and radio commercials that I have cast – as well as promos and industrials, my coaching services, demo reels that I have produced, and believe it or not, my own voice-over reel, jingle reel, and songs that I have written and sung on that are currently in rotation on “All My Children”. You can also check out my husband’ site, www.stevenogg.com. There, you’ll see all of the commercials, promos, etc. that my husband’s voice is on. It’s an easy-to-get-around, fun fantastic site that Wade put his magic touch on. You can also go to our resident photographer’s sites (Wade did no do these sites, but they’re also terrific) www.timothiphoto.com, and her voice-over website www.timothijanegraham.com.
Happy hunting. Happy creating!!!

Over an’ out,

Doriane
http://www.dorianeelliott.com