The Acting Business Boot Camp Podcast

Listen to Episode 161: What Do You Want and How Do You Get it?

What you think, what you want, and what you do.

You need to train your brain to be more acute, more aware.

You want to handle your level 10 problems at level 10 energy.

How your Mindset works:

• What is the function of your thoughts?
• What is the function of your emotions?
• Of your actions?

“Here is a breakdown of how your mindset works.”

We want a mindset that works 100% FOR us, not against us.

Excerpt from You Are a Badass at Making Money:

”Your beliefs are driving the bus. They take you where you’re going whether you’re paying attention or not. 

Your thoughts are the tour guide, the person upfront with the microphone and the clipboard—she can lean over and yank the wheel, slam on the brakes, step on the gas, flip the bus—she can do whatever, whenever she wants. She usually works in harmony with your beliefs, but she has all the veto power.

Your words are the assistant to...

About Stacye: 

After an illustrious career at Paradigm Talent Agency where Stacye Mayer has represented a diverse roster of actors she recently celebrated a successful year at Webb Sweeney Murphy talent (WSM).

Over the expanse of her career, she’s been part of the discovery & accomplishments of many actors’ careers. The list of numerous commercials she’s booked is endless but know that she’s collaborated creatively on many national campaigns, regional spots like state lotteries; as well as a long list of ads produced just for social/digital media. More recently she’s giving those with a good mic and an in-home studio an opportunity in the VoiceOver space as well.

Stacye is constantly looking to expand her commercial roster and cultivate new talent to reach their fame in this industry!

It’s the agent's job to introduce you to the Casting Director.

Once you make that connection, if you are doing callbacks, you are doing it right.

...

Exercise:

On a piece of paper make three columns:

1. What you Want
2. What you Think
3. Action

Write it out as it is right now. 

Ex in the first column: I want to be a working actor 

In the second column: What is the first thing you think?

• Be rigorously honest here
• Are you thinking I’m not good enough?
• Are you thinking I’m going to kill it?
• Use your mind to govern your brain

THIS IS JUST WHERE YOU ARE AT RIGHT NOW

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WHERE YOU ARE DOES NOT MATTER, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ARE REALLY HONEST IN THIS STEP.

Now move to the third column

What you do:

• Do you only do actions for your acting career when you feel like it?
• Do you fantasize more than doing something about it?
• Do you stay or do you pivot when things aren’t working?

What you do to support it MATTERS. WE ARE JUST TAKING STOCK.

This is not a time to beat up on yourself.

Just taking note of the current situation.

Now we shift to where we want to be:

Talk about again what it is...

About Ken:

Ken Rea is Professor of Theatre at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and author of the bestseller, The Outstanding Actor, Seven Keys to Success.

He began as a professional actor and director in New Zealand, working with some of the country’s leading theatres and on television as well as running his own company, The Living Theatre Troupe. Later, in the UK, he was artistic director of Jet Theatre and Koru Theatre.

In addition to his work at Guildhall, he has taught in the national drama academies of China, Indonesia, India, Italy, and New Zealand, as well as in Germany, Greece, and Canada. He has also worked as a movement coach with many theatres, including the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

He has been a regular feature writer for The Times and was for 15 years a theatre critic for The Guardian. His book, A Better Direction, examines the issues of director-training. His plays produced in Britain include The Brave Magicians of Mangalore ...

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When crazy times come up, I use these:

• This too shall pass
• Exercise
• Nice cups of tea or coffee
• Eat regularly
• Nice blanket
• Keeping close with the energy that knows best
• Inviting that energy into my day
• Keeping as physically, mentally, spiritually fit as I can

It’s not about doing it perfectly.

"Do not treat someone like a priority to treat you like an option."

"Anyone can eat an elephant one bite at a time."

"Whatever I put before taking care of myself I am going to lose."

"If you’re hysterical, it’s historical."

Trace it, face it, erase it.

About Wolfie:

Wolfie Trausch is an in-demand voice-over director, casting director, voice actor, and loop group coordinator.

He works as a freelance English Dubbing Director for the top dubbing houses in Los Angeles, and directs an array of genres, from dramas to comedies, animated series, and video games. Some top credits include Netflix's To The Lake, Amazon's Parot, and HBO's Laetitia.

What is dubbing?

How dubbing is different.

Rhythmo Band by Voice Cue

Leave your baggage at the door and have an openness to play, be present, and be on time.

How to be a great dubber:

• Fully commit to the acting
• Timing is key
• You’re matching a performance
• All the technical aspects
• You are doing one pass
• You’re the principal

How have things changed since covid?

•  We were all in studio
•  Internet latency

Union vs. Nonunion

The rise of Dubbing

Biggest Pet Peeves:

•  Being late for a session
•  Difficult to schedule
•  Not honoring your...

Check out classes for January!

December can feel like a sprint.

Take care of yourself first.

Understanding no is a complete sentence.

Sometimes being with certain people requires your number 10 energy. When you’re with them, you need to have number 10 energy to deal with the number 10 challenge.

It may be best to limit your time and exposure to them.

1. Dealing with your feelings but try not to dwell unduly on them
2. Allow yourself to just be in the day
3. There may be some holiday backlash
4. It’s ok because we're all doing the best we can at the moment
5. Allow yourself to embrace and be with the love that IS available

About Jason:

Always in constant movement, be it in social media, ADR/Looping groups, teaching martial arts, speaking at VO conferences, or bringing characters to life with motion and performance capture - it’s no wonder that Jason has been referred to as the “Jackie Chan” of voice over. Starting out as an on-camera childhood actor in Los Angeles, he quickly understood how to breakdown scripts, and find the “heart” of the story. Jason believes the reason is… The "inner-city."

Growing up in multiple rough neighborhoods, and experiencing hardships at a levity different than most, he taught himself to utilize these raw emotions to bring characters he would audition for, to life. With a smile on his face and a cartoon version of himself everywhere, he’s known throughout the VO community to be genuine and reliable. His rare ability to translate “director language” into “actor language” at a rapid pace is a skill that he...

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What to get your reps for the holidays:

$25 gift is fine

Avoid food and alcohol

Who to give to:

• Casting Director who you’ve booked a few jobs through over the years
• Agent and/or Manager
• Casting Director Agent or Manager who you’ve gotten a lot of stuff through get something a little more expensive

What to get:

• Movie Tickets
• Amazon Gift Card
• Find out if they like something
• Favorite restaurant
• Donate to a charity
• Flowers

Holiday Triggers:

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie:

"There are many positive triggers that remind us of Christmas (or Hannukah): snow, decorations, songs, wrapped packages, a nativity scene, or a star, stockings hung on a fireplace. And these "triggers" can evoke in us the warm, nostalgic feelings of the holiday celebration.

There are other kinds of triggers, though, that may be less apparent and evoke different feelings and memories.

Our mind is like a powerful...

About Judy:

Judy Henderson has been honored by The Ross Reports as one of the top 20 US Film Casting Directors.

Highlights include Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series. 2 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series. 4 Artios Awards for Outstanding Achievement TV Series and Theatre Drama Casting. Artios nomination for Independent Film Feature Casting, and 8 Artios nominations for Off-Broadway Theatre Drama Casting.

She has cast innumerable national on-camera and voice-over television commercials. She is a member of the Casting Society of America and Local 817 of the Teamsters Theatrical Union. Select Film credits include Before Midnight, Paranormal 2, 12 and Holding, L.I.E. (6 Independent Spirit Award Nominations, Winner of Best Debut Performance Award), and Before Sunrise. Select TV credits include Homeland-(Emmy Award and 2 Artios Awards - Showtime Series), Love And Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story (Fox), and Land of Little Rain (PBS). Broadway credits...