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Actor Aesthetic, hosted by NYC-based actress Maggie Bera, is a podcast designed to educate artists pursuing a career in the theatre industry.
Episodes
Monday May 27, 2019
Monday May 27, 2019
We all know Broadway is not the end all, be all. Many actors find steady work in productions at regional theaters across the country.
(Touring contracts are a whole different story. Perhaps a blog post or podcast episode for next time!)
If you find yourself scrambling choosing what to pack for an out-of-town contract, don't fret!
Here are 20 simple things you should bring.
On the blog:
10 Tips For Commuters Traveling to NYC
10 Things I Pack When Traveling to Auditions
20 Items You Should Pack for an Out-Of-Town Contract
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday May 20, 2019
Monday May 20, 2019
Submitting yourself to a casting director is not a quick and easy way to suddenly get all of the job offers. But it is one part of an effective marketing strategy that takes time, patience and persistence.
If you are ready to get on the radar of key casting directors, and are willing to do what it takes, I’m here to help.
The fact is, casting directors will call in who they know, and one way to become someone they know is by writing to them. I’m not suggesting that you bombard them with e-mails (don’t do that!) but an e-mail even now and again, especially when you have something interesting to share is going to help you get noticed.
Some casting directors read submissions, don’t respond, but maybe will file them and look through them if there’s a particular character type they are looking for. And even if they don’t read them- they are likely to still see your name and if you’ve written to them a few times, your name will become familiar to them, making them more likely to pay attention when they see a role you are submitted for.
It’s well known in the marketing world that it takes 7-9 times of you contacting someone directly with your message for them to pay attention… This is no different! Submitting your materials is not as simple as just sending a boring, generic e-mail out to all the casting directors you can find. In fact, I would strongly advise AGAINST doing that. So, how do you write to them?
In this episode I discuss the best ways to submit to casting directors and creative teams, both electronically and through snail mail.
To download your FREE COVER LETTER TEMPLATE, click here.
To search casting directors' addresses and submission policies, click here.
Looking to build your rep book and coach your audition material? Head to actoraesthetic.com/coaching.
On the blog:
10 Ways To Use Actors Access To Your Advantage
Related Podcasts:
#11: How And Where To Find An Agent
#29: 10 Ways To Use Actors Access To Your Advantage
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday May 13, 2019
Monday May 13, 2019
So you didn’t get the part.
You did all the work, you chose the perfect outfit, the perfect song, perfect headshot. You picked the perfect monologue and practiced it forwards, backwards, and sideways. You read the entire script, memorized the vocal score, and watched the film version. You go into the audition and absolutely blow the audition panel away with your effort and enthusiasm. The creative team looked absolutely thrilled and about ready to hand you the role…
And then. Radio silence.
Maybe you got down to final callbacks for a show, and the creative team decided to give that specific role to someone else. Another actor. How many of you are all too familiar with that dreaded phrase, “we decided to go a different direction…”???
Maybe Broadway World or Playbill just announced the cast for the show you were in auditions for… and your heart feels like it’s been torn into a billion pieces.
Maybe you’re watching your friends, your peers, your classmates book their dream shows and jobs… and you’re wondering when is that going happen for me? Or even better… WILL it ever happen to me?
Maybe you’re stuck in a “rut” and you just can’t seem to even get a callback?
So what do you do now?
We've all been there... and it sucks.
Today, I'm discussing the 7 steps that I take when dealing with "rejection."
Looking to build your rep book and coach your audition material? Head to actoraesthetic.com/coaching.
On the blog:
An Actor's Secrets To Keeping Sane
Related Podcasts:
#10: What Happens When You Start To Feel Burnt Out?
#18: Why I'll Never Make It w/ Patrick Oliver Jones
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday May 06, 2019
Monday May 06, 2019
Equity Principal Auditions are an important part of life for many actors across the country. Required of any production with a negotiated Equity contract, these open calls give unrepresented and represented actors alike time to audition in front of casting directors and creative teams.
After going to more EPAs than I could count, I started noticing patterns... patterns in how EPAs are run, patterns in how I approached EPAs, and patterns in how other actors approached auditioning. In an effort to better equip y'all with info that might help you along your journey, with here are the 5 most surprising lessons I've learned from Equity Principal Auditions.
Looking to build your rep book and coach your audition material? Head to actoraesthetic.com/coaching.
On the blog:
Equity Principal Auditions For Newbies
How To Get Seen At Equity Auditions as an EMC or Non-Equity Actor
Non-Equity Actor's Guide To The 5 Types of New York Auditions
Related Podcasts:
#2: Equity Principal Auditions (EPA)
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday Apr 29, 2019
Monday Apr 29, 2019
Picking a song for a vocal audition can be harder than the actual audition itself. After all, most auditions last about five minutes or less. Sometimes you get to sing a whole song, and sometimes you are asked to prepare a measly 16-bar cut. So how do you choose a song that will represent you accurately as a performer in just a few short minutes? It’s not easy, and there are few things you definitely shouldn’t do.
Here are 5 mistakes actors make when choosing an audition song.
Looking to coach your audition material? Head to actoraesthetic.com/coaching.
On the blog:
How Spotify Can Inspire Your Next Audition Song
My Top 10 Favorite Contemporary Broadway Songs For Men
10 Solid Audition Songs For Traditional Sopranos
Related Podcasts:
#9: 10 Simple Ways To Improve Your Audition Book
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday Apr 22, 2019
Monday Apr 22, 2019
Actors Access is an online platform that allows actors to maintain profiles by uploading headshots, updating their resume, adding new skills and attributes, managing performance videos, and more.
Created in 2003, Actors Access functions like a virtual database between casting directors and aspiring actors looking for jobs.
Casting Directors have the option to release Breakdowns to actors and receive submissions directly from them.
Actors Access has proven to be one of the most efficient ways for me to successfully receive audition appointments and book jobs. Here are some easy tricks to get your Actors Access submissions noticed.
On the blog:
10 Ways To Use Actors Access To Your Advantage
Non-Equity Actor's Guide to the 5 Types of NYC Auditions
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Sunday Apr 14, 2019
Sunday Apr 14, 2019
As actors, we are conditioned to believe that we must hustle in order to make it in show business. We are told that there should not be a day that goes by where we're not working on something related to our craft... whether it’s taking classes, working out, networking or auditioning. Acting is not a five day a week, 9-5 job. It’s all year round, every day. But is that “hustle” mindset actually detrimental to our mental health? In this episode, Maggie reveals how a balance between "hustle" and healthy is achievable.
On the blog:
An Actor's Secrets To Keeping Sane
Related Podcast Episodes:
#7: So You Have A BFA, Now What?
#10: What Happens When You Start to feel Burnt Out?
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Sunday Apr 07, 2019
Sunday Apr 07, 2019
As an actor, your brand is essentially how you see and define yourself as a performer and how you ensure that others perceive you the same way.
When a casting director, producer, or writer considers you for a project, they do what everyone does. They go to Google and type in your name. Because social media profiles often appear first in the results, you’ll want to make sure your Instagram is as catered to your brand as possible.
If you are an artist with a public social media profile, consider these 6 tangible steps you can take to further define your brand as an actor on Instagram.
Links/Articles mentioned in the podcast:
"Do Casting Directors Care About Actors' Social Media?" (Backstage Article written by casting director, Benton Whitley of Stewart/Whitley Casting)
VSCO app for photo/video editing
To join the Actor Aesthetic Tribe on Facebook, click here.
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Monday Apr 01, 2019
Monday Apr 01, 2019
Broadway librettists, composers and lyricists typically leave the task of bringing their musical to life to the actors. But when the creatives behind a musical step into the limelight, we are presented with something extraordinary.
Here are 12 instances creatives starred in their own Broadway musicals.
On The Blog:
12 Times Writers Starred In Their Own Broadway Musicals
Creating Your Own Work With Actor-Producer Andy Baldwin
Links/Articles mentioned in the podcast:
Richard O'Brien on The Rocky Horror Show, Transgenderism and the Horror of Glee
Harvey Fierstein singing "I Am What I Am" in the 2011 Revival of La Cage Aux Folles
In The Drowsy Chaperone, Bob Martin's [Wedding Gift] Became His Broadway Debut
NY TIMES In The Heights Review on Lin Manuel Miranda
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com
Tuesday Mar 26, 2019
Tuesday Mar 26, 2019
A website can be one of the most important marketing tools for a professional actor. Actors can use websites to provide information directly to casting directors in the theatre industry. By updating your site with a headshot, resume, recent news and contact information, creative teams can easily learn more about you and potentially call you in for auditions and callbacks.
Once you design your website and its live, try searching your name on google. Does your website pop up on the first page? Is it the first result? Or way down on the bottom?
If you've noticed that your site isn't the first result that comes up when you search your name, you may be at a disadvantage. We need to make our information as readily available as possible, and if someone can't find your site, they'll quickly move on.
So how do we get the page to come up to the top of Google when someone searches our name?
Search Engine Optimization.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a marketing idea focused on growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. According to Moz, "SEO encompasses both the technical and creative elements required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness in search engines."
From the words on your page to the way other sites link to you on the web, actors should keep SEO in mind when creating a website. Here are some easy tips to bring your website to the top of Google search!
To use the online image optimizer mentioned in the podcast, click here.
For more on URL structure, click here.
On The Blog:
How To Bump Your Actor Website To The Top Of Google Search
Maggie's Personal Actor Website:
Spread the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Visit actoraesthetic.com for more information.
Follow Maggie on social media
Instagram: @actoraesthetic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/
Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com