Terminology Tuesday

First thing’s first, double-tap if you’ve ever been guilty of calling recurring roles “reoccurring roles.”⁠ ⁠ A 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 role can be a co-star or guest star. It’s a role that appears in more than one episode as the same character. ⁠ ⁠ Usually, recurring guest stars are determined before the first breakdown is ever released. ⁠ ⁠ We’ll have an in-depth discussion with the writer/creative team who will (ideally) let us know the plans for that character. We’ll then try …

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Today’s #terminologytuesday could be multiple blog posts long, but we’ll try our best to condense this down to the “what, why & how.”⁠ ⁠ 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹?⁠ ⁠ A back end deal refers to an actor (or other creative professional) who agrees to take a deal (or points) on the back end—meaning that instead of only getting a flat fee, they also get a percentage of the profit that the project generates. Normally, taking a back end …

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Anyone here actually miss testing in-person for a pilot? …Anyone? Well, ok, while getting to the studio or network test portion is usually a GOOD thing, it can also feel pretty daunting.  Let’s power through the testing process to help you understand what it’s about, why execs do them, and how to nail your pilot test.  What is exactly is a studio or network test? A studio/network test is essentially the “last” audition in the casting process for a pilot. …

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Today’s #terminologytuesday was a request that we are happy to oblige! When you go in for a comedic audition, it’s important to first decipher whether the show is a single-cam or multi-cam comedy.  Single-cam & multi-cam comedies have a different tone/feel and your performance should be adjusted as such.  Multi-cam comedies can feel “bigger” and a little more “theatrical.” They are more fast paced and joke-driven. Shows like Seinfeld, Friends and Big Bang Theories are all multi-cam comedies. In short, …

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Dear beloved actors: one of the biggest “mistakes” we see in the room or virtually is actors either not understanding our note or just not taking it. ⁠ ⁠ So today, let’s dive in to one of the most common notes we give: “throw it away.” Sometimes we’ll even just say to “simplify.”⁠ ⁠ I know I’ve had actors look at me like I have 3 heads when I’ve told them to “simplify” the dialogue and realized that maybe, for …

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A loan-out is a personal company & legal business entity. ⁠ ⁠ The individual, YOU, are technically employed by your own loan-out company. ⁠ ⁠ Loan-out companies can take many different forms such as an LLC, an S-Corporation, or a C-Corporation. ⁠ ⁠ ᴡʜʏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ɪɴᴄᴏʀᴘᴏʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ?⁠ ⁠ There are a few benefits:⁠ ⁠ 💰 Lower tax rates. While individuals are taxed on a sliding scale according to their earnings, corps are usually taxed a flat fee. The savings can be …

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Packaging is a type of bundling where an agency develops a film or television project using writers, directors and/or actors it represents, before giving other agencies a chance to submit their clients for the project.⁠ ⁠ A packaged project is in between the script stage and the pre-production stage. ⁠ ⁠ A typical packaging of a film might include a shortlist of the main actors who are willing to commit to being in the film, a name director and/or cinematographer …

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A deal memo is a less formal employment contract, usually implemented by the studio and drafted by a casting director or associate. ⁠ ⁠ Because they are less formal, they generally contain significantly less wording than traditional contracts but are still binding. ⁠ ⁠ In a deal memo, you can find all details of the job including terms of employment, financial compensation, billing and any travel points such as transportation/accommodations/per diem etc.⁠ If you’re represented, your agent/manager will take care …

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A chemistry read (or chemistry test) is an opportunity for the producers, director, and studio/network to see what kind of chemistry you have (if any) with other actors being considered for a role opposite yours. Not all projects have chemistry reads—it’s largely dependent on the director or showrunner’s preference. It’s a way for the creative team to see if the actors have compatibility, comfort and feel like they “fit” together. ⁠ ⁠ So how can you whip yourself up some …

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Offer only is the term used to describe an actor who will only consider a role if it’s offered outright.  ⁠ That means no auditions, no callbacks, and no tests.⁠ ⁠ Dream come true?⁠ ⁠ With most things in life, there are some caveats. ⁠ ⁠ But first, let’s discuss the different types of situations where you could be considered offer only:⁠ ⁠ When your agent has established that you should be considered “offer only,” a few different factors will …

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