Starving Artist? You Don't Have To Be... And The OMPA Agrees!

Hey there kids - as I was doing some year-end tasks (pulling together mileage records, invoicing producers, seeing where the retirement accounts are - yeah, retirement accounts.  Trish and I are actors - in Portland, OR - and we have money set aside for retirement.  It really can be done, ya know...) it occurred to me that I haven't shared this article I wrote for the December issue of the Oregon Media Production Association's monthly newsletter, The Call Sheet about just this sort of thing.  See, for the past year I've been working with the OMPA's Talent Committee to put on a series of workshops that give film and TV workers resources to live a sustainable life... well, it's all right here in the article:

OMPA’s Talent Committee Takes On The Myth of the “Starving Artist”

By Harold Phillips

Most people working in our industry have been exposed, at some point, to the romantic notion of the “starving artist” – that person who lives in poverty, works three jobs to make ends meet while pursuing his or her creative endeavors on the “off-hours,” and is often hungry (but nourished by those endeavors.) 

It’s a romantic notion, to be sure, and our hat’s off to anyone who can make a life like that work for themselves and their families.  OMPA’s talent committee, however, doesn’t believe our members need to starve to work in this industry.  On the contrary – we believe that our industry is only weakened if those working in it are living “hand-to-mouth.”

Of course, we know first-hand how difficult it is to make a living in film, TV, commercials and new media here in Oregon – the variable work, the sometimes (if not often) low wages, the unpredictable schedule… we also know there are ways to take charge of one’s life and business that will not only help those working in our industry “make a living” – but LIVE a stable life.

Over the past year the Talent Committee has presented a series of seminars aimed at giving OMPA members and others in our industry the resources they need to get their business and personal lives in order.  In February, the Committee held a workshop on tax planning.  In September, we presented a panel discussion on health insurance options.  This coming January, the Talent Committee plans a panel discussion on saving, investment, and retirement.  These seminars, and others the Talent Committee has planned for 2012, are presented free of charge for OMPA members (and are open to the public for a nominal fee.)

As our members toast the end of 2011, we hope they’re also analyzing the challenges and missteps that may have occurred this past year… and that they’re laying plans to make 2012 an even stronger year.  The Talent Committee’s seminar series is there to help with those plans.  We hope you’ll join us in the coming year as we explore ways to make our industry stronger, by keeping those working in the industry from starving.

Cross Delancey Street With Me Next Tuesday

Great Image, huh? Don't thank me,
thank Birmingham's Theater LJCC!

Hey everyone

Long time, huh?  I know, I know... I should really spend more time keeping up with the blogging, but most of my writing time has been consumed by OregonFilmandTVDollars.com... now that the year is winding to a close, however, I may get a few more chances to post some of my overly-long yadda-yadda about life, the world, etc... at least that's the goal.

That's not the topic of today's post, however... even though the year's winding to a close, I seem to be getting busier and busier.  Before I run off to the next appointment, I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be appearing in the Portland Civic Theater Guild's "First Tuesday" reading of Susan Sandler's Crossing Delancey.

You may remember the 1988 film version of Crossing Delancey with Amy Irving.  The film is based on the play we'll be reading at 10:00 AM next Tuesday December 6 at Portland's Old Church (1422 SW 11^th - click here for a map)  If you're not familiar with the story, it follows
Izzy, a single New Yorker who runs her own bookshop and day-dreams of a life with one of her customers, a celebrated author. Her Grandmother Bubbie, however, has other plans for Izzy's future - she conspires with  Hannah, a flamboyant matchmaker, to set Izzy up with the man they feel is the perfect match for her: Sam, the pickle maker.  It's a beautiful, sweet romantic comedy - a perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

I'm lucky enough to work with Karen Wennstrom, Mary Mcdonald-Lewis, Chrisse Roccaro, and Rick Sanders on the reading... oh, and the show's director is kind of fun to work with too!

I hope you get a chance to come down next Tuesday morning and share this light little comedy with us.  Take an early lunch - we'll provide the sweet!

Hope you're all doing well...

- Harold

Animus Cross Series II Ends With Episode 7

Hey folks

Been a while since I dusted off the ol' Blog here... most of my focus of late has been in building readership for my other project at http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/... as the election draws near, the OMPA and I have been working to remind the candidates for state-wide office of the contribution Oregon's film and TV industry makes to the state's economy... it'll be very interesting to see who we'll be working with next year!

That's not what I'm writing about today, though. I wanted to let you know that - just in time for Halloween - Animus Cross Series II is drawing to an end with the release of the seventh and final episode of the series at http://www.animuscross.com/ (if you have a hard time watching the episode on the official site, remember that it'll be released on creator A.L. Steen's YouTube channel next Wednesday.)

A lot of people have asked where the series is going from here - whether we'll be rolling on a series III in the new year. The jury's still out on that one... a lot has happened in Amanda and Jerry's life since we wrapped Series II (not the least being the arrival of their son Trone.) Series I and Series II were entirely self-financed, and I think their money may need to be... uh... directed in a different direction now.

That's not to say that production on Series III is completely off the table - not by a long shot! We just need to explore some sponsorship and distribution options to get the third series funded. Keep your eye on the official site and on the Animus Cross blog for word on future developments...

Happy Halloween, ladies (if only we could have gotten Clancy Brown to do this on camera while he was in town working on Leverage...)

-Harold

One Foot In The Gutter

Hey folks... remember me?

I know, I know... I'm in the habit of saying "sorry it's been so long since I posted," but seems like the past few months have been even more "spotty" than usual - maybe because I've been posting nearly every day, but not on THIS blog. As the general election gets closer, I've been contributing a lot more on http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ and encouraging workers in Oregon's film and TV industry to get to know their candidates for state-wide office.

BUT! With all that being said, I DO have a little something to share with you today... but only a little something :)

Around this time last year I shot a scene in Justin Koleszar's new film One Foot In The Gutter. Justin's fairly new to Portland, having (as of last year) just moved up from Arizona... but the script is amazing, and I was really happy to be part of his new feature. The film has been going through post for quite a while, and Justin just released this teaser yesterday:


So, keep an eye on http://www.onefootinthegutter.com/ for details on how the film is progressing, and when we can plan to see it released.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Why I Joined The OMPA

So... last Friday, I attended an event thrown by the Oregon Media Production Association at Portland's Indent Studios. The event, dubbed "Oregon's Got Talent," was a celebration of the great actors we have here in our state - and it marked a new period in the OMPA's operation.

Before last Friday, the OMPA was known around Oregon as a producers' and crew members' organization... as Oregon's industry has grown, though, the OMPA board came to realize that talent working in front of the camera was a major factor in our industry's success. The OMPA's mission is to serve and represent everyone in Oregon's film, TV and new media industry, so on Friday they announced that they're offering a new "add on" membership for represented actors, and they've set up a new "Talent" category in SourceOregon, our state's official film and TV personnel directory.

And me? I was there to sign up!

(Want your own coffee cup like the one I showed off in the video? Get it here!)

So, Oregon actors, won't you join me in joining the OMPA? Show Oregon - and the world - just how big our industry is. Make your presence in our field known - get listed in SourceOregon.com and get seen by producers and casting directors all over the world... and get involved in your Chamber of Commerce! Let them know how you think our film and TV industry in Oregon should grow, and how you want to be represented.

It's not a lot of money, really... and the more we speak with a united voice, the stronger we are. Join the OMPA. Get listed. and help us grow our industry into the next decade.

Animus Cross II, Episode 5 Is Live!

Hey everyone- I'm a little late in getting the word out to you about this. I've been traveling for the past couple of weeks and haven't really had a lot of time to sit down and blog... but now that I'm back in town for a little bit, I want to encourage you all to check out the fifth episode of Animus Cross - Series II



We've received some great comments on the innovative design of the Animus Cross web site - but some people have issues watching the videos at the official site. So everyone can enjoy the show, creator A.L. Steen has posted all five episodes of Series II on her YouTube channel.

If you haven't caught up with Series II yet, head on over to YouTube and enjoy! You'll want to see all the episodes before Episode 6, set to launch on September 29!

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Back To Business: What Does It Mean To Be "Paid?"

The Back-To-Business Series: Index


Hey everyone. Me again! Before I get started on today's topic, I want to apologize for my spotty posting schedule of late. Simply put... things are getting busy here in Portland, and it's leaving me less time for sitting in the office and writing. In coming weeks I'll still strive to post a new Back-To-Business entry every Monday... but if I don't make it, you can bet I'm probably on set or prepping for my next project (there are OODLES coming up - I'm going to have a very busy August!) Be sure to put your email address in the box on the right-hand-side of this page, so changedetection.com emails you when a new post is added - or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. That's the best way to assure you're in-the-know when a new post pops up here.

So... as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm going to be spending the next several entries talking about the resources we actors - and all businesses - need to manage so we can be successful and stay in business. Before we get into the specific areas represented in the "golden triangle," though, I want to speak to something that's important to all of us: getting paid.


Chances are if you're reading this, you consider yourself a professional. Professionals don't work for nothing; they expect compensation for what they do... that's one of the things that makes them "a professional."


Compensation, though, isn't "all about the money." Remember, as I've said so many times before, money is just a resource... and you've got other resources to manage in your acting career. A professional actor is no different than any other professional - s/he should never work for nothing... but that doesn't mean money is an actor's only concern when looking at the compensation offered for his or her work.



Now, I can already feel some of you starting to steam... bear with me. I'm not saying that actors shouldn't be paid money - hell, I like money! I like money a lot! I'm just saying that there are considerations beyond the money. Look, read all the way to the end before you pass judgement on what I'm saying - and then let me know what you think via email or twitter. I can take it (and besides, we have to put SOMETHING up on Wednesday :) )



Take another look at the "golden triangle" above... go ahead, scroll up. I'll wait.

No, really... I'll wait.

Still waiting...



Ok, you're back. The triangle represents the resources we actors use to conduct business, and as I said in my last post we need to find a way to balance those resources. There's more to "the business" than that, though - the real trick of any business is finding a way to build these resources while finding a way to balance them.


You probably understand this concept when it comes to your money... we all want to increase our money without spending too much in the process. That's called profit, right?

Well, the other resources in our triangle work the same way... we all need more time, right? Never enough hours in the day to get everything done... but we don't want to spend so much time trying to "get organized" that we end up late for that next appointment! We also don't want to gain the reputation that we don't have the time to devote to a project, or an important contact who might bring us money. We have to find a way to build more time into our lives, while still being open to those who want to pay us that money we're so worried about!


And speaking of "worrying about the money..." we also don't want to get the reputation that we're always after money... that the paycheck takes precedence over everything else! We want to spend our time working on things that mean something to us, right? That means being comfortable enough with our money that we can negotiate - but not come across as greedy or desperate about our rent!


So, what's all this got to do with the topic of today's article... gettin' paid? Like I said above, actors need a pool of all three resources in the "golden triangle" to do business... and they need to add to that pool with every project - the more you have of one resource, the easier it is to balance the others! How do you get more of these resources, though, to add to the pool?


You get them from being compensated for your work, of course. An actor should never work for nothing... but s/he should keep all three resources in mind when considering how he or she will be paid for that work.


Yes, money is important... will that project you're considering add to your reputation? Will you meet important contacts who will help you gain money down the line? Will and those industry contacts see you work in the finished product, and tell their contacts about you... thus saving you time down the road when you skip the audition and go straight to the producers?


How much time will the project take? Will it save you the time it takes to build solid material for a demo reel that can increase your reputation with those people I just mentioned who are looking to hire you? Is the money you'll be paid worth the time you're putting into the project? If you don't think your reputation will be increased by the project (because it's for a small audience, for instance... or because you're not allowed to use it on your reel) - is the money you're being offered worth it?


Above all else, caveat emptor folks... no one's going to look out for your business. No one's out to be sure you have all your resources covered. When considering what you're going to be paid for a project, remember that YOU'RE the one who runs your business... you're the one who's in charge of building it up to the next level. You're the one in charge of building - and balancing - those resources.


Let's get to work...


-Harold

Back-To-Business: A Question of Balance

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

I introduced you to the "Golden Triangle" in our last "Back-To-Business" article (I would say "last week's article," but as you know... we had a small problem there...) We're going stay focused on managing the resources you - and any business - use to generate profit over the next few weeks, and you'll notice that I'm going to keep coming back to this Golden Triangle as we do so. You see, the Triangle is a tool to remind us of the resources we need to keep track of - and it's a symbol we can use when we think about the way we run our acting business.

There are a couple reasons why the Triangle is... well, a triangle. The most obvious is that there are three basic resources you need to manage in your acting career. A lot of actors get stuck on the money - and it's understandable, since you're trying to make money as an actor without spending too much money in the process (that's how you measure the profit of your business, after all... the amount you've brought in versus the amount you've spent.) Money's just one of the resources you need to to actively manage, though, to have a successful career. Time is just as important, as is your reputation amongst those in "the business" - and amongst your audience.

There's another, more subtle reason for the triangle in the symbol above. I use that shape as a reminder to keep all my resources in balance. As actors, we strive for balance in our daily lives... balance between work and play, between feeding our souls and feeding our bellies, between pursuing work and actually working... it's a long list. Balancing our business resources, however, is just as important as balancing our personal life.

What do I mean? Well, lets think about our personal lives... if we spend too much time working, and not enough time with our families, our personal relationships suffer. If we spend too much money at the bar and and we don't have enough to cover our rent, our finances suffer. Spend too much time at our "survival job" and not enough time acting? Then our hearts suffer. I'm sure you've enountered at least one of these scenarios in your own life... we have to balance the things we need (work, family, friends, fun) to live a happy and fulfilled life. I'm not saying that's an easy thing, mind you... but its something every human strives for.

Businesses strive for the same balance in their "lives" - but they seek to balance the resources they need in order to be successful. HP, for example, needs certain resources to make their products, and to generate a profit. They need raw materials like silicon and plastic and glass... they need workers to assemble their products, sell them, and manage daily operations... they need an image or "brand" to trade on... and of course, they need the money for all these things. If they spend too much on one of these resources (such as personnel), they won't have enough money for another (such as advertising). Similarly, if they run into a shortage of one resources (like raw materials), they'll have to spend more on it... and they won't have enough money to put into other resources. They have to balance the resources they use in order to make their products - and thereby make a profit.

Guess what - your acting business follows the same pattern as your personal life... and HP's business "life" (even if you don't use the same resources they do.) You have to keep your resources balanced to make your product (your performance) and generate a profit. If you devote too much attention to one area (say, money) then another area is going to suffer (the time you could be spending working on your lines - or your reputation in "the business.") And because of the nature of our business, if those areas suffer our personal lives are also going to suffer. Balancing your businesses resources will help you balance your personal life - and will help you stay happy at work and at home!

There's a third reason I use a triangle to help track the resources in our acting business - it's because those resources are interrelated.

As I said above, a lot of actors get stuck on money... but consider - you have to have the time to work in order to get that money. You have to invest your money in building your reputation (headshots and reels aren't free, you know... nor are the drinks at networking events!) If you build a good reputation in your market, directors and producers may start approaching you directly to read for roles (or just hire you outright), thus saving you the time of tracking all over town looking for auditions... but building that reputation takes an investment of time and - in some cases - money!

You see, these resources don't live in a bubble. None of them can be the be-all-and-end-all of your life, or of your business (as I said a couple weeks ago, "business isn't about money!") They all relate to one another, and when you put too much emphasis on one, the others naturally suffer. Keep this idea of balance in mind as we move into a more in-depth look at each resource over the coming weeks.

And for now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Oregon Film & TV Workers: Get To Know Your Friends In The State Legislature!

Hey everyone... it's me, rabble-rousing again, and urging my friends in Oregon's film and TV industry to get involved now in the upcoming state election. Remember, the governor's race isn't the only political contest happening this year (and besides, Dudley and Kitzhaber have both - finally - told us where they stand on supporting the film and TV industry.) There are also campaigns happening state-wide for seats in the Oregon House and Senate.

The other day, I got a fundraising letter in the mail from my state representative, Mike Schaufler. Mike was a BIG supporter in the push to get SB621 passed in the waning days of last year's Legislative session - he shuttled back and forth from the lobby to the House Floor in between every vote working us to make the bill work, and get the votes from his colleagues in the Oregon House.

I was happy to drop a small check in the mail to Mike's reelection campaign, because we need friends like him in the legislature. Here's a copy of the email I sent him last week:

Dear Mike

I got your fundraising letter in the mail yesterday, and of
course I'll be sending you a check - it's the least I can do after all the hard
work you did to help the Oregon film and TV industry get SB621 passed last year.
I'm also more than happy to put a sign up in my yard, and if you want an
endorsement, just ask (I signed that spot on the flap of the donation envelope.)

You might also consider visiting a new web site -
http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ - and clicking the "Share Your Story"
link. We'd love to feature your support for the industry on that site; jot down
a few notes about what the industry brings to your district, the part you played
in increasing the OPIF cap with SB 621 and the "Local OPIF" (SB 863), and
forward a photo to me at this address - I'll be sure to highlight your work on
the site.

Thanks so much for everything you do for the district, and for
all of us here in Oregon. I'm VERY happy to support your re-election campaign!

Harold
http://www.haroldphillips.net/

I'd encourage everyone in Oregon's film and TV industry to contact your state Senators and Legislators (http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/) - and the candidates running to replace them! If you're reading this outside Oregon, then hey, do the same in your state!

Drop supporters of the industry a few bucks if you can afford it (believe me, I can't afford to send Mike a lot of money... but $25 makes more of an impression than $0...), and if you're not sure - ask them where they stand on supporting our industry!

Encourage them to use http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ as a platform to share their support for the industry - it can be a good way for them to get the word out about their campaigns AND to help raise the visibility of our industry... so we all win!

But don't wait... now is the time to get involved, and get the candidates (and incumbents) thinking about everything our industry does for Oregon. Remember, the OPIF "sunsets" in 2012; we need as many friends in the legislature as we can get so the program is renewed. Now's the time to make sure those friends get elected.

Besides... it's Independence day weekend. Can you think of anything more patriotic than getting involved in the process?

Have a great weekend...

-Harold

I Love My Job...

So... I have to tell you about an experience I had Tuesday night.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably already know that Trish and I attended a special advance screening of the new Twilight movie, Eclipse on Tuesday (oh, you DIDN'T know that? Well, you should really look at these photos of Trish on the Q&A Panel with Ayanna Berkshire, Solomon Trimble, Cathrine Grimme and Lana Veenker before the show!)

This is one of the many benefits Trish has gotten from appearing in the original Twilight - every time a new Twilight movie opens, she's invited to come to a screening and talk about what it was like to work on the original film. It's great - the fans really love seeing her.

Anyway... that's not the experience I'm writing about here. The experience happened IN the theater, WHILE we were watching the new movie. Now, as you might expect, the house was packed... and it was packed with fans. Real really super-REAL fans. People (not just pre-teen girls, thank you very much...) who knew the Twilight books inside out, who knew exactly what was going to happen... even if they didn't know how it was going to happen in the screen adaptation.

There was a moment, towards the end of the film... a moment after the climactic battle, when the elders of the Vampire and Werewolf clans interacted. I'm not going to be more specific than that because, hey... you may be headed to the movie this weekend. Suffice it to say, when you see it you'll know what I'm talking about.

People in the audience applauded at this moment.

Now, keep in mind, these aren't live actors on stage, performing for the audience... this is a movie. No one associated with the film is in the house to hear the applause (especially since Eclipse was shot in Canada, not Oregon...) but it didn't matter. The audience applauded for their own sake, not the production's sake... the applauded because the felt the magic of that moment.

And I felt that moment... as a worker in the medium. As a person who's been a part making these little moments of magic, whether on stage or on screen... I felt the audience feeling the moment, and I felt their need to applaud. And all I could think was... I feel privileged. I feel privileged to work in this medium, and to bring these little bits of magic to the world.

Go out and see a good movie this weekend, folks. The magic is waiting for you.

-Harold

Back-To-Business: Managing Your Resources - Mailbox

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

I got a lot of response to Monday's article on managing resources in your acting business - and not all of it was grammatical (thanks again, Bostin!) I'm going to handle a couple of the "light" ones first, and then I'm going to get a little philosophical. Fair warning!

Oh come on... no one dreams of acting on screen with Kristin Stewart - she's awful! JC (Philadelphia, PA)

247 million trillion kagillion Twilight fans would disagree with you, JC... I didn't say YOUR dream was to act with her. The important thing is to know what your dream is - whatever it is!

I can't believe you campare actors and lawyers! Lawyers are the lowest bottom-feeding form of life. Are you saying we should all be like them? GA (Portland, OR)

No, GA, I'm not saying that all actors should be like lawyers (though, to be fair, some lawyers could probably benefit from acting lessons). I AM, however, saying that the business model lawyers employ isn't that different from an actor's business model.

Think about it for a few minutes... what does a lawyer do, when s/he isn't in court? S/he prepares for court (research, writing, practicing arguments... come on, you've seen Boston Legal) , s/he cultivates new business while keeping in touch with the current client-base (Denny Crane Denny Crane), and s/he does the work of running his or her business (bookkeeping, making the sure the license is paid up, training, getting the invoices out..)

Actually, Boston Legal is a terrible example (Denny Crane Denny Crane). That show - like most shows on TV - focuses on a big, expensive law firm. Think about the sole practitioner who DOESN'T have Candice Bergin around to run the store... how does s/he do all the things I mentioned above? S/he may have an office, or s/he may not. Clients still have to be met with, and new clients have to be wooed. The bills still have to be sent out, and the money has to be dealt with. Time has to be spent writing briefs, practicing opening statements, and researching... and s/he has to do it all him or herself.

And how is this different than what WE have to do as actors? We may have an office or we may not - but we still have to audition for new clients, and keep in touch with the contacts we already have. We have to do spend the time needed to run our businesses - depositing the checks... getting invoices out... We have to rehearse and research OUR work, too. And, unless we have a "team" to help us, we have to do all this ourselves.

When you think about it, the way we conduct business isn't all that different. Don't let the practice of law blind you to this, GA!

OK, here's the big one. I got a LOT of comments along the lines of this one:
How the HELL can you say that business isn't about making money? If you're not trying to make money, you shouldn't be in business - what's the point? PD (Lafayette, LA)

So... I warned you that I was going to get a little philosophical today. So here it is...

Like I said in Monday's article, money has to be part of business. If you're not selling a product, an idea, a service, your expertise... whatever for some sort of reward, then you're not in business. You're running a charity, or you're engaged in a hobby... but if you're not making some money at it, then you're not in business.

That being said, the notion is business is about making leads us down the rabbit hole to the blackest part of human nature; it says that all we're about is getting as much for ourselves as we can, whatever the cost. Sorry, I just don't buy into that. Yes, I want to make money - I'm not anti-capitalist by any means... but I do recognize that the motive to just "make money" leads to avarice, greed, and (it's been argued by economic minds much smarter than I) the economic sink-hole we find ourselves in today.

Look, it's a question of perspective. Why do you do what you do? What is it that made you want to be in the business you're in? If you were to ask other business owners (in other fields), they'd have a variety of answers... but I don't think you'll find "getting rich" to be among them. They went into business to provide something for someone - either something that didn't exist yet, or a better quality "something" than was available... yes, they wanted to get paid for their efforts and yes, they hoped that their businesses would support not only them, but their families. It wasn't about money, though... it was about what they were providing.

When a business is all about money, it begins to fail. It's as simple as that... the consumers start to hate it, and don't mind looking to the competition for a better value. Look at the airline industry today - almost every carrier is charging their customers a per-bag fee. The airlines that don't, however, have seen their business surge - because the customer thinks of those that do charge per-bag fees as greedy... and no one wants to give their money to a greedy company.

By contrast, the couple that own the UPS Store I get my mail at go above and beyond the call of duty for me regularly. If I call them to see if a package I've been waiting on has been delivered, they go and check... they don't tell me I have to come in and look for myself. Heck, once, they told me the package I was waiting for wasn't in, then took the initiative to call me BACK 10 minutes later to tell me they'd found it. Strangely enough, I have no desire to give my business to their competitors... even though they're located across town from me. They realize that their business isn't about the money they can get from me - it's about the SERVICE they provide TO me, that brings my money to them.

Businesses aren't about money. They're about products, or services. Businesses are ways to get money, yes... but if you make them all about money, you're headed down the rabbit hole. And it's a long way back up.

We're going to talk some more about money next week... and about the other resources in the "Golden Triangle" that you, as a business owner, need to manage in order to be successful. Feel free to keep in contact via Email or Twitter... and between now and then...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Yesterday Didn't Go Quite As Planned...

... it went MUCH better!

If you're a regular reader, you know that my life is kind of a mercurial thing... I had the day all planned out, see. My first full day back in town after Trish and my trip to the coast to celebrate our anniversary was booked up, with a meeting in the morning, a day-job appointment in the afternoon, and a meeting with a director in the late-afternoon. And, of course, the usual errand running squeezed in-between... jaunts to the bank, the post office box, etc...

Well, like I said - my life's pretty mercurial. Things change in an instant. My morning meeting got called off. My client cancelled our appointment in the afternoon. Suddenly, my day was open until my director's meeting at around 4:30. In some ways, that wasn't a bad thing... Trish and I both picked up chest colds before we left for the coast - sadly, we hacked and coughed throughout our anniversary - and I'm still a little green-around-the-gills. I could have just stayed in bed... but nature abhors a vacuum. That open time got quickly filled!

First, there was the email I received from Jacqueline Gault, writer-director of the upcoming feature film Meet Jane Doe. I'd auditioned for a role in the film earlier this year and didn't get cast... but I've kept in touch with Jacqueline and other people working on the production. When it came time to cast the role of young Jane's father in the film... she thought of me! So, she sent the script over to me for a read and - wow. How could I refuse? I've been hearing people rave about this script for months... and now that I've read it, I can see why! Of course, I signed on. Filming begins in late Summer here in Portland.

Then it was time to prep for my meeting with Jon Garcia about his new film, The Falls. I'd auditioned last year for a part Jon's film Tandem Hearts; things didn't work out for us on that project, but he obviously remembered my audition - he sent me the script last week, before I headed out of town, and asked me to look at the role of the main character's father (yeah. You're right... ANOTHER father. Hey, look at those new headshots, folks... see that grey in the side-burns? I'm getting planted firmly in the "father type" these days... no reason to fight it - I might as well embrace it!)

I was pretty moved by Jon's script when I brought it with me to the coast. It's very personal, and deals with a subject that hasn't been examined too closely in popular films. Rather than try to explain it here, I'll leave it to the video on the film's Kickstarter Page. It pretty much says it all.

Needless to say, I was very interested to talk with Jon and see where he sees this story going... we had a great meeting at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge, and by the end I managed to talk him into letting me have the role :)

So, my day didn't go as planned. But I'm not complaining... the time filled up juuuust right! Looks like July and August are lining up to be VERY busy months!

Back-To-Business Aside: Acting Is Believing

The Back-To-Business Series: Index




Hey everyone. You ever read this book? Maybe it was handed to you as a textbook for Theater 101 back in College... maybe you ran across it in a used book store.


Ok, wait - I know... I KNOW! At the end of last week's post, I said that this week I was going to talk about the resources - other than money - that we as actors need to manage. Before I get into that, though, I want to take and Aside.

Now, fair warning - I'm gonna to do this periodically throughout the Back-to-Business series... my series, my rules :) I've got my little "modules" I'm going to take you through - but every once in a while I'm going to "off topic" and discuss some things in more general terms.


See, as I was going through responses to last week's post, I kept hearing the same thing over and over...

"There's no guarantee that you're going to make money in this business."
"How do I know I'm going to get a return on the money I invest?"
"Isn't it dumb to throw money at a business that has such a history of LOSING money?"

etc etc etc... Which brought to mind the title of this book, from the musty bygone days of my Acting 101 class - way way far away at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Acting is Believing. It's a pretty simple concept for we actors to get, isn't it? If we don't believe the moment, on stage or in front of the camera... if we don't believe that our character is actually addressing Parliament... or in prison... or taking arms against a sea of troubles (and by opposing end them!)... if we don't believe that moment then the audience won't, either. We will have failed in our tasks as actors. Simple as that.

Guess what... business is believing, too. You can do all the risk-assessment you want to... you can prepare, you can save, you can train and you can and you can track... but at when all is said and done, if you don't believe that you can be a success... if you don't believe that you can make more money than you can spend, then you won't. Simple as that.

Look folks, all business is speculative. It doesn't matter whether you're acting, or your selling pencils on the street corner... there's no guarantee. It's always a risk. You ever watch Dragon's Den, or the US equivalent Shark Tank? On every episode, people go up before the shows tribunal of venture capitalists (and the TV audience) and they ask them to believe in their idea. If the presenter him or herself doesn't believe in their product/ service/ business idea - it shows. And the presentation gets shot down. If the tribunal doesn't believe in the idea, it gets shot down.

On those rare occasions where the presenter believes and the tribunal believes (and the presenter has done his or her homework... and the business model is sound, and there's a market for the product, and... and...) and the product or business is funded - what's the guarantee that the business will succeed? How are those investors assured that they'll get their investment back?

They aren't. No matter how good the presentation, or how solid the numbers... there's no guarantee - for the investor or the business owner. They have to take the risk, though, to see that investment repaid. They have to believe that they will succeed. We actors are familiar with that term, aren't we? We're told that we have to take risks in our acting, or else our performance won't be interesting, right? Well, we have to take risks in our businesses. If we don't... honestly, why bother? Why decide you're going to fail, and then keep walking down that road to failure (since you've certainly directed your steps in that direction.)

Acting is believing. The acting business is believing. You have to believe that you're going to succeed... or all the tips and tricks and advice from people like me in the world will never help you succeed. Simple as that.

Ok, next week I'll get into resources (other than money) that we need to manage in our businesses... for now -

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Back-To-Business: The Right Time To Invest In Your Business - Mailbox

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

Howdy folks

Well, I got a lot of email and more than a few Twitter comments about Monday's post about investing in your acting business... let's dive right in!

... What you said about investing in my career sounds good, but I need that money I make from my theater jobs to pay my rent. I'm not GM or Apple - I can't afford to be spending my hard-earned dollars on fancy software programs. GA (Baton Rouge, LA)

I get what you're saying, GA - believe me, I do! If you're pursuing acting as a profession, rather than a hobby, then you're using the money you get to pay your bills, eat, put gas in your tank... etc. No one's arguing that those needs have to come first.

That being said, to get ahead we have to do more than just subsist on what we earn - we have to use our money wisely, and put some aside for when things are slow... or for those unexpected "emergency" costs... or for investments in our business. This is why I encourage my career coaching clients to set up a separate bank account for their acting businesses - and to hold back whatever they can afford in that account to pay their business-related expenses.

Trust me, I'm not saying holding funds back is an easy thing - like you say, we've all got expenses that need taken care of. With a little forethought, planning and frugality (cutting back on our purchases of things we want instead of things we need, for instance... or making your own coffee instead of buying it, fewer trips to the bar after the show... that kind of thing) actors can save up a little cash to reinvest in their business. It's not necessarily easy - but it's possible.

PerformerTrack calls this little savings fund the Performer Trust account (once again, remember you can save 20% off a 1-year subscription with coupon code PORTLAND9). After a few months of holding 5%, 10%, or 20% of your pay checks back you might be surprised at how much cash you can accumulate to invest in your business!

... Sorry, but it is a job - actors should always be paid as employees, and congress agrees: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/feds_poised_to_pursue_misclassification_of_workers_as_a_crime/ so you'd better be wondering where that next "job" is coming from. SD (Seattle, WA)

I'm not saying actors should or shouldn't be paid as employees, SD. As I've said in the past, until every actor gets paid for every project as a W-2 employee, it's important for us to know how to operate as both 1099 "independent contractors" and W-2 employees. If you don't want to work as an independent contractor, that's fine - but plenty of other actors are accepting 1099-based contracts.

Whether you're working as an employee or a contractor, though, I'd suggest always treating your career a business. It's a question of focus and perspective - a lot of actors I've known approach their careers with the perspective that they're "working a job," so they put all their focus on doing that job (nothing wrong with that, right?) When that job ends, though (as all acting jobs eventually do), their focus is fully on finding a new boss to give them their next "job."

Businesses don't work this way - they have a range of clients or customers, and they work on cultivating more of them even as they're doing work for their existing clients and customers. Their perspective is that they're selling a product or providing a service to a group of people, and their focus isn't solely on the work they do for one client, but all the work they do for all of them (including those they haven't met yet.) Consequently, when work for one client ends, they don't panic and run around looking for work - they simply shift into work for their next client.

W2 or 1099 aside, mentally it's to an actor's advantage to emulate the way that business.. well, does business. Following that model is what allows us to build a sustainable career... as opposed to waiting for one job to end before we frantically look for the next one.

I don't disagree with what you are advocating, however, there is one major aspect of an acting career that differs from big business. ROI. Return On Investment....The annual income statistics that the unions put out continue to be pitiful. And let's remember that's averaging in all those gazillion dollar salaries of the major stars. It's simply a fact that the ROI of most actors will be a negative number. BC (Studio City, CA)

ROI is important, BC. I don't agree that "the ROI of most actors will be zero" (my emphasis, not his), but it's important to keep ROI in mind when considering investments in your business.

Before we go much further, lets get one thing out of the way - the term "ROI" is more of that "Nightly Business Report" language that a lot of actors' eyes glaze over at. It's a simple enough concept: You spend money (investment.) You want to make at least as much money as you've spent (the return) as a result of that investment. How much money you make (or don't) beyond what you've spent is the return on investment. Of course, most of you readers have probably already figured that out... but I figured it was a good idea to define the term for my "special" cousin Eustace (Auntie-Norma-Jean got him one a' them there computer machines fer his birthday, ya know...)

(Great, now I'm going to get hate mail from all you readers named Norma Jean and Eustace. Sigh... moving on...)

Like I said above, ROI is important. If we're going to lay out money on something, we want to see a positive result from what we spend. If we pay to get new headshots taken and printed, for instance, we want to see more auditions and booked projects (and therefore more income) as a result of that cash outlay. The question is... how do you know whether you've got a positive or negative ROI on what you spent?

This is one of the many reasons why I use PerformerTrack. Unless you're tracking what you've spent and what you've brought in, there's no way to know what the ROI on those headshots was. By entering my income and expenses into PerformerTrack, I can print out an Income Report and an Expense Report, and I can see if I'm making a profit this year or not (if I'm making a profit, I'm getting a positive ROI - everything I've invested in has cost me less than I've brought in, after all...)

If I'm not making a profit, then I have to look at what I've invested in and see what's working or what's not. I might need to spend more money to balance things out (those headshots I paid for? Not working? Ok... I guess I need different ones), or I might need to reduce the amount I spend on memberships... or subscriptions to breakdown services... or...

The point is, we should never assume that we're going to have a negative ROI. We should invest expecting a positive ROI - and then we should pay attention to be sure that our expectations are met. If they're not, then it's time to make a correction of some type or another. Our income level doesn't necessarily factor into this - if we know how much we're making, then we know how much we can spend.

Expecting not to get a positive ROI, though, just becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Why invest in something that could make us more successful if it's never going to pay off, right? Like I said to SD, it's about perspective and focus - focusing on the "fact" that actors "will" have a negative ROI just allows that to happen... focusing on making wise investments to be sure you have a positive ROI, on the other hand, just prompts you to keep track of things. And keeping track of your business is what allows you to grow your business.

That's it for now... more on managing your resources in Monday's post. For now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Back To Business: The Right Time To Invest In Your Business

**Note: And we're back! Thanks for hanging with me, folks... I'm re-starting my regular Monday series today; feel free to email or Twitter me questions and/or comments; I'll respond to those messages each Wednesday!

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

If you can remember back that far, you may recall that I didn't follow my last Back-to-Business post about using PerformerTrack (remember - you can save 20% off a one-year subscription to PerformerTrack by using the coupon-code PORTLAND9 at check-out) with my usual Wednesday "Mailbox" post. That's because, for the most part, all the responses I got went something like this:

It sounds like a good system. Maybe once I start making money I'll buy-into-it. (Ft. Washington, MD)
Once I get more auditions to track, I'll think about using something to track them. (Miami, FL)
Maybe once my career really takes off, I'll set PT up. (Richmond, VA)

I responded to each of these folks individually (and the 20 or 30 others who said essentially the same thing) with the following note:

Hi ______! Thanks very much for your response. I certainly understand your need to watch your spending - we're all poor actors, trying to save whatever money we can! I might suggest, though, that you're looking at things the wrong way. Is the right time to invest in your business after you've become successful? I don't think many businesses can make that equation work - they have to invest in their business to become successful! We'll talk more about this in next week's post.

Of course, "next week's post" was a bit misleading :) My little vacation aside, though, think about the logic of what these people were saying... Did General Motors say they'd hire people to make cars once they'd sold some cars? Did Coke say they'd buy a case of bottles after they'd sold a few bottles of soda? Of course not... those businesses had to invest some money to start up, and once they'd sold a few products they had to invest the money they'd brought in to make more and better products.

That doesn't mean these businesses had to drop a million dollars at the beginning, of course - they were small businesses run by individuals, just like we actors are. They had to keep their costs down to maximize their profit and build the funds they needed for re-investment.

Ok, hold on there... I actually felt your eyes glaze over as I wrote that - that "Nightly Business Report" language tends to make actors - and, indeed, most Americans- blood pressure go up, I know... take a breath. All I'm saying up there is that these businesses - and we, in our acting businesses - need to keep costs down, so they - and we - make more money when we get paid. (ok, you probably got that part...) The toughie, though, is that once you - and they - get paid, some of the money brought in needs to be re-invested to make your business grow.

Here, let's take a look at the proto-typical American "garage business" - Apple computers. A group of friends literally started building computers in Steve Jobs' garage (That's a picture of "The Woz" working away in the upper-left of this post!) Once they'd sold a few computers, though - they didn't stay in the garage! They re-invested their earnings in the business they were building and moved out to larger facilities... and started making Apple into the giant it is today.

Sadly, a lot of business owners - and a lot of actors - never mentally move out of the garage. Their businesses might grow beyond their garage, but their mind-set doesn't. Let me tell you a little secret™: most Americans are afraid of money. It's a hard truth - but a truth nonetheless. We're trained to worry about money from an early age. When we don't have it, we're desperate to get it; when we do get it, we don't want to part with it - OR, on the other side of the spectrum, we spend it on things we want (as opposed to the things we need) as quickly as possible - thinking we'll never get any again!

Actors are even more fearful when it comes to their money than most Americans - because our income comes in sporadically. We're never sure when the next job is coming, so we hold on to our shekels with a tight fist... and then, when we get cash in our hands, we're even more extreme about holding onto it... or we enjoy it a little too much.

We've had this attitude towards money drilled into us because Americans have come depend on "the steady paycheck." It's part of what we were brought up with - this 1950's ideal that we're going to work for a single company our entire life - a company that will keep us employed, pay our benefits, and take care of us into retirement. It's a nice ideal, and certainly one I'd like to see the country to strive to rebuild - but lets be honest, we don't see many jobs like that in this day and age and haven't for a good long while.

The acting profession doesn't work that way. Sure, maybe it used to for the lucky few who were put under contract in the "Studio Era" of Hollywood... but those days are long gone. We actors get paid on a per-project basis; we're hired on to a project, do the work, and then we move on to the next project to start the cycle over. The only way to make a sustainable living from this model is think ahead - to manage our resources (and believe me, money is just one of those resources) so we can line up a number of projects to fill out our yearly income. In essence, we need to have a certain number of "sales" (the contracts we sign with various production companies) in a given year to make a living.

And here's the thing... if you think about it, there's not much difference between that and the way GM, Coke, and Apple make their livings. These companies don't have a "steady paycheck," either. Like we actors, they don't a number of guaranteed sales each year; they have to produce their product, market it, make the sale, and then manage the money that comes in so that some goes to profit and some goes back into the business to help it grow. Just like we want to grow our careers. It's that simple.

This is what I was talking about in my video post last week - we can run around chasing our tails looking for a "job" to do until the work runs out - and then run around looking for the next "job - " or we can run our careers like GM, Coke and Apple do. We can manage our resources - money included - to grow our businesses, and increase the number of projects we work.

I've talked a lot in the past few Back-To-Business posts about the expenses related to an acting career. There are things you have to spend your money on - such as head shots and training - and there are things you can spend your money on - like a car, a web site, or the commission you pay to an agent. You can get by without spending money on those "can" things I just mentioned... but what are you giving up by doing so? How many opportunities to book that next project - and fill out your income for the year - are you giving up by NOT having a car, web site, or agent? When thinking about places to invest your acting money, that's the question you need to answer. Not "what will I get for my money," but "what will I lose out on by NOT spending the money.

Like I said above, money's just one resource that we as actors - and any business person - needs to manage. I'll get into some of those other resources in next week's post. As always, feel free to email or Twitter your comments and questions. For now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Back-To-Business is Back Next Week (Video)

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hey folks

You might remember my last entry in the Back-to-Business series wasn't so much an entry, as a video of me taking a break.

Well, break's over... and it seemed like the appropriate way to start up again would be...



(Ok, so maybe I didn't yammer on TOO much... but I still think Mercedes Rose's videos are better!)

So, check back next Monday for the next entry in the Back-To-Business series... and for now...

Lets get to work!

-Harold

New Photos With the NebCat

So, I got together with local actor and photographer Deneb Catalan yesterday at Portland's Washington Park to shoot some new headshots. I think they turned out pretty well... Take a look and let me know what you think at my Facebook "Fan Page" (yes I have one of those... that's where I post the more "business-related" and less "personal" stuff). Of course, if you're not the Facebook type, you can always just email me your thoughts... or send them to me on Twitter!

See, I love the headshots that Owen Carey took for me back in 2006... but we shot them in 2006. That's four years ago... and lets be honest - our faces change from year to year!

Rule of thumb when it comes to headshots in the acting biz - they need to look like you. Not the "You" you want to look like - all air-brushed and given the "Glamour Shots" treatment - but the "you" that's going to walk through the casting office/ theater/ agency door when you audition or interview. The person who set that interview or audition based his or her decision - at least in part - on what you look like. S/he knows what you look like from your headshot - and if you walk in the door looking different, s/he isn't going to be too happy. It can be quite the uphill climb, getting past the bad feelings a situation like that can cause.

That's why I went to Colleen Cahill late last year when I grew back my Animus Cross Series II mustache; I grow facial hair from time-to-time, and I'm still looking for work while I've got it on my face. If I get submitted for an audition (or if I submit myself) I need to show the person casting that project what I look like right then - they don't care what I looked like, or what I will look like... they want to see me now, and they want to see what I look like now.

Which brings us back to the new photos... a lot's changed since those shots in 2006. The hair's gotten a little greyer... the lines around my eyes have gotten deeper... I got my teeth worked on and they look different. I just don't look quite like this guy any more... so I've got to find the right shots that show how I look today. Right now.

Well, not right now... I haven't showered yet today... but you get the idea.

So, tell me what you think. Give me your favorites - which shot looks the most like me (and make the most out of how I look right now)? I'd love to hear what you think.

Have a great weekend!

-Harold