To aspiring actors who wants to make it big in Hollywood, one of the best tips is not being afraid to take risks.

Seventy five year-old veteran actor Bruce Dern revealed that in his 50 years in Hollywood, taking risks is his secret as to why he has lasted this long in the business.

“There are two things that are essential,” he recalled. “One of them is you’ve got to learn to dance — and that means not dancing lessons but dancing around the problems on the set every day, which are never personal but we always take them as personal. And two is to take roles that put you on the edge. Take roles that are risky.”

“I’ve been prone to that my entire career,” he continued, “and this character, Frank in ‘Big Love,’ was extremely risky. You never knew what he was going to do or who he was.”

Dern said he was extremely proud that he, Laura Dern and Diane Ladd earned side-by-side stars on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame last November — the first family so honored. (Ladd is Bruce Dern’s ex-wife and Laura Dern’s mother.) The three are also the first family to all have been nominated for Academy Awards, he said.

by prsavage

You may often hear people within the entertainment industry throw around the term “publicist” quite often. However, you may not have a clear understanding of what a publicist does for actors and other industry professionals.

Publicists serve as the “voices” of the clients they represent. They are responsible for communicating with the public, especially the media, on your behalf. Publicists are basically spokespeople who help build your popularity, and they often accomplish this through obtaining press coverage to create a favorable image for you.

Publicists can be of high value to actors, whether they are newly discovered faces or seasoned veterans. Not only will publicists promote you as an actor by distributing press releases and articles to relevant media contacts; they will also arrange interviews, guest appearances, TV and radio promotions, and special events to get your name out to the public. The best publicists blend traditional PR methods with social media so that you reach audiences both offline and online. This type of publicity can equate to more offers for acting roles and higher pay for jobs.

So next time someone mentions his or her “publicist,” you will know exactly what this person does. And once you feel you are ready to take your career to the next level, I recommend hiring a publicist of your own.

prsavage

The Emmy Award, also known as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Oscars. They are presented in various sectors of the television industry, including entertainment programming, news and documentary shows, and sports programming. As such, the awards are presented in various area-specific ceremonies held annually throughout the year. The best known of these ceremonies are the Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring excellence in American primetime television programming (excluding sports), and the Daytime Emmy Awards, honoring excellence in American daytime television programming. Three related but separate organizations present the Emmy Awards:

• the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) honors national prime time entertainment excluding sports;
• the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) recognizes daytime, sports, news and documentary programming, and;
• the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honors all programming produced and originally aired outside the United States.

Sure, you may have talent but what about your reputation? The last thing you ever want to do in this business is lose your reputation so guard it with your life. You wanna be a successful actor? Be early for everything. Not “on time,” not “just in the nick of time,” early. One thing agents will not tolerate and that is tardiness. Tardiness is unacceptable in the business. Time is money and it IS a business, remember? Imagine you get a role guest starring on the hottest new TV series out. The crew is there. The stars are there and then you arrive late for your scene. Big no-no so be careful. Word travels extremely quick in the entertainment biz so if you develop a reputation as someone who’s always late–there goes your career.

No matter how talented you are, there’s always someone better and eager to take your place.  Good, now that we got that out of the way, here’ some advice to help get you to your auditions and to the set early. Remember, “early” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to arrive one hour before the audition .  Twenty or so minutes ahead of schedule and you’ll be smooth sailing every time.

1. Reputation trumps talent each and every time. Remember this. People’s perception of you should be one of professionalism. It’s part of your job as an actor to never be late for an audition or an acting job. Agents work extremely hard to get you in on an audition so cherish those times and seize the moment.

2. Get a head start. Arriving 15 to 30 minutes prior to your audition or “call time” is ideal. Plan ahead. If you know you have an audition, get that fabulous outfit out the night before.  Heading out extra early for an audition is ideal because if you ever get caught in traffic, you should still arrive in time.

3. No speeding tickets, please. Why rush? The audition experience should be a peaceful one. If you arrive on the set out of breath, stressed, and late,  it will roll over into your performance. You probably won’t get the job. Casting agents know when you’re unprepared. While you’re auditioning, you’ll still be wondering if you locked your keys in your car.

4. Use Google Maps or MapQuest. Know exactly where you’re going beforehand. If your audition or call time is at 10:00am, pretend it’s actually 9:30am.  Be careful though, believe it or not, sometimes Google Maps are totally off!

5. Get your rest. No time to celebrate. Make sure you go to bed early enough to feel refreshed in the morning. You’d be surprised how a good night’s sleep will enhance your performance. It’s okay to celebrate but if you want to be a pro, always celebrate AFTER you get the role. If you want to be an ultra cool “major player” pro, celebrate AFTER you’ve COMPLETED the role!

6. Watch your ego. So let’s say you’ve booked a few jobs. Someone may have even recognized you from a commercial. You’re feeling great. You decide to party and celebrate with a few of your friends. During the celebration your agent calls you to tell you about an early morning audition. A little annoyed, you quickly take down the information and continue partying–all night. The next morning you arrive late to your audition. Big mistake. Be careful. If you ever find yourself in that scenario, know that you’ll be in the early stages of your ego starting to get the best of you. Some celebs think it’s actually cool to arrive at everything late. No matter how successful you become, stay professional. Keep it classy. You are a class act and people will always respect you for that. Be early for everything and you’ll be just fine!