Acting in Columbus Newsletter

I have taken three classes with Richard Mason, and I cannot say enough about how great they have been and how much I have learned. Richard’s classes have helped me feel more comfortable in front of the camera and also more confident in my acting abilities. He teaches you the essential parts of an audition and how to “wow” your audience. Richard’s classes have given me the tools that I need to be successful in the acting industry. I have signed on with CAM Talent Agency in Columbus, Ohio and about to sign a modeling contract with an agency in Miami, Fl.

-Brent Shearer

ADR - Automated Dialogue Replacement. Dialogue added to a scene in post production. Also called “looping”.

A.D. - The Assistant Director.

AEA - Actors’ Equity Association; also called “Equity”. SAG’s sister union which represents stage actors.

AFTRA - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Represents radio artists and news broadcasters, and, in earlier times, television performers.

ART DIRECTOR - Person who conceives and designs the sets.

BANANA - Instructing the actor to move in to a scene in a slight arc, or curved path, versus a straight line.

BLUE SCREEN - Shooting in a studio against a large blue or green backdrop, which allows a background to be superimposed later on the final image. The actors must imagine the set they are on and be aware of the limitations of their movements. Casting Workbook’s Audition studio in their Vancouver location is a Blue Screen.

BOOM - An overhead microphone, usually on an extended pole. The Boom Operator is the member of the sound department responsible for holding the boom pole, with mic attached, over and sometimes under the actors. Also usually responsible for placing radio mics on actors.

BREAKDOWN - A summary description of a script prepared by or for the casting director often including the names of the director, producer, network or studio, together with audition location and times, storyline and roles available for casting in a production. These are, and have traditionally been, provided only to qualified talent agents.

CALL SHEET - A sheet containing the cast and crew call times for a specific day’s shooting. Scene numbers, the expected day’s total pages, locations, and production needs are also included.

CALL TIME - The actual time an actor is due on the set.

DAY PLAYER (DAY PERFORMER) - A principal performer hired on a daily basis, rather than on a longer - term contract.

D.P. - Director of Photography or Cinematographer.

FX (Effects) - Special Effects.

HERO (BOY, GIRL, MAN, WOMAN) - Unassumed Lead in a commercial where the lead isn’t prominent, but most important.

INDUSTRIAL - Non-broadcast film or video, usually of an educational nature.

LINE PRODUCER - The producer responsible for keeping the director on time and budget; generally the most visible producer actually on the set.

MASTER SHOT - A camera shot that includes the principal actors and relevant background activity; generally used as a reference shot to record the scene from beginning to end before shooting close-ups, over-the-shoulders, etc.

P.A. - Production Assistant.

PAYMASTER - An independent talent payment service acting as the employer of record.

RESIDUAL - The fee paid to a performers for rebroadcast of a commercial, film or TV program

It wasn't how Dwight Pigg expected to spend his 45th birthday -- staring at a fixed point on the wall and extolling the virtues of a glow-in-the-dark remote control. "No more fumbling around. And it glows in the dark. Glows in the dark! And here's the best part -- it's only $19.95!"The exercise was part of "Acting for TV Commercials," a seven-hour class yesterday inside the Ohio Theatre. Pigg, a mortgage loan officer from Westerville, was one of nine aspiring actors who attended."In this day and age, you have to convince someone to pay attention to you in less than 10 seconds," said teacher Richard Mason, a 27-year acting veteran and founder of Acting in Columbus. "That means you have to be a dynamic performer. It's tough. People don't have any idea how tough it is."Pigg's wife bought him the class as a birthday present because she was "tired of me watching TV and saying, 'I can do that better,' " he joked. "Besides, there have to be some parts out there for a middle-aged balding guy."

Before the afternoon was over, the students learned the basics: how to find a reputable agent, going through the audition process ("It takes 15 auditions to book one job") and, eventually, how to perform for the camera. They even learned the finer points of chewing food convincingly. All that didn't come cheap. Mason charges $200 for the afternoon. Lunch is not included, although snacks are provided. Welcome to the business, indeed.The monthly class, held inside the chilly confines of rehearsal studio No. 3, usually caps out at 12 students. Mason, who also works as a casting assistant, said he was surprised by the number of students who attended yesterday's session. "Because of the economy, I was panicking that I wasn't going to have anyone," he said. "Acting classes are a luxury, and the industry has been hit pretty hard. Advertising is one of the first things companies tend to cut. "It's a tough time for breaking into the industry, but there are still jobs out there."Landing those jobs is the tough part.

Renee Ritchey, a 40-year-old account executive from Worthington, said she caught the acting bug 15 years ago but never truly pursued a career before the camera. Not surprisingly, her acting resume is limited, including roles in community theater and a commercial for Big Bear in which she dressed like the Easter Bunny.Her first take was deemed "too stiff." The second take, after Ritchey was instructed to loosen up with 15 jumping jacks, worked just fine.Mason said that 60 percent of the people who take his class book a job within two months -- more than one for SafeAuto Insurance. "SafeAuto is kind of a rite of passage for actors in Columbus," he said. He said that actors can be paid $3,000 for a regional spot that runs 13 weeks, while a national ad for the same run can deliver a paycheck as high as $10,000.

Acting in Columbus Newsletter | January 2010

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CAM TALENT AGENCY

HEYMAN TALENT AGENCY

PC-GOENNER TALENT AGENCY

Acting for TV Commercials - Saturday February 20, 2010 1-8pm $175

ACTING IN COLUMBUS - featured in the Columbus Dispatch

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