The Perfect Resume: Part 2

by Tony Nation

Your resume should list your credits in three columns with title of show or film in the first column, role in the second column and theater/production company/network in the third column. If you list directors, they should be names that will be recognized otherwise don’t list them!

For film and TV actors, you should list behind the role of the character in parenthesis:  Lead, Co-Star, Guest Star, Supporting, Principal or Featured/Extra. For soaps, list: Contract Role, Dayplayer, Recurring Dayplayer, U/5, or Featured/Extra.

Why should you list this information??? You don’t want to just list a role, you want to provide the information on what your work consists of—even if you are just starting off. Even Meryl Streep was a beginning actor at one time!

If you are just starting off, and have only worked on roles in an acting program or studio, you may list roles under the column of “Representative Roles.”  When industry sees this on a resume, they take it for granted that the actor did scenes from these plays in his or her acting class. That’s fine—it shows you have some training and you know what roles you’ll be sent out for. But don’t put on your resume the role of BIG DADDY in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof if you’re 22 years old. Also, make sure you’ve read the whole play so you can talk about it. There’s nothing more embarrassing then being caught in a lie or not knowing the material.

Commercials should never be listed out on the resume instead use “List Upon Request” or “Conflicts/List Upon Request” if you have a commercial currently running.

Never list modeling jobs!

Under “Training”, list where and what you have studied. If you have a bachelor’s or master’s it should be at the top—even if it is not performance related. You spent many years in school getting your degrees—don’t understate it!

“Special Skills” vary from person to person! If it’s something that makes you unique-list it-especially as an icebreaker line!!! Here are some often found on a resume: Archery, Golf, Professional Decorator, Surfboard, Badminton, Gymnastics, Stunt Person, Swimming/Diving, Baseball, Hang Glide, Puppeteer, Tennis, Basketball, Hockey, Race Cars, Toboggan,Baton Twirl, Horseback, Race, Speedboat, Track,Bike Riding, Handgun Ride, Pogo Stick, Trampoline, Billiards/Pool, Hypnotist, Ride Unicycle, Tumbling,Body Surfing, Ice Skate, Rodeo Rider, Typing (W.P.M.), Bowling, Karate /Judo, Roller Skate/Blade, Boxing, Juggler, Rope Twirl, Bull Fighting, Mime, Rugby, Canoeing, Magician, Sail Boat, Carpentry, Meteorologist, Scuba Dive, Cartoonist, Fly Plane, Sculpt, Cheerleading, Musical Inst., Sew/Dressmaking, Computer Skills, Milk a Cow, Skateboard, Cricket/Soccer, Motorcycle, Sky Dive, Farm Machinery, Nurse Speak, Foreign Language.

Click here to download a sample resume.

Learn more of the ins and outs of auditions, resumes, and more by attending some of our online acting seminars.

For more information on how to navigate the business part of being an actor, check out the The Biz tab under Acting Classes and Seminars.

The Perfect Resume-Part 1

by Tony Nation

Now that you’ve got some acting training and credits under your belt, your headshot and resume are your TWO most important tools in your show business arsenal. Your resume is not only your body of work, it’s also your list of referrals. Here are some tips for creating the PERFECT RESUME.

Everybody has a NAME, and yours should be in the largest letters you can get, right at the top of the page. Whether it’s in the center or on the left-hand side is a personal preference, just as long as it immediately catches the eye. Traditionally, whatever union affiliation you have goes directly below your name.  If you have no unions, you can opt to put your BEST CONTACT NUMBER/CELLPHONE there (we all have one of those).

NEVER put your home phone number on your resume-you never know who is going to get their hands it! Let your voicemail filter out the weirdos! Whatever you decide, place the number prominently either below your name, or on the LEFT side of the resume (since the eye reads left to right).

List your EMAIL ADDRESS under the phone number. That’s the #1 way you’re going to be contacted about auditions and interviews. When your contact number isn’t working, this is a great alternative to getting in contact with you. Also include your WEBSITE ADDRESS if you have one underneath your EMAIL ADDRESS.

VITAL STATISTICS should be on the right side-height, weight, color of hair, color of eyes. You may wonder why this is important. Well, sometimes casting directors MUST have an actor of a certain height or hair/eye coloring.

DO NOT put your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER on your resume! Identity theft is a huge problem in the US, don’t let it happen to you!

DO NOT put “ACTOR” or “ACTOR, SINGER, DANCER” or “ACTOR, SINGER, DANCER, MODEL, DIRECTOR”—it’s redundant. The industry should be able to tell by reading your first, few credits whether you’re a legit or musical theater performer.

DO NOT include an age or age range. If they cannot tell your age by looking at your picture, then your photo isn’t working for you!

DO NOT include your clothes sizes; it brands you as a model (or background actor)!

DO NOT lie about roles or credits on your resume!!!

Looking for more great insider acting tips? Learn more of the ins and outs of auditions, resumes, and more by attending some of our online acting seminars.

For more information on how to navigate the business part of being an actor, check out the The Biz tab under Acting Classes and Seminars.

America is fascinated with celebrity meltdowns: from Lindsay Lohan and her rehab problems to Tom Cruise going nuts on Oprah’s couch to Zsa Zsa Gabor slapping a policeman to Mel Gibson’s phone calls and more.

But nothing has been more fascinating in the past month or so than the performance of Charlie Sheen, the actor who claimed he was underpaid at $2 million an episode for television’s number one hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men.

He’s been featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, written about on Time.com and has a long thread chronicling his shenanigans on PerezHilton.com. And, just this week, he sold out two shows at Radio City Music Hall.

Even though Sheen is filthy stinking rich, Sheen probably isn’t someone you want to use as a role model for professional behavior. His actions certainly aren’t what you’re taught in any respected NYC acting class.

This is exactly the type of behavior that Erica Palgon offered talked about in our recent blog post. In case you didn’t catch it, here it is again. It’s worth looking at again:

A.C.: If an actor is lucky enough to get an audition for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, what is the best way to prepare for the audition and what are some “no-nos”?

DALE BROWN: It may seem obvious, but the first thing is to fully prepare the materials sent. This doesn’t mean memorization, but know the characters, what they want. Know what you want to relay with the music not just the sound. Also, though knowing the style and context of the production are important, we want to know what you bring to the material, not a copy of what you may have seen in the show.

Dale will be leading a 5-week Musical Theater Showcase beginning this Thursday. Click here to learn more and register for this NYC acting seminar.

Dale joined Tara Rubin Casting in 2007. His current specific projects with TRC include on-going casting for all US companies of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and the original casting of both BILLY ELLIOT, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB and Des McAnuff’s production of GUYS & DOLLS.

By Tony Nation

It’s film festival season! Sundance just rapped and the Tribeca Film Festival will be here before you know it! So how should you promote yourself as an actor at film festivals?  There are actually two ways to approach these events as an actor.

First, as the actor in a film that is being shown. Of course it’s the position that every actor wants to be in: having hundreds, maybe thousands of people seeing your work and a lot of that being the industry at a film festival. The opportunities are rampant from film Q&A’s with directors and stars, nominations for your work, awards, being seen by directors and producers to maybe having your film picked up by distribution companies in a movie packaging deal.

Make sure that you bring business cards with a photo on it and then have a picture and resume on hand in case it is asked for as well as a film/TV demo. I recommend photo business cards first as it’s a little awkward to be giving out headshots and resumes and then expecting the industry you’re meeting to schlep around with it for the whole evening. A business card is easy to put into a pocket or purse and then they can reach out from there.