Actors Talk - Come Inside The Acting Business

Michael Bott – Marathon Man Follow MICHAEL BOTT on Twitter @MichaelBott and @ActorChatTV Here is the Michael Bott WEB SITE Why do I say Michael Bott is a Marathon Man? Because it seems to me he embodies the notion that an acting career is ‘a marathon not a sprint’. He’s in for the long haul. With 35+ years experience in stage and film acting with credits such as the National Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company in addition to a number of film and television roles (most recently a 15 episode stint on the BBC daytime drama DOCTORS) Michael Bott has a resume to be proud of. This actor’s journey hasn’t been all in a straight line, however. After about twenty years in ‘the game’ Michael stepped away temporarily from acting to work as a videographer and documentary filmmaker. One of his projects is an outstanding documentary called STANDING WITH STONES. More about that project a bit farther down the page. Michael Bott – Actor Chat I first became aware of Michael via the BLAB.IM live streaming platform. I had heard about BLAB while listening to a podcast and I decided to see what all the stir was about. Of course I went there searching for content about acting and filmmaking and one of the first shows I happened upon was one called Actor Chat, with Michael Bott as the host and discussion leader. I found the Actor Chat sessions to be absolutely terrific and I was hooked on them and I suppose to an extent on Blab. I recall being absolutely shocked while listening to one of the Actor Chat recordings when I heard the discussion veer onto a topic that included a reference to some content from an episode of this podcast. Wow! I always HOPE that some helpful information is being distributed through Actors Talk, but to hear something referenced in a live chat happening across the Atlantic was pretty cool indeed. Michael Bott – Actor Notes Podcast As I began to search for more information about Michael Bott and his career, I soon learned that, like myself, he produces a podcast. Once I had found and subscribed to his ACTOR NOTES podcast, I became an even bigger fan. The presentation skills Michael Bott possesses are top notch. With a smooth delivery and a wonderful tone to his voice, I quickly ‘binge listened’ to (at the time) all nine episodes of Actor Notes. I never miss an episode. As a bonus, not only is the listener treated to Michael’s thoughts about acting and ‘the business’ but he also has a series of shows featuring his wife, Sharon Bott, who is a life coach and a terrific podcaster in her own right. If you check out just one episode, I think you’ll become a regular listener. Michael Bott – Standing With Stones One of his documentaries, a film called STANDING WITH STONES, which he photographed and directed, is particularly impressive. Imagine packing up in a motor home and hitting the road to through Britain, Ireland and Scotland to shoot a film about prehistoric stone structures.

Chantel Riley – From Open Call To Broadway Chantel Riley was working at an insurance agency in Toronto,CAN and pondering if she should become a dance instructor at the school where she had studied. Then IT happened. A friend told her about and open call for Disney. For THE LION KING. Let’s put a hold on Chantel Riley’s story for just a second. Time for a reality check. Open Call – Cattle Call Google search the term OPEN CALL or alternatively CATTLE CALL and, if you’re an inexperienced, hopeful actor/singer/dancer, prepare to be jolted into reality. Open Calls are just that – OPEN. To anyone who fits the basic profile of the talent sought – age, gender, height, body type, sometimes even ethnicity can all be relevant to what the producers are searching for. Still since we are talking Open Calls, there is almost a certainty that if the casting call specified the producers are looking only for blonde women at least 6 feet tall, there will be a certain number of hopefuls who show up not even coming close to the desired specs. They’ve heard the stories about actors getting discovered in stranger ways and JUST MAYBE THEY will be the lucky one who gets picked ahead of the mass of actors who DO actually meet the desired spec. Stop it. Throw cold water on your face and get a grip on reality. Chantel Riley has been in THE LION KING on BROADWAY for several years as of this writing and now she’s landed her first role in a major Hollywood film. RACE from Focus Features is the film about American track star Jesse Owens and his experiences at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. After seeing the trailer for this film several times recently, RACE has the look of a good film and hopefully, a big hit. Chantel Riley, Paging Chantel Riley Typically everyone is told to arrive at the same time. The actor (or the actor’s parents) will sign in and take a seat. Then they will typically wait. And wait. And wait. According to Chantel Riley, when she arrived at the open call she attended, it was packed. She signed in. And she waited. Just like everyone else. At some point, if the actor is actually in the ballpark physically, she/he will be called to audition. If the audition goes well, the actor may get a callback. Or, as with any other audition, the actor may be terrific, but just not what the producers are seeking. Such is the nature of the business. That’s the good news. Open Calls – The Bad News The bad news is that the experienced, trained talent is grouped, at least initially, in with the likely majority of ‘talent’ who have little or no training and a similar amount of experience. This is one reason experienced, trained actors stay away from open calls. There is no filter for who is allowed to attend. I’m not even going to get into the total SCAM OPEN CALLS that purport to be casting for Disney or some other reputable entity when in fact they don’t. Does that really happen? Again, just take to Google or your favorite search engine and do some research. The bottom line on Open Calls and Cattle Calls is this: If you have the time and patience and if you have little training and no agent representation, then go for it. If you have training and experience but you’re not booking work then you might want to consider an open call. As long as no one asks you for any money, ANY MONEY,

JOE HANSARD – CHARACTER ACTOR Joe Hansard, the actor I’m pleased to spend some time with on this episode of Actors Talk is a wonderful character actor from the New York area. Joe has been a professional actor for several decades and it shows in his presence on the screen. Whether he’s playing one of America’s most wanted, a NY Cop at the turn of the century on THE KNICK or a homeless person on the mean streets of the big city, Joe Hansard brings something special to each role. The label, Character Actor, is a badge of honor, as well it should be. He wears it well. Follow Joe on Twitter Interested in having Joe Hansard in your project? Joe’s Agent Equally at home in mainstream media and the independent film scene, Hansard has years of experience as both lead and supporting player. Known for an eclectic screen persona, his characters span the gamut, from hillbillies to the homeless — a mixed bag of lovable creeps, kooks, cops, etc. What image comes to mind when you hear the term ‘Character Actor’? If you’re a fan of the Steven Soderbergh series, THE KNICK, then you’ll recall seeing Joe Hansard recently in his fine turn as Tuggle, a bull dog of a detective who bites off more than he can chew in THIS IS ALL WE ARE, the final episode of season two. Or maybe you caught him as the homeless man in MYSTERIES OF LAURA or on THE WIRE, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET or one of the many other shows to which he’s contributed his talent. Joe Hansard – Nature of The Business It’s the nature of the business that many fine actors, fine character actors in particular, often labor in a kind on anonymity. They are ‘that guy in that thing.’ Or ‘you know…THAT guy.” Familiar faces who always deliver something interesting in what can be rather pedestrian programming. They are actors whose faces may ring a bell but whose names, sadly, often escape us. But to the people who produce and cast television and film roles, it is these wonderful actors who can be pivotal to the success of a project.

LUCAS KITCHEN – A CREATIVE MIND – NOTES Affiliate Link: Infinite Tomorrow: The Kingdom Chronicles Book One On this page you’ll find the host’s notes taken as he listened back to the recorded interview with Lucas Kitchen. TIME STAMPS At various headings and in the interior of some comments you may find some ‘time stamps’ designated [21:29] for example. That is the approximate location within the recording that the comments noted occur. Hopefully that will make it easier for you to skip to areas that you might find most interesting. If you’d like the notes in their entirety, look for the ‘Read Full Transcript’ notice at the bottom of the page and click the arrow. Please let me know if adding the time codes is of any help or value to you! LESSONS FROM DAD [4:15] Dad had a lesson he taught us – never go anywhere without a sketchbook We always had something to draw with or something to write with There were definitely times when we’d stop the van and pull over to sketch a scene or something MUSIC THEN WRITING [5:37] Writing came along later, I think for a very specific reason. Being a pretty poor speller and confused about punctuation as a young kid, I thought I couldn’t write. I thought that technical skill that I lacked would keep me from writing. So for years I shied away from letting people see my written work because I was afraid I was doing it wrong. I wish someone would’ve sat me down and said ‘hey, you’re a good storyteller, you havve some weaknesses, it would be great if you worked on those because you really could do something with this. [6:14] LUCAS KITCHEN – VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ROCKS [7:50] I’m a big believer in high school level vocational programs. I first picked up a camera in a high school media class. I got acquainted with a lot of the basics of video production there, using a camera, storyboarding, etc. LUCAS KITCHEN – KID’S CAMPS TO START [8:28] First professional projects were kid’s summer camps. Someone asked me to shoot video at a summer camp. He called around and booked 10 camps to video that summer and a freelance videography career was born. That phase of the career lasted 7 years. LUCAS KITCHEN – THE DREAM [9:28] Work on freelance videography projects to fund the kind of film projects I really wanted to be doing. The benefits were that I had the equipment and the skill to put together shot film projects and even some feature length documentary projects. The freelance work was fueled by the education and confidence gained originally via the high school vocational video classes LUCAS KITCHEN – WHY STAY IN A SMALL MARKET [12:00] I wondered if Lucas had ever considered giving up a rather enjoyable small town lifestyle for life in a bigger market. My question, which I failed to follow up on properly was really about being able to work with more accomplished people than one might find in a smaller mar...

THE AUDIO PLAYER HAS MOVED TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE After recovering my site following the recent hack as explained in the podcast audio, I have started using a new tool called Thrive Content Builder. Unfortunately there are some issues between this plugin and my audio player. So for now, Please scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to listen to this episode. Hopefully I'll be able to return the player to the top of the page soon. Thanks for your patience!! Interview with Sean Johnson and  Sydnee Simone I got HACKED! Listen to my comments following the interview with Sean Johnson Jr and Sydnee Simone and I'll tell you how I rescued 4 YEARS of podcast episodes after some low life hacked my site and my web host closed me down! Screenwriting Workshop WITH New York Film Academy Top Graduate SEAN JOHNSON JR Writer of "Down By The River," Sean Johnson will be hosting his 2nd annual Screenwriting Workshop in Houston, Tx on January 16th, 2016. The top graduate of New York Film Academic will be sharing the secrets to help you turn your idea into a feature length screenplay. 99.9% of notable screenwriters use this same technique from what we like to call the "Beat Sheet." He will teach you how to finish your story from beginning to end before you even type the first letter of your script! You can reserve your seat now! Click here to go to the EventBrite Sign Up Page.Or you can make a payment for $75 via PayPal.The PayPal Email is seanjohnsonjr@me.com and we'll send your ticket to enter the workshop.seanjohnsonjr@me.com Jason Tyler Sean Johnson's screenwriting class teaches how to know your screenplay from the beginning to end before you even type the first letter of your title page! He truly teaches you how to master the screenplay Nzinga Rideaux Sean Johnson's Screenwriting Classes are a must for beginners. As an aspiring screenwriter I thoroughly enjoyed the class and his one on one coaching style. I am now in the process of completing my first screenplay for review. This would not have happened if I had not taken this class. ​ My guests for this episode of Actors Talk are filmmakers Sean Johnson  and Sydnee Simone. Sean is one of the Exec. Producers and Syndee is the director and one of the lead actors in a new indie film called Pastor's Daughters.In this episode I spent a few minutes with Sean and Sydnee exploring some of the challenges of producing in the low budget indie market, in the faith-based niche and also to some extent, for an African American target audience.​Pastor's Daughters was the first feature film that Ms. Simone has directed but as you'll hear in the interview, she was well prepared following a long season of training behind the scenes from every position from PA to Unit Production Manager prior to accepting this directing assignment.​For those of you who are long-time Actors Talk listeners and readers, you'll remember Sean from previous episodes.