Life in a vacuum....
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”—Malcolm S. Forbes
At an industry mixer recently, one of the speakers talked about a role play he would do with actors to see how they did in a very important (yet often overlooked) part of their jobs: auditioning. He would purposely throw them curve balls to see what their reaction was to changing a preconceived environment.
The purpose wasn't to confuse them and keep them on their toes, the purpose was to get a read on their professionalism and adaptability. When you're handed a script, it doesn't necessarily mean that is the final draft the project will be working with, and changes have to be made to make the story flow better and fit together.
He then reinforced something that I learned very early on during my "Friday Night Lights" days...some people don't really care for anyone else except what's in it for them when they interact with you. Those people, the social climbers, you really have to be weary of in all aspects of life.
The more successful actors would work with the new information given and then go ahead with the audition, those who were not as successful were the ones who immediately would throw fits or disparage the receptionist for them not giving them an opportunity to be at their best by changing the script at the last minute.
The second group, the social climbers, were more concerned with THEIR goals and THEIR comfort rather than how they fit into someone else's project. Disparaging the receptionist merely illustrated how they would react on set with the crew in a similar situation. That's how the speaker would be able to glean if that person was someone that could be trusted to represent their company in a professional and positive manner.
The social climbers live life in a vacuum, and that's a dangerous mindset to be in for many reasons. They don't grow, they don't adapt, they are one-trick ponies who can prove to be successful in the short term, but will eventually cost studios money.
The television and movie industry is more of a symbiotic environment where if even one moving part is not pulling their weight, it can sink an entire project. The actor is an important part of it, I'm not minimizing that role in the least, but they HAVE to be able to recognize what the big picture is. The studio has a lot at stake in terms of funding, marketing, and reach. The director, producers, writers, CDs, talent agents, are all staking their reputations on the line every time they attach their names to a film or series or commercial.
This industry is not a place where you live in that vacuum, it's a place where reputations and careers are on the line....never go into a project with the "what's in it for me" mindset. Don't be the weak rivet that sinks the Titanic and takes down everyone with you.
At an industry mixer recently, one of the speakers talked about a role play he would do with actors to see how they did in a very important (yet often overlooked) part of their jobs: auditioning. He would purposely throw them curve balls to see what their reaction was to changing a preconceived environment.
The purpose wasn't to confuse them and keep them on their toes, the purpose was to get a read on their professionalism and adaptability. When you're handed a script, it doesn't necessarily mean that is the final draft the project will be working with, and changes have to be made to make the story flow better and fit together.
He then reinforced something that I learned very early on during my "Friday Night Lights" days...some people don't really care for anyone else except what's in it for them when they interact with you. Those people, the social climbers, you really have to be weary of in all aspects of life.
The more successful actors would work with the new information given and then go ahead with the audition, those who were not as successful were the ones who immediately would throw fits or disparage the receptionist for them not giving them an opportunity to be at their best by changing the script at the last minute.
The second group, the social climbers, were more concerned with THEIR goals and THEIR comfort rather than how they fit into someone else's project. Disparaging the receptionist merely illustrated how they would react on set with the crew in a similar situation. That's how the speaker would be able to glean if that person was someone that could be trusted to represent their company in a professional and positive manner.
The social climbers live life in a vacuum, and that's a dangerous mindset to be in for many reasons. They don't grow, they don't adapt, they are one-trick ponies who can prove to be successful in the short term, but will eventually cost studios money.
The television and movie industry is more of a symbiotic environment where if even one moving part is not pulling their weight, it can sink an entire project. The actor is an important part of it, I'm not minimizing that role in the least, but they HAVE to be able to recognize what the big picture is. The studio has a lot at stake in terms of funding, marketing, and reach. The director, producers, writers, CDs, talent agents, are all staking their reputations on the line every time they attach their names to a film or series or commercial.
This industry is not a place where you live in that vacuum, it's a place where reputations and careers are on the line....never go into a project with the "what's in it for me" mindset. Don't be the weak rivet that sinks the Titanic and takes down everyone with you.
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