You should have scheduled or completed your head shots by now, and begun getting your resume information together. Be sure to visit the MN Film and TV Board website at least once to see what they offer.

Week FOUR homework, due week FIVE:

1. There will be a test: Study the hand signals, glossary, and instructions for marking up scripts. Kids and Parents will work together and take the same test.

2. Continue memorizing the spot you performed in week three, and be sure to activate your body. Move your hands and body while you read. Be interesting to watch. Be ready to be asked to make the words you are emphasizing even stronger, more exaggerated. Be prepared to perform it flawlessly in week 6. Make decisions on how it should be performed.

3. Begin practicing the multi-talent script for week 6.

Week three homework, due week four:

1. Choose two of these three things to tell us how excited you are about them: your favorite food, favorite activity, or your favorite toy. You will talk on camera for 15 seconds for each of the two things you choose.

2. Email in all information you think might be relevant to putting on a resume, and the instructor will reply with questions and comments. Or send your resume, if you have a completed one.

3. After Sat, Feb 11, read these directions for marking up scripts, and practice with the scripts there.

Acting Unions

The AFL-CIO affiliate Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4as) is the parent union for all actors. For stage the union is Actors' Equity Association (AEA), often called simply Equity, for film it's the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and for Television and Radio it's AFTRA, (AFTRA) Website . There is some overlap between SAG and AFTRA. For music it's the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), which has some overlap with AFTRA.

I've contacted Equity, SAG and AFTRA for their current agent's lists.

Week two assignments

These were to practice commercials chosen from that week's handout, practice moving your body before you speak, and practice saying loud with a smile while bouncing "I'm [name], I'm [years old], I go to [school] and I'll be [age] in [month]."

You chose a commercial to memorize from the scripts handout brought home.

When you get your first agent interview you should be able to talk continuously from any question. Talking more is better than talking less in an interview. Be sure to have fun!

Learning to memorize with a tape

Whether you think you are ready to memorize or not, practice reading your commercial out loud over and over again to get familiar with it. Next, record yourself on a tape (or CD or MP3 for your player or whatever you have).

If you don't think you have a way to record yourself, note that some boomboxes can record on cassette tapes. Some old cassette-style portable players can too. If yours plays cassette tapes, and there is a record button or a tiny hole or plug that says "MIC," yours can too. If you don't have a way to record cassettes, Wal-Mart has some inexpensive ones. Check out the microcassete player/recorders too. You can also ask friends if their family has an old tape recorder laying around they could lend or sell you.

Once you have recorded yourself, STAND UP, and talk along with yourself over and over WITHOUT reading. You'll make a lot of mistakes at first but DON'T LOOK AT THE PRINTED WORDS. Hide them. Keep repeating until you make no mistakes FIVE TIMES IN A ROW. Then try it with the tape turned off until you say it perfectly FIVE TIMES IN A ROW. You can listen through a headset or with the speaker.

To help your memorization, whenever you're doing something that you don't have to talk or think too much for, (in the car, eating, getting ready for bed, etc.) repeat it to yourself in your head. Be sure to practice in the car on the way to any class or audition!!

Links from week two:
http://www.risingstars.net/help.htm
http://www.minorcon.org/