[NEohioPAL] actors-the essence of ephemera

Mon Apr 13 07:22:24 PDT 2009

Was this just a dig on film actors or an attempt affirming the stage actor?  

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Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:15:22 -0700
From: ensemble-theatre at sbcglobal.net
To: seanpratt at comcast.net; neohiopal at listserve.com
Subject: [NEohioPAL] actors-the essence of ephemera

The acting profession is, by its very nature, ephemeral. And I am speaking now ONLY of
live stage actors, who normally do not get their performances recorded. That is the largest part of the acting tradition historically, as seen in every ancient and modern culture on the planet. Film acting is a recent phenomena (about 100 years) and the Hollywoods, Ballywoods, and other woods are making fast work of 'screen appearances." If, as they say, 'actors are a dime a dozen' for stage actors, they are a dime a gross for film. 

But acting on film is not acting - anymore. It has become a ritual of appearance and 
finance and assembly line industrialization as the competition becomes world-wide. 
There is a cosmic difference between a camera crew watching your performance, take after 
take, after take. . . . .and a seated audience of breathless patrons who are not concerned with light levels, focus, location, sweating actors, lens angles, and closeups. It is a world
180 degrees removed from everyday life, which the stage performance simulates the closest in order to 'suspend one's disbelief' in order to truly surrender to the plot.

We have lost the intimacy of human contact - a nearly century old argument, but still as vitally true as the first day a silent film was shown in 1908. The exact same is to be said for television which now consumes more daily hours in the majority of this planet's inhabitants than, working, sleeping, having sex, eating, shopping, driving, and talking! Acting is so much a part of everyday life that it has lost its edge as a 'talented' profession - one that truly rose to the top because it practiced 'no fear' at the chance for just a moment in the limelight. 

It is this will-o-the-wisp aspect of acting that is seen in the Equity contracts that allow
actor bees to hover from flower to flower to gather as much nectar as possible in a short
period of time. No nine to five guarantee of employment here. Why bother about burning your bridges when you're making money - a true sign of the times. Unless of course you are a film megastar, making 40 million dollars a picture. That is like comparing a hydrogen
atom to the Andromeda Galaxy - same system - somewhat size differential.    

If the boost in pay by skipping a previous committment is the value designated by the actor
in question, then so be it. 

After all, aren't actors only a dime a dozen?

Martin Cosentino

--- On Sat, 4/11/09, seanpratt at comcast.net <seanpratt at comcast.net> wrote:

From: seanpratt at comcast.net <seanpratt at comcast.net>
Subject: [NEohioPAL] 04/13/09 - SEAN PRATT PRESENTS HIS WEEKLY ARTICLE ON THE BUSINESS OF THE BIZ
To: neohiopal at listserve.com
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 3:22 PM

04/13/09 - SEAN PRATT PRESENTS HIS WEEKLY ARTICLE ON THE BUSINESS OF THE BIZ 

Actor Marketing 102 - Why Actors are a Dime a Dozen

At its root, the saying, “Actors are a dime a dozen,” reveals both a
profound problem and great opportunity with actor marketing. 

The problem is that actors fail to show the director, agent, casting director,
etc. the unique talents, skills and experience that they alone can bring to a
role.  If you don’t show them how you are different and why you are worth
their time and money, then you’re less likely to be singled out as the best
choice for a role.  It’s the difference between being thought of as plain
vanilla ice cream and Ben and Jerry’s, “Cherry Garcia.”  Here’s why
it’s so important…

To read the rest of this article go to:
http://playwrights.suite101.com/article.cfm/actor_marketing_102 

Based in Washington D.C., Sean Pratt has been a professional actor for more
than 20 years.  He also teaches classes on and writes articles about the
business of the Biz. www.seanprattpresents.com

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