Featured Article: What it’s like to be a beginning actor - by Madison Thompson

I am someone who has yet to find her passion. I have many passions in life, varying in intensity, but I can’t seem to find MINE, that thing you feel you’re meant for in life. I realized this after getting a bachelor’s degree in general studies and then (after a last minute decision) doing a year and a half of prerequisites for a master’s in psychology. After finally admitting Psychology wasn’t what I was “meant for,” there was no point in pursuing the master’s anymore, so I decided to take a semester off for a little soul searching. I had been a student my whole life, it was odd not being one anymore. But I now had all this new found free time and was determined to make use of it. Classes ended in December (2012) and less than a month later, I decided to pursue acting.

I had always been a lover of film and TV. but never saw acting as a viable option for myself. After all, when I was younger I was always “the smart one” and not necessarily “the pretty one,” and was just getting used to being considered beautiful after a substantial 50 pound loss in weight and a significant gain in self-love. I had also come to realize that I was pretty decent at acting, even though I had rarely come across the opportunity. Now that I was actively seeking it out, it was terrifying! Auditions gave me chest pains and I was on the verge of tears the entire time. I never realized how much I cared about what others thought of me until I was literally being judged. After a few, I got more comfortable, but still incredibly nerve wracking. Over the last 8 months, I’ve had about a dozen auditions and I’ve been in 3 productions, one of which I had lines in!

My favorite things about acting so far? First, I see it as a hobby, something I do for fun, so money isn’t my motivation. I haven’t made a cent. Second, I’m not desperate for roles, so I can pick and choose the ones I think I’ll really enjoy (and won’t mind not being paid for). And finally, the people! I’ve met and made friends with more amazing, unique individuals in the last 8 months than in all my years in college.

My least favorite thing? Having high hopes that maybe I’ll be spotted by some director/producer in one of my minor roles and he/she will just have to have me as the leading lady in the upcoming blockbuster staring opposite Bradley Cooper, while simultaneously knowing how INSANELY small the chances are of that happening.

I’m not positive that acting is my calling, passion, whatever, but one thing I know is that it’s the most fun I’ve had in quite some time and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Featured Article: So You Want to Be an Extra In a Film (Part 2) - by Baretta Simmons

Hi, my name is Baretta Simmons an Indie Film maker here in Louisiana, before, I worked on several films as a Background Talent, (EXTRA) I was constantly being asked, How did you get started doing that?

Well it’s not hard at all, but you do have to except the fact that you’re just going to be, more often just a blur in the background, you may get lucky and be placed in the cameras line of site, there are a few things you need to know before you ever step foot onto the film set, and a certain way you must act if you want to continue working as an EXTRA.

YOU HAVE BEEN BOOKED
GOOD JOB! You Have Been Booked for your first day on set, now what?
Here is the scenario, you have an 8:00 Am. Call Time, let’s say location (A) 40minuetes away from your home, you have been asked to bring three sets of clothing, No Reds, No white, and nothing with Logo’s or flashy Patterns on them, short hair, with no facial Hair.

OK, so from this point on allot of what I am about to tell you is just how I get ready for the day  before a shoot , hopefully it will help you, not all circumstances are the same.

PREPARATION
First: Know where you are going, and how to get there.

Why? You ask is this at the top of the list, to be honest it’s always at the top of my List, Let’s say 40 Miles away at point (A) is in an unfamiliar town, you may have driven through it, but never really just spent any time in the town, and don’t forget about Traffic or road closers, always make sure to have an alternate route,
You want to be on time, for your call time, I prefer to be about 15 minutes early,
A few minute early won’t hurt you at all, plus you have to get all your clothing together and head towards the Extras Holding area, OK, a few tips, don’t just rely on one source for a location, GPS doesn’t always work, print out a copy of your directions once you have them, it is good to have a back – up copy with you.
Most of the time the Casting Agency will send you a small map of where the set is located, but not always, when your close to the location there will be small signs to guide you, they look something like the one bellow, OLC, stands for One Last Chance, you may see a crew parking sign and a Extras area sign, just fallow them and you are sure to reach your destination.

Secondly: Do I have the cloths I need? If not what do I do?

Well, you should already know what styles of clothing you have, if you have told the casting agent that you have what He or She has requested, and you don’t, you (LIED) and that’s not good, I can’t help you with that one, all I can say is, FIND SOMETHING FAST.

But let’s say your Honest, and you have an idea of what is needed, this is simple it’s like packing for a trip, get what has been asked of you and pack it up the day before, also it is a good idea to have three alternatives to whatever has been requested, you can keep them in your vehicle and let wardrobe know you have them once on location if needed, I always pack, deodorant, Books, Games, ETC.
I won’t go into all the technical reasons why you shouldn’t bring certain colors of clothing, But I will simply tell you why not to bring anything with a logo on it, simple, TRADEMARK, someone or a company owns the rite to that logo or pattern, you have to have permission to show those logo or patterns, OK moving on.

Thirdly: Hair style and Facial Hair. (Men) and maybe occasionally (WOMAN)

OK guys well, oh wait and occasionally the lady’s, if you don’t have short hair cut it, real simple, Facial Hair, well just fallow the guidelines they gave you, Hopefully you asked if they wanted a full beard, or mustache, or scraggly crack head, OK maybe that’s wrong, I’m sorry I had too, I apologize to the scraggly Haired Crack Heads out there, OK.

This is what I do, I shave the Morning of the shoot date, at the very last minute, I get a five o’clock shadow very quickly, so I do whatever is needed that morning, trim it up or cut it off whatever, simple. You wouldn’t believe it, but I have seen it, a few times, people coming on set not prepared, I have seen Extras Told to leave.

OK so you read this and your thinking, he hadn’t told me jack, I’m not stupid I think I know how to pack and shave, what a waste of time reading this.

Well stay tuned folks for Part Three: ON LOCATION, finally this guy is going to tell me something I don’t know. OK, I promise I will give you a rundown of onset lingo, gosh, I have to stretch all this stuff out, I got a real job ya know, I got five kids to feed OK.

OK guys my bad attempt at being funny, Thanks for Reading.
Baretta Simmons    
 

Let's talk Magic Lantern! (An in depth user's guide) Part 1: Sound

This is the first installment in my in-depth user guide for Magic Lantern. I will not be covering the use of the buttons, etc... This is to explain the functioning of each of the features in the Magic Lantern software package. To facilitate this, each entry will cover one of the tabs in the Magic Lantern software. Each of these tabs has multiple options under it.

Magic Lantern can be downloaded from HERE

So, let's move on.

The first tab is AUDIO.

The Canon cameras, aside from the T3i (and possibly the T4i) have automatic gain control. What this means is that the camera will automatically adjust the gain (input volume) automatically. This will result in quiet scenes developing a lot of noise (hiss) as the camera ramps up the gain in an attempt to capture the sound of the scene. Since the T3i has manual gain control, and Magic Lantern manipulates the automatic functioning - you won't see this menu.

Analog Gain
This setting allows you to control your input volume manually. Figuring out the optimum settings for your rig may take some tweaking. The way you do this is set the gain at one level... then run the scene with the camera in place... watch your VU meter (that is the meter at the top of the screen while Magic Lantern is running). Adjust your Analog Gain till to the point where your meters register well and stay completely in the green... if it gets any higher, you will have to deal with clipping... This applies to all sound levels - whether using a mic, a preamp or just the microphone on the camera for reverence audio.

If you are are using a pre-amp, start in the lower numbers (probably into the negative gain) because the pre-amp boosts the audio signal already and is much more likely to clip your audio.

If you are using an external mic, (depending on the mic you have chosen) you will probably need to bring up the audio levels to get a consistent feed.

L-DigitalGain and R-DigitalGain
This is an "artificial gain" applied to each channel (left and right)...Basically, if you have a need to center the sound on your shoot, but the actors are off center of the mic, this allows you to adjust. I recommend leaving this at 0. These changes, being digital, will increase processor load, heat the camera and drain battery... Also, if your Analog Gain has been set properly, this is something that can easily be adjusted in post.

Input Source
Input source should be self explanatory. This allows you to select a specific input scheme.

Internal mic: This is the built in mic on your camera. This, unless you have no other choice, should be your last option.

L:int R:ext:I've not used this option... it seems odd to me... but it assigns the on-board mic to the left channel of your audio and uses an external mic as the right channel.

External Stereo: Select this setting if you have a mic that has a 3.5mm stero jack on it, like the R0DE Videomic.

L:int R:balanced: This is another mixed set up. It allows you to use a XLR mic with a Canon DSLR. There are adapter cables out there that make this easy.

Auto int/ext: Your camera will detect if a mic is attached automatically.

Wind Filter
This turns on a digital wind filter for the mic. This is a high pass filter. (It turns filters all the frequencies below a certain cut-off and allows frequencies higher than this line.) It can make a windy day a decent shoot day.

Mic Power
If you don't need to use this... don't. It adjust power and impedance on the mic circuit. If you don't need to mess with this, don't. If you are using an external mic that seems to not be working, try changing the setting, but this is only for the technical minded users... the manual of Magic Lantern states.

"This is required for internal mic and certain types of external mics, but it reduces input impedance. See AK4646 datasheet p.31 and the Mic power control thread.

ON: input impedance is 2 kOhm;
OFF: input impedance is 30 kOhm.
This setting is always ON when input source is either internal mic or L:int R:ext."

AGC
This stands for Automatic Gain Control. We discussed AGC at the beginning of this post... KEEP IT OFF... AGC will make your sound completely unusable.

Headphone Mon.
I know, I know... I am skipping one... but that one applies to this entry, so I am covering this now... Magic Lantern allows you to wire up a headphone cable and use the SD output on the Camera. This sounds like a small thing... but this allows you to monitor audio coming off the camera... and THAT is big...

If you plan on using a standard definition monitor, disable this. This is not available on the T3i or T4i.

If you want to use this function, look on line for the Sescom dedicated Canon Monitor cable.

Output volume
This adjusts the volume to the headphones that you are using with the cable described above. It is recommended that you use a low impedance set of headphones... higher impedance sets may require the use of a head phone amp.

Audio Meters
This enables and disables a VU (Voice Unit) meter that allows you to see audio levels as you are recording. Make sure they don't peg out and stay in the green to get good, clean, non-clipped sound.

That completes the audio menu... I hope this helps... NEXT: Exposure.

Featured Article: Sound and Film Making - by Kristopher Hoffman

I've been thinking about this article for a while. It's something that a lot of film makers need to hear... Honestly, so much attention gets paid to the visual landscape of the film that, often, sound falls by the wayside and is an afterthought.

Before I continue, I want you to understand where I am coming from. A lot of what I am going to talk about, as we go along, is what I call the psychology of film making. You are crafting a feel, a look and a pace for your films... you control the screen, and as such, you control what the audience sees and hears... Use that to your advantage and you can make the audience feel what you want them to feel.

For a while, we're going to really ignore the visual aspect of film making. The reason for that is simple even though the mechanisms behind it are not. The way the human mind processes visual data is a complex interplay of focus, filtering and ignorance. The mind and eye focus on movement, and detail is often ignored by the brain. Animators and CGI companies have been taking advantage of his for years. They will reduce the detail in the backgrounds of fast moving scenes to speed up production... I mean, what's the point in having all that detail if the mind isn't going to see it. I won't go into the whys and hows of this, just trust me... this is how it is...

Believe it or not, people will forgive a great deal, visually speaking. We have poor night vision, we don't see well when compared to other animals, and we can't see much beyond movement. As such, we were designed to use our ears a great deal more... Don't believe me? Try sitting in the dark and just listening. Go out at night, sit in the woods and listen. You will hear everything going on around you. If there is nothing to hear, your brain goes into over drive and amps up your hearing to the point that you can, literally, hear the blood rushing through the veins in your ears.

Because we are so invested in our sense of sound, little problems with sound can be devastating. Issues with sound will cause the brain to stop, take inventory and ask, "What the hell was that?" As you can imagine, this will destroy the audiences suspension of disbelief. And really, isn't that the point? To wrap the audience in an experience, make them believe it and tell your story? So, you can see that bad sound can cause lots of problems and destroy the picture you are trying to paint.

So, now you're asking yourself, "How can I fix it? How can I create a good soundscape for my movie?"

Here are a couple simple tips that should help out.

1) DO NOT use on board sound!
Yes, your camera CAN record audio along with your film clips. Yes, you should do that... you should do this for reference audio, but that should never be your primary source of sound.

Why not? The first reason is that the microphone on your camera is not truly directional. This means that this microphone will pick up stray audio from the entire location. You will hear cars, birds, air and any reverberation that may exist in the location.

Using an external microphone and running it into the camera can help with this, but I still wouldn't recommend it. The frequency return on your camera will not be the same as an external recorder. You will lose a lot of your low end (bass) and high end (treble). That is because your camera (NO MATTER WHICH CAMERA YOU ARE USING) is not designed with audio in mind. It is built to capture video... and the manufacturers know that anyone doing professional work will be using an external recording system.

Lastly, many of the cameras use an automatic gain control... this means that the camera will adjust the volume automatically... When your scene gets quiet, the camera boosts the input volume and you get a lot of noise (a hiss.)

An external audio recorder can be purchased for a small amount (we use the ZOOM h4n). If you can't afford an audio recorder, then at least GET AN EXTERNAL MIC. The results will not be as good as with an external recorder, but you will get a better signal return.

2) Use a boom and get the mic as CLOSE to the source as possible.
This will give you the best sound possible. I could give you a long, technical explanation about why, but it would bore you... (and me) So just take my word on this... frame the shot up, get the mic as close to your actors as possible and make sure you point the mic at their mouths.

3) Monitor your sound.
Get a good set of headphones like these. These aren't expensive, and have a good return. Listen to your sound as you are recording. This will allow you to catch audio problems as they happen.

Speaking from experience, there is nothing worse than shooting an entire day, only to realize that the audio was messed up. It sucks to reshoot something that you shouldn't have to.

4) Use blankets.
If you hear excessive reverb (slight echoes) in your audio, lay blankets on the ground. If the shot is not a wide master that shows their feet, you can control stray sound waves this way. They don't have to be special blankets, the ones of your bed will do.

5) Ground out your mic.
When you use a shotgun mic, you are working with a "pick up template." The pick up template refers to a shape in 3 dimensional space that will pick up the sound of anything it touches. This template, will pick up noise off into the distance... much farther than you realize.

So, when ever possible, point the microphone at the ground. This will "ground out' the mic, causing it to stop picking up additional sound at ground level. If you point it up, you are catching the sounds of trees, birds, air, airplanes, the air conditioner... ALL OF IT.

6) ROOM TONE... LOVE IT... GET IT... USE IT...
Often, indie film makers will edit without room tone... this means that lines will be delivered and there is a noticeable lack of sound between lines. This can be solved by recording and using room tone.

Room tone is exactly what it sounds like... the tone of the room or location you are working in... BEFORE you start shooting, the first thing you need to do is make every one stop talking, stop moving... if at all possible - get everyone to leave the room... then take 3 minutes and just record the silence. You can't hear it, but the mic and recorder will...

When you edit your conversations... listen for gaps in sound... and apply room tone to the silence... it will make a world of difference.

7) Use headphones when editing.
When you are done editing, listen with your headphones on. Fix the problems before release.

These 7 tips should help you craft an enthralling soundscape and help push the boundaries of disbelief in your films. Learn them, use them... love them.

The Naked Truth About Acting - Part 2: What's Groupon Got To Do With It?? by Teri Elaine

I received an email from a friend of mine a number of months ago, saying that he had just purchased an amazing deal from Groupon, and that if I also took advantage of this amazing opportunity, he could get his purchase for free.  Intrigued, as I am all for a good deal, I clicked on the link in the email, only to be gob-smacked when I discovered that the "deal" was an Extra/Background role in a movie being filmed locally - for only $20!

  After picking myself up of the floor, after falling off my chair laughing (I vaguely remember my Grande Soy Vanilla Latte being sprayed on the walls...), I quickly called said friend - we'll call him "X" - and told him to ask for a refund, as he had been clearly ripped off.  Sadly, he was unable to get his purchase back and, as far as I know, he has yet to be able to redeem his "special."

" X" and Groupon aside, I think quite a number of people who are just starting out in the industry tend to fall into the same traps as my friend did - the belief that "paying your dues to get started" is a literal, monetarial statement (A/N - I made that word up.  I like it. It works. Take that, Webster.) So, humor me and allow me to clear up a few misconceptions.

Myth #1 - "I need to pay for a good agent."  AKA - "Give me $300 and I will get you a role by next week."
      FALSE - not only is this false, but it should cause warning bells to clang in your head, causing your fight and flight instinct to kick into high gear.  NEVER - let me repeat, NEVER - pay anyone claiming to be an agent upfront.  No agent can guarantee you work, and no agent worth his salt will ask you to make such a financial investment.  The truth is, an agent doesn't get paid unless his talent works - and most agents typically get 10 - 15% (20%  is also common in L.A. and NYC) of what a project pays, AFTER said project is completed.

Myth #2 - "I need a manager."
     FALSE - While most of us would love to have someone manage our day-to-day commitments and life decisions, the truth of the matter is,  unless you are high up on the StarMeter, you don't need a manager.  In fact, at this point in the game, you are your best manager, as you know what you want to do and where you want to go in the industry.  A manager, while good at organizing your daily bookings and getting you seen, will take anywhere from 15-20% of your salary - and that's on top of the 10-20% your  agent gets.  If you insist on finding one, remember that a good manager doesn't advertise.

Myth #3 - "I can use regular photos as my headshots."  OR  "I can use my headshots from last year."
    FALSE - I actually chuckled while writing that.  Forgive me.  I've heard these two lines so many times, i feel like I should make a T-shirt with my answer.  Imagine going to a 5 star restaurant, asking for their finest wine, and being served said wine in a paper cup.  Not very attractive or appealing.  True, it's still the same wine, but the preparation and presentation don't make for a good impression.  The same is true of a headshot.  A headshot is meant to attract and grab a Casting Director's attention - the attention to detail and lighting, while subtle, can and do make all the difference between getting a Call Back and not being able to pay rent.  Take my advice - take your Groupon money and the dollars you've saved from not "buying" an agent, and invest in good, quality headshots.

     Now, with that said, it's important to understand that headshots need to be updated every 6-8 months - more frequently for minors and young actors.  Also, any time you change your physical appearance - hair color, hair length, weight, etc - you MUST get new headshots made.  In other words, if you don't look like your photo anymore, it's time to get new ones.  When I am casting for a movie or tv show, I am given very specific breakdowns by the Director - if I ask you to come in for an audition because your headshot  shows you with blonde hair, you better show up with blonde hair.

So, there you have it  - my " Trifecta of Talent Truisms" - or something like that. I will step off my soap-opera box now and go back to surfing the Internet - hmm, Groupon has a deal on beach-front property in Arizona...

Teri can be found on facebook HERE.

Her company, Controlled Chaos Productions can be found HERE and on facebook HERE

Featured Article: Canon DSLRs, Magic Lantern and Making Your Camera a POWERHOUSE by Kristopher Hoffman

In a previous article (that can be found HERE), I outlined a basic camera kit. This kit offers flexibility and image quality, as well as many options for upgrades, for the beginning film maker. The kit is relatively in expensive (especially when compared to the options used by the big studios), topping out at about $1500 (as opposed to the RED system cameras at $60k and others at higher price tags).

Today, I am going to talk about an addition to your camera that comes at a very, very good price - free. It's called Magic Lantern.

When Canon released its new series of DSLR cameras, the video function was an after thought. Only one camera had it, and it wasn't very good. Within weeks, there was a clamor from the public to support that functionality and Canon listened. In every generation of camera since, the video functionality has gotten better and better.

Now, before I continue, I need to say the following: Some of you are already upset with me because I am not talking about the Nikon DSLRs that also have amazing video quality. Here are my reasons.

• I have always been a Canon guy. My first SLR camera was a Canon, and I never looked back. All of my cameras have been Canon, and that is mainly because I KNOW the Canon tech and menus.
• I have never owned a Nikon. I have a dear friend that is a Nikon guy. We give each other hell about the manufacture of our cameras, but it is good natured ribbing. 
• I have nothing against Nikon cameras, but I know NOTHING about them.
• I have always preferred Canon glass (lenses). I have always felt that, for consumer and prosumer needs, Canon offers better image sharpness, color return and functionality in their lenses. 
• Magic Lantern is available only for Canon cameras. 

That's why I'm not talking about the Nikon cameras for film makers. If you are a Nikon user, and you would like to contribute an article about using Nikon DSLRs for independent film making, please... Send me an E-MAIL, and we will be sure to include it in the series. 

The following section features information DIRECTLY from the Magic Lantern site found HERE. Information that is copied directly from the site will be denoted with its text in the following format. 

What is Magic Lantern? 

Magic Lantern is an enhancement atop of Canon's firmware that frees your Canon DSLR, allowing you to use many useful features. Initially developed for filmmakers, it now has functionality for both photo and video enthusiasts, including manual audio, zebras, focus assist tools, bracketing, motion detection and much more. It is an open (GPL) framework for developing extensions to the official software. It does not replace the existing firmware, but instead runs along side of it. There is no need to "uninstall" it -- simply format your card to reboot to the stock Canon firmware.

What does that all mean? It means that Magic Lantern is software that runs from the card on your camera. It makes no changes to the camera itself, but takes advantage of the Canon camera's ability to run applications and firmware off your memory card. This software adds functionality that has only been available on MUCH more expensive cameras. Functionality that you desperately need if you are going to be using your camera for any serious video production. 

The advantage to ML is that it is not and does not modify your camera in any way. There is no changing of firmware and nothing is installed to the camera directly, nor does it negate your warranty.

Testimonial: We had a T2i for just over a year before it developed a dead pixel in the sensor. We had been using Magic Lantern for most of that time. When I sent the camera in for service, they did not detect anything untoward with the camera (As ML resides and runs on the memory card) and serviced it. Twice. 

I have been asked "Why not just buy a video camera?"

Why Not Buy a Video Camera?

Well... let's look at the benefits of a DSLR over video cameras... The Canon DSLRs have the following advantages. 

• They shoot in HD
• Shoot at 50 mbps data stream
• They have interchangeable lenses
• They have a 35mm or larger sensor

To find a camera that can match these advantages, then buy it. But you will be spending $25k or more... and that is without lenses. 

True, there are some limitations to using the DSLRs, like a lack of balanced XLR inputs and the dreaded 12 minute recording time. 

NOTE: The limitation of recording 12 minutes at a time is NOT a limitation imposed by the cameras. Nikon and Canon will have the same limitation due to the high (50mbps) data rate of the clips recorded. This limitation is actually a limitation imposed by the file system (NTFS). The NTFS file system is what most modern computers use and has a limite of 4gb per file. Magic Lantern has the ability to reduce the bitrate of clips captured, and we have successfully beat the 12 minute mark using it, by recording a 24 minute clip at half bitrate with no noticeable image degredation. Before you complain about the limits of a piece of hardware research the reasons behind it. 

As for the inputs, anyone who has been making films will tell you that you should be using an external audio recorder anyway for the best sound and that you should only use camera audio for reference anyway... In short the lack of balance XLR inputs are not going to be your friend on set anyway. (We use a R0DE Videomic, a boom pole and a Zoom h4n to record our audio... It allows my sound guy to be mobile and collect amazing sound quality.)

So, as I said, if you can afford to get the high end cameras that overcome these faults in the DSLR, I recommend that you do so. If I had the money, my team would be running three of the Blackmagic Designs Cinemacam 4ks. And if you have the money to do that, it is unlikely that this guide is for you. 

What are the benefits that Magic Lantern offers me?

I will be compiling an in depth user guide for Magic Lantern pretty soon, but the short of it can be explained with a couple small details. 

Magic Lantern allows you easy access to zebras. When you are planning on any green screen work or need to know that your colors are consistent across an image, Zebras are necessary. This feature is rarely seen on cameras that cost less than $5k and can be an integral part of any production.

Magic Lantern gives you access to additional ISO settings. What this means is that you can adjust your settings on a much finer level and aim for a uniform look between clips in changing light levels. 

Magic Lantern allows you to balance your camera to the color temp of your lights. You are no longer stuck with the basic (and often bad) balance options on your camera. This ability is KEY in the ability to shoot color neutral shots and grade in post. Without this, I don't think that my stuff would look nearly as good as it does. 

ML does a great deal more than these things, but just these functions are game changers and will make your DSLR a power house. Over the next few months, I intend to cover ever aspect of ML t give you an idea of how much it can really do for your productions. 

Featured Article: So You Want to Be an Extra In a Film - by Baretta Simmons

Hi, my name is Baretta Simmons an Indie Film maker here in Louisiana, before, I worked on several films as a Background Talent, (EXTRA) I was constantly being asked, How did you get started doing that?

Well it’s not hard at all, but you do have to except the fact that you’re just going to be, more often just a blur in the background, you may get lucky and be placed in the cameras line of site, there are a few things you need to know before you ever step foot onto the film set, and a certain way you must act if you want to continue working as an EXTRA.

GETTING STARTED 
Step One: Signing up.
Contact Your Local Casting agency, through Email, or by Phone, look at their website, most give you a description of what their needs are, some will give you a rundown of what they expect from their EXTRAS, You will have to provide them with your Age , Weight , Height , Hair Color, Eye Color,  what Race You are , what special skills you may have, and a slew of other questions, (DO NOT LIE ABOUT YOUR SPECIAL SKILLS), Most importantly a Photo, it does not have to be a professional studio Photo, it needs to be well lit, and a good background, at least two Photos , a close up  of your face, about from your chest up, second a full body shot , from head to toe, some agency’s  may request more photos, but this is the basic one’s.

Step Two: Communicating with the agencies.
Keep in touch with the casting agency, through email and their Website first, do not constantly call them daily asking if you have been chosen, you will know when you are chosen,  they will call you, and email you if you get selected.

Staying in touch with them by email is the best way in my opinion; they are looking at emails constantly through their database. Casting agencies have a ton of work to do, be respectful if you do call them, and don’t get an attitude, keep your conversation professional and short.

Step Three: Preparation.
While You’re at Home waiting for that call go through your clothing, look at what you have, casting agencies will call you and ask you do you have a suit? Can you wear a size whatever Jacket, the point is it is very important for you to know your sizes and what you can fit into comfortably, And don’t throw away those cloths from the early 80s or 90s you might just need them, you will be asked to bring a variety of clothing, depending on the scenes for the day, most often you will be told to bring earth toned color clothing.

In Part two, You Have Been Booked, I will give you a rundown of all the information you will need to make sure you are prepared for that first day on set, don’t worry it’s not hard to remember, just some tips to make sure you are up and running and ready to go.

Tutorial: External Battery System for Canon and Nikon DSLRs

In this post (LINK) I mentioned that you can make an external battery system for your camera. This is the video tutorial on how to do it.

WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A SOLDERING IRON. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS... SOLDERING IRONS ARE EXTREMELY HOT. THEY CAN CAUSE VERY BAD BURNS AND START FIRES.



I state in the video that this will void the warranty... It will only void the warranty on the AC ADAPTER.

The materials needed for this project are listed below.

AND as stated in the video, I did the research - this will work with the Nikon Cameras too. They use a 7.4 volt battery as well. Just substitute the appropriate AC adapter for your camera.

ADDENDUM: This will ALSO work for the t3i and t4i cameras with the proper AC adapters.

Canon 2ti AC adapter (if you have a different camera, order the right one): http://amzn.com/B003UNRHF0

XT60 Connectors (you need two sets): http://amzn.com/B005I0II1K

Shrink Tubing (multipack here): http://amzn.com/B0014C5ROM

Helping Hands (this is the exact one in the video): http://amzn.com/B000RB38X8

Soldering gun (get a high wattage gun - more heat means less time in contact with components... Less chance of burning or melting things): http://amzn.com/B004QO9M46

Solder (This has the flux built into it, so for instructions on how to use it to tin the tips, etc. look online): http://amzn.com/B0068AF25Y

Battery Pack (This pack is bigger than mine, but also has a higher mAh rating, so will last longer): http://amzn.com/B0006N6XAM

Charger (Not the same one I showed, but this should do the trick... you will, however, have to wire a connector to it.): http://amzn.com/B004W47NIM

Talent Showcase: Tony Pallo

Tony Pallo is a film maker in the New Orleans area.

His history in the biz started when a cousin left for California in 1998. Tony spent time making videos to make him laugh. He always wanted to act, but never really pursued it when he was young - he was always just the guy that wanted to make people laugh and feel good. In 2008, when a 20 year relationship ended in a broken heart, he stumbled into his passion for acting. He was looking for a second job to make some extra money when he stumbled across a background acting gig on craigslist. A week later, he was on set. In that first day, he knew his calling. After the film, he got an acting coach, an agent and never looked back.

He went on auditions. Started networking and making friends in the industry. After a while, he decided to stop waiting for auditions and making things happen.

Tony became a film maker - he bought a camera, started learning and started filming. As he started producing his own work, he discovered a love for writing and directing as well as his love for acting.

Currently, Tony is in pre-production with Savage Light Studios for a short martial arts comedy film titled - "The Dojo." After "The Dojo," Tony has plans for more films that are already in the works; including a Mafia themed short film and a film about two mischievous guardian angels.

While he describes his film making style as "my own", Tony is strongly influenced by his spirituality and Jerry Lewis. As a matter of fact, "The Dojo" is an homage to Lewis' "Nutty Professor" comedy.

For Tony, inspiration strikes while he works his day job, which involved a lot of driving. While driving, he records his thought on an audio recorder and types them up when he gets home. The process of typing up his scripts and thoughts, as with many of us, is the least favorite part. He confesses, "I type slow." Though, he readily admits that his laptop is the most important part of his gear. It is his typewriter, editing bay and publicity and advertising platform.

On the subject of team work in film making, Mr. Pallo states that the most important thing to do is "Learn your craft. Don't just wing it. It will show in your film." He goes on to say that if he could hire ONE person, it would be a Production Manager, "I hate paperwork." Though the process is a lot of work, he feels that filming his projects and watching them all come together in pose makes all the work totally worth it.

Tony's favorite piece was a spiritually themed short film called, "Eric's Illumination." It reflects his beliefs and tells a heart warming story as well. Since the completion of "Eric's Illumination," it has shown at several film festivals, including the Pelican D'or film festival in Chalmette, Louisiana.

Tony has some advice for aspiring actors looking to break into the biz. The advice comes from a place of exprience - as an actor, a director and an industry professional. "When reading a casting call, follow the directions. Don't send a resume and headshots for a role you don't fit."

On the subject of the studio system (Hollywood Film Making), he says that the films are so expensive to make because of "Many reasons." He cites actor's salary or CGI. He also says, "But you can make a great film with a smaller budget. It's been done before."

I always end my interviews with a couple funny questions... Here's the questions and Tony's answers.

Other than this interview, what is the stupidest thing you've ever agreed to do?
Quit a job without having another one lined up.

When the aliens land on earth, why will you be the first person they talk to?
Because I'm Tony Pallo... even aliens want to laugh.

Featured Article: Into the Abyss - Call for Help by T.J. Buckner

How many of us have heard this before, while walking through a parking lot at a local convenience store/grocery store/department store?... "Hi... I hate to bother you but, I'm from out of town, and I just came to visit my mother who's in the hospital. Well, my car just broke down, and I can't get my credit card to work. I don't have any cash on me, and I just need a little cash to...", etc., etc., etc.

When an up-and-coming indie film production company tries to shoot a short film, a web series, a documentary, anything, we often feel like this guy... asking complete strangers for money, for purposes truly unknown except for what we tell you. Is our mother really in the hospital? Did our car really just break down? Do we really even have a credit card that, for some mysterious reason, has inaccessable funds which we would, under any other circumstance, use rather than asking strangers for money??? Well, this is how I feel... and I'm a horrible beggar!

My name is T.J. Buckner, co-founder of Dream, Pierre! Productions and 5th Wall Productions in Shreveport, LA. I'm a screenwriter/actor/director, and a man with a dream which exceeds my grasp by a great deal more than even I realize. My co-founder and fiance', Donnie Pierre Buckner is an amazing actress/model/editor. Our production company has produced 5 short films in the past two years, all on much less than a "shoestring" budget, one of which is currently under consideration in the Phenom Film Festival in Bossier City, LA. We are now working on a web series which I hope will find its way to the television screen.

This web series is titled "Into the Abyss". It's a gritty, dark, serial drama about life and death, love and hate, wealth and poverty... in short, it's about the world in which we live and the people who live in it with us. It's a study in the human psyche, why we do the things we do, the decisions we make and the events that happen around us that change us to the very core.

It is my intention to introduce these characters during the course of the first season, allow the audience to learn who they are, what they are, why they are, to develop "relationships" with these characters, and then, in the second season, to thrust them all into an abyss darker and more violent than any of them would ever have imagined. New alliances will be formed, old friendships dissolved, and the characters will do things to survive that they would not have done before.

I've created a cast of very interesting characters to interact with one another through the course of this series, and more will come along as the story develops. All of my characters have their own back story, their own history, their own conflicts which come into play during the run of the show. The wealthy surgeon who's had to venture into the dark side of medicine to make ends meet... his daughter who is in love with the young man from the "other side of the tracks", and refuses to follow in her fathers footsteps and become a surgeon, rather than stay by her young lovers side... the young man who struggles to find a job to support her, only to slip into alcohol and drug abuse, and even crime, as things become more and more bleak... his mother, who has suffered from the same substance abuse since her husband left her fifteen years ago, struggling to raise a family alone, in a run-down trailer park just miles from the wealthy surgeon who was almost hers... her brother, the police detective, who must protect her and her son while dealing with gang related crimes on the streets of New Orleans... the social worker at the employment agency... the old-school gangsta boss... the young Russian mob boss... the surgeon's wife... the preacher... the head of security with his own dark habits... the "college professor" with a bloody secret... the list goes on and on. The characters are bold, vibrant, three-dimensional "people", none of them completely good, none completely evil. They are as real as you and I. And when the second season begins, they must all come together to survive in the darkest abyss of all.

To this end, however, we're going to need a bit of help... and here's where the begging comes in. I feel that after we get through the first three or four episodes, the show will carry itself. But, successfully shooting those first episodes will either make or break this series. We can't do it on the zero budget we had for our short films. We must have the right locations, many of which will come with a price. We must feed our actors, and many of them don't care for ramen noodles!... I've asked them. We need extras, props and costumes, all the trappings that come with any production, and we simply can't do this alone.

We have set up a promotional page on Indiegogo. You can read about the series there, see clips from myself and some of the performers, and see the list of perks we're offering to those who donate to our cause. The perks aren't much... all we can afford, really. If we could offer more, we probably wouldn't need to beg for contributions!! And, the clips... especially the "scenes from the series" clips... are not shot on location, are not shot with a good quality camera, are not what our audience will be seeing in the actual episodes. So, don't judge us based on these... please!

Also, you can check out our website, which you can access from the Indiegogo page, or check us out on Facebook, under "Into the Abyss", "Dream, Pierre! Productions" and "5th Wall Productions".

To sum up... finally... we would be eternally grateful for any help you can offer us in the production of this series. It's going to be a fantastic show! And, with a little luck, some television network bigshot will see it and put it on the screen, a real live tv show!! If we get no funding at all, the show WILL go on. It will suffer by comparison to what it might have been, but it will be shot nonetheless. These actors want to act, and they will get that opportunity! And with your help, it will be an acting experience worthy of their acting reel, and something neither they, nor you as a contributor and viewer, will ever forget.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!

T.J. Buckner

Dream, Pierre! Productions

5th Wall Productions