How to make it in acting for FREE

Winter Scholarship 2008

Imagine getting 6 months in which you were guided by industry professionals, taught acting by talented and passionate coaches and then given deportment, grooming, photoshoot and representation by one of Queensland's top agents Natalie Hall....

STOP IMAGINING...

ITS RIGHT HERE!

Scholarship 2008 is a chance for people who have not yet experienced the Australian Acting Academy to get a 4 hour workshop and a chance to share in $40 000 worth of prizes.

It will truly kick start the 20 young hopefuls that in its career. The best thing is it is held in the Safety Net philosophy of the Academy...no Harsh Judges, no nervous moments, just fun and support and the chance to train where the Veronica's, Ben &Josh Lawson, Josh Thomas, and a host of otherindustry professionals trained.


People who take the chance will pay $20 and then enjoy the ride that includes, improvisation, Devising & Introduction to camera. The whole thing will move so fast and be so much fun that I am sure the 8-17 year old's who attend will be left with a grin from ear to ear.


Acting is 1 part skill, 1 part network and 1 part LUCK....LUCK standing for Location, Understanding, Connections and Knowledge. This holidays 20 people will create their own luck, the rest will take care of itself.

Yours in Acting

Brendan Glanville

A funny thing happened on the way home from Acting Camp

I just arrived back from our Summer Acting Camp and was so "blown away" by what happened there I wrote the following letter to the students who attended.

I thought I'd also share it with you here ...

A Funny thing happened on the way home from ACTING CAMP…YOU CHANGED THE WORLD!!

Let me explain…

As you read this you will be in mixed emotions. Part of you will be sad that it is over, proud that you hold in your hand over 80 compliments from people who really care, part happy to going be home to your family and there will be possibly be this CONFUSED feeling, hard to place, like you are somehow different.

WELL YOU ARE!

You don’t have an experience like this and not grow. Some of you will have grown HEAPS, some quite a bit, some maybe a little…

BUT YOU ALL HAVE GROWN.

So that leads you to the big QUESTION…NOW WHAT?

YOU HAVE A QUEST!

YOU MUST BEGIN TO COMBINE THE WORLD ON AAA CAMP WITH THE REAL WORLD.

WHY SHOULD BEING CONFIDENT, NICE, CARING, SUPPORTIVE, CREATIVE AND JOYFUL BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HIDE?

THIS COULD BE HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY!!!

If people think your strange for being like this WELL WE THINK YOU ARE MAGNIFICENT!

I truly believe together we can change the world.

Here are 3 steps to make it possible.

Step 1: Change how YOU treat people. Start small then build. Maybe only 20% at first, but then you will soon build this to more. People were nice to you on camp because you were nice to them.

Step2: Journal. Get all the ‘DRAMA’ in your life on the page or on the stage. GET IT OUT OF YOUR LIFE.

Step 3: Find allies for QUEST. Recruit your friends into the world of the AAA. The more people you can get to experience what you have the sooner we will see the change.

IMAGINE…
If we could get more people to experience the AAA, and the SAFTEY NET, you could STOP PRETENDING and BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

Before long BEING POSITIVE would not be the minority, it would be the MAJORITY!!!!

IMAGINE
NO BULLYING, NOT JUST AT THE AAA! Soon it would be NO BULLYING in schools as so many school kids (private and state) would have experienced the AAA, and as students left training at the AAA to join university or the workforce the SAFTEY NET would go with them there as well.

IMAGINE
A simple philosophy would begin sweeping this corner of the country and then as people trained up to be AAA teachers to share this wonderful philosophy, and began to share it in other countries soon teenagers around the world would be having the same experience you just had on camp.

IMAGINE
A ripple crossing the globe that you HELPED CREATE!

I know some of you will say TOO HARD and give up… No Matter I WON’T!

I was told by many well educated people that the Acting Academy is JUST a place where kids ‘DO’ acting after school. It won’t go anywhere.

Well 14 years later and over 40 000 kids and TEENS have experienced the AAA, with international positivity rippling out from it around the world I GUESS THEY WERE WRONG. BUT THERE IS MORE THAT CAN BE DONE.

DON’T KEEP THIS PLACE TO YOURSELVES.

It takes many people to make this positive change go global. But the sooner we start that happening the sooner the change will occur.

May you join with me in silencing the critics and creating a place where we truly can BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

Thank you for sharing your journey with me, may you have the courage to share it with your friends.

With the deepest respect and gratitude ...

Brendan Glanville
Founder - Australian Acting Academy

PS: We have also included some info for you to use on your QUEST. Make sure it gets INTO THE RIGHT HANDS.

PPS: I have attached a quote from Steve Jobs for your wall…sounds like us don’t you think?


"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." Steve Jobs

Speaking Tip: 7 Ways to Make an Impact When You Present

1. Be prepared

Fail to plan and plan to fail. So many speakers who know their content make the mistake of thinking that that will be enough. In today's society people often arrive at a presentation and before you have even started to speak they begin to make judgements. They tick the boxes on:


What's the venue like?


Are the seats comfortable?


Who has the speaker attracted to them?


What does the room look like?


Is there anything interesting to look at?


People haven't come to HEAR you they have come for an experience. The experience starts the moment they enter the building. There will be some things that you will have no control over, but with other things you will.

Know what energetic state you want your audience to be in and then create a foyer that helps them get there.

Large blown-up testimonials and some photos of you in action are a good place to start.2. Warm up your instrument

You would never consider going for a run without starting with a wall or a jog. The same goes with your voice. Your presentation is something you must be warmed up for. Particularly in:
Mind - You must divorce yourself of the organizing at least 30 minutes before doors open. It would be best to have an assistant to look after everyone and everything.
Some people like to quieten their mind by listening to music, some like to read notes or look at bullet points, others like to get them selves hyped. Find what puts you in the game state and do it.


Voice - tongue twisters, Tongue rolls, and vocal warm ups ( you can get tapes and books with them in) . It's important that you do these. A lazy tongue will affect your articulation and your vocal aesthetic.


Body - Jumping up and down on the spot. Twists and hanging from your waist are good ways to get your body in the right place.


Spirit - What are you here to say? Some people believe that it is no co-incidence who is in the audience to hear you. If you had a divine message what would it be? Get in touch with your own sense of trust that all will go very well.


3. Chase the Demon

The demon in questions is NERVES. Be clear whether you really are nervous or are you merely excited. Sometimes the difference is only recognizing where you are at. After all, to be able to speak in front of a live audience puts you in the top 1% of the world which can be very exciting.

Sometimes though, nerves can be debilitating and that's when it becomes the 'DEMON'.

The best way to chase the demon is to recognize it. Think about it. If you are talking to someone and they ignore you, you talk louder. The same happens with your nerves. If you ignore your nerves they will become stronger.

On the other hand, to reduce them put your attention on them. Simply get in a quiet place and ask where you are feeling the nerves in your body. I know this may sound strange but when you have done that, thank them and tell them you are safe. When you do that, they may move but keep chasing them each time calmly thanking them. Before you know it, they will subside.

4. Time

No what time you have on each point and stick to it. It has been said that people who talk too long without getting to a point are less effective.

You should change the focus of your audience every 10 minutes, be it a group discussion, talk to the person beside you, power point, some music. The more you keep them interested the more engaged they will be.

5. Nowhere to hide

Before you go in, try and get some time on stage to walk around and OWN the space. DO NOT LET THE FIRST TIME YOU ARE ON STAGE BE WHEN YOU START.

Walk around and test your voice, hitting the back of the room. Look at the empty seats and imagine them full, practice connecting with every row.

Make sure you are placed closer to the audience; it will make you appear more confident, open and trustworthy.

IF you are using power point or projection, have it off to the left of you, and not in the middle.

Test mics and anything technical.

6. Next question please

If you are going to take questions then make sure you have an answer or have a contingency that will not make you look silly.

7. Start with the end in mind

It is said that a beginning and an ending is all that an audience remembers. Make sure yours is strong. Have a good idea of when you are going to wind up, and lead the audience to the place that you wanted. A good presenter asks a question at the start of the presentation, and by the end can answer it leaving the audience with a sense of completion.

Where Do You Sit On The Self-Esteem Thermometer?

Imagine that we could measure Self Esteem like we do the temperature. If you had a healthy Self image, and respect for yourself you would be up the top of the thermometer. If you had an unhealthy self image or complete lack of self respect for yourself, then you would be at the bottom of the thermometer( Apt that this is the coldest part of the thermometer). Now if we divided the thermometer into 10 equal parts with the top of the thermometer being 10 and the bottom of the bowl 1 we could start to get a rough idea of wher we sit just by our behaviour.

Lets start at the bottom. 1 or 2- well if you had a self esteem of 1 you would be in hospital. It would mean that you have such little self respect that you could not enter into society.

3 or 4- In this case you would be in Society but not a pleasant part of it. You would be very negative, and see only the bad in others and the world as this reflects your view of yourself. Quite often were bullies and out casts sit.

5 or 6- This is an area that a large part of the world sits. It’s one that can teeter either up or down. Very mood related when things go good we feel good and when they don’t we feel bad.

People here have the ability to be nasty or nice.

7 or 8- If you are here you are more pleasant than anything. You generally feel good about yourself, so this reflects on your view of the world. You see the good in other peolple and situations and are generally positive, most of the time.

9 or 10- A very rare person. So happy with themselves that they tend to make everyuone feel good. Always smiling and in love with life whatever it brings. Often mislabelled as an optimist by 5’s and below because they can’t believe someone can feel so good about the world.

It’s amazing what measuring things change the way we look at things isn’t it? already you are reading this and thinking about where you sit. Well read on!

What is interesting about this analysis isn’t how we feel about ourselves , but how where we sit affects how we treat others. For instance lets start at the top this time. Anyone that is from 7-10 tend to treat everyone as if they are a 7-10. So if you are a 5 or 6 you will soon feel like a 7 or 8 if you mix with this group. You will praised, never surrounded by self depreciating humour and encouraged. Before long you really will be a 7 or higher.

However anyone that are a 3 or 4 also treat others the way they feel. So if they see a 5 or 6 they treat them as if they are a 3 or 4 and soon they will be. As long as the 5 or 6 hang around with the 3 or 4 they will be subjected to negativity and abuse. Sarcasm and anything else that stops that person from feeling good about themnselves. Often in large office blocks or school grounds the 3 and 4’s can be seen a s a dark cloud that wanders around trying to bring as many people down to their level as possible.

In simple terms 7 and above bring all around them up, 4 and below bring all around them down.

So what do you do if you find that you fit into the 3 or 4 category and want out. It’s really easy. Choose to change. It won’t be quick but if you become aware of everytimne your mean and nasty you are waving a flag to the trained people of the world that you don’t like yourself or aspects of your life, then recognise it yourself. Sit down and think of all the good things abuot yourself, and finally change who you hange around with. Australians are proudly loyal when it comes to friends. This is an admirable quality, but NO friend is worth having a miserable life for, and if they are true friends as you move onwards and upwards so will they.

At the Australian Acting Academy we have a comitment to making sure our students are the 8’s and above. We have a no teasing rule in the classesa that we do our best to enforce and we are total encouragement all the way to students while they are with us and in many cases even after they have moved on. Be aware that this simple behaviour monitoring can be the single most important thing in the future of every child teenager and adult. It’s not only guarenteeing happiness but success.

http://www.actingacademy.com.au/

4 STEPS to greatly influence your child’s ability to succeed in the future!

The Australian Acting Academy classes are not just about acting. Far from it, they have been specifically designed to USE acting as a tool to benefit your child in life. It does this in 4 easy steps.

Step 1: Build a Sense of Belonging.

This is an attribute of successful people. It’s what psychologists call an affiliation drive. Belonging to a group leads to a non-arrogant status with peers, and inquisitiveness with people, places and things. The Academy class quickly gives each student a strong sense that they belong to not only the class, but an organisation of 600 strong students. They wear their uniform with pride, and it is often through this sense of belonging that we first see a positive change in our students.

Step 2: Build a Sense of Self Worth

This is the intrinsic belief that given how I look, how smart I am, and what talents I have – “ I am glad I am me!”

Each Academy class runs under the philosophy of the safety net – a simple no bullying, peer support based understanding. It is in this environment that our students fast become comfortable with who they are. For many it is the first time they feel they have existed in a judgement free zone. It is through building the students self worth that we begin to see improvement in the skills we teach them, as well as behavioural and attitudinal changes in their school and home life.

Step 3: Build a Sense of Individual Identity Through Competency.

Even identical twins have differences. The Academy honours the differences in all the students and looks for opportunities for them to show their individual talents, while give them other opportunities to build competencies in new skills. By building their ability to have a talent or skill that is their own, our classes allow them to feel pride in the competency of a skill that not everyone else has. In fact 99% of the world finds public speaking and performing the top fear. We help our students stand in the TOP 1% of the world!

Step 4: Build a Sense of Self Efficacy

Very few students today leave primary or high school BELIEVING they were born to win. There are many reasons for this but a strong sense of self efficacy is probably the most important step towards correcting this and allowing your child to succeed in life. Simply, Self Efficacy is the feeling that one can perform any particular task successfully and a functional belief in one’s ability to control what happens in an uncertain world.

Self worthiness may give students permission to succeed, but self efficacy lets them believe that THEY ARE ABLE to achieve.

It empowers you to strive for your goals then it continues to motivate you long after you have reached your initial objective.

This means that once a student feels they can achieve at any of the skills we teach them, their motivation to achieve actually becomes stronger. We call this the flow on affect. The Students begin to expand their belief in their ability to succeed in other unrelated skills. Success and achievement become something that the students begin to take for granted and they begin to EXPECT to achieve as opposed to having a fear of failure. This is probably one of the biggest gifts our classes will give your child: The desire to feel confident in all areas of life!

Just imagine the empowerment your child will feel after working for 6 months in this environment! To get a clearer sense of what Accting Academy is all about make sure you check out our website at http://www.actingacademy.com.au/ where you'll find more information plus testimonials and photos of of students in action.

Acting Tip: A Guide to Agents

The following is one of the most requested topics here at the Academy so I hope you find it to be useful.

WHAT IS AN AGENT?
An agent is the middle person between a production company or casting director and an actor. In a perfect world an agent will market you, inform you of auditions, negotiate your rate, collect your money then pay you.
In this same perfect world, an agent would take 10% of what you make in return.

Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. More agents have opened up in Queensland than ever before. The question remains when there is less work around than ever WHY more agents?
The answer I dare say is that despite more information being around there are more people making money form Photographs, Courses, Internet sites etc than they are from getting you work. This means that they have made their money just by having you sign up to their data base.

An honest agent will charge you nothing, as long as you have a professional quality photo and are prepared to invest about $100 in one of the more reputable Internet actor sites such as AT2 or SHOWCAST. These sites are nationally used and are looked at by hundreds of directors and producers, so if you have the right look your chances of getting an audition will be greater.
They make their money back by charging you 10% of what you are paid. If an agent says there is not enough work to survive with just 10% of what you earn, I suggest they aren’t a great agent.

ESPECIALLY if you are training with us, the need to spend a cent on a course with an agent is silly, and any agent suggesting you do so is not making a great first impression. After all if Tom McSweeney, Australia’s Top casting Director, recommends kids train with us, an agent would be hard pressed to say otherwise.

WHEN DO I NEED ONE?
This is the big question. And no simple answer. Let’s break down the type of work available and see if we can make this clearer.

Extra Work
Anyone who has a pulse can do this
TV commercials-Non speaking
If you’re a big personality, confident and can take risks in front of the camera. Often the ability to be cheeky is and advantage
TV commercials - Speaking
As above but some ability to act. Remember lines and think quickly.
One liners
This is the first step up the acting ladder and often very hard. An ability to be truthful in acting. Also an incredible patience and a strong ability to take direction.
Small Speaking
As above, but more confident with own ability.
Guest roles
As above but extreme confidence and a solid acting ability.
Lead Roles
All of the above

So the only other thing to remember is YOU ONLY MAKE 1 FIRST IMPRESSION. No point having an agent if they do their job and get you an audition and then you make a terrible first impression. If you ask your teaching artists then they will let you know when you are ready. In the mean time be patient and you won’t rush in and maybe waste money or make a mistake.

HOW DO I FIND ONE?
Yellow Pages. Simple I know but if you go there you will see how many there are. How do you find a GOOD one, that is more difficult.
Use this checklist, if they tick off more than half they aren’t too bad, if they get all the ticks they are great.

GOOD AGENT CHECKILIST
Is professional in appearance, polite and seems to care about you.
Only takes 10% commission. (Most, if not all agents take more for TV commercials, according to the MEAA (union) they shouldn’t but most do)
Doesn’t charge for Photos
Doesn’t require you to do any courses.
Doesn’t have 1000 + people on their books.
Collects all moneys paid into a TRUST and pays you within 7 days of them receiving the money.
It should be mentioned the other place to find an agent is by :
a) doing well in the screen casting workshop. For all students who receive a B or higher we will personally organise you a meeting with an agent if you would like us to.
b) Becoming a member of the extension stream, and doing well in class.

WHO TO BE CAUTIOUS OF:
Finally this industry is made on dreams. Some people will tell you whatever you want to hear if you pay them enough. If it sounds dodgy it probably is. Send me an email and I will tell you if I have at least heard of them.

Acting Tip: From Agorophobic To Actor

When I was in nine years old I began to have debilitating anxiety attacks that greatly inhibited me as a child. Despite developing some amazing coping mechanisms, (any of my friends from school would be unaware to this day of what I went through) I was eventually diagnosed with Agorophobia, or fear of leaving familiar surrounds.

I went through all my school years unable to go on school camps, and even sleepovers saw me being picked up at 11pm. Right through to when I was studying to be a teacher I was at times crippled with fear behind closed doors.

It was at this time I discovered acting. To say It changed my life is an understatement. With in weeks of starting classes I began to find new found confidence, direction in life and dare I say a reason to live. I eventually left teaching to study the performing arts at University and it was here as a 27 year old when I started the Australian Acting Academy. A place where everyone, no matter what class, creed or colour could feel safe as they grew and discovered their strengths.

This Business has not only developed some great talent, and given professional opportunities to rising stars. It has equally been a place of hope, and somewhere to belong for thousands of students.

Our staff share my passion for the benefits the performing arts give, and are loved and inspired by the students. I often am in awe at the great work the students do, and the results they achieve artistically and personally. As a father of 3, with one on the way, and as a relatively successful actor, I have few regrets in my life, but I can’t help but wonder if my life would have been different had my parents given me the same opportunity when I was younger.