The Authentic Actor: The Art and Business of Being Yourself

by Michael Laskin

Overview

Every year, thousands of actors struggle to navigate today’s film and TV business while also wanting to grow as performers, as artists. These actors tend to be risk-takers, mold-breakers, and are interested in defining who they are. They are looking for advice and guidance about art and about commerce. The Authentic Actor is for them. The actor’s path today begins with two questions: Who are you? What do you know? Beginning with personal authenticity, The Authentic Actor reveals a holistic approach that fuses discovery of the “actor’s fingerprint” with skills for managing performance, career, and life — as artist, businessperson, and citizen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615932306
Publisher:	Wiese, Michael Productions
Publication date:	03/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Michael Laskin has been a working professional actor for over 35 years in film and television, off-Broadway, at America’s leading regional theatres, and in thousands of voice-overs for radio, TV and animation. He has worked with many of the world’s greatest actors, directors, writers, producers, and cinematographers including Robert Duvall, Paul Mazursky, John Sayles, Haskell Wexler, Norman Jewison, Johnny Depp, Stanley Tucci, Jeffrey Tambor, Kevin Spacey, James Caan, Tracey Ullmann, Ben Affleck, Barry Levinson, Stephen Frears, Ed Asner, Jack Warden, and Michael Douglas. See Michael’s credits here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0489644/ Besides teaching and coaching at the Michael Laskin Studio, Michael has taught acting master classes at several universities and the Hawaii International Film Festival. Michael has also produced the play Exit Strategy with Garry Marshall at The Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles and Jeffrey Tambor’s one-man show, Performing Your Life. He is married to fundraising executive Emily Laskin and has two sons, Nick and Joe.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Jeffrey Tambor Preface Acknowledgments Dedication Epigraph Introduction How to Use This Book CHAPTER 1: Today’s Authentic Actor 1.1 10 Easy Steps to the Acting Career You Deserve 1.2 “How To” Only Goes So Far 1.3 Ask a Good Question 1.4 Artist? Commodity? Or Both? 1.5 Today’s Authentic Actor 1.6 The New Creative Supply Chain 1.7 Risk and Reward 1.8 4 Levels of Commitment 1.9 10 Essential Ideas for Today’s Authentic Actor 1.10 EXPLORATION: What Does Success Look Like? CHAPTER 2: Who Are You? 2.1 In the Blink of an Eye 2.2 Your Past Comes With You 2.3 EXPLORATION: You, in the Blink of an Eye 2.4 The Impulse to Act 2.5 Remembering How to Play 2.6 First Instincts 2.7 The Burden of Formal Training 2.8 Don’t Transform. Inform. 2.9 The Camera and the Metaphysical You 2.10 You Are the Answer 2.11 What’s “Wrong” With You is Still You 2.12 What Gets in Your Way? 2.13 EXPLORATION: Your Life Narrative 2.14 Seeking and Reaching for Greatness 2.15 Artistic Superheroes 2.16 EXPLORATION: Follow Your Artistic Superheroes CHAPTER 3: What Do You Know? 3.1 The Amateur in the Professional 3.2 Process is the Thing 3.3 Artistic Standards 3.4 EXPLORATION: This is What I Know 3.5 Discover What Works for You 3.6 Fear of Failure, Fear of Success 3.7 Stink Up the Joint! 3.8 Start with the Text 3.9 Roadmap of a Scene 3.10 Crying on the Twentieth Take 3.11 Visual Literacy 3.12 Thoughts on Acting Class Culture 3.13 Motivation from Mediocrity 3.14 Crucible Experiences 3.15 Sometimes It’s Simple 3.16 EXPLORATION: Thinking on Film CHAPTER 4: Success Factors 4.1 Talent, Instinct and Strategy 4.2 Talent is Just the Price of Admission 4.3 Stand by Your Instinct 4.4 The Virus of Self-Doubt 4.5 Be True to Yourself 4.6 Reframe Diminishing Words 4.7 The Power of a Compliment 4.8 EXPLORATION: Name Your Fears 4.9 Cultivate a Truth-teller 4.10 Get Specific with Goals 4.11 The Face of Success 4.12 Shoot for the Moon 4.13 Learn What You Can, Wherever You Are 4.14 Find the Right Place for You 4.15 Everything You’ve Heard about L.A. is True 4.16 Under-promise and Over-deliver 4.17 Is It Your Time? CHAPTER 5: The Audition 5.1 More Control and Less Fear 5.2 The Hint of More 5.3 5 Elements for Killing in an Audition 5.4 Roadmap of an Audition Scene 5.5 The Audition is Your Job 5.6 Who are “They” and What Do “They” Want? 5.7 Show Them Who You Are 5.8 Set your standards — take the risk 5.9 Filming Your Audition 5.10 Face to Face 5.11 The Ups and Downs of Feedback 5.12 Let it Go! CHAPTER 6: The Art of Career 6.1 Know What You’re Worth 6.2 Pilot Season: The Best and Worst of Times 6.3 Making Sense of Success 6.4 Dealing with Rejection 6.5 Learning to Be Selective 6.6 7 Reasons to Take a Job 6.7 Slumming with a Smile 6.8 Representation: Who’s Right for You? 6.9 Agent? Manager? Or Both? 6.10 5 Tips for Working with Representatives 6.11 The Personal Touch 6.12 From Your Reps’ Point of View 6.13 Everyone Lies 6.14 Letting a Rep Go 6.15 It’s Always Been Tough. Now Get On With It. 6.16 Know When to Say “Fuck ’em” CHAPTER 7: The Business of Life 7.1 Life as Craft 7.2 Engage the World Beyond Acting 7.3 Find Your Tribe 7.4 My First Tribe 7.5 Gathering a Tribe 7.6 Find Your Tribe in L.A. 7.7 Divide and Conquer 7.8 Pay Yourself First 7.9 Believe and Move Forward 7.10 Plan for Creative Recovery 7.11 Remind Yourself of Your Talent 7.12 As Good as the Best Thing You’ve Ever Done 7.13 Hold it Right Here 7.14 Acting as Calling 7.15 Renew Your Creative Vows 7.16 Guru in the Mirror 7.17 EXPLORATION: What Does Success Look Like Now? 7.18 You’re Going to be Great Summary References