Congratulations and thanks to our fantastic team at Slated for all their hard work and success.

Have some Q’s about Slated?  The A’s are right here.

Accessory facts #1: I was last in the Gateway to the Americas for CSI: Miami, which, as fans of it and me might recall, didn’t turn out so well.  #2: Several years ago Burn Notice‘s lovely co-lead, Gabrielle Anwar, played my ex in the indie film A Warrior’s Heart. #3: Margaritas are a weakness of mine.

Draw your own conclusions, please.

Recently, I discussed with a casting director how much more competitive
it’s become for actors in Hollywood. She was sympathetic—up to a point. Because when actors face more competition, it’s also means that her job has become that much more difficult, i.e., she’s drowning in photos and phone calls. (I was sympathetic—up to a point.) Her rough numbers, which, per other CD’s, are very representative:

Submissions for one guest star role on a TV episode:  1,000.
Number of those actors she has time to audition: 10-15.

Okay, pull yourself up off the ground and get some caffeine.

A few takeaways from this example:

A. It explains why it’s tough to get seen for roles that you’re not known for or a natural at:  The CD has a very limited opportunity to find the right actor for the role.
B. The general odds:  1) of booking an audition:  one in 12, and 2) of getting an audition: one in 83.  Lesson: It’s far harder to get #2.
C. You must be sure to allocate efforts to just getting auditions—it’s the best way to boost your chances of booking. Duh, right? Of course you need an audition in order to book a job. It seems obvious, but in my experience most actors don’t focus nearly enough on this step.

So how, exactly, do you increase your chances of getting an audition?  [Note: Whether or not you have an agent or manager, many of the steps are the same.] There are a number of things you can do, and each slightly increases your chances. And that’s what you’re looking for: anything that will give you an edge. Of all the steps you can take, though, perhaps the most important tool of all is your reel.*  

Reels are important because the casting director needs proof that you’re worth that prized audition slot. It’s not enough to have just headshot plus the word of honour from your rep (i.e., agent or manager). Further, reps themselves usually need that very same proof before they’re willing to take you on as a client. They need to know a) that you’re good, and b) that you’ll provide them with the tools to peddle, er, hawk, er, sell, er promote you. So you need a reel to get a rep, then the rep needs the reel to get you an audition. In this respect Hollywood’s like everywhere else:  They know it—and believe it—only when they see it. Lesson:  You. Need. A. Reel.

So if you already have filmed scenes, cut them together. (Or find someone who can do it for you. No need for fancy transitions; just fade out at the end of the scenes.)  If you’ve shot some things but don’t have copies, contact the director/producer to get a copy. And when you shoot in the future, be sure to get their contact info at the time and be clear that you’d like your scenes as soon as possible.

When selecting the material, aim for a balance between including your best work and showing your range (of characters, genres and appearances). There are lots of different opinions on the best length for a reel, but somewhere around 3-5 minutes is safe.  That should cover a few different scenes.

But this raises a common issue among actors, who often see reels as a catch-22:  If I need a reel to book a job, how do I get a reel before I’ve got a job? And that’s the point of this post: Just get yourself on tape. It doesn’t have to be a polished production, just good enough to show what you can do. And who cares if it’s from? If you’re good in it, the source is of secondary importance.

You must be proactive about this. Find listings for student and short films which are looking for actors.  Check with film schools, local papers, Craig’s List, etc. You may have to make a few films to get some usable footage, but even the non-usable material has benefits:  you got acting experience and did what you (hopefully) love, right?

No luck finding a short film? Then maybe hire someone to shoot your work.  Companies in NYC and LA specialize in shooting actors for auditions.  It costs money, but the lighting and camerawork is usually good. And it’s better to at least have a monologue on tape than nothing at all.  (If you’re not in NYC or LA, check with a local commercial house.)

Or you can be extra-proactive and produce the shoot yourself. Find a director and someone to shoot it, and they’ll usually know other crew members. Directors and cinematographers use reels, too, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find some who would love to shoot just for that purpose, same as yourself.  

For material for the scene, you can either write something new yourself or find someone who will, or use something already written. In that case, though, it’s usually best to avoid something very recognizable. Maybe find a great older play, or a good movie that might not have been too widely seen. 

The point is to get yourself on tape, even if the production quality is not ideal. That’s okay, because you’ll use that to get cast in better productions, which you’ll then put on your reel to get cast in even better ones. Think of using your reel as a way of boosting yourself up to the next level of production. It’s a powerful means of self-leverage. But you can’t start with nothing. You need tape to get better tape. So get thee in front of a camera.

*A reel is simply a video collection of your scenes. [The individual scene/s are sometimes called 'footage' or 'tape' (eg, "My reel's a bit outdated. I need to find some new tape for it.").] Because video files are usually too big to email, most reels are now stored online—either on the rep’s or actor’s website, or, if necessary, on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. This allows the rep (or you) email just a link.

[This is another in a continuing series of potentially helpful, hopefully practical posts to actors on practicing their craft or surviving the trying.  I bear no responsibility for how this or any of my posts might ruin your life, lead you to law school, or make your parents sick with worry.  For more of the same, click the ‘Info to Actors’ category at left.]

Some magazine  folks evidently thought so, too.  Business First of Louisville is a weekly focused on, suprisingly enough, the business community.  This week they ran a nice piece on Slated, my crowdfunding film-finance site, and me, the once and former and sometime Louisville native and visitor and resident.  Here’s hoping that some BFL readers who would love to invest in films will realize that Slated offers them that opportunity.

Crowdfunding has been all over the news this week since both parties in D.C. came together to push the JOBS Act into law.  [Crowdfunding is the method of raising money from a large group of people, usually online.]  Why should you care? Two quick reasons:  One, it will help private businesses raise money, which helps create jobs, which helps you buy stuff and be a good American.  Two, it will help give you access to invest (hopefully, even small amounts) in businesses and industries that you believe in.  Okay, politics and finance mash-up over for today.

Here’s the Business First piece:

As a film and television actor for 15 years, William Mapother Jr.knows firsthand how hard it is for independent filmmakers to raise money to fund their movies.

“The finding of capital for independent films is painfully, horribly inefficient and difficult,” said the Louisville native, who now lives in Los Angeles. But Mapother thinks he has found an answer on the Internet by linking people who want to invest in movies with independent filmmakers who need financing.

In 2009, Slated Inc., owner of the Web site www.slated.com, was founded by Mapother and three other investors — Duncan Cork, who handles the company’s day-to-day operations in New York City, Stephan Paternot and Gavan Gravesen.

The foursome together contribute a variety of business expertise, ranging from technology to investment banking to law to filmmaking, Mapother said. He added that Slated is the independent filmmaker’s answer to AngelList, a Web site that links people who want to invest in startup companies with people who have startup companies that need money.

Total of $3.8 million raised

The company has been through two rounds of funding, the last of which wrapped up earlier this year, Mapother said, and has raised a total of $3.8 million, including funds from 15 Louisville investors.

Two films, a feature and a documentary, recently completed their funding through the site. They were the first two films ever to complete their funding through Slated.com, Mapother said. The company plans to disclose the names of the films within a few weeks. Once word about those two fundings gets out, Mapother said, interest in the site will grow quickly.

“When you demonstrate that you actually can do it, that’s when they take you seriously,” said Mapother, who noted that the site is a way for any accredited investor — not just the most well-heeled financiers — to get into backing films.

Introduction to the industry

Sandra Frazier, founder and managing member of Tandem Public Relations LLC, made one of the first outside investments in the company in December 2010. She declined to say how much she invested.

The investment struck her as a great way to help out independent filmmakers, she said. It also is an opportunity for her to learn more about the motion picture industry. Frazier said she considered minoring in film in college.

“I think the group that William and his team have assembled are fantastic,” she said.

Another local investor, Tom Mueller, chief operating officer of River Road Asset Management LLC, was contacted by Mapother about investing because they have been friends for some time. Both of them graduated from St. Xavier High School and from University of Notre Dame, Mueller said.

Mapother initially thought some of Mueller’s clients at River Road might want to invest, but Mueller told him this wasn’t the kind of investing those clients do. Mueller told him he might be interested himself, and he offered to get together a group of friends, including Frazier, whom he thought also might be interested.

Mueller said he and four other local investors had lunch with Mapother several times during the fall of 2010. Mapother declined to identify the other investors. After Mapother explained the concept and told the group about the management team that had been assembled, Mueller said, they were hooked. He declined to say how much he invested.

Mapother “is an actor by trade, but he would make a phenomenal salesman,” Mueller said. “He did a great job explaining what they are going to do, and pitching us on the project.”

Mueller likes being involved in the movie industry, he said, but opportunities to invest locally in that industry are limited. He also likes the design of www.slated.com, calling it “very cutting edge.” He is a passive investor, and his involvement is limited to his financial interest. But he does get quarterly financial statements from the company and e-mails when new investors or films are put on the site.

As yet, no revenue from site

The big focus for the past six months at Slated.com has been to make the Web site as efficient and as clean as AngelList, angel.co, Mapother said.

Slated Inc. now has six employees at its New York City headquarters, including a lead developer, a coder and technical staff. The site exists now in beta form at www.slated.com, with 44 films listed out of more than 2,000 that were submitted for listing.

According to the Web site, only feature films with budgets of $500,000 to $15 million and documentaries with broad commercial appeal and budgets of $250,000 to $2 million are eligible for listing. Mapother said the management team and the founders select the projects based on their budgets and on the experience of those involved.

There is no charge for using the site, but Mapother expects that to change late this year or early next year. The site could make money from listing fees, from finders’ fees or from subscriptions, he said.

“Based on the response we’ve gotten, users will have no reservations about paying for a site that makes it easier to give them access to capital,” Mapother said. For now, he added, the plan is to corner the market and get a lead on any potential competitors. Mapother knows of no other site that links independent films with investors, he said, but there is a Web site, www.kickstarter.com, that enables donations to independent films.

The company ties together several of Mapother’s interests, including acting, technology and venture capital. (See related item below.) It also gives him something to do while he’s waiting for the next movie or TV role, he said.

“I’m thrilled to provide the opportunity for filmmakers to be able to tell their stories,” he said of Slated. “I love what we’re building.”

About William Mapother Jr.

Louisville native William Mapother Jr. is a full-time actor and part-time screenwriter, real estate owner and investor in startup businesses.

His father, the late William Mapother Sr., was an attorney with Louisville law firm Mapother & Mapother PSC and an author of 14 books on creditors’ rights.

The younger Mapother is a cousin of actor Tom Cruise. His notable acting roles include Ethan Rom on the TV series “Lost” and Richard Stout in the 2011 movie “In The Bedroom.” He also has appeared in the TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Touched by an Angel,” “NCIS,” “Criminal Minds” and “The Mentalist.”

The Los Angeles resident owns a building in the NuLu neighborhood of Louisville with Gill Holland, Augusta Holland, Tim Peters and Lois Mateus, at 721 E. Jefferson St. He is on the investment committee of Evermore Investments LLC in Louisville and on the board of the Community Foundation of Louisville. He served on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild from 2007 to 2011.

IFC releases the film on VOD on April 27, with a theatrical release in May.

One of the measures specifically legalizes crowdfunding.  This benefits sites like Slated, which benefits small companies, which benefit all of us.  The JOBS act isn’t perfect, and it will likely see improvements in the coming years.  But what a start.

When we’re growing up we’re subjected, for better or worse, to our parents’ musical taste.

(Oh, how I don’t miss the colossal 8-track.)  For me that meant 50s rock-n-roll from my dad, and great songwriters from my mom.  One of my mom’s favorites was the 50s jaunty folk trio The Kingston Trio.  (You can hear strains of their style in early Bob Dylan).

I remember many of their songs, but one in particular has stayed with me. ’Desert Pete‘ tells about a pump in the desert and a note left there, with instructions for users to leave a jar of water for the next visitor, so he can use it to prime the pump.  It’s vaguely socialistic, if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, but the message is good:  ”You’ve got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe, You’ve got to give of yourself ‘fore you’re worthy to receive.”

I’m going to co-opt that message and make it, as so many actors do, about myself.  (Or you, in this case.) Here it is:  Work begets work.  Jobs almost never come from nowhere.  You must build some momentum to them. You first have got to prime the pump, as it were. Take small, non-paying, non-glamorous jobs.  If you’re attentive and determined to learn, they’ll be a reward unto themselves. But they’re also the path to bigger and better jobs, even if you can’t see how while you’re suffering for free.

I’ve lost track of many times this strategy has paid off for me.  A few years ago I went to NYC for the summer to participate in the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare Lab.  It was a great opportunity, but it was also for no pay and no guarantee to ever appear in one of their prestigious productions. While in NYC, though, I arranged some general meetings with casting directors, and one of those turned into my role in Another Earth.

More recently, I read for a small indie that I wasn’t sure I was right for, but the casting director remembered me the following week and put me in a web series for the new content YouTube is commissioning for itself.

Several years ago I did a tiny indie for almost no money, and that led to voice work on a couple eps of Robot Chicken.  And a weekly writers/actors cooperative (i.e., non-paid) lab that I’m a member of led to a few webisodes of I <3 Vampires. Finally, doing a little computer tutoring for someone back in 2003 led my getting a role in The Grudge.

And I have even touched on how many times I’ve been rehired by the same people, or by people whom I met when I was working, or people who saw work I did for little or no money.  Working = keeping yourself busy, meeting new people, learning lessons about yourself and others, developing skills that might be called upon, perhaps practicing your craft or getting tape for your reel, and a hundred other benefits.

The bottom line:  Whether it’s acting in a short film, working on a webisode in some capacity, making short films on your iPhone just for the hell of it, writing a script to see what’s that like, or even something as apparently unrelated as helping a neighbor rebuild his shed, getting involved and producing work of any sort pays off.  Even if at the time you can’t possibly imagine how.  Just get yourself out there.  Give of yourself before you’re worthy to receive.

* Peter O’Brien, a longtime friend and a very good writer, suggested that many of my ‘Info to Actors’ posts apply to younger writers as well.  I wouldn’t presume, but…well, thank you, Peter.

[This is another in a continuing series of potentially helpful, hopefully practical posts to actors on practicing their craft or surviving the trying.  I bear no responsibility for how this or any of my posts might ruin your life, lead you to law school, or make your parents sick with worry.  For more of the same, click the ‘Info to Actors’ category at left.]