No Regrets

Posted on 21. Sep, 2010 by sethcaskey.

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. During the past 24 hours, I can’t even count the number of emails, texts, tweets, phone calls, voicemails and Facebook messages that I have received expressing congratulations. Let me start by saying thank you to each of you for your love and support.

If there was ever any doubt about whether or not I liked TV as a kid, just ask my mom. She would literally have to lock me outside in the backyard to pull me away from the tube. So it was no surprise that whenever someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would say – I want to be on TV.

Most kids would have said doctor, policeman, fire fighter – but not me. I wanted to be an actor. But life happens, right? We grow up. We’re trained to be responsible and do the things that everyone wants us to do. But deep in my heart I still always wanted to be on TV.

And then one day a student asked me, what’s the one thing you regret not doing after college? Without hesitation I said, moving to LA to see if I could make it on TV as an actor. That split-second response came from such a place of truth – that I was forced to take a look at it.

So four years ago (last week) Erica and I packed up most of what we owned and drove across country to answer that question. The journey so far has been full of many highs, a lot more lows and a helluva lot of traffic.

I know I’ve told this story many times before, but I find it particularly relevant today.

So, thank you for watching The Event last night. Thank you for showering Erica and I with your support. But if you did watch, I hope you’ll take away more than hey, I know that guy. What I hope you’ll say is hey, there’s a guy who ‘always wanted to be on TV’ and tonight he was.

I may or may not ever be a series regular on a sci-fi hour-long drama, win an Academy Award or live in a mansion in Beverly Hills. And that’s OK. It’s also OK, that I can now go back to that student and say that I no longer have that regret. There are things we do in life that are worth far more personal value than money could ever supply. Being in that pilot last night was one of those things for me.

So now I have a question for you. What’s the one thing you regret not doing (after college, after having kids, before getting married, ever)? What’s something you’ve “always wanted to do?”

Now go do it. I did. And if I can, so can you.

Continue Reading

Doggone Days of April

Posted on 19. Apr, 2010 by sethcaskey.

This post has absolutely nothing to do with acting.

And sometimes we need days like that. It’s easy to get so focused on doing things to move our careers forward, that we forget to take a second and have some fun.

Yesterday we took our dog Schmiegel to the Huntington Dog Beach. And, today I’m taking a lesson from him on what to do next: Have fun, and don’t be afraid to get in there and play with the big dogs.

Continue Reading

Pesky Q & A

Posted on 09. Apr, 2010 by sethcaskey.

Holy crap it’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog. Lots of great things have been happening in the past couple of months, which unfortunately has redirected much of my time. (read: excuse) That aside, I would like to continue my thoughts on getting the most out of casting director workshops.

Let’s get started.

Regardless of the format that you choose, each CD workshop you attend will have some sort of question and answer time. This is where actors can ask questions, learn about current projects and any specifics about the CDs particular office.

At first glance, this would appear to be a fairly straightforward time of the eventing. Oh, but it’s not….If there’s one thing that I hear from CDs all the time is that they can smell desperation a mile away. Actors who come into an audition or a meeting needing or wanting approval is an immediate turn-off.

So here’s the thing. (And I’m going to be brutally honest here.)

• Don’t use this time to suck up.
• Don’t try and impress the CD.
• Don’t be a desperate actor.

Seriously folks. I cringe out of embarrassment when I hear some of the questions people ask.

My #1 recommendation to for getting the most out of a casting director workshop is: Beeeeee yourself!

Yes, there is some important information that you should walk out knowing (and for that I have put together a little form if you care to use it). But remember, CDs are there to get to know you as a person.

Fact:

1. A casting director is never going to hire you on the spot. Ever.
2. It is HIGHLY* unlikely that you are going to be offered an audition on the spot.
3. There is no job on the line. It’s not a interview. It’s simply an opportunity for a person (casting director) to meet and connect with another person (new actor). Period.
4. Take all of the pressure off of yourself of getting this person to like you and trying to impress them – and just have fun!

I know that sounds too simple to be true, but I promise you – less is more.

1. Be a nice, fun PERSON.
2. Do good work.
3. Ask intelligent and appropriate questions.
4. Trust that you are enough.

If this sounds harsh, I apologize. After having done literally hundreds of casting director workshops, it pains me to know a wonderfully talented actor who tries too hard to make a good impression and ends up achieving the opposite.

That’s it?

So that you know that I’m not just venting, but am attempting to provide something useful with this post – I have put together a little download for you. This is a mash-up of something a friend gave me a while back along with some great questions that you should ask a CD. Enjoy.

• Sample CD Workshop Q & A

Continue Reading

Who are you talking to?

Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by sethcaskey.

iPhone-friendly version

Are you meeting the CD, Associate or Assistant

Making the most of your workshop experience involves doing some research before you go in to the room.

As defined by CSA (Casting Society of America): CASTING DIRECTOR – The producer’s representative responsible for choosing performers for consideration by the producer or director.

So, does it really matter who you are meeting?

• Each office is different, and responsibilities will vary (we’ll talk about how to find out this info next week)
• Meeting more than one person in an office is a great way for actors to create some name recognition. Then no matter who answers the phone when your representation calls to pitch, chances are that the person on the other end already knows your work
• Assistants & Associates want to find new talent to bring to the CD (it makes them look good)
• In some offices, the Associate is the point person for the smaller co-star roles
• Assistants and Associates are the CDs of tomorrow

What are they working on RIGHT NOW?

Most casting professionals work freelance. Research what projects they are currently casting

• Casting About
• IMDBPro
• Showfax
• Breakdowns (I’m going to leave this one alone)

Do your due diligence.

CD workshop businesses are first and foremost businesses. They are around to make their owners money. The more appealing a workshop sounds, the more likely an actor will sign up. While some workshops are more reputable and ethical than others, the responsibility falls to the actor to do some research before spending his/her money with a particular company.

Continue Reading

Get Your $hit Together

Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by sethcaskey.

watch on your iPhone

Don’t forget the basics.

Getting to your workshop prepared, not only alleviate stress for you, but allows you to show a CD that you are an actor who is ready to work.

Following is a partial list of things to have ready to go before showing up to your next workshop.

1. Headshot
2. Resume (attached and paper trimmed)
3. Link to demo reel (most CDs prefer links to DVDs)
4. Contact information (representation & personal) *some agents and mangers may disagree with putting your personal contact information on a resume. I like to put mine, so that in the event a CD can’t reach my representation, they have a way to contact me directly. This is a personal choice, and you should talk to your representation to see how they feel about it.
5. Misc. marketing materials
6. Postcard of where a CD can see your upcoming work
7. Business cards
8. Pens/Pencils/Highlighter
9. Snacks/Bottled water

Continue Reading