10 New Year’s Resolutions for Actors

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actor's life, filmmaking, Houston life coach, life coach, new year's resolutions, personal coach, resolutions, resolutions for actors

I used to think having a birthday tucked between Christmas and New Year’s Eve was a terrible burden. Okay, it’s still not ideal, but I have found the silver lining to turning a year older on December 29. The timing gives me two chances in the final days of 2013 to reflect on the year behind me and prepare for the year ahead.

Let me be honest about 2013 first. It wasn’t the kind of year I want to repeat. I’m glad it’s coming to an end, but I don’t want to erase it because

Improv’s Demand for Details

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actor's life, filmmaking, Houston life coach, improv auditions, improvisation for auditions, life coach, personal coach, unscripted auditions

Delivering unscripted dialogue naturally and effectively in an audition relies on the ability to make several good choices. Those choices allow you to create a character with definition and make a lasting impression on the casting director. Failure to make specific choices can make weaken or destroy your audition, which is exactly what I witnessed in Austin today.

Many of the actors at today’s audition live in Austin. But imagine the ones, like me and my colleague Vanessa, who drove in from out of town. The actors traveling to Austin from Houston or Dallas devoted 7 or 8 hours to a five-minute audition. If you’re going to invest that kind of time, you want to

On the Set of The Preacher’s Daughter

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Adam Mayfield, Andrea Bowen, Lifetime Movie Network, LMN, The Preacher's Daughter

Beginning actors often have an impression of working with “stars” on a film set that’s unlike the real experience. While we do get to meet the leads and make small talk at times, the primary focus is always getting the scene shot. My time on the set of The Preacher’s Daughter, which made its debut in 2012 on Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network, is a good example.

The film stars Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives) and Adam Mayfield (All My Children). I met and worked with Andrea during my one scene, shot at one of the Houston Community College campuses. I played

“If you don’t know what you’re capable of doing, you’re waiting to be rescued instead of controlling your career.”

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actor goals

My 2013 Ta-Da List

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actor collaboration, actor goals, actor year in review, actor's life, Backstage, Erika Waldorf, filmmaking, Houston life coach, life coach, personal coach, Queen Theatre, Ta-Da List

I read a blog post on Backstage this week by actress Justina Vail entitled 5 Powerful Ways to Wrap Up 2013. She introduced what she calls a Ta-Da List. This list should contain the triumphs or goals we achieved during the year. Instead of simply pushing forward in the couple of weeks, I now will give myself a chance to truly reflect on the events of the last 12 months.

On a broad level, I want to say it’s been a disappointing year. I want to look at the opportunities I missed and the struggles I faced. But reducing the year to a good or bad label serves no real purpose. It gets me nowhere to feel

“Your mere presence in someone’s life today could spark a grand idea. Be present wherever you go!”

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background actors

Because the two people on the right, Amy and Ryche, showed up to be background actors at a shoot last night, it led to a new ending for the film.

What’s Your Fortune?

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actor's life, filmmaking, fortune cookies for actors, Houston life coach, life coach, personal coach

This one seems appropriate for an actor.

Career Advice for Youngsters

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actor's life, career advice for actors, career week, filmmaking, future filmmakers, Poe Elementary Career Week, Stage32.com, starting an acting career

Last week I made two appearances at a Houston, Texas elementary school during its Career Week in Fine Arts. I’m honored anytime I get a chance to talk directly to students and share the challenges of working as an actor. I especially liked introducing the audition process so each student could learn to slate, show some personality when answering personal questions, and deliver one line—”Did Mom make you eat that?”—that came from the script for a national Raisin Bran commercial.

Before the school visits, I posted a question on a social media site for film, television and theater creatives. I asked the folks on Stage32.com about the kind of advice they would give themselves at age six. Many of the responses that came in are worth sharing here. 

“I am the Master of my fate. I am the Captain of my soul.”

From “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley

Read the entire poem here:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182194

Road Trip Savings

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actor travel tips, actor's life, affordable road trips, filmmaking, Houston life coach, life coach, personal coach, saving money on auditions

The road trip to Austin is a frequent one for Houston actors. Recently, I covered those miles three times in a single week for two auditions and one callback. The investment can be a big one if you drive as average fuel costs in Texas remain above $3.00 per gallon, yet I routinely find ways to spend less every trip. Here are a few of my tips as an actor who travels the state almost every week of the year.

1. CARPOOL.

One of the biggest way to save on the road is not owning a car or not relying exclusively on your car. Yes, it sounds crazy covering hundreds of miles in Texas without one, but I speak from years of experience. When I had a car, I would often