TWO UNEMPLOYED ACTORS – EPISODE 107 – HELENE ROUSSE CASTING DIRECTOR

MAX: 00:00
Today I'm talking to Helene Rousse, a Casting Director based in Montreal with over 35 years experience in the business. A great opportunity for us to explore what the industry looks like in Canada and perhaps even some advice for actors today.

CANADIAN INDUSTRY UPDATE
 

MAX: 00:27
Welcome, Helene. Thank you for joining me. Before we get into more detail on your experience as a Casting Director, can you give us a bit of an update on what the industry looks like in Canada at the moment?

HELENE: 00:40
For sure. First of all, thank you for having me. This is great. Thank you, Matt.

MAX: 00:44
You're welcome.

HELENE: 00:46
Yes, I'm standing right now in Montreal, Canada, and it's still very warm.

MAX: 00:52
A bit jealous, but yeah.

HELENE: 00:53
Yes, there's no snow yet. But u the industry here, uh, I think it slowed down this year, actually. People are like shocked. Um, I think Toronto is doing pretty well in general. Vancouver, well, you know, it's always close to LA, so they get all the series and and so on, and the dollar is pretty good, right? So it doesn't, doesn't it's not a very long road to drive to, not to drive, but to take a plane and just go next door. Uh here in Montreal, yeah, it slowed down a little bit. Um, but uh we're hopeful we're doing some um promotion. I'm part of the BCTQ, which is the Bureau of Cinema at Quebec, and we're we're actually having a meeting uh with the unions and another casting director to see how we can bring more uh film here in uh Montreal, Quebec. And also I'm part of another association called the Quebec English Producer Association to bring more to do promotion and advocacy and you know, to bring the two languages together because here um we have lots of production in English, and 50% of it is also in French. 50%.

MAX: 02:07
I thought, yeah, I thought most of I thought it'd be more like 75% English, but uh but yeah, no, that's interesting.

HELENE: 02:15
I guess it depends which year, but um yeah, there's as as much English as French. French, there's future films, there's a lot of TV series, there's still stuff going on on the networks. Um, so you know, people can can can get some work and they can work almost full-time, uh basically. For some of us, right?

MAX: 02:36
Yeah, and I know, right? For uh yeah, uh it's a dream for every actor to be able to work full-time, um, get cancel their survival jobs and and and plow on in the art that they love. But uh, I guess the the writer's strike put the brakes on a lot, even even as far flung as markets such as Australia, you know, we felt an impact.

HELENE: 02:58
Um before mainly too, you felt it.

MAX: 03:02
Um well, I I think I think it was that our perspective, I think we shared with many markets where we just thought once it was over, it would go back to normal. Um, what we've sort of found is there are fewer productions being commissioned, and when they are, the budgets are lower, and they're asking more for whether it's in front of the camera or behind the camera.

HELENE: 03:24
What's coming um a lot more is the verticals. Have you heard about it?

MAX: 03:30
Yeah.

THE DEVELOPING MARKET FOR VERTICALS PRODUCTION
 

HELENE: 03:31
It's the new end thing right now, and actors should jump on that. Like, it's like even like the other, like the the the big the Disneys, they see this that they they all want to get on the wagon because like that's the new era, and that's how you know those big companies from China are everywhere, they make money. We have a few companies here, like I did the casting for a couple of those verticals, and it pays okay, but some people, some actors, they actually get a contract with a a production company where they get used over and over and over. It's a whole different world now, and you can get part of the uh and the sales, you can be part of the sales as well and get a you know a piece of the action there, which helps certainly.

MAX: 04:14
I think I think at first the you know it was it was looked down upon because of the low budgets, and actors were like, Oh, do I really want to commit to something like that? And but now that it's starting to mature as an option, um, and you're right, you know, the big big studios and production companies that have been established for some time are looking into it because at the end of the day, that's where the eyeballs are. There's there's less and less on networks.

HELENE: 04:39
Yeah, the actor can really work on his craft and work a lot, and the budget are going up and up slowly, so you can you can get to to work like a lot more. It's it's it's a whole different world we're going into now.

MAX: 04:53
I think from because I'm I also write and I'm trying to produce some some television shows as well, and and and in in the current environment, trying to get your first producer credit, you know, you're going to strangers asking for money. Uh, and and it's hard when you haven't produced anything, right? So, a pathway I've seen is rather than just doing a proof of concept like a short film, it's it's we'll do verticals because you could not only deliver a proof of concept and show how successful it can be as a television series, but also you're bringing audience with it as well.

HELENE: 05:25
Um yeah, absolutely.

MAX: 05:27
Really interesting. I'm uh I was talking to an actor last week who is about to debut on TikTok a 32 episode, 32 by two minute uh vertical series. And the uh screen organizations in Australia have sort of gotten around to funding that, whereas before it was like web series and they just classed it under online, that now is starting to grow as a share of um the funding and encompasses a lot of verticals as well, which is interesting. So you but look more work for actors, yeah.

BENEFITS OF ACTING IN VERTICALS

HELENE: 05:59
Yes, and it's very good to practice the craft. I think they gotta learn like 20 to 25 pages, they gotta do it in one day or something.

MAX: 06:05
They shoot fast.

HELENE: 06:07
You gotta work that muscle.

MAX: 06:09
If you don't turn up prepared, you're you're gonna have a very very difficult day.

HELENE: 06:13
They do a full, like a full movie in like five days that they chop it into little episodes, and my god, you know, it's it's it's a good way to get working. And and one of the guys, I think his name is um Tim Milk Milk. Um, he um he has 250 million followers because he's in verticals. Can you imagine? Oh my god, how fast it went. And he said it just learned his craft. He was a model, became actor, and just tried to learn and memorize. And he said sometimes it goes crazy, and it's like 12 hour days or something. So he really uh so you never know, you know, which door it's gonna it's gonna work for you.

MAX: 06:59
That's right.

HELENE: 06:59
If you just say no to something, this is like the new opportunity, and it's shocking. I have two of my friends, they started a whole platform that's all they do.

MAX: 07:08
Really?

HELENE: 07:09
One is called Read Frame, uh-huh, and uh the one is kind of all love stories, and you know, it's always like uh romance and the millionaire versus this and that.

MAX: 07:19
Ah yes, the dra the drama dramas in two minute two minute bites.

HELENE: 07:24
That's right. They want to hook you so you can pay to know what's gonna be next, what's gonna happen.

MAX: 07:30
Yeah, people scroll quickly, so you gotta get in there with the hook. That's interesting, isn't it? Talking to casting directors last year on the podcast, I don't think it was even a topic to to talk about. Like it wasn't even a bullet point. Whereas now it's um it's growing so much. Interesting.

HELENE: 07:46
Yeah.

GETTING INTO CASTING
 

MAX: 07:46
Well, how how did you get into casting? Well, you always wanted to work in the industry, or you've yeah, I think I started like at 14.

HELENE: 07:56
Oh wow in the industry. I started dancing, modeling, and uh at 21 I opened a talent agency. At 21. I knew exactly like I wanted to be in the industry, so I took some classes, this and that. I opened the agency, and um eventually I um I did I had some uh shareholders, and we opened um I I did an affiliation with a company in New York called McDonnell Richards, it was a commercial print agency. And with them we opened in Paris, and then we were like sending the models so we can represent more models, and that started like that. And um eventually I had also a division for actors and a division for voice. I always had a division for voice, but in those days, you know, voice we had tapes, yeah, yeah. We didn't have MP3s, right? So it was costing a lot of money for the actors, you know, make the tapes, and then we had to get a courier and send it to the studio, and actors had to add like a hundred pictures, a hundred resumes, we had to send it all in hard copies. Wow. I mean, it was so expensive those days, but anywho. Um, so basically, um I had one of my uh assistants that actually left with half of my actors at the time. Yeah, and uh she did that with her mom while my mom was at a hospital pretty much dying. So um I came back and I had to rebuild, and I said, you know what? I'm just gonna sell the company and I'm gonna go into casting because you know, then it's good it's gonna give me the creativity to work with like the creators, the directors. And I felt like as an agent, I didn't have you know the control or the power to help as much as I could for the talents, the actors, the models, the voice talents. So for me, um being a casting director, I can have more power to help, yeah, to be able to select and and push and work directly with the creators. And I I think that as an agent, I thought it was hard to get my commissions actually. So I said, I don't need that.

MAX: 10:23
Yeah, no, exactly. You you've got less less control, I guess, and less influence in the outcome as much as the creative process.

HELENE: 10:30
No, I actually get paid like on time.

MAX: 10:33
You're not chasing up those phone calls, yeah. Agents, they do earn their money. I I think um, well, I think it it the agency was good for you in that it it it allowed you to get experience in the industry, so you actually knew which path you you wanted to take.

HELENE: 10:48
Exactly, exactly. I think it was a normal step to become a casting director. I knew every side, every step, you know, when you're in at the different angles and you sit at all these different chairs, you know, you're well-rounded with all the, you know, from from acting to being an agent to being casting director. And we all wear so many different hats, even you two. You like writing, you this, you produce, right? Yeah, so same thing with me. I'm co-writing a sci-fi with somebody else, and I'm trying to to do that as well. And you know, there's so many different hats, but uh, but casting, it's been now 25 years this year.

MAX: 11:26
Wow.

HELENE: 11:27
So I'm celebrating.

MAX: 11:28
Well, congratulations. And I'm and so what what would you say are your favorite aspects of the job? What's been keeping you keeping you going over those 25 years?

HELENE: 11:39
I think when I received the email or an accolade from the client, like the producer or the director, saying, Helen, that was an amazing job. We are flabbergasted. And I just got um another Google rate this week of another client. I was so happy. He went, I didn't even ask him, he went and wrote something on Google.

MAX: 11:58
Fantastic.

HELENE: 11:59
I'm like, yes, this is kind of my food. And to make actors happy, like I have a newsletter I send out to the people that are registered in my database, and I congratulate all the people that got lee roles or this or that. You know, I think it's important. So I'm very happy for them, and I'm happy this happens. If if I can help to elevate some talent, I mean that that's great.

MAX: 12:23
Do you do you cast also for television commercials, or is it all just film and television? And what about verticals too? I mean, yeah.

HELENE: 12:32
The company is called Total Casting.

MAX: 12:34
Okay, got it.

HELENE: 12:35
So I I cast the clues in the title feature film uh seasons. I do also have an in-house recording studio, so I cast voices in all languages. I've done over a hundred video games where I book people from all over the world, really, with their voice uh for different games. We do also dubbing for animation, animated TV series for kids. That's one of our specialty.

MAX: 12:59
Wow.

VOICEOVER WORK & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
 

HELENE: 12:60
That's it's a lot of fun. Dubbing is hard to hire from everywhere, it's mainly central. Yeah, but for games and for many other jobs, corporate. We do a lot of um GPS for cars.

MAX: 13:12
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I think people people, when they hear voiceovers, they think of you know radio commercials. They don't really, you know, that but there's so many pathways to to bring voices to life. I I know I've been doing voiceovers for I think like five or six years now, and from home as well. Mainly, I think because I I took a break from acting for 20 years in the corporate world, so I've come back to the arts. This is why I'm so happy because I'm I'm back in the arts away from the corporate world. And I um find myself bringing those dry sort of corporate scripts to life more than anything. Um, and trying to make some of that copy sound relaxed and relatable takes a lot of acting talent, I can assure you. Some scripts you forget as soon as you turn the microphone off. But um, but uh yeah, there's so many avenues for uh voice work.

HELENE: 14:03
And isn't that fun? You can do that in your pajamas.

 

MAX: 14:06
Indeed, yes, you can do it from the comfort of going home. The commute is from the living room to the office, it's easy.

HELENE: 14:12
But uh I I think You don't have to learn it by heart either. No, read the script.

MAX: 14:18
Well what's interesting, and I think the the Australian Association of Voice Actors that I'm a part of, we would the dialogue at the moment has been a lot around um artificial intelligence and how that started to impact some areas of the business. And and even from uh in front of the camera on set, like I remember I did one television commercial, and the director came up to me and he's like, Oh, you look exactly like the AI storyboard that I'd created, like you as this character. I'm like, I didn't know whether to be offended or think which part of my work has been scraped over the internet to construct the AI version of me, and how long before the AI version of me starts to get more work than the real me, and all this is going through in my head as I'm thinking, just smile and nod, you know. But I think it's it's it's it that's something that I've seen start to come in where even the union in Australia uh a couple of years ago said, make sure you put this paragraph in your contracts to say, here's my work as per usage agreement, but not to be in your bank of data as as AI owned, exactly. Yeah.

HELENE: 15:23
Right.

MAX: 15:24
Have you uh is that something you you're seeing in in your market as as well? Impacts of AI.

HELENE: 15:31
Yeah, I think it happens more in um in voice and in video games. That's the main thing. We get a lot of casting for for voice for AI stuff, for all the languages. It's not everybody who wants to do it, and it's okay. It's not for everybody, and it's a very different flow of speaking, you know. I mean, I use Chat GPD, I use you know, whatever, but um, and you can hear those different voices, and sometimes oh, I just want to change the voice. I wish I had a great accent like you coming in.

MAX: 16:02
Um I think I think it's it's I mean, there are opportunities, and also I think as we see the technology get better and better, it's it's it's harder and harder sometimes to choose to pick up. I think because we live and breathe, you know, in the industry, it's it's a bit easier for us to see, just as it might be to pick a paragraph that's written by ChatGPT than an actual writer. But uh it's it's certainly here to stay, and I guess it's how we live with it in the industry.

HELENE: 16:31
It's here to help.

MAX: 16:32
Yeah.

HELENE: 16:33
You don't take it verband, obviously. But uh for for for the voice, uh for the AI voice, um, we just had a demand today, it was French-Canadian. So I put some people in there, and it pays $150,000.

MAX: 16:48
Good lord. But for that. So it I mean, yeah, certainly. Buy out. I think so. That's buy out. So yeah, so so as a voice artist, then if you were to go on a job uh at a project, uh would you have to declare that you're the voice of such and such AI or or well this one's not exclusive.

HELENE: 17:12
So it's just a buyout of your voice instead of you know saying, Okay, we'll buy it for 10 years or whatever. Yeah. So they pay like an amount, like a first amount, like 50,000, that say you gotta do, I don't know, so many hours of recording, and then a buyout of 100 grand, which is pretty interesting.

MAX: 17:28
Yeah, at least they're not all like that. No, and I think no, and then there are some that are just taking voices and and doing what they want, but I think that's at least that they're up front and there's remuneration for the artist. So in in the in the business that is total casting, um, do how early would production companies come and seek your input for a project? Is it right at the beginning in early development, or is it just before they start production, they want to know who the rest of the cast looks like?

HELENE: 17:57
I think way too often at last minute. I don't know why they just want to, you know, and then we all rush, rush, rush, rush, and then the actors need to rush for their self-tapes. Like it doesn't make sense. Like, why not like do this months before you already started? So and sometimes we do the casting for the stars in advance, so that's fine for them to be able to go get the funds with the uh different subsidies that are available. Uh, just like we have here, different ones that it's called Telefilm Canada, and you know, you have to apply, and then you still have to have the names with your project so you can get maybe the funds.

MAX: 18:37
Yeah.

HELENE: 18:37
And not already gets chosen, right?

MAX: 18:39
Do you have a preference for casting more for television or film, or is it just because you're total casting, you're in all the the areas of the industry?

HELENE: 18:47
I think commercials are fast and quick.

MAX: 18:49
Yeah. And and is it and do you find it a great way to find new talent as well? Like someone I had a casting director tell me once someone comes in and they just nail the audition. Maybe they're not right for that particular role, and maybe they don't even get put forward to the client, but the casting director remembers them, and then when a role comes up, they can like, I know who would be perfect for that, you know. Does that actually happen? Or is that just an actor's dream?

HELENE: 19:13
That's exactly it. I keep all the auditions and I think, oh, this guy was good in this one. Even if he didn't get the job, the last one, of course, I'm gonna call do a callback. And sometimes I you I use the audition to center a client, they pre-select just sometimes by the old editions.

MAX: 19:29
Right.

IMPORTANT TOOLS FOR EVERY ACTOR TO HAVE
 

HELENE: 19:30
So yeah, but of course, when we have a demo video, it's always useful. Like I've watched even your demo video, and it's very striking right from the beginning. Poof, it gets your attention immediately. So kudos for that.

MAX: 19:45
Thank you.

HELENE: 19:46
I think it's really important for an actor to have that, yeah, and have it easily available for everyone.

MAX: 19:51
And I think always always try and keep it updated. And I think you're right, it's got a it's got a hook from from the start, and I think particularly when you're not known for your work, you've got to really put all the different a lot of as much as you can have different genres in there and show you know your range uh as an actor, I guess. Yeah, that's really interesting.

HELENE: 20:13
Sometimes it's separate, like if you do like commercials in corporate, you should have another demo video separate from your film and television and your scenes, it's very different, right?

MAX: 20:23
Yeah, I think because at the moment, what's paying the bills the most when you look at my voiceover, writing, producing, acting, it's it's um presenting to camera work where again it's the corporate money, it's consistent, and and a day on set presented to camera pays more than if I was in a television series for a 50-word uh over two days. It's it's it's it's a crazy imbalance, but n nonetheless, um you know it's you're right, it's a different show reel for me because of that different style of work, and and uh it's yeah, I mean ideally like any actor, I'd love a great character, but you can't ignore the fact that you've got to keep the lights on in the meantime.

HELENE: 21:06
Yeah, exactly, exactly. And and it keeps your muscle working anyway, right?

MAX: 21:11
That's right. In between those fun scenes, yeah, exactly, exactly in the in between the fun projects. I think no, you're absolutely right because sometimes the material isn't stuff that you'd normally gel with in life or in that in a as an actor, and you've got to really work your acting muscles to deliver it sort of relaxed and relatable while you're doing whatever it is you're doing. And and I think it's great, it does keep your work fit, and that's one reason why I certainly keep it up. The other the other way I've found to help me stay work fit is is doing short films, like um particularly some student films. There's there's plenty of student schools in Sydney, even, but there's a there's a few that I've learnt to avoid and that sort of accept anyone, and then there is a few where you know they have to have a portfolio um to be accepted, uh, where you know they meet a certain standard. And it's a great way for you to feel a bit freer as an actor because there's a bit less pressure, um, and you can indulge and push limits a little more and and really immerse yourself in the sometimes. I found some of them are more professional than some professional crews, you know. It's it's it's an amazing experience, but again, it's experience, it keeps you work fit in another way.

HELENE: 22:24
Always, always. Same thing. I I thought, you know, it would it slowed down a little bit this year, just a bit, and I thought, what else can I do? Right. So I think I I came up with the idea to do uh a live Zoom every two every two weeks. Not exactly a podcast like you, but um so that's what I did. It's called Showbiz Connect, and I do that every two weeks, and I have different guests and I do draws and I give all kinds of things to help the actor. It's all for the for the actors and the talents out there. And sometimes when you give like that, you know, uh you you get so much back in a way, right? Yeah, and uh it's to organize all that, you know. It it it it took about like three, four months to be able to put all that together. And at the meantime, what I do is I promote a new class that I put together for for beginners. Um and because people always ask, well, how do I start? Right?

 

MAX: 23:33
It's always and it's and it's daunting when you don't you don't know you you you know when your only experience is watching the content, you know, you don't it's it's hard to try and learn as quickly as possible what you know what the processes are.

HELENE: 23:47
Um exactly and there's I put that together, it's like uh it's called a formula one, it's like a race to this. Oh, good.

MAX: 23:54
I like it catchy, I love it.

HELENE: 23:57
Yeah, find the right formula with modules. People are learning online for you know three months to six months, whatever they want. It's like a platform, and um, and then twice a week they have a live coaching, they practice their craft, their edition, their self-tapes, their monologues, their scenes in front of coaches. They have feedback and they learn all the way, every single tool of the trade, you know, headshots, resumes, blah, blah, blah, all the tricks of the trade. Because I've been doing this for more than 40 years.

MAX: 24:30
Yeah. For me, coming back after 20 years in corporate, I I because I was acting as a teenager for a while, they're not taking it very seriously, and certainly not a lot of life experiences, many teenagers who relate, but but then um coming back, really not knowing the industry at all and and how it had changed, but have just having that experience many, many years ago. Uh, I think for me it was just dive right in and go to lots of industry events to to learn. You hear producers talk, QAs, find out what's happening, who are the good agents, the bad agents, all that sort of stuff, and do the short films and immerse yourself in workshops. I think that flooding my my senses with immersing myself. Everything, yeah, it really was a a quick education. Yeah, it was it was an interesting way to to come back when you've got some life experience and you're coming back trying to learn the industry again. Yes, even that could fit felt daunting at times. So I absolutely it it really underlines how people do need and look for guidance because they don't know who to trust and which path to take. So, yeah, Formula One, okay. I like that. You like that? I do, I think it's great, it's good.

HELENE: 25:44
Yes, there is a few people surround me who was at the show also. Um the they're all back to their passions, and sometimes they're 50 or 60 years old, said that's it, I'm doing what I love, I wanted to do that. And those days, you know, people said, Well, want to get a real job, right?

MAX: 25:59
Exactly, yeah, yeah.

HELENE: 26:00
That's what people said then, right? And and now they're saying, No, that's it. I'm diving in, like you said, you know, surround yourself, do a workshop, do the mixtures, uh, you know, mingle, get listen podcasts like yours. I mean, things you learn, learn, learn. You gotta assimilate as much as you can. So you can give them and for me, that's why I created that, because this this class, so people cannot go in zigzag, they're gonna go in straight line on the racetrack.

MAX: 26:28
You often actors will think, you know, it's a fight, a battle to get there's a point where you've got an agent, but then it doesn't end and you can't just sit on the couch waiting for the call, you know, from the agent. You've got and it's still a business where you've got to get out and about and make those contacts and networks and partnership. You're always learning. No, I think that's that's fantastic. So any guidance you can provide there is is certainly valuable for any artist.

 

HELENE: 26:52
You have to put yourself out there all the time.

AUDITION TIPS FOR EVERY ACTOR

MAX: 26:55
As as we move to perhaps, you know, advice for for actors when it comes to the casting process. I mean, are there any sort of trends in in casting that an actor should be aware of at the moment? I know one, for example, is is the trend to doing more self-tapes.

HELENE: 27:14
Yep. Right now, I would say 99.5% is all self-tapes, right?

MAX: 27:20
Wow.

HELENE: 27:20
It's a whole different world, which gives a lot of uh leeway for actors to do a lot more editions. Everything has changed. But for me, if you're going to set a self-tape, for me, the self-tape quality makes a big difference. Um that your camera is not blurry, that you have the right background, that it's neutral. I I did I did do a video on how to self-tape and everything. I do have a YouTube channel called Casting Vlog. And uh so I put a few videos out there to to help out uh the actors, but uh there's so much information on YouTube about how to do a good self-tape. But this this is key, I think, because if you're you have something distracting you in the background, or you have big jewelry, or you know, the background is way too much, it's gonna distract from your performance. And we want to see you, the actor, in the performance, we don't want to see everything around it, right? So that's key for me, and to be really present, have have your whole setup. I know it's all technical, but yeah, you don't have a choice now. This is what it is these days.

MAX: 28:28
Yeah, yeah. I I I kind of I mean, I I I love to be in the room and and and you get that feedback immediately, like you know, can you try it in this direction or that direction? Or no, I just I really I love that, and you know, every actor loves an audience, right? But even under pressure, but but I think I do see the benefit in self-takes where you can just go uh record as many takes as you're comfortable with to be able to, you know, put the put the right submission.

HELENE: 28:58
Um we had some callbacks. When one actor was in Toronto and Montreal, so we had to do a chemistry read two by two. And so you put the screen side by side and they have to read, and wow. You can still see if there's some kind of chemistry. It's not the days where I casted Death Race and we had to they they were bringing an actress from LA, another one from Vancouver, they brought him in Montreal and they do a chemistry test live, like in person. They flew them.

MAX: 29:26
Yeah.

HELENE: 29:27
So I think we're far from that now.

MAX: 29:29
Yeah, no, I remember, you know, uh Australian actors talk about how one minute they're struggling to feed themselves, you know, the industry's like as an emerging actor, and and the next minute they're on a business class trip to the states to to test for a network, you know. It's like it's like, yeah, though those days and dusting off their standard American accent. Um, I think you know that you're right. It's it's we're far from that. We just have to adapt now.

 

HELENE: 29:51
I wanted to come back to you about the vertical that when they advertise, uh you I don't know if you know that platform, mandy.com.

MAX: 29:59
No.

HELENE: 30:00
So these verticals are advertising there and they're flying people to China to shoot from anywhere in the world. So if people out there are listening and you want to maybe do some verticals, they're going to pay for the trip, everything, and then you get paid per day whatever they're paying. But there's some more advertisement right now on that platform. So if some people out there would like to try that, hey, you can get a trip to China on television.

MAX: 30:27
It's really interesting. Yeah, we had, I guess, partly because our proximity to China here in the Asia Pacific, we're not that far. I think there's there was a few um a few actors have talked to me about how they were looking at going to China and and and and I think it's like a couple of weeks and then they shoot so much in that period. And and because it's just it's just so new. We're just coming to terms with it all. It's yeah.

HELENE: 30:52
But you know, I but it's interesting, it is, isn't it? And it's worth to look into it and maybe send a health tape if it's you know you're available those dates and you think you can learn 25 pages, like when you're really good at memorizing.

ACTORS DEVELOPING THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA

MAX: 31:05
That's where all the all the eyeballs are. I get well, is it important for actors to develop a large following on social media? Is that a consideration for casting directors?

HELENE: 31:18
Um, it's somewhat important, but not um not in general. But we go look sometimes at the Instagram. My assistant gun is going to go look what that person's done or whatever. Um, it did happen when I did a uh video game where we casted the voice, the person had to do martial art for real in real life. They had to I had to give all their social media following because of marketing, they're thinking ahead. Yeah, so it's sometimes it's for their promotion and marketing. They want to see if you're gonna market the product after you've done the shoot. So, but it's not happening very often.

MAX: 31:56
Okay.

HELENE: 31:57
Have you heard more on your side?

MAX: 31:59
I think as an actor, we feel the pressure sometimes to be able to consistently put out social media, and we always look at it through the lens of um whatever casting director sees it, or what are my agents gonna get angry if I if I don't do some behind-the-scenes social posts about this job, or so it's always it's always like we this is what goes through our minds. It's always a focus for us, and and sure there are moments like anyone with a bit of common sense has a lens as well to say, Well, I don't think I should post that, you know, and if you're not sure, don't do it sort of thing. Um, but but I think there's always doubts, yeah.

 

HELENE: 32:39
Yes, yes, we we look at that not that often, but once in a while we need to check, okay, what what is he doing? What is because sometimes if or if some actors don't have a demo video, we're gonna go check because we need to see the person live and we're gonna check if there's any videos on Instagram or YouTube or whatnot to see a little further than what we've seen.

MAX: 33:00
Right. See the see the actual personality and some authenticity and insights to other projects, maybe how they work. I get yeah, I get makes sense.

HELENE: 33:08
Yeah, maybe we want, you know, do we do we want to work with that person? Is that personality is gonna fit.

MAX: 33:15
Yeah. That's really interesting. No, that makes sense. Do you find actors without an agent, or does everyone come to you through an agent?

HELENE: 33:25
Uh that's a very good question. Um both.

MAX: 33:29
Okay.

HELENE: 33:30
Yeah, I have no problem. I have that's why I have a database where people can go and register, and most of them don't have agents, so we book them directly. Okay. I send them a newsletter, whatnot. And uh there's a couple, uh, but that's usually like you know, pretty much like that. There's a couple people here and there with no agents. Um so and sometimes when we search out large, then we're gonna go on different platforms. Like we go in the casting workbook, the platform.

MAX: 33:57
Okay.

HELENE: 33:58
Um, it's a very good platform to look for uh actors that and a lot of them have non no agent. Um, or if you were looking for union, non-union, or live in different cities, like uh casting workbook is also good for the states. So we use that platform a lot, and other platforms as well, honestly. But um, I don't know which platform you guys receive breakdowns.

MAX: 34:23
In Australia, there's sh the main ones are Showcast and Casting Networks, where you certainly pay to have your profile up there. Um but within those, I think you certainly need an agent to be able to, because they're the ones that see all these almost exclusive to those platforms, television commercial auditions, some film, television. And so you really need the agent to be able to submit. You can't sort of self-submit, if you like, through those platforms, and you don't, as an actor, get visibility. And of course, there are many more. I mean, I'm on another couple of platforms, and some of them, you know, you can end up paying a fortune. Pardon?

HELENE: 35:00
Do you know actors access?

MAX: 35:02
Uh no, that's not a big one.

 

HELENE: 35:04
A lot of the states use that in Canadian as well. Okay. That you can see some breakdowns. Like uh sometimes we can choose who can see what, and so on, but that you can have your own platform, and a lot of actors actually can get jobs directly from that platform. Even from Australia.

HOW TO STAND OUT TO CASTING DIRECTORS

MAX: 35:22
Okay. Wow. Something to consider. Well, yes, and the other one that leads into you know a question of how can actors stand out to casting directors? How can we be seen what what what what else can we do other than be on the platform? Um, you know, for example, if I'm if it when I was in the theatre in a a production, I'd I'd invite um different casting directors, industry contacts to come and watch. Um can people email you and say, hey, here's my updated show real or what what what can we do?

HELENE: 35:54
Yes, absolutely. Um email when you do send invites, make sure that the casting director or or even your agent don't pay to get in because they receive so many invitations. If they start paying for everything, they're gonna be bankrupt. But that's that's one thing, one thing to do. Um, I say also always thank a casting director, send a little card or something by email, or actually a hard copy. If you want to be different than others, you can find out the address maybe of the different casting directors around you or somebody you'd like to be seen by. And I would actually send a hard copy in a resume with a maybe a like, I don't know, like a little card, a ten dollar card from Starbucks or something like that. I'd like to, you know, or maybe find out when their birthday is and send a little email, a little something.

MAX: 36:45
Okay.

HELENE: 36:45
Be creative. That's what I'm saying. That's what I explain also in my class. I I I try to give those tricks, you know. I mean, always thank maybe the casting director that sent you and your agent, even if you didn't get the gig, thank you for sending me, or little somethings like that, right? Appreciation. And that will come back to you, and they will think about you and they will remember. Meaning gestures sometimes go very far. So that's what I would suggest.

MAX: 37:15
Interesting. No, I like that. Uh especially, especially the the because you're not the first person in the last week to say in the industry to say, I'm happy to receive, you know, letters and hard copy, because it's a it's a it's a unique way by going back to the olden days, you know, to stand out these days, you know. I think that's really interesting.

HELENE: 37:35
Um you can follow up by an email saying, Oh, did you get my archive or yeah, I love that.

MAX: 37:40
That's great. That's so cool. I think that's great advice.

HELENE: 37:43
Yeah, I'm returning to some of the basics where people actually are happy to receive mail.

MAX: 37:49
I know, it's hilarious. The postman actually stops now. Um, so what what what what about actors who haven't had auditions for some time? Like, you know, there's there's uh what what what what advice would you give them to be able to stay work fit and ready and you know develop your network?

HELENE: 38:09
Well, networking is key. So for me, I'm always that's why I did Showbiz Connect. I connect people together. I do breakout rooms at the end of the show.

MAX: 38:18
So yeah, so tell me more about the podcast. So Showbiz, it's called Showbiz Connect, and what you invite like a group of actors, do they do they is it like a workshop?

HELENE: 38:28
We can be invited from anywhere.

MAX: 38:30
Okay.

HELENE: 38:30
So if if people go to totalcasting.ca, Canada, and they click on Showbiz Connect, it's gonna bring them to a page. They can fill up the email and they're gonna receive a link, a Zoom link. It's a Zoom cast, I call it.

MAX: 38:44
Right.

HELENE: 38:45
So it's a live Zoom cast every two Wednesdays at one o'clock, and then once the show's finished, it's gonna go on YouTube. It's gonna be the edited version on YouTube, and then it's going to Apple Podcast and Spotify. Spotify, yes, exactly.

MAX: 39:03
And so, what do actors need to prepare for that, or is it just it's like a conversation?

HELENE: 39:08
It's not necessarily an audition, it's more like we have different guests, we have directors, we have casting directors, okay, okay. We have uh coaches. Uh that today we had the singing coach. I invited also a very good uh famous singer as well. And um, yeah, different there's a different theme, you know what it is to find different theme for a podcast or show.

MAX: 39:31
Yeah, keep it fresh, keep it relevant.

HELENE: 39:34
So we have a theme every two weeks, and uh I have maybe coming, I'm gonna have some agents come in also uh for kids in the biz about kids, so like different themes like that. So you learn different crafts, you have different connections, and when we do the breakout rooms at the end, then we have different people, and then people can make some connections here and there. Um, sometimes just producers, and yeah, in two weeks it's gonna be a director, producer, and like different people. So it's very exciting. I uh uh I love it. Uh it's my new thing, Shovis Connect.

MAX: 40:10
Well, yeah, it's a great way to really gain some knowledge from people busy in the industry, industry professionals, and also yeah, start to build your build your network a little more. That's that's great.

HELENE: 40:21
It gives ideas just like we're doing right now, you know. We're trying to give as much advice as possible, and you create your questions are right on point.

MAX: 40:28
So well, I mean they come from a credible, authentic place of me being an emerging actor looking for the next role. So so I hope they're they're relevant. But but thank you, um, thank you, Helen, for sharing some great learning insights. And I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing some great insights um from the perspective of a casting director. I'll I'll be sure to check out the podcast as well for lots of tips.

HELENE: 40:53
Well, thank you very much. Much appreciated, for sure.

MAX: 40:56
So don't forget to follow, download, and listen to more episodes. I'm Max Belmonte, and this is Two Unemployed Actors.