Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Can I do Commercials Like You?... Like Me? No!


     Celebrating what must be my 50th year as a professional talent (with over 2000+ professional credits for work on stage, television, film and commercials)... and 30+ years as an acting coach, the #1 question I have been asked over the years is... Can I do commercials like you? Well! The answer is both easy and hard. Easy version reply: No! Hard version reply: Can you?
     Easy Version Reply NO!!! explained:
    When I was about 6 years old I decided on what I wanted to be when I grew up! A commercial actor! Not a stage actor with all those lines. Not a film actor... never was going to be that good looking and who wants to play villains for the brunt of their career? Not a TV star... just a typical, run of the mill commercial shill!
     You can't study to become a comedian... you just have to be naturally funny. You have to come from a funny family, have funny friends, friends who think you are hilarious or come from an environment that is conducive to being funny... like Catholic school. 
     Luckily my family was insane. We could have sold tickets to dinners at our house. And if we made our Italian father mad enough at the table, those shows might just turn into a murder mystery. My older brother had a dry wit. My sister was a physical comedienne. My younger brother sat in a high chair and fed the dog or cat on the floor... my forte? Voices. I am a mimic. I don't don't do full on impersonations. I do improvisations using variants of a person or celebrity's voice. I make sound effects... And I spout inappropriate one liners at inappropriate times. In other words, I was trained to do that thing I do!
     When my parents would scold me in the car for making crash noises or police sirens, I would respond to their negativity by telling them off as Donald Duck or one (if not all) of my grandparents voices. It's amazing how your parents back down when they hear their own parents telling them to leave the kid alone, but I digress.
     Class clown? Nah! Writer for the class clown. Live to fight another day!
     Now... we had a well to do great aunt who sat down the kids one holiday for the 'what are your future plans?' speech. Answering her own rhetorical question? You must be in a turn key business. Sell insurance... everyone needs insurance. Be a lawyer... everyone needs a lawyer. Be a doctor...
     I replied ...how about a service station attendant? Everyone needs gas. I was told I was missing the point! Actually, my actual reply was 'Commercial actor'. I was given a 30 minute diatribe on how tough it was to be an actor. But... after that windbag speech, I repeated "Commercial" Actor. You see my logic on this whole turnkey thing... When was the last time you watched TV and there were no commercials on. Last time you listened to radio? Even pay stations like Sirius and XM have station bumpers announcing Sirius and XM. Seemed like a winner to me.
     My first actual radio commercial was around age 10 or so. It was so memorable, it was forgettable. My last voice over job was less than an hour ago... doing the voice of a Canadian man. (Mimic, remember?).
     I love my job. It occasionally pays well. Let's me use my creative side. And it has helped me to become a better acting coach... preparing actors who want to become professional. Want a great coach, hire one that knows the business and would talk about it 24/7. I be he!

     NOW... Part II: The Hard Version Answer: Can You?
     Anyone can be in a commercial. I have had some mothers who have hired studios to film their own kids in commercials promoting the family business. Short cut... but understandable. Some parents can't wait! They want the kids stars now! They have electric/gas/water bills to pay! Those are parents that I am wary of most. There is no rushing a talent on the cusp of breaking out and into a great commercial career. (Most full time, professional acting career lifespans? Maybe 5-7 years. Remember, 75%+ of all SAG union actors are unemployed at any given time.) When you rush a talent, they aren't prepared to fail. And that is what it is all about. Handling failure. Any sales person can have a bad day of sales calls, but they don't quit the next day (well most don't). I have seen actors quit after 1-3 lost auditions. I mean really good actors. It's an ego thing of course. But most of all.. as I have learned over 1/2 a century... it is also a numbers game. I just happen to get more jobs, than failed auditions. And yes.. I still do audition. There is no time that the audition route is waived. Even Brando in the Godfather was forced to film a mini audition, but I digress.
     Can you do a commercial? Sure. Stand in the background. Be an Extra. It pays... not as much as a featured talent, but it pays... and it goes on your resume. Take classes... ahem... www.creativetalentworkshop.com. Or just study the industry and talk to other professional talent... ahem... www.keen.com/mjfprod. In all reality, if you have to ask... you are looking for some reinforcement, most actors already know they are great... big egos do work! Don't ask... do!

If you are really interested in checking out commercial work...
START HERE

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