The Actors Voice - POV

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Benefits of Working Regionally

Lana Veenker's POV: Portland, Oregon

Regular readers of The Actors Voice know that I have encouraged actors to WAIT
until they are truly ready to make a move to a major market. When I reached out to
Portland's top casting director Lana Veenker, I knew her contribution on any topic
would be of value to readers everywhere, but I had no idea how EXACTLY dead-on
her words would be (and so timely, with everyone itching to make a big move for
Pilot Season)!

Benefits of Working Regionally

If someone had told me, after living in several major cities around the
world, that I'd return home to Portland and start a casting company, I'd
have raised an eyebrow. I didn't imagine there was any industry to be
spoken of here.

But I was wrong.

Portland, like many other regional markets, is hopping. From big

Hollywood productions excited about our locations and film incentives;
to indie filmmakers wanting to do projects their own way; to the
plethora of commercials, infomercials, industrials, and animated films
being shot here every year; regional production is in full swing.

Actors, however, are always waxing poetic about moving to LA or New

York. "There's just nothing going on here," they tell me. "I want to be
where the action is. You know--get an agent; start auditioning for pilots
and stuff." So, they pack up and go, only to find themselves working
two day jobs, wasting away in traffic, dodging as doors slam, and
watching their acting chops atrophy.

They battle it out for a while--like our home state salmon struggling
upstream--then return home with their Hollywood war stories and new
cachet of being LA actors. But when pressed, they'll tell you why they
really came home: "I just wanted to WORK. I didn't realize how great
we have it here, until I got to LA and no one would even give me a
chance!"

Which is why I like to remind actors of the benefits of working

regionally.

If you're a strong actor, you can be a big fish in small pond.

We recently cast projects for directors Robert Benton, Gus Van Sant,
and Gregory Hoblit. Whereas only a tiny percentage of actors ever get a
shot at a director's session in LA, many of the top Portland actors made
it to callbacks and got to work one-on-one with these directors--even
some actors who were unrepped with no SAG cards. A few landed
major roles; others got smaller parts, plus experience and material for
their reels. (Oh, and several beat out the top LA selects for the roles, so
there!)

In a smaller market, it's easier to meet the players.

It doesn't take long for a skilled actor to become known to all the local
casting directors when there are only a few offices. When someone's
good, it's common for us to read him or her a half-dozen times a week
for various projects. Compare that to the number of auditions an LA or
NY newcomer gets to attend. You can also meet the top directors,
producers, talent agents, and so on, with relative ease. When word of
your talent gets around, you'll be in great demand. And when big name
films come to town, you'll be high on the list for an audition.

Quality of life: time to exercise, study, etc.

In a regional market, you spend less time commuting and trying to make
ends meet, which means more time to devote to your craft--AND to
having a life outside of acting--which, in my opinion, makes you a more
interesting, well-rounded person. At a recent callback session in our
offices, a visiting New York director asked each actor what he or she did
for fun. He was shocked by the answers: snowboarding, kiteboarding,
cycling, hiking, painting, volunteer work, real estate investing, travel,
and so on. "Wow," he commented. "When I ask actors that question in
New York, it's always the same thing: shopping and clubbing. People in
 Oregon have a LIFE!"

Join the unions.

You've got a better chance of getting Taft-Hartleyed in Portland than in

Los Angeles or New York City. Because of the limited amount of union
talent here, strong nonunion actors are frequently needed to fill in the
gaps. Bingo! We file their Taft-Hartley forms and they get their union
cards. [Note: Actors of diversity are especially prized, since demand is
high and the supply is so slim.]

Theatre.

In smaller cities, it's easy to juggle stage and on-camera work. The
casting offices where you audition and the sets where your projects
shoot are probably only ten minutes away from the theatre. Compare
that to the drive from Studio City or Santa Monica to South Coast Rep
at rush hour.

Independent films.

Portland and other regional markets are hotbeds of indie filmmaking.

Some of the most interesting and original filmmakers deliberately make
their homes outside of Hollywood. If you're a great actor, you can easily
land the juiciest roles. Films we have cast locally have gone on to
Sundance, Cannes, and elsewhere, providing springboards for actors
who may not have gotten the opportunity otherwise.

Do your own thing.

Just as independent filmmakers choose cities like Portland to forge their

own paths, so do independent-minded actors. Smaller markets are great
places to start your own theatre or production company; write, produce,
direct, and star in your own projects; launch a new idea or even start a
business to support your craft. The risks are fewer since costs are lower
and you can always relocate once your ideas have proven successful.
Just think of your regional location as an incubator.

Save money for the move.

If you're determined to relocate to a major acting hub, why not take

advantage of the lower cost of living and shorter commute times in a
regional market and save enough money so you only have to work
part-time (or not at all) when you arrive? If you're just going to spend
your first two years in Los Angeles working a day job, you might as
well do it in a regional market where you can sharpen your acting skills
on meaty theatre and indie film roles and go out on commercial
auditions daily.

The really cool thing about a few of the items on Lana's list of benefits is that they
also apply to actors in major markets. Even if you've already made the move, you
can find ways to make the market feel smaller by networking, creating your own
opportunities, doing theatre, developing relationships with indie filmmakers, and
improving your quality of life. Remember: You have a lot of choices about how you
pursue your craft in any market. If you're living your dreams, do your best to make
sure every day is a little dream-come-true in nature. Make it a priority.

About Lana Veenker

Lana Veenker began her career in London as a casting assistant; helping to cast
European leads in features and miniseries for several major studios and networks.
She had previously trained as an actor-director, so when the Portland native returned
to her roots in 1999, she launched what is now one of the Northwest's most
successful casting companies. Her team recently completed casting on Gus Van
Sant's Paranoid Park and two Lakeshore Entertainment features, Feast of Love and
Untraceable. Her commercial division has cast countless award-winning projects,
including the cult phenomenon "Trunk Monkey" spots. She is the author of
Marketing Tools for Actors, an online course offered at over 1200 universities and
colleges worldwide.

Got a request for a POV to cover in a future edition of The Actors Voice--POV?
Shoot an email to me at showfaxbon@gmail.com.

Posted on January 1, 2007 12:29 AM | Permalink

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This page contains a single entry from POV posted on January 1, 2007 12:29 AM.

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