A day on the set of a Soap Opera

When you get booked to work on a soap, there is a very standardized procedure you will go through regardless of the show.

Background Actors:

When booked on a soap, you will receive a phone call (usually just the day before) and be given specific instructions on what type of character you will be playing, call-time, location, and any wardrobe or props to bring (such as briefcase, umbrella, etc.) ALWAYS bring a pencil and small notepad to take notes and directions on the set. Extras generally show up several hours after the principal actors of the show and sometimes even work only several hours, however are still paid for a minimum of 8 hours. The first item on the schedule is to SHOW UP ON TIME, always give yourself extra time for traffic, a restroom stop, or whatever. Some soaps do not have parking for extras directly on-lot, you may have to park in another lot a block away from the studio, so allow for that time also. If for some god-forsaken reason you realize you will be late, CALL the show's "emergency line" immediately. You should ALWAYS ask for this number when you are being booked.

Upon arriving at the studio, find and check in with the stage manager. The stage manager can almost always be found somewhere right outside or inside the sound stage, just start asking around. You will sign in and be given a taping schedule with your scenes marked. The scenes on the schedule are numbered, and the cast members and extras are listed below each scene. Then you should immediately go to the wardrobe department and have them check your wardrobe, they will tell you what to wear. Next you should check the dressing room assignment sheet which should be posted just outside the wardrobe department or near the stage managers podium just outside the entrance to the sound stage. If not, ask the stage manager. Go to the extras dressing room and change into your wardrobe and get your hair/makeup in order so as to be readily prepared to go to the sound stage when your scene(s) is called. You should be alert and listen for your scene(s) to be called.

When you are taping your scenes, stay completely quiet and pay close attention to the stage manager and director. If you are relatively new to soap extra work, you will be told when and where to make crosses, sit, and other stage directions. As you become better trusted with more experience, you will be able to keep an eye on the off-camera monitors and make crosses and movements naturally without direction or interrupting the principal actors.

NEVER leave the set unless specifically given permission by the director or stage manager.

Principal Actors:

Principal actors will be booked at least a week before the taping date, and will be given the full script at that time. ALWAYS bring a pencil and small notepad to take notes and directions on the set. Actors are commonly given a call-time of 5:00am or 6:00am in the morning. The same rules apply as to NEVER be late as they do for extras. Actors are usually given a parking spot directly on the studio lot. When you show up, you also check in with the stage manager and are given a taping schedule and private dressing room assignment.

A "dry blocking session" usually happens early in the morning with no cameras, just the director giving the stage movements, and marks (colored pieces of tape where the actor will stand when delivering their lines.) You then report to wardrobe, where they will usually provide the clothes for you to wear. You then proceed to the makeup department and get your makeup and hair done. Then you wait for your scene to be called for a "Camera Blocking", which is a more detailed rehearsal. Down time should be spent going over your lines with the other actors or even by yourself in your dressing room.

When you are taping your scenes, HAVE FUN and don't complain about anything. Be courteous and respectful to all of the hardworking crew members and stars of the show regardless of how they treat you.

Again, NEVER leave the set unless specifically given permission by the director or stage manager.

SAG-AFTRA

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is an American labor union representing over 150,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. The current organization is the result of the March 30, 2012 merger of the Screen Actor's Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

According to the SAG-AFTRA Mission Statement, the union seeks to: negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its performers; collect compensation for exploitation of recorded performances by its members, and provide protection against unauthorized use of those performances; and preserve and expand work opportunities for its members.

The Screen Actors Guild was founded in 1933 in an effort to eliminate exploitation of actors in Hollywood who were being forced into oppressive multi-year contracts with the major movie studios that did not include restrictions on work hours or minimum rest periods, and often had clauses that automatically renewed at the studios' discretion. These contracts were notorious for allowing the studios to dictate the public and private lives of the performers who signed them, and most did not have provisions to allow the performer to end the deal.

SAG-AFTRA is the primary performer's union in the United States. The union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. SAG-AFTRA claims exclusive jurisdiction over motion picture as well as radio, television, Internet, and other new media. Internationally, SAG-AFTRA is affiliated with the International Federation of Actors.

How Soap Operas Are Cast

The soaps writers and producers agree on new roles they wish to add to the show. Then they give the script with the new roles to the casting directors, who in turn send out "breakdowns" of the new characters being cast.

These "breakdowns" actually are sent out by a service called "Breakdown Services" and are only available to licensed Talent Agencies.

Then the agents at these talent agencies submit photos, resumes, and sometimes "demo-reels" to the casting directors. Then the casting directors call in the actors that fit the roles they are casting, usually many many actors are called in.

Then they narrow it down to the best actors who came in and "call back" these actors to read again for the director, sometimes the writers, producer, etc. Then they narrow it down further, and sometimes there are 3 - 4 "call backs" before an actor is finally hired.

Soaps Operas generally do accept submissions from actors and extras directly. The casting director will call in an actor who sends a photo and resume on their own without an agent if they fit the look of the role(s) being cast. But they really do like to see soap opera credits on the resume.

Headshots

What a good headshot is NOT:

1) Your high school yearbook picture.

2) What you think you look like.

3) What your Mom, Dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, priest girlfriend or best buddy thinks you look like.

4) Something created at Sears, Penny's, Glamour Shots or Willie's Weddings Unlimited.

5) A display ad for Cover Girl Makeup, Fashion Gal, Jim's Jewelry, Adidas sportswear, Garfield, The Simpsons, Harley Davidson, ad infinatum, etc., and so on.

A Good Headshot:

1) Really looks like YOU.

2) Doesn't hide the dime-sized purple birthmark on the bridge of your nose.

3) Looks like the camera caught you unaware that you were being photographed, and that you were really thinking about something specific, not just trying to look good for the camera.

4) Communicates your "essence" through your eyes, so that whatever you were specifically thinking about when the photo was snapped is something that will attract the viewer of the photo in a powerful way, so that the viewer will think, "Who is this person?"

How To Memorize Your Lines

1. First use a pencil and write down or each page of the script (you can also do several pages at a time as opposed to the entire script).

2. Take the page into a quiet room, shut the door, and eliminate all distractions.

3. Look at the first line in your notes and read it out loud. Then, close your eyes and say the line without looking at it.

4. Repeat the step above, this time with the first 2 lines.

5. Next, try it with 3 lines. Then 4. Repeat until you have memorized every line in the pages/script/sides.

After a study session, take a quick nap. New memories are very vulnerable, but studies have shown that sleep helps your new memories stick. After your nap, repeat the memory technique once more for maximum retention.

Important Safety Information

I always recommend using a PO BOX instead of your home address when submitting to television shows. This is another good reason that getting an agent as soon as possible is of utmost importance. Then your agents contact information is all that is listed on the resume, cover letter, and envelope. There is an earlier post about how to get an agent in my blog archives (or table of contents).

Also, NEVER meet someone outside of a professional environment such as a studio or casting/agents office. Do NOT meet someone at a restaurant, private residence, etc. You should ALWAYS let someone else know EXACTLY where you are going, WHO you are meeting, and WHEN you are going there.

And a parent or guardian must ALWAYS accompany minors. A parent or guardian should NEVER be out of eyesight of the minor, whether it be at auditions or on set.

Soap Auditions