I have worked in the Entertainment Industry as long as I can remember. I have been a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists since 1985. I decided to create and maintain this website in my spare time to help people who are interested in working as a professional Daytime Drama actor. I hope the information on this page can help you achieve your dream of working as an actor or extra on your favorite Soap. I hope my websites continue to help talent obtain employment in the entertainment industry.
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.
