Soap Auditions

CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative seeking actors of color for daytime dramas

The CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative accepts submissions each June.

AB Media Publishing, LLC

The VP of Casting at CBS Television is accepting submissions from diverse talent, specifically actors of color, to participate in the CBS Diversity Institute and Casting program. This is an extension of CBS Diversity's ongoing talent showcase initiatives. Talent who become candidates will be pre-screened by the casting executives at CBS, and subsequently the casting directors for "The Young and The Restless" and "The Bold and The Beautiful" will audition the actors on a regular basis for various roles on the shows.

Josie Thomas, who formerly served as Vice President, Business Affairs for CBS News, is now the Senior Vice President, Diversity, CBS Television. In regards to the CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative Thomas stated, "Diversity requires action and we see this as a very intentional way of bringing attention to diverse actors and continuing to open doors to the most successful daytime franchises in history with this new and additional avenue of access". Ms. Thomas is responsible for the creation and execution of initiatives designed to improve outreach and recruitment, hiring, promotion, and mentoring practices, as well as developing new ways of increasing representation of minorities and women in management and non-management positions. CBS has undertaken a new and unprecedented initiative to enhance access for diverse actors who are 18 years and over to the talent pool for the network's daytime dramas.

CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative Submissions

Diverse actors of color can submit a headshot and resume directly to the VP of Casting at CBS Television for consideration to the Daytime Diversity Initiative program. Talent must be 18 years of age and older as of June, 2013. Submissions are accepted throughout each June every year. Submissions are also being accepted through May, 2013 this year.

Send hardcopy photo/resume to:

Fern Orenstein
CBS Daytime Diversity Initiative
CBS Broadcast Center
4024 Radford Avenue
Studio City, CA 91604

Participation in this initiative is not a guarantee of employment, nor is the initiative intended to displace traditional avenues of access to employment opportunities to all actors, regardless of background. The size of the roles if cast, can range from under-5 lines to larger roles.

The CBS Diversity Institute is a comprehensive program designed to identify and develop diversity within the writing, directing and talent communities. The CBS Diversity Institute includes the CBS Writers Mentoring Program, the CBS Directing Initiative and numerous actor workshops conducted nationwide, as well as writer workshops conducted in Los Angeles.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS has been the #1-rated daytime drama for more than 22 years. The show is broadcast weekdays (12:30-1:30 PM, ET; 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, PT) on the CBS Television Network and is produced by Bell Dramatic Serial Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, the 2010 Daytime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama, is broadcast weekdays (1:30-2:00 PM, ET; 12:30- 1:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network and is produced by Bell Dramatic Serial Company. The show has taped more than 6,000 episodes in its 24 years on the air and is viewed daily by millions of viewers in more than 100 countries, making it the most-watched dramatic serial in the world.

All talent must be legally eligible to work in the state of California and in the United States.

The 2013 Los Angeles Actors Resource Guide eBook comes with free quarterly updates and includes the following information and documents for adults, minors, and foreign talent who would like to work as an actor or extra on film and television productions in Los Angeles and the United States:

• USA Child Actor Work Permit Requirements
• California Child Actor Permit Application
• California Minors Summary Chart
• Child Actor Coogan Trust Deposit Instructions
• California Division of Labor Standards Offices
• Immigration Work Permit Information
• Non-Immigrant Visa Application

In addition to the following Los Angeles Actors Resources:

• Audition Tips
• How To Make an Audition Video
• Los Angeles Casting Directors List
• Los Angeles Extras Casting Directors List
• Los Angeles Talent Agents List
• General Talent Agent Information
• Los Angeles Acting Classes List
• Acting Classes for Young Actors in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Headshot Photographers List
• Sample Actors Resume
• Sample Beginning Actors Resume
• Sample Cover Letters
• Entertainment Industry Terminology
• Miscellaneous Los Angeles Resources
• Actors Unions
• PDF Users Guides

The 2013 Actors Resource Guide eBooks are available here.

Filmmaking Schools

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.