SCHOOL NEWS

DYNAMITE DETERMINATION

Every now and then, you hear about someone working so hard to overcome obstacles and achieve, YOU become inspired by that individual's perseverance... this month, we're proud to feature a very special young lady with an amazing work ethic, so much so, her past surprises her fans.

Known as "Half-Pint" (so-named by Johnny Magic) to XL 106.7 radio listeners, ALICIA FRANK graduated from Deltona High in '95 and attended Georgia Southern University. While driving home with friends for Thanksgiving break, the unthinkable happened--their car was struck head on by a drunk driver.  Alicia was air-lifted to Halifax Hospital, arriving DOA.  She began breathing the same minute her best friend, also in the accident, passed away.

Alicia suffered severe head trauma and brain swelling; her parents were told their daughter who'd danced for 12 years would never walk, talk or eat again--she'd be fed intravenously, for the rest of her life... but Alicia, who heard and understood the doctors' words, distinctly remembers thinking "these people don't know who they're dealing with".  Admitted to the hospital Nov. 25, she'd been in a coma since the accident.  Her parents were given a March 9 release date.  Alicia awakened Jan. 5, promising herself she'd "walk out of the hospital by Jan. 30".

It wasn't easy--she worked at physical therapy 5 days a week, 8 hours a day for 4 months, relearning the simplest tasks.  She whispered for months redeveloping her voice, and during this time, read children's books.  Growing through little steps, Alicia began repeating high school classes in '97; before her accident, she'd aspired to be a high school math teacher and drill team sponsor.

Summer 2000, this determined student became a UF advertising major, part of the award-winning Bridge Communications Team Campaigns class, receiving her Bachelor's Degree in '02.  During college, she was hostess at a restaurant. She then decided to work in radio, having always loved music, especially since it helped deal with residual frustration.  "One day I showed up at the campus station, Rock 104, & told them I wanted to work there", admits Alicia, who began volunteering that week (for 4 months) before she was hired as a promotions associate. She was named Promotions Associate of the Year for 2002.

Enjoying her station work, she remained in Gainesville after school.  A DJ at 104 suggested the bubbly blonde work on-air with her great voice and industry knowledge, so she "practiced" in the studio late each night, sometimes until 3 a.m., to polish her skills... for a year; but sadly, their program director passed on Alicia's on-air talents.

Fast-forward to May, '03, Alicia returns to Orlando, when Dad calls Lisa Maile Admissions Director--now School President--Debbie Wisner, about the Image & Confidence course to help young women "become professional and a lady” (Dad's goal).  Alicia enrolled immediately, completing Image in late July.  While studying with us, this energetic performer produced a 1/2 hour radio show freelance, and in August WSBH approached her to be part of a new station.  She hosted "Bandwidth", a weekly 1-hour show, introducing new music from local bands she'd meet and interview, for 7 months... without pay.

During this time, Alicia's endless dedication impressed everyone here at the school, and she shared with Lisa her dream to work at XL.  She continued into our TV program for voice acting training, and we requested permission to share her inspiring story with the morning show crew at 106.7, as at that time, Alicia never discussed her accident.  We contacted the station, and fellow LM TV grad Jonathan Hyla, then Doc & Johnny's morning show producer, arranged an internship for Alicia--another volunteer job, from 4 to 11 every morning, working without pay alongside Doc, Johnny, Grace, Hyla, Brian, Late Kate, Alex & AJ D... for 5 months.  While interning, she also worked retail full-time at Seminole Towne Center, to pay bills!

Determined to show the XL team how hard she'd work for Clear Channel, Alicia strove to be the first person in each morning and last to leave, showing total dedication at the job.  In March when the morning team took their annual Spring Break trip, she handled all Orlando show preparation and studio responsibilities.  Loving every minute at XL, Alicia also felt appreciated by the group; Johnny & Grace often listened to her weekly audition tapes--Johnny offered critiques, predicting Alicia's future, "there's no doubt in my mind you'll be a broadcaster one day".

AND SO, last May, when this industrious go-getter heard of 2 XL positions available, the 1st, promotions associate (remember Gainesville!), and 2nd, Saturday night on-air, midnight to 6 am--she called the school for resume & interview advice--then met with Promotions Director, Bobby King, and Program Director, Adam Cook, with her most recent audition tape.  

Of course, if you tune in to XL, you know the rest of the story!!  Listening to Alicia, "Half-Pint", on FM 106.7 Saturdays, midnight to 6 (& just recently, she was recruited to station monitor Magic 107.7...) you wouldn't begin to imagine how long this impressive performer volunteered for free to learn her craft, how she persevered for years to overcome seemingly overwhelming obstacles to achieve her radio dream, or truth be told, how challenging it was for Alicia in the 90's after her accident to strive daily to regain a normal life and prove the doctors' wrong.

ALICIA FRANK has always known through hard work anything is possible.  

Congrats on the amazing, Alicia...for you, it's all in a day’s work.

“The WAY You LOOK” by Lisa Armstrong

September

SkinCare 101

Time to get back to basics with a simple but effective skincare regime. Taking good care of your complexion is necessary for achieving a younger and more radiant look. When selecting your skincare products choose one that works well not only for your budget, but fits your lifestyle and suits your skin type.

Your daily 3 steps are To Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize your face and your eye area.

Ideally you should do these steps twice a day.

Your cleanser should be designed specifically for your face and can be in the form of a bar, a gel, a lotion or a cream depending on your skin type and personal preference. Your cleanser is designed to remove surface dirt, oil, bacteria and makeup. You should always rinse off your cleanser.

Now, a word about toners. Some feel this is an unnecessary step. However I feel it is a good step as a toner, which is alcohol free provides a soothing comforting feel to the skin and provides clarity to the skin’s tone and texture. Key ingredients such as aloe and vitamins can offer healing benefits too.

Next, select a moisturizer for your skin types and skin care concerns. Water based for oilier skins and extra creamy and emollient for drier ones. There are soooo many choices when it comes to moisturizing. Don’t forget an eye cream as the under eye area is oil gland free- the first area to show the visible signs of aging! How fortunate for our younger people to be able to select products on the cutting edge of anti aging technologies! Look for moisturizers with anti -oxidants, super powerful vitamins such as A, C, and E as well as serums, lotions and cremes to firm, tighten, lessen puffiness and dark circles and continue to soften surface lines and wrinkles. With all these advancements, no need for a nip/tuck now!

Treat your face to an in home facial twice a week with an exfoliating mask and deep pore treatment. Use your exfoliating scrub to remove surface dry, dead skin cells and you’ll reveal a smooth, soft complexion. To deep pore cleanse, use a mask with a clay base and you’ll never have blackheads or whiteheads again.

So there you have it, an easy daily routine that promises you years of a beautiful healthy skin. You passed, so now go to the head of the class!

The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach

Congrats to Image/Professional Modeling grad KAITLYN CHANA who competed with 169 girls at the National American Miss Pre-Teen Pageant and was a Pre-Teen runner up.  She also competed in a spokesmodel competition and received 1 st runner up on the friendship speech, using her public speaking skills to talk to 1,200 people!!  Now that is confidence! Kaitlyn also won the National American Miss Volunteer Service Trophy for working with trainable mentally disabled students every morning at Rock Lake Middle School. Kaitlyn had this to say about her experience, “I had a blast at the National American Miss Pre-Teen Pageant.  I was given an invitation to go to California for a National Pageant because I was one of the top five spokesmodels.  I had so much fun and I will never forget these memories.”

Great news from MARNEE McCLELLAN graduate of the Children’s acting and Teen Acting.  After a number of auditions, including monologues and cold readings, Marnee has just been offered the role of Juliet in the Mad Cow Theatre’s production of “Romeo & Juliet”.  At 16, she is the youngest member of the cast – a cast that includes very talented Shakespearian actors.  She is quite excited as this is her first paid theatrical role.  The performances run from September 23 through October 17 at the theatre on Magnolia Street in downtown Orlando.  I’m sure this won’t be her last paid role.  Don’t miss this very talented young lady.

Remember acting grad PHIL MOORE , who starred in countless Nickelodeon TV game shows, including Nick Arcade, toured with Nick Live nationally, was a guest on “Malcolm & Eddie”, and recently hosted his own show about dog competition on Animal Planet? This sharp former stand-up, now living in L.A., is also quite a gifted writer and idea-man...Phil's currently penning a Nickelodeon appearance for Will Smith, who's soon to be seen, or rather, heard, in the animated feature, Shark Tale. To promote the movie, Will's scheduled to present Phil's comedic bumper vignettes during 3 hours of programming on Nick as he introduces the audience to the movie, his character and shows on the network.

Did you catch double acting grad ERICKA DUNLAP, Miss America 2004, on Oprah last month? Featured in a show about working hard to achieve your dreams (our theme this month, & every month for success in our industry), we encourage everyone to watch Ericka as she crowns Miss America 2005 on national TV Saturday evening, Sept. 18. This talented singer, a UCF honors student, traveled the country extensively this past year, granting exposure to her platform, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall Behind--Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion". July found Ericka in Washington, D.C. meeting with several members of the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives & Cabinet to salute the demographics of the U.S. and honor wounded heroes of our military. While in our nation's capital, she was the special guest at several hospital wards, talking with and thanking soldiers wounded in Iraq, after having personally visited with our servicemen and women in the Mid East earlier this year (you might have seen the special feature on Ericka's military appearance in the Orlando Sentinel). In June, Ericka performed at the Country Music Association Music Festival in Nashville, singing the national anthem, participating in their Celebrity Close-Up, signing autographs and posing for pictures at their Fan Fare. Watch for this national ambassador soon on CBS as the network chronicles the CMA Music Fest with a 2-hour special.

Children’s/Teen Acting grad SPENCER LOCKE just landed the starring lead role in Sony Pictures film “Monster House” Executive Producers are Stephen Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis and the Director is Gil Keenan.  She beat out over 650 girls for “Jenny” in two nationwide searches.  Filming

is scheduled to start August 30 th at Culver Studios in Culver City, CA.  New technology called “motion capture” will be used similar to “Polar Express” with Tom Hanks coming out in November.  Acting instructor Kevin O’Neill who has followed Spencer’s career is very proud of her and so are we.

Check out PAUL AMADI soon to be seen in “Teen People Magazine”. He entered a Teen Magazine and Darrin Henson dance contest known as VERB “Dance Revolution competition” and won 1 st place ! WOW! Paul started with The Maile School at the tender age of 4 where we knew right away, success was definitely in his future.  Acting is easy for Paul. He shot a national SAG commercial for Pringles and Sea World Adventure Park’s new Mystify nighttime show.  He is signed with Johnny Wright, manager of Britney Spears and N Sync.  Way to go Paul!

Local Actress and singer, ALEXIS MERO, from Celebration, was selected as 1 of 8 from a nationwide search to fly to Los Angeles to appear in the newly revised reality show “In Search of the Partridge Family”, which will air on VH-1.  Alexis and 7 other actresses will be competing in the reality show for the part of Laurie Partridge.

With the help from American voters, “In Search of the Partridge Family”, a seven episode reality series will cast a modern day version of “The Partridge Family”.  A remake of the hit TV show from the 70’s, will be premiering Sunday, September 5 th at 9:00pm on VH-1.Viewers will cast their vote and select a finalist for each character.  In the final episode the new cast will be revealed to America.  The family will then begin rehearsals for the sitcom which will begin in late fall.  For those of us who remember the original version……. ”Hello world, here’s a song that we’re singing!”  Congrats Alexis, we won’t miss this exciting show!!!

ARIELLE KEBBEL continues to stay very busy with “Gilmore Girls” as well as another WB show “Grounded for Life” where she plays in 5 episodes of the Friday night sitcom.  She also attended a private party for “In Style Magazine” where only 100 people were invited.  It was held in the home “Charlie's Angels II” was filmed. Arielle has been staying very busy with print work, says her mom Sheri. She is a natural. More exciting news about Arielle in next months newsletter, don’t miss it!

A Day in the Life . . . of Television Commercials - by Al Hubbs

We could not live without all the great advice we get from commercials on our television sets. I don’t know how our ancestors crossed this land in their covered wagons. Today most of us can’t go down to the local supermarket with out wearing the right deodorant, or our Visa card. Remember “Where’s the Beef” or “Ring Around the Collar”? And who can forget the “Heartbreak of Psoriasis” What a classic that was! How about that small Asian-American man who tells us, “You paid too much”. So come with me, adjust your vertical and your horizontal and let’s spend a day in the life, as we know it, of TV commercials.

6:00 AM I wake up with morning mouth (well, it keeps the cat away) but not to worry, I have a cabinet filled with everything I need: toothpaste for whiter teeth and fresher breath, something that kills germs and something for ugly plaque. Is there a pretty kind? I even have a toothbrush with a crooked handle so I don’t have to bend my arm reaching those difficult places in my mouth – like my teeth. To top it all off, I use “Scope” mouthwash, that is 50% new and improved, with a special formula clinically tested by nine out of ten doctors responding and who use a mouthwash regularly. Stay away from doctor number ten.

6:15 AM Now into the shower. I know shorter showers save energy, but so does my power massage showerhead !

6:50 AM The Fruit of the Loom guys are all here to help me select just the right under wear. What a great bunch! It’s the absolute peak of masculine comradeship and male bonding. Me and the guys laughing and joking. I’ve slapped on some aftershave lotion, used the wide stick by Mennon and a few whiffs of Brut. I am a man of action.

6:55 AM My shirt is a tapered Arrow, with a button-down collar. My tie, simple yet elegant, but fashionable. It’s from San Francisco and I’m grateful to Jerry Garcia for his collection. My suit is from the Men’s Wearhouse because when I hear him say, “I guarantee it”, I believe him.

7:00 AM There’s a problem here. There have been no recent ads for footwear so I don’t know what to do. I guess I’ll go barefoot. Maybe just socks. They’re Argyle. No, wait, I do remember. Foot Locker had an ad for Reeboks, or was it Nike Air Jordans? I like Mike, so I go for the Jordans. Basketball sneakers will fit right in with my “guaranteed” suit.

7:10 AM Coffee time and I slam-dunk a jelly doughnut into my decaffeinated blend of Starbucks Cafe latte. They are everywhere and they just opened a store in my kitchen.

7:15 AM Breakfast: low cholesterol egg substitute (from artificial chickens), one calorie Melba toast with fat-free butter . . . oops I must be politically correct, it’s a “weight-challenged” low carb spread.

7:30 AM I jump in the car and hit the freeway. The traffic is murder. I get stuck in the stupid people lane. Both other lanes are moving. As I pull out a little old lady with purple hair gives me half a peace sign. Frustration mounts.

9:00 AM Finally I get to work. I’m late and my boss is waiting. Tension! Pressure! Stress! My head is pounding. I take two aspirin but they upset my stomach. Out comes the Pepto. It coats and soothes. Now I try Anacin, or is it Bufferin? Gosh, maybe it’s Motrin with Ibuprofen. I can’t remember so I take them all and for the rest of the day I’m so wired I do all sorts of strange things. I sign up for both MCI and AT&T long distance and I don’t even have a phone.

5:00 PM The day is over but I’m a basket case and I need to unwind. I head to my favorite watering hole. Happy Hour and it’s two for one! What do I want?

A draft or a bottle? A Lite? How heavy can the others be? Pleasant after taste, less filling? Domestic or imported? Choices! Choices! Choices!

Won’t someone help? But wait the TVs on. Thank Goodness! This ones for me, the workingman, only my name is not Bud. As much as I like this place the smoke gets to me and my eyes are burning like crazy, but never fear, it’s Murine to the rescue. Gets the red out! What I want to know is what genius put the letter “M” in front of the word “urine” and said, “Hey, this stuff is good for your eyes.”
7:30 PM Home again. Supper is waiting just inside the refrigerator door. The family is happy, laughing and dancing as we microwave our gourmet meal. My wife is very pleased with herself for having selected the exact frozen dinners for each of us – Swanson Manhandler for me, Weight-watcher classic protein-rich coagulated extract of soybean tofu for her and Big Macs and fries for the kids. We are at peace with our slice of the American Dream, protected by Brinks Home Security against the bad guys, the Good Hands people against natural disasters, by Sherwin-Williams against the wind, sun and rain, by Orkin against the bugs and by Scotchguard against spilled milk.

9:00 PM The television is on, and like the primitive family of ages past sitting around their cave fire, we are gathered to watch a program from the White House on the nation’s drug epidemic. The president is outlining his plan to rid our streets and schools of this insidious disease. The program is sponsored by the companies who make Nexium, the purple pill, Prozac, Tylenol and Codeine, partners all in a drug free America.

11:00 PM In bed at last between sheets designed by Martha Stewart. She’s gone away for a while. I take a couple of Sominex tablets to give me a quiet, restful night’s sleep and a gentle laxative so I can be regular. The last though I have before I drift away is the hope that the Sominex wears off before the gentle laxative takes effect. If not some TV commercial will tell me what I need to know. Pleasant dreams.

By Meredith Oliver, MIRM

When you go out on an audition or job interview you have to give people a reason to hire you. Employers today are looking for talented individuals who can add value to the team. The interviewer can’t read your mind— you must communicate your skills and abilities in a humble yet professional manner. Lisa says it well, “Bragging about your skills and abilities comes across as reassuring, not arrogant.” At the end of the day, you want to stand out from all of the other applicants.

How are you going to demonstrate your talent in a twenty minute interview or audition? You must have a personal brand. A brand is a combination of your skills, experience, education, and talent. It is your commercial to the world that summarizes who you are and the value you offer.

Famous brands include “Just Do It”, “Think Outside The Bun”, and “You Can Do It. We Can Help”. Nike, Taco Bell, and Home Depot all understand a strong brand demonstrates product value. When you buy a pair of Nike tennis shoes you know you are getting a quality product designed to make you more competitive.

What do employers get when they hire you? If you aren’t sure of your personal brand ask yourself the following questions:

Among my friends and family I am known for…

What do I do best at work/school?

When people at work/school give me a compliment they usually say…

What about me is different from everyone else?

Your brand has to be positive and pertinent to the job you are applying for. When the interviewer asks the inevitable question “Tell me about yourself” be ready to give them your brand. “I am a flexible and reliable team player who is eager to contribute.” Now that is a memorable answer!

If you are a graduate and need a refresher on personal branding and interviewing, join us in the Image Course Session 11. You will be glad you did!

Meredith works with professionals who want to WOW. For more information go to www.CreatingWOW.com or email her at info@creatingwow.com.

MOVING PICTURES

JUANITA ADDEO – “ Dr. G, Medical Examiner”

KATHRYN BARNES – “Samy’s Hair Care” HSN, Animal Kingdom

ANNA BROOKS – Animal Jam

VIVIAN CARRINGTON – Federal Trust Bank, Wordwise Inc., Enterprize Car Rental, No Sooner Said LLC, Productions, Hoveround, PennyStock.com

DAN CONROD – Euro-Pro Shark Vacuum Cleaners

CHARLENE CASSARA – Animal Kingdom

CHRIS GREGORY – “Dr. G, Medical Examiner”, “Natural Born Canadian”

BREANNE HEREFORD – “Pickpocket”

JULIE HONOHAN – George Foreman Grill

CAROLINE KING – Steam ‘N Mash

CASSIE LIVINGSTON – Neal Homes

INGRID LIVINGSTON – Neal Homes

ALYSSA MAIO – Dr. G, Medical Examiner

JOHNNY MAIO – “Unforgotten Past”

LINDA MONGOVEN – “Optionetics” HB Productions, “Serious Skin Care” HSN, “Samy Hair Care” HSN

SOFIA RIVERO – “Orlando Weather” WESH 2

JULIA RUSH – Christian Childrens Fund

SHANNON SHELTON – AMSCOT

LET US HEAR FROM YOU

Do you have a question that you would like answered. Email us at frontdesk@lisamaile.com and we will answer your question in next months publication. Chances are that if you have a question, other students and grads would benefit from our answer as well. To make sure your question ends up in the newsletter address it by saying “Hey Coach”…….Remember send it to frontdesk@lisamaile.com.

Special points of interest:

Interested in looking better and feeling more confident? Ask about our Image and Confidence Development Program!

Call Debby or email her at debbyt@lisamaile.com if you would like to be put on our email list for auditions and bookings.. We always need talent to send out.

Check out some of our modeling grads on Friday, September 3rd in the Mall at the Millenia from 5-8 for their monthly informal show called First Friday!

Do we have your correct email address? Let us know.

Our “Back to School” Special for September is two great FREE seminars for our grads!

We are thrilled to announce that renown casting director, BOB KAHN will join us on Thursday, September 23 at 6:15. Bob is the only “Emmy Award” winning director in Central Florida, having casted Charlie’s Angels, Spiderman, Zoro(currently shooting in Mexico), Dinner Party in LA, & Sony Pictures “A” Players. Bring your questions, resumes, and headshots . Open to Teen and Adult Acting and Professional Modeling Grads only. Thursday, September 23 at 6:15

As an added benefit to our students and grads, our second free seminar is “ A Monologue Workshop”. KEVIN O’NEILL will be conducting a “hands on” workshop that will give valuable insights into monologues, their preparation and importance. Be prepared to engage in a fun and informative evening! Thursday, September 9 at 6:15

We are excited to announce that ROBIN FABER, who with her husband Russ, owns The Creative Management Group and will be on hand to discuss her needs and what they look for in talent. Recent clients include Stacker II, Corvette, Cadillac, all the NASCAR races, concerts & special events.

Their immediate needs are for promotional and spokesperson models and actors ages 18 and up. Many of their talent go on tour for their clients. Bring Headshots and Resumes. Monday, October 25 at 6:15

Upcoming Seminars & Classes Start Dates

Professional Modeling, Thursday, September 16

Adult TV &Commercial Acting, Tuesday, September 7th, Tuesday October 19th, Thursday November 18th

Image & Confidence Development, Monday, October 4th, Saturday, October 23rd

Children’s Acting(4-6), Tuesday, October 12th

Children’s Acting(7-10), Saturday October 16th

Children’s Modeling, Wednesday, September 1

Advanced Improv 2, Thursday, September 23

Monologue, Monday September 20th

Advanced Teen Improv, Wednesday,October 13

“Breaking Into the Industry” with Lisa Maile, Monday, September 27

Monthly Seminar, “A Monologue Workshop”, Thursday, September 9

Monthly Seminar, Casting Director Bob Kahn, Thursday, September 26

Monthly Seminar, Creative Management Group owner Robin Faber, October 25

ANNA BROOKS – Harcourt Brace, Aqua Leisure

LAURA BROWN – Disney / MGM Studios

VIVIAN CARRINGTON – Worwise, Inc.

CHARLENE CASSARA – Animal Kingdom

JOHN DAHL – Harcourt Brace, AmTrack

NINA HAINE – Peter Jensen Photography

MICHELLE LABRET – Disney

JOHNNY MAIO – Harcourt Brace

SOFIA RIVERO – Disney, Orlando Sentinel

JULIA RUSH – AmTrack

SHANNON SHELTON – Orlando Sentinel

JON-AUSTIN SINGER – David Nations Photography, Harcourt Brace Science, Harcourt Brace Social Studies

LYRIC WILLIAMS – Scholastic Book, Science

CHRISTIAN TAYLOR – Dillard’s

AIMEE WOODLEE – Scholastic Book

CELEBRITY STROLL

Sunday, August 15 th, in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, approximately 600 people showed up to attend the annual Celebrity Stroll fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Lakes resort.  The event raised about $225,000 for Florida Hospital’s Cancer Unit.  Lisa Maile Professional Modeling instructors PREE HULL and Teresa Kirigin were among the models to grace the runway.  Fifteen Lisa Maile grads and students enjoyed helping as dressers backstage in the cool air-conditioning (many were without power from the storm!).  They were surprised when guest celebrity Shaquille O’Neal , and his wife , came thru to take a turn on the catwalk!

LIVE CONNECTION

BROOKE BELLOWS – Mayor Dyer’s Pre K Gala Fundraiser

LAURA BROWN – Carolyn Allen Bridal / Runway

MELISSA FALK – Carolyn Allen Bridal / Runway

CHRIS GREGORY – Nivea / Walmart

NINA HAINE – Carolyn Allen Bridal/Runway

JOHNNY MAIO – Nickleodean Olympic Special/ESPN at MGM

ALYSSA MAIO – Nickleodean Olympic Special/ESPN at MGM

BRENNA MAIO – Nickleodean Olympic Special/ESPN at MGM

SHANNON SHELTON – Teen People Rock ‘N Shop Fashion Show

KIMBERLY THOMPSON – Sketch Comedies

Thank you to all of our students who were dressers at the annual “Celebrity Stroll” Fashion Show:

Amy Ammerman

Erika Anderson

Kimberly Beaman

Vivian Blanford

Laura Brown

Crystal Fusco

Sarita Harty

Pat Hicks

Rebecca Hockman

Lori Klapperick

Cindy Laberinto

Jenny Lyzinski

Christeen Mixon

Beth Ronco

Kara Zacconi

Thanks to all of our Mall at Millenia Models for their efforts at the July 31 shows!

Jesse Albert

Makayla Baker

Briana Blackley

Payton Bragg

Kassandra Butler

Korina Cockrell

BreAnn Davis

Kimberly Dewar

Matthew Dorman

Ashley Falzoi

Morgan Furber

Lauren Gall

Kaitlyn Garrison

Ashley Gower

Isabelle Hadley

Charity Harris

Colin Hayes

Ariel Heaton

Rayna Hirt

Caitlin Huttenhower

Kristie Jordon

Celina Martinez-Banaag

Nili McCoy

Mollie Morgeson

Haley Muldowney

Rachel Neely

Madison Nichols

Elizabeth Porterfield

Gabby Reiff

Chloe Robin

Sofia Rivero

Jessica Saul

Madeleine Schricker

Isabella Sciarrino

Sharon Silver

Ericka Simplice

Jaime Steck

Cassidy Stucker

Emily Ternent

Casey Theodorson

Ryder Wayne

Bethany Weathersby

When I began my career as an actor I never thought of “show business” as a business. It seemed to me that acting was so much more fun than business. But I quickly learned that it is very much a business. Actors always work towards perfecting craft. We study commercial, television /film acting, scene study, improvisation, monologues and take an assortment of workshops. We read books on acting, about acting, about actors and directors. We watch movies, television, documentaries and plays. But, we don’t learn how to treat this career as a business. Let me give you some suggestions on how to be more business like in your acting career. To start, every actor needs a nice size day planner. The obvious reason is to log auditions. The other reason is to keep track of your interview notes. I logged every audition I went on for the first five years I spent in LA. Partly because I’m anal and partly because I knew with my busy schedule I needed a system to remember how my auditions were progressing. I listed how many callbacks I got, types of comments casting directors made (good or bad) about my auditions and how many times I left an audition feeling unprepared. I also listed what I wore to the audition so that I could wear the same thing to the callback. What the director’s and client’s name were in case I get the job. With up to five auditions a day in Los Angeles this information was very easy to forget. I also kept track of the thank you notes I sent out. I still do that to this and believe me, it’s appreciated. I send a thank you to the casting director for every job I book. The next thing is contacting your agent. One of the best things I did in Los Angeles was to spend the day in my agent’s office. I wanted to see the process of a casting call. What I learned was how incredibly busy the office was and how valuable “phone time” was to an agent. When you call your agent, have a reason. Don’t call to ask about castings or lack thereof. Instead, ask if they are low on headshots, invite them to a play you are currently in or tell them about the new classes you’ve recently taken. Then, keep it short. Trust me they will appreciate you for it. If you feel you must talk with them for an extended period then invite them to lunch. If you’re paying for lunch (and you should) then you have the time to catch up on all the important things you want. Write a list the night before your meeting containing the things you’d like to discuss. Finally, keep your vital information updated. If you cut or color your hair, pierce an ear, gain or lose weight, let your agent (or agents) know. Nothing looks more unprofessional than an actor showing up looking completely different than they’re pictures. Well, that’s a start. Professionalism is always appreciated. Good luck! KEVIN JAMES O’NEILL

BREAKING INTO THE INDUSTRY SEMINAR

We are committed to teach and guide our students and clients for success in the entertainment industry, in the work place, and in life!