Teresapalooza in Ireland!!

Yes, faithful readers (all five of you), I'm headed to Ireland for a much needed vacation. Keep up with all my shenanigans and goings on by following me on Twitter!

See you next week!

The Hump Day Update: Pre-Ireland Edition

This here actor/writer/stressball is going to Ireland! To sightsee, relax, and hunt for a sexy, Irish musician/ farmhand like Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character in P.S. I Love You. Swoon.

As I scramble to pack in as much writing as possible in between buying voltage converters and doing laundry, here's what's happening in my land --

• 
  Organized another successful theater outing last week to see The Color Purple at the Celebration Theatre in Hollywood.
  
  I've seen this musical in its full Broadway-scale at the Ahmanson and at the Pantages, and I have to say this intimate theatre presentation absolutely blew me away. Seeing the actors up close, hearing their soaring voices, taking in the nuances of their performances - I cried my eyes out! This is a MUST SEE - don't miss it!
  
  
• Still sorting through my new headshot proofs from Toshiko Photo - so many good pictures to choose from! Hope to make a decision soon so I can replace these crappy old headshots.
  
  
• 
  Enjoying reading the early buzz for all the primetime television network pilots on Deadline. These are the shows I could be obsessed with next season! I'm rooting for projects that sound interesting as well as projects that friends are starring in, including Chelsea General on TNT. More doctor shows mean more work for me!
  
  
• I celebrated Earth Day by recycling my old bras. Sexy and green! Check out BraRecyclers.com to see how you can too!
  
  
• Just a thought - SyFy making more reality shows is ridiculous. Give us some science fiction television for goodness sake!
  

Back to writing...I'm going to Ireland!

Television Writing Program Roundup

'Tis the season for deadlines and personal statements and cramming to finish those scripts!

Yes, it's time to submit to the television writing programs. For aspiring TV writers, these programs are opportunities to be recognized, learn from insiders, and slide into the business. They used to be diversity programs, but now most are open to anyone. (Caucasian males, that means you...)

As I rush (not good) to finish my scripts, I'll be sharing info and insight on applying for these programs on my blog. Today, we'll start with the basics -- what television writing programs are out there?

Open for submissions now:

CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program
http://diversity.cbscorporation.com/page.php?id=23
Requires: Spec TV sample
Deadline: May 1, 2012

CAPE New Writers Award
http://capeusa.org/CNWA/
Requires: Spec TV sample or original TV pilot
Deadline: May 25, 2012

Opening for submissions soon:

Disney|ABC Television Writing Program
http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/programs/programs_writings_fellowship.html
Requires: Spec TV sample
Deadline: May 31, 2012

Warner Bros. Television Writing Workshop
http://writersworkshop.warnerbros.com/web/index.jsp
Requires: Spec TV sample
Deadline: June 1, 2012

Austin Film Festival Teleplay Competition
http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/submit/
Requires: Spec TV sample or original TV pilot
Deadline: June 1, 2012

NBC Writers on the Verge
http://www.nbcunicareers.com/earlycareerprograms/writersontheverge.shtml
Requires: Spec TV sample
Deadline: ???

So yeah, you gotta write a spec script. More on that coming soon...

Are You Looking at Me? You Should Be!

Actors. Follow me here...

Have you ever met someone – at a party or networking event – and even though you’re talking to them, they’re looking everywhere but at you? Like they’re searching the room for someone better to talk to?

Annoying, right? You just want to flick them between the eyes and say, “Hey! Am I boring you here?”

You’ve been there. You know what I’m talking about.

Now let me tell you about something I’ve noticed in my acting classes and casting director workshops –-

Actors. Doing scenes with scene partners or off-camera readers. And not looking at them!

They look away, look down at their hands, look around at the air – look anywhere but at the person they’re talking to!

Have you ever seen actors do this? Or have you done it yourself? Are you one of those actors? If so, you gotta stop!

I don’t know what you think you’re doing – embodying the character’s carefree nature, displaying nervousness, whatever – but what you look like is one of those party people with the wandering eyes. You don’t look like a character engaged in an authentic conversation – you look like you’re “acting.”

Because I don’t know about you, but when I’m talking to someone in real life, I look at them. It’s kind of standard. Watch a scene with your favorite actor on TV or film – chances are they look at the people they’re talking to.

Think about this the next time you’re doing a scene with a partner. Put your focus on them completely. It may feel weird, but it looks right. Trust me.

Looking for an Agent? Do the Detective Work!

You got the call! An agent wants to meet with you! Your days of pounding the pavement all by yourself are over! Woo hoo!

Now who is this agent?

There is no Yelp! for talent agencies. It's up to you to do the research to figure out if an agent (or manager) is someone you want to work with.

Watch for the obvious red flags - sketchy contracts, claims of guaranteed work, or demands for money up front - and do your due diligence. Here's the basic detective work I suggest --

• Find their physical address - I know casting submissions are all done online now, but if you're based in Los Angeles and the agency is based in Milwaukee, it's unlikely they have the contacts that can advance your career.
  
  
• Google them - Search for the name of the agent contacting you and the agency itself. A bunch of agent directory lists will come up first - keep looking through the results and see what else comes up. Are they mentioned favorably in news articles? On message boards? Look for red flags among the results and take note of any clients that are represented by the agency.
  
  
• Check their client list on IMDB Pro - If you don't have an IMDB Pro subscription, you can sign up for a two-week trial or ask a friend to borrow their password. Review the other clients at the agency and see if any trends emerge. Is it primarily an agency for kids? Hot blondes? Do they have 200 clients or 2,000? Look up each client and see if they're working.
  
  
• Try to connect with clients - If you've done the previous two steps, you have the names of some of their clients. Check Facebook to see if you have mutual friends with them. Don't email blast - choose a few and send a short, polite message asking what they think of their representation - it could get you some valuable insight.
  
  
• Take the meeting! - It never hurts to meet in person. Feeling the energy of the exchange and asking questions in person is the best way to determine if it's a good match. (If they don't want to meet in person, RED FLAG!)
  

Remember, an agent works for you. You'd be just as thorough if you were hiring an employee, right?

What do you do when researching an agent?

My Supporting Weekend

I'm a supporter. It's what I do. Got a Kickstarter campaign? I'll be a backer. Are you starring in a new play? I'll try to make it to opening night. Really, I will.

Because I love supporting the artistic endeavors of friends and colleagues. Take a glance at my schedule and you'll see it's filled with friends' screenings, fundraisers, etc. I do it because I enjoy it.

On Saturday afternoon, I drove down to Costa Mesa to attend an event at Christopher's alma mater. They screened Misusing Irony along with several other film projects made by alumni. He rocked the Q&A after - he always does.

I didn't have time to really see the campus, which was beautiful, though I did see this great sign --

Love it! Christopher also showed me the "Breakup Bench," a spot where couples were often found breaking up in his day. We staged our own breakup --

Next, I rushed up to the Laemmle NoHo 7 to catch a theatrical screening of my friend Valerie's feature Losing Control.

Val and I bonded back in Boston - I was cast as her best friend in an indie feature. We did one day of shooting...and then never heard from the filmmaker again!

I first saw Losing Control at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival and absolutely loved it. Charming, hilarious, and it's about scientists! You can still catch it in NoHo through this Thursday - or catch it in Tempe, AZ, Tacoma, WA, or Modesto, CA.

I capped off my supporting weekend with a trip to the Artists at Play yard sale fundraiser! One word: EPIC. I purposely overpaid for a handful of books and a silk necktie, which I'm going to use to make a trendy necktie necklace.

The sale was still hopping when I was there --

Though my friends were sufficiently beat after weeks of collecting and organizing donations. Peter collapsed just as I was leaving --

Congrats to all my talented friends for doing their thing this weekend!

Money Monday: Taxes for Artists, Part 2

Two more days to do taxes! Hopefully you're already done and waiting for that tax return.

Now is actually the perfect time to start preparing for next year's taxes. You've already started saving your receipts for tax deductions, right?

Here are more random tips to help you prepare for next tax season --

• Evaluate your spending - Did you spend more on office supplies than you expected? Were you shocked by how much you spent on acting classes? Take a moment to refocus how your money supports your artistic career and try spending less this year in the categories you overspent on last year. Reducing expenses is a great way to save more money.
  
  
• Consider setting up a home office - Investigate and follow the IRS guidelines on home offices now and you could take more tax deductions next year.
  
  
• 
  Add a revenue stream - Did doing your taxes show you that you need more money? Then do something to make more money! Learn how to sell on eBay or Amazon Marketplace and clear out everything gathering dust on your CD and DVD shelves. Start selling AVON, pick up some freelance work, fold sweaters at The Gap - whatever. You can do it.
  
  
• Learn how to cook - Face it, we all spend too much money eating out. You don't have to become the next Michael Voltaggio, but learning a few go-to dishes for times when the budget's tight will help. Search for budget-friendly recipes online or browse around BudgetFriendlyCooking.com.
  
  
• Start giving - Tax-deductible donations help the receiving charities and help your tax return. You can find deserving charities at JustGive.org or just shoot me a message - I have a ton of charities I love to support that would appreciate your support too.