Bernard Levine

How to get paid appearing in TV Ads and Soapies By Bernard Levine Have you ever wished you could get a job appearing in TV Advertisements? .... like the Samsung or Nokia cell phone ads, McDonald's or Coca Cola ads. Would you like to be in a TV soapie or serial? Now’s your chance to make your dreams come true. It's so much fun and the money you will earn will be well worth it! Dedication To my precious wife, Chrissie thank you so much for all your kindness. To Whiskers ( Wikkie ) you give me so much joy. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author. ©Bernard Levine 2016 Always Have a Dream Follow your heart to the path of greatness that lies within you. The secret of life is to have something to look forward to everyday. Find a dream that excites you and make plans of how you are going to achieve it. Feed your mind daily with positive energy and words of inspiration. Take your life to a higher level. Stay focused and go forward with your eyes on the prize. When you run towards your destination with passion in your heart you will see your dreams come true. Happiness is what you make happen for yourself. Okay, let’s get started. Producers of TV Ads and serials are always on the look out for new faces, new talent to appear in their stories or advertisements. It does not matter if you have no teeth or if you only have one eye....they can still use you and want you to be in their list of cast members. In fact, very often, the producers are not looking for attractive pretty faces...they would rather prefer someone who looks a little different...someone who stands out in the crowd ...even if you have a crooked nose or you are short and plump....it doesn’t matter what you look like...they still need you to be in their soapies or advertisements. They are always looking for a variety and a host of different characters...they are looking for new faces and new identities....so the prettiest girl in the block doesn’t always get the job. You need an employment agency which is called a ‘Casting Agency’ to get you work on TV. If you don’t know any names of Casting Agencies’ look them up on Google. Do a search for Casting Agents in your area close to where you live. Here are the names of some of the biggest and most popular Casting Agencies in America: (look up their addresses and contact numbers) Creative Artists Agency (CAA) United Talent Agency (UTA) William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) International Creative Management (ICM) Osbrink Talent Agency Paradigm Talent Agency www.starnow.com Search on Google for the names and contact numbers of the top British Casting Agencies. You’ll find that there are so many casting agencies for you to choose from. Phone them up and tell them you want to be on TV. Ask them about the days and times they are open and if you need to make an appointment, or when would be the best time for you to go in and see them. Also ask them if there is a joining fee. If there is an enrolment fee, rather find an agent who will not charge you to sign up. When you arrive at the Casting Agency, they will give you a form to complete so that they will have your information on file to contact you for all the jobs that come up, and of course they need your bank details so that they can pay you. Once you have completed the application form with all your personal information like your name, address, contact numbers, the colour of your eyes and hair...your height (they very often ask you to stand against the wall so they can measure you)...sometimes they want to know whether you can ride a horse, or swim, speak any foreign languages just in case any of these roles come up. Next, the casting agency needs to create your portfolio of head-and-shoulders photos showing a variety of different moods such as how you look when you are smiling, sad or angry. They will ask you to stand against the wall or against a back-drop and start clicking away. You should not have to pay for the photos that they take of you. There will be head and shoulder photos, left front profile, right front profile, back profile, side profile and full body profile, standing and sitting. The casting agency will choose and send the very best of your photos to producers including their contacts at advertising companies who are looking for new TV talent. When the TV Producers find a character that they like and want to feature in their soapie or advertisement, they will contact your Casting Agency to ask for you by name. Now the exciting part begins. You receive a phone call from your Casting Agency to tell you that you have been selected to appear in XYZ Soap or a McDonalds TV advertisement. Your Casting Agency will ask you if you will be available for the shoot to take place on..... at such and such place. They will let you know what your payment will be and if you agree, they will ask you to go to a wardrobe dressing so they can fit you with the clothes they want you to wear on the day they film. They will tell you where the dress fitting will be taking place and the time you should be there. Sometimes, they will email you a script of a few words you will have to learn which you are going to say in the program or ad. At the Wardrobe, you will be meeting and seeing other characters who will also have a role to play in your program or ad. The Casting Agency, together with the Producer decide on the look or type of character they want you to portray. They will select the different items of clothing which they want you to go and try on at the wardrobe fitting. After trying on several suits of clothing for the Producer to see, they will choose the clothing they like and want you to wear. If there are any alterations to be done, they will take measurements and the items will be given to the dressmaker or tailor. Then comes the big day of the shoot. You arrive on time at the venue where the filming is about to take place. Your clothing will be ready, clean, altered and pressed for you to get dressed in. Then, once you are dressed, you will need to go to the Make-up department to comb and style your hair and colour your face all ready for the shoot. In the meanwhile, you will be waiting your turn while others are being filmed. The Producers will make sure that they are happy and satisfied with your scene. Most often, they will ask you to shoot your role over again several times so that they can choose which ‘take’ they like the best. You will then go to lunch, together with all the cast members and crew and could even find yourself sitting next to the main Stars of the show! After the shoot is over, you leave the venue and go on your way home with lots of news to tell your family and friends about what you did and how it all happened. The next day, you should call your Casting Agency to find out when you could expect to receive payment for the filming. There are different ways you could be paid. Sometimes, you will receive an agreed flat rate... a fixed amount for the filming...but in other instances, you will be paid every time your ad is shown and aired on TV....and then again, in months or even years to come, if your ad is repeated, you will again receive payment for your role that you originally did way back then! The rate of payment is usually much higher for ads, then when you are filming a soapie. The reason is that soapies are not usually sponsored, while Advertisers and companies pay big money to have their names, products or services featured on TV. Think how much money Coca Cola’s TV budget is for advertising ...and what about BMW or Mercedes Benz! They spend a fortune and are willing to pay handsomely to get their message broadcast across the world. Then, later in the week, the phone will ring again. ‘Hello, it’s your Casting Agency.’ Why are they calling you? ‘Hello, we have another shoot for you to do....this time it’s for Colgate toothpaste. The shoot will take place in a restaurant and you will be filmed while having coffee and cake...all you have to do is pretend that you are talking on your cell phone and.... Will you be available on Sunday at 10am to be at Bella Napoli restaurant in LA?’ Secrets of Success You are the architect of your life Create your own opportunities and make things happen. Set yourself a specific goal and monitor your progress. Be of service Keep doing things for others without counting the cost. Turn your defeats into victories Control your environment. Mix with the kind of people who inspire you. Keep your attitude positive and your health in fine trim. Let God go before you in everything you do. Pray regularly with feeling. Always be planning something constantly. You are the magnet of your circumstances. Never give up! Going for TV Auditions As part of your experience in the TV world, your phone will ring and you will get a call from your Casting Agent to invite you to go for an audition. They will give you the name of the product or the TV series that you have been chosen for, including the time and place of the audition, and the role they want you to audition for. They will also let you know how much money you will be paid and if there are any lines they want you to say. They will email you the script so you can practise your lines before the audition. You arrive at the audition, waiting your turn and when they call your number you stand in front of the camera and they tell you what they want you to do. In a few days time, the Casting Agent will call you to tell you if you got the job. If you got the role, they will ask you to go for a wardrobe fitting so that you can try on the clothes they need you to wear on the day that you are filming. You Hold the Key Let your determination be so strong that nothing can sway its course. Let your mind believe so intensely that your dreams become reality. Let your actions be rich with enthusiasm that it moves the hearts of all. Let your life be filled with greater purpose To reach Higher To think bigger To love deeper than you've ever done before! You can get paid doing Voice Overs To find voice over jobs, you need to have a Voice Over Agent and you should register samples of your voice at a Voice Bank. For Voice Over jobs have a look at: https://www.upwork.com/o/jobs/browse /skill/voice-over/ www.intervoiceover.com Search on Google for Voice Over Agents in the area that you live. If you can do various accents, let them hear your talent. Secrets of Life Look for the beauty in everything you see. Walk in peace showing kindness everywhere. The secrets of success are motivation and dedication Happiness is what you make happen for yourself. Caring is going to the ends of the world for a stranger. Be useful with your life. Whatever you are doing put your whole being into it 100% Loving is pleasing your loved one everyday in a 1000 different ways. Control your mind you are its master Be in control. Live your life without hurting or destroying. Believe in yourself. Have respect for yourself. Walk through life always with a song. You can get paid as a Narrator You’ll have lots of fun and be well paid when you join ACX. www.acx.com You can get paid as a Translator If you know how to converse in another language (or more), you can make money being a Translator. Have a look at: www.babelcube.com You can get paid for your photo in Magazines and Product Catalogs You should ask if your Casting Agents can get your photos to be featured in product catalogs, or on street billboards including magazine and newspaper advertisements. This will be another wonderful great source of income for you. If you still want to get more additional work, you could list your name together with your profile and your photo in the entertainment industry’s Contacts Directory published by Spotlight. The Sparkle of Life Bring more joy into your life Take time for yourself to do the things you love Experience the joy of making something beautiful Follow your dreams. If your heart is longing to live life for what is true and real If you would like to feel a deep inner fulfilment with absolute truth within The quality of a richer life is in the stillness of your soul. Open your heart to the sounds of nature’s music Be grateful for all the good in life Make someone feel especially loved today Feel the holiness of God Connect with what is truly important in this life Let your heart draw its strength and joy from God Like a tiny seed it bids the response of your whole heart to receive you, complete you and give you purpose and meaning. Create a new life for yourself Walk with gratitude Become a network of love and restore your life wholly Live in harmony with the universe With God all things are possible Cherish your life. To be on TV is a great way to make money, meet new people and have lots of fun....and it’s exciting to have your family and friends see you and your children appearing on TV and your photo published in magazines. You are definitely going to have lots of fun!