Building Online Portfolios – What Are the Pros and Cons?

What are the pros and cons of building online portfolios? Everyone who has anything to show for the world seems to be catching on to the newest trend in the internet – the online portfolios.

I could count maybe a million positive as well as negative things about having a portfolio online but to make things easier, I only listed a few.

CONS

• You can get scammed – That’s if you aren’t careful, though. A lot of portfolio-owners have lost hundreds even thousands of dollars because of trusting the wrong people. Here’s a tip: never give your full trust to people in the internet. Unless you get an assurance that they are totally worth trusting. It will save you a lot of money.

• Your works could be used by other without your permission – Photos and songs are just some of the many things people could “steal” from your portfolio. This becomes a very big problem for photographers and aspiring musicians because it’s very hard to track people in the internet. The best solution for this is to have your works copyrighted before publishing them online.

PROS

• You can gain a lot of admirers – It seems shallow, but having admirers of the works you are displaying in your portfolio is an advantage. This will make more people interested in you and the work you do and may earn the attention of the “big fishes” of the industry that you are pursuing.

• The opportunities will be endless – Your portfolio can be seen by anyone, anywhere. This means the opportunities for you or your business will increase, especially if you show real edge through your online portfolios.

Talents Scouts – How to Get Noticed by Them

Talent scouts are an indispensible part of the entertainment, fashion, television and music industries; they are mostly responsible for the rise in fame of so many actors, models and musicians today. In the music scene, particularly, talent scouts are under a department called A§R or “Artist and Repertoire”. These people hold the keys to the kingdom – the big hurdle that you have to go through before ever landing a recording contract in any major recording company.

New artists need to know a lot of things about the A§R talent scouts and record companies in order to get noticed.

• The very first thing that talent scouts need to see in you is the “edge”, the “spunk”- What makes you stand out from the millions of others who have the same dreams as yours?

• With this in mind, you will have to take the next step: Self-improvement. Hone your skills. Get into voice lessons, learn an instrument. A§R people do not only look at a person’s beauty, they are looking for talent – someone who can stand alone as an artist even after several years of being in the music industry – when you’re old and wrinkly, in other words.

• Next, build up your fan base. This can be quite easy – easier than it was decades ago when Facebook and Youtube did not yet exist. Post videos of you performing and broadcast it to the world via social networking sites and video hosting sites. Join forums and leave links to your video.

• Another is to expose yourself – meaning, get out there and perform. Even small shows can earn you a few fans if you really are that good. During your gigs, give away fliers or business cards and tell them about your Facebook Fanpage.

The abovementioned strategies to get noticed by A§Rs are very important. Gone are the days when you could just walk up to them and give them your demo CD. If you’ve ever tried this before, don’t expect them to listen to your CD. They get hundreds of it everyday, which is why it is essential to have connections and gain a somewhat decent amount of fans. Getting signed by major recording company is a tough mission – you have to have that X-Factor to make talent scouts take a second look at you.

Fashion Events and Vintage Clothing

Click the remote to a channel that covers fashion events and movie premieres and you will surely catch a glimpse of some million-dollar movie star wearing something from a vintage store. Of course they just don’t pick any vintage store; they shop at ones that sell “highly collectible items”. Meaning, dresses, belts and bags from Yves St. Laurent or Pucci from many years ago that value around §12,000 (which, they say, is really cheap compared to its real value in the market nowadays).


Then you start to wonder how they do it – how do celebs manage to wear clothes that are older than their parents and still look good in them? Well, we’ve got three words for you – sense of style (of either the celeb in question or their stylist).


There really are no ground rules when it comes to fashion. Sometimes you just gotta have vision and creativity to make something work and talent for mixing and matching different colors, textures and style of clothes.


The coolest thing about fashion today is that we can match old clothes with new ones and call them fashionable. Actually, that is the trick to wearing your grandma’s dress and pull it off – mix it up with something new. Of course, that is if your grandma’s dress is not on the way to decomposition (just kidding).


Once you have decided which pair of high heels to wear with your vintage dress or coat (we suggest a 1940’s coat), the next thing you must do is to accessorize. Accessorizing is a fun way to make vintage clothing 21st century-friendly. In turn, trendy items become even trendier when mixed with vintage accessories. It’s all about how you mix it up.


Another piece of advice when dealing with vintage clothing – take good care of your vintage clothes. They are a priceless fashion piece – not many people wear the same outfit you do when you have these stuff in your closet. We advise you to hand-wash your vintage clothes to avoid running the risk of them shrinking or tearing in the washing machine.


The very last thing about vintage clothing – and fashion altogether – is that how you wear it matters more. Exude confidence – let the world know that this is who you are, expressed through your clothing. Sure enough, when you turn up at fashion events or simply, at a school dance, everybody’s eyes will be on you.

What is A Film Casting? – Movie Actor Tips

What is a Film Casting?

A film casting is where a casting director conducts auditions in the hopes of finding actors for roles in movies. It is being done after a script has been written, a director and producer/producers have been chosen and the budget for film production is in place. The process of film castings could vary but in general, they are a little bit like this:


Step 1: Auditions


Actors come and act in front of the casting director. There are times when a certain part of the movie script will be given beforehand but in majority, those who are auditioning will be put to cold reading.


What is Cold Reading?


A cold reading audition is where an actor will be given a script to read on the spot, in front of the casting director without time to prepare for or memorize the lines. This will give a casting director an idea of an actor’s skills under pressure. The key to nailing a cold reading audition is to read the lines clearly without forgetting the emotions required for the scene and to grasp what the scene is all about with just the information at hand.


Step 2: Callbacks


Getting a callback is a good thing – it means you have done something right or interesting during your audition that fits the movie role you’re auditioning for. This does not mean you got the role, though – not yet. A casting call is another chance to convince the casting director and producers that you are perfect for the job – by acting.


Actor Tip:


In callback auditions, do not change anything you have done from the first auditions. Remember that callbacks mean there is something about your first audition that captured the eye of the casting director. So unless you were directed to change something from the way you delivered your lines or the expressions on your face, stick to it.


Step 3: Deliberation


During this time, all an actor can do is to wait – the casting director or the staff will be calling your agent if you got the role. Or if you’re unrepresented, you will be contacted directly. Remember though that not being able to nail film castings or get the role you’re auditioning for does not mean you are talent-less. It just means that someone else is more perfect for the role than you are.

Child Talent – Is Your Child Intelligent and Talented?

Child talent is a pure thing – untapped, untouched and raw. When you identify a child’s potential, it is priceless. It gives you a glimpse of the future that your child may have.

Taking note of or observing your child’s interests is a surefire way to discover his potential. Does he like strumming his father’s old guitar even if he doesn’t know a single guitar chord? Maybe you have a little
rockstar-to-be in your household. Does your kid love playing catch or running around the neighborhood?
Perhaps he can be an athlete when he grows up. Intelligence or talent is not just exclusive to academics, athletics or music, though.


According to Dr. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, there are 8 scopes of a human being’s potential:


1. Linguistic – Children who are good at writing, speaking and reading fall under this category.
2. Spatial – If your child is good at pictures, puzzles and drawings, then he is spatially intelligent.
3. Bodily-kinesthetic – These are dancers, athletes, actors, surgeons and generally those who are good with bodily movement.
4. Logical-mathematical – Is your child good at debating why he does not need to take a bath? This type of intelligence has much to do with reasoning, logic and numbers.
5. Musical – If your child is musically inclined, then he belongs here. Since musical intelligence involves auditory senses, your child may also be good with learning languages.
6. Naturalistic – If your child is highly interested in plants, animals and anything to do with nature. Naturalistic children make the best landscapists, gardeners and botanists.
7. Interpersonal – Does your kid have tons of friends? Does he show early signs of leadership and has a “people-person” disposition? Then he falls under this category.
8. Intrapersonal – Children under this category are generally introverted and often like to be left alone. Is he good at deciphering feelings? He may make a great psychologist and philosopher someday.


It’s exciting to see your child developing. However, your role as a parent is not to watch your children
grow and see if he or she still has the same talent after 10 years or so. Your role as a parent is to nurture
your child and whatever it is that he or she is capable of. Encourage him and allow him to explore his
surroundings while setting limitations firmly. Soon enough, that child talent you see now will fully grow
into something you can be truly proud of.

Actors and What They Did Before Becoming Famous

The A-List actors and actresses in Hollywood today almost always were not born with a spotlight shining on their faces. Before the glitz and Glam, some worked as valet parking attendants. Before making movies, some of them worked as waiters and waitresses and before walking on red carpets in movie premieres, some of them walked dogs for a living. I know it’s difficult to imagine! But here are a few bankable actors of today who had worked odd jobs like most of us do before they got famous.


1. Johnny Depp – Who knew that Johnny Depp, often dubbed as The Sexiest Man Alive, was once a phone salesman before landing his role in Nightmare on Elm Street? Bet he was the sexiest phone salesman during those years!


2. Jennifer Aniston – She first became famous for playing the role of Rachel Green in the hit TV series F.R.I.E.N.D.S but prior to that, America’s sweetheart was once a waitress and a Telemarketer (whatever a
Telemarketer is).


3. Russell Crowe – Crowe is famous for his role as Maximus Demicus Meridius in the movie Gladiator. However, a few years ago, he was just a Bingo Caller who got fired for being rude. Talk about one door closing and 5 million windows opening!


4. Kate Winslet – Before becoming an actress, Winslet did not go on board 5-star ships like Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic. She used to work at a deli back in London.


5. Cate Blanchett – Can you believe that Queen Elizabeth (or at least, Cate Blanchett who plays Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 biographical film, Elizabeth) was once a “Tim-Tam girl”? Yup. Blanchett was the very first girl who starred in Tim-Tam chocolate biscuits commercials.


6. Tom Cruise – Cruise, before he became the news, literally brought the news to people in Kentucky. For a brief period of time, he worked as a “newspaper boy” for the Louisville Courier Journal.


So what does this tell us? Well, it’s pretty much simple – Dreams really do come true! It doesn’t matter if you wipe people’s backsides for a living; when you don’t stop believing and you work hard enough to achieve your goals, you will get to the top. These actors are proof of that!

Talent Online Portfolios – Can You Model Online?

As in all things on this planet, talent online portfolios have their pros and cons, their advantages and disadvantages. In this age of computers, internet, mobile phones and social networking, the world seems smaller than it is, therefore, much easier for talent scouts to find young, new and fresh actors, models and singers across the globe. Even internet giants jumped on the online-talent-search bandwagon such as Yahoo when they launched an online video talent hunt in 2006.

Finding talent online portfolios is very easy – trust Google to come up with a gazillion search results in just seconds! But while everyone is so hooked with posting their life, their works, their photos and their talents online, let’s take a closer look at some of the pluses and minuses of creating an online portfolio.

ADVANTAGES:

A thousand things could be mentioned under this category, but on top of the list is one thing:

EXPOSURE.

The internet is like a large hand connecting each and every individual to each other, no matter where they may be. And with the amount of time it takes for you to pass on online information (which is seconds!) to someone halfway around the world, it becomes a great opportunity for struggling artists to get a big break. Think Justin Bieber – this kid got discovered by Usher only through YouTube! Or even perhaps Charice (who comes from the Philippines), who got discovered by Ellen Degeneres (who lives in the States) and who is now Oprah Winfrey’s protégé.

The internet truly opens up a wider door of opportunity for talented people all around the globe.

DISADVANTAGES:

There are many disadvantages in creating an online talent portfolio as well. First and foremost, the online world does not discriminate – anyone can access it! Even dangerous people better known as:

SCAM ARTISTS, OPPORTUNISTS & SEXUAL PREDATORS.

We have heard it many times – models, actors and artists getting scammed through talent online portfolio sites. And we need not to further explain why this is bad.

In the end, it all comes down to whether or not you have done enough to protect yourself. It’s not a bad thing – trying to make your dream come true by showing the world what you’re made of. Just be careful. Find out more about the online portfolio sites you’re trying to sign up to. It’s either that, or risk getting humiliated, fooled or deceived.

Acting Auditions Online – Videotaping Yourself for Online Auditions

The ways casting calls operate have changed during the past few years. What used to be thousands of dollars spent by aspiring actors to go to big cities for auditions has now been replaced by just a click of a mouse. Acting auditions online has taken over. Nowadays, aspiring actors can tape themselves and post their audition pieces online for casting directors to see.

Some tips to make your video audition top-quality in the eyes of casting directors:

1. Choose a good-quality camera

If all you’re using is a web camera that gives you a pixelated outcome, chances are, casting directors would ignore them. Remember that you could have hundreds of competitors out there who might be using a better quality camera than yours. And admit it; even you yourself don’t like watching low-quality videos on YouTube, right? Well, so do casting directors.

2. Proper Lighting

We’re not talking about renting lights for your home-made audition video. We’re talking about not filming in the dead of the dark. Yes, if possible, videotape yourself during the day. Choose a place in your house where light is plenty. Don’t make viewers think you’re trying to catch ghosts on film.

3. Ensuring Top Audio Quality

Most video cameras have built-in microphones but it’s better to have a real microphone connected to your laptop or any audio recording device. This way, your words will be sharp and clear. And what if you chose a monologue where you’re required to say sad lines? You can’t shout the lines out just so the built-in mic in your camera could catch it! So trust me, a microphone (not a built-in one) comes handy.

So now you’ve learned the basics of creating a home audition video, you can be a lot more confident in posting your video in websites hosting acting auditions online. Good luck!