Last updated: 8/2008

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Article by independent producer and director David Horatio
Is There a Better Way to Deal With Actors? Yes!
Directing doesn't have to be a chore. With the right tools you can achieve almost anything on the stage or screen. Yes, actors can be difficult. Given the wrong tongue an actor can quit, screw up a performance, or waste hours of precious film stock or rehearsal time.
But you can avoid these pitfalls with the right knowledge. You can start directing the easy way now!
I remember back in my NYU days there were several key mistakes novice directors made when it came to the actor-director relationship:
- Treating your actors like demigods. To this day I've never seen an actor lift a mountain or part a large body of water. If your actor sucks they should be fired, immediately, without an apology. Unless the actor's name helps you raise money for a project, no single person in your cast or crew should be viewed as indispensable.
To find out if you've hired an actor that's worth their weight take our free actor quiz.
- Talked too much about what your project/script means rather than your material vision of the project. Maybe this is the most common mistake of directors. Directors love talking about themes and metaphors but actors can't work with themes and metaphors. You're not writing an English paper; you're shooting a movie or producing play if you're in theater. Actors need a very special kind of "actorspeak" that I've learned to develop over the years.
- Working with amateurs You are not rich. You are not famous. You cannot hrie a professional. WRONG! The honest to god truth is that anybody can hire professional actors. No one has to settle for casting their step-sister. The problem is approach. Hiring professionals requires certain procedures and etiquette. I'll cover how you can better approach professionals in a minute.
- Spent too little time rehearsing or, more commonly, no rehearsing. So you spend a few minutes "warming up" then you start shooting. Big novice mistake! Yes, this works In TV land where actors get merely a week (or less) to read, memorize, and rehearse a 50 - 60 page teleplay. But thankfully you don't work in television (if you do you have my sympathies!).
Actors need time and your sincere attention to construct a character, build a scene, and make a movie you can be proud of. A lot of directors don't take the time to learn the actual process and so settle for less.
- Refusing to accept criticism from professionals. If you're still reading you probably don't have this problem, but those who do never learn much about the process of directing quality work.
Even successful professionals need to keep an open ear to new information and guideposts. In Hollywood it is often that once a director spits out a few blockbusters their ego takes over and they assume every move they make is the best move. Their later work suffers as a result and their career plateaus.
- Accepting worthless criticism from close friends and co-workers. Does your best buddy know how to direct actors? Probably not. Your girlfriend? Not likely. Don't take everyone's word as gospel. Good directing tips are few and far between. You can't just turn to those closest to you for a leg up. Without a friend in the business, the right kind of advice is always hard to find.
- Finding the right tools. When I was first learning to direct and produce I found the directing books out there on the market were not very helpful, filled with too much personal hype of the director's "glory days" and very little useful information. I wish I had a guide that showed me directing right from wrong. But I had to learn everything about actors the hard way before I could do it the easy way.
But you don't have to travel the same hard trail. My eBook Dealing With Actors is now available for download. If you want to hire and direct professional actors, Dealing With Actors will show you how.
But hiring professionals isn't enough. You've got to deal with these people. I'm giving up all the dark secrets about actors that everyone in the industry knows in their heart but will not admit for fear it will hurt their reputation. That way you can you can run circles around the pitfalls and landmines that besiege 90% of other directors.
Dealing With Actors will give you the tools necessary to fight the five "wars" that every director must fight and win to have any kind of influence over profesional actors:

War #1: Scriptwriting
You must write a script that actors will respect.

War #2: Search
You must select your stars from a slushpile of wannabes.

War #3: Audition
You must make good first impressions and select actors who will take you and your script seriously.

War #4: Rehearsal
The battle here is the most complex. Win authority over your vision or your actors will sink your ship!

War #5: Production
Perhaps the greatest battle you fight is on the set. If you cannot maintain control here all the work you've managed so far is for nothing!

This easy to read book covers each of your little wars with a strategy for victory! You will win because I am honest, probably too honest, about the psychology of talented actors.
This eBook is compatible with screen readers.
In Dealing With Actors you will learn:
Dealing With Scripts
Learn what scripts actors hate and what scripts they're willing to kill for!
Learn the secret scriptwriting trick that almost every screenwriter and director in Hollywood implicitly knows but no one, not even your film teacher, will tell you! It's so simple, the minute you learn it you will be using it for the rest of your career.
Dealing With Casting
How to tell if a headshot is using trick photography.
A list of my favorite places to find quality actors on the Internet. Hint: you don't know them all.
Insider information about dealing with acting unions like SAG, AFTRA, and Equity.
How to write killer Back Stage ads with descriptions actors want to hear so you get the most talent sending you their headshots and resumes.
"I recently purchased your eBook. I know it will be a great help to me."
Jean "Frustrated Director" in Florida, USA
Dealing With Auditions
How to hold professional auditions and do it from any state in the union or anywhere in the world.
How, even as a film or drama student, you can, from the beginning, get that much sought-after respect from professional actors so they will listen to your ideas.
How to use your audition time efficiently.
How to get a professional actor to show up at your audition at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning!
The one way to keep an actor from filing a lawsuit against you. It does happen!
Dealing With Rehearsals
Learn actorspeak. There is a kind of language that works with actors then there's a kind that just confuses them and corrupts their minds. Learn to use actorspeak when directing your scenes.
The one tool you should be giving every actor before they start a day of rehearsal, that will help them get their role down in record time and improve their performance almost instantly.
How to prevent an actor's ego from getting out of control.
The single most important phrase to use with any actor that will make any director look like a genius! It takes just one phrase!
The tools of the trade that any director can use to improve their scenes with little time and effort.
Learn about the four basic kinds of actors and how to direct each one.
Tips to help you organize your rehearsals even when you have almost no time!
How to pace your scenes.
Learn what is often missing from a scene that you can't put your finger on.
Dealing With Actors on the Set
How to keep your actors happy on the set without wasting valuable time or getting a headache.
What your actor really thinks about you.
How to shoot a sex scene or nude scene without alienating your actors.
How to protect your project from untimely events like your lead actor getting hit by a car the day before your shoot. You can protect yourself from even these real dangers right now!
Learn correct shooting procedure. If you want your actors to respect you and give a decent take then don't waste their time and energy with bad shooting technique.
Why you should never direct the way "the professionals" do it. Most directors are grotesquely incompetent. Find out what they do wrong and what you can do about it.
And Much More!

Do not run an audition or rehearsal without these forms!
As a FREE bonus, when you buy Dealing With Actors you will also receive two free forms that you can print out and use on a real production! The first is for all your auditions, to help keep you organized and sane. The second is a release form for hiring actors. I wouldn't advise you to take another step with your project without these important documents.
Hello, my name is David Horatio. I wrote this book out after sorting through my experiences as both an artist and filmmaker. I am a graduate from New York University's famous Tisch School of the Arts. I hold a BFA with Honors in Film Production. I've had actors that love me; I've had actors that walk out on me. I know what to expect when you're just starting out. My eBook will give you easy to follow examples of how to choose the right actor for your film or threater show and make sure they don't suddenly quit. I know how to keep actors. I know how to work under limited budgets and limited resources.
Whether you think you are just starting out or think you are a hot shot, I can help you improve your approach with actors. I don't use any mystical, academic, hard to grasp system. I use common sense tools that are effective, fast, and easy to remember. My book draws from life examples and is intended to help anyone who has ever been frustrated with an actor either because of their conceited attitude or their lack of insight. I'm on your side. I know the obstacles you face. If you've never done a casting session, rehearsal, or production, then my eBook should be one of the first things you read. You don't have to find out things the hard way. You don't have to go it alone.
Best regards, and happy directing!

This is a risk-free offer! If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with Dealing With Actors let us know within 8 weeks of your purchase date and you will receive a complete refund. No questions asked. With our 8-week return policy you have nothing to lose.

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