To all my Sydney clients: I’ll be back in March again for about 10 days.  To my Melbourne actors: I’ll be taking bookings again from the first of February.  For everyone: Skype/phone bookings are open now; just email me for a possible time.

The newsletter for December is almost ready.  Running a bit late due to my Sydney trip.  There will be, as usual, some interesting articles to help actors further their careers, as well as news on developments for the New Year that many of you really need to know about to help yourselves get where you want to be.  If you haven’t signed up to receive the eBrief, the button to do so is on the right hand side of the website. Subscribers to the eBrief list also become eligible for special deals as they come up.

It’s such an important time of year for creative people in all areas, but especially actors as it’s their Busy Season, including connecting with the work in overseas projects (particularly the American TVCs). If you’re an actor, and not feeling this, then maybe you need a Career Boost session to help you get back on track and start booking more auditions and work.  My private session list is very limited at the moment due to my other commitments, but slots are available if you allow a couple of weeks advance notice.  Skype/phone sessions are much easier to arrange, but can’t be done for any time slots over 1 hour, so please bear that in mind. (BTW, heavy discounts available through until the New Year for eBrief subscribers.)

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR:         COMMUNICATION is the key to finding work.  They need to know you exist, and they need to hear from you in APPROPRIATE ways.  I’ll be covering this in greater detail in this month’s eBrief.  Bad communication lets a lot of actors down – excellent communication can open networking doors like you wouldn’t believe.  ”It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is not just a saying, it’s way to get work!  Communicating properly is the way you get to know the people who can help you do this.

The following is what went out in my last quick newsletter (which I’m now calling an “eBrief”) so actors could hear about the film casting from Actor’s Access. If you haven’t added your name to the mailing list yet, sign up at the right of the page.

A note about this project: once it starts filming, they will still cast any small roles they have to fill. The cut off date is for the main roles. People say they’re having trouble finding Fred R. Rosenfeld – well, that’s why your “research muscles” need a daily workout, and why you need to be hooked into every Industry publication you can find on the net from around the world.

New eBrief coming out tomorrow, November 1st, along with some exciting information about my coaching changes – and a Holiday Deal or two as a gift to your budget!

Remember, subscribers will always get the inside info. first, so why not sign up and let me “drop in” to your mailbox every month? (With extra notices when required for a casting or urgent news.)

Hi everyone,

I am in the middle of overhauling completely everything about my coaching, including this newsletter (see my website for details about these big changes), but I wanted to send this onto you in the meantime because of the deadline on it.  I will also be able to find out the email addresses on my list that are no longer working in preparation for the first mailout of my new newsletter, which I will be calling my “eBrief”.

If you’ve never been to www.actorsaccess.com then I suggest you do. It not only as a joining area to look at breakdowns, but it has lots of free things you can look at, esp. Actor’s Slates (what we call Camera Chats, but are done so much better), Showreels, and Photos/CVs.

Please don’t contact me asking for any details about this project.  I don’t have time at the moment to do the research on it. I suspect Fred Rosenfeld might work for Debra Jenkins, but I don’t know for sure. A couple of Australia CDs have told me they haven’t heard of him, so I suspect he might be American. Here’s another good reason to make sure you are a member of imdbPro – you can research companies, people and projects. So start digging yourself, or ask your agent.

Also, if you haven’t signed up for www.mandy.com, you might want to consider that, too.  It’s free and they send out notices about castings from areas around the world. Granted, there usually aren’t any for Australia – we get notices about classes! – but a few months ago there was a payoff: they passed on info. about the search for a Kiwi equivalent of Sally Williams, the Brand Power woman.  It only takes one payoff for whatever you’re researching to make it worthwhile, so follow that old saying, “You’ve got to be in it to win it,” and sign up for everything you can.

Here’s a posting that’s been on Actors Access (a division of the Breakdown Service) for the last week or so:
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, 11:44 AM Pacific
Addendum to 10/5 7:38 AM, 9/29 9:00 AM
SUING THE DEVIL / New Roles
Feature Film
Production Company: Mouthwatering Films
SAG PAPERS PENDING
GLOBAL RULE ONE CONTRACT
SAG
Executive Producers: Rob Broad, Jason Gerber, Geoff Abraham, Scott E. Philips Producers: David Turril / Richard Atton
U.S. Casting: Debra Jenkins Casting
Casting Associates: John Yoshida, Susan Lightner
Australian Casting Directors: Fred R. Rosenfeld
Interview Dates: October 12 – October 26, 2009
Shoot/Start Date: November 30, 2009
Pay Rate: SAG International/Standard
Location: Sydney, Australia
SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY

The newsletter, which I am going to call an eBrief (to remind ME to keep it so, and YOU that you’ll be getting briefings on things that will help your career), is going out to those who have registered to receive it. (See button on Right Hand side of page. This is the first thing you must do for yourself – I can’t opt you in.) You subscribers will get first notice about projects I hear about (or deals on my own coaching), or anything that will reward you for subscribing! That way, as used to happen with my newsletters, I’ll get notices from Industry people who know I can reach hundreds of actors very quickly to let them know about, for instance, auditions for a new project.

Then on the website, I’ll be blogging all about the things that clog my tiny little Mad Cow Brain about the Industry, creativity, actors, coaches, projects, things I’ve heard, etc. etc.  I can answer questions for you as well if you contact me with them. (There will also be other changes to the website, which you’ll see as they happen.)

Finally, I am preparing a whole new approach to my coaching, which I’ll unveil very soon.  I think it is something we really need in Australia, and have never had before. I’m excited about it, and hope you will be, too.  One of the biggest changes is that I will NOT just be pitching my coaching at beginner or up and coming actors, as is the norm. Just like 98% of our directors are first timers, so, too, are most of our actors, so that is what we find in our training places and networking events (think about that for a minute: we are an Industry of beginners!). What do the others do? The ones who want to move from a lot of extra work to 50 worders? Or the 50 worders who want to move to guest roles? Or the ones whose careers have stalled, either at an intermediate level (guest roles, TVCs, small parts), or after they’ve had a “breakthrough” (ongoing role, guest star, film profile) and now need a Big Boost to go further, or get more consistent work. In L.A. you’d find lots of help with that.  Here, nowhere that I can think of.  Until now.  All will be revealed once I have it in place.  It’s going to be a creatively, financially, and emotionally rewarding journey we can take together.  I can’t wait to share it with you.  My goal is to start everything on November 1st, right after Halloween, which is all about magic!  The best thing about that is it’ll be smack dab in the middle of the Busy Season, so of maximum use to all actors.

Use the button to subscribe, tell others you know to do the same, and keep checking the website (sign up for the RSS feed) for further updates.  In the meantime, I am doing LIMITED private coaching in Melbourne (I’ve just returned from 3 weeks in Sydney) because of a film in pre-production that I’m coaching on. Skype or phone coaching is easier than face to face ones at the moment, but you can check for availability by contacting Jenna on jenna@mirrenlee.com

If any of you have topics you’d really like to see covered, please let me know via email.  In the meantime, stay tuned for further news …

I AM IN MELBOURNE NOW, BUT AM GOING TO SYDNEY AUGUST 5th for a couple of weeks of coaching.

This is a schedule change from my previous commitment to be in Sydney from July 28th.  So if you’d like to fit in a session with me from August 5th in Sydney, contact Jenna (who handles my bookings) at      jenna@mirrenlee.com

For all other questions for me personally, use my email address: mirren@mirrenlee.com

I am planning to have the ezine out by the end of the weekend.  Speak to you then!