Apple, Armani and pencils: my tools

Like most actors, my “can’t-live-without” tools are mostly ephemeral:  discipline, training, belief, perseverance, loving support from family and friends and luckily, very cool representation.    But those are things every person has to find by his or herself.  So here’s a list of the more concrete tools of the trade, which I rely on and which can be  found by you!

1.) Apple Products, even though I hate myself a little bit for it.  Apple says it’s improving the working conditions, but the standards under which our personal electronic devices are made still seem harsh.  I can’t pretend to be ignorant about this issue.  But at the moment, I use my iPhone for just about everything you can think of in this industry: responding immediately to audition requests, submitting for jobs, downloading sides to read on the train, networking through twitter,  researching roles and plays, practicing accents with apps, etc etc etc.   And my MacBook has held all the sound cues, scripts and contracts for many shows.  I don’t know how to reconcile the world in which the products are made and the world in which they are used. But I hope that Apple, with all its brainpower, can soon make these worlds more equal.

2.) A little tube of Giorgio Armani foundation that someone gave me when they were cleaning out their bathroom!  It’s just the right shade and size to carry around everyday and slap on moments before an audition. It looks awesome on camera.  I just can’t believe that soon I’ll have to buy my own expensive tube, as this freebie is sputtering to an end.

3.) Pencils with erasers. Every time I see someone write on a script in pen during rehearsal, I do a little internal gasp. That was a serious offense in British drama school. I still believe that performance is constantly a work in progress.

4.) Local Arts Councils  I’ve said it before on this blog and I’ll say it again: local arts councils are full of resources for actors:  grants, acting and teaching jobs, performance opportunities, marketing assistance, listings and overall awesome people who want nothing more than for you, as an artist, to succeed

5.)  My reel: I know, it’s a major pain-in-the-butt to get together, but if you have the footage it’s fairly easy to edit on iMovie (yes, Apple again….)  Mine is very simple, just two clips cut together, but I’m working on improving it with every new bit of footage I get. However, just this simple, wonky two-clip reel, posted on casting websites, has generated a huge amount of auditions.  I guess it shows my type. So get editing yours today!