ASK DR. MEL

ASK DR. MEL

ASK DR. MEL PAGE ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF HER FAN SITES OR READERS OF HER BOOKS AND COVERS QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY ACTORS, PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, AND FANS.  IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, THERE IS A SPOT AT THE END OF THIS PAGE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO SUBMIT ANY QUESTION TO HER.  DR. MEL WILL MAKE AN HONEST EFFORT TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION.

I SUBMITTED MY AUDITION REEL TO THE FACEBOOK SITE FOR THE KEYSTROKE KILLER AND HAVEN'T RECEIVED A COMMENT FROM EITHER DR. MEL OR ROBBY.  SHOULD I BE CONCERNED?

While we are reviewing all auditions submitted, after the last day to submit audition reels, we began reviewing auditions by character roles and not by dated submitted.  Therefore, if we have not commented on your audition at this time, it is not a concern until we post a Last Call for each character.  At that time, is when you need to alert us that we have not commented on your video and not before.

SHOULD I POST MY AUDITION VIDEO AGAIN?

NO!!!  THE ONLY TIME TO RE-POST YOUR AUDITION VIDEO IS IF EITHER DR. MEL OR ROBBY ASK YOU TO.  OTHERWISE, IT WILL CAUSE A DELAY IN OUR CASTING PROCESS.

I AM AFRAID THAT MY AUDITION VIDEO HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED AND WILL NOT BE SEEN.  WHAT SHOULD I DO?

See answers to the first two questions.


MY NAME WASN'T ON THE HIGHLIGHT LIST.  DOES THIS MEAN I WON'T GET A CALLBACK?
Don't worry if your name isn't on the highlight list as it does not mean you will not have a callback.  It means you didn't make the highlight list that week.  Additionally, your name can be on the highlight list one week and off the next as we review all auditions.  THIS HIGHLIGHT LIST IS NOT THE OFFICIAL CALLBACK LIST.  AS THE NAME INDICATES IT IS A SPOTLIGHT OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES.  THE CALLBACK LIST WILL BE PUBLISHED ALL AT ONCE.

HAVE ANY ROLES BEEN CAST YET?
NO!  AS WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING ALL OF THE SUBMITTED ONLINE AUDITIONS THAT MADE IT TO THE DEADLINE OF MAY 30, 2011 BY MIDNIGHT.  CALLBACKS FOR FACE-TO-FACE AUDITIONS ARE IN PROGRESS.


HOW DO I FIND MY AUDITION I POSTED ON FACEBOOK, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THERE?
Your video isn't lost, but buried beneath 700 pages etc.  To find your posted audition, go to the top of the Facebook site, click on the magnifying glass, and in the search bar, type your name.  Your posted audition as well as all of your comments should come up.  Just click on your audition and it will open up.  If that doesn't work, search by character name.


WHY ISN'T THE KEYSTROKE KILLER LISTED ON IMDB?
I usually never list a project on IMDB until the last week of production, that way I can make sure all cast and crew are included.  I don't like to double my work or efforts.


I also never submitted the short film version of The Keystroke Killer to IMDB.  Maybe I should.  However, I'm not certain if they would accept it because it was only released on You Tube.  I never entered it into film festivals, never held a premiere, nor did I release it for sale.  Therefore, I don't it meets IMDB guidelines.  If anyone knows for sure, let me know.


IS THIS A SAG PROJECT?
It will be once we get closer to production.  We respect SAG and what it stands for as I am a SAG actor myself.  


SAG rules state that we have to be SAG prior to our first day of filming and recommends that we apply at least three weeks in advance of the shooting date.  I have worked and produced SAG projects and I am very familiar with the process and all paperwork that goes with it.  They require lots of information including finance contracts, actor contracts, director contracts, LLC paperwork, and escrow percentage of Actor's salaries.  Since we don't even know who the cast is, we don't know who is SAG or who will have to have a Taft-Hartley.  So, applying for SAG at this time is fruitless.

HOW DO I SUBMIT HEADSHOTS AND RESUMES?

At this time, we do not need your headshot or resume for any of our projects.  We will need them when you come to your callback audition.   Submitting your headshot to our email now, will only confuse our casting process and it will likely be deleted as Dr. Mel and Robby receive well over 700 combined E-mails each day. 

Who is producing THE KEYSTROKE KILLER?

On the Lot Productions, LLC is currently in development for a television series to be shot in New Orleans, LA and other areas including SHREVEPORT, MONROE, NASHVILLE, DALLAS, and ALEXANDRIA.  On the Lot Productions' CEO and Producer is Dr. Melissa Caudle.  She is also the creator and screenwriter.  She has numerous co-producers and executive producers working on this project with her including Mark Freehelm.

Please tell me a little about The Keystroke Killer in terms of genre and length.
NAME OF PROJECT: THE KEYSTROKE KILLER
GENRE: SCI-FI PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER (Please do not confuse with SYFY channel)
EPISODES: 13 FIRST SEASON - 62 TOTAL IF PICKED UP
SAG STATUS: WILL BE A SAG PROJECT WHEN WE MOVE INTO PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE.
PAY SCALE: DAILY AND WEEKLY SAG RATES WILL APPLY
ESTIMATED SHOOTING DATE: LATE WINTER OF 2013

WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU WANT ON A SLATE?

PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR SLATE - USE YOUR AGENCY'S CONTACT INFORMATION OR SAY "UNREPRESENTED.” 

If we like your audition reel, you will be contacted through your FACEBOOK or YOU TUBE account for you to submit your headshot, and contact information to the casting director's email.  From there, we will contact your Agent or Agency and schedule a face-to-face audition.

If you don't have an agent, that is all right too.  You will still be considered. However, we strongly advise that if you are serious about your acting that you get an agent to represent you. 

What is slating?

To slate is to provide your name, the role you are auditioning for, and your agency.  If you don't have an agency, say, "Unrepresented."

Why is the production company holding first auditions ONLINE?

1.  It allows the producers and casting director to see your audition on a screen rather than being persuaded by your personality in person.  This is a television series project and we want to see how you come across on "FILM."  Also, it is a wonderful way to get feedback from the producers and creator of the show.  As unconventional as this may seem for an audition process, we are not the first to use it.  

In fact, many television series before us set the standard including the latest show Q'VIVA with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and this summer's hit DUETS.  For both shows, cast were first required to submit an online audition before the producers and casting directors decided they were to be rewarded with a callback.

Another example is FOX.  They are accepting audition reels from woman who want to marry six men.  They will be casting from audition reels first.

2.  We expect to receive thousands of audition reels from across the nation.  The producers and casting director need to be able to quickly review each audition reel without having to download the file.  It takes up to three times as long to view an audition tape sent to an email address, than it does to look at the link provided on Facebook.  

Also, your file stays with your name and doesn’t get lost.  Files downloaded through an email are easily deleted and get lost, not to mention the amount of disk space it would take up.  With six producers and a casting director looking at the audition reels, each of us would have to download them and we would never be able to synchronize them.  We need to have the ability to quickly view the audition tapes.

 

3.  Not only is it a matter of time consuming, many of the producers involved in this project are currently working on other projects or multiple projects.  They often view the auditions reels using different technology.  For instance, they will view the auditions on their phones, IPADS, laptops, desktops, Nooks, and on their television sets.  In fact, three of them only watch these on a television set by connecting to the Face Book site from their television.  They don’t have the ability to download the file from the email, but can click to watch your audition when posted to Facebook.

Do I need an agent?

NO, but we suggest you get one as a career decision.

Do I have to be SAG?

No, if you are considered and hired and not SAG, we will TAFT HARTLEY YOU IN.

By posting the sides and audition for everyone to see aren't you afraid that the storyline will be given away?

With so many episodes for us to choose from, it is not necessary for us to worry.  When you combine 62 episodes that is like having 30 films of material to choose between.  Besides that, the original short film, THE KEYSTROKE KILLER, went viral on You Tube.  Many people already know the plot.

By posting the audition reels on Facebook, will everyone see it?

Only the members of the group will be able to see your audition reel.  Don't worry about another actor stealing your interpretation, if anything, we will be able to tell.  The important thing is to bring what you have as an actor to the table.  If you post it on You Tube as private, we will be the only ones to see it other than people you allow.

What camera do I use?

We are not looking for professional camera operators; therefore, the quality of the reel doesn't matter.  You may use your phone camera, web-camera, IPAD video, consumer video camera, a friend's camera.  Just make sure we can see your face and hear you.

What do I do if the sides call for another character?

You have several options.  

1.  Have a family member, friend, or another actor read those lines.

2.   You can record the second lines to prompt you for your role.

3.  You can always have someone on a speakerphone read those lines with you.  

4.  You can simply pause by not speaking and "hear" the other person's dialogue.  We don't really need to hear them and we don't need to see them.  WE NEED TO SEE AND HEAR YOU.  And besides that, we know what the missing lines are of the other character so don't worry by thinking it looks are sounds odd.  We say those lines in our head when an actor doesn't have a reader.

5.  Again, you can think of the other character's dialogue in your head.  If it makes you feel better and you know how to edit, you can always place closed captioned titles of the other character's dialogue.  But, there really isn't any need to do this as producers, casting directors, and directors know the lines.

Why don't you want our contact information now?

For two reasons . 

1.  YOUR PRIVACY.  We don't want everyone to have it.  

2.  And, no need until we ask for it because we will contact you through your Facebook messaging system.  That is one of the reasons we created THE KEYSTROKE KILLER FAN SITE on Facebook.

Is there an advantage of an actor posting their audition reel on You Tube vs. another site like Vimeo?  Frankly, yes.  When you upload your video to your YOUTUBE account and we watch it there, we are able to categorize your videos according to roles and create a playlist.  That means, when we review all auditions in deciding on a callback, we can play the entire playlist for each character and watch them one after another.  We have found this process very effective during previous projects.





WHY DO YOU ADVERTISE YOUR BOOKS AND PROJECTS IN YOUR BLOG AND ON FACEBOOK? I DON'T REALLY CARE FOR THEM AND THINK YOU SHOULD REMOVE THEM.  I ALSO DON'T LIKE THE OTHER ADVERTISEMENTS IN YOUR BLOG AND THINK THEY ARE UNPROFESSIONAL.

This is a simple answer.  It's my blog and and my Facebook page.   I have written numerous books and I am involved in several projects.  Where would you suggest I advertise my books and projects?  On your site?  Another site?  Pay for advertisement to eat up funds that would go toward filming my projects and pay actors and crew?  

By advertising in my blog and on my Facebook pages, it is a way to help fund my projects.  Without funding, no project would get completed.  Therefore, I wouldn't be able to hire actors or crew in paid positions. 

Lastly, I also offer valuable information for actors and crew and DO NOT charge for this free information.  If Dr. Mel's Message were a magazine there would be advertisements and you wouldn't question it.  So, should I charge for my blog information instead of letting the advertisers sponsors  pay me for the space?  Which is better, a free blog with advertisements or a blog with no advertisements that you pay to read?  The way I see it, working actors for the most part live on a strict budget with very little extra money until they make it big in the industry.  Getting something free is a bonus.  Anyone reading or subscribing to my blog can choose to ignore the ads, it is called will of freedom to choose.  Likewise, you have the freedom to either read my blog or never visit my page again.  It's your choice.