126. Before Yes, I Have Questions

It's essential for actors, like any professionals, to consider their career choices carefully. Accepting every job offer without assessing the value of the project can lead to potential issues, including burnout, wasted time and effort, and exposure to toxic environments. Tiwana Floyd's approach of asking herself 11 questions before accepting an acting job offer is a wise practice that can help actors make more informed decisions.

Here are a few common questions that actors might consider before accepting a role:
 

1. Does the project align with my career goals? 
2. What is the quality and reputation of the project? 
3. What is my character's depth and significance in the story? 
4. Is the compensation fair and appropriate for the role? 
5. What is the time commitment and shooting schedule? 
6. Does the project have a positive message or theme? 
7. Who are my co-stars and collaborators?
8. What is the potential for exposure and networking?
9. Does the project have a good production budget and resources?
10. Have there been any red flags during auditions or negotiations? 
11. Does the project offer opportunities for personal and artistic growth?

To Watch
 "Along Came A Callback"
https://youtu.be/wV7e8-F2q44

Acting Lessons Learned is Produced, Written, Recorded, Engineered and Edited by Tiwana Floyd
If you'd LIKE TO SUPPORT the show, here are 5 Simple ways to do so.

1. Follow/Subscribe
2. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating
3. Write a Kind Review
4. Share an Episode With Your Actor Friends
5. Buy Tiwana a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/TiwanaF

Be sure to follow on Instagram as well.
@actinglessonslearned @LifebyTiwana

Learn more about Tiwana Floyd at https://www.tiwanafloyd.com

Music Pixababy "Mesmerized" 15617 & 11492_comamedia

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It took me about 10 years to learn to take a beat
before saying yes to job offers.
The level of respect I canexpect from someone who invites
me to participate in theirproject can be determined by
whether or not they provide mewith all the necessary details
to make an informed decisionabout my participation.
In this episode, I will sharethree scenarios that led me to

(00:23):
decline offers of projects thatdidn't benefit me, one scenario
that was an immediate yes andthe 11 questions I ask myself
when determining if a project isworth my talent and my time.
Welcome back to Acting LessonsLearned.
I'm Tawana Floyd.
I share personal experiencesand the lessons I've learned and

(00:44):
still learning as a workingactor in Los Angeles.
Recently, a peer I met in actingclass in 2010 contacted me via
a LinkedIn DM to offer me aself-tape audition for a SAG
after an ultra-low-budget filmshooting in three weeks.
I'm always flattered to beconsidered or offered roles by
my peers, but LinkedIn was thatreally the space to make an

(01:07):
offer for a self-tape audition?
Especially when I know thatthis peer has my email address
because we've exchanged emailsnumerous times over the years
and even if her tech wascompletely wiped out, she could
have used LinkedIn's DM to askme for my email address.
Nonetheless, I was mannerly andasked her to send me the

(01:28):
details of this ULB film.
Now, I wasn't expecting her tosend the details via DM on
LinkedIn, so I didn't look forher response there and, in this
heavy content digital age, assoon as I left the page I forgot
all about her inquiry.
But had she sent an email Iwould have remembered, because
an email allows me to respondquickly and to schedule things

(01:49):
into my calendar.
I don't know about you, but I amnot digging this new norm of
disseminating businessinformation via direct social
media messages.
It doesn't work for me andprobably doesn't work for most
people.
It's simply not the customaryor best way of business
correspondence, at least in myopinion.
No matter how active I may beon social media, things tend to

(02:11):
easily get overlooked and a good, old-fashioned email is still
the best route for exchangingpertinent information with me.
I may even be okay with a text,but still things get lost in
text as well.
I go to LinkedIn two, threetimes a week, not enough to see
my daily messages, and becausemost messages there are brief
congratulations and such, Idon't expect to receive business

(02:35):
offers there.
In fact I only saw the initialinquiry from my peer because I
was on LinkedIn at the time.
I don't have notifications cometo my devices.
My inbox and my devices haveenough traffic coming through
and I don't need the socialmedia notifications trained to
add to the influx ofcorrespondence.
It was several days later when Isaw my peer had attached the

(02:57):
full script in two charactersides she wanted me to self-tape
.
I didn't even know you couldadd attachments to LinkedIn DMs
and on second thought I couldsee how one would consider
LinkedIn DMs for business,because it is a platform for
business and employers use DMson LinkedIn for outreach.
But I guess I would think thatat some point those details

(03:18):
would move to an email.
But what do I know?
I'm not regularly scouted onLinkedIn.
What annoyed me most about thisLinkedIn self-tape audition was
there was no value factor, nomention of the pay rate, no
character breakdown where it wasshooting, no filmmaker names
and no submission due dateBasically nothing that tells me

(03:39):
whether or not this projectwould be good for me.
You know, like an actualdetailed breakdown.
This is Hollywood.
Everyone is in business formutual benefit and I'm looking
for my mutual benefit in everyproject that's presented to me,
but actors tend to beundervalued or treat it like we
have no right to ask questionson how we'd like to participate.

(03:59):
We're kept in the dark on manythings and told that we should
just be happy to be working atall.
Since I don't beat around thebush and have been called
straightforward and direct moretimes than I can account for, I
graciously replied, thanking herfor the scripts, but requested
that she send me a proper emailwith all of the details.
Was that Pretentious of me?

(04:20):
Should I not have the nerve,the gall to ask for something so
basic?
Should I have done the wholephony corporate pleasantry talk
up top?
No, I wasn't in a mood.
Brass tax girl set me up forsuccess".
She responded by asking if Ihad submitted my audition yet,
to which I answered no, andasked if she had read the

(04:41):
previous message requesting aproper email with all the
details.
I explained that I didn'treceive the LinkedIn script
attachments when she sent themand only now noticing the
scripts and the sides.
And between you and me, Iwasn't going to read the scripts
until I received the details,because I don't believe in
wasting my time if I'm going topass on something.
All I asked for was thenecessary information before I

(05:04):
prepared the audition to see ifthe project was of any interest
to me, and then I closed with ifthey had already cast a project
.
I appreciated the consideration.
Crickets no, not crickets,because crickets communicate
loudly Nothing.
She didn't respond, never heardback from her.
I mean a simple response likehey, tawanna, we've moved on,

(05:25):
would have been a good businesspractice, but how could I expect
such when it all came through aDM in the first place?
Also, I didn't ask that.
She let me know either way, somaybe that's on me.
These are the little things Ipay attention to when deciding
to accept a job or even toaudition or to work with someone
, things I judge people by on mybarometer of will this be a

(05:47):
good business partnership?
I view everything as apartnership, a collaboration.
I don't care that I'm theemployee, that I'm being hired.
Along with my talent, I bringvalue to every project I work on
.
I carry years ofprofessionalism, I'm
effervescent and solutionoriented and I hope to elevate
projects.
So, yeah, I demand to be metwith the same, if not more,

(06:08):
respect, consideration andprofessionalism when I'm hired
to collaborate.
I'll mainly be discussingindependent projects that are
mostly helmed by up-and-comingfilmmakers.
For the most part, professionalsets tend to meet my value
requirements and I'm not bashingup-and-coming filmmakers.
I actually prefer to work withthem because they are so
collaborative and creativelyinclusive.

(06:29):
I extend grace to new or lessexperienced filmmakers because
we're all learning as we go.
However, I don't care to bediscounted by new or veteran
producers or directors, so Itend to watch the actions of
soon-to-be employers.
How are they treating me beforeI say yes.
How are they treating others?
Because there are always signsof bad behavior.

(06:51):
The cliche actions speaksvolumes is true.
I give credence to what peopledo and disregard most of what
people say, because you knowpeople will say anything to get
what they want from you and I'mnot exempt.
I'm a human.
We're all humans.
It's part of our makeup.
But there are levels to deceit,hypocrisy and manipulation, and
I find it alarmingly sinisterwhen people make promises they

(07:14):
know they can't keep, or whentheir objective is to just get
more from me than what I signedup for.
Because I'm quiet.
People think I don't see them,but I do.
I see them and when I do, theyare surprised when I give them
pushback.
Now, there's no evidence ofmal-intent with this LinkedIn
self-tape audition.
Actually, I think it was moreof a down-to-the-wire issue.

(07:37):
They had a short window to getthe project cast and perhaps the
wheels were just about to comeoff.
Or maybe she didn't like that Iwas summoning professionalism,
or she's just bad atcommunication.
You know, it's astounding howmany people are bad at
communication yet want to be inpositions where communication is
the key element.
It's all conjecture, but I haveto deduce that if she wouldn't

(07:59):
see the importance of giving methe necessary details up front
to discern if the project wasright for me, it's highly
possible she may think my needsas an actor are a non-factor,
and to me, all the things I'vementioned are red flags.
It's just a matter of howwilling I am to overlook red
flags, because they don't alwayslead to disaster.

(08:20):
I'm reminded of a different timewhen another peer sent me a
request asking me to be in hershort film.
This time it was throughInstagram Instagram DM and while
I am on Instagram way more thanLinkedIn, I see DMs there more
frequently, but still I wouldhave preferred an email, because
Instagram definitely isn't forbusiness protocols.

(08:40):
You can't DM Spike Lee andpitch him an idea on Instagram.
I mean.
I know there's people who do itand they probably get pissed
when he doesn't respond.
But there is a protocol that Idon't think that's going away.
You have to go through his team, his lawyers, his agent, his
production company and you'renot getting Spike Lee directly.
But I digress, my peers DM readhey Tawanna, I wrote a short

(09:04):
and want to film it.
There's no pay.
Here's the shoot date.
I have a role for you if you'reinterested.
Now, this peer and I, we wereboth improvisers and we had
worked together prior performingin live shows.
I am a fan of her comedic voice, but I remembered her work
ethic was a bit um, low energy,to say the least, which is

(09:24):
another thing I look for inpeople and their projects.
I have an extraordinary workethic.
A poor work ethic will cause meto lose my shit.
You know what I mean.
I mean I don't want to pick upyour slack or watch your project
fall apart while I'm on it,because I mean come on, what are
we doing?
We're in Hollywood.
If we want to be noticed, we'vegot to be excellent.

(09:45):
This peer had shorted me on thedetails also, and I presume it
was more of an oversight,because, you know, improvisers
write, we get inspired.
We write things all the time.
We cherry pick our friends andour peers to participate and I'm
mostly always down to do asketch with my improv people,
but mainly those I know whovalue good writing, performance,

(10:06):
production value and editing.
I just prefer to work withimprovisers that produce great
work.
That's the stuff that getsrecognized and helps everyone to
elevate in their careers.
Now I was genuinely flatteredto be considered To be thought
of, but, as the saying goes,flattery will get you nowhere.
In this request there was novalue offer for me.

(10:28):
Still, I strive to be graciouswith people or, at the very
least, respectable.
Are you filing a SAG after amicro-budget agreement?
She replied no, but that shecould if needed.
Since she was also in the union,I followed up, asking what her
plans were for the short likeonce it was completed.
How many days was she lookingto shoot?

(10:48):
Who was the DP?
Who was directing?
Where would it be shot?
What was the story, whatmessage was she looking to
convey and who's the audience?
I'm not looking for her to sayshe'd rent some big, expensive
space or a red camera.
I know funding a project can behard and I actually enjoy
guerrilla-style filmmaking.

(11:10):
It has its fun moments.
It feels like we're gettingaway with something.
It's serious but it's lessprecious.
When I talk to producers andmedia makers, I'm interested to
learn about their creativevision and their intentions for
creating something, because ifwe're just creating something
for the sake of creating andit's going to sit on your hard

(11:30):
drive, what's the use?
I want to hear a pitch.
Enroll me with a good pitch.
Thankfully, this pair didn't tryto do what my friends call
big-timey.
She didn't try to drop names orsay she was going to do some
astronomical things with thisshort film, nor was she offended
that I was asking thesequestions.
She actually surprised me withher response by saying you know,

(11:52):
tuana, I hadn't thought ofthose things.
I was just going to throw it onInstagram and I wasn't mad at
that.
But I do need to at least belisted under a SAG after a
micro-budget agreement, andsince this request came in at
the height of the pandemic, Ipassed because I didn't trust
that she would keep me and thecrew and other cast members safe

(12:12):
.
Then there was this other timewhere a male colleague contacted
me to be in his web series.
He sent an email.
Actually, he sent a really goodemail, chock full of all the
details.
He wanted to meet me for coffee, but I try not to meet people
in person to eat up my time withinquiries, so we spoke on the
phone instead.
He pitched his vision, but Iwasn't clear on the story engine

(12:37):
, so I had a lot of questions.
He had too many ideas fightingfor attention.
We had also worked together ina writing class setting and I
was reminded that he was knownfor having difficulty editing
his script down to a core idea.
Now here he was being preciouswith the web series.
The premise was convoluted andmucked up by too many ideas.

(13:00):
It required editing.
Also, he didn't have funding,so he couldn't pay me or make a
promise of deferred paymentbecause he wasn't planning on
filing a SAG After Micro-BudgetAgreement.
Now this is probably going tostart sounding like a commercial
for SAG After's Micro-BudgetAgreement.
It's not.
But as a SAG After member, ifyou want SAG After members in

(13:21):
your film, you might as welljust file this agreement.
If you're making somethingthat's under $10,000, and you
want SAG After members in yourproject, then you should file
this agreement because you cando it online.
It's immediate and if you getan idea today and write it
tonight and want to do ittomorrow.
All you have to do is fileonline and you'll get the
paperwork right then and thereafter you file.

(13:42):
And while I'm on a subject ofSAG After, if your approach to
work on someone's project andthey say it's been registered
for a SAG After Agreement, askthem for the project's title and
the producer's name, then callSAG After to verify that there
is in fact a contract agreementin place.
I once called a producer in alie when he told me that he had

(14:02):
an agreement and when I calledSAG After, it was non-existent.
I understand.
Not everyone knows thisinformation, especially if
they're non-union.
Like my male colleague, Ioffered to assist him with
filing the micro-budgetpaperwork until he inadvertently
tried to convince me that Icould work on his project
without the SAG Agreement inplace, because a few of his cast

(14:22):
members were a SAG After andthey were working on his project
.
He was so concerned with havingme perform a few lines on his
web series riddled with premiseholes and not recognizing that
what he was asking me to do wasto jeopardize my good standing
and my reputation and mymembership with the union.

(14:44):
I have so many of these toxiccircumstantial stories and I
hope that you're starting to seethe through line of these three
incidents that not one of thesepeers considered how their
project would be mutuallybeneficial to both of us.
I can't fathom what they thinkthe trade-off would be for me.
Many of my actor friends justwant to work, and early on in my

(15:08):
career I shared that sentiment.
But now the work has to have apurpose for me.
In Hollywood it's easy to bedeluded, to think that one's
idea in script is a masterpieceand that anyone they ask should
be honored to participate intheir project.
And I'm not here to burstanyone's bubble, because
anything can happen in Hollywood.

(15:29):
But I must be certain that I'mnot signing up for a nightmare
experience To protect myselffrom project catastrophes.
I ask myself these 11 questionsbefore I say yes, and I must
answer yes to six out of ten ofthem.
Does the role advance my career?
Is this a new or differentexperience I haven't done before
.
Will I generate revenue now orlater?

(15:51):
Will I be artisticallychallenged?
Will this project put me infront of a larger audience?
Does this elevate my profile?
Will I enjoy it?
Does this role support mypurpose?
Will I help someone that I wantto help?
Do I love the story.
Does the script disparageminority groups and global
citizens?
I've shared projects thatdidn't measure up to my values

(16:15):
and I want to leave you with theproject I immediately said yes
to.
A couple years ago, writer,producer and actor, jason Eccles
a performer whose work, ethic,comedic sensibility and film
taste I revere sent me awonderful email about this
project.
He wrote and requested toschedule a Zoom call to discuss
it further.

(16:35):
I have to say I adore Jason.
We met in 2008 while working ona hysterically funny UCB sketch
comedy show called JesusWasashi, written by Charity L
Miller and directed by LeanneBowen, and I've stayed in close
contact with that entire castever since.
So I was looking forward tohearing about Jason's project.
He opened by telling me aboutthe origin of the story he

(16:58):
scripted, how it was looselybased on a real event, how it
went from a story he told in abar to friends to an idea, to a
script, and this is where he hadme hooked, mine and yeses.
Jason said I remember yousaying your dream role was to
play an oracle in a dystopianfuture.
I was stunned because that wasa fact, but I didn't remember

(17:20):
telling him that.
He went on to say there's arole.
It's not an oracle, but shedoes impart some sage wisdom to
my character.
The film was Sag Aftra.
There was pay.
He shared his excitement aboutthe cinematographer and the
producer.
Slash lead actress and theother women I'd play opposite
were both women I knew and werefunny and respected.

(17:42):
Jason pitched his projectpowerfully and I was enrolled.
He found a way to add value tomy career.
He found a way to make itmutually beneficial for us both.
We shot the short film AlongCame a Call Back with a small
cast and crew.
If there were any hiccups, theyweren't visible and it's the

(18:04):
best footage of me and my work.
To date.
Along Came a Call Back hasgarnered 17 film festival
laurels.
It has won Best Picture, bestDirection and Best Actress.
Go Catherine Lydstone.
And if you want to watch thishumorously relatable short,
check out Along Came a Call Backon Amoleddo's YouTube channel.

(18:24):
The link's in the description.
And while I'm here, I want tosay a special thanks to… all the
indie filmmakers and sketchcomedy writers who asked me to
participate in their projectswithout an audition, who just
knew what it is that I can doand truly found the perfect
balance of mutual benefit whileexhibiting outstanding
professionalism withextraordinary stories.

(18:46):
Shout it out Charity L Miller,duane Colbert Mackenzie, horace
Michael Vakaro, jesse Esparza,monica Smith, robin Lynn Norris,
atul Singh, brooke Trantor,david Alfano, josh Callahan,
cecilia Pleva, Cheraine MackayRobinson, marion Lewis, tim

(19:06):
McAfee Lewis and Jason Eccles.
I appreciate you, guys.
That concludes this episode ofActing Lessons Learned.
I hope you found helpfulinsights you can employ in your
acting career, especially whenconsidering which project you
say yes to.
I should disclose that I haveused my 11 questions to decline

(19:27):
a couple of network televisionauditions for disparaging global
majority citizens.
I let my agents know the thingsthat I am unwilling to do and
the roles I have no desire toplay.
I hope that you will go forthcourageously in your pursuit of
the best roles for you.
Thank you for listening and ifyou'd like to support the show,

(19:47):
you can rate me 5 stars.
You can leave a loving review.
You can share this episode withas many actors as you think
would enjoy hearing this topic.
You can buy me a coffee, oh,and you can also now check out
my latest launch, actor BusinessSchool, on YouTube.
I'm on Instagram as well andall of the links are in the
description, so I will see youin two weeks and from here on

(20:10):
out, let's say yes to the thingsthat really provide value for
us, mutually beneficial.
I'll see you in two weeks.
Bye.