🎙️ NEW EPISODE: MY INTERVIEW SUCKED! (Game Changing Tips to Nail Your Next Interview or Meeting)
Season 3, Episode 4 of Actors! You Are Enough!! is here — and it’s a must-listen for every actor serious about leveling up their career.
I’m joined once again with powerhouse talent agent OfeliaHabelt from Johnson Talent Agency for a raw, real, and incredibly helpful conversation. We’re diving deep into whatmakes (or breaks) an interview — and how to craft an elevator pitch that actually works.
🔑 In this episode, we cover:
· How to interview when you're looking for new Rep
· Crafting a killer elevator pitch that sells YOU
· Networking tips that build real connections
· The do’s and don’ts when choosing a casting director workshop
Got a topic you’d love us to tackle? I want to hear from you! Drop me a message with your ideas.
📅 New episodes every Thursday!
✅ Follow, rate, and share to support honest convos in the acting world.
📞 Coaching & Consults: 818-760-8501 or email thelyndontechnique@gmail.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome back to actors, You are enough.
Welcome. Ah, so exciting.
We're getting such great feedback, you guys.
If you love what we're doing, please subscribe.
And if you're listening, follow,make comments.
I write you back. If you write Ophelia on
(00:24):
Instagram, she writes you back. I mean, we are accessible, yeah.
Right, and share it too, becausethere's several people that have
contacted us and they're like, Oh my gosh, this has been so
helpful and my friend shared it with me.
And so like, and so share it. If there's someone that you
know, an actor that you know could use the information and
(00:47):
use the help and and kind of getinsights into the industry that
you are not widely accessible. Some of them just share it
because that's, that's what a good friend would do.
I would do that for you, Amy. That's right.
You would. OK, you guys click that button,
click that button, click that button.
OK, we'll move on. Enough about that.
(01:09):
Ophelia and I were just not marketing fanatics.
So. But that's all you're getting
about marketing right now, guys.That's it.
Exactly. We're not salespeople, you know,
No. So last week we talked about
social media and this week we'regoing to talk about elevator
pitches. Yeah.
(01:31):
And guess what? I'm going to make Ophelia my
Guinea pig today. Are you OK with that, Ophelia?
I am OK with that, but let's talk about why we need to do
this. Let's talk about like what
networking, Like, why is networking really that
important? And I mean, it's like in this
day and age, it's so much more comfortable to just sit behind
(01:53):
your computer and you know what I mean?
And just not really have to interact with people a lot or
just scroll on Instagram and communicate through your post or
through messaging or commenting.And you know, we did a whole
thing on social media, which, ifyou haven't seen it, you just
need to go back and watch it. It's super informative.
But sometimes people get really comfortable, like not
(02:16):
interacting with people. Well, I think when COVID was
here, all of us were kind of like still living in our
sweatpants, you know, and, and, you know, and then, and then you
have the texting thing and then,you know, everybody, they, they
don't want to be in person. Uh huh.
Yeah. Yeah.
And it's really important that you that you get out there and,
(02:39):
and you meet people like, like Ophelia and I.
We went over to Aroma Cafe to have breakfast the other day and
we're just sitting there, La La La La La La.
Finding your own business. Finding our own business when a
bump into my neighbor who is Jason George and see there I go
dropping a name, poof. OK, Jason George.
(03:01):
And Jason George plays Bailey onon Bailey's husband on Grey's
Anatomy. And he also had a series regular
on stage 19 and he was there having a meeting.
So I said hello to him and he introduced us to his firefighter
guy, 'cause they're making a firefighter movie.
(03:23):
And it turns out he talk, he ends up talking to Ophelia,
'cause she dropped that she's anagent, right?
Yeah, exactly. And all of a sudden he spilled
his guts. So funny.
He tells somebody that you're anagent or an or you want an
acting school. All of a sudden they're like.
(03:43):
It all just comes out. It's great.
It's awesome, you know, because this is what this is what
happens when you're in person that you can't replicate when
you're. Not, but I will tell you this.
What he didn't know was an elevator pitch, because he went
right to dogging his old agent. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
(04:04):
That's true. I didn't even catch that, but
you're right. That's you know what happened.
It wasn't like it wasn't like gnarly, but it was just kind of
like, OK, he like he wasn't prepared.
He wasn't totally prepared and you know he.
Wasn't prepared at all, but he was prepared to talk talk smack
about them that he was prepared for.
(04:25):
And and you know, a lot of actors do that.
You guys don't get in the habit of doing that.
That's bad. That's bad.
Get in the habit of of really thinking about what your pitch
is and what you can say to an industry person.
And especially in this case, he was, he should have been trying
to drop names of shows he's beenon to Ophelia.
(04:49):
What he did was talk about how the agent never sent him out.
Well, you know. There's.
A lot. There's a lot involved with that
because you know there's a lot involved with that.
There's there's could be a lot of things going on.
Yeah, I mean, it's like, maybe it didn't work for him, right?
It's working for somebody, but it didn't work for him, right?
(05:11):
Exactly. Right.
But you don't want to bring bad blood into a new relationship.
One hundred 100% one. 100 I was like talking about your
ex-girlfriend on a first date. Yeah, yeah, that's a really a
great analogy. That's a super great analogy.
And it's not that like when you when like when like you see
elevator approach, it's, it's not like every time you meet
(05:31):
someone, you're, you're like trying to sell yourself and,
and, and you're going to talk more about it.
So people understand that. But what you're trying to do is
you're trying to build relationship with someone.
That's the whole essence of networking is not to see what
like you can get out of them. You're trying to build authentic
relationship. But in the context of that, you
do need to be prepared because you may you, you may see, you
(05:55):
may be able to keep building, but you may not.
And so you want to be able to ina way that's relational.
You want to be able to, to get everything out there to them
that you want them to know that you need them to know, right.
And so you have to be prepared and.
(06:15):
Prepared. I actually had to pull it out of
him, asking him like what other shows he had been on as a
firefighter because he's a, he'sa firefighter turned actor, but
he's also a producer. He's.
He as well, Yeah, some great skills.
Yeah, right. He used to be a cop too, right?
(06:37):
You know, and you're starting tothink about like how many shows
he can be on and you start talking about a client of yours.
Yeah, right. So, I mean, I hear everything,
you know, I would take in everything that somebody says.
And, and I, I don't think it wasa good pitch for him.
(06:57):
Right, No, that it was it wasn'ta good pitch.
You know, interestingly, and here's another thing, you want
to be prepared. You have your get your elevator
pitch, you know all that stuff, but don't get too like nervous
about it because even though, you know, even though he was not
prepared, I we're still like I'mstill connecting with him.
(07:20):
You know we exchanged business cards and we'll talk about that
in a minute too. There's.
A way. Well, partly because he was
there as a producer getting ready to produce a movie that's
going into production. So that shows that he was
proactive. He wasn't just some actor.
Yeah, he wasn't just like, hanging out, having coffee,
like, And he happened to strike up a conversation.
(07:41):
Yeah, they were having a big meeting.
I probably I maybe would have I probably would not have followed
up with him if that was the case, right.
So, but this is there was other things involved for SO.
Yeah. And then and then and then we're
just sitting there and this woman comes up who's part of
their group. Sit down.
(08:02):
She comes and talks to us. She goes, yeah, so what's going
on? And so so I dropped the fact,
but she's saying she's looking for talent and this and that and
that. And I dropped the fact that I am
an acting teacher and I have thousands of students.
I was like, Bam. And she was like, she's like,
oh, oh, do you have any up and comers?
I said, do I have up and comers?And then I said, well, and also
(08:25):
Ophelia's a talent agent. And then she moves on to
Ophelia's side of the table. She went, oh, very literally,
physically shifted. And so she's like, oh, you
girls, we women have to stick together.
We all have to get together and work together.
And so we were just so saved. Oh yeah, she was with a a major
(08:49):
studio for years and now she's. Yeah, she was with Warner
Brothers for eight years. Right, yeah, so, and she's in
the middle, she's right. She's about to be casting this
this feature and so she's. And she has like 7 or 8 other
features that she's also doing one on top of the other.
So this is this is this kind of and and we're getting together
(09:10):
again. So this kind of meet like these
connections. You can't replicate that on
Zoom. You just, it's like you have to
be able, you have to be willing to be in person and at least
for, for part of your networking, you know, like a
strategy. And get out of your house, guys.
Get out of your house. Most get out of film festivals.
(09:33):
But you know what I find? Know what I find, though?
I find that it's almost like high school all over again.
The boys are hanging out with the boys and the girls are
hanging out with the girls. What happens is that you guys
find other actors at these big events and you just hang out
with each other. Don't do that.
It's hard to branch out and ask somebody.
(09:55):
So if you're at a party. So how do you know so and so?
Yeah. Or, or are you involved with
this film that we're about to watch?
Or do you have a film in the Film Festival?
Yeah, exactly. I just talked to a friend of
mine who's the manager and she went to manager.
It was like a big showcase, likea one of the really big ones for
(10:16):
like print and, and she said she's like, Oh my gosh, she's
like, I just went to this and all the managers are in the
circle talking to each other. They're not talking to any, any
anyone else, any of the, you know, any directors or
producers. They're just talking to each
other. She's like it.
She's like I, she's I barely. She's like, it drives me nuts.
(10:37):
I like, I she's like, I barely talked to them.
I went and I, you know, talked to them.
Yeah, she did a great job. But you have to be careful with
that. It's a natural like tenants,
you're going to be drawn to stick to people that you know,
because you know, it's particularly like if your
personality is more introverted or you never.
But as an actor, it's it's gonnabe challenging because, you
(10:58):
know, we talk about this. This is one of the foundations
of this podcast, right, right. Like actors, you are enough, you
know, or there's like a lot thiswe've brokenness, right?
There's broken. You guys are brokenness.
And so there's like all this insecurity and you're not,
you're not. Like don't be a moo moo.
Do you know what a moo moo is? Tell us what a moo moo is.
Tell us. A moo moo is is a bunch of cows
(11:21):
that are hanging together in thestable and cows hang together.
It's very, very infrequent does a cow unless unless like the
gates open or something. But for the most part, don't be
a moo moo, don't hang like they're and that's a moo moo
mentality. The.
Waste of your night out if you're going to go out like
(11:43):
that's a waste, you're wasting your time.
You've got, you've got to, you've got and, and we can, if
we have time during this episode, we can talk about like
some tips for like overcoming insecurity, but I want to make
sure we get to do that. Yeah, what we're doing today.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK.
(12:03):
So that's a good segue. So one of the things that the
guy should have done was have anelevator pitch.
And an elevator pitch is really good.
When somebody says, So what you been up to or hey, why don't you
tell me a little bit about yourself?
I mean, you don't want to use the elevator pitch.
And then there's the interview. OK, The elevator pitch shouldn't
(12:25):
be more than a minute. Yeah.
It they're like snapshots to whet the appetite of the person
that you're speaking with. Like what are the buzzes you
know? And then you can wait for them
to explore. Yeah, like I, I, I usually say,
well, I, I, they like at the beginning of my pitch, I'll say,
(12:47):
well, my family came out here because my uncle made Rocky.
So the whole few all of a suddenthey're like interested, oh,
you're the niece of the guy thatmade Rocky.
So it was, you know what I mean?So, you know, you drop, you
drop, you do mic drops, a lot ofmic drops so they can go, oh,
(13:08):
that's interesting, right. So when I ask people about their
history and stuff, I write it down and then I pitch it back to
them and then they pitch it backto me.
OK. Because I work on this all the
time. When Ophelia came into Actor
Club, everybody did their elevator pitch for her.
And what was the first thing yousaid?
(13:28):
I was blown away. I'm like, OK, how did in just
like one minute, one minute, 10 seconds, like probably 80% of
the people in there, I'm like, Oh my gosh, do they have an
agent I'm kind of interested in like repping them and, you know,
and without even what? Was your interest What what was
it about it about them that interested you?
(13:49):
I. Started hearing about like these
other languages they could speak.
And then I started hearing about, oh, I've done 4 films.
I didn't, I didn't. And at that point you're not at
that moment, you're not thinkingabout, well, what were the
films? You're just like they've been
done 4 films and three features and they, you know, and, and so
it, it's like they're, you're highlighting like this amazing
(14:13):
work that you've because you have been doing work.
If you're an actor and you're ata place where you need an agent,
you've been doing work. I mean, even if you're at the
beginning of your career, you, you still have a pitch.
You can say, well, I've been acting since I'm 12.
I I've must have done about 40 plays.
Yeah, or even. Commercials.
(14:34):
Yeah, yeah, I've booked 7 commercials like those are.
That's really good to be part ofyour pitch, but a big part of
your pitch is you the person. And that's what made you
interested. You know, like I hadn't realized
on that particular day when everybody's doing the pitches
and how many people spoke so many languages and, and they
were so many people were from such foreign countries.
(14:57):
Like I didn't even realize it really.
It's it was, I was like, Oh my gosh, like they speak 4
languages. Like what?
Fluently Like what? Yeah, Peter spoke 5 languages.
That's that's so amazing. Crazy.
OK, so I'm going to put Ophelia through the through the mill on
(15:18):
this. And so this is the construction
of of an elevator pitch. All right, So I'm going to ask
you some questions. I'm going to take some notes and
then I'm going to spit it back to you.
And then, then I'm going to say,so tell me about yourself and
see if you could, OK. Guys I'm I I was not pre
prepared with. The I don't know.
She's not. Like what this is like this is
(15:40):
the real and raw here. So real deal.
No, but I'm a coach, so I'll prepare you, OK?
Yes, exactly so so. First off, where are you from?
Where were you born? I was born in Northern
California in the San Francisco Bay Area.
So you you grew up in San Francisco?
In in Oakland, in the in the Bay.
(16:02):
Or in Oakland. I grew up, I was born there, but
then lived on the east in Massachusetts for until I was 9,
like from like 3:00 to 9:00 and then back to the Bay Area.
Oakland. So what business was your father
in? He worked for UC Berkeley doing
what he was. He started out he he and ended
(16:24):
up in in admissions, in incentive.
The incentive awards part of admissions where he he would go
and recruit people all over. OK.
So he was a recruiter? He's a recruiter, yeah.
Well, unlike you, right? Yeah.
So, OK, OK, we're not there yet.I know we're not there yet, but
it's it's very magical. It's very magical.
(16:45):
Putting this right, like, whoa. Yeah.
Very similar to you. OK.
So what did your mom do for a living?
What does she do? She she was an escrow, she's
retired now, but she was an escrow officer like a high level
management in. The beginning, so for like
(17:07):
houses, OK, So after they would close, they would need to go to
her and to close the deal completely, yeah.
In California, I think others other states just use lawyers,
but in California you have to have an.
Escrow. Yeah, you have to have an escrow
officer. So was it mostly for
residential? Yeah, it's all.
Residential you have. Any brothers and sisters?
(17:30):
Do I have two younger? I'm the oldest.
Oh, you're the oldest, OK. And you're younger.
Are they? Are they?
Do they do anything interesting?I mean, we all like, we all like
were homemakers. Like that was what we wanted to
do. So before I became an agent, I
(17:50):
was primarily homemaker. And so my sister is also, she's
also homemaker and she's a lot of volunteers.
When you say homemaker, you meanat home raising the kids?
At home, raising the kids, managing the house.
I got it. All that kind of stuff.
OK, it's making sure everything was working.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
(18:11):
Yeah, managing. Yeah, yeah, exactly managing.
Managing. Yeah, that's why that's the
managers. You know managers, when you have
kids in the industry, they make the best agents cuz they manage.
They already know what you have to do.
(18:33):
You were your your kid was in the industry when you would
bring them into an office to audition, right?
Yes, they were still in person, Yeah.
When it was still in person, yeah.
Which is different back then because you had to drive.
Oh yeah, we drove down to LA. It's like a six hour drive, you
(18:57):
know, for like a 510 minute audition and we'd turn around
and go back home or we'd make a week or, you know, spend the
night making like a little mini vacation.
Wow. That's dedication.
A lot. We're doing that a lot.
That's where we end up moving down eventually to LA.
Yeah, and how long have you beenmarried?
Oh my gosh, 3033 years. That's stabilizing.
(19:20):
These are important things. You know, it's people want to be
in business with people that they can count on.
Yeah, yeah, that's so. Yeah, and that's why a lot of
times I'll ask actors if they have any competition experience,
OK? Because agents are looking for
people that understand the art of competition.
(19:41):
But for you, you're if you're looking to work in a very high
level agency, they're looking for somebody that's that's not
flaky. Right.
And that's not you. Right.
So what are some of your hobbies?
Oh. My gosh.
I mean, you guys, you see, I never, I didn't talk about, I
(20:01):
talked about her personally, youguys, so that that would be for
you guys too. You talk about your home life.
If it's boring, don't mention it, but sometimes.
Your parents lives are interesting.
Yeah, my mom before my mom did. I mean, right until up by like
the year after I was born. She was a professional ballet
dancer with the Oakland Ballet. Oh, see, that's interesting.
(20:23):
Yeah. So it's kind of like in my
family, like the entertainment, you know, like, yeah, it was
like, I mean, she. Yeah.
So it wasn't completely foreign to you, is what you're saying.
So what do? What do you you and your husband
like to do together? Like what kind of fun things do
you do? Your foodies.
(20:45):
Great, great. What's your favorite food?
Oh my God, I don't. I don't know if I have a
favorite, but probably if I had to pick one I would say Italian
I would. Say, what do you would it like
Chicken Parmesan? What do you order?
Spaghetti like just super traditional like spaghetti
meatballs or like the the pizza that's like the the.
(21:08):
Yeah. It's like the Naples style.
Yeah. Yeah, just like the like super
like home cooking feeling authentic?
Authentic. Valiant, OK, I want it right
now. If you want.
Yes. It's.
Very good. And do you, do you guys want to
volunteer anywhere? Do you do any kind?
(21:31):
Of when I mean one of our passions is I just say one of my
passions is like adoption in foster care.
I have an adopt. My oldest child's adopted.
And wow, very interesting. It's yeah, that's kind of like a
We just always have been like that.
My husband grew up with his parents doing foster care.
(21:52):
They had over 100 foster kids. He's he and his.
He and his one brother are biological.
And then all of the rest were Foster, and then they adopted.
Like, wow. Yeah.
So that's. How old was your your child
before you? When you were before when you
(22:13):
adopted him? How old is he?
3 She was a girl. Oh, she OK, so when did you So
you found her when she was born?No, we didn't found find her
until she was until she was 2 and then.
So it took a year. So you fostered her, or you or
you were gonna. Her for should we met her when
(22:36):
she was like 2 1/2 and then she turned 3 when she was 3 she and
she was able to come and live with us and then it took like a
year for all the legal stuff to go through.
Yeah, yeah. Which usually does.
Oh, you, you see, isn't she becoming really interesting?
Oh no. But for you guys, how this
(23:00):
translates is when you're in an interview or you're doing a a
pitch, you don't want to be talking about acting 'cause it's
really boring. You got to look at your
meetings, interview meetings as like a second date.
OK, yeah, because they already saw your package.
(23:22):
They already. Or like now, they just want to
see if you're insane. That's 100%.
Do I want to work with this person?
Like are we going to be a good fit for each other?
Then that's a huge part of if I rub someone, you could be, you
know, you could be a recognizable actor, but if
you're a diva or in a hole like I'm, I'm like, it's not worth it
(23:44):
to me. I honestly.
Yeah, it's gonna disrupt everything.
Yeah, it's disruptive. It really is like.
When you manage, you know. And you ever find out, you'll
find out during the meeting. So don't don't talk about acting
because it's only going to leaveyou way open to be stomped on.
(24:04):
So if you start talking about acting, they're going to be like
so, so how many agents have you had?
How many managers have you had? So did you go out on any Co
stars did? How come you haven't booked any,
right? Why don't you have any credits?
Why don't you have any credits? So it's going to lead down that
rabbit hole. You don't want to go down that
rabbit hole, but you did it by talking about it.
(24:27):
They need to fall in love with you, the person, which is why
I'm asking Ophelia all these personal questions because we're
going to put together her pitch.Yeah.
OK, so just don't go there. So first it's going to be about
your home life and then it's going to be about, I mean, in
(24:47):
your case, it was like what yourparents did and your, your
marriage, your hobbies and, and,and your, your life as a
momager. And then the the adoption, which
is very interesting to a lot of people.
It is, it is interesting to people.
Yeah. We we found that over the years
(25:08):
that. People very interesting to
people that we don't know, a lotof people that have adopted or
have fostered. Right.
Yeah. And you guys have come from
that? Yeah.
But it could because you're fromNorthern California too.
It's a hell. Because no nor Cal's up there.
Yeah, I mean, Northern California, they're a lot more,
you know, socialized. Yeah.
(25:33):
Yeah. Everybody's just like
narcissist, you know, they're like, why would I bring another
person in the house? Like, why would I open that
another mouth of feet, you know,party was expensive.
Exactly. This is going to get away with
my career. Yeah, exactly.
Like man, I'm not interested in one more person messing up
(25:55):
myself. Tape.
Yeah. So all right, we're moving
forward. So, so we now we're up to the
point of you being with your agency right now.
So you've never been an agent, but but your kid was with the
(26:16):
agency that you're working with now?
Yeah, Yep. They found him when he was, I
think in 9th grade. He's, he's almost 22 and yeah,
they found him and he went in audition in person.
Right in person. Then and then we heard back like
I, I, I might wasn't, you know, I was like, oh, we meet me.
(26:38):
If, if we hear back, you know, we may be holding her back like
in a few days. And then that a couple hours
later they came back and said, we, we like to, you know,
represent him. Yeah.
So this began this journey and. Yeah.
So then you became you decided that actually she asked you.
Didn't she ask you if you you wanted to do this?
Well, like a year before I started, she was like, OK, we're
(26:59):
we are going to, we're expanding.
And so we're and this is during this was during COVID like at
the. Yeah, it was 20.
You told me it was 21/20/21. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And and so she, yeah. So she's like we, we, we are
expanding. We, we make sure that because
(27:23):
we're, we take agency, we are very committed to keeping our
rosters small. So we we're looking for another
agent and, and that and we had moved down to LA at.
That yes, we so and it made sense that you could handle the
LA territory, your company also your company's also in Texas and
(27:43):
Atlanta, right. In Texas and San Francisco, we
are in commercially in Atlanta, in theatrical, but we are in San
Francisco commercially and theatrically in San Francisco,
LA and and Texas, Texas and in there's.
A lot going on in Austin right now, so.
Oh, yeah. Oh, there's a lot going on.
Stuff, Yeah. There's a lot going on, so why,
(28:06):
why hasn't the company opened upin New York and Atlanta?
We're commercially in Atlanta, but we just expanded into Texas
like a year ago. OK, so it's slowly happening.
Yeah, we're moving towards that,yeah.
So this is where we are now is that you're at the agency.
(28:28):
So it's been like 5 years, six years.
With is it is it? We've been with the agency for
five or six, but I've been an agent, like a formal, formerly
an agent for the agency for 2 1/2 years.
Wow, it's only been 2 1/2 years and what do you love about?
Oh my gosh, I love matching talent with opportunities.
(28:56):
I mean, that's, that's kind of what I, that's like my, my
favorite thing about it that I'mthe most passionate about is
really knowing my talent and I'mable to know my talent in a
different way because we are smaller and that's kind of part
of. And you're more of the manager
agent than an. Agent, manager, agent for sure.
(29:17):
And so I really, I really like, I really enjoyed, like really
knowing my talent, knowing exactly who they are.
Yeah, exactly what they do, whattheir skills are, what their,
what roles they play the strongest.
And so when I'm coming, you know, I'm submitting.
I'm, I find a role like, Oh my God.
Like right away without having to look through my roster, I'm
(29:38):
like, oh, I know, I know who's going to do that.
I know who can play that. I'm going to pitch them right
now. They can.
I just had someone audition for a big role in In the Last of the
Prairie. That was she just did it.
It was like they needed someone who could speak French, who was
Canadian. But see, that's the difference,
you know, You know who's in your, who's in your store, You
(30:01):
know what I mean? There's agents that don't know
what's in their store. They just get a hit on you when
they first meet you. And that's pretty much the last
time you're going to talk to them until like, Christmas.
That's the that's more common than it's not common.
Yeah, these for sure or they just.
Think that you knowing your yourclients would be better for them
(30:24):
and better for you in the long run.
Oh, yeah, because you're gonna, you're we, we every single
talent that I have at some pointif I will pitch them at some
point. I mean, you know, as long as, as
long as they, they continue on like with their training and
developing their skills. And I know if I pitch them and
(30:45):
it's like they are like they're,I know they can.
They're really good actors. Yeah, you know, you have faith,
you have faith in OK. So let me let me be you, OK?
Let me get get my glasses. OK, oh, I.
Want to marry you? It's because it can't.
It can't read the damn thing when I wrote down.
(31:05):
OK, OK, so do what? Tell me about yourself.
Just ask me. Why don't you tell me about
yourself? Oh, Amy, can you tell me?
About yourself, No, no, you haveto see Ophelia because.
Oh, OK, Ophelia, tell me about yourself.
Ah, OK. Well, I'm originally from
Northern California. It's Lake Oakland actually.
(31:29):
And then my family moved to Massachusetts, but then we moved
back there. I've kind of very fascinating.
My father is an admissions recruiter, which is why it makes
sense that I recruited talent. So my mother was a professional
ballet dancer. So, you know, she understands
(31:52):
the the the art of, you know, discipline.
You know, she ended up to be an escrow officer, but but she was
a professional ballet dancer. So this is in my blood that I
was around this and even when I had my child, my child got into
the business and I became what is known as a momager.
(32:15):
But he was he wasn't my only child.
I've been married 33 years and my husband and I, we have
adopted first, we fostered a baby and she is just fantastic
and she's ours and she's our oldest.
But you know, I have been just loving.
(32:38):
Matching talent with an opportunity is my jam.
So being an agent is the perfectplace for me.
And so that's. I love this about myself.
I I mean wow, this is OK. So from another person like oh
(33:01):
listen to this. Yeah, it's.
The talent, I bet it when talentdo their pitch and and they put
all together like, Oh my gosh, this is this is who I am.
This is so fun. That's who you are.
OK, so I'm going to repeat it back.
OK, So Ophelia, So what do you do?
Like what's your deal? Oh well.
(33:22):
So I'm supposed to do my pitch? Yeah, yeah.
Just stay, you know, just. Great, SO.
You have the. From from Northern California,
from Oakland. Was in Massachusetts for about 6
years until I was 9 and then we moved back to Oakland and my dad
was an admissions officer for UCBerkeley.
(33:42):
OK, bring it back to you, the agent.
And so now as an agent, you know, it kind of it kind of
makes sense to me. This is what I grew up with.
And I'm, you know, I recruit talent.
That's one of the biggest parts of my job.
My mom was the ballet dance, professional ballet dance for
looking ballet. So again, entertainment industry
entertainment, very familiar, very, you know, very, very much
(34:06):
in my blood. Yeah, her being a professional,
her being a. Professional dancer and even
it's that's even been passed on to my kids.
My, my kids got into the industry of their, of their own
volition, their own interest, and I started managing my son
who's, who was he started becoming represented by the
(34:29):
agency that I'm not working for and did that as a momager for
several years before I jumped inas an agent.
And one of the my favorite things about being an agent is
that I get to match talent with their gifts and their training
with amazing opportunities and. Yes, that right.
(34:52):
That was great. It's.
Virtual High 5:00 Nice. That was awesome.
Well, that was awesome that you just so quickly put that
together. I've never, I've never really
done an elevator pitch for this job.
I've done it for the jobs, but Ihaven't done it for this.
And it's like, oh, that's not that hard to do.
No, no, it's just, it's, it's a,it's like a template, OK that I
(35:16):
created. And so just to reiterate for you
guys, you start out with where you're from and if there's maybe
anything interesting about what any of your siblings do.
I mean, sometimes it can add to us understanding you.
But if it doesn't, you could just say I'm the I'm the oldest
of five. And then you can say, and then
(35:41):
you go into like, like what what, what your hobbies are.
Oh, I didn't even mention. I didn't even mention that.
It's OK, you had a flow on. I did, yeah.
Flow on. You didn't need to do the foodie
thing. I didn't say the foodie thing.
Yeah, that's true. I didn't, I didn't do that.
I. Didn't say the foodie thing.
You were you duplicated me perfectly.
(36:04):
I didn't say the foodie thing. So, but in terms of hobbies, I
mean, and that's what you drop in.
I, I speak Spanish fluently or I'm really, I really love Spain.
I went there as a child. And you know what I mean?
You throw in stuff like that or I was a professional hockey
(36:25):
player. Yeah, anything or I won awards
and awards are good guys. Even if you won awards, if you
won awards as a child, like whenI was a child, I won all around
camper. I can't even tell you how many
times I won which, Which showcases leadership.
Yeah, that's even as a young child.
(36:48):
Yeah, that's that's a great I that's great.
I love that. Yeah.
And that would keep my attention.
Yes. So you just talked about like
and there are some people that that was training for the
Olympics and these are people that we want to be in business
with because they already understand how hard it is and
(37:09):
how how much discipline it takes.
So interesting that you're saying this because I had we've
had talent that one of our talent asked US1 time.
Hey, I was I'm I'm a trained esthetician.
Do I need to put that down as one of my skills?
I probably don't, right? And we said, no, you, you should
and I don't whether or not this is an elevator pitch, Maybe,
(37:30):
maybe not, but just to even thinking about your skills when
you put a package together, But sometimes you're going to think
of like, why would I put this inhere?
But we do know someone, we had someone on her roster that she
knew how she was, she knew how to do eyebrows, you know, and
(37:51):
there was a role, it was like a coaster role that they wanted an
aesthetician and they they were going to be working on the, the
lead, then a Lister lead. And I'll go under additional on
your resume. Yes, it would say professional
esthetician, the first credit orlower or you know, licensed, I
(38:16):
don't know, pilot, you know, like like these are important
things because like Ophelia is saying you could get a job doing
that. Yeah, exactly.
So don't discount, you know, even even in an elevator pitch,
don't discount. No, it's interest relevant.
Yeah, it's part of who you are. Yep, exactly.
And everybody could relate to facial care.
(38:37):
I mean, especially if you're talking to a woman that goes and
does spa treatments and maybe she does anything, maybe she
does Botox, I don't know. She'd be interested that you're
an esthetician. Yeah, at 100%.
I mean, she'd probably be thinking, oh, I could get some
discounts on my eyebrows. Right.
Yeah. I mean, you never, who knows,
(38:57):
you know, like, yeah. Yeah, but you know, you don't
know. But but it, it tells the story
of who you are as a person. They're getting into business
with you, the person. Yeah, exactly.
So when you're at a Film Festival and you're bumping into
somebody, you know, this is a different kind of a pitch that
what we just did was in the pitch for the agent cause
(39:19):
Ophelia's the agent. But if Ophelia was the actor and
she was done with the adoption, then I would drop down.
Yeah, I got a movie coming out. It's playing at this festival.
I'm a lead and it's winning all awards.
I just finished a, a national commercial that's playing
(39:40):
everywhere. People in junior high are
hitting me up, asking me if if that's me.
And then, you know, I'm just throwing in and, and the last
three years, I, I booked and shot 15 films.
And that's when you drop down numbers and and interesting
things. Exactly.
(40:01):
OK, so where do people use theseelevator pitches?
Where where do they go and find people to use them with?
Let's let's talk about. Film festivals.
Film festivals, yes. Parties, Yeah, parties.
Like when you meet people at parties when they're just going
up to the bar waiting for your drink.
(40:21):
Yes, that happens a lot. Go find that.
Yeah. Go go like, like once or twice a
week. Go get coffee somewhere that,
you know, are like popular industry.
Go hang out at the Grove. Oh, we did, you know that?
Yeah. Roma like go to like, you know?
Don't shut yourself off. Don't be like this with
(40:42):
everybody just talking, you know, like leave yourself open.
Say hello to people as they walkby.
Get used to doing that. I think we've become so deep
socialized, you know, or sensitive.
So we're just not it's like likeyou want to specialize a dog,
you bring them to the park. OK, So I'm asking you go to the
(41:03):
park. Go to the park, I mean, whatever
you need to do. I mean, I think part like we're
trained like from children, likedon't talk to strangers.
So it's like everyone is like stranger danger, right?
And so you have to you have to like and even even if it doesn't
lead to anywhere, even if there's never an opportunity or
they have nothing to do with theindustry, it's just good
(41:26):
practice to talk to strangers. You know, I mean, be like, be
discerning if someone looks, youknow, like something's off, like
don't you don't go up to them, but you know, you want to make
sure that you are just practicing that even if it
doesn't lead to anything, at some point, it will.
If you and I, you know, I know people that have what they call
(41:48):
a nose list and they keep track of and they celebrate it every
time they they try to talk to someone.
If someone's like doesn't is notresponsive or they, you know,
they do look for opportunities to get the pitch and they give
it and the persons like, oh, okay, thanks.
I gotta go. You know, there's not any reason
like like keep track of that, mark it down.
(42:08):
And like every five times that happens, like like do something
to celebrate. Because all that means is that
you're getting closer to your yes, you're getting closer to an
open door. Because if you're not doing it
at all, if you keep, you get shut down and you're like, I
can't do this. You know, you're just, you're
never, you're never going to do it because.
I do want to, I do want to reiterate something, OK, because
(42:32):
what we did with you was the interview.
We didn't do the elevator pitch.Your elevator would pitch would
be oh, this is yeah, yeah, we did the interview.
So the elevator pitch would be I'm ready.
Hey, how you doing? Is the bartender ever going to
come by? So why are you here?
(42:54):
Are you here for the Film Festival?
I am here for the Film Festival,yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My friend has a film in the
festival. Are you from here?
I mean, I'm from, I'm originallyfrom Colorado.
Oh, yeah. Well, I'm from Oakland and you
(43:15):
know, I'm, I'm here in Olive. I'm an agent now.
We have several people in seriesand I'm actually scouting talent
and that's why I'm here. I have, I have.
I go out a lot to different places and and and what do you
do? Oh, I'm a, I'm a director.
(43:37):
That's fantastic. Are you working on anything?
Yeah, there's a couple of the films here that I, one of the
films here I'm directing, remember.
Do you have a card? OK.
Do you see them closing you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK, so I. Think that we can do some
business together. Yeah, right.
Yeah, I'm closing you so it's sales.
(43:57):
Sales. It's sales.
It's sales. If you're an actor, you you
might say yeah, yeah, I'm a leadin this movie.
OK, do me and I'm I'm at a film.Festival OK, OK, so let's so
yes, gosh, this is man, our drinks are taking a long time.
No, I'm really, you know, I've been, I've been thinking about
this cocktail for a while, so they better get here.
(44:18):
That's right, That's right. What are you?
What are you here for? I'm in a movie.
Oh, a lead role in a in a multi award-winning film.
Oh wow. And I'm just thrilled that it's
playing in Los Angeles. Oh, that's.
Awesome. They've got a lot.
Oh my God, they've got so many people interested in
distributing this movie, it's not even funny.
(44:40):
I just won an award for another movie that I did.
I beat out Javier Bardem's sister.
My goodness. Looking at everybody's speaking
Spanish and I'm the only one speaking English.
That is, that is, that's so impressive.
And I just shot another movie that it's great.
I'm I'm playing a woman in in a go fund yourself office.
(45:01):
It was really very yeah, they'retrying to get COVID just to get
their money out of me. You know, it's really funny.
And then maybe you saw me in OK,you see what I'm doing.
Yeah, Yeah, You're just looking for natural opportunities to.
Yeah, I'm. I'm dropping down strong, strong
(45:23):
things that they might be interested in to hire me.
Yeah, Yeah. You're getting your credits in
there. You're getting, you know, like
awards, you're getting experience and the kind of the
like the kind of little bit likeeven the role kind of role that
you might strength. That's really good.
Actually, what I should have said was, yeah, everybody thinks
(45:44):
it's Jennifer Coolidge and my commercial.
Yes, I wanted her commercial. She's got, yeah.
You're getting them, you're helping their imagination.
Yeah, yeah. Which is very, very important.
That's so, so good. That's actually really great.
Another, you know, another way, another way to look for network
(46:05):
opportunities is to like look for casting director workshops
because even though you're not like most of the time they're
like on Zoom or they might be some in person, but there's
always opportunities to, you know, to chit chat a little bit.
Yeah, but I have a couple of notes about those guys.
(46:27):
OK. The first note is don't go to a
workshop if you don't have an agent.
Yeah, yes. Who are they going to call?
I mean, unless, unless you have one eye or you're missing a foot
or you have like something whereyou're, you're an interested
ethnicity that they can't find at an agency.
(46:47):
But for the most part, if you are not represented, you're
throwing your money away doing those workshops.
Yep, exactly. And the second thing is don't
just take any workshop. Do do like a a game plan of who
you're targeting of shows that you believe that you should be
on. And then when you do the theme
(47:08):
for them, make sure I always have people bring their scenes
into class. And inevitably the casting
directors never have any notes. So they always look like the
best in class. So don't try things out on them
guys. Casting directors don't forget.
Yes. Exactly.
Don't forget and make sure you do your research on the kind of
(47:31):
actors that they hire. Yes, definitely.
And also you want to make sure you know, this sounds like it
would be obvious, but it it's not there's you have to make
sure the cast Rangers are actively casting.
Go look at their IMDb. When's the last time they cast
something? If they're doing workshops, but
they're not actively working right now that you, you want to
(47:55):
kind of rethink this because it's like they're not, if
they're not working there, they've nothing to cast you in.
And, and also make sure you're keep in mind that if you go to
something like this, it's not like a, it's not like an
agreement to cast you in something, you know, they, they,
there's, it has to be, they haveto have something that's right
(48:15):
for you. Which is why I said make sure
that if you, well, OK, let's saypeople have been telling you,
you know, you should be on Yellowstone.
Well then, then to anything who's casting Taylor Sheridan
stuff, you know, like find out who's casting Taylor, Taylor
Sheridan stuff, like be smart about it.
(48:38):
Like you're just going to be throwing money away.
And finally, do not do workshopsunless you're you're brilliant.
Yeah, that's a, that's a good. Word.
It has to be said. It has.
To be this is the No BS podcast and that just has to be said.
(48:58):
And I said it I. Said you said it so so can now I
the other thing is if you, you have that all in place and
you're like, OK, I'm a good candidate for, you know, for a
casting nerd workshop. The other way you can kind of
get a like a little bit of a package slash pitch in there is
(49:19):
after you do it, if they have, if they've offered an e-mail to
to the to the class, follow up with an e-mail and do like a
three sentence package slash pitch type of thing.
In there and I just gave it to you guys.
I just gave you the pitch. Yep.
That is so great meeting you. I, I, I'm going to be at this,
(49:43):
this and this. You can catch me on this, this
and this and I just signed with this person and I just booked
this. Do not talk about callbacks or
pins. You didn't book it.
Don't ask to don't ask to get together with them for coffee.
No, don't ask to get together with them.
I there's, there's very, there'ssome rare exceptions to this,
(50:05):
but the the the rule of thumb, don't, don't ask them about
getting together. Yeah, but what you can say is
I'm. It was a thrill to meet you and
I hope you keep me in mind when casting.
Exactly. And, and talk to your agent, but
you can also, you can also CC your agent.
I also want, I just want to introduce you.
I just wanted I'm CC my agent onhere as well.
(50:28):
And then like for me, lady, I did ask your agent about this
obviously first. But for me, I will have, there's
some situations where in a lot of them that I'm like, yeah, go
and see. And they'll say that and then
I'll follow up and hey, thank you so much for offering your
time and talent. And so then they're connecting
with your agent also. So because they're the ones who.
Yeah, I really love that. That's a great component.
(50:51):
That's lovely. Yeah.
But if it's an agent that's not like Ophelia.
I mean, if your agent, if you haven't had a conversation with
your agent, don't don't CC. Don't do it.
Yes, exactly you can. CC your manager.
Yeah, yes, 100. Percent they're there for your
manager is supposed to help you breathe breathe into a bigger
(51:12):
career, and so they'll love thatyou're doing something
proactive. Oh yeah, no, they should well be
welcoming that, and that's very normal.
Yeah. And then, you know, finally go
to parties. And you know, even though you
don't want to show up at that Super Bowl party where you don't
want to go to somebody's birthday party or you don't want
(51:35):
to, you guys go to the party. Go go to it start when you go to
workshops or classes or coaching, make sure you're
connecting with the other actors.
Don't just go and leave. You want to make sure that
you're that you like develop relationships with them and.
You know, in my class I have everybody put their emails in so
they could be readers for each other.
Oh God, that's so. Smart.
(51:57):
Yeah, because they all understand the technique and
they leave each other alone. They won't be directing each
other, you know what I mean? I don't understand.
I have we have actors that are fully in classes and they've
been, they've been in like conservatories for like years.
And they have a addition come uplike I'll have them do retake.
(52:17):
Shoot. My roommate just laughed.
I don't have anyone else to readwith me.
It's gonna be like another. I might have to wait till
tomorrow. I'm like, you're in, you're in a
class, you're in a studio where what do you what are?
There also a lot of people that record by themselves and then
they read and then they put it together.
Yes, I mean, there are people that do that, that they get Pro
(52:39):
Tools or like they do that, you know, right.
I mean, like, where's all the people that you went to school
with? That's why I'm like, so it's
such a mystery. So I love that you do that, that
you like, you encourage. Yeah, it's it's an encouragement
because they all wanna be there for each other, all in the
trenches together. Exactly.
(53:02):
And then stay connected because you don't know where that other
person is gonna go. Yeah.
And that's what's what I'm saying.
They'll develop connections and then go to their parties.
And we don't, we're not telling you to use people, but we're
just saying take advantage of building the relationship for
the sake of. Yeah, you got to build your
(53:22):
village to have your. Village.
Exactly. Yeah, of people that all help
each other, you know. Yep, and if they if they win,
celebrate their win, don't get, don't feel hurt and rejected.
And why? How come they're, you know,
getting jobs and I'm not gettingjobs?
And start comparing yourself in a in a negative way that it will
(53:47):
never serve you. That will never, never serve you
well. First off, you know, like,
people say that all the time. Oh, yeah, my friend's getting
older. I'm like, well, what ethnicity
are they? Are they taller than you?
Shorter than you? Fatter than you?
Better than you? Are they all than you?
Younger than you? I mean, you can't.
Guys, just stop the madness. Stop it.
There's what is, what's trendingright now, certain madness.
(54:09):
It's not the madness. It's.
Just. The decent, it's not going to
serve you. You need to, you know, you need
to focus on being excited for them and cheering them on and.
Run your own. Run your own race, yeah.
Run your race. Run.
Your own race. Your advantage, find out what do
you OK, so tell me about your process.
And there may be nothing different that they're doing,
(54:29):
but what if there was once one thing?
What if they took Amy Linden's classes?
Learn how to do a pitch like I never knew how to do that.
I mean, use it like, so they'd be thankful that they're ahead
because you could learn something from them, you know?
Although I have a lot of people that want to keep me quiet
because they don't want them to learn my technique.
So then if they're up against each other, it's it's a thing.
(54:54):
You need to tell. They need to tell them.
Go get a class I. That's so funny.
Good. Thing so if you guys are doing
nothing, you're not telling people about me, stop it.
It's a weird help you, but it doesn't help me.
So stop it. Speaking of which, you guys, if
you want to jump in on my intensive, it's coming up.
(55:15):
It's it's unintensive for brand new people every second Sunday
of every single month. Wait, I do have it in December.
So jump in, let's get you going.If you wanna just study at home,
I have an online course through Udemy and if you DM me and
follow me on Instagram, DM me and say send me your promo link
(55:41):
'cause I can give you a discountoff that course, OK?
And I'm, I mean, you guys followOphelia.
Ophelia, do you have your followInstagram?
ATA under score Ophelia. No, no.
Like what? What about them every time.
(56:01):
JTA Oh my gosh. JTA under score agent under
score Ophelia. There you go.
No, it's just. Instagram, Yeah, make sure
that's a fact. And you know, again, if you
really like what we're doing, itlets us know If you click like
(56:24):
or you tell people or you, you know, hit us up, write to us.
Yeah, absolutely. Tell it.
And also if you have things thatyou want us to talk about, tell
us. Just put it, put it in the, you
know, message DMS, you know, whatever.
And yes, I fact checked. It's JT under score Agent under
score Ophelia. That's the truth of the matter.
(56:47):
Yeah, if you think that you are ready, and I'm talking about
your package matching your talent, yeah, then you could
submit to Ophelia. By doing what?
You can e-mail me at ophelia@johnsontalent.com.
It's OF as in Frank Elia. It's not pH, it's OF and you
(57:11):
want to we talked about this in other one of our other podcasts
of how to e-mail an agent. So I think it's in the first
one, agents, managers, OMI, you should go back and listen to
that and listen to How to Get and then also the last podcast,
the last. Podcast on social media we
talked about that. Yeah, well, the last one is how
(57:33):
to stand out to an answer. So that was the last episode
before this. This is a four, so it's episode
3, so you should go back and listen to that to know how it's.
All of them. It's all of them.
Exactly. Take notes.
Take notes because you want to if if I if I you want me to to
(57:54):
open your e-mail. Yeah.
So if, if, if it's not looking the way we talked about, she
probably won't open it. But first and foremost, guys you
know, as, as a person that does like I've probably done 1000
career consults in all the yearsI've been doing it.
Your package has to match your talent.
(58:16):
And so if you're not happy, it'sbecause you're you're the level
of your package is getting you the level of your RAP.
That's a good word. Anyway, we love you guys.
It's fun to be with you guys today and go find someone to
(58:37):
practice your pitches and your interviews with.
It's so fun. Is that was that was that so
fun? It's you did a great job.
I mean, I would hire you. Thank.
You, you did a great things to you.
Get out there, go talk to people.
Don't stay at home, go talk to strangers.
You can do it. You can do it because you are
enough. You are enough.
(58:59):
You can do it and go buy. Go buy a T-shirt.
Remind yourself. I am enough collection.
I am enough. Yeah.
Where's your T-shirt? Well, you you got to wear it on
the next podcast. Yes, I will the next week.
OK, bye guys. I love you.
Welcome back to actors, You are enough.
Welcome. Ah, so exciting.
We're getting such great feedback, you guys.
If you love what we're doing, please subscribe.
And if you're listening, follow,make comments.
I write you back. If you write Ophelia on
(00:24):
Instagram, she writes you back. I mean, we are accessible, yeah.
Right, and share it too, becausethere's several people that have
contacted us and they're like, Oh my gosh, this has been so
helpful and my friend shared it with me.
And so like, and so share it. If there's someone that you
know, an actor that you know could use the information and
(00:47):
use the help and and kind of getinsights into the industry that
you are not widely accessible. Some of them just share it
because that's, that's what a good friend would do.
I would do that for you, Amy. That's right.
You would. OK, you guys click that button,
click that button, click that button.
OK, we'll move on. Enough about that.
(01:09):
Ophelia and I were just not marketing fanatics.
So. But that's all you're getting
about marketing right now, guys.That's it.
Exactly. We're not salespeople, you know,
No. So last week we talked about
social media and this week we'regoing to talk about elevator
pitches. Yeah.
(01:31):
And guess what? I'm going to make Ophelia my
Guinea pig today. Are you OK with that, Ophelia?
I am OK with that, but let's talk about why we need to do
this. Let's talk about like what
networking, Like, why is networking really that
important? And I mean, it's like in this
day and age, it's so much more comfortable to just sit behind
(01:53):
your computer and you know what I mean?
And just not really have to interact with people a lot or
just scroll on Instagram and communicate through your post or
through messaging or commenting.And you know, we did a whole
thing on social media, which, ifyou haven't seen it, you just
need to go back and watch it. It's super informative.
But sometimes people get really comfortable, like not
(02:16):
interacting with people. Well, I think when COVID was
here, all of us were kind of like still living in our
sweatpants, you know, and, and, you know, and then, and then you
have the texting thing and then,you know, everybody, they, they
don't want to be in person. Uh huh.
Yeah. Yeah.
And it's really important that you that you get out there and,
(02:39):
and you meet people like, like Ophelia and I.
We went over to Aroma Cafe to have breakfast the other day and
we're just sitting there, La La La La La La.
Finding your own business. Finding our own business when a
bump into my neighbor who is Jason George and see there I go
dropping a name, poof. OK, Jason George.
(03:01):
And Jason George plays Bailey onon Bailey's husband on Grey's
Anatomy. And he also had a series regular
on stage 19 and he was there having a meeting.
So I said hello to him and he introduced us to his firefighter
guy, 'cause they're making a firefighter movie.
(03:23):
And it turns out he talk, he ends up talking to Ophelia,
'cause she dropped that she's anagent, right?
Yeah, exactly. And all of a sudden he spilled
his guts. So funny.
He tells somebody that you're anagent or an or you want an
acting school. All of a sudden they're like.
(03:43):
It all just comes out. It's great.
It's awesome, you know, because this is what this is what
happens when you're in person that you can't replicate when
you're. Not, but I will tell you this.
What he didn't know was an elevator pitch, because he went
right to dogging his old agent. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
(04:04):
That's true. I didn't even catch that, but
you're right. That's you know what happened.
It wasn't like it wasn't like gnarly, but it was just kind of
like, OK, he like he wasn't prepared.
He wasn't totally prepared and you know he.
Wasn't prepared at all, but he was prepared to talk talk smack
about them that he was prepared for.
(04:25):
And and you know, a lot of actors do that.
You guys don't get in the habit of doing that.
That's bad. That's bad.
Get in the habit of of really thinking about what your pitch
is and what you can say to an industry person.
And especially in this case, he was, he should have been trying
to drop names of shows he's beenon to Ophelia.
(04:49):
What he did was talk about how the agent never sent him out.
Well, you know. There's.
A lot. There's a lot involved with that
because you know there's a lot involved with that.
There's there's could be a lot of things going on.
Yeah, I mean, it's like, maybe it didn't work for him, right?
It's working for somebody, but it didn't work for him, right?
(05:11):
Exactly. Right.
But you don't want to bring bad blood into a new relationship.
One hundred 100% one. 100 I was like talking about your
ex-girlfriend on a first date. Yeah, yeah, that's a really a
great analogy. That's a super great analogy.
And it's not that like when you when like when like you see
elevator approach, it's, it's not like every time you meet
(05:31):
someone, you're, you're like trying to sell yourself and,
and, and you're going to talk more about it.
So people understand that. But what you're trying to do is
you're trying to build relationship with someone.
That's the whole essence of networking is not to see what
like you can get out of them. You're trying to build authentic
relationship. But in the context of that, you
do need to be prepared because you may you, you may see, you
(05:55):
may be able to keep building, but you may not.
And so you want to be able to ina way that's relational.
You want to be able to, to get everything out there to them
that you want them to know that you need them to know, right.
And so you have to be prepared and.
(06:15):
Prepared. I actually had to pull it out of
him, asking him like what other shows he had been on as a
firefighter because he's a, he'sa firefighter turned actor, but
he's also a producer. He's.
He as well, Yeah, some great skills.
Yeah, right. He used to be a cop too, right?
(06:37):
You know, and you're starting tothink about like how many shows
he can be on and you start talking about a client of yours.
Yeah, right. So, I mean, I hear everything,
you know, I would take in everything that somebody says.
And, and I, I don't think it wasa good pitch for him.
(06:57):
Right, No, that it was it wasn'ta good pitch.
You know, interestingly, and here's another thing, you want
to be prepared. You have your get your elevator
pitch, you know all that stuff, but don't get too like nervous
about it because even though, you know, even though he was not
prepared, I we're still like I'mstill connecting with him.
(07:20):
You know we exchanged business cards and we'll talk about that
in a minute too. There's.
A way. Well, partly because he was
there as a producer getting ready to produce a movie that's
going into production. So that shows that he was
proactive. He wasn't just some actor.
Yeah, he wasn't just like, hanging out, having coffee,
like, And he happened to strike up a conversation.
(07:41):
Yeah, they were having a big meeting.
I probably I maybe would have I probably would not have followed
up with him if that was the case, right.
So, but this is there was other things involved for SO.
Yeah. And then and then and then we're
just sitting there and this woman comes up who's part of
their group. Sit down.
(08:02):
She comes and talks to us. She goes, yeah, so what's going
on? And so so I dropped the fact,
but she's saying she's looking for talent and this and that and
that. And I dropped the fact that I am
an acting teacher and I have thousands of students.
I was like, Bam. And she was like, she's like,
oh, oh, do you have any up and comers?
I said, do I have up and comers?And then I said, well, and also
(08:25):
Ophelia's a talent agent. And then she moves on to
Ophelia's side of the table. She went, oh, very literally,
physically shifted. And so she's like, oh, you
girls, we women have to stick together.
We all have to get together and work together.
And so we were just so saved. Oh yeah, she was with a a major
(08:49):
studio for years and now she's. Yeah, she was with Warner
Brothers for eight years. Right, yeah, so, and she's in
the middle, she's right. She's about to be casting this
this feature and so she's. And she has like 7 or 8 other
features that she's also doing one on top of the other.
So this is this is this kind of and and we're getting together
(09:10):
again. So this kind of meet like these
connections. You can't replicate that on
Zoom. You just, it's like you have to
be able, you have to be willing to be in person and at least
for, for part of your networking, you know, like a
strategy. And get out of your house, guys.
Get out of your house. Most get out of film festivals.
(09:33):
But you know what I find? Know what I find, though?
I find that it's almost like high school all over again.
The boys are hanging out with the boys and the girls are
hanging out with the girls. What happens is that you guys
find other actors at these big events and you just hang out
with each other. Don't do that.
It's hard to branch out and ask somebody.
(09:55):
So if you're at a party. So how do you know so and so?
Yeah. Or, or are you involved with
this film that we're about to watch?
Or do you have a film in the Film Festival?
Yeah, exactly. I just talked to a friend of
mine who's the manager and she went to manager.
It was like a big showcase, likea one of the really big ones for
(10:16):
like print and, and she said she's like, Oh my gosh, she's
like, I just went to this and all the managers are in the
circle talking to each other. They're not talking to any, any
anyone else, any of the, you know, any directors or
producers. They're just talking to each
other. She's like it.
She's like I, she's I barely. She's like, it drives me nuts.
(10:37):
I like, I she's like, I barely talked to them.
I went and I, you know, talked to them.
Yeah, she did a great job. But you have to be careful with
that. It's a natural like tenants,
you're going to be drawn to stick to people that you know,
because you know, it's particularly like if your
personality is more introverted or you never.
But as an actor, it's it's gonnabe challenging because, you
(10:58):
know, we talk about this. This is one of the foundations
of this podcast, right, right. Like actors, you are enough, you
know, or there's like a lot thiswe've brokenness, right?
There's broken. You guys are brokenness.
And so there's like all this insecurity and you're not,
you're not. Like don't be a moo moo.
Do you know what a moo moo is? Tell us what a moo moo is.
Tell us. A moo moo is is a bunch of cows
(11:21):
that are hanging together in thestable and cows hang together.
It's very, very infrequent does a cow unless unless like the
gates open or something. But for the most part, don't be
a moo moo, don't hang like they're and that's a moo moo
mentality. The.
Waste of your night out if you're going to go out like
(11:43):
that's a waste, you're wasting your time.
You've got, you've got to, you've got and, and we can, if
we have time during this episode, we can talk about like
some tips for like overcoming insecurity, but I want to make
sure we get to do that. Yeah, what we're doing today.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK.
(12:03):
So that's a good segue. So one of the things that the
guy should have done was have anelevator pitch.
And an elevator pitch is really good.
When somebody says, So what you been up to or hey, why don't you
tell me a little bit about yourself?
I mean, you don't want to use the elevator pitch.
And then there's the interview. OK, The elevator pitch shouldn't
(12:25):
be more than a minute. Yeah.
It they're like snapshots to whet the appetite of the person
that you're speaking with. Like what are the buzzes you
know? And then you can wait for them
to explore. Yeah, like I, I, I usually say,
well, I, I, they like at the beginning of my pitch, I'll say,
(12:47):
well, my family came out here because my uncle made Rocky.
So the whole few all of a suddenthey're like interested, oh,
you're the niece of the guy thatmade Rocky.
So it was, you know what I mean?So, you know, you drop, you
drop, you do mic drops, a lot ofmic drops so they can go, oh,
(13:08):
that's interesting, right. So when I ask people about their
history and stuff, I write it down and then I pitch it back to
them and then they pitch it backto me.
OK. Because I work on this all the
time. When Ophelia came into Actor
Club, everybody did their elevator pitch for her.
And what was the first thing yousaid?
(13:28):
I was blown away. I'm like, OK, how did in just
like one minute, one minute, 10 seconds, like probably 80% of
the people in there, I'm like, Oh my gosh, do they have an
agent I'm kind of interested in like repping them and, you know,
and without even what? Was your interest What what was
it about it about them that interested you?
(13:49):
I. Started hearing about like these
other languages they could speak.
And then I started hearing about, oh, I've done 4 films.
I didn't, I didn't. And at that point you're not at
that moment, you're not thinkingabout, well, what were the
films? You're just like they've been
done 4 films and three features and they, you know, and, and so
it, it's like they're, you're highlighting like this amazing
(14:13):
work that you've because you have been doing work.
If you're an actor and you're ata place where you need an agent,
you've been doing work. I mean, even if you're at the
beginning of your career, you, you still have a pitch.
You can say, well, I've been acting since I'm 12.
I I've must have done about 40 plays.
Yeah, or even. Commercials.
(14:34):
Yeah, yeah, I've booked 7 commercials like those are.
That's really good to be part ofyour pitch, but a big part of
your pitch is you the person. And that's what made you
interested. You know, like I hadn't realized
on that particular day when everybody's doing the pitches
and how many people spoke so many languages and, and they
were so many people were from such foreign countries.
(14:57):
Like I didn't even realize it really.
It's it was, I was like, Oh my gosh, like they speak 4
languages. Like what?
Fluently Like what? Yeah, Peter spoke 5 languages.
That's that's so amazing. Crazy.
OK, so I'm going to put Ophelia through the through the mill on
(15:18):
this. And so this is the construction
of of an elevator pitch. All right, So I'm going to ask
you some questions. I'm going to take some notes and
then I'm going to spit it back to you.
And then, then I'm going to say,so tell me about yourself and
see if you could, OK. Guys I'm I I was not pre
prepared with. The I don't know.
She's not. Like what this is like this is
(15:40):
the real and raw here. So real deal.
No, but I'm a coach, so I'll prepare you, OK?
Yes, exactly so so. First off, where are you from?
Where were you born? I was born in Northern
California in the San Francisco Bay Area.
So you you grew up in San Francisco?
In in Oakland, in the in the Bay.
(16:02):
Or in Oakland. I grew up, I was born there, but
then lived on the east in Massachusetts for until I was 9,
like from like 3:00 to 9:00 and then back to the Bay Area.
Oakland. So what business was your father
in? He worked for UC Berkeley doing
what he was. He started out he he and ended
(16:24):
up in in admissions, in incentive.
The incentive awards part of admissions where he he would go
and recruit people all over. OK.
So he was a recruiter? He's a recruiter, yeah.
Well, unlike you, right? Yeah.
So, OK, OK, we're not there yet.I know we're not there yet, but
it's it's very magical. It's very magical.
(16:45):
Putting this right, like, whoa. Yeah.
Very similar to you. OK.
So what did your mom do for a living?
What does she do? She she was an escrow, she's
retired now, but she was an escrow officer like a high level
management in. The beginning, so for like
(17:07):
houses, OK, So after they would close, they would need to go to
her and to close the deal completely, yeah.
In California, I think others other states just use lawyers,
but in California you have to have an.
Escrow. Yeah, you have to have an escrow
officer. So was it mostly for
residential? Yeah, it's all.
Residential you have. Any brothers and sisters?
(17:30):
Do I have two younger? I'm the oldest.
Oh, you're the oldest, OK. And you're younger.
Are they? Are they?
Do they do anything interesting?I mean, we all like, we all like
were homemakers. Like that was what we wanted to
do. So before I became an agent, I
(17:50):
was primarily homemaker. And so my sister is also, she's
also homemaker and she's a lot of volunteers.
When you say homemaker, you meanat home raising the kids?
At home, raising the kids, managing the house.
I got it. All that kind of stuff.
OK, it's making sure everything was working.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
(18:11):
Yeah, managing. Yeah, yeah, exactly managing.
Managing. Yeah, that's why that's the
managers. You know managers, when you have
kids in the industry, they make the best agents cuz they manage.
They already know what you have to do.
(18:33):
You were your your kid was in the industry when you would
bring them into an office to audition, right?
Yes, they were still in person, Yeah.
When it was still in person, yeah.
Which is different back then because you had to drive.
Oh yeah, we drove down to LA. It's like a six hour drive, you
(18:57):
know, for like a 510 minute audition and we'd turn around
and go back home or we'd make a week or, you know, spend the
night making like a little mini vacation.
Wow. That's dedication.
A lot. We're doing that a lot.
That's where we end up moving down eventually to LA.
Yeah, and how long have you beenmarried?
Oh my gosh, 3033 years. That's stabilizing.
(19:20):
These are important things. You know, it's people want to be
in business with people that they can count on.
Yeah, yeah, that's so. Yeah, and that's why a lot of
times I'll ask actors if they have any competition experience,
OK? Because agents are looking for
people that understand the art of competition.
(19:41):
But for you, you're if you're looking to work in a very high
level agency, they're looking for somebody that's that's not
flaky. Right.
And that's not you. Right.
So what are some of your hobbies?
Oh. My gosh.
I mean, you guys, you see, I never, I didn't talk about, I
(20:01):
talked about her personally, youguys, so that that would be for
you guys too. You talk about your home life.
If it's boring, don't mention it, but sometimes.
Your parents lives are interesting.
Yeah, my mom before my mom did. I mean, right until up by like
the year after I was born. She was a professional ballet
dancer with the Oakland Ballet. Oh, see, that's interesting.
(20:23):
Yeah. So it's kind of like in my
family, like the entertainment, you know, like, yeah, it was
like, I mean, she. Yeah.
So it wasn't completely foreign to you, is what you're saying.
So what do? What do you you and your husband
like to do together? Like what kind of fun things do
you do? Your foodies.
(20:45):
Great, great. What's your favorite food?
Oh my God, I don't. I don't know if I have a
favorite, but probably if I had to pick one I would say Italian
I would. Say, what do you would it like
Chicken Parmesan? What do you order?
Spaghetti like just super traditional like spaghetti
meatballs or like the the pizza that's like the the.
(21:08):
Yeah. It's like the Naples style.
Yeah. Yeah, just like the like super
like home cooking feeling authentic?
Authentic. Valiant, OK, I want it right
now. If you want.
Yes. It's.
Very good. And do you, do you guys want to
volunteer anywhere? Do you do any kind?
(21:31):
Of when I mean one of our passions is I just say one of my
passions is like adoption in foster care.
I have an adopt. My oldest child's adopted.
And wow, very interesting. It's yeah, that's kind of like a
We just always have been like that.
My husband grew up with his parents doing foster care.
(21:52):
They had over 100 foster kids. He's he and his.
He and his one brother are biological.
And then all of the rest were Foster, and then they adopted.
Like, wow. Yeah.
So that's. How old was your your child
before you? When you were before when you
(22:13):
adopted him? How old is he?
3 She was a girl. Oh, she OK, so when did you So
you found her when she was born?No, we didn't found find her
until she was until she was 2 and then.
So it took a year. So you fostered her, or you or
you were gonna. Her for should we met her when
(22:36):
she was like 2 1/2 and then she turned 3 when she was 3 she and
she was able to come and live with us and then it took like a
year for all the legal stuff to go through.
Yeah, yeah. Which usually does.
Oh, you, you see, isn't she becoming really interesting?
Oh no. But for you guys, how this
(23:00):
translates is when you're in an interview or you're doing a a
pitch, you don't want to be talking about acting 'cause it's
really boring. You got to look at your
meetings, interview meetings as like a second date.
OK, yeah, because they already saw your package.
(23:22):
They already. Or like now, they just want to
see if you're insane. That's 100%.
Do I want to work with this person?
Like are we going to be a good fit for each other?
Then that's a huge part of if I rub someone, you could be, you
know, you could be a recognizable actor, but if
you're a diva or in a hole like I'm, I'm like, it's not worth it
(23:44):
to me. I honestly.
Yeah, it's gonna disrupt everything.
Yeah, it's disruptive. It really is like.
When you manage, you know. And you ever find out, you'll
find out during the meeting. So don't don't talk about acting
because it's only going to leaveyou way open to be stomped on.
(24:04):
So if you start talking about acting, they're going to be like
so, so how many agents have you had?
How many managers have you had? So did you go out on any Co
stars did? How come you haven't booked any,
right? Why don't you have any credits?
Why don't you have any credits? So it's going to lead down that
rabbit hole. You don't want to go down that
rabbit hole, but you did it by talking about it.
(24:27):
They need to fall in love with you, the person, which is why
I'm asking Ophelia all these personal questions because we're
going to put together her pitch.Yeah.
OK, so just don't go there. So first it's going to be about
your home life and then it's going to be about, I mean, in
(24:47):
your case, it was like what yourparents did and your, your
marriage, your hobbies and, and,and your, your life as a
momager. And then the the adoption, which
is very interesting to a lot of people.
It is, it is interesting to people.
Yeah. We we found that over the years
(25:08):
that. People very interesting to
people that we don't know, a lotof people that have adopted or
have fostered. Right.
Yeah. And you guys have come from
that? Yeah.
But it could because you're fromNorthern California too.
It's a hell. Because no nor Cal's up there.
Yeah, I mean, Northern California, they're a lot more,
you know, socialized. Yeah.
(25:33):
Yeah. Everybody's just like
narcissist, you know, they're like, why would I bring another
person in the house? Like, why would I open that
another mouth of feet, you know,party was expensive.
Exactly. This is going to get away with
my career. Yeah, exactly.
Like man, I'm not interested in one more person messing up
(25:55):
myself. Tape.
Yeah. So all right, we're moving
forward. So, so we now we're up to the
point of you being with your agency right now.
So you've never been an agent, but but your kid was with the
(26:16):
agency that you're working with now?
Yeah, Yep. They found him when he was, I
think in 9th grade. He's, he's almost 22 and yeah,
they found him and he went in audition in person.
Right in person. Then and then we heard back like
I, I, I might wasn't, you know, I was like, oh, we meet me.
(26:38):
If, if we hear back, you know, we may be holding her back like
in a few days. And then that a couple hours
later they came back and said, we, we like to, you know,
represent him. Yeah.
So this began this journey and. Yeah.
So then you became you decided that actually she asked you.
Didn't she ask you if you you wanted to do this?
Well, like a year before I started, she was like, OK, we're
(26:59):
we are going to, we're expanding.
And so we're and this is during this was during COVID like at
the. Yeah, it was 20.
You told me it was 21/20/21. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And and so she, yeah. So she's like we, we, we are
expanding. We, we make sure that because
(27:23):
we're, we take agency, we are very committed to keeping our
rosters small. So we we're looking for another
agent and, and that and we had moved down to LA at.
That yes, we so and it made sense that you could handle the
LA territory, your company also your company's also in Texas and
(27:43):
Atlanta, right. In Texas and San Francisco, we
are in commercially in Atlanta, in theatrical, but we are in San
Francisco commercially and theatrically in San Francisco,
LA and and Texas, Texas and in there's.
A lot going on in Austin right now, so.
Oh, yeah. Oh, there's a lot going on.
Stuff, Yeah. There's a lot going on, so why,
(28:06):
why hasn't the company opened upin New York and Atlanta?
We're commercially in Atlanta, but we just expanded into Texas
like a year ago. OK, so it's slowly happening.
Yeah, we're moving towards that,yeah.
So this is where we are now is that you're at the agency.
(28:28):
So it's been like 5 years, six years.
With is it is it? We've been with the agency for
five or six, but I've been an agent, like a formal, formerly
an agent for the agency for 2 1/2 years.
Wow, it's only been 2 1/2 years and what do you love about?
Oh my gosh, I love matching talent with opportunities.
(28:56):
I mean, that's, that's kind of what I, that's like my, my
favorite thing about it that I'mthe most passionate about is
really knowing my talent and I'mable to know my talent in a
different way because we are smaller and that's kind of part
of. And you're more of the manager
agent than an. Agent, manager, agent for sure.
(29:17):
And so I really, I really like, I really enjoyed, like really
knowing my talent, knowing exactly who they are.
Yeah, exactly what they do, whattheir skills are, what their,
what roles they play the strongest.
And so when I'm coming, you know, I'm submitting.
I'm, I find a role like, Oh my God.
Like right away without having to look through my roster, I'm
(29:38):
like, oh, I know, I know who's going to do that.
I know who can play that. I'm going to pitch them right
now. They can.
I just had someone audition for a big role in In the Last of the
Prairie. That was she just did it.
It was like they needed someone who could speak French, who was
Canadian. But see, that's the difference,
you know, You know who's in your, who's in your store, You
(30:01):
know what I mean? There's agents that don't know
what's in their store. They just get a hit on you when
they first meet you. And that's pretty much the last
time you're going to talk to them until like, Christmas.
That's the that's more common than it's not common.
Yeah, these for sure or they just.
Think that you knowing your yourclients would be better for them
(30:24):
and better for you in the long run.
Oh, yeah, because you're gonna, you're we, we every single
talent that I have at some pointif I will pitch them at some
point. I mean, you know, as long as, as
long as they, they continue on like with their training and
developing their skills. And I know if I pitch them and
(30:45):
it's like they are like they're,I know they can.
They're really good actors. Yeah, you know, you have faith,
you have faith in OK. So let me let me be you, OK?
Let me get get my glasses. OK, oh, I.
Want to marry you? It's because it can't.
It can't read the damn thing when I wrote down.
(31:05):
OK, OK, so do what? Tell me about yourself.
Just ask me. Why don't you tell me about
yourself? Oh, Amy, can you tell me?
About yourself, No, no, you haveto see Ophelia because.
Oh, OK, Ophelia, tell me about yourself.
Ah, OK. Well, I'm originally from
Northern California. It's Lake Oakland actually.
(31:29):
And then my family moved to Massachusetts, but then we moved
back there. I've kind of very fascinating.
My father is an admissions recruiter, which is why it makes
sense that I recruited talent. So my mother was a professional
ballet dancer. So, you know, she understands
(31:52):
the the the art of, you know, discipline.
You know, she ended up to be an escrow officer, but but she was
a professional ballet dancer. So this is in my blood that I
was around this and even when I had my child, my child got into
the business and I became what is known as a momager.
(32:15):
But he was he wasn't my only child.
I've been married 33 years and my husband and I, we have
adopted first, we fostered a baby and she is just fantastic
and she's ours and she's our oldest.
But you know, I have been just loving.
(32:38):
Matching talent with an opportunity is my jam.
So being an agent is the perfectplace for me.
And so that's. I love this about myself.
I I mean wow, this is OK. So from another person like oh
(33:01):
listen to this. Yeah, it's.
The talent, I bet it when talentdo their pitch and and they put
all together like, Oh my gosh, this is this is who I am.
This is so fun. That's who you are.
OK, so I'm going to repeat it back.
OK, So Ophelia, So what do you do?
Like what's your deal? Oh well.
(33:22):
So I'm supposed to do my pitch? Yeah, yeah.
Just stay, you know, just. Great, SO.
You have the. From from Northern California,
from Oakland. Was in Massachusetts for about 6
years until I was 9 and then we moved back to Oakland and my dad
was an admissions officer for UCBerkeley.
(33:42):
OK, bring it back to you, the agent.
And so now as an agent, you know, it kind of it kind of
makes sense to me. This is what I grew up with.
And I'm, you know, I recruit talent.
That's one of the biggest parts of my job.
My mom was the ballet dance, professional ballet dance for
looking ballet. So again, entertainment industry
entertainment, very familiar, very, you know, very, very much
(34:06):
in my blood. Yeah, her being a professional,
her being a. Professional dancer and even
it's that's even been passed on to my kids.
My, my kids got into the industry of their, of their own
volition, their own interest, and I started managing my son
who's, who was he started becoming represented by the
(34:29):
agency that I'm not working for and did that as a momager for
several years before I jumped inas an agent.
And one of the my favorite things about being an agent is
that I get to match talent with their gifts and their training
with amazing opportunities and. Yes, that right.
(34:52):
That was great. It's.
Virtual High 5:00 Nice. That was awesome.
Well, that was awesome that you just so quickly put that
together. I've never, I've never really
done an elevator pitch for this job.
I've done it for the jobs, but Ihaven't done it for this.
And it's like, oh, that's not that hard to do.
No, no, it's just, it's, it's a,it's like a template, OK that I
(35:16):
created. And so just to reiterate for you
guys, you start out with where you're from and if there's maybe
anything interesting about what any of your siblings do.
I mean, sometimes it can add to us understanding you.
But if it doesn't, you could just say I'm the I'm the oldest
of five. And then you can say, and then
(35:41):
you go into like, like what what, what your hobbies are.
Oh, I didn't even mention. I didn't even mention that.
It's OK, you had a flow on. I did, yeah.
Flow on. You didn't need to do the foodie
thing. I didn't say the foodie thing.
Yeah, that's true. I didn't, I didn't do that.
I. Didn't say the foodie thing.
You were you duplicated me perfectly.
(36:04):
I didn't say the foodie thing. So, but in terms of hobbies, I
mean, and that's what you drop in.
I, I speak Spanish fluently or I'm really, I really love Spain.
I went there as a child. And you know what I mean?
You throw in stuff like that or I was a professional hockey
(36:25):
player. Yeah, anything or I won awards
and awards are good guys. Even if you won awards, if you
won awards as a child, like whenI was a child, I won all around
camper. I can't even tell you how many
times I won which, Which showcases leadership.
Yeah, that's even as a young child.
(36:48):
Yeah, that's that's a great I that's great.
I love that. Yeah.
And that would keep my attention.
Yes. So you just talked about like
and there are some people that that was training for the
Olympics and these are people that we want to be in business
with because they already understand how hard it is and
(37:09):
how how much discipline it takes.
So interesting that you're saying this because I had we've
had talent that one of our talent asked US1 time.
Hey, I was I'm I'm a trained esthetician.
Do I need to put that down as one of my skills?
I probably don't, right? And we said, no, you, you should
and I don't whether or not this is an elevator pitch, Maybe,
(37:30):
maybe not, but just to even thinking about your skills when
you put a package together, But sometimes you're going to think
of like, why would I put this inhere?
But we do know someone, we had someone on her roster that she
knew how she was, she knew how to do eyebrows, you know, and
(37:51):
there was a role, it was like a coaster role that they wanted an
aesthetician and they they were going to be working on the, the
lead, then a Lister lead. And I'll go under additional on
your resume. Yes, it would say professional
esthetician, the first credit orlower or you know, licensed, I
(38:16):
don't know, pilot, you know, like like these are important
things because like Ophelia is saying you could get a job doing
that. Yeah, exactly.
So don't discount, you know, even even in an elevator pitch,
don't discount. No, it's interest relevant.
Yeah, it's part of who you are. Yep, exactly.
And everybody could relate to facial care.
(38:37):
I mean, especially if you're talking to a woman that goes and
does spa treatments and maybe she does anything, maybe she
does Botox, I don't know. She'd be interested that you're
an esthetician. Yeah, at 100%.
I mean, she'd probably be thinking, oh, I could get some
discounts on my eyebrows. Right.
Yeah. I mean, you never, who knows,
(38:57):
you know, like, yeah. Yeah, but you know, you don't
know. But but it, it tells the story
of who you are as a person. They're getting into business
with you, the person. Yeah, exactly.
So when you're at a Film Festival and you're bumping into
somebody, you know, this is a different kind of a pitch that
what we just did was in the pitch for the agent cause
(39:19):
Ophelia's the agent. But if Ophelia was the actor and
she was done with the adoption, then I would drop down.
Yeah, I got a movie coming out. It's playing at this festival.
I'm a lead and it's winning all awards.
I just finished a, a national commercial that's playing
(39:40):
everywhere. People in junior high are
hitting me up, asking me if if that's me.
And then, you know, I'm just throwing in and, and the last
three years, I, I booked and shot 15 films.
And that's when you drop down numbers and and interesting
things. Exactly.
(40:01):
OK, so where do people use theseelevator pitches?
Where where do they go and find people to use them with?
Let's let's talk about. Film festivals.
Film festivals, yes. Parties, Yeah, parties.
Like when you meet people at parties when they're just going
up to the bar waiting for your drink.
(40:21):
Yes, that happens a lot. Go find that.
Yeah. Go go like, like once or twice a
week. Go get coffee somewhere that,
you know, are like popular industry.
Go hang out at the Grove. Oh, we did, you know that?
Yeah. Roma like go to like, you know?
Don't shut yourself off. Don't be like this with
(40:42):
everybody just talking, you know, like leave yourself open.
Say hello to people as they walkby.
Get used to doing that. I think we've become so deep
socialized, you know, or sensitive.
So we're just not it's like likeyou want to specialize a dog,
you bring them to the park. OK, So I'm asking you go to the
(41:03):
park. Go to the park, I mean, whatever
you need to do. I mean, I think part like we're
trained like from children, likedon't talk to strangers.
So it's like everyone is like stranger danger, right?
And so you have to you have to like and even even if it doesn't
lead to anywhere, even if there's never an opportunity or
they have nothing to do with theindustry, it's just good
(41:26):
practice to talk to strangers. You know, I mean, be like, be
discerning if someone looks, youknow, like something's off, like
don't you don't go up to them, but you know, you want to make
sure that you are just practicing that even if it
doesn't lead to anything, at some point, it will.
If you and I, you know, I know people that have what they call
(41:48):
a nose list and they keep track of and they celebrate it every
time they they try to talk to someone.
If someone's like doesn't is notresponsive or they, you know,
they do look for opportunities to get the pitch and they give
it and the persons like, oh, okay, thanks.
I gotta go. You know, there's not any reason
like like keep track of that, mark it down.
(42:08):
And like every five times that happens, like like do something
to celebrate. Because all that means is that
you're getting closer to your yes, you're getting closer to an
open door. Because if you're not doing it
at all, if you keep, you get shut down and you're like, I
can't do this. You know, you're just, you're
never, you're never going to do it because.
I do want to, I do want to reiterate something, OK, because
(42:32):
what we did with you was the interview.
We didn't do the elevator pitch.Your elevator would pitch would
be oh, this is yeah, yeah, we did the interview.
So the elevator pitch would be I'm ready.
Hey, how you doing? Is the bartender ever going to
come by? So why are you here?
(42:54):
Are you here for the Film Festival?
I am here for the Film Festival,yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My friend has a film in the
festival. Are you from here?
I mean, I'm from, I'm originallyfrom Colorado.
Oh, yeah. Well, I'm from Oakland and you
(43:15):
know, I'm, I'm here in Olive. I'm an agent now.
We have several people in seriesand I'm actually scouting talent
and that's why I'm here. I have, I have.
I go out a lot to different places and and and what do you
do? Oh, I'm a, I'm a director.
(43:37):
That's fantastic. Are you working on anything?
Yeah, there's a couple of the films here that I, one of the
films here I'm directing, remember.
Do you have a card? OK.
Do you see them closing you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK, so I. Think that we can do some
business together. Yeah, right.
Yeah, I'm closing you so it's sales.
(43:57):
Sales. It's sales.
It's sales. If you're an actor, you you
might say yeah, yeah, I'm a leadin this movie.
OK, do me and I'm I'm at a film.Festival OK, OK, so let's so
yes, gosh, this is man, our drinks are taking a long time.
No, I'm really, you know, I've been, I've been thinking about
this cocktail for a while, so they better get here.
(44:18):
That's right, That's right. What are you?
What are you here for? I'm in a movie.
Oh, a lead role in a in a multi award-winning film.
Oh wow. And I'm just thrilled that it's
playing in Los Angeles. Oh, that's.
Awesome. They've got a lot.
Oh my God, they've got so many people interested in
distributing this movie, it's not even funny.
(44:40):
I just won an award for another movie that I did.
I beat out Javier Bardem's sister.
My goodness. Looking at everybody's speaking
Spanish and I'm the only one speaking English.
That is, that is, that's so impressive.
And I just shot another movie that it's great.
I'm I'm playing a woman in in a go fund yourself office.
(45:01):
It was really very yeah, they'retrying to get COVID just to get
their money out of me. You know, it's really funny.
And then maybe you saw me in OK,you see what I'm doing.
Yeah, Yeah, You're just looking for natural opportunities to.
Yeah, I'm. I'm dropping down strong, strong
(45:23):
things that they might be interested in to hire me.
Yeah, Yeah. You're getting your credits in
there. You're getting, you know, like
awards, you're getting experience and the kind of the
like the kind of little bit likeeven the role kind of role that
you might strength. That's really good.
Actually, what I should have said was, yeah, everybody thinks
(45:44):
it's Jennifer Coolidge and my commercial.
Yes, I wanted her commercial. She's got, yeah.
You're getting them, you're helping their imagination.
Yeah, yeah. Which is very, very important.
That's so, so good. That's actually really great.
Another, you know, another way, another way to look for network
(46:05):
opportunities is to like look for casting director workshops
because even though you're not like most of the time they're
like on Zoom or they might be some in person, but there's
always opportunities to, you know, to chit chat a little bit.
Yeah, but I have a couple of notes about those guys.
(46:27):
OK. The first note is don't go to a
workshop if you don't have an agent.
Yeah, yes. Who are they going to call?
I mean, unless, unless you have one eye or you're missing a foot
or you have like something whereyou're, you're an interested
ethnicity that they can't find at an agency.
(46:47):
But for the most part, if you are not represented, you're
throwing your money away doing those workshops.
Yep, exactly. And the second thing is don't
just take any workshop. Do do like a a game plan of who
you're targeting of shows that you believe that you should be
on. And then when you do the theme
(47:08):
for them, make sure I always have people bring their scenes
into class. And inevitably the casting
directors never have any notes. So they always look like the
best in class. So don't try things out on them
guys. Casting directors don't forget.
Yes. Exactly.
Don't forget and make sure you do your research on the kind of
(47:31):
actors that they hire. Yes, definitely.
And also you want to make sure you know, this sounds like it
would be obvious, but it it's not there's you have to make
sure the cast Rangers are actively casting.
Go look at their IMDb. When's the last time they cast
something? If they're doing workshops, but
they're not actively working right now that you, you want to
(47:55):
kind of rethink this because it's like they're not, if
they're not working there, they've nothing to cast you in.
And, and also make sure you're keep in mind that if you go to
something like this, it's not like a, it's not like an
agreement to cast you in something, you know, they, they,
there's, it has to be, they haveto have something that's right
(48:15):
for you. Which is why I said make sure
that if you, well, OK, let's saypeople have been telling you,
you know, you should be on Yellowstone.
Well then, then to anything who's casting Taylor Sheridan
stuff, you know, like find out who's casting Taylor, Taylor
Sheridan stuff, like be smart about it.
(48:38):
Like you're just going to be throwing money away.
And finally, do not do workshopsunless you're you're brilliant.
Yeah, that's a, that's a good. Word.
It has to be said. It has.
To be this is the No BS podcast and that just has to be said.
(48:58):
And I said it I. Said you said it so so can now I
the other thing is if you, you have that all in place and
you're like, OK, I'm a good candidate for, you know, for a
casting nerd workshop. The other way you can kind of
get a like a little bit of a package slash pitch in there is
(49:19):
after you do it, if they have, if they've offered an e-mail to
to the to the class, follow up with an e-mail and do like a
three sentence package slash pitch type of thing.
In there and I just gave it to you guys.
I just gave you the pitch. Yep.
That is so great meeting you. I, I, I'm going to be at this,
(49:43):
this and this. You can catch me on this, this
and this and I just signed with this person and I just booked
this. Do not talk about callbacks or
pins. You didn't book it.
Don't ask to don't ask to get together with them for coffee.
No, don't ask to get together with them.
I there's, there's very, there'ssome rare exceptions to this,
(50:05):
but the the the rule of thumb, don't, don't ask them about
getting together. Yeah, but what you can say is
I'm. It was a thrill to meet you and
I hope you keep me in mind when casting.
Exactly. And, and talk to your agent, but
you can also, you can also CC your agent.
I also want, I just want to introduce you.
I just wanted I'm CC my agent onhere as well.
(50:28):
And then like for me, lady, I did ask your agent about this
obviously first. But for me, I will have, there's
some situations where in a lot of them that I'm like, yeah, go
and see. And they'll say that and then
I'll follow up and hey, thank you so much for offering your
time and talent. And so then they're connecting
with your agent also. So because they're the ones who.
Yeah, I really love that. That's a great component.
(50:51):
That's lovely. Yeah.
But if it's an agent that's not like Ophelia.
I mean, if your agent, if you haven't had a conversation with
your agent, don't don't CC. Don't do it.
Yes, exactly you can. CC your manager.
Yeah, yes, 100. Percent they're there for your
manager is supposed to help you breathe breathe into a bigger
(51:12):
career, and so they'll love thatyou're doing something
proactive. Oh yeah, no, they should well be
welcoming that, and that's very normal.
Yeah. And then, you know, finally go
to parties. And you know, even though you
don't want to show up at that Super Bowl party where you don't
want to go to somebody's birthday party or you don't want
(51:35):
to, you guys go to the party. Go go to it start when you go to
workshops or classes or coaching, make sure you're
connecting with the other actors.
Don't just go and leave. You want to make sure that
you're that you like develop relationships with them and.
You know, in my class I have everybody put their emails in so
they could be readers for each other.
Oh God, that's so. Smart.
(51:57):
Yeah, because they all understand the technique and
they leave each other alone. They won't be directing each
other, you know what I mean? I don't understand.
I have we have actors that are fully in classes and they've
been, they've been in like conservatories for like years.
And they have a addition come uplike I'll have them do retake.
(52:17):
Shoot. My roommate just laughed.
I don't have anyone else to readwith me.
It's gonna be like another. I might have to wait till
tomorrow. I'm like, you're in, you're in a
class, you're in a studio where what do you what are?
There also a lot of people that record by themselves and then
they read and then they put it together.
Yes, I mean, there are people that do that, that they get Pro
(52:39):
Tools or like they do that, you know, right.
I mean, like, where's all the people that you went to school
with? That's why I'm like, so it's
such a mystery. So I love that you do that, that
you like, you encourage. Yeah, it's it's an encouragement
because they all wanna be there for each other, all in the
trenches together. Exactly.
(53:02):
And then stay connected because you don't know where that other
person is gonna go. Yeah.
And that's what's what I'm saying.
They'll develop connections and then go to their parties.
And we don't, we're not telling you to use people, but we're
just saying take advantage of building the relationship for
the sake of. Yeah, you got to build your
(53:22):
village to have your. Village.
Exactly. Yeah, of people that all help
each other, you know. Yep, and if they if they win,
celebrate their win, don't get, don't feel hurt and rejected.
And why? How come they're, you know,
getting jobs and I'm not gettingjobs?
And start comparing yourself in a in a negative way that it will
(53:47):
never serve you. That will never, never serve you
well. First off, you know, like,
people say that all the time. Oh, yeah, my friend's getting
older. I'm like, well, what ethnicity
are they? Are they taller than you?
Shorter than you? Fatter than you?
Better than you? Are they all than you?
Younger than you? I mean, you can't.
Guys, just stop the madness. Stop it.
There's what is, what's trendingright now, certain madness.
(54:09):
It's not the madness. It's.
Just. The decent, it's not going to
serve you. You need to, you know, you need
to focus on being excited for them and cheering them on and.
Run your own. Run your own race, yeah.
Run your race. Run.
Your own race. Your advantage, find out what do
you OK, so tell me about your process.
And there may be nothing different that they're doing,
(54:29):
but what if there was once one thing?
What if they took Amy Linden's classes?
Learn how to do a pitch like I never knew how to do that.
I mean, use it like, so they'd be thankful that they're ahead
because you could learn something from them, you know?
Although I have a lot of people that want to keep me quiet
because they don't want them to learn my technique.
So then if they're up against each other, it's it's a thing.
(54:54):
You need to tell. They need to tell them.
Go get a class I. That's so funny.
Good. Thing so if you guys are doing
nothing, you're not telling people about me, stop it.
It's a weird help you, but it doesn't help me.
So stop it. Speaking of which, you guys, if
you want to jump in on my intensive, it's coming up.
(55:15):
It's it's unintensive for brand new people every second Sunday
of every single month. Wait, I do have it in December.
So jump in, let's get you going.If you wanna just study at home,
I have an online course through Udemy and if you DM me and
follow me on Instagram, DM me and say send me your promo link
(55:41):
'cause I can give you a discountoff that course, OK?
And I'm, I mean, you guys followOphelia.
Ophelia, do you have your followInstagram?
ATA under score Ophelia. No, no.
Like what? What about them every time.
(56:01):
JTA Oh my gosh. JTA under score agent under
score Ophelia. There you go.
No, it's just. Instagram, Yeah, make sure
that's a fact. And you know, again, if you
really like what we're doing, itlets us know If you click like
(56:24):
or you tell people or you, you know, hit us up, write to us.
Yeah, absolutely. Tell it.
And also if you have things thatyou want us to talk about, tell
us. Just put it, put it in the, you
know, message DMS, you know, whatever.
And yes, I fact checked. It's JT under score Agent under
score Ophelia. That's the truth of the matter.
(56:47):
Yeah, if you think that you are ready, and I'm talking about
your package matching your talent, yeah, then you could
submit to Ophelia. By doing what?
You can e-mail me at ophelia@johnsontalent.com.
It's OF as in Frank Elia. It's not pH, it's OF and you
(57:11):
want to we talked about this in other one of our other podcasts
of how to e-mail an agent. So I think it's in the first
one, agents, managers, OMI, you should go back and listen to
that and listen to How to Get and then also the last podcast,
the last. Podcast on social media we
talked about that. Yeah, well, the last one is how
(57:33):
to stand out to an answer. So that was the last episode
before this. This is a four, so it's episode
3, so you should go back and listen to that to know how it's.
All of them. It's all of them.
Exactly. Take notes.
Take notes because you want to if if I if I you want me to to
(57:54):
open your e-mail. Yeah.
So if, if, if it's not looking the way we talked about, she
probably won't open it. But first and foremost, guys you
know, as, as a person that does like I've probably done 1000
career consults in all the yearsI've been doing it.
Your package has to match your talent.
(58:16):
And so if you're not happy, it'sbecause you're you're the level
of your package is getting you the level of your RAP.
That's a good word. Anyway, we love you guys.
It's fun to be with you guys today and go find someone to
(58:37):
practice your pitches and your interviews with.
It's so fun. Is that was that was that so
fun? It's you did a great job.
I mean, I would hire you. Thank.
You, you did a great things to you.
Get out there, go talk to people.
Don't stay at home, go talk to strangers.
You can do it. You can do it because you are
enough. You are enough.
(58:59):
You can do it and go buy. Go buy a T-shirt.
Remind yourself. I am enough collection.
I am enough. Yeah.
Where's your T-shirt? Well, you you got to wear it on
the next podcast. Yes, I will the next week.
OK, bye guys. I love you.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.