April 15, 2024 • 56 mins
Text The Late Bloomer Actor a Question or Comment.
S03E04: In this episode, I'm having a bit of a fan 'moment' having the opportunity to chat with Rachel Baker, aka the host of one of my favourite podcasts (outside of mine own of course).
When technical glitches are the prelude to an enlightening conversation, you know you're in for a treat. Rachel Lauren Baker, the vibrant force behind "Don't Be so Dramatic," joins us on a journey from her drama-laden youth to her multifaceted roles in acting and filmmaking. Along the way, she dives into the genesis of her podcast and her endeavors in mindset coaching, offering a beacon of wisdom for creatives navigating the highs and lows of the acting world.
Ever been asked, "Have you been in anything I've seen?" Rachel has, and she shares how flipping the script on such questions can transform self-perception and fuel an actor's confidence. As we chew over the nuances of self-taping auditions, Rachel provides personal insights and professional guidance for actors mastering this new normal. Her anecdotes not only demystify the technical side but also reveal the mental agility required to stand out in the virtual audition room.
But it's not all stage lights and camera angles. At the heart of our discussion is the potent reminder that self-belief is the cornerstone of not just an actor's career, but anyone's pursuit of fulfillment. Through Rachel's narrative, we are reminded of the profound truth that recognizing one's own worth is an essential step towards personal and professional growth, resonating with all who seek to harness their potential. Join us as we unpack these revelations and more, ensuring you leave with more than just a glimpse into the life of an actress and podcaster.
Follow this link for Rachel's podcast and Mindset Coaching.
And Follow her on Instagram.
And Rachel has kindly offered a 30% discount on your first coaching sessions for being a valued listener. Just email email Rachel at rachellaurenbaker@outlook.com to redeem your 30% discount, and mention The Late Bloomer Actor.
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This episode was recorded on RiversideFM - click the link to join and record.
This episode is supported by Castability - an Audition Simulator, follow the link and use the code: LATEBLOOMERACTOR for 30% of your first monthly membership.
And finally, I am a huge advocate for and user of WeAudition - an online community for self-taping and auditions. Sign up with the PROMO code: LATEBLOOMER for 25% of your ongoing membership.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
David John Clark (00:00):
Today I've got the host of one of my favorite
podcasts, rachel Lauren Baker,from her podcast Don't Be so
Dramatic.
Rachel is an actress andfilmmaker based in Sydney,
australia.
Rachel has a Bachelor ofPerformance from the University
of Wollongong and has beenprivately tutored by
award-winning director andacting coach Ben Matthews,
comedy expert Darren Gillishaneand renowned coach and actor
(00:22):
Emily Joy.
Rachel has played roles innumerous independent film
projects, as well as TVCs forNeutrogena, sprite, kfc and
Supercars Australia.
As a producer and writer,rachel has created projects such
as her short films BehindClosed Doors and Nobody Likes
Camping.
In 2018, rachel created theDon't Be so Dramatic podcast
(00:43):
with the intention to divedeeper into the careers of
people working in theentertainment industry so that
aspiring as well as successfulcreatives could get to know
their peers and role modelsthrough an accessible medium.
I think you get a lot out ofthe episode where we dive into
the background of her podcastand how she draws on the stories
of her guests to provide adeeper insight for our listeners
.
We also finish up talking abouta new business venture, mindset
(01:05):
Coaching for Actors, which isalso a great topic that you will
walk away with.
Some pointers on making youracting career or your life in
general just that little bitmore enriched.
We had some technical issueswhich were overcome, but I've
opened the show with somebehind-the-scenes discussions
which happened before thetechnical side of things, which
is quite funny later on when youhear about the technical issue.
(01:26):
So, um, here we go.
Rachel Baker (01:29):
Enjoy the wonderful rachel baker oh yeah,
I, when I interviewed anthonymendel half of the interview I I
think it was like his interneton his end because, like when I
went to then go oh cool, I'lldownload the audio and video,
halfway through it justcompletely cut his video and
(01:49):
audio.
David John Clark (01:50):
And so.
Rachel Baker (01:51):
I had to go back and re-record the second half of
the interview.
David John Clark (01:55):
You're talking about that.
That was really good that hecame back to do that.
Rachel Baker (01:59):
Yeah, I'm glad it happened with someone who's so
lovely and was like, don't worryabout it.
And I was like, oh about it.
And I was like, oh, likethere's nothing you can do about
feeling disappointed and, likeyou know, a bit of an idiot.
But yeah, it is what it issometimes all right.
David John Clark (02:18):
Well, that's uploading in the background, so
we're ready to go.
Everything seems perfect andgood afternoon or good evening,
wherever you're coming from.
We're back with another episodeof the Late Bloomer Actor, and
in the house today I have thewonderful Rachel from the
podcast.
Don't Be so Dramatic, hi Rachel.
How are you going?
Rachel Baker (02:37):
I'm good, hello, good morning.
Where did you say Good morning,good afternoon, good evening?
David John Clark (02:42):
Good evening.
I think there was a TV showabout that somehow.
So I'm getting a little bit ofthat fan-based performance
anxiety that we get because I'vebeen listening to you.
You're pretty much my firstpodcast that I listened to as an
actor.
Rachel Baker (03:01):
Really.
David John Clark (03:03):
I'd never heard of podcasts really, and
then I thought I'll go andsomeone told me about podcasts
and you get some great actingones.
So the first one I found oreither you found me, I can't
remember, but you were my firstpodcast as an actor that I
started listening to, and it'sbeen a wonderful journey, so
thank you.
Rachel Baker (03:21):
Oh, my God, wow, well, thank you.
That like hits me in the heart.
I'm going to try not to cry onthis episode, but who knows?
David John Clark (03:32):
That's a bit like a goggle box on TV.
I watch it with my wife andpretty much every episode
there's always one thing thatthey show that makes people cry,
makes them cry and then makesthe audience cry.
So that's the goal to reach.
Rachel Baker (03:49):
Someone cried on my podcast.
David John Clark (03:51):
Yes, I love it .
I just did a weekend with LouHeesom Heesom Casting and
there's a few tears that weekendwith some really really good
scenes.
So emotions are good.
Rachel Baker (04:03):
Yeah, see, you're like like you've released all
your tears whereas I had apretty cruisy weekend, so maybe
mine are all stored up for thismoment good, that's good.
David John Clark (04:13):
We build it up ready to go.
So, rachel, before we dive intothe nitty-gritty, um, just for
my listeners and that, can youjust give us a little bit of a
background of who Rachel is,where you come from, how you got
into acting and then lead intohow don't be so dramatic your
podcast came to be a thing sure,um.
Rachel Baker (04:33):
So hello, I'm Rachel.
Um, I I grew up um south ofSydney, on the south coast, and
so acting for me, interestinglyenough, I you know.
I think it's a similar story toa lot of actors, where you grow
(04:54):
up enjoying drama and all thatsort of thing at school, which
was interesting because I knewthat I enjoyed doing drama.
Was interesting because I knewthat I enjoyed doing drama.
Um, but it wasn't until my momone day I think I was about
maybe like 14 or something shesaid, oh, I've signed you up for
after school drama classes.
(05:15):
And I remember being like why Ilike I didn't really, uh, the
two things in my brain didn'tconnect where I was like I like
drama, that's why I would do itafter school.
I was like, why would you signme up for that?
That's so weird.
And then went and I was like,oh, okay, that's because I like
(05:37):
doing drama stuff and like beingan actor, and so, yeah, just
kind of continued it throughoutschool and doing it after school
.
And then, when it came topicking what I wanted to do
after school, unfortunately forevery other like subject at
school, the only thing I caredabout was being an actor and
(06:00):
doing drama.
So I was like, yeah, i'm'mobviously gonna go and start
acting after school.
There was just like no otherpath that I could see, and so I
did a Bachelor of Performance atthe University of Wollongong,
which, interestingly enough, wasa fully theatre-based course.
So I actually was fully trainedin theatre and had no idea
(06:22):
about screen acting, and so thatwas a really interesting
transition to kind of make,because I also was very green
when I went into that course and, I would say, probably very
green coming out of it as well.
I didn't really know about theindustry at all, and I think
(06:44):
that that's unfortunately.
There are some courses outthere where that's like the
shortfall of the course is thatthey will teach you how to act
and the techniques of acting,but they won't teach you about
the industry.
And that's not all dramacourses, but that's just my
(07:04):
experience and what I have heardfrom other people.
Um, so it took me a little whilein my 20s to kind of work out
how how does one be an actor inthe industry, how does one go
about getting work, anddiscovering that there's
actually not a lot of theatrework out there and that I needed
(07:26):
to learn how to act on screen.
So I spent a lot of my 20sdoing that, trying to work it
out by myself, and I always hadthat classic thought of oh man,
I wish my parents had gotten mean agent when I was 12.
You know so this would be somuch easier.
David John Clark (07:50):
The old woulda coulda shoulda.
Rachel Baker (07:52):
Oh, absolutely, and so I think that,
acknowledging that mentality, Ithink everyone's journey is
different and that's what makeseveryone, as an actor, an
exciting actor, because we allhave different experiences yes
um.
So how did the podcast comeabout?
As I was in my 20s and I was, Iactually started um filmmaking
(08:16):
as well.
I started making um web seriesand short films.
So I was kind of um what we allknow to be like our slashy kind
of roles now, which a lot ofactors do, is like they produce,
they write, they direct, theydo all the things.
I was doing that um in my 20sjust to kind of give myself work
(08:38):
to do, and I enjoyedcollaborating and creating and
that sort of thing.
Um.
So with the podcast, that was2018 that I started, that I
think I think 2018, 2019 I can'tI think I had that.
David John Clark (08:58):
I think I read that somewhere as well.
That sounds familiar.
Rachel Baker (09:01):
So good, good, I'm glad I wrote that down
somewhere.
So that was kind of the timewhere podcasts were starting to
become popular and people werelistening to different podcasts
and I would listen to them,being like I just feel like I
(09:25):
could do this, and not in likean arrogant way, because
podcasting, you know, is a skillI don't know.
I just like I put it down tolike an intuitional feeling of
like I think I should go towardsthis thing and, mind you, not
really knowing anything aboutpodcasting or anything about
(09:48):
recording.
So I really had to teach myselfhow to podcast.
I did know how to edit audiovery basically, so there was
that, but in terms of likemicrophones and how the hell do
you upload a podcast and wheredoes it go and how do you
connect it and blah, blah, blahand all like the very technical,
(10:09):
boring things that people don'treally realize is a thing about
podcasting.
I had to teach myself how to doit.
David John Clark (10:18):
Did you learn the hard way by just going
straight into your first episodeand finding all the technical
issues while you're trying tofirst record your first guest?
Did you do it that way?
Oops, I've lost you for a secthere, rachel, we were talking
about technical issues and nowwe haven't.
Rachel Baker (10:39):
But you know what?
Like I feel like I'm the bestperson.
Hang on, I'm waiting for you toconnect so you can still hear
me.
But you know what, like I feellike I'm the best person to have
technical issues with because Ijust sit back and I'm like, oh
man, I get it.
I so understand.
David John Clark (10:58):
Well, wait for the upload to start, make sure.
So what happened to you on mymy end?
You just disappeared pictureand audio and but it just said
99 uploaded, like it didn't evenfinish.
So it's like it just froze onthe our connection and then,
when you know, uh, I think wegot cut off there.
(11:18):
We were um mid-sentence talkingabout technical issues of your
first episode and then we wentand had our own issues.
So we're not going to mentionthe word again, are we?
Rachel Baker (11:29):
No, what word?
I don't even know what you'retalking about.
David John Clark (11:34):
So let's continue on anyway.
So we were talking about yourpodcast starting in 2018 and
your learnings of building thatup.
Rachel Baker (11:44):
Yes.
So you know what I did forgetto kind of talk about why I
started it.
So maybe thank you universe forreminding me that I had skipped
a little bit.
So the reason why I started thepodcast so I was interested in
listening to podcasts and I waslike, oh, I think I can do that.
(12:05):
I was looking for podcasts thatI wanted to listen to about the
Australian industry as an actorand at the time the only
podcast that I could really findwas like the Screen Australia
podcast or similar to I don'tknow if they were up and running
then or like the CinemaAustralia podcast and they're
(12:29):
all great podcasts, but itwasn't an interviewer that I
felt like they.
Well, they weren't an actor andI just didn't have that like
connection of like, oh, theyknow what I'm going through.
So there was this kind of gapin the industry at the time
(12:50):
where I was like, well, I reallywant to provide content.
That would be the content thatI would want to listen to.
As an actor and a creative, I'vealways been really interested
in people's stories.
Like you know, why did youstart a podcast, david?
Like you know, I I really getinterested in why people make
(13:12):
choices and like where it leadsthem to, and I also really like
hearing it not from theperspective of like and how can
this be applicable to actors?
And what I mean by that is,like you know, when you do a
casting workshop and the castingdirector is like you can ask me
any questions, and actors,rightly so, ask the casting
(13:35):
director like what can I do asan actor with my show reel to
get it in front of you?
Blah, blah, blah, whatever.
And I was always kind of likewhat I wanted to know so I could
get to know this person better.
Like why did you become acasting director?
Like what do you like aboutyour job?
Like I was more just interestedand you can probably notice
(13:56):
that in my episodes when Iinterview like a director or a
producer or a casting director,I don't really like to be like.
And how can actors do blah,blah, blah?
Like I'm not really concernedwith.
Can you give advice to actors?
David John Clark (14:10):
I just kind of want to know what their
opinions are like, what theirjourney is, what their story is,
so to speak, and that wouldjust, that would just come
naturally anyway, becausethey're talking about the
business they're in.
So you're going to get thegossip, for want of a better
word, wouldn't you?
Rachel Baker (14:25):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think what I hope it does
with people listening to theepisode is one it makes this
person seem way more human thanthey used to be, like,
specifically, people who arequite successful in the industry
.
I think it's only natural toput them on a pedestal, but then
to realise, oh, they're justpeople like me and they're just
(14:50):
doing human things like me.
And then I hope it also, like,secondarily, builds rapport with
this person, so you kind offind out a little bit more about
who they are, rather than themjust being like a casting
director and that's all you knowthem as yes.
So that was kind of why Iwanted to start the podcast and
(15:13):
also, to be honest, it's a greatnetworking tool.
It's like the people that I'veinterviewed a lot of them.
I would never have gotten into aone-on-one conversation with
them, just as an actor.
Like if I went up to NikkiBarrett and went, hey, nikki,
can I sit down with you for anhour and just talk about stuff
(15:35):
with you?
I'm an actor she would be likeno, I've got things to do, yeah,
but to be able to have apodcast and be like, hey, I'm a
podcaster, oh, and also I'm anactor I'd love to talk to you
about, you know, castingdirecting.
It's such a great in to startknowing these people.
It's an easy in, to be honest.
(15:57):
And do I recommend people starta podcast just so that they can
get in the room with certainpeople?
No, for me it was a greatnetworking tool.
So, yeah, I kind of I startedand just I don't like this
phrase but I failed forward.
David John Clark (16:16):
I haven't heard that yeah.
Rachel Baker (16:20):
So obviously it's the idea of like you just start
and you know if you're going tofail, at least you're going to
fail forward and keep up thatmomentum.
I'm yet to come up with like abetter phrasing for it.
David John Clark (16:34):
I like it.
I like that one.
Rachel Baker (16:37):
And yeah, at the start you know I made plenty of
mistakes.
I've actually archived a fairfew of my first episodes just
purely because, like, not out oflike, oh my God, they're so bad
.
Like I'm happy for people torealize kind of where I came
from, to realize kind of where Icame from, but when you get to
a certain point and it's like abusiness decision to kind of be
(16:59):
like, I don't think theynecessarily reflect what the
podcast is now.
David John Clark (17:04):
Fair enough.
Rachel Baker (17:05):
And so you know, happy to archive them, so if you
go back, there's some that justaren't there anymore.
But yeah, then it just kind ofkept going.
to be honest, I just keptrecording and was like oh okay,
I'm a podcaster.
And then I think I think itmust have been two years in um,
(17:28):
the Hub Studio, which is astudio, an acting studio in
Sydney.
They I happened to interviewOllie, who's the owner of the
studio, and at the time he waslike hey, we were actually
wanting to start a Hub Studiopodcast, but we don't have the
time.
Would you like want to beassociated with the studio?
Would that help you out?
(17:48):
And I was like well, yeah, itabsolutely would, Because you
then have that name behind youto be like, oh, this is the
Don't Be so Dramatic podcastwhich is in association with the
Hub Studio.
And so from there, not only didI start getting more traction
because of the active base thatlike knew the Hub Studio, but
(18:10):
also I got access to all theindustry people that they had
emails for and I could be likecan I have this person's email?
Can I have that person's email?
And so it gave me a bit morelike notoriety to then approach
people and be like hey, I'm thispodcast in association with the
(18:32):
Hub Studio.
And usually, like, people wouldknow that name and be like oh
cool, yeah, I'll come on yourpodcast.
So that was a really greatachievement.
And then I think I wasassociated with them for maybe
two years.
I don't know timelines.
I should really write them downfor interviews, but I just like
(18:54):
I really ballpark it because itall kind of like merges into
one for me.
David John Clark (18:59):
I'll be great.
As actors, our memory.
We're supposed to have goodmemories and um, I'm the same, I
go.
I can't remember what I'msupposed to be talking about oh,
I can remember lines.
Rachel Baker (19:10):
Maybe that's why because every time I'm learning
lines it's pushing out otherinformation which is like like
how long time periods of thepodcast?
I'm like I don't need to knowthat.
But yeah, what was interestingwas I feel like a lot of my
decisions for my career are madeoff intuition, like that
(19:32):
feeling that you get.
You know, Nice.
And so two years in, I kind offelt like I had outgrown the hub
.
I wanted I didn't know what,but I wanted more and I kind of
felt like at the time, anybusiness decision or anything
(19:53):
the hub said or did online whichwasn't necessarily a bad thing,
but unfortunately it like I wasa part of that brand and so I
couldn't really control, like ifthey were promoting something
that I didn't necessarily agreewith or they said something
online that I didn't necessarilyagree with, or maybe like it
was just this feeling of like Ithink that I need to like part
(20:19):
ways kind of thing and I feltlike I was then getting I had
enough like notoriety in theindustry that I kind of didn't.
Unfortunately this sounds bad,but I didn't really need them
anymore.
So no bad blood or anythinglike that.
It was just this feeling, youknow, like that.
(20:40):
I was like, okay, I think Ithink I need to kind of move
forward again, and so I made thedecision to kind of to part
ways with the hub.
And, funnily enough, as soon asthat happened, one of my good
friends, alyssa, started her owntalent management agency called
(21:01):
ASM, and she was like, hey, I'dreally love, and I'm good
friends with Liss, so, yes, thatis why she contacted me.
So Liss approached me and saidhey, hey, I've just started this
talent management agency, I'dlove to rep your podcast.
And I was like, absolutely likeany help, I can get sure, and
(21:24):
Liz was my friend, so I feltlike a good kind of connection
there.
And so then within, I think itwas about five months after,
like we'd you know, done thesigning of the paper and all
that- you had my soul.
Yes, yeah.
David John Clark (21:41):
Yeah.
Rachel Baker (21:42):
Kind of thing Unbeknownst to me.
So I feel like many times I justget blindsided by great
opportunities, which is great,because it means that, like you
know, you just kind of have tobe you and do your thing and
things will just come to you.
That's the kind of mentalitythat I have.
But yeah, unbeknownst to me,liz knew that it would be great
(22:08):
to get the podcast signed to anetwork, so a podcast network,
and I was like, yeah, okay, cool, cool.
I don't know what that means,but sure sounds good, I was like
yeah, you do you like that?
that's cool and so, um, she thengot in contact with dm podcasts
, who is one of the uh toppodcasting networks in australia
(22:32):
and is run by the guys who arethe Batuta Advocates.
David John Clark (22:36):
So if you, know that, okay, yep.
Rachel Baker (22:38):
Yeah, that Instagram account, slash that
business with the fake newsstuff and all that sort of thing
.
They run DM podcasts as well.
And yeah, she was like yeah,I've lined up a meeting with
them.
And I was like, oh okay cool,yeah, no worries.
And they ended up being likeyeah, we're, you know,
(22:59):
interested to have you to signyou and see where it goes, kind
of thing.
So that happened, which waspretty crazy, and I was like, oh
okay, cool.
And I felt like throughout thiswhole process, like I slowly
was like I guess I'm a like aproper podcaster now like a
(23:20):
proper one, not a, not a forfunsies, one like a proper
podcaster.
Now that's been great being withDM, because then I can I
actually get access to theirstudio, which means I can record
in studio.
I'm able to go in and record intheir Sydney office which is
all set up, and that can be likein person with a guest or that
(23:43):
can be over Riverside, which iswhat we're using now and that's
kind of that's been greatbecause it's helped me learn
about like ad revenue.
So that's what a podcastnetwork does, is that is able to
, because they have so manypodcasts on their kind of list,
they have access to adding adsinto your podcast and so then
(24:03):
you get the revenue from thatYou've still got control of the
brand.
David John Clark (24:07):
You know there don't be some dramatic.
You own it.
You own it.
You have the artistic licensestill to go down.
They don't control anythinglike that.
Rachel Baker (24:17):
No, I don't have control over the brand and
they're just more there to kindof, if you want it, they can
give you guidance as well, whichis great, awesome, awesome yeah
.
David John Clark (24:27):
And with your show very much like my show
where you chat to guests.
That have been a pivotal partof my journey.
Many of your guests have beenpart of yours.
That have been a pivotal partof my journey.
Many of your guests have beenpart of yours.
How important is it to you thatyou have that personal
connection with your guests andwhat do you get from those
interviews, both for yourselfand for your guests?
And I must say that two of myfavourite episodes from you is
(24:47):
with Mark Morrissey and then onthe acting side you got to talk
to Noni Hazlehurst which wasjust that wonderful, wonderful
episode.
She was so giving in the in thechat with you, wasn't she?
Rachel Baker (24:59):
yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Um, the one thing that Iremember from the Noni interview
which really sticks with me iswhen she's talking about her
being at drama school and theysaid, like a room of I think it
was maybe like 100 actors andthey said, out of 100 actors,
there's going to be two of youthat succeed.
(25:20):
And Noni said, and I lookedaround the room and I wondered
who the other actor was going tobe that would succeed, and I
just think that, like that issuch an example of how powerful
mindset is as an actor and as acreative.
I just love that little liketidbit from the interview.
David John Clark (25:41):
Go with the segue there for mindset.
So is that what's led you toyour current another side hustle
?
I believe today you've juststarted a new side business in
mindsetting.
Let me let you explain that tous.
Rachel Baker (25:57):
Yeah, sure what's happening there.
Sorry, I didn't answer thatlast question that you had.
I just went off and talkedabout it.
David John Clark (26:03):
You did, though.
No, you did.
Okay, that's good.
It's about that connection andabout what you get.
Yeah, absolutely so.
You were talking earlier aboutsome of the first podcasts you
listened to, and so they'reinterviews.
They're journalists, andthere's a big difference between
a journalist interview and thensomeone like us having a chat
with someone.
Rachel Baker (26:23):
Absolutely.
It's such a different story.
Yeah, yeah, and I think whatI'll just say before I move on
to talking about mindsetcoaching is that core is so
important both in, I think,think in every aspect of this
industry, to be honest, and soit's been my goal to get very
good at being able to get quickrapport with someone, especially
(26:47):
a guest.
To find a connection quitequickly, because those are the
best interviews is when you canfeel like these two people are
connected and that's a massivething.
With mindset coaching as well,which I will go into, but I'll
explain what my business is.
So if you have listened toDon't Be so Dramatic before you,
(27:10):
it maybe wouldn't come as asurprise that because I talked
about mindset so often on thepodcast and it is a subject that
I absolutely just love talkingand, talking and talking about
in regards to actors andcreatives, and so towards the
end of last year, I found myselfbeing quite lost in regards to
(27:35):
just work in general, and youknow, we all know that as an
actor, unfortunately, you dohave to have sometimes have to
have a day job to pay thosebills.
Before you know you can bookanother acting gig, and my day
job was not to be dramatic, butit was killing my soul and I say
(28:00):
that from a place of privilegeLike I realised that it is a
very privileged position to belike I can't do this anymore and
to just, you know, quit.
So towards the end of last year, yeah, I was really having like
an existential crisis of like Ican't keep doing this job, that
I just hate and it's like apretty toxic workplace you know,
(28:24):
and that kills your creativityas well.
you know, not being able to feelcreative was yeah, it was just
awful Like yeah, it really was.
And I knew that I wanted towork for myself because I feel
like, as you can probably seewith the podcast, I'm like quite
a driven person and I can likeget under myself and push myself
(28:48):
to like do things which is goodand stick to a schedule.
David John Clark (28:51):
And have that control as well.
Rachel Baker (28:53):
Yeah, yeah yeah, exactly so, literally one day I
was like, oh, my god, why don'tI become a mindset coach?
Because I love talking about itso often on the podcast, like
it just kind of it made sense inmy mind to be like, okay, this
is something that you couldreally like, actually make a
(29:15):
business out of and bepassionate about.
Because, with the podcast, theother thing that I wanted it to
do was inspire people to seelike, hey, these people have
done it, you can do it too.
There's no formula, which isgreat, because if there's no
formula, you don't have tofollow a certain journey to
(29:37):
succeed.
Yes, um, and so that's what Iam taking into my mindset
coaching, which, um, is like,literally, I want actors to feel
like the biggest dreams thatthey have are possible and are
going to happen for them, and Ithink people get scared when
they hear that because theythink, oh, but what if it
(30:00):
doesn't happen?
And it's like, okay, well,let's work on that.
Why is that doubt there kind ofthing.
So I went away and I gotcertified as an NLP practitioner
, which is a neuro-linguisticprogramming practitioner, which
basically means that I learned abunch of techniques which all
speak to the unconscious mindand take you through releasing
(30:23):
doubt, releasing major negativeemotions, releasing limiting
beliefs or conflicts withinyourself, and then what we can
also do is then really visualizewhat it is that you want and
place that into your future sothat you believe cool, this is
(30:44):
going to happen, like this is inmy future, kind of thing.
And there are other techniquesthat we can do, like there's one
that Mike Tyson used when hewas a boxer, which is something
called anchoring, which is like,say, david, you got really
(31:05):
nervous before auditions and youwere like I just like I'm so
overwhelmed by this nervousfeeling.
What we could do is anchor inwhat would be like maybe
confidence, and so we woulderase the nervous feeling.
What we could do is anchor in,um, what would be like maybe
confidence, and so we woulderase the nervous feeling.
And usually it's a physicaltrigger.
So I don't know if people arewatching this and they can see
my fingers, but, um, what youcan do is anchor in a physical
(31:28):
trigger.
So when I do this, um, likewith my fingers, yeah, you get
filled with that feeling ofconfidence.
And I know it sounds like how,but it's literally what Mike
Tyson used when he was walkingto the ring to then fight
someone.
(31:49):
It's interesting.
David John Clark (31:51):
That's a memory technique as well,
anchoring, so it must work onthat same mind-physical
connection process.
Yeah, absolutely.
Rachel Baker (32:00):
Absolutely yeah, and so that's the way that he
would prep himself andessentially is why he was such a
successful boxer for so long isbecause he was using NLP
techniques, and it's very commonin the sports industry.
Pretty much all of the mostsuccessful athletes have mindset
(32:21):
coaches and you know, if weknow anything, acting is quite
similar to being an athlete in.
You know don't ask me to runit's similar in the certain
techniques that we use.
And so I thought, why not bringthat into acting?
Because I do know I'veinterviewed was it?
Angie Ford and Simon Williamsare both mindset coaches, but
(32:46):
they don't exclusively work withactors, they work with anybody,
mostly like athletes, to behonest and then they work with
actors as well.
And so I thought again, I sawthis kind of gap in the industry
and was like, well, what if Iwas an actor mindset coach and
just worked with actors?
Because I sure as hell knowwhat it's like to be an actor
(33:07):
and to have challenges and tomove through them, and I truly,
I literally want every singleperson to walk away feeling like
they are worthy of theirbiggest dream and that it is
achievable.
David John Clark (33:22):
Because I talk a lot on my show about the ups
and downs of the journey thatwe're all on, and you know, you
have those moments where you'reup on a peak, you've just done a
great audition or you've got ajob, but then you can come
crashing down so quickly and notget a job or be failing in your
auditions, and those troughsare just such a mind-numbing
(33:44):
experience for actors.
And to find a way and I thinkthe mindset goes in the reverse
then, doesn't it?
Because you can push yourselffurther and further, to the
point that you you can actuallyend up quitting acting.
And so it's about finding a wayto push through those troughs.
I suppose and that's what you,you're going to be teaching
actors- absolutely.
Rachel Baker (34:04):
I think that you know what we're talking about.
There is there, there areexperiences where you may
experience x amount of time thatyou don't book work, but the
interesting thing is about themind is that we put meaning onto
experiences, right, and sowhat's great about mindset
(34:24):
coaching is pinpointing thosetimes, and maybe, if you are
going through what you call atrough, those are the times that
you need to put into practice,though, all those affirmations,
all those mindset techniquesthat you've been using as an
actor.
That's kind of crunch time andthat's a really good time to
have a mindset coach as well.
(34:44):
But yeah, it's about kind ofand I'll tell a story that
happened to me yesterday,because I don't want people to
think that I am perfect at this,and I think it's important for
a coach to always be learningand to be learning from their
own experiences.
So yesterday I got an email fromsomeone that I'd done an
(35:06):
audition from, and when I openedthe email, I immediately
scanned it to try and find the.
Unfortunately, you didn't getthe role.
Blah, blah, blah, and I stoppedmyself and I went.
What am I doing?
Because, yes, sure, I've gottenplenty of rejections in the
(35:28):
past, but why am I making this anegative experience.
Opening this email from thecasting person.
And so I took a step back, wentokay, let's actually read the
email, rachel, because you don'tknow what it says yet and read
it.
And the email actually saidwe'd love you to come in for an
(35:49):
in-person audition because weloved your tape so much.
And I went.
Well, I'm so glad that I didn'tput that past experience onto
this one, because I think it'svery it's very natural to, you
know, have these kind oflimiting beliefs come up and
these, like you know, when youare facing um, a lot of no's, it
(36:10):
is.
It is hard to still look foryes, right, but I think it's
important to catch yourself andyou get better and better at
catching yourself.
And so then the no's have lessimpact and the yes's have such a
great impact.
David John Clark (36:28):
So that's a little thing.
So, without giving away toomany of your secrets, and we'll
get you to give us a summary ofwhat you offer as a mindset
coach.
Now, but what one thing wouldyou say to actors that they
should be doing or could bedoing, say, on a daily basis
themselves in that right mindset, so that they can maintain a
(36:50):
positive flow, so to speak?
Rachel Baker (36:53):
that they can maintain a positive flow, so to
speak.
Yeah, I think you know, if it'sgoing to be one thing I would
say, just actually sitting withyourself and noticing what are
the thoughts that are happeningaround your acting career, you
know, is it that you're superexcited about it and that's
awesome?
Is it that today you feel like,oh, like am I meant to be an
(37:18):
actor?
That kind of doubt that, youknow, plenty of us have felt?
I think just actually noticingthose things is so important and
writing it down and being liketoday I feel this way because
it's okay to feel feelings likeI'm not saying emotions are bad
and we only want to feel excitedabout our acting career it's
(37:39):
like just being super aware ofthat thought pattern that you
are having and then being soaware about the words that you
use about your acting careerwhen you're talking about it
like that yeah, I think umspeaking from personal
experience years ago, whenpeople would ask that classic
(38:03):
question of what have, what haveI seen you in?
have I seen you in anything?
Have you been in anything Iwould have seen?
And you know, before thatquestion, I, I hate that
question.
I know you go oh, I don't knowhow to answer that, and it would
make the other person feelawkward and I would feel awkward
(38:26):
and so I would leave feelingnot good about being an actor.
And so, of course, when youreiterate that time and time
again, how are you going to feelabout being an actor on a more
regular basis?
You're going to feel awkward,you're going to feel like you're
not good enough.
So I got really clear on how Ispeak about myself as an actor
(38:48):
when people ask that question,and now I say, yeah, I've done a
bunch of ads that you mighthave seen and I've done some
independent projects and yeah,I'm working on something now.
So you know, I might need tosign something for you now
because it might be worthsomething one day, like you know
.
I know that sounds really wanky, but at the same time, like no
(39:12):
one else is going to be excitedabout your acting career if you
are not, and that's just facts.
David John Clark (39:17):
I love that you know.
Rachel Baker (39:18):
No one is going to wake up every day and be like
David, just so you know you're agood actor and I believe in you
.
You have to do that foryourself.
So that's why I say, like beingreally clear on how you're
thinking about your career andit's okay.
It's okay if you wake up andyou're like I'm really not
feeling it today, but just beingaware of that, and then, you
(39:42):
know, being aware of how youspeak about your career as well.
The other one that's verycommon is and I posted a reel
about this the other day, so ifyou follow me on Instagram, you
would have seen it is peoplesaying acting's really hard, you
know, and you go yeah, cool.
(40:03):
You know like a lot of thingsare allowed to be hard.
Hard isn't a negative word,it's we're putting that emotion
onto the word hard.
And so if, if you're feelinglike, oh, acting is hard but
you're not doing anything aboutit, why would I want to work
(40:23):
with you?
Why would anyone want to workwith you?
If it's hard but you're doingsomething about it, then like
that's so much moreinspirational to the people
around you being like, oh yeah,I want to work with David.
Yeah, the industry's hard, butlike look at what he's doing to
make sure that he's feelingfulfilled as an actor or a
podcaster.
So that's my tips.
(40:45):
That's a long winded tip.
David John Clark (40:46):
I love it.
It's a good way to approach it.
And so with your business, ifpeople are interested, ask now
where do they find you, when dothey find that business and what
services are you offering?
Rachel Baker (40:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
So you can go to my Instagram,which is rachellaurenbaker, and
in my little Linktree linkyou'll be able to click on it
and my Calendly link is there,so you can book a session with
me and I am doing up a website.
I've just had so many things on.
So this is the failing forwardmethod of like I could have
(41:23):
waited to launch my businesswhen I had a website, but I was
like, no, I'm not going to wait.
Like, there's people onInstagram that will click the
Calendly link and that's fine,and I'll make my website when I
have time.
So, um, yeah, if you want tobook on the Calendly link, I
have a one-off session which, um, if you feel like you know you
(41:46):
have one thing that you'd wantto work on, or you're like I
just feel like I want onesession to see how it's going to
go, then you can book that.
Or I have a three sessionpackage, which is slightly
cheaper, and that means that,like in the first session, we
can get to a couple of or a fewdifferent things that you'd like
(42:07):
to work on.
Second session, we can do thesame.
Like, just you know, what didyou notice in the last week or
two?
And do a few like fixing things, and then the third session
would be taking some really biggoals that you have and doing
the technique of like futurepacing to put them into your
future and that sort of thing.
(42:28):
So those are the two thingsthat I'm offering at the moment.
I would love to do like groupsessions and stuff in the future
, but you know we can't doeverything all at once.
David John Clark (42:38):
No, tiny steps , tiny steps, and I'll put links
in the show notes for everyoneto a bit easier to find it.
I should be able to actuallypull your Linktree link and put
it in there so we can go overthat.
I'm mindful of the time, rachel, so I just want to wind it up a
(43:02):
bit.
But I wanted to bring thisdiscussion just quickly around
to some current affairs, and I'mnot sure if you've read this,
but actress Olivia Colman, who'sin the Crown and Wonka
Productions, amongst others, shejust caused a little bit of a
ruckus in relation to hercomments about self-taping.
Have you seen what she said atall?
Rachel Baker (43:16):
No, I haven't, Please tell me.
David John Clark (43:24):
She's come out and said that self-taped
auditions are depriving actorsof the opportunity to receive
feedback and form in-personconnections with the casting
directors.
So she's really smashed it,which I thought she's not wrong.
But then when I started readingsome comments about the
discussions on both sides,there's a lot of people saying,
hey, hang on a second, you can'tjust go and knock this straight
away because we personally,we're loving the self-tapes
(43:46):
because now we're not stuck intraffic, we're not finding
parking, we're not going fromaudition to audition and
spending all their day andhaving to give up a day's job.
So it was really, reallyinteresting.
On that, how do you see wherewe are at the moment, with
self-tapes becoming pretty muchthe norm?
Do you see positives andnegatives of the self-tapes and
not being in the room anymore?
Rachel Baker (44:08):
I think it's such a gray area I don't think
there's any right or wronganswer and there's there's pros
and cons to both.
I definitely agree with whatOlivia is saying, like
absolutely there's.
I did a one-on-one coachingsession with McKaylee Gibson the
other week and she was like wehaven't met in person yet, have
(44:29):
we?
And I said no, but I've doneplenty of self-tapes for you, so
it's really weird to have sentyou all these self-tapes and to
not have met you in person.
And there and I agree with likeyeah, it's all it's kind of
when you're doing self-tapesthere is that kind of lack of
connection with the castingdirector and that is unfortunate
(44:52):
.
Um, I think on the flip side,literally from so many casting
directors' mouths, it means thatthey can audition more actors
because they don't have likehalf an hour slots in a
five-hour period to fill, and sowhat's that?
Like 10 actors.
David John Clark (45:13):
Yes, yes.
Rachel Baker (45:15):
They don't have to just see 10 actors Like they
can put a call out for maybelike 30 self-tapes and then move
on to maybe in-person stuff.
So it is in a sense depriving usof things, but then it's giving
us opportunities in other areas.
And what I think it's also likeauditioning in general but
(45:36):
specifically self-taping, um iswhat I've noticed in myself is
that if I can do a really goodtape where I'm literally looking
at a blank wall and my partner,who is not an actor, is reading
opposite me and I have like aprop that's like I don't know
(46:01):
it's not the actual prop and I'mnot in the actual costume that
the that the character would bein, if I can nail a character at
an audition in that setting,put me on set in the setting in
the costume, opposite the otheractor who's playing that
(46:21):
character and like I'm good togo, you know.
So in that sense that's howI've thought about it as well is
I think it's made me such astronger actor to be able to
like to have to work with whatyou've got.
So yeah, I don't think there's aright or wrong answer and I
think everyone's going to havetheir own opinion and it's kind
(46:44):
of just the way that theindustry is going now, like I
don't think that they will evernot have self-tapes again, to be
honest.
David John Clark (46:52):
No, and you've got to go.
Industry changes and you've gotto go with the flow.
Unfortunately, isn't it?
Whether it's good or bad,you've got to make it work for
you.
So now you've got to go andlearn lighting and camera to
make it the best you can.
Rachel Baker (47:04):
Yeah, I literally said this to someone the other
day.
I was like I really need tolearn how to light myself
properly, because my two boxlights just on either side of
the camera.
Like I just feel like I can doa better job.
David John Clark (47:18):
I'm the same and some people at the you go
and watch all the videos.
Stephen Walker, who's an actorin Queensland.
He's been on my show and he dida very, very good video on how
lighting setups from the onecamera to one light, two lights
and multiple lights which isbrilliant but then I tried to
replicate it and I just can'tget that right feel.
(47:38):
But at the end of the day, aslong as your self-tape, they can
see you and they can hear you.
That's all that matters,because they want to see your
acting, don't they?
That's what they want yourperformance.
Rachel Baker (47:48):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and I think I got
some bad advice from someone theother week who sometimes I just
choose to ignore people'sadvice.
David John Clark (48:00):
And you have to do that sometimes, and you
have to do that, it's soimportant.
Rachel Baker (48:04):
That person said to me oh, I found it really
distracting that the person thatwas reading for your self-tape
was on Zoom.
And I was like that's so funny,because I literally had a
casting director last week sayto me wow, you were so good at
reading opposite someone on Zoomfor a self-tape Honestly, like
(48:27):
you are nailing it.
So then when someone said, oh,it was really distracting for me
, I was like oh, I don't care.
David John Clark (48:39):
It's not about the reader anyway.
I mean, I've heard and this isthe trouble, lou heesom said it
yesterday she says look, I'lltell you one thing, as that, I
believe, and another castingdirector will tell you the
complete opposite.
And it's about finding thatbalance, or finding what works
for you.
And and some of the advice withreaders is oh, make sure you
get an actor, but make sure thatactor is not being better than
(48:59):
you.
It doesn't matter, it's aboutyour performance.
And if you've got a bad reader,then it's a job as an actor to
try and draw something from themto enhance your performance and
make it work.
Rachel Baker (49:07):
So we learn from that.
Yeah, absolutely.
David John Clark (49:11):
Awesome, rachel.
Well, thank you very much.
I wanted to focus a few of myepisodes on podcasts that I
listen to, and you're the firstone that I've brought on,
because there's so much outthere and so many different
avenues of getting education,and here I am as a podcaster
myself and sharing informationso my listeners can learn and
(49:32):
improve their journeys, but I'mdoing it as well by listening to
your podcast and many others,so I thank you very much for
what you do.
Now, I know you're in a hiatusat the moment, but you're coming
back with another season soon,I hope, once you get your
business all up and running.
Rachel Baker (49:47):
Yeah, yeah.
There's like lots of stuffgoing on at the moment and
unfortunately, podcasting wasthe thing that had to take a
backseat for a bit.
But, I so want to get back to itand I now kind of have a bit of
a new lease on my career andbeing like, okay, cool, yeah.
So I'm definitely going tostart recording episodes again
(50:09):
soon.
And yeah, I mean I've talkedabout it on my podcast.
Not to take up more of yourtime, I, I talk, and talk, and
talk, so this episode might be along one.
Um, I've been working on aseries um down in melbourne and
so going between sydney andmelbourne and you know, trying
(50:30):
to get that up and running, um,that's been a whole thing as
well as starting my coachingbusiness and being an actor and
just trying to live life as well.
Like it's a whole thing.
David John Clark (50:45):
The joys, the joys.
Rachel Baker (50:47):
Oh yeah, so I definitely will be coming back
with new episodes, so yeah.
David John Clark (50:55):
Well, I'll make sure I put the link for the
Don't Be so Dramatic podcast inthe links and while it's on a
couple of weeks off, there'splenty of episodes to binge, so
we'll get your numbers up there.
And as we wind up, rachel, whatone thing would you like to
impart onto actors out there andnon-actors that listen to the
show as well, coming from yourbackground as an actor and
(51:19):
podcaster, about how they canimprove their careers as an
actor, or just their well-beingin their mindset?
Rachel Baker (51:28):
Yeah, I think that the one thing I would say is
that, whoever you are whetherit's an actor or a creative or
someone who's not in theindustry at all I think the most
important thing is to believethat you are enough, that you
are worthy of what it is thatyou want.
And believing those things isnot egotistical and believing
(51:54):
them from like a really, youknow, intuitional, like
non-egotistical way is, I think,the best way forward.
As I said before, like no one'sgonna wake up in the morning
and say, hey, you're enough.
It's you who has to believethat and truly believe it.
(52:16):
And so I think doing the worktowards feeling like you are
enough, feeling like you areworthy, is the most important
thing that you can do.
David John Clark (52:25):
Love it.
Thank you very much.
Well, this has been the latebloomer actor, and don't be so
dramatic on screen the same timeor in your earbuds at the same
time.
So, rachel, thank you very muchfor coming along today.
Rachel Baker (52:37):
No worries.
Today I've got the host of one of my favorite
podcasts, rachel Lauren Baker,from her podcast Don't Be so
Dramatic.
Rachel is an actress andfilmmaker based in Sydney,
australia.
Rachel has a Bachelor ofPerformance from the University
of Wollongong and has beenprivately tutored by
award-winning director andacting coach Ben Matthews,
comedy expert Darren Gillishaneand renowned coach and actor
(00:22):
Emily Joy.
Rachel has played roles innumerous independent film
projects, as well as TVCs forNeutrogena, sprite, kfc and
Supercars Australia.
As a producer and writer,rachel has created projects such
as her short films BehindClosed Doors and Nobody Likes
Camping.
In 2018, rachel created theDon't Be so Dramatic podcast
(00:43):
with the intention to divedeeper into the careers of
people working in theentertainment industry so that
aspiring as well as successfulcreatives could get to know
their peers and role modelsthrough an accessible medium.
I think you get a lot out ofthe episode where we dive into
the background of her podcastand how she draws on the stories
of her guests to provide adeeper insight for our listeners
.
We also finish up talking abouta new business venture, mindset
(01:05):
Coaching for Actors, which isalso a great topic that you will
walk away with.
Some pointers on making youracting career or your life in
general just that little bitmore enriched.
We had some technical issueswhich were overcome, but I've
opened the show with somebehind-the-scenes discussions
which happened before thetechnical side of things, which
is quite funny later on when youhear about the technical issue.
(01:26):
So, um, here we go.
Rachel Baker (01:29):
Enjoy the wonderful rachel baker oh yeah,
I, when I interviewed anthonymendel half of the interview I I
think it was like his interneton his end because, like when I
went to then go oh cool, I'lldownload the audio and video,
halfway through it justcompletely cut his video and
(01:49):
audio.
David John Clark (01:50):
And so.
Rachel Baker (01:51):
I had to go back and re-record the second half of
the interview.
David John Clark (01:55):
You're talking about that.
That was really good that hecame back to do that.
Rachel Baker (01:59):
Yeah, I'm glad it happened with someone who's so
lovely and was like, don't worryabout it.
And I was like, oh about it.
And I was like, oh, likethere's nothing you can do about
feeling disappointed and, likeyou know, a bit of an idiot.
But yeah, it is what it issometimes all right.
David John Clark (02:18):
Well, that's uploading in the background, so
we're ready to go.
Everything seems perfect andgood afternoon or good evening,
wherever you're coming from.
We're back with another episodeof the Late Bloomer Actor, and
in the house today I have thewonderful Rachel from the
podcast.
Don't Be so Dramatic, hi Rachel.
How are you going?
Rachel Baker (02:37):
I'm good, hello, good morning.
Where did you say Good morning,good afternoon, good evening?
David John Clark (02:42):
Good evening.
I think there was a TV showabout that somehow.
So I'm getting a little bit ofthat fan-based performance
anxiety that we get because I'vebeen listening to you.
You're pretty much my firstpodcast that I listened to as an
actor.
Rachel Baker (03:01):
Really.
David John Clark (03:03):
I'd never heard of podcasts really, and
then I thought I'll go andsomeone told me about podcasts
and you get some great actingones.
So the first one I found oreither you found me, I can't
remember, but you were my firstpodcast as an actor that I
started listening to, and it'sbeen a wonderful journey, so
thank you.
Rachel Baker (03:21):
Oh, my God, wow, well, thank you.
That like hits me in the heart.
I'm going to try not to cry onthis episode, but who knows?
David John Clark (03:32):
That's a bit like a goggle box on TV.
I watch it with my wife andpretty much every episode
there's always one thing thatthey show that makes people cry,
makes them cry and then makesthe audience cry.
So that's the goal to reach.
Rachel Baker (03:49):
Someone cried on my podcast.
David John Clark (03:51):
Yes, I love it .
I just did a weekend with LouHeesom Heesom Casting and
there's a few tears that weekendwith some really really good
scenes.
So emotions are good.
Rachel Baker (04:03):
Yeah, see, you're like like you've released all
your tears whereas I had apretty cruisy weekend, so maybe
mine are all stored up for thismoment good, that's good.
David John Clark (04:13):
We build it up ready to go.
So, rachel, before we dive intothe nitty-gritty, um, just for
my listeners and that, can youjust give us a little bit of a
background of who Rachel is,where you come from, how you got
into acting and then lead intohow don't be so dramatic your
podcast came to be a thing sure,um.
Rachel Baker (04:33):
So hello, I'm Rachel.
Um, I I grew up um south ofSydney, on the south coast, and
so acting for me, interestinglyenough, I you know.
I think it's a similar story toa lot of actors, where you grow
(04:54):
up enjoying drama and all thatsort of thing at school, which
was interesting because I knewthat I enjoyed doing drama.
Was interesting because I knewthat I enjoyed doing drama.
Um, but it wasn't until my momone day I think I was about
maybe like 14 or something shesaid, oh, I've signed you up for
after school drama classes.
(05:15):
And I remember being like why Ilike I didn't really, uh, the
two things in my brain didn'tconnect where I was like I like
drama, that's why I would do itafter school.
I was like, why would you signme up for that?
That's so weird.
And then went and I was like,oh, okay, that's because I like
(05:37):
doing drama stuff and like beingan actor, and so, yeah, just
kind of continued it throughoutschool and doing it after school
.
And then, when it came topicking what I wanted to do
after school, unfortunately forevery other like subject at
school, the only thing I caredabout was being an actor and
(06:00):
doing drama.
So I was like, yeah, i'm'mobviously gonna go and start
acting after school.
There was just like no otherpath that I could see, and so I
did a Bachelor of Performance atthe University of Wollongong,
which, interestingly enough, wasa fully theatre-based course.
So I actually was fully trainedin theatre and had no idea
(06:22):
about screen acting, and so thatwas a really interesting
transition to kind of make,because I also was very green
when I went into that course and, I would say, probably very
green coming out of it as well.
I didn't really know about theindustry at all, and I think
(06:44):
that that's unfortunately.
There are some courses outthere where that's like the
shortfall of the course is thatthey will teach you how to act
and the techniques of acting,but they won't teach you about
the industry.
And that's not all dramacourses, but that's just my
(07:04):
experience and what I have heardfrom other people.
Um, so it took me a little whilein my 20s to kind of work out
how how does one be an actor inthe industry, how does one go
about getting work, anddiscovering that there's
actually not a lot of theatrework out there and that I needed
(07:26):
to learn how to act on screen.
So I spent a lot of my 20sdoing that, trying to work it
out by myself, and I always hadthat classic thought of oh man,
I wish my parents had gotten mean agent when I was 12.
You know so this would be somuch easier.
David John Clark (07:50):
The old woulda coulda shoulda.
Rachel Baker (07:52):
Oh, absolutely, and so I think that,
acknowledging that mentality, Ithink everyone's journey is
different and that's what makeseveryone, as an actor, an
exciting actor, because we allhave different experiences yes
um.
So how did the podcast comeabout?
As I was in my 20s and I was, Iactually started um filmmaking
(08:16):
as well.
I started making um web seriesand short films.
So I was kind of um what we allknow to be like our slashy kind
of roles now, which a lot ofactors do, is like they produce,
they write, they direct, theydo all the things.
I was doing that um in my 20sjust to kind of give myself work
(08:38):
to do, and I enjoyedcollaborating and creating and
that sort of thing.
Um.
So with the podcast, that was2018 that I started, that I
think I think 2018, 2019 I can'tI think I had that.
David John Clark (08:58):
I think I read that somewhere as well.
That sounds familiar.
Rachel Baker (09:01):
So good, good, I'm glad I wrote that down
somewhere.
So that was kind of the timewhere podcasts were starting to
become popular and people werelistening to different podcasts
and I would listen to them,being like I just feel like I
(09:25):
could do this, and not in likean arrogant way, because
podcasting, you know, is a skillI don't know.
I just like I put it down tolike an intuitional feeling of
like I think I should go towardsthis thing and, mind you, not
really knowing anything aboutpodcasting or anything about
(09:48):
recording.
So I really had to teach myselfhow to podcast.
I did know how to edit audiovery basically, so there was
that, but in terms of likemicrophones and how the hell do
you upload a podcast and wheredoes it go and how do you
connect it and blah, blah, blahand all like the very technical,
(10:09):
boring things that people don'treally realize is a thing about
podcasting.
I had to teach myself how to doit.
David John Clark (10:18):
Did you learn the hard way by just going
straight into your first episodeand finding all the technical
issues while you're trying tofirst record your first guest?
Did you do it that way?
Oops, I've lost you for a secthere, rachel, we were talking
about technical issues and nowwe haven't.
Rachel Baker (10:39):
But you know what?
Like I feel like I'm the bestperson.
Hang on, I'm waiting for you toconnect so you can still hear
me.
But you know what, like I feellike I'm the best person to have
technical issues with because Ijust sit back and I'm like, oh
man, I get it.
I so understand.
David John Clark (10:58):
Well, wait for the upload to start, make sure.
So what happened to you on mymy end?
You just disappeared pictureand audio and but it just said
99 uploaded, like it didn't evenfinish.
So it's like it just froze onthe our connection and then,
when you know, uh, I think wegot cut off there.
(11:18):
We were um mid-sentence talkingabout technical issues of your
first episode and then we wentand had our own issues.
So we're not going to mentionthe word again, are we?
Rachel Baker (11:29):
No, what word?
I don't even know what you'retalking about.
David John Clark (11:34):
So let's continue on anyway.
So we were talking about yourpodcast starting in 2018 and
your learnings of building thatup.
Rachel Baker (11:44):
Yes.
So you know what I did forgetto kind of talk about why I
started it.
So maybe thank you universe forreminding me that I had skipped
a little bit.
So the reason why I started thepodcast so I was interested in
listening to podcasts and I waslike, oh, I think I can do that.
(12:05):
I was looking for podcasts thatI wanted to listen to about the
Australian industry as an actorand at the time the only
podcast that I could really findwas like the Screen Australia
podcast or similar to I don'tknow if they were up and running
then or like the CinemaAustralia podcast and they're
(12:29):
all great podcasts, but itwasn't an interviewer that I
felt like they.
Well, they weren't an actor andI just didn't have that like
connection of like, oh, theyknow what I'm going through.
So there was this kind of gapin the industry at the time
(12:50):
where I was like, well, I reallywant to provide content.
That would be the content thatI would want to listen to.
As an actor and a creative, I'vealways been really interested
in people's stories.
Like you know, why did youstart a podcast, david?
Like you know, I I really getinterested in why people make
(13:12):
choices and like where it leadsthem to, and I also really like
hearing it not from theperspective of like and how can
this be applicable to actors?
And what I mean by that is,like you know, when you do a
casting workshop and the castingdirector is like you can ask me
any questions, and actors,rightly so, ask the casting
(13:35):
director like what can I do asan actor with my show reel to
get it in front of you?
Blah, blah, blah, whatever.
And I was always kind of likewhat I wanted to know so I could
get to know this person better.
Like why did you become acasting director?
Like what do you like aboutyour job?
Like I was more just interestedand you can probably notice
(13:56):
that in my episodes when Iinterview like a director or a
producer or a casting director,I don't really like to be like.
And how can actors do blah,blah, blah?
Like I'm not really concernedwith.
Can you give advice to actors?
David John Clark (14:10):
I just kind of want to know what their
opinions are like, what theirjourney is, what their story is,
so to speak, and that wouldjust, that would just come
naturally anyway, becausethey're talking about the
business they're in.
So you're going to get thegossip, for want of a better
word, wouldn't you?
Rachel Baker (14:25):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think what I hope it does
with people listening to theepisode is one it makes this
person seem way more human thanthey used to be, like,
specifically, people who arequite successful in the industry
.
I think it's only natural toput them on a pedestal, but then
to realise, oh, they're justpeople like me and they're just
(14:50):
doing human things like me.
And then I hope it also, like,secondarily, builds rapport with
this person, so you kind offind out a little bit more about
who they are, rather than themjust being like a casting
director and that's all you knowthem as yes.
So that was kind of why Iwanted to start the podcast and
(15:13):
also, to be honest, it's a greatnetworking tool.
It's like the people that I'veinterviewed a lot of them.
I would never have gotten into aone-on-one conversation with
them, just as an actor.
Like if I went up to NikkiBarrett and went, hey, nikki,
can I sit down with you for anhour and just talk about stuff
(15:35):
with you?
I'm an actor she would be likeno, I've got things to do, yeah,
but to be able to have apodcast and be like, hey, I'm a
podcaster, oh, and also I'm anactor I'd love to talk to you
about, you know, castingdirecting.
It's such a great in to startknowing these people.
It's an easy in, to be honest.
(15:57):
And do I recommend people starta podcast just so that they can
get in the room with certainpeople?
No, for me it was a greatnetworking tool.
So, yeah, I kind of I startedand just I don't like this
phrase but I failed forward.
David John Clark (16:16):
I haven't heard that yeah.
Rachel Baker (16:20):
So obviously it's the idea of like you just start
and you know if you're going tofail, at least you're going to
fail forward and keep up thatmomentum.
I'm yet to come up with like abetter phrasing for it.
David John Clark (16:34):
I like it.
I like that one.
Rachel Baker (16:37):
And yeah, at the start you know I made plenty of
mistakes.
I've actually archived a fairfew of my first episodes just
purely because, like, not out oflike, oh my God, they're so bad
.
Like I'm happy for people torealize kind of where I came
from, to realize kind of where Icame from, but when you get to
a certain point and it's like abusiness decision to kind of be
(16:59):
like, I don't think theynecessarily reflect what the
podcast is now.
David John Clark (17:04):
Fair enough.
Rachel Baker (17:05):
And so you know, happy to archive them, so if you
go back, there's some that justaren't there anymore.
But yeah, then it just kind ofkept going.
to be honest, I just keptrecording and was like oh okay,
I'm a podcaster.
And then I think I think itmust have been two years in um,
(17:28):
the Hub Studio, which is astudio, an acting studio in
Sydney.
They I happened to interviewOllie, who's the owner of the
studio, and at the time he waslike hey, we were actually
wanting to start a Hub Studiopodcast, but we don't have the
time.
Would you like want to beassociated with the studio?
Would that help you out?
(17:48):
And I was like well, yeah, itabsolutely would, Because you
then have that name behind youto be like, oh, this is the
Don't Be so Dramatic podcastwhich is in association with the
Hub Studio.
And so from there, not only didI start getting more traction
because of the active base thatlike knew the Hub Studio, but
(18:10):
also I got access to all theindustry people that they had
emails for and I could be likecan I have this person's email?
Can I have that person's email?
And so it gave me a bit morelike notoriety to then approach
people and be like hey, I'm thispodcast in association with the
(18:32):
Hub Studio.
And usually, like, people wouldknow that name and be like oh
cool, yeah, I'll come on yourpodcast.
So that was a really greatachievement.
And then I think I wasassociated with them for maybe
two years.
I don't know timelines.
I should really write them downfor interviews, but I just like
(18:54):
I really ballpark it because itall kind of like merges into
one for me.
David John Clark (18:59):
I'll be great.
As actors, our memory.
We're supposed to have goodmemories and um, I'm the same, I
go.
I can't remember what I'msupposed to be talking about oh,
I can remember lines.
Rachel Baker (19:10):
Maybe that's why because every time I'm learning
lines it's pushing out otherinformation which is like like
how long time periods of thepodcast?
I'm like I don't need to knowthat.
But yeah, what was interestingwas I feel like a lot of my
decisions for my career are madeoff intuition, like that
(19:32):
feeling that you get.
You know, Nice.
And so two years in, I kind offelt like I had outgrown the hub
.
I wanted I didn't know what,but I wanted more and I kind of
felt like at the time, anybusiness decision or anything
(19:53):
the hub said or did online whichwasn't necessarily a bad thing,
but unfortunately it like I wasa part of that brand and so I
couldn't really control, like ifthey were promoting something
that I didn't necessarily agreewith or they said something
online that I didn't necessarilyagree with, or maybe like it
was just this feeling of like Ithink that I need to like part
(20:19):
ways kind of thing and I feltlike I was then getting I had
enough like notoriety in theindustry that I kind of didn't.
Unfortunately this sounds bad,but I didn't really need them
anymore.
So no bad blood or anythinglike that.
It was just this feeling, youknow, like that.
(20:40):
I was like, okay, I think Ithink I need to kind of move
forward again, and so I made thedecision to kind of to part
ways with the hub.
And, funnily enough, as soon asthat happened, one of my good
friends, alyssa, started her owntalent management agency called
(21:01):
ASM, and she was like, hey, I'dreally love, and I'm good
friends with Liss, so, yes, thatis why she contacted me.
So Liss approached me and saidhey, hey, I've just started this
talent management agency, I'dlove to rep your podcast.
And I was like, absolutely likeany help, I can get sure, and
(21:24):
Liz was my friend, so I feltlike a good kind of connection
there.
And so then within, I think itwas about five months after,
like we'd you know, done thesigning of the paper and all
that- you had my soul.
Yes, yeah.
David John Clark (21:41):
Yeah.
Rachel Baker (21:42):
Kind of thing Unbeknownst to me.
So I feel like many times I justget blindsided by great
opportunities, which is great,because it means that, like you
know, you just kind of have tobe you and do your thing and
things will just come to you.
That's the kind of mentalitythat I have.
But yeah, unbeknownst to me,liz knew that it would be great
(22:08):
to get the podcast signed to anetwork, so a podcast network,
and I was like, yeah, okay, cool, cool.
I don't know what that means,but sure sounds good, I was like
yeah, you do you like that?
that's cool and so, um, she thengot in contact with dm podcasts
, who is one of the uh toppodcasting networks in australia
(22:32):
and is run by the guys who arethe Batuta Advocates.
David John Clark (22:36):
So if you, know that, okay, yep.
Rachel Baker (22:38):
Yeah, that Instagram account, slash that
business with the fake newsstuff and all that sort of thing
.
They run DM podcasts as well.
And yeah, she was like yeah,I've lined up a meeting with
them.
And I was like, oh okay cool,yeah, no worries.
And they ended up being likeyeah, we're, you know,
(22:59):
interested to have you to signyou and see where it goes, kind
of thing.
So that happened, which waspretty crazy, and I was like, oh
okay, cool.
And I felt like throughout thiswhole process, like I slowly
was like I guess I'm a like aproper podcaster now like a
(23:20):
proper one, not a, not a forfunsies, one like a proper
podcaster.
Now that's been great being withDM, because then I can I
actually get access to theirstudio, which means I can record
in studio.
I'm able to go in and record intheir Sydney office which is
all set up, and that can be likein person with a guest or that
(23:43):
can be over Riverside, which iswhat we're using now and that's
kind of that's been greatbecause it's helped me learn
about like ad revenue.
So that's what a podcastnetwork does, is that is able to
, because they have so manypodcasts on their kind of list,
they have access to adding adsinto your podcast and so then
(24:03):
you get the revenue from thatYou've still got control of the
brand.
David John Clark (24:07):
You know there don't be some dramatic.
You own it.
You own it.
You have the artistic licensestill to go down.
They don't control anythinglike that.
Rachel Baker (24:17):
No, I don't have control over the brand and
they're just more there to kindof, if you want it, they can
give you guidance as well, whichis great, awesome, awesome yeah
.
David John Clark (24:27):
And with your show very much like my show
where you chat to guests.
That have been a pivotal partof my journey.
Many of your guests have beenpart of yours.
That have been a pivotal partof my journey.
Many of your guests have beenpart of yours.
How important is it to you thatyou have that personal
connection with your guests andwhat do you get from those
interviews, both for yourselfand for your guests?
And I must say that two of myfavourite episodes from you is
(24:47):
with Mark Morrissey and then onthe acting side you got to talk
to Noni Hazlehurst which wasjust that wonderful, wonderful
episode.
She was so giving in the in thechat with you, wasn't she?
Rachel Baker (24:59):
yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Um, the one thing that Iremember from the Noni interview
which really sticks with me iswhen she's talking about her
being at drama school and theysaid, like a room of I think it
was maybe like 100 actors andthey said, out of 100 actors,
there's going to be two of youthat succeed.
(25:20):
And Noni said, and I lookedaround the room and I wondered
who the other actor was going tobe that would succeed, and I
just think that, like that issuch an example of how powerful
mindset is as an actor and as acreative.
I just love that little liketidbit from the interview.
David John Clark (25:41):
Go with the segue there for mindset.
So is that what's led you toyour current another side hustle
?
I believe today you've juststarted a new side business in
mindsetting.
Let me let you explain that tous.
Rachel Baker (25:57):
Yeah, sure what's happening there.
Sorry, I didn't answer thatlast question that you had.
I just went off and talkedabout it.
David John Clark (26:03):
You did, though.
No, you did.
Okay, that's good.
It's about that connection andabout what you get.
Yeah, absolutely so.
You were talking earlier aboutsome of the first podcasts you
listened to, and so they'reinterviews.
They're journalists, andthere's a big difference between
a journalist interview and thensomeone like us having a chat
with someone.
Rachel Baker (26:23):
Absolutely.
It's such a different story.
Yeah, yeah, and I think whatI'll just say before I move on
to talking about mindsetcoaching is that core is so
important both in, I think,think in every aspect of this
industry, to be honest, and soit's been my goal to get very
good at being able to get quickrapport with someone, especially
(26:47):
a guest.
To find a connection quitequickly, because those are the
best interviews is when you canfeel like these two people are
connected and that's a massivething.
With mindset coaching as well,which I will go into, but I'll
explain what my business is.
So if you have listened toDon't Be so Dramatic before you,
(27:10):
it maybe wouldn't come as asurprise that because I talked
about mindset so often on thepodcast and it is a subject that
I absolutely just love talkingand, talking and talking about
in regards to actors andcreatives, and so towards the
end of last year, I found myselfbeing quite lost in regards to
(27:35):
just work in general, and youknow, we all know that as an
actor, unfortunately, you dohave to have sometimes have to
have a day job to pay thosebills.
Before you know you can bookanother acting gig, and my day
job was not to be dramatic, butit was killing my soul and I say
(28:00):
that from a place of privilegeLike I realised that it is a
very privileged position to belike I can't do this anymore and
to just, you know, quit.
So towards the end of last year, yeah, I was really having like
an existential crisis of like Ican't keep doing this job, that
I just hate and it's like apretty toxic workplace you know,
(28:24):
and that kills your creativityas well.
you know, not being able to feelcreative was yeah, it was just
awful Like yeah, it really was.
And I knew that I wanted towork for myself because I feel
like, as you can probably seewith the podcast, I'm like quite
a driven person and I can likeget under myself and push myself
(28:48):
to like do things which is goodand stick to a schedule.
David John Clark (28:51):
And have that control as well.
Rachel Baker (28:53):
Yeah, yeah yeah, exactly so, literally one day I
was like, oh, my god, why don'tI become a mindset coach?
Because I love talking about itso often on the podcast, like
it just kind of it made sense inmy mind to be like, okay, this
is something that you couldreally like, actually make a
(29:15):
business out of and bepassionate about.
Because, with the podcast, theother thing that I wanted it to
do was inspire people to seelike, hey, these people have
done it, you can do it too.
There's no formula, which isgreat, because if there's no
formula, you don't have tofollow a certain journey to
(29:37):
succeed.
Yes, um, and so that's what Iam taking into my mindset
coaching, which, um, is like,literally, I want actors to feel
like the biggest dreams thatthey have are possible and are
going to happen for them, and Ithink people get scared when
they hear that because theythink, oh, but what if it
(30:00):
doesn't happen?
And it's like, okay, well,let's work on that.
Why is that doubt there kind ofthing.
So I went away and I gotcertified as an NLP practitioner
, which is a neuro-linguisticprogramming practitioner, which
basically means that I learned abunch of techniques which all
speak to the unconscious mindand take you through releasing
(30:23):
doubt, releasing major negativeemotions, releasing limiting
beliefs or conflicts withinyourself, and then what we can
also do is then really visualizewhat it is that you want and
place that into your future sothat you believe cool, this is
(30:44):
going to happen, like this is inmy future, kind of thing.
And there are other techniquesthat we can do, like there's one
that Mike Tyson used when hewas a boxer, which is something
called anchoring, which is like,say, david, you got really
(31:05):
nervous before auditions and youwere like I just like I'm so
overwhelmed by this nervousfeeling.
What we could do is anchor inwhat would be like maybe
confidence, and so we woulderase the nervous feeling.
What we could do is anchor in,um, what would be like maybe
confidence, and so we woulderase the nervous feeling.
And usually it's a physicaltrigger.
So I don't know if people arewatching this and they can see
my fingers, but, um, what youcan do is anchor in a physical
(31:28):
trigger.
So when I do this, um, likewith my fingers, yeah, you get
filled with that feeling ofconfidence.
And I know it sounds like how,but it's literally what Mike
Tyson used when he was walkingto the ring to then fight
someone.
(31:49):
It's interesting.
David John Clark (31:51):
That's a memory technique as well,
anchoring, so it must work onthat same mind-physical
connection process.
Yeah, absolutely.
Rachel Baker (32:00):
Absolutely yeah, and so that's the way that he
would prep himself andessentially is why he was such a
successful boxer for so long isbecause he was using NLP
techniques, and it's very commonin the sports industry.
Pretty much all of the mostsuccessful athletes have mindset
(32:21):
coaches and you know, if weknow anything, acting is quite
similar to being an athlete in.
You know don't ask me to runit's similar in the certain
techniques that we use.
And so I thought, why not bringthat into acting?
Because I do know I'veinterviewed was it?
Angie Ford and Simon Williamsare both mindset coaches, but
(32:46):
they don't exclusively work withactors, they work with anybody,
mostly like athletes, to behonest and then they work with
actors as well.
And so I thought again, I sawthis kind of gap in the industry
and was like, well, what if Iwas an actor mindset coach and
just worked with actors?
Because I sure as hell knowwhat it's like to be an actor
(33:07):
and to have challenges and tomove through them, and I truly,
I literally want every singleperson to walk away feeling like
they are worthy of theirbiggest dream and that it is
achievable.
David John Clark (33:22):
Because I talk a lot on my show about the ups
and downs of the journey thatwe're all on, and you know, you
have those moments where you'reup on a peak, you've just done a
great audition or you've got ajob, but then you can come
crashing down so quickly and notget a job or be failing in your
auditions, and those troughsare just such a mind-numbing
(33:44):
experience for actors.
And to find a way and I thinkthe mindset goes in the reverse
then, doesn't it?
Because you can push yourselffurther and further, to the
point that you you can actuallyend up quitting acting.
And so it's about finding a wayto push through those troughs.
I suppose and that's what you,you're going to be teaching
actors- absolutely.
Rachel Baker (34:04):
I think that you know what we're talking about.
There is there, there areexperiences where you may
experience x amount of time thatyou don't book work, but the
interesting thing is about themind is that we put meaning onto
experiences, right, and sowhat's great about mindset
(34:24):
coaching is pinpointing thosetimes, and maybe, if you are
going through what you call atrough, those are the times that
you need to put into practice,though, all those affirmations,
all those mindset techniquesthat you've been using as an
actor.
That's kind of crunch time andthat's a really good time to
have a mindset coach as well.
(34:44):
But yeah, it's about kind ofand I'll tell a story that
happened to me yesterday,because I don't want people to
think that I am perfect at this,and I think it's important for
a coach to always be learningand to be learning from their
own experiences.
So yesterday I got an email fromsomeone that I'd done an
(35:06):
audition from, and when I openedthe email, I immediately
scanned it to try and find the.
Unfortunately, you didn't getthe role.
Blah, blah, blah, and I stoppedmyself and I went.
What am I doing?
Because, yes, sure, I've gottenplenty of rejections in the
(35:28):
past, but why am I making this anegative experience.
Opening this email from thecasting person.
And so I took a step back, wentokay, let's actually read the
email, rachel, because you don'tknow what it says yet and read
it.
And the email actually saidwe'd love you to come in for an
(35:49):
in-person audition because weloved your tape so much.
And I went.
Well, I'm so glad that I didn'tput that past experience onto
this one, because I think it'svery it's very natural to, you
know, have these kind oflimiting beliefs come up and
these, like you know, when youare facing um, a lot of no's, it
(36:10):
is.
It is hard to still look foryes, right, but I think it's
important to catch yourself andyou get better and better at
catching yourself.
And so then the no's have lessimpact and the yes's have such a
great impact.
David John Clark (36:28):
So that's a little thing.
So, without giving away toomany of your secrets, and we'll
get you to give us a summary ofwhat you offer as a mindset
coach.
Now, but what one thing wouldyou say to actors that they
should be doing or could bedoing, say, on a daily basis
themselves in that right mindset, so that they can maintain a
(36:50):
positive flow, so to speak?
Rachel Baker (36:53):
that they can maintain a positive flow, so to
speak.
Yeah, I think you know, if it'sgoing to be one thing I would
say, just actually sitting withyourself and noticing what are
the thoughts that are happeningaround your acting career, you
know, is it that you're superexcited about it and that's
awesome?
Is it that today you feel like,oh, like am I meant to be an
(37:18):
actor?
That kind of doubt that, youknow, plenty of us have felt?
I think just actually noticingthose things is so important and
writing it down and being liketoday I feel this way because
it's okay to feel feelings likeI'm not saying emotions are bad
and we only want to feel excitedabout our acting career it's
(37:39):
like just being super aware ofthat thought pattern that you
are having and then being soaware about the words that you
use about your acting careerwhen you're talking about it
like that yeah, I think umspeaking from personal
experience years ago, whenpeople would ask that classic
(38:03):
question of what have, what haveI seen you in?
have I seen you in anything?
Have you been in anything Iwould have seen?
And you know, before thatquestion, I, I hate that
question.
I know you go oh, I don't knowhow to answer that, and it would
make the other person feelawkward and I would feel awkward
(38:26):
and so I would leave feelingnot good about being an actor.
And so, of course, when youreiterate that time and time
again, how are you going to feelabout being an actor on a more
regular basis?
You're going to feel awkward,you're going to feel like you're
not good enough.
So I got really clear on how Ispeak about myself as an actor
(38:48):
when people ask that question,and now I say, yeah, I've done a
bunch of ads that you mighthave seen and I've done some
independent projects and yeah,I'm working on something now.
So you know, I might need tosign something for you now
because it might be worthsomething one day, like you know
.
I know that sounds really wanky, but at the same time, like no
(39:12):
one else is going to be excitedabout your acting career if you
are not, and that's just facts.
David John Clark (39:17):
I love that you know.
Rachel Baker (39:18):
No one is going to wake up every day and be like
David, just so you know you're agood actor and I believe in you
.
You have to do that foryourself.
So that's why I say, like beingreally clear on how you're
thinking about your career andit's okay.
It's okay if you wake up andyou're like I'm really not
feeling it today, but just beingaware of that, and then, you
(39:42):
know, being aware of how youspeak about your career as well.
The other one that's verycommon is and I posted a reel
about this the other day, so ifyou follow me on Instagram, you
would have seen it is peoplesaying acting's really hard, you
know, and you go yeah, cool.
(40:03):
You know like a lot of thingsare allowed to be hard.
Hard isn't a negative word,it's we're putting that emotion
onto the word hard.
And so if, if you're feelinglike, oh, acting is hard but
you're not doing anything aboutit, why would I want to work
(40:23):
with you?
Why would anyone want to workwith you?
If it's hard but you're doingsomething about it, then like
that's so much moreinspirational to the people
around you being like, oh yeah,I want to work with David.
Yeah, the industry's hard, butlike look at what he's doing to
make sure that he's feelingfulfilled as an actor or a
podcaster.
So that's my tips.
(40:45):
That's a long winded tip.
David John Clark (40:46):
I love it.
It's a good way to approach it.
And so with your business, ifpeople are interested, ask now
where do they find you, when dothey find that business and what
services are you offering?
Rachel Baker (40:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
So you can go to my Instagram,which is rachellaurenbaker, and
in my little Linktree linkyou'll be able to click on it
and my Calendly link is there,so you can book a session with
me and I am doing up a website.
I've just had so many things on.
So this is the failing forwardmethod of like I could have
(41:23):
waited to launch my businesswhen I had a website, but I was
like, no, I'm not going to wait.
Like, there's people onInstagram that will click the
Calendly link and that's fine,and I'll make my website when I
have time.
So, um, yeah, if you want tobook on the Calendly link, I
have a one-off session which, um, if you feel like you know you
(41:46):
have one thing that you'd wantto work on, or you're like I
just feel like I want onesession to see how it's going to
go, then you can book that.
Or I have a three sessionpackage, which is slightly
cheaper, and that means that,like in the first session, we
can get to a couple of or a fewdifferent things that you'd like
(42:07):
to work on.
Second session, we can do thesame.
Like, just you know, what didyou notice in the last week or
two?
And do a few like fixing things, and then the third session
would be taking some really biggoals that you have and doing
the technique of like futurepacing to put them into your
future and that sort of thing.
(42:28):
So those are the two thingsthat I'm offering at the moment.
I would love to do like groupsessions and stuff in the future
, but you know we can't doeverything all at once.
David John Clark (42:38):
No, tiny steps , tiny steps, and I'll put links
in the show notes for everyoneto a bit easier to find it.
I should be able to actuallypull your Linktree link and put
it in there so we can go overthat.
I'm mindful of the time, rachel, so I just want to wind it up a
(43:02):
bit.
But I wanted to bring thisdiscussion just quickly around
to some current affairs, and I'mnot sure if you've read this,
but actress Olivia Colman, who'sin the Crown and Wonka
Productions, amongst others, shejust caused a little bit of a
ruckus in relation to hercomments about self-taping.
Have you seen what she said atall?
Rachel Baker (43:16):
No, I haven't, Please tell me.
David John Clark (43:24):
She's come out and said that self-taped
auditions are depriving actorsof the opportunity to receive
feedback and form in-personconnections with the casting
directors.
So she's really smashed it,which I thought she's not wrong.
But then when I started readingsome comments about the
discussions on both sides,there's a lot of people saying,
hey, hang on a second, you can'tjust go and knock this straight
away because we personally,we're loving the self-tapes
(43:46):
because now we're not stuck intraffic, we're not finding
parking, we're not going fromaudition to audition and
spending all their day andhaving to give up a day's job.
So it was really, reallyinteresting.
On that, how do you see wherewe are at the moment, with
self-tapes becoming pretty muchthe norm?
Do you see positives andnegatives of the self-tapes and
not being in the room anymore?
Rachel Baker (44:08):
I think it's such a gray area I don't think
there's any right or wronganswer and there's there's pros
and cons to both.
I definitely agree with whatOlivia is saying, like
absolutely there's.
I did a one-on-one coachingsession with McKaylee Gibson the
other week and she was like wehaven't met in person yet, have
(44:29):
we?
And I said no, but I've doneplenty of self-tapes for you, so
it's really weird to have sentyou all these self-tapes and to
not have met you in person.
And there and I agree with likeyeah, it's all it's kind of
when you're doing self-tapesthere is that kind of lack of
connection with the castingdirector and that is unfortunate
(44:52):
.
Um, I think on the flip side,literally from so many casting
directors' mouths, it means thatthey can audition more actors
because they don't have likehalf an hour slots in a
five-hour period to fill, and sowhat's that?
Like 10 actors.
David John Clark (45:13):
Yes, yes.
Rachel Baker (45:15):
They don't have to just see 10 actors Like they
can put a call out for maybelike 30 self-tapes and then move
on to maybe in-person stuff.
So it is in a sense depriving usof things, but then it's giving
us opportunities in other areas.
And what I think it's also likeauditioning in general but
(45:36):
specifically self-taping, um iswhat I've noticed in myself is
that if I can do a really goodtape where I'm literally looking
at a blank wall and my partner,who is not an actor, is reading
opposite me and I have like aprop that's like I don't know
(46:01):
it's not the actual prop and I'mnot in the actual costume that
the that the character would bein, if I can nail a character at
an audition in that setting,put me on set in the setting in
the costume, opposite the otheractor who's playing that
(46:21):
character and like I'm good togo, you know.
So in that sense that's howI've thought about it as well is
I think it's made me such astronger actor to be able to
like to have to work with whatyou've got.
So yeah, I don't think there's aright or wrong answer and I
think everyone's going to havetheir own opinion and it's kind
(46:44):
of just the way that theindustry is going now, like I
don't think that they will evernot have self-tapes again, to be
honest.
David John Clark (46:52):
No, and you've got to go.
Industry changes and you've gotto go with the flow.
Unfortunately, isn't it?
Whether it's good or bad,you've got to make it work for
you.
So now you've got to go andlearn lighting and camera to
make it the best you can.
Rachel Baker (47:04):
Yeah, I literally said this to someone the other
day.
I was like I really need tolearn how to light myself
properly, because my two boxlights just on either side of
the camera.
Like I just feel like I can doa better job.
David John Clark (47:18):
I'm the same and some people at the you go
and watch all the videos.
Stephen Walker, who's an actorin Queensland.
He's been on my show and he dida very, very good video on how
lighting setups from the onecamera to one light, two lights
and multiple lights which isbrilliant but then I tried to
replicate it and I just can'tget that right feel.
(47:38):
But at the end of the day, aslong as your self-tape, they can
see you and they can hear you.
That's all that matters,because they want to see your
acting, don't they?
That's what they want yourperformance.
Rachel Baker (47:48):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and I think I got
some bad advice from someone theother week who sometimes I just
choose to ignore people'sadvice.
David John Clark (48:00):
And you have to do that sometimes, and you
have to do that, it's soimportant.
Rachel Baker (48:04):
That person said to me oh, I found it really
distracting that the person thatwas reading for your self-tape
was on Zoom.
And I was like that's so funny,because I literally had a
casting director last week sayto me wow, you were so good at
reading opposite someone on Zoomfor a self-tape Honestly, like
(48:27):
you are nailing it.
So then when someone said, oh,it was really distracting for me
, I was like oh, I don't care.
David John Clark (48:39):
It's not about the reader anyway.
I mean, I've heard and this isthe trouble, lou heesom said it
yesterday she says look, I'lltell you one thing, as that, I
believe, and another castingdirector will tell you the
complete opposite.
And it's about finding thatbalance, or finding what works
for you.
And and some of the advice withreaders is oh, make sure you
get an actor, but make sure thatactor is not being better than
(48:59):
you.
It doesn't matter, it's aboutyour performance.
And if you've got a bad reader,then it's a job as an actor to
try and draw something from themto enhance your performance and
make it work.
Rachel Baker (49:07):
So we learn from that.
Yeah, absolutely.
David John Clark (49:11):
Awesome, rachel.
Well, thank you very much.
I wanted to focus a few of myepisodes on podcasts that I
listen to, and you're the firstone that I've brought on,
because there's so much outthere and so many different
avenues of getting education,and here I am as a podcaster
myself and sharing informationso my listeners can learn and
(49:32):
improve their journeys, but I'mdoing it as well by listening to
your podcast and many others,so I thank you very much for
what you do.
Now, I know you're in a hiatusat the moment, but you're coming
back with another season soon,I hope, once you get your
business all up and running.
Rachel Baker (49:47):
Yeah, yeah.
There's like lots of stuffgoing on at the moment and
unfortunately, podcasting wasthe thing that had to take a
backseat for a bit.
But, I so want to get back to itand I now kind of have a bit of
a new lease on my career andbeing like, okay, cool, yeah.
So I'm definitely going tostart recording episodes again
(50:09):
soon.
And yeah, I mean I've talkedabout it on my podcast.
Not to take up more of yourtime, I, I talk, and talk, and
talk, so this episode might be along one.
Um, I've been working on aseries um down in melbourne and
so going between sydney andmelbourne and you know, trying
(50:30):
to get that up and running, um,that's been a whole thing as
well as starting my coachingbusiness and being an actor and
just trying to live life as well.
Like it's a whole thing.
David John Clark (50:45):
The joys, the joys.
Rachel Baker (50:47):
Oh yeah, so I definitely will be coming back
with new episodes, so yeah.
David John Clark (50:55):
Well, I'll make sure I put the link for the
Don't Be so Dramatic podcast inthe links and while it's on a
couple of weeks off, there'splenty of episodes to binge, so
we'll get your numbers up there.
And as we wind up, rachel, whatone thing would you like to
impart onto actors out there andnon-actors that listen to the
show as well, coming from yourbackground as an actor and
(51:19):
podcaster, about how they canimprove their careers as an
actor, or just their well-beingin their mindset?
Rachel Baker (51:28):
Yeah, I think that the one thing I would say is
that, whoever you are whetherit's an actor or a creative or
someone who's not in theindustry at all I think the most
important thing is to believethat you are enough, that you
are worthy of what it is thatyou want.
And believing those things isnot egotistical and believing
(51:54):
them from like a really, youknow, intuitional, like
non-egotistical way is, I think,the best way forward.
As I said before, like no one'sgonna wake up in the morning
and say, hey, you're enough.
It's you who has to believethat and truly believe it.
(52:16):
And so I think doing the worktowards feeling like you are
enough, feeling like you areworthy, is the most important
thing that you can do.
David John Clark (52:25):
Love it.
Thank you very much.
Well, this has been the latebloomer actor, and don't be so
dramatic on screen the same timeor in your earbuds at the same
time.
So, rachel, thank you very muchfor coming along today.
Rachel Baker (52:37):
No worries.
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