lspamer

All-Star Locations President Lisa Collomb recently added Boca Talent to its web site and now we are really excited to add them to ours. This is a great partnership that we look forward to developing. It's also an excellent opportunity for our clients as well as for all new creative efforts too.

Please see her bio below, and of course check out her web site at http://www.all-starlocations.com.

 

Keep in mind too that if you have a property that would make a stunning background for a magazine cover, or if your house is simply gorgeous and needs to be in a movie you should look at her site. From small cottage to large horse ranch, Collomb has made it her business to find the right location for her many esteemed clients.

About Lisa Collomb:

Lisa Collomb, All-Star Locations President and Owner, launched the company in 1998. Prior to starting All-Star Locations, she worked as a Leather Clothing Designer in New York City and also in the Film Industry as a Costume Designer, Wardrobe Stylist, and Set Decorator for 15 years.

Missing her family and South Florida's sun, she returned home from NYC to continue her career in the film industry. The locations service was a natural choice for this born and raised native of West Palm Beach with extensive local knowledge.

Friends on the Palm Beach polo circuit provided early leads for quality locations to scout. Since then, Lisa Collomb has scouted a vast territory, from Vero Beach to Key West. Eight years later, All-Star Locations maintains a library of thousands of locations ranging from large private estates to small cottages, to horse & dairy farms to large equestrian ranches.

All-Star Locations is constantly growing. Current expansion into Georgia and North Carolina had included scouting trips, and internationally to seek out locations in Italy, where her better half's roots are. "We own a house over there and every summer I go out to scout new countryside homes in Sicily and Italy", says Lisa.

All-Star Locations welcomes the opportunity to share and book many more beautiful and exotic locations for your company in the near future.

 

Congratulations to Paul Caesar, who landed a role on Burn Notice. It premieres tonight. Be sure to watch Paul at 9 p.m. on cable channel USA.

If you're in the neighborhood, hang out with Paul at Cathy's Fishtails, 3355 NE 33rd St, Ft. Lauderdale, 33308. He's invited Burn Notice's Casting Director, Ellen Jacoby. Other actors, Natalie Kahn Toewe and producers will be present. Here's another chance to promote Burn Notice and help keep production in Florida!

Aug 1, 2008 

Vanity Fair has revealed its Best Dressed list for year 2008

Two political wives made the list:  Michelle Obama and First Lady of France Carla Bruni has also made the list.

 

And congratulations to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and to People Magazine for scoring the first public pictures of the couples newborn twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon.

That should be quite a spread. Look for People on stands Monday.

 

And were you sad to hear Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong broke up? Did you even know they were dating for three months? Weren’t you weirded out that she went out with him in the first place? Come on, he is Owen Wilson’s best bud. Remember how she dated Owen for a while? A strange trio all around. Who will she date next? Do you care?

 

Don't you wish the summer would hurry up and leave?

Or that your agent was calling for everything from Burn Notice to a SAG casting? But they're not. Well. Because it is summer. Sigh.

 If you are one of the lucky ones and working, keeping busy - we would like to hear from you. What's your magic? The Secret? Rune stones?

Seriously. We want to know.

 

What is the owner of Boca Talent and Model Agency up to these days?

Natalie Kahn Toewe, the owner of the agency, is doing all she can to keep the production of films and TV series in Florida.

 
For that, Toewe attended the Miami City Commission meeting Thursday, July 24th. Toewe was doing her part to keep the production of the USA Network’s hit TV series, Burn Notice in Coconut Grove. The cast and crew use the Coconut Grove Expo Center for production of the series, but the city commission would like to tear it down.

She was one of many who showed support for keeping the Expo Center intact - at least until the end of shooting the third season of Burn Notice in 2009. Ellen Jacoby, the casting director for Burn Notice, actors, and another agent were some who protested the demolition of the site that will make way for a park.

The real danger of Burn Notice re-locating lies in the hands of the Commission as they are the ones who will decide when it will be destroyed. That decision could come at their next meeting. On Thursday the Commission approved the city's $165 million Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan, but has not yet approved a beginning of construction date or demolition date for the Expo Center.

 While the commission tentatively decided they would allow Burn Notice to shoot the third season at the Expo Center, sadly the series could receive a better offer to shoot season three or four in another state.

That's pretty much everyone's thought when it comes to filming in Florida these days: fewer and fewer are choosing to do it. In part that is because the State Legislature's new budget for 2008-2009 revealed a major slash for incentives in the film industry. The other is because other states are now offering the same or better incentives that Florida used to command.

Toewe, however, is banding together with others in film and TV to make sure South Florida remains a vibrant production center.

Natalie Toewe, the owner of Boca Talent and Model Agency, was busy advising actors how to create better resumes and choose better headshots at Lori Wyman's Casting office in North Miami Monday. The room was packed with actors, photographers and acting teachers who came by to drop off letters protesting Florida Governor Charlie Crist's cuts for film incentives in this year's state budget.

Without the incentives, film production will all but cease in South Florida. Actors, teachers of actors and casting agencies will suffer. Lori Wyman called on all of us in the industry, and all those impacted to come by with three letters each. And we responded. The room was wall-to-wall with people coming by all day long, dropping off letters, writing letters, and discussing the impact on us all.

 The talent was given a little incentive to show up too. Natalie helped with headshots, and even recruited a few promising talent. Photographer Bob Lasky provided workshops throughout the day giving actors and models tips on their comp cards and headshots. Director and Acting Teacher Marc Durso was there too. The vibrant Marc showed actors some of the ways they could improve their craft.

Now let's hope the hundreds of letters Crist gets in his mailbox tomorrow will make the state  legislature stand up and take notice.

Save the film industry in South Florida! Write Crist a letter already.
 

Lori Wyman Casting


               Press Release           For Immediate Release




Lori Wyman Casting Announces
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN
                                <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001nOXxL0f2xJ3oDIzO9vk2VCCej_TIGLukLZUGQeaq5zunvEN7ssG3OvSM2R_JPESqsOhHCapIY53aFYIPWeIRE36ihIGXrlx4CA8PHF6xU4cI5Nunu_mjnw==>
Bob Lasky Photography


Miami, Florida  May 24, 2008 - Since the state of Florida has decided to do away with millions of dollars in filming incentives, we, as a film community, are going to do something about it!

 
On Monday, June 2, 2008, a letter writing campaign will take place at the offices of
Lori Wyman Casting. - 16499 NE 19 Ave #203 North Miami Beach, Fl.   33162

The hours of our campaign will be from 11AM - 5PM!!!!!
You do not have to stay very long - just long enough to turn in your letters.
OR you can stay and take advantage of the many lectures we will have going throughout the day.
We ask everyone who shows up to be prepared to turn in 3 stamped, addressed letters  that they have written to our governor to ask for that film incentive money to be reinstated.
You may either write the letters at the office, come to the office and drop them off, or bring letters that you have collected from your friends in the business. We do not want you to mail them directly yourself. We feel it will make a much greater impact if we send the many letters we collect at the same time. Imagine the surprise when 1000 letters are delivered on the same day. WE NEED TO MAKE AN IMPACT!!
Don't complain that the money has been withdrawn. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Here is your opportunity.
We will have lectures and workshops being conducted all throughout the day of this letter writing campaign. If you have questions that you have wanted to ask, this is the day to show up and ask those questions, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS! If you want your contact sheets looked at, June 2 is the day to do that, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS. If you want to learn some auditioning tips, June 2 is the day to hear them, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS. We will have representatives from various aspects of the business. Casting Director, Agent, Photographer, Acting Coach, Manager. You can hear them speak, BUT....that's right, YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS.
This will be a great networking day. Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference. You just never know who you might meet at this very important event.
Just imagine if we had 200 people show up throughout the day and each one of you brought 3 letters. We could mail out 600 letters to our governor's office.
Don't miss out on your chance to make a difference.
Here is all you have to do.
Bring in 3 pieces of paper, 3 envelopes and 3 42 cent stamps. or more if you want. :)
You may ask your friends to write letters and then you can bring them into the office with you.

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN THAT DAY - FEEL FREE TO MAIL THE LETTERS IN THEIR STAMPED, ADDRESSED ENVELOPES TO US SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THEM IN THE MASS MAILING. SEND THEM TO:

Lori Wyman Casting
ATTN: Letter Writing Campaign
16499 NE 19 Ave #203
NMB, Fl.   33162

Here are some of the points you may want to make in your letters.

       1)      The letters you write should come from your heart .
      2)      Write about losing your home to foreclosure because you can't work here anymore because the loss of the incentives means losing your income

       3)      You might have to close your business because the incentives are driving the production companies to film in other states that are offering incentives.

      4)      The cast/crew need to leave the state and move to where the production work is: i.e., you are moving to States that offer film incentives because that's where the production companies are going to film instead of Florida. You can name New York, New Mexico, Michigan, Louisianna, Texas, etc. 


    5) Tell them how great this past year has been due to the incentives.
             FYI - for every dollar of incentive money they give us, the state gets back $7.
             Giving us money should be a no-brainer.
         


            Below is the address you should put on the envelope:

Govenor Charlie Crist and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
 State of Florida
 PL-05 The Capitol
 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

 
PLEASE - Take an hour out of your day to help!
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ONTO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!!!!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!

 Lori Wyman is committed to helping actors achieve their dreams and goals of pursuing their passion for acting. She is considered one of the top casting directors in the entire Southeastern United States. Most recently she cast the critically acclaimed HBO movie entitled, "RECOUNT," and the coming of age "Bart Got A Room" starring William H. Macy. She just wrapped Marley and Me and the new Jim Carrey movie entitled I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS. A 2 time Artios Nominee, Lori continues to cast top notch projects shooting in and around Florida to help local actors continue to follow their passion.



 Lori Wyman Casting
16499 N.E. 19 Ave #203
North Miami Beach, Fl.   33612
www.loriwymancasting.com  

Consider your headshot a visual resume. What do casting directors want to see? You might be surprised at the answers. Casting directors are most often on the hunt to cast natural looking people rather than glamorous or extremely pretty people. Good looking is not a bad thing, and there is a need in the industry for those actors as well. However, if you aren't that typical beauty but can act, and can do well in an audition, you are set - especially with a headshot that truly represents your look.

 

Will a bad headshot prevent you from working? Probably not, but it might prevent an agent from sending your headshot to clients because they don’t think you can book. That means working a lot less than you could. Now why do that to yourself?

 

Finding the right photographer is key. That doesn’t mean the most expensive one either. These Dos and Don’ts are listed to give you a better idea of what to look for in a photographer and will up your chances of a better headshot. Remember, there's a lot of competition out there and a better headshot could put you in front of the line.

DON’Ts: If a photographer wants to use any of these techniques, beware

 

DON’T go for the glamorous look, or lighting that is drastically lit or extremely shadowy.  The shot should look natural and reveal your confidence as an actor.

 

DON’T dress in character. Sure you might play the best punk rocker ever, but don’t dress like one at the photo shoot. Look like yourself.

 

DON’T touch up your photos. Casting directors want to see what you look like. If you see a surprised look on their faces, you’ve blown it simply because you look nothing like your headshot. Worse yet, your agent will hear about it, and won’t send you out again until you’ve renewed your headshot.

 

DON’T rest your hand under your chin or it will look like amateur night.

 

DON’T go black and white.

 

 

Please DO these:

 

DO order color headshots. Black is so two years ago.

 

DO smile. Everyone looks better with a smile on their face. So smile, and show your teeth too.

 

DO update your headshot if your appearance changes. For example, you dye your hair, grow a beard or cut your hair. Casting directors aren’t often pleased seeing a blonde when they’ve requested a brunette. Agencies won’t send your headshot and that means fewer auditions, fewer call backs and fewer bookings. Again, why do that to yourself?

 

DO update your headshot if your booking category has changed. For example, you’ve aged and are no longer a teen, so a card that represents you as a 20-year-old would sell your skills much better.

 

DO ask your agency for advice as they can recommend photographers who will do a great job and won’t charge too much. They can also help you pick the shots that will best market your skills. Remember, the agent knows what talent is booking. Just make sure the photographer is not in-house or that the agency is not receiving a kickback for the referral. Agencies should not be involved with photographers, but they are familiar with the work of some of the best in the market. Use their knowledge for the good of your headshot.

 

Remember too that you are constantly changing over the years. It's the nature of life. Don't deny the change but work with it. Embrace your new look, new wrinkle and new category. And get some new photos while you are at it!

 

 

These links will help the working actor or comedian stay on top of the trends and the news in the fast world of the Entertainment Industry:

 

Variety
Entertainment trade magazine. Also the home of Daily Variety.
www.variety.com

 

Hollywood Reporter, The
Daily entertainment trade paper.
www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

Icom Magazine
Monthly magazine all about film and video production

http://www.icommag.com/

 

SHECKYmagazine.com
Monthly magazine about standup comedy. Includes interviews and information about careers in comedy.
www.sheckymagazine.com

 

Black Talent News
National trade publication for African Americans in the film, television, theatre and music industries.
www.blacktalentnews.com

1.Like mailmen, they arrive in rain or shine. If a tornado or hurricane is near, these industrious actors and models find their way to the set. Even if they are on traffic-jammed highways like Interstate-95, getting there on time is their goal. Yeah, they’ve figured out that leaving early is the key. Google maps are gold.

2.And they’ve learned the art of writing things down. They have a calendar - you know, one of those day-timer thingys - with all their castings, dates, callbacks and bookings. It saves the day every time.

3.When their agent calls them, they pick up – cuz you never know. Working with Jennifer Aniston could be the offer on the other line. They might call back, but OOPS, it's too late.

 4.When a casting comes along they say, “YES!” Sure dressing up as a chicken wasn’t their idea of acting. But shucks, it gets them in the door. So what if the pay is less than chicken feed, at least there’s one thing to add to a resume.

 5.Speaking of resumes. Hey, working talent know how to work it. With their resumes updated often, they showcase all of their abilities. Their agency KNOWS what they can do, sending them on castings regularly.

 6.Talent is always courteous to everybody. They’ve learned it’s easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar. No high and mighty here. Just enthusiasm and gratitude (maybe some acting too).

 7.Their agency knows what to do, the talent sees. “We need new comp cards,” the agency says. In days, in no time at all new ones magically appear at the agency’s door.

 

Why sign an exclusive contract in non-exclusive South Florida?

For actors and models who are starting out in the business in South Florida, making the decision of which kind of contract to sign with an agency can have enormous impact on their careers.

Of course, finding agencies who accept their submissions and request an interview is one grueling aspect of the business, but once prospective actors and models have gotten past that, the contract offered should be examined closely.

Hopefully, these points will aid in any decision you have to make, or at least this will make you think twice about the contract you are about to sign.

Reasons a talent might want to consider exclusivity with an agency:

In large markets:

• The agency will guide the new talent to develop acting, modeling and other skills relevant to a successful career. The agency will have a great deal more control over a model’s look, or an actor’s training. This could be beneficial if the talent is a fresh face and needs the guidance.

• The agency invests time and money and has motivation in getting the talent work.

• The agency will help train the talent, get them test shots, lay out their portfolio, and put together comp cards and other printed materials. Usually, the agency pays for these materials. But some agencies actually prefer to represent new talent non-exclusively.

Reasons why agents and talent prefer non-exclusive contracts:

• In the beginning, both the talent and the agency test each other out to see if the relationship is a good fit.

• It is easy to end the relationship if one or both parties are unhappy with performance. With an exclusive contract the talent and the agency could be bound to each other for a few years. That is a long time to wait if the talent isn’t getting any work and is stuck with the one agent.

In smaller markets:

• The talent is expected to provide all of the training, portfolio, composites and other marketing materials before an agency will work with them. So at least in South Florida, which has been a non-exclusive secondary market for decades, signing an exclusive contract doesn’t benefit the talent because there won’t be the perks of free comp cards and photo shoots.

• Smaller agencies do not have the capital to take a risk on a fresh face by offering an exclusive contract with all the perks. The costs are too high and failure could ruin an agency.

Benefits of non-exclusive contracts in South Florida:

• Actors and models tend to like the freedom because they can approach several agencies for representation and that might mean a bigger net with more castings and bookings.

• In a secondary market, signing with a few good agencies could mean the difference from working part time to making it into a career.

• If the talent finds work on their own, they do not owe the agency anything.

• Some markets such as South Florida operate seasonally and non-exclusivity works to the advantage of the talent who wishes to travel to bigger markets such as New York or Los Angeles during the slower months. There is no contract to adhere to so the talent can seek other markets for jobs.

Finally, even though Boca Talent does sign talent exclusively, the agents understand the reality of South Florida’s non-exclusive market and the advantages for the talent who works with different agencies. Thus, Boca Talent will not press any talent to commit to an exclusive contract. The talent must decide what choice is right for them.

Here's a question we at the agency hear quite a bit: What’s the difference between a management company and a talent agency?

 

I've listed a few details below. These are by no means comprehensive, but this information may help to answer some questions.

 

Managers and Management companies:

 

 Managers are not legally able to collect any money for those they represent or to book any jobs for them; they must work through an agent who has a license to negotiate contracts and collect money for talent. Sometimes an agency may decide to work with a management company if the agreement they’ve worked out is beneficial to both.

 

If actors and models decide to work with managers, an additional commission of 10 to 15 percent will be taken on top of what the agent takes.

 

Managers and management companies may also have a contract that will obligate the talent to pay a commission to them for as long as three years. Some may request money up front as part of their agreement to develop a talent.

 

Part of that development includes preparing marketing materials such as comp cards. If they are legitimate, they will be up front about an actor/model's potential for that market.

 

And while it may make sense to hire a manager in a large market like Los Angeles, in a smaller market like South Florida it may not be necessary. This is because a manager’s primary job is to promote his talent to an agent. In this market, actors and models can promote themselves to an agency by submitting their photos and resume.

 

Talent Agencies:

 

Talent agencies should have a license that enables them to negotiate contracts and collect money for their talent. As part of the licensing process, talent agencies must be bonded. The bond acts as a back up in case the agency finds itself in financial distress. The money in the bond ensures actors and models will be paid for their work.

 

The primary job of the agency is to offer their talent as many opportunities to showcase their abilities. The agency does that through submissions for castings where they think the actor or model has a good chance at booking the job.  They spend a great deal of time negotiating with clients, finding the right talent for the casting and submitting them. Finding fresh faces and generating new client prospects is also a continuous process for these agencies.

 

Once you have booked the job, the agency takes 10 to 20 percent commission of earnings as their fee. Agencies also collect an agency fee from their clients.

 

An agency only makes money when the talent books a job. For that reason, small agencies have a variety of talent – too many who are similar can’t all book the same job. And generally, agencies in Florida don't expect their talent to be exclusive with them because it is a secondary market.

 

One specific difference from a management company is that an agency cannot or should not request fees up front from a talent.

 

And they should never charge for training, for photos posted on their website or for any other kinds of fees - the only fees should come from booking work for the talent. The agency should have this laid out in a contract. If other fees suddenly pop up, make sure to look at the contract closely.

 

If you still have questions about how talent agencies in Florida should operate, look at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations' website under the statutes and rules of registered talent agencies.

 

See this link: http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/pro/talent/index.html

 

 

“New face of Boca Talent gears up for busy season”

 

By Lily Spamer

 

Boca Talent and Model Agency may already be one of the go-to model and talent agencies for major casting directors in South Florida’s entertainment industry.

 

But that isn’t enough for new owner and President Natalie Kahn Toewe.

 

Toewe wants to grow the 35-year-old-regional agency nationwide.

 

Her strategy for growth, however, isn’t obvious. Toewe actually wants to shrink her pool of 1,000 Florida actors and models to a far more intimate number.

 

 “I want to downsize the agency and to have the best connection with the best L.A. and New York-based agencies so that my talent is not just South Florida-based anymore, and so that I can get them the best work,” Toewe says. 

 

Toewe, who bought the business last June, would like to tailor her representation of actors and models to 500 within the next five years. That doesn’t mean Toewe is turning talent away – quite the contrary. Toewe continues to carefully sign on the talent that show promise from the hundreds of submissions she receives weekly.

 

The former actress and model says representing select talent is the ticket to establishing a name all over the nation and with agencies in bigger markets. But Toewe knows the only way to sign the best is to form solid relationships, especially in Florida’s non-exclusive market.

 

Hence, Toewe is striving to show the talent she signs that they mean more than just a face. She’s even developed the company’s logo, “Respect the Talent,” to reflect her mindset.

 

“I’ve made it more about the talent more than everyone else, that’s what respect the talent means,” Toewe says. “I’ve brought my empathy from being an ex-talent, and I’ve told everyone that works in my office to adhere to that same philosophy.”

 

Anita Spiegel, the founder of Boca Talent, agrees that talent relationships has always been the key to her success and kept her in business for over three decades.

 

Spiegel, who says she had to pound the pavement to find clients when she first started out in 1972, has a feeling Toewe will succeed in growing the agency. It was one reason Spiegel agreed to sell the agency to Toewe, she says.

 

“She’s been in the industry, and you’ve got to have that fire in you, I think she had that, still has it. That has a lot to do with it,” Spiegel says. Spiegel signed her as a talent in 1989 until Toewe retired in 2006.

 

And Spiegel, who has seen all the ups and downs, and is lately working on the other side of the business as a model, believes the industry is poised for an upswing.

 

“It peaked in 2000, and then it went downhill. But it started to come back up, I think it is going to come back. It’s been a good summer, and it’s usually dead in the summer,” Spiegel said.

 

Besides an unusually busy summer booking actors for jobs like the USA Network series Burn Notice and a new movie set for video release this winter titled Blackwater, Toewe has also juggled a renovation and expansion of her office space in Deerfield Beach.

 

It seems all Toewe’s hard work for the talent is paying off. Toewe says she has received a great deal of positive feedback from many casting directors and talent since she took over last year. “That’s what makes our day,” Toewe says.

 

Now Toewe is gearing up for the winter season.

 

“I know it will be a busy and successful season,” Toewe says.

 I may only be the book keeper at Boca Talent, but I've learned a few things as I cut the checks in this office, watching the talent come and go...

 

Here are some words of advice to new talent wanting to break in as the world's next top supermodel:  Boca Talent and Model Agency isn’t for you.

 

But we do a lot of commercials, TV and some film and print. You can make a living in the commercial acting/modeling business if you can read from a teleprompter, can follow directions to new places in Miami or wherever the casting call or the call back is shooting and you have the right attitude.

 

Other words of advice: Don’t get lost and forget to call us. Don’t turn down jobs. Or decide not to show to a time-slotted casting call, and forget to tell us. Sounds simple right? You wouldn’t believe how many instances we encounter where actors and models do just that… and the excuses are unbelievable.  I came up with better in the third grade.

 

And don’t forget to send us your new comp cards or headshots on a yearly basis. You change, styles change and what directors look for also change. You want to work? Then please make sure you keep your profile up-to-date.

 

Finally: Listen to us. We know what we’re doing.

 

That's it for now.

 

Next up: Getting paid as a talent at Boca Talent and Model Agency

 

Thanks for reading (if you've gotten this far)

 

Lily Spamer

Boca Talent and Model Agency's book keeper