magazine called BeFreetoChoose. org, to help with the difficult decisions regarding the training actors are looking for, because classes can be expensive."
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magazine called BeFreetoChoose. org, to help with the difficult decisions regarding the training actors are looking for, because classes can be expensive."
Speaking of expenses and financing your career, David mentioned there is a real advantage to having a war chest when you come to Los Angeles or New York to become an actor. " If you don’ t have money and you don’ t have the ability to make money, then the struggle will be a thousand times worse. But if you plan ahead of time and provide yourself with the resources you need, then you’ ll be much better off. Almost all of the good classes cost about the same, about $ 250 a month. So, if you plan to go into this industry, then get a great job and save your money." David came out to LA with a six figure war chest he admitted he didn’ t have to touch much while he trained and prepared for his new career.
Samuel L. Jackson once responded to TV host, David Letterman’ s comment of being an overnight success by saying,“ It took me fifteen years to be an overnight success.” When David heard this, he took it to heart and established a five year, a ten year and a fifteen year plan, all that were well thought out and he also admitted to having a fifty year plan, just in case. He got his first major role at age fifty.“ Acting for me is a second major career change for my life.”
When asked about auditioning tips, David said, " I don ' t have any secrets to auditioning, although I highly recommend Michael Kostroff ' s course, Audition Psychology 101, to anyone who is auditioning.( Kostroff is the author and actor from LAW AND ORDER.) His approach to auditioning is a fine tuned version of my approach when auditioning.
Like he suggests, I always bring excitement and anticipation. I leave the nerves in the car. I am completely off book and I have character alternatives in my back pocket, ready to go. I’ m off book because I created an app called Rehearsal ® Pro, which makes sure I am prepared and does the same thing for about eighty thousand other actors all over the world. Being prepared is the best possible tools you could have."
" The next best possible tool is to walk in with the belief that you’ re not going to get the job because you’ re not. It would be great if you did, but the sad fact is, you ' re not going to get it. When I walk in with that resolve, then I am free to just act. The cool thing I’ m usually right. I keep track of my numbers and 72 percent of the time I am absolutely correct. I did not get the job, but that also means, 28 percent of the time I am irrevocably incorrect; and I booked it!. Now that ' s a great feeling."
" Something else to remember, when I have the attitude that I ' m not getting the job, I don ' t generate desperation in my performance. Casting can smell fear. When I walk in knowing i ' m not going to get this job, the audition becomes absolutely fun. I am open to doing it the way I want and if casting wants to change it up, then I change it. I ' m ready and prepared."
When David arrives at the audition, he never has excuses and he is just thrilled to be there, and we can imagine the energy and the magic he brings to his characters.
Performing has been a dream all throughout David ' s life. It’ s been radio, performance, and technology, with the three intertwining back and forth. David worked 35 years in radio, both local network and syndicated, and then formed a group called the American Comedy Network in New York, were he established an on-radio format for many other stations to follow. As a voice over talent, David worked on all kinds of great projects. He even worked on a video game and voiced over 64 of the characters! David also created a company that produced commercial and interview parodies, sound effects and song parodies for the smaller radio stations to use in their programing for more interesting and comedic shows. These elements have made the smaller stations sound like they were big league rather than broadcasting from a little station in the middle of nowhere. He worked for America Online and was the voice of their tech first support lines for almost 30 years. He worked for companies such as NASA, Google, and Yahoo. David started his first relationship with a computer, a Mac, from the day it was released in 1984 and he still uses a MacBook Pro to this day. He uses technology to help advance whatever project he is working on.
“ Technology is one of our greatest tools. In 2009, I was working on the set of HEROS and was in my agent’ s office on a Monday afternoon when he got a call for me to come in for an audition the next day for the show COMMUNITY. My agent mentioned I was sitting right there in his office, but I would be on-set working the next day, and couldn ' t attend the audition. The woman at the casting office told me to get to the casting office by the end of business that same day, and they’ d put me on tape, since they knew I was already approved by NBC, so I would be sent straight to producers because they knew of me and loved my work. That was all very nice except it was 3:30 p. m. and I was in Studio City( Los Angeles), and close of business was 5:30 p. m. Casting sent
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Cover Photo, Pg. 3- 6 photos by Ali Donze, Donze Photography, donzephotography. com, Los Angeles, CA
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