Why is Your 1st Impression so Important?

As a Coach in many different ways, to a wide variety of Professionals, I often find myself saying this phrase often & plan to continue it in the future days ahead. Its a phrase that never dims & will never fail you, if you allow it to play in your mindset prior to any Interview (for actors; Auditions). The golden phrase is: ” You never get a second chance to make the Best 1st Impression”. Now, true that you have rare occasions where it is available to “redeem” yourself & these moments are few/far between.

So How? Is the next question.. How can you “Mindfully” make you Best 1st Impression each time you go into an Interview or Audition?

I train my students on this Science of events that takes place internally 1st, creating the awareness of the outcome, level by level 1st & then train them on the technical skill needed to observe the atmosphere/their placement/situation, so that it can be used “mindfully” to their advantage.

Key word is “Mindful”. Having a genuine Self-Awareness & comfort of your surrounding are the key to a happy outcome. Now, I didn’t mention, No-Stress, No-Nervourness, Everything Cotton Candy type of day… Yes, you will still naturally utilize these emotions, BUT you can control them & discipline them, in order to make the experience a Fulfilled, Accomplished event!

Once you learn that Fear, Stress & Anxious emotions are natural. Yet instead of thinking there is some miraculous way to rid of them for good, learn to accept, acknowledge & carry on with your set forth task, you will soon begin to notice the effects of Self-Accomplishment & Awareness for the Best!

When you have Mindfully prepared for your day ahead of Judgements to come & know that you are Prepared to the upmost with what You have to offer, you can never be denied of your Self Worth, because you have given nothing but. This is a radiant vibe that is seen, felt & hear. One may call this confidence! I Love to call it Radiant Vibes! Either way you can never be denied of an impactful impression (whether meant for the job or not) You will be remembered with an undeniable presence!

Mark your Brand, Your Presence, but most importantly… Yourself!

Warmest,

Coach Jonna Johnson

http://www.CoachedbyJonnaJohnson.com

 

 

 

 

The Working Actor! Show Versatility! Tap Into the Unknown and have FUN doing it!

I’m frequently asked in Coaching session, how should I dress for my audition or What should I plan to do different to stand out amongst the numerous submissions!?

The answer to this question ” It Depends on the request of the Casting Directors & as much as you know of the synopsis of the piece”

As actors we have the unique ability in our career to tap into multiple Types of Characters. From the Ditsy to the Professional… The Sweet to the Sexy… The Disturbed to the Know It All… This is the beauty of being a Artist (Actor). I frequently use my experiences & point of views as examples in my coaching. So I often refer to myself as an artist using this ability to tap into my alter mood, characteristics, inner consciousness as a tool to excel in a given piece. I dream quite frequently as busy, creatives minds normally do, and in dreaming I find myself doing things quite opposite as my real life image & persona reflects. It’s been linked that most of the situations you dream about stand for something, means something or is a playground for your inner creative to play around on until you physically/consciously decide to take action on the matter. I write what I can down to keep as ammo for my upcoming character in an assigned piece.

You must give the Casting Directors a vision of you in the role. You must create the Backstory of your character in depth, you must in-vision your setting & emotions within the scene & then you must deliver. Casting Directors do not want to see “Actors”, they want to see individuals in a situation. They want to see the imitation of real life. So as an actor you must put yourself in this place of being for the moment of the audition process & be the character.

How to get there? If you hadn’t the time to prepare (in character) earlier in the day, on the way to the audition a couple of helpful tips that I use to get me in the zone & in character:

+Listen to music that your character would listen to…. Music is a beautiful form of art that inspires our inner gut feeling; whether it be to calm/soothe or to Motivate/Turn Up! Yes, I said “Turn Up” Lol!!

+Dress the part if there are no specified directions by Casting. This should still be kept simple, less distracting as possible & also appropriate.

+Conversate with few in character (Not at the Audition) before going to the audition. Ordering a coffee, use characteristics your character would do, At a stop light & you notice someone watching you, react to them as your character would do, From putting on you light makeup (ladies) to suiting up (Men) use your characters physicality’s!

You get the idea. You will be more intone with yourself if you arrive or Tape the given audition already YOUR CHARACTER.

Seen in the picture above, (I had to keep this classy, because of course I’m an International Acting Coach to many Young Actors), but the audition called for a Beautiful Girlfriend College Girl Type, Great Role, Great Pay, Shooting in LA…. A must Submit! My character is in a long distant relationship but finds interest in a Dodgers Ball Player & you can imagine the rest. In reading the subtext of the audition I noticed a small mention that she is on the phone the whole time talking to her ex, in her new boyfriends oversized Jersey standing on his balcony in the sunset. So for Obvious reasons the Oversized Tee that I gratefully had in the back of my drawer came in handy for this look! I kept my hair messy, & make up very nuteral to give the Casting Directors a glimpse of what this scene could look like. I received great feedback!

In saying this, again not all submissions have this flexibility, but when the opportunity come.. You want to take full advantage of Having FUN with your Art!

Hope this was a great advise/learning article for you!

Warmest,

Coach Jonna Johnson, CCP

www.COACHEDbyJonnaJohnson.com

Why Summer Camps are so Important!

Summer Camp give the parents a break in the summer while at the same time give the kids an enriching experience, in a concentrated activity! Whether its Acting, Karate, Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming, Craft Making, etc., children need that additional time, off from school scheduling, to enjoy, indulge & nurture their inner child! Often times as adults we use the excuse of the kids being in school (with school activities) as being the additional, but Camps are most of the time very reasonable in pricing & educating in a fun way to the kids, without the added pressures of school or the school day ahead. Consider allowing your kids to make new friends outside of their school district, adapt to a new fun setting for the summer & create memories for a lifetime. Most camps offer a Groupon with additional discounts or special days to receive an additional discount! I would love to share The Actors Scenes Super Hero Summer Camp information & if you’d like to sign your little one, registration is now open! Taught by Yours Truly!

**Don’t miss out on our SuperHero Acting Camp! Until March 30, take 10% off the entire camp using code Camp10! A $50 deposit secures your child’s spot!

Has your child dreamed of being a super hero? Well this summer he/she can!
July 20-24th
AGES 4-5 10am-noon $139
AGES 6-7 1pm-4pm $149
Let your child live out his dream of being a superhero and saving the day! Acting exercises, games and activities will teach your child how to transform into a SuperHero through the 4 acting tools of Face, Body, Voice & Imagination. Parents get to see thier special little SuperHeros at the end of the week Show. Space is limited!
REGISTER NOW
http://theactorsscene.com/…/summer-ca…/summer-camps-ages-4-7

Questions?

Email: JohnsonCastings@gmail.com

Coach Jonna Johnson, CCP

Network… Because your passionate about being Social & Connecting!

So many people in the Entertainment industry network in all the wrong ways! Let me explain the Donts:

Don’t Network for the sole purpose to be seen.

Don’t Network to just promote or pass out your Business Cards/Material.

Don’t just go with a friend or drag a friend with you because you want to ‘Network’.

Don’t go without knowing the type of people that are Hosting the event.

Don’t go if you don’t have interest in building a social environment outside of the network.

Don’t go to stand & leave.

Dos:

Do go with your material but don’t be pushy with handing it out. Allow others to get to know you, wonder about you & ask for your info at their own will.

Do mingle with the Host & event highlights as a social butterfly just happy to be there; this creates a warmer approach vs. the impression you want something from them. You want nothing but to praise their job well done with the event & prior endeavors.

Do meet others & mingle outside of those who come with you. I personally like to attend Social events solo, as this may seem awkward to some, most people respect when you are solo & feel a comfort to get to know you (build a genuine connection) vs. a group of you and friends.

Do dress appropriately, do not out do or under do the scene & environment. Standing out slightly is great with a chic, polished approach either way, but do not try to hard to out dress everyone. This will single you out as an unapproachable, visual attendee

Do enjoy yourself, relax, breath, look at people (who are looking at you) No one is going to bite you!

Keep In Mind: Everyone walks into a Networking event to meet new, fresh individuals to grow… Your state of Mind going into the event is, everyone feels like me right now, let me make it easier on someone & strike a conversation! Once other sense your friendly vibes others will naturally gravitate towards you!

That is the proper Networking tactic in my Book!

Coach Jonna Johnson, CCP

YOUR Audience

What does it mean to fully gain and appreciate Your audience? Do you ever catch yourself looking at other peoples Following or audience size? Why is that, I wonder. I wonder if the same amount energy that is being used wishing, getting discouraged, giving up or flat out pouting about your # of audience members, if that same energy was use to appreciate the # you have, how will that change things? Let me answer that. If we appreciate the audience we have, no matter the size & realize they appreciate you or the work you do, you will create a Loyalty to those few, from there they will not wonder. Why not attract the ones who get you, stand with you in ideas & long for your insight. Why not recognize that passion & purity behind their following, using that to in turn inspire you to dig deeper, WITH Them. Not at them. See when the audience becomes a ‘Thing” instead of Your Supporters, then you have lost the clarity of what it is you stand before them in the 1st place. This goes along with Social Media outlet, as well. We get caught up in the hype of what the social media as a tool is really about, by falling blind to the trend of “Likes”. Appreciate the ones who you socially connect with for the prime reason to connect with them in you own way. Whether its family (keeping in touch), Business (to gain a new clients interest) or friendships (with those who you share common ideas with). Use the social aspect of social media for forward growth in your career or personal life. Do not look at the tool as a way of gaining irrelevant, non permanent attention. If thats your purpose then just walk through a random store in your tackiest gear ever. Same meaningless exposure. Pay attention the the ones who do care, who do sit & respect your time/attention. It is those few that will progress you to a purposeful tomorrow! I always like to use this fact (& you can do your research on the matter), Check the social media page of a community leader, a deep artistic actor, or an author of a best seller. Check their likes & following compared the the outrageous, obnoxious TV personality (Reality TV) person, who has been in the business max 2 years. Their following & hype is through the roof. For what? What are they doing to gain this attention & who are the ones giving them the attention?? The answer: the followers of in the moment trend. The ones who forget about you, never cared in the 1st place, irrelevant individual, ‘Attention Hopper’. These are not who professional, successful, clear thinking, impactful, passionate, journey driven, go getters seek to enrich their everyday mentions or inspirations. In order to be inspired you must seek inspiration. Otherwise, you will not catch/feel the impact is is meant to have. There is an old joke that goes “If a tree falls in the forest, but no one is there to see it fall, Did it even fall?” Same thing goes with speaking to YOUR audience, if you are speaking to a crowd of no one truly supporting, listening or seeking your type of inspiration… Are you really even delivering a message at all? No. It has impacted no one. So in saying this to YOU. Pay close attention to YOUR true following & supporters. If its #’s you want, make sure you work up to achieving the # you need with all those needing YOU.

Remember “Its not the size of your audience that matters… its how much you care about them and how much they care about YOU, that does….

Coach Jonna Johnson, CCP

Life Coach

JohnsonCastings@gmail.com

Coached

This journey in this Life has unleashed multiple avenues of self-belief, happiness, positivity & the motivation to continue to inspired others to reach for their dreams! Theres nothing like going for your Goals & achieving many along the way! Self fulfillment in this lifetime is worth everything. You are the one that can make things happen for You. So get started, enjoy the process, reap the self accomplishments & live for You!

Coach Jonna Johnson, CCP

Email: JohnsonCastings@gmail.com

For details on how to start your journey in accomplishing your Goals in Life, Business & Relationships contact me, I’d love to hear from you & guide you along the way to obtaining Your Goals!

Coached by Jonna Johnson