'Unlocking the Hollywood Dream' Melbourne Seminar

'Unlocking the Hollywood Dream' Seminar

With Jason Siner

OVERVIEW:
Having spent the last fifteen years or so working in Los Angeles in various jobs in the entertainment business, creatively as an actor and screenwriter and on the business side as a talent scout, I have accumulated an extensive knowledge of how to survive the trenches of Hollywood. Through both my own pursuits, and those around me, I have experienced the entire gamut of successes and failures in the quest of the dream show biz career. I was on the inside of the creative process that gave birth to the wildly successful Napoleon Dynamite, lifting a small group of unknown Salt Lake City talents to stardom. I’ve also seen a young neophyte actress lose her first major role, the lead in a major motion picture, and the top level manager I had gotten her, by blowing off the meeting in which her casting was to be announced. I’ve seen the seemingly overnight success and the devestating result of a decade of fruitless struggle.

What I will share with actors attending this event is a street-level view of what it’s like to pursue an acting career in the uber-competitive, opportunity-filled, frustratingly close-doored showbiz capital of Los Angeles. With this info, I’ll give actors not only a realistic view of the Holywood scene, but, even if they never go there, a new and improved way of marketing themselves to land the roles here in Australia.

Topics covered will be:

• Introduction to the real Hollywood - The tourist destination versus the reality called Los Angeles.
• HMoney to be made...if you can make it - The highest pay for working actors and the highest number of unemployed.
• When, and if, to make the jump to Los Angeles - Get yourself L.A.-ready or it will just be an expensive holiday.
• Visa, SAG, and accent - The big stoppers. The first is a must, the second has a catch, and the third is all on you.
• Okay, now you're in Los Angeles. What do you do? Strategies for success and survival.
• Marketing yourself like an L.A. professional - The secrets to headshots, resume, and reel. Save money and your career by doing it right.
• How to use Los Angeles techniques to succeed in Australia.
• Going online. How to use AT2 to your best advantage.
• How I can help - 17 years of experience in the Biz at your service helps you personally construct your marketing tools.
• Creating a headshot and show reel that gets you auditions
• Q&A - The questions on your mind answered on the level

A Q&A will follow, and as many questions as possible will be answered.

 

PERSONAL NOTE FROM JASON:

It should be stressed that I am not trying to talk Australian actors into going to Los Angeles. I am providing them with a hopefully sobering view of how difficult it is to pursue a career there and urging them to take a more serious look at what they need to do to give themselves the best chance to succeed as an actor.

Jason’s Biography:
Jason Siner has been a Los Angeles-based talent scout for seven years. Taking a very hands-on approach, he has helped actors he’s discovered develop their reel, avoid common pitfalls, and most importantly obtain OS representation. Several of these actors have gone on to co-starring and starring roles in major American television shows and feature films.

Jason’s two decades as a theatre and film actor, voice-over artist, and screenwriter help him to see things from the artist’s point of view. He is driven by the urge to help actors avoid the mistakes he and fellow actors have made especially in the often overwhelmingly enigmatic entertainment world of Los Angeles.

What other’s are saying about Jason:

This is a reference for my associate Jason Siner, who has been an invaluable help in the building of my business.

Jason has a keen eye for talent and unparalleled knack for finding up-and-coming young stars, several of which I have signed on as clients. It is because of Jason’s expertise and resourcefulness that I turned to him when I decided to tap into the wealth of acting talent in Australia. I’m very confident Jason will continue to discover actors with star-potential and help them make the transition into the Hollywood system.

- Ken Jacobson, Ken Jacobson Management (see bio at bottom)

Ken Jacobson bio:

On October 22nd, 2007, Variety Magazine presented their special issue, “VARIETY’S TEN ACTORS TO WATCH”. The list honored ten relatively unknown actors that Variety felt, based on memorable performances in film, would be breakout actors of the future. For many years, this annual list has been an accurate predictor of actors on the verge of establishing themselves as major forces in the film industry.

Remarkably, with a small list of less than 20 clients, Talent Manager Ken Jacobson represents not one, but two of those ten honorees…"3:10 To Yuma"’s Ben Foster, and "Towelhead"’s Summer Bishil.

Barely a year prior, in August of 2006, Ken Jacobson left his twenty year partnership with the talent-management firm James/Levy/Jacobson and headed out on his own. He currently represents a small list of actors, many of who are starring in film and television. Besides Foster and Bishil, he represents Jon Foster, who can currently be seen starring opposite Jenna Elfman on the new CBS series “Accidentally On Purpose”, Efren Ramirez, who played “Pedro” in Napoleon Dynamite, and has done numerous films since, most recently seen starring opposite Jason Statham in “Crank 2”, Hailey and Tatum McCann from “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, Chris Sarandon, recently starring on Broadway opposite Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner in “Cyrano”, and on television, series regulars Julia Ling of “Chuck” and Logan Browning of “Meet The Browns”.

Having discovered most of his clients as unknowns, Ken Jacobson’s eye for talent and track record in developing careers is second to none.

In addition to management, Ken has also produced several films, including “ZACK AND REBA”, with Brittany Murphy, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Jeter, Kathy Najimy, and Martin Mull.

 

JASON RECENTLY COMPLETED A SYDNEY EVENT ON THE SAME CONTENT TO A PACKED HOUSE OF OVER 170 ACTORS FROM OVER 50 DIFFERENT AGENCIES.

Comments about the Sydney Event last month.

"Jason, and AT2 gave us artists a great amount of info that will help us! With help of Jason and AT2 it makes more clear to real reality of how to go about your career."

Michael De Palma (Actor-Sydney)

"Jason had great ideas on marketing, how and when."

Misha Pevreall (Actor-Sydney)

"Jason is honest and down the line. His feedback is to the point. His thoughts and ideas come across in a clear and understandable way"

Actor- Sydney

"Jason was direct, honest and beilevable. Jason has a great positive energy, that is required in this business. He was refreshing."

Geoff Weston (Acor-Sydney)

"Jason is an excellent public speaker and I valued what he had to say. I think everything he spoke about was spot on. I really enjoyed it. I thought Jason was honest and down-to-earth. "

Actor- Sydney

"The fact that it gave me an opportunity to talk with Jason 1 on 1. It helped me alot and he put me on the right track. Thank you very much AT2 for this opportunity and i hope there are many more in the future."

Jano Toussounian (Actor-Sydney)

"I've heard many opinions about LA from other actors whom it is difficult to attain whether their opinion is tainted by a fowl overseas experience or just the lucid fantasy of the stardom that awaits. Hearing the reality of LA from Jason Siner was refreshing. His presentation was not weighted with bias towards promoting a dream or beating us with a reality stick, but rather centered on developing ourselves as actors and our marketing tools. Thus giving guidance as to how we advance ourselves here in Australia, and IF the call to LA comes, that we would be prepared. The added bonus of booking a one on one session with Jason afterwards was truly beneficial. Thank you AT2."

M. Oxley (Sydney)

"I think its great that AT2 can provide an avenue for such a wide range of people in the industry."

Geoff W. (Sydney)

"I would like to thank AT2 for this event because i have learnt so much from it. It gave me the opportunity to meet and talk with Jason. Thank you very much."

J Toussounian (Actor-Sydney)