What NOT to do in a Self-Tape Audition #63 Actress Olivia Dennis

Olivia Dennis nearly quit acting once but now she’s all in. In this episode we break down the realities of acting for camera: unlearning stage habits, scaling performances, and her technique of the “moment before” to bring auditions to life. Olivia also shares the mental side of auditions—doing the work, letting go, and handling callbacks that never come—plus a directors note that changed how she approaches heavier material.

Transcript

Meet Olivia And Recent Projects

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Focal Point Podcast. I'm your host, Tony Riggs. Here I take a deep dive into my personal interests of the hidden craftsmanship, philosophies, and passions behind society's talent. If you're intrigued by artistic nuance, please subscribe and follow on my YouTube channel, Spotify, and Buzz Sprout. With that being said, let me introduce you to today's guests. So I didn't know until I started talking to Joe, because I apparently have a lot of uh mutual acquaintances, just never got around to meeting. Yeah. Uh that you're actually in in his uh movie, end of another time.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Yeah. Um you were in uh, what was it? Cam Marshall's a movie.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Oh Cam, yeah, Cam's too. Yeah, I actually just worked on his most recent one with him, Happy Sorrows. Um, and it was my first time co-producing it too. So it was Oh, you co-produced it too. I missed that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Is that is that why you had well it was it was kind of like a side roll, but you know, it did everyone in the production side kind of make like a uh basically make a cameo. Is that what happened?

SPEAKER_00 1:07

No, actually. No. So I so you're the only one.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Yes. Yeah, it was kind of it was it, it was an interesting process too, because it was the first time that I was, you know, I was auditioning for, you know, originally like the lead, and then I was also like having to be like in the casting as well. So it was like uh interesting dynamic of like I need to know, like obviously we have to judge who is best for the role and who, you know, um, and then just also just you know, um not like you you have to have the obviously like thick skin, you want the best for the film, but also like because yeah, I understand it was between me and the lead actress, and then she just worked with she worked so well with Mel, who plays um the guy, and so we're like, yeah, that that has to go. So yeah. Um then my other co-producers, uh, yeah, we're just more behind the scenes because they I guess they like it that way.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

So was that the last time that you produced after that?

SPEAKER_00 2:08

You're just like the first time, and and I'm just having you know, I might I might do something again, but I I just love the acting so much, so well, we're recording.

From Theater Roots To Film

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Um, just real quick, just go ahead and introduce yourself, what you do, and how you get started.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

All right, hi, thank you so much for having me. I am Olivia Dennis, I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I am now a full-time actress. Um I started the film side about four or five years ago, and have just been trying to perfect my craft as much as I can. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Okay. And um, you know, like I said before, we have a lot of mutual contacts, so I'm surprised I have not bumped into you at some point. Actually, I know the film is a lot of people. Maybe I did at like some random festival or something like that, and I just happened to miss you and just didn't know who you were at the time. Yeah, that's also possible. Um so when I was going through your material as well as your social media, it it occurred to me, is is your biggest goal with your acting career to be able to afford going to as many Reds and Bengals games as possible? Is that is that what's going on?

Sports, Cincinnati, And Personal Life

SPEAKER_00 3:21

It's pretty up there for me. Okay, because yeah, yeah, you caught on. Um, I'm the biggest Reds fan there is. I grew up, you know, going Reds games with my dad, and then I actually worked for them for like four years. Um, I was on like the rally pack, so it was okay, like I shot t-shirts out and stuff, it was so fun. Um, but and then after I just continue to go to so many Reds games. I live downtown too, so it's easy for me to just walk there. Um but I I actually I know baseball pretty well too because my brother and my dad like instilled it in me, so love going, actually love watching games. So yeah, yes, baseball family. I mean, I love the Bengals too, but you know how sensey sports are. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Well, I mean, it's not it's not just Bengals, it's also the Reds. It's either really hot or really cold.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yeah, I know, and it's UC too. Like they all the I went to UC as well, and their sports too. Like you think they're gonna be good, and then it's just they disappoint you.

Auditions, Self-Tapes, And Rejection

SPEAKER_02 4:24

So all right. Well, you based on your INDB, you started acting about six-ish years ago, and then obviously COVID happened right with that. And you know, so that threw everyone through a loop, and especially the newbies who just got started. They're like, Yeah, this isn't even normal. I don't even know how to adjust to this. Like, what what was that for you?

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Right, because it's like we we I feel like we don't go to in-person auditions anymore. It's so weird how we've had to just transition to self-tapes all the time. Um, which like I it's of course it's convenient and I do like love it, but at the same time, I do miss in-person auditions sometimes, just that interaction and having a director tell you, you know, do it this way instead, and then you you know, feel some feel better.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

How roughly how many well, it's a numbers game when it comes to auditions, obviously. Yeah. And how what percentage would you say you actually get a callback on, not necessarily get a roll from?

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Yeah, that's um, I mean late.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

And how do you tolerate it? That's what I want to know. Yeah, no, because I'm a writer, I can just sit here and just kind of pat myself on the back if I did something really good, and you know, that's about the end of the day. Um, but really yeah, yeah, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Yeah, um, it's definitely lower. Um, I mean, even to get a callback nowadays, I feel like is a win. Um I think the biggest thing that I've had to kind of readjust my brain in thinking that way is you do the work for an audition, you do the audition, you send it off, and you just erase it. You try to erase it as much as like, okay, that was my performance, moving on. Um, because you know, you just go to the next one and you try to do the work, and then if you get, you know, if you get a call, you're like, oh, which one was it? So like try to train your brain. I mean, I have had a lot of instances lately too, um, where you're so excited about one thing and you think you did such a good job, and then you think about it a little more, and yeah, you get a call back. But there's just sometimes it's just it's not even based on you. It's just what they're looking for at the time. Um, but I think that's the biggest thing that I've tried to do lately is just kind of send it off, try to erase it from your brain, move on to the next one. Um, try to just put that as that was your performance. You're always, you know, working on your craft, so it's another instance to do that.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Um button. What about yeah, that's gotta be like emotional, emotionally taxing because at a certain point you have to get numb to it, but then you can't let that numbness carry over and you just end up being flat inside of your exactly.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Yeah. I feel like sometimes too, if you need like a day, if you need a day to like really feel that, um, especially like I said, if you're really excited about an audition and you know you don't you didn't get it, take a day or something, but you then you have to, you have to move on because you can't just stay in that. Um, I remember like actually four-ish years ago when I kind of switched over to film, I really thought about giving up acting completely, and I just didn't think it was, you know, for me.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Um like a year-ish after COVID, roughly.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Yeah, yeah. Um, because I actually did start in theater, um, like in high school, um, but then I decided to switch over and try to do that. But um, but then a director actually gave me a chance, and I was in her short film, and then that's kind of when it was like, okay, wait, I can do this, and propelled me to like not quit.

Holding Confidence After Setbacks

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So um that's funny the way people like especially and I catch myself doing this too, the way we talk about COVID. There's like B C A D and then there's COVID, you know? It's like before or after COVID. And it's right around the 2000 mark, so honestly, it would probably work. Like uh, what would it be? Like B B C C and then A A D D or like something like that. I don't know. It's funny. But honestly, the industry still hasn't completely readjusted after that, and it's still figuring out what it is because now, you know, after COVID, then there's AI coming about. And then you had the strikes. You had the strikes because of that, and there's a whole there's a whole thing. Do you have any like actresses, uh actress, uh actor friends? I always forget my verbiage. Do you have any friends that also act that uh have experienced either better or worse scenarios that you know you've taken some some cues from?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Um yeah, I actually I do have uh some actors. Sorry, what was the question?

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Have you taken any cues from uh any colleagu uh from like any you know colleagues that also do acting in terms of how they've adjusted toward the climate right now?

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Oh yeah, yeah. Um yeah, and I feel like a lot of yeah, a lot of people are going through it, like you said. Um, and it's uh it's nice to have other actor friends, especially, yeah, locally, you know, for you because you're going through the same thing and you can relate. Um, but then again, yeah, I see so many of my actor friends do get wins, and I'm just so excited, and I try to get as much advice advice from them as possible. Like I have actually two actor friends that I worked with a couple years ago and films that are now in a lot of verticals, like they're just they're shooting out like lead roles back to back to back, and it's it's incredible to see where they are now. Um, but I've literally I've tried to um lately to get like a lot of advice from them, just kind of like see what they are looking for because I definitely want to try to step into that as well. Um, but yeah, a lot of a lot of actor friends are going through it as well. Um, they can see how it's starting to slow down. I mean, especially during this time of year, too. Right. Um, but yeah, uh very similar things are being thought.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

So do you guys ever have like therapy sessions, like collective group therapy sessions for like bad dialogue that you've gotten? You're like, I had to say it this way, even though I didn't want to, and it sounded bad, but the rector told me to do it.

Collaboration With Directors And Script Changes

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yes, oh, uh several times. Um, but luckily a lot of the directors I have worked with are so kind to the fact that they actually do want my input sometimes. If something feels weird and doesn't feel um natural, um, I can just I like speaking of Cam uh Marshall, for instance, um, with Happy Sorrows' new film, he there we were kind of all working on the script with him. It was so nice to like be able to have us look at it, help him work on it as well. Um, but there was the one scene that I had, and I was just like, Cam, this just it does not feel natural to me. It it feels a little, I don't know, it just feels a little cheesy. And he was like, Okay, yeah, like how would you say it? And so I kind of told him, and then it just he was so great about changing that for me, and it just helped it flow a lot better. So a lot of directors that I have worked with in the past, uh luckily, um, they've been very keen to that. Um, but there have been some, I remember just like auditions and things, just reading the script, and you just like, I can try as much as I can, but sometimes it it's very difficult.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

I think, I think honestly, one of the best things a writer can do, ironically, is actually not sit in their house and write all day. It's yes, it's you have to go out and be social and then hear how actually people talk in the background. Yeah, you know, because if you sit if you imagine how a conversation goes, it's through your own lens and perception about how you personally have interacted with other with other things. Exactly. Unless you have this hyper metacognition that just is a superpower or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

Just go out like to a coffee shop and just kind of you know observe everything.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Be a creep, basically. Yeah, be a creep.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

You know, I mean people watch. We love to do that anyway.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

So people watching is a very fun hobby, especially if you're in high. Yeah. Tell me, tell me about the uh the first serious role that you you received uh when you started pursuing acting, you know, roughly a year after you decided to not uh quit acting, you know, after COVID.

First Lead Role And Film Acting Adjustments

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Yeah. Um well I will say I think it was that um that role for me was the really serious one. Um, because um basically before that I did this one one very short film. Um it was maybe like a couple lines. It was but it was transitioning from theater to film. So that was a whole thing for me where it was difficult to transition a little bit because you know, going from theater for years, you're on stage, you're projecting, you're being vague. It's so different than film acting. And when I did that short film, I was still a film, I was still a theater actor, and I didn't have any of the tools to know was it was the director telling you, hey, you're moving out of frame, I need you to stop. Right. Well, so I remember he's like, you know, you can you don't have to face out to the audience, we we've got a camera everywhere, you know. I just like doing that as well. But um just I feel like a lot of the times theater acting, you're allowed to, you know, big big and overact sometimes, but in front of the camera too, um, my face, especially. I had to train my face how to not be as expressive. Um, because you know, you're on a stage, people can't really see you close up, so it's easy to do that.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

How long did it take you to acclimate to doing that?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

I I just I think I had to become a lot more aware of it. Um and then the best way not to just completely focus on it, but they it just there I took like a lot of people like Joe Cox actually. He he really helps me on that. Um, just becoming more aware of like my eyes. Sometimes I would blink, like there's little things that you don't recognize. Like sometimes you would blink right before like you had a big line, and you had to just be more aware of that. I was like, wow. Um, it's just something you learn. Um, but I just remember coming from that film. I'm like, wow, I gotta figure out what I'm doing and how to transition. Um, but then um, I don't know if you know, do you know Erica Bach at all?

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Yeah, yeah, I've talked to her before.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Okay, perfect. So she's the one that actually got gave me the chance before I quit acting. So I always like thank her all the time.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

She's like, okay, on your way out, I need a favor.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

I know. Well, I just remember, it's funny. I remember auditioning for this this part. It was a lead role in her short film, and um, I was between, you know, a couple actresses. At first, I didn't even get it. Um, she's like, Oh, thank you for auditioning, you were great, but we gave it to somebody else. Okay, so I moved on. A couple months later, something happened with that actress. She backed up. I don't know what happened. She was like, I would love to offer you it. I was like, Great. So um, it was this 1950s short film. Um played my first lead role in a film, and like I said, all I've ever done was theater acting. Um, so but it it just made me, it gave me that confidence. Um just everyone working on set, they were great. Um they directed me in the right ways, you know. Um, and I it was a serious role for me too. There was a lot of different subjects. Um there it was like drug use, it was, you know, um a lot of different uh romantic scenes as well, and just dealing with pretty heavy subjects. So I feel that really, like I said, that really saved my confidence, even to be like, okay, I can do this.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

So when you uh decided to continue acting, obviously one of the best and also worst resources to to go to look for gigs is our are Facebook groups, you know. That's that's where they're all hiding. And sometimes you don't always know uh which ones are the good ones to work with, and sometimes you don't know which ones are the the ones you want to avoid. How did how did you learn navigating that minefield?

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Yeah, you're right. Um, that's where I found Erica's film, and that's where I found a lot of work, actually, is the Facebook groups. Um, so I'm a part of maybe like four or five now, like that definitely um like Midwest Ohio, um, even like a Kentucky. Um, but what you have to look for in those groups too is of course, like when you're starting out, um you're when you're starting out, you just want to get work and you want to build your craft and you want to get that experience. Um, so you know, any student film is great to look for. Um like like I said, maybe UC, Xavier, any of those, um, great to um have that experience. Um, like you said, there's there's scams as well. You got to be really careful about that. Um, you know, some phony emails. A lot of the times people are really great about commenting and kind of calling it out too nowadays, which is great.

Navigating Facebook Gigs And Red Flags

SPEAKER_02 17:44

So um my favorite part of the show is is the part that uh never really airs because after it they usually will tell me the horror stories and they'll name names for me. It's great. I love it, it's wonderful. It's my favorite part.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

But that's like Facebook groups are such a good way too to meet people, you know, in look locally in the film industry and connect making those connections because, like I said, uh making that connection with Joe Cox has led me to work with him um in the you know, in the future, he's taught me a lot. Um, just these great directors, and um, those Facebook groups are where it started. So that's where I got a lot of my experience from and being able to build on that.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

Have you been offered a role and then said no to for specific reasons?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Well, there was one um that I did because it just ended up being a little too much that I wasn't comfortable with, so that has come up once. Um, I've also been on the opposite of end of where you know you're so excited and you got this lead role and it's gonna happen, and then the film falls through, which happens all the time.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

It's very frequent.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Yes, very frequent.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

So I feel like a lot of filmmakers they try to play that uh the politicking game where okay, I'm gonna say I'm gonna go lie to this one person and say have these other two resources that would they would say yes to. And now that I have this person on, they're gonna run, do the exact same thing with those other two resources and people and say, Oh, I have now this person now. And so they try to basically network their way around and into success, and that doesn't that is a very low likelihood of ever actually happening realistically.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Exactly. I've also been once like cast and then uncast. Don't know. I that was that was a little bizarre for me too, and I remember just being like five. It's a false flag younger too, but I was just like, wow, that's like a hit on the ego.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Somebody said yes, and they weren't supposed to, or they're like, oh shoot, I I missed this other audition.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

Yeah, actually, we we want to go with someone else. Sorry. I know we said yes to you, and I'm like, oh, okay. Well, okay, so I've done a lot of the comedy roles. Um, or you know, I feel like the bitchy blonde roles pretty standard, which are fun. There's so much fun.

Saying No, Dropped Roles, And Boundaries

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Funny enough, actually, sorry to interrupt the the thing that I get most from other actresses is that they would love to do more comedy roles because normally they get asked to like do this really traumatic role where they have to cry for like a 10-minute take or something stupid, and then that's what they get known for, and then that's all they get asked to do, and now they're just like miserable all the time. Yeah, and then like I would love to do a comedy, and now I finally meet someone who says, I just I love comedies, I love doing them all the time.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

No, they're so much fun. I do love them. Um, like please keep them coming, sure. Yes, love it all day. But um, I'm actually the opposite where I feel like I want to get more of those dramatic roles because it it will help it'll challenge me a lot more. Um, the one uh short film I sent you uh called The Rabbit, um, directed by Max Kaplan, that's one of the roles I'm still like most proud of. Um, because it was I was able to get there to an emotional place that I feel like I haven't in a while. And I love those type of roles because it just it challenges me the most. And that's what I I love. Um, and I just want to continue being a better actor. Sometimes I I'm so easy to get in my head, and um, you know, it's so easy to just memorize lines, just recite them, but you need to like actually be in it, and that's what I just want to be myself to be able to go there.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Well, if that role in particular, it wasn't it was a specific type of emotion, it wasn't just drama, it was also reserved, you know. So there's there's there's an extra layer on top of that. How did there is, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

And that's why I like that character a lot too, because you I mean, as a person too, you you have all these feelings, you don't just have one, you know, note you're always in, and especially when you're dealing, you're grieving, you're dealing with those things, um, you might be, you know, really.

Going Full-Time And Multi-Region Agents

SPEAKER_02 22:00

upset one moment but then you just it the upset turns to angry and then just all of these different things and it's not just black and white so I love you know those characters that you um they're like an onion you just keep making them complex so as an actress um what how do you maintain presence in a scene when you have no dialogue um for instance it's definitely having fellow actors too in a scene that you're very comfortable with that also know the work and this the scene as well and you can just exist in it and kind of try to take your mind there um let's say like you know you try to relate as much as possible to things in your own you know life um anything that can really help you relate of course it's not gonna be the exact thing but if you can tap into that feeling as well um like yeah like you said a lot a lot of the work too is by your face by your body language um sometimes that even just a look can tell so much um so a lot of the times too like I said if you have great actors that you trust and you understand the scene and the dial uh none no dialogue but you understand how heavy the moment is too um you just you try your best to just really live in that moment with the people surrounded by you when when the director calls action you know that's that's the that's the trigger for everything to go off and the for the party to get started but there's a certain switch that obviously you have to do as an actor in order to be able to to get into character what describe to me the process of that instantaneous switch for for you yeah um it it can be different um different at different times for me um if it's a very very heavy scene a lot of the times I do try before the scene to kind of even before action kind of just get myself prepared a little more um kind of try my best not to really talk to anybody either um like I said just try to get myself in that mindset before um because I want to you know I don't want to just as much as I love it you know goofing off with people before the scene you just want to make sure you're you're present in that space um for other things sometimes it can be just easier um like I said with comedy a lot of the times um it it it's just it's just way easier I I it just kind of I don't know it just clicks for me I don't know how to explain it but I'm saying is you're a natural okay all right no no definitely I invited you on to brag all right definitely not um oh I had a question about local Cincy because well have you done much work outside of the the the local region curiously or has it mostly been inside of Cincinnati Columbus no so it's definitely um indie as well I do a lot of work in indie um Indiana and then I do work sometimes I've just started doing Michigan which is a long haul sometimes but um it's it's always been so great um yeah I try to still do things like Columbus kind of you know a lot in Ohio still um but okay trying to been expanding what have been what are the biggest differences between various directors that you've worked with and how they work and what have you learned from them yeah some directors um are more go with the flow than others and some um are definitely more you know strict but in in like a good way because they all they want to do is bring the best out in you and I've I do appreciate that um I feel like some directors know more what they want too than others as well um some people have such a great vision and they don't want to sway from it and then others are more collaborative which is nice too um so definitely there they're just all wide range of that um with those with those types of directors so um sometimes you know you get the the sort of person who's socially awkward but they do know what they want but they're just not great at communicating. Yes and then other times you get the complete opposite on both spectrums where uh they're really really social and very verbal but for some reason their directions just do they just sound like you know sim talk for some reason.

Headshots, Reels, And Portfolio Strategy

SPEAKER_00 27:01

Yes and yes have you have you exp encountered those two dichot that that dichotomy yet yeah um there was one actually it was like a it was a pair of directors um that yeah they're so social they're so kind um they have I think they have certain visions of how they necessarily it's more like how they want it to look than how they want their actors to actually direct and you have sometimes you have so much freedom where you're just a little confused and it it kind of it it causes like a delay of time and you don't get d things done at the cleared strip of land but there's no road on it.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

You know it's like I can see where the trees are yeah but there's no road.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Which like I said sometimes it can be fun because you get to play but at the same time it's like you you still need a little bit of direction because you just you want at the end of the day I do I want the director to be pleased with like my work and how I bring their story to life because that's that you know that's what we want as actors um and I always just want to make sure like it's their vision that they are seeing and they're happy with it. So sometimes it is hard when it's just like oh like you get thrown in the sandbox but they don't give you a shovel. So um yeah it can be a little tricky sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

What's the best piece of direction that you've gotten ooh that's good.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

Um I would say it was it would be on that film The Rabbit um because I remember that like a couple takes before I was reading that monologue and I think I was thinking about it so much and thinking about it in my face um that the director was just like just like just read it and really understand it. Just recite it and let go like just let it go sometimes we we just think so much that you just just do it like have just say it and let it come to you and you kind of almost have to forget everything that you're taught sometimes which is wild but if it's just like one of those and you just let it go and you let you let the words just kind of come to you you do your best work. It's wild.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

Um what about that what about that role cause you to overthink it because I think the story is really important.

Self-Tape Setup And On-Camera Dos

SPEAKER_00 29:40

I've I've related to it a little bit too um it's a lot it's about power and and I a lot of women I'm I'm sure I have I've experienced it um where you just want to make sure the story comes comes through and you do it justice. And I think I was just thinking about it so much where I just wanted it you know I just wanted people to feel that so bad that I was like thinking about it so much of like how I was portraying it and so it was the weight of it that that did the weight of it for sure yeah okay gotcha yeah what was the last script you said no to and why hmm um it is this one director he's had this script well he's he's changed it a couple times um oh we love those writer directors where they just keep going with their best idea and it never gets finished I know and it's it's a different one which it's like it's it's one of those where it's like it's similar to the old one but it's it's just a little bit different. And yeah he keeps it's this one I promise it's always that one. It's this one exactly and he's trying to make it happen and like I like I wanted it like to you know do that for him at the same time I'm in like my spot now where I just can't afford like the on like I work with okay this is I'm trying to like put this in the right words but you know now that I've been working for like a good four years you you do usually want something for your work you know you don't just do it on the fly I mean there is you can say I need some pesos yeah that's how I say it but there are specific directors that I've worked with that I will do no kidding like I love their work I trust them I love working with them so I'll do that um but he as well like it was a full feature he wanted like those sorts of people also generally have a line like a a a catalog of work that you can go look at and see if it'd be worth part of it though. Exactly because like I said I I am still like I appreciate all the actors that I've worked with that have given me that you know chance to grow and do that with them. So I'll always work with them you know certain directors like I said but this one in particular it was a whole feature and he wanted me as you know a supporting lead and he wanted all of these you know weekends free for me and just like to not get any you know get anything for it and as well as like the script I just didn't really click with as well. So it was hard like it's hard for me to say no to because I'm a very nice person and I love I want you know I I love the arts and I want people to pursue what they love. So it's hard for me sometimes to like say no how long ago did you go full time actually just the end of last year which was a really tough for me because I've done a lot of I used to do like four jobs at a time I had this full time job and leasing which I liked for a while but then I you know I turned 30 I was like if I don't go for it now I'm never gonna go for it. So decided in I would say like September October decided to go full time and it's been scary and it's been tough was that something your agencies pushed you to do or is it more more more just from you? It kind of more me because I wanted I mean I wanted to give them as much time as I could too and like that's always gonna open doors for you as well when you're always available and just wanting to do that. Um so help me understand then um as somebody who's not a part of an agency yeah why why more than one like why isn't one enough because you definitely want to get as many regions as possible. So as long as it as you want to cover as many as you can um so as long as they're uh certain miles away from each other you can be you can have as many as you want. Now like the next time I'm I mean the next goal for me is to get one in like Chicago Atlanta you know those as well which is harder. But yeah because I have one here in Cincy I have one in Indianapolis and then I have one in Michigan. So it's just it's just easier and it helps you more with those regions um which like I said you you do a lot on your own as well but like actually are the requirements for them pretty similar or are there some pretty similar yeah there's not a whole lot of differences too like they they know of each other too so a lot of the times like if you're with a certain agent you don't have to do too much you know sometimes you do still go through like the audition process of like you know doing a monologue for them and they'll be like okay yeah great we'd love to have you so it's it's a lot of the times like if you're with one already and then they know of the other one it's easier and like me about the process of actually finding an agency that that works for you.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

I know there's a few that are uh you know that are popular enough that they have a decent reputation and so if you just if you get with them it's like okay you'll you'll at least get a little something out of it. Oh yeah but then there's there's other people and other you know agencies that uh that don't have a great reputation or just are not so how did you how did you sift through those?

Typecasting, Range, And Hair Changes

SPEAKER_00 35:05

Yeah um I actually was with one um for a while that I feel like agencies work differently with everyone because I was with one that didn't really work well for me or with me. I was with them for like two years and I maybe got two things the whole time. I wouldn't even get many auditions which was very odd and I was like this is really weird. But that agency worked well for one of my friends. So I was like okay great you get work I'm glad that works for you but that's when I knew I was like I'd have to change I got a lot of my friends' opinions on them um like like I said their reputation I have several friends like I said that are with Heyman which who I'm with now and they've been nothing but amazing um but it's kind of just getting those from your friends um doing more research as well um but that's when I decided to switch and it's it's helped me so much.

SPEAKER_02 36:06

So okay a lot of yeah your friends in the agency I mean in the agency because as far as I'm aware there's uh there's always some type of business model at least within the agency where they'll charge actor actors certain services but that will be their main source of income is actually just instead of getting you know commissions off of the roles that they get for their talent it's basically eternally trying to make their talent better at something.

Radio Detour And Return To Acting

Regional Work And Director Styles

SPEAKER_00 36:35

Yeah definitely um because yeah the only thing that you do obviously pay for is you you have to you know get updated headshots they they recommend like every six to nine months which is it can be very taxing. So um as long I mean as long as you you don't drastically change you know your appearance um you can maybe go a little longer um but you definitely do want to refresh them because you know casting too likes to see those updated they don't always want to see the same things all the time you want to refresh um but yeah you would you usually like pay just pay for headshots um which they usually give you recommendations for that as well um and then you also sometimes just um pay like a website fee every year that just to keep you on their website but other than that yeah uh they just whatever you make money they make money so they that's how you know because I remember way back in the day when I was younger um those scams can get you as well so and they try they generally try to go after younger people yes they do because they don't know and they want to like be famous and they're very naive and um but if you have to upfront pay thousands of dollars that is not an agency that you want to be with because that's usually yeah not the way to go what what is something that the agency tells you when it comes to um creating your own portfolio that makes it look good to other potential prospecting uh agents and uh agencies not agencies uh yeah directors producers those sorts of people yeah um so you definitely said you want to get a good set of headshots um but you also kind of want to have different looks that cater to you so that can that's very important so like say like you want to go for roles more like the girl next door you want to go you know like a lot of the times you are typecast sometimes um and you want to like sometimes play into that as well um so I would say you want to look for things that cater to you um and then also get lifestyle shots too if you want to go more for the commercial you want to definitely you know um try like a you know a business um like a blazer or something if you're trying to go for sometimes you get commercials like that and you want to like put yourself in those different circumstances as well. So that's definitely important. I would say keep consistently on your digitals. Well digitals are really easy to uh so basically digitals are different than headshots because digitals are you know you at that time and not you know all done up in as well um but you want to continue to be up to date on those um just because a lot of the times they do ask for a picture of you right now um but it's really easy to do you're like I just woke up you don't want to see me right now okay I gotta get ready for my digitals and then I'll just this feels a little invasive. I know um that as well and then once you start getting um your uh things for film uh commercials things like that you can put together a reel and reels are great as well um because a lot of the times casting directors um directors want to see some of your previous work um so putting together a good reel as well and definitely keeping it shorter rather than longer so what about for auditions because and you're making self-tapes what are the do's and don'ts of that yeah uh definitely have a clear background um I now do have a setup of it took me a minute um but have good lighting because you want to see your face have a good frame as well which I'm not really doing right now but like have a usually have a good framing um um it's usually like chest up to see your face um and your eye line is very important as well um unless it tells you to look at the camera in your audition you kind of want to slightly look above or wherever the yeah I've always wondered that like why are you not looking at I mean I guess I feel like some people do it some people don't and then I see actresses yeah yeah I feel like it kind of especially if there's multiple people to supposed to be in the scene you want to make sure like you actually are in the scene and like kind of change your eye line to where they would be if that makes sense so I think that's kind of why you don't just look directly um I I feel like sometimes commercials though it's it's okay to like look directly in there because you're kind of almost speaking to that are props still a no no because some people like to break the rules yeah not necessarily as long as it's not as distracting okay it's not too distracting. If you don't have like a pinwheel you know going I mean sometimes too like if you if you'd ask for a phone sometimes it is like fine to just like have a phone in there you know um and then you with your clothing as well you want to make sure it's nothing you know of course no patterns no logos just something that can distract you from taking them out of your scene um another thing that people that I would say is having almost this moment before so before you go into your dialogue have almost having someone have a make like make up a question that somebody would ask you right before you go into the scene and how would that make you feel so that way you're not just going cold turkey in a scene trying to set up that um it just makes it feel more alive and real that's something I've learned lately.

SPEAKER_02 42:49

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

What do you get typecasted as normally yeah like you said like the Bidy Blonde the Big Lovers it's so much fun. But I don't know I feel like lately I've been that like the mean girl uh something yeah that's what I was thinking when you said Bidgie Blonde I'm like isn't that just like mean girls over and over again basically like a mean like blonde um well it was funny too well if I had red hair like a year ago so it was interesting how that kind of like switched up my roles like what I was how did that change it what did that go to I feel like it was more I played a lot more like like teacher esque like mom sometimes like more of like the like rebel friend it's very interesting sort of like the uh the the friend of the the main character that gets him into trouble or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

Yeah yeah do you wish you had started earlier or are you happy like where you're at sometimes I do I mean I before acting I was a dancer so I did

SPEAKER_00 44:00

Grow up like uh I started when I was like five and I did like competition teams, so I'm I was happy that I did do that, that I was still like you know in the arts. Um I just knew I wasn't gonna do that professionally, and then I found theater um in high school and I love that. Um, like I said, sometimes I do, but at the same time, I'm kind of glad I didn't because I just had more just more of a childhood not having a I actually lived a life, it wasn't like all centered around you could be a kid and do things.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Well, I mean, because a lot of people generally start in theater. It starts it starts off with some school play that was really impiningful, and they're like, Oh wow, I get all this attention. Oh my gosh, this is great. I should do this more, and then they do it more, and they're like, now they're hooked on like the endorphins that you get from from that at that age. And then it grows into high school, and then you know, all the nerdy people start making films because they're nerds and that's what they do. So that then they go to get all the extroverts in the theater department be like, hey, you want to make a movie? And they're like, Oh wow, I can make films too. You know, that's normally how the thing goes. But you know, for you, it's like there was this like window, and I'm trying to understand that that little window aside from the COVID aspect, because you started you were in theater, yeah, and then that didn't happen necessarily, which is what I'm curious about.

Craft Notes: Presence, Switch, And Letting Go

SPEAKER_00 45:23

Yeah, so yeah, I've I've my my like career has been very interesting because I've switched, I've done I feel like I've done a lot of different things. Um so in college, did a little bit of theater, then after that, I I feel like I just didn't really believe in myself enough. So I didn't really go for it. I found the Reds. I also found radio. I did radio for a little bit too. Um, so I started in like the promotion. Did radio. I uh started like doing like promotions for them, but then um my boss came to me and was like, Hey, do you want to start doing on air stuff? And I was like, Okay, so started working my way up there. I had to do crazy Was it for the Reds radio? No, actually, it was for um a country station, B105, which is around here.

SPEAKER_01 46:22

Um okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

Yeah, but no, worked on the Reds rally pack doing that, and then would do radio as well. So I had to do those crazy shifts like midnight to 6 a.m. on Saturdays, like work my way up of trying to train myself to be um so I did that for about like three years.

SPEAKER_02 46:41

Um how did that period res uh resolve with you deciding that that is something that you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_00 46:48

Yeah. Um like I loved it, but I still I think I saw a lot of my friends still act, and I think I was just really missing it. Um I it just never left my mind. I felt like this is the only thing that I really, really love to do. And um after I was done with the Reds, and the radio just became too politic-y, there was a whole thing like that. So I just didn't think it was inside of the company or the show itself on radio, just radio in general, I think, but within the company, they kind of wanted me to, and in order to, you know, get on um my own show with somebody, they wanted me to go to like a smaller town, be on air there with my own show for years and then come back, and it just didn't really make sense to me.

SPEAKER_02 47:46

I was like, I'm just gonna how it used to happen in the 80s or something like that. Like, who was running the station?

SPEAKER_00 47:52

Exactly. And I was like, I like to do this, but this isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life. So that's when I decided to just kind of walk away. Um, I just like I said, I think at the time I didn't know if acting was like I could really do it, and I didn't really believe in myself enough. Um like I was I did join those Facebook groups, and I like I said, I think those Facebook groups kind of saved me because I would just always like look at them and see, and I'm like, maybe I could do it, and maybe I could try. Um and then yeah, I found Erica's and it worked.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

So yeah, and then now you're here because we somehow knew all the same people. Like let's see, I just want to run through real quick. Just just for me, like who all do we okay? There's Joe, there's Erica. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I've I've never had an in-person conversation with Cam, but I did interview him.

SPEAKER_00 48:50

So of course I met him on Joe's set, but then it was funny. We filmed like that weekend, and then on Monday, we both got cast in this film from our agency like last minute, and we didn't realize we're gonna be on the same set, so we moved to the city. Oh Micah, yeah. So we were on one set and then we were on another set together, and we're like, This is so funny. So he's he's great.

SPEAKER_02 49:14

There was like what three weekends in a row? Because I I asked him about this because like I'm like, come on, give me a story that I can pop up on her and be like, How do you know that? And be like, nobody gave me anything. So apparently everyone really loves you because I couldn't squeeze anything out of anybody, including Joe. Joe, I hate you. Joe. So oh my gosh. I could get no dirt. I don't know. I guess that's just how it rolls sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 49:42

They're all kind people.

SPEAKER_02 49:44

They're all just trying to save their careers. Maybe they do. I don't know. Maybe there's something going on that I don't know about. They're all just like, I just want to act.

Cities, Industry Shifts, And Next Moves

SPEAKER_00 49:53

Yeah, like just yeah. Um, no, but yeah, you're right. Yeah, Joe, Micah, um KM Marshall. Do you do you know Max Kaplan?

SPEAKER_02 50:06

Yeah, yeah. Actually, he's one of the people that I've known on and off the longest.

SPEAKER_00 50:13

I love him. I've worked with him so many times, he's the best.

SPEAKER_02 50:17

What did you do anything other than Rabbit with him?

SPEAKER_00 50:20

Yep. Looker, his most recent one.

SPEAKER_02 50:22

You were in Looker? I saw that at the uh film festival. Well, I saw it at the festival in um Catalano Festival.

SPEAKER_00 50:30

The 21 girl.

SPEAKER_02 50:33

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay. All right.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

Yeah, so the the lead, the lead in that one, that's she's the one that's in verticals, like crazy now.

SPEAKER_02 50:42

Really? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:42

Yeah, she's amazing. Um, but yeah, I still don't get verticals.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

I mean, I I I I understand what they are. It's like it's a it's a soap opera on your phone. That's what it is.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 50:53

Um, I don't I didn't understand soap operas either. It's just not my thing.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

I'm like, apparently it's like such a great set. I'm like, hey, I love it. Props to you. Um, but yeah, um, Max, I yeah, I started The Rabbit with him, and then we did another one as well. Oh my gosh, why can't why am I blanking? I think I've done I've done like three films.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

You're blocking all the trauma. That's what you're doing.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

Yeah, exactly. Um, but yeah, Max, um Erica, obviously. Uh do you know Johnny Catalano?

SPEAKER_02 51:36

Uh yeah, I had him on. Uh I've briefly talked with him. Yeah, I'm familiar with him.

SPEAKER_00 51:40

He's great too.

SPEAKER_02 51:41

Um because he's he's mainly I I haven't seen any films from him lately.

SPEAKER_00 51:46

It's always just been a one I can show you.

SPEAKER_02 51:48

You do is it re- is it something that I'm allowed to see?

SPEAKER_00 51:51

Yeah. Okay. No, no. He uh he wrote it with his brother, and me, him, and uh Chad Goodwin started it. So it's called Funeral for Formanski. He I he'd be happy to show you.

SPEAKER_02 52:05

I think I did see that. I I remember that name sounds familiar. I probably watched it in prep for talking to you.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

He's great at it. It's it's so funny because Johnny's such a nice guy, and in this, he like plays this, he just like yells the whole time, and it was so hard to keep a straight face, like him like being angry.

SPEAKER_02 52:25

Would you ever move out of Cincinnati uh for your career if maybe?

Why Acting Still Feels Like Home

SPEAKER_00 52:29

I've thought about it. I thought about it. I thought about moving to Chicago, um, specifically maybe Atlanta as well. I have a friend that just moved there and he's killing it, so um thought about that as well. But I don't know if I would want to move to LA necessarily.

SPEAKER_02 52:47

But what about Austin? Because a lot of people from really a lot of people from Hollywood, because there's a mass exodus going on right now. Um it's it's been a double. I mean, first it was COVID, then it was the strikes, then it was the fires, and it's just a bunch of things on top. You know, the they're going through the apocalypse right now. And then, you know, there's the economics of the state which aren't doing so hot. And you know, there's just it's it's financially not feasible to shoot there anymore. So now they're they're going to Austin, Atlanta mainly. But in the Midwest, we're getting we're getting the trickle-down effect from those people moving into Nashville. And I've met a few people actually in Cincinnati locally that have from Hollywood. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:32

Yeah, I oh, I've heard great things about Austin as well. Um always wanted to visit there. So yeah, uh I would definitely be open to that as well. But they're coming.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

Just make sure you say goodbye to everybody first. You're just gonna uh pack up and leave and be like, deuces, thanks for the real. I appreciate it. Uh well the last question I always like to ask people is um, you know, what about your job makes it the most full uh the why what about your job makes it fulfilling to keep doing over and over again?

SPEAKER_00 54:09

It's okay, so it's it's interesting too because I I have anxiety myself and I never thought, you know, the being an actor and having anxiety is just wild. It kind of contradicts itself, but for some reason, just being like either on stage in that aspect makes me calm in a way. It's just the adrenaline it brings me. I've I worked on like 14-hour days and I continue to wanting to go because I love it that much. It just being able to see characters um in different perspectives and their views on things, it opens your mind a lot. Um acting helps you too in like everyday life. Um it's just it performing and doing that has always been my calling. I just know it. Um and the love I have for it, it's hard to explain. Um, and especially, you know, indie and independent. I love being a part of a community and a film community, and being able to do it with creatives that are just as passionate as me. Um, and being able to see all of our work come together, seeing it on that screen and just being proud.

SPEAKER_02 55:41

So sweet. Well, Olivia, it's been great having on having you on. Um, it was a pleasure to finally get to meet you after I've heard your name in a few different circles before. So that's so funny. It was great to scratch this off the the bucket list.

SPEAKER_00 55:55

Maybe we'll actually meet in person one day.

Closing And Connect With Olivia

SPEAKER_02 55:58

It'll probably be on a film set, if any.

SPEAKER_00 56:00

Yeah, probably. Love that. Thank you so much for having me on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:03

Do you have any final thoughts you want to leave with the audience?

SPEAKER_00 56:06

Um, hey, if you I would just love to meet you. Just reach out. Just say hey. Let's hang out.