Acting Related - The MySite.Actor Podcast MySite.Actor

If you’re wondering how the hell to get an acting agent right now, this episode with Claire J. Loy will be invaluable to you. A step-by-step guide to ensure you get an agent that is right for you, not just the first agent you manage to sign with.
To be honest, even if you’re not looking for an agent, I think you’ll really enjoy hearing Claire’s super-purposeful process. It’s really impressive and shows just how much care and attention Claire puts into the business side of her career as well as her craft.
We also chat more generally about the importance of knowing what you want as an actor so that you can create an environment for yourself that supports your goals. 
Any time I have a self tape of importance to do, I give Claire a shout for help, she has seriously mastered the art, so I also asked her about self taping, what equipment is critical, and when you should invest in a high end camera. 
Have a listen, and let me know what you think. And if you want to connect with Claire you can check out her MySite.Actor website at www.clairejloy.com, or connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.
Claire J Loy is an Irish stage, film and television actress known for her portrayal of determined women, often with an edge of defiance . Claire plays Louise O’Neill in the indie feature Crosshair (dir. Tom McKenna) which is due for release in Summer 2020. Her award winning performance in the critically acclaimed short film In Orbit (dir.Katie McNeice) was described as ‘intense and intelligent’. Her television work includes Casualty (BBC), Trivia (RTE), and The Girl At The End Of The Garden (RTE).
I’m also on Twitter (@frankiep) and would love to hear from you, and don’t forget, if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.

I’ve known Pauline O’Driscoll for years now, but it’s only more recently I discovered that she trained in New York with Uta Hagen. 
Working with Pauline on her website, I realised that a) I knew shockingly little about Uta Hagen and b) Pauline had a wealth of information, and stories, to share. 
I learned so much on this podcast about Uta Hagen and her technique—but also, I just loved hearing the story of how Pauline went from doing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, but craving a more creative career, to studying in the HB Studio in New York and becoming an actor.
And make no mistake, Pauline is a powerful actor. 
She gives a wonderful performance in Gerard Barrett’s Smalltown, as Mary, you can also see her in Austin Smithard’s Busman’s Holiday, and she plays DI Liz Delahunt in Patrick McKnight’s forthcoming gritty crime drama Dredges.
Pauline also co-wrote (with Mark Evans), produced, and starred in the one-woman show Seven Ages Of Mam, which will be touring again once we are allowed back into theatres.
See Pauline’s website for more of her work, and if you’re interested in learning the Uta Hagen technique, Pauling is offering classes over Zoom. You can book a free call with Pauline to learn more.
You can also connect with Pauline on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
I’m also on Twitter (@frankiep) and would love to hear from you, and don’t forget, if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.

Almost exactly a year ago I headed to the stunningly gorgeous Riverstown House to shoot some reconstruction scenes for a docuseries about Ireland’s Greatest Loves.
I depicted Yeats, opposite Ciara Fitzgerald as Maud Gonne. 
It was freezing, with snow and rain forcing us to grab the outdoor shots during brief gaps in the weather—not that you’d know it from the footage as those gaps then tended to be absolutely beautiful. 
Freezing, but beautiful.
We were able to work relatively quickly indoors, with the decor at Riverstown House providing the perfect backdrop as we moved from room to room to represent different locations.
It was a great, supportive crew, with Patrick O’Shea (or Paddy as I will refer to him from now on) directing and Rupert McCarthy Morogh as DOP. 
I knew I was in good hands, having worked with Paddy and Rupert previously, 
That series, Scéalta Grá na hÉireann, has been airing on TG4 over the last few weeks and the final episode airs on Wednesday the 17th of February 2021. 
Given that today is Valentine’s Day I thought Paddy would make the perfect guest this month to chat about the series. 
Paddy is an award winning director with two features under his belt, a drama and a documentary. He has also directed multiple short films, also in both drama and documentary form. We had a great chat about Scéalta Grá na hÉireann, and Paddy very generously shared some invaluable tips he has picked up while being involved in the marketing and PR of his work. 
We chatted about some of the things you have to be aware of to increase your chances of getting into the media. 
And the importance of raising awareness and contextualising your work for your audience—regardless of how uncomfortable it might feel blowing your own trumpet (that’s a real saying right? It’s not just something my dad says…?).
I also asked Paddy about his choice to stay in Cork and make work from here, and he made some excellent points about how that choice enables him to make work he might not be able to otherwise. 
You can check out Paddy’s IMDb here, connect with him on Twitter or Instagram, and view some of his work on his website Southernman Films. 
Scéalta Grá na hÉireann was produced by Bo Media, and you can see it on the TG4 Player (at the time of posting at least).
As always, let me know what you think of the episode on Twitter (@frankiep) and if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.

So this episode I don’t have a guest, it’s just me, and I’m going to share with you 6 simple tips for using Twitter effectively as an actor. 
This year, I am making some changes to how I interact with my smartphone. 
I want to make at least a small dent in the time I spend on it, and I want to use it more consciously. 
I’ve turned off notifications for everything except calls, texts, and one or two messaging apps. 
I want to choose when I log into social media, rather than being pulled in by the endless pinging sounds on my phone. 
And I want to reduce the time I spend mindlessly scrolling social media.
So I thought I would share the tips I’ve picked up over the years to use Twitter more effectively, and more purposefully, as an actor.
In my OTHER job I’m a digital marketer, so as well as my own personal experience of making Twitter a better environment for myself as an actor, these tips are also infused with some basic marketing know-how. 
Oh, hey, I almost forgot to wish you a Happy New Year. 
It’s not been the most optimistic of beginnings, in fact it feels a bit like the starter pistol sounded and we faceplanted.
Which reminds me, the other reason there’s no guest this episode is that I just did not feel ready to engage with the outside world in time to organise a guest. 
Anyone else in that kind of mood?
Despite that, I remain optimistic that we can make 2021 a good year.
Tweet me and let me know how you’re doing.

One of the things that has really helped me feel connected to the creative world while in lockdown has been Andrew Macklin’s series of videos entitled “Creative Career Talk” where he talks to all kinds of creative people about what it means to live well as a creative in the world today.
I knew Andrew was an actor, and that he has worked with companies like The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Abbey Theatre and The Old Vic, but I hadn’t realised until very recently that he is also a career coach.
Because he has spent a lot of this year talking to people about living well as a creative, and since he also works with people to help them build the creative career they want, I knew Andrew would make an excellent end-of-year guest—a time when a lot of us reflect on the last 12 months and start to make plans for the months ahead.
First I got my Doctor Who nerdism out of the way (Andrew was in an episode that aired earlier this year), and then I asked whether there were any common threads that ran through his Creative Career Talks.
I also asked Andrew what he thought about the pervasive idea that actors have to sacrifice everything and “go all in” in order to succeed. 
And to finish up I asked Andrew what his thoughts were on New Year’s Resolutions.
We chatted about: 
The importance of building and sustaining a group of people you are inspired to work with
The need we have to progress and develop
Being the arbiter of your own medium
How the concept of going “all in” is highly seductive, but has its own drawbacks
The problems with New Year's Resolutions, and some better alternatives
Andrew was as insightful as always, and if you want more of those insights, check out the journal on his website, or his series of videos Creative Career Talk on YouTube.
You can see Andrew’s impressive acting resume on his website, where his coaching & training is also available. 
AND he mentioned he will be doing some free coaching in 2021, so follow him on Twitter on @actthemacklin to be sure to hear more about that.
I can hardly believe this is my last podcast of 2020, I just want to say thank you for all the support since I started this back in May (which seems like about 3 years ago now). 
I would LOVE to hear from you on what you have enjoyed, what you would like more of, and less of, and who you’d be interested in hearing on the podcast. Email me on frank@mysite.actor or connect with me on on Twitter (@frankiep).
Have a great Christmas and here’s to a less insane 2021 :D

Despite starting this podcast at the start of the pandemic during the first lockdown, I’ve kind of stayed away from too much Covid-19 discussion for two reasons, firstly I figured there would be plenty of podcasts revolving around that particular subject, and secondly I wanted to try and focus on more positive topics wherever possible.
But in this episode we do chat a bit about Covid and lockdown—for very good reasons that still kept things positive. 
Film and documentary maker Ciara Hyland aired TWO powerful documentaries on television in the last couple of months, despite everything going on. Both were affected by Covid, but in very different ways. 
74 Days: The Hunger Strike Of Terence MacSwiney was actually shot during the first Covid lockdown, and even though Cogadh Ar Mhná - A War on Women?  was completed before lockdown, it still ended up impacted by Covid in quite an unexpected way.
​Cogadh Ar Mhná - A War on Women? is a new Irish language documentary that blows up the myth that sexual violence against women didn’t happen during the War of Independence and the Civil War and tells for the first time in their own words some of the stories of women who were victims of it.
74 Days: The Hunger Strike Of Terence MacSwiney uses contemporary science insights alongside the original medical notes recorded during MacSwiney’s hunger strike to recreate the story of the last 74 days of his life.
We chat about both these projects, as well as:
How Ciara works dramatic reconstructions into a documentary most effectively
Ciara’s desire to work more with actors, and her future plans to do so
Making art outside what are perceived as the main industry centers
The importance of a trusting and intimate set in making great art 
Be sure and check out Ciara’s website at www.ciarahyland.com, and if you would like to connect with her directly you can find or on Twitter at @CiHyland.
Do let me know what you thought of the episode by connecting with me on Twitter (frankiep).
Also, I would love it if you thought of just one person that you think might enjoy this episode and pass it on to them.
And finally, if you’re looking for a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.