660 STUDIOS NYC
PREP, POLICIES + FAQs
Thank you for scheduling your taping session with 660 STUDIOS NYC / SACRED ACTING! Dani wants your taping session to be easy, fun + efficient! Below is how to prep. Please read carefully- Especially if you are a new client. If you have additional questions, please feel free to email Dani.
If you are shooting an audition scene or monologue, please read section one. If you are shooting slateshots, please read section one AND section two. Thank you! I look forward to working with you.
VITAL INFO
Dani's Mobile: 516.435.4527
Office Line: 646.450.0595
Email: Dani@660StudiosNYC.com
Address: 660 Saint Nicholas Avenue, Apt #54. Press 0-5-4-BELL on the intercom system so that Dani can buzz you in.
Directions: A/B/C/D trains to 145th Street in Manhattan, NYC
Please note: The building is a walk-up. No elevator. If mobility is an issue, please let me know.
SECTION ONE
IF YOU ARE SHOOTING AN AUDITION SCENE OR MONOLOGUE, PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY TO PROPERLY PREP
EMAIL Dani a copy of your sides/monologue as soon as possible to Dani@660StudiosNYC.com
INCLUDE any notes from casting when you email Dani your sides. What type of frame are we shooting your audition in? Head and shoulders? Chest up? Waist up? Do we have to shoot a specific slate? Add a title card? Label the files in a specific way? Is there a size limit? 100 MB? 500 MB?
BRING two paper copies of the sides to your taping session- One for you, and one for Dani. On Dani’s copy of the sides, please highlight the lines that Dani will be reading. If you are shooting a monologue, please bring Dani a paper copy of your monologue. If Dani sees the text on paper, it’s easier for her to give you ideas and suggestions. If you are shooting slateshots, please read the slateshot prep section below!
TAKE the A/B/C/D train to 145th Street. Exit the station at 145th Street and Saint Nicholas. You will see a Dunkin' Donuts on the SE corner. Walk south on Saint Nicholas until you hit building #660. There is an intercom system to the left of the door. Press 0-5-4-BELL so that Dani can buzz you in.
ARRIVE to your session on time. (Please do not arrive more than two minutes early. Please do not arrive late.) Come in, sit down, breathe, ask for water if you need it, go to the bathroom, fix your hair, touch up your makeup, check your teeth and clothes, and remember to silence your phone! If you are early, please hang out at the Dunkin' Donuts on the corner! I do not have a waiting room, so I can't take you in more than two minutes early, as I may be working with another actor and I do not want to distract them! If you are taping on a weekend, please give yourself extra travel time because as we all know, the MTA is CRAY. #facts
START your taping session on time. I may have another actor booked after you, and I certainly don’t want you to feel rushed. I want you to feel relaxed. This is why it’s important that we start your taping session on time. If you are late, I understand because you’re human, and it happens. I will do my best to accommodate you. Please note that you will be charged from the time your session was scheduled and not the time that you arrived late.
PAYMENT is by the hour. Your one hour session includes on-camera coaching, taping with top of the line equipment, playback, editing and uploading. For example, if we shoot for 40 minutes and it takes 20 minutes to edit/upload your footage, you will be charged for 60 minutes. However, if you have a lot of copy, and it takes 70 minutes to shoot and 20 minutes to edit/upload, then it becomes a 90 minute session and you will be charged for 90 minutes. WE SCHEDULE EVERY SESSION AS 60 MINUTES, unless the actor specifies in advance that they need more time. Turnaround is immediate- You will leave your session with your tape submitted wherever it needs to go. Cash is preferred and appreciated but we also accept credit cards. (We do not take Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, Zelle, etc)
CELEBRATE yourself, your work + your efforts towards achieving your dreams. I mean it! You (or your rep) submitted you for a project. The casting team wanted to see your work. You were invited to audition for the project. You prepped your audition material, came to 660 STUDIOS NYC and taped your audition... So don't forget to TREAT YO' SELF! You deserve it.
CANCELLATION POLICY If you need to cancel your session, please let Dani know ASAP so that I can take you off the schedule and give your time slot to another actor. However, I need at least 24 hours notice, no exceptions. If you cancel within the 24 hour period, you are responsible for covering the full cost of a one hour session. I repeat- You are responsible for covering the full cost of a one hour session.
WHAT TO WEAR Our background is royal blue. Do not wear royal blue. Navy and light blue are okay. I happen to love black on lighter complexions and white on darker complexions. I do not recommend wearing black if you have a darker complexion or wearing white if you have a lighter complexion. Also, red isn't the best on-camera, unless you happen to be one of those people where it's truly "your color." If it isn't your color, I would avoid it. Please be sure to avoid tiny patterns, stripes, polkadots, or knitted items that have a noticeable pattern in the stitching. These type of designs will "STROBE" on-camera and it is distracting to the viewer. If you do not know what "strobing" is, please google it and educate yourself to this as it will be something you need to be aware of for the rest of your on-camera career. If you sweat a lot, wear a different shirt when you are traveling here and then change into your on-camera shirt when you arrive. This is an easy solution to avoiding the dreaded "pit-stains." (Not the most pleasant topic of conversation, I know, but I gotta cover my bases and I want you to look & feel great!) Whatever you decide to bring, it's always smart to have a backup option or even two! You never know what works best until you see it on-camera. If you bring options, I am happy to help you choose!
SECTION TWO
IF YOU ARE SHOOTING SLATESHOTS, PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY TO PROPERLY PREP
1. Please familiarize yourself with what a slateshot is! For some reason, I find that there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about what they actually are... But here is everything you need to know directly from Actors Access: READ ABOUT SLATESHOTS ON ACTORS ACCESS HERE. If you read the info provided and watch the samples, there won't be confusion about what we are shooting. Please note, I did NOT shoot the samples that are provided on Actors Access! To be honest, I find some of them a bit odd, but watch them anyway as a general guide. As discussed above in the WHAT TO WEAR section, the slateshots we shoot will be on a ROYAL BLUE background.
2. Log into your Actors Access account and assess how many headshots you are using to submit yourself. Maybe you only use two... A "comedic" and a "dramatic." But maybe your headshots are more specific... Maybe you have a "detective shot" "girl next door shot" "tough guy shot" "lawyer shot" "mom shot" "bartender shot" "upscale shot" etc, etc, etc... We only need to shoot slateshots for the photos that you use! Also, if you have old headshots up on your Actors Access account, consider deleting them. They are dead weight...
3. Please bring in a shirt for every headshot look that we are going to shoot. Yes, it can be the same shirt you are wearing in the headshot, but if for some reason you do not have that shirt anymore, just bring a similar looking shirt. Either way, don't stress. It's not the end of the world if you no longer have the matching shirt. Also, bring some extra shirts! Some shirts simply do not look good on camera, and if we can't use one for some reason, I want you do have another option! As discussed above in the WHAT TO WEAR section, please avoid tiny patterns, stripes or polkadots as they "strobe" on-camera!
4. When you come in to shoot your slateshots, the first thing we are going to do is look at your headshots on Actors Access. I need to see the headshots you are using. This is a must. Please know your Actors Access log-in info and have it handy at our session! We are going to log-in to your account on my computer because your smart phone is too small.
5. Once you arrive to your session, I have a specific process for shooting slateshots... It's fun! If you completed steps 1-4 above, there is nothing else you need to do except for show up with your clothing options! I will explain the rest of the process in person... This is where the acting comes in! On the day of your shoot, we will shoot the slateshots, choose the ones we like, edit them, and then I will help you upload them to your Actors Access profile. Bring your credit card to pay Actors Access. The first slateshot that you upload onto Actors Access is free! Each additional is $5. You will leave with your session with your new slateshots ready to go! Yippe!