I have a big connection to CESD, basically this man I met is cousin's with Ken Slevin. The "S" in CESD. He said he'd make a phone call when I'm ready to look for a commercial agent. I said I'm ready and that I'd email him. I haven't yet. My question is, do you think I should take an on camera commercial class prior to meeting with Ken or whomever he may have me set up with? For those who have commercial agents, did you take a class? Thank you.

I didn't take any commercial classes before getting a commercial agent although I'd taken a number of acting classes from on-camera to cold reading.

I like the way you think. You want to be 100% prepared before you call in the favor, right? So yes, take a commercial class. An acting class doesn't really teach you much about commercial technique. And make sure you have terrific commercial shots too.

Good luck!

I've heard "courtesy meeting" thrown around, so make sure that your meeting isn't just that! Make it worth your time and theirs.

Enjoy learning your bite and smile. As stupid and idiotic as it sounds, it takes some practice.

Many people do get commercial agent without any commercial training... but I would agree with what is said above... maximize your chances and be 100% prepared before you call in the favor.

Take a commercial class.

A commercial class?

I heard many are taught by people who aren't acting coaches.

What actually do you learn there that you can't get out of a book?

It's more about learning the techniques that you wouldn't confront in a scene study or a monologue. For instance, the aforementioned "bite and smile," product choreography, copy analysis (because it's about the product, not you), MOS. There are unnatural things you'd do in a commercial that you wouldn't normally do elsewhere because the point has to be driven within 30 seconds.

I wouldn't expect an acting coach to teach a commercial class. Hopefully the teacher is a commercial CD or someone who currently specializes in the commercial world.

This is not to say that acting technique should be dismissed; commercial technique is another layer to acquire on top of it.

I have a question transfergirl... I mean, if it's about the product, ok, but the more and more commercial books I've read, it has stated how they just want real peopl now, like enjoying whatever it is they are promoting... rather than product in your face promotion. So, wouldn't that be very similiar to being "real?" I'm just wondering, not trying to fight, I know we sometimes can't read tones on here... just want some more feedback.... thanks

My thoughts (take this and anything else you read on the internet with a grain of salt): Watch people eat. Not pretty. Or, when you catch a whiff of freshly dried laundry, do you really inhale that deeply into your towels and then sigh in satisfaction? => Commercial techniques.

Barry Shapiro, in his commercial classes, puts you on tape and reviews. We'd practice "enjoying" food, and some of those faces people made, although they may have truthfully enjoyed it, looked as if the chips we were eating were disgusting. It was hilarious.

I'm saying that the commercial techniques are applied to convey reality in the final cut.

No worries- didn't read any negative tones. I'm hard to offend, though, and actually evaluate what people say before making any judgments.

It's always about the product; otherwise, it's not a commercial. There are just different types of marketing, yes?