That's Latin for "in the middle of things." 

Student screenwriters are often taught to take scenes they've written and chop off the first part and the last part.  What's left is the middle, the heart of the scene, and the only part of the scene that remains in the screenplay.

What this means to actors is that you must start every scene as if you were "in the middle of things."  Know what happens before the scene takes place that brings you physically and emotionally to the moment of starting the scene.   Most of the time it won't be laid out in the script so it's up to you to decide.  Have fun with it.  Let your imagination run wild creating the circumstances that happened before the scene.  It's your secret.  You don't have to tell the casting director, director, or writer what you've thought up.  All that matters is that you've created a "before" which is compelling for you and which you can connect with personally.  It should get you from 0 to 60, so that you can start the scene at 60. Nobody wants to watch you warm up when you start the scene.  You need to already be THERE!  And your BEFORE will help get you there.

And life doesn't end with the last line of the scene either.  Something always comes after.  What is that? What does your character expect will happen after the scene and how does that color you in the scene?  Again, it's your secret.  But make it something that you can connect with in a compelling way. 

The "before" and "after" can really bring dimension to the scene and bring it to life.

Now that we're almost a month into pilot season, I thought I'd share some thought about what happens during this very crazy time of year.

For casting directors, pilot season often means twice, if not three times, their regular work load.  They may still be casting their current shows which haven't yet gone into hiatus.  At the same time they're casting pilots which they hope will mean work for them next season, especially if their current shows are going off the air or may be one of the many shows cancelled every year.  It often means working with new producers for the first time, trying to figure out what they want and how best to please them.  It means seeing a lot of actors per role to find that needle in the haystack that producers hope to find.  It means scrambling for those stars and name actors that everyone wants to grab this time of year. 

For producers, it's a chance at putting together their first big hit (or their next big hit) that'll pay their bills and put their kids through college.  Sometimes they have a strong idea of the kind of actor they're looking for for each role.  Sometime they change their minds mid-way through the process.  Other times, they just don't know and believe they'll know it when they see it.  Producers want that magical cast that'll have just the right chemistry to make their series come to life and become a hit.  It's the casting director's job to find those actors no matter how long it takes and how many actors they have to see.

For agents and managers, it means becoming familiar with and keeping track of many new projects, reading scripts, calling and emailing pitches, and staying on top of where casting is heading.  There are many more breakdowns this time of year and casting goes on for longer.  Casting often starts with the lead characters and then works its way down to the supporting regular characters and then to the guest stars and co-stars.  The whole process can take days, weeks, or months.  Every pilot is different.  It's the rep's job to keep track of what has been cast and what's about to be cast and time their pitches for the right time. 

For actors, it means if they're cast on a pilot that gets picked up, that airs, that finds an audience, that becomes a hit...they'll become rich and famous.  At the very least, getting cast in a series regular role on a pilot can put an actor on the map or keep him/her on the map.

For everyone, it means high stakes, a lot of pressure, a potential jackpot, and a lot of hard work.

So what can the actor, especially the unknown actor, do during this time of year?

First, be aware that everyone is working very hard during pilot season, including your reps.  We are spending long hours going over and over the breakdowns and deciding who has the qualities they're looking for and who to pitch.  We're making many more phone calls and sending many more emails this time of year.  If we're lucky, we're also spending time reading over series regular contracts which can be 20 pages or longer.  This is a very stressful time of year and everyone is on edge.  If a question about your photos, reel, or strategy can wait a few months, you'll get a lot more of your rep's attention then. 

Even though your rep is doing what he or she can to give you a chance at that jackpot, the chances of an unknown actor booking a pilot are very small.  Still, hope springs eternal and reps keep trying and often succeed at getting unknown actors seen for series regular roles.  However, it's a daunting task since every rep is out there is also trying to get their clients in.

The main advice I can give is:  know what you got and know how to sell it.  Hopefully, you've already been doing that.  If not, it's never too late.  If you're hotter than hell, show us how hot you are.  If you feel you can play a bad guy that can kill someone, have that scary look that'll make people fear for their lives.  If the way you look and act is different, show off your uniqueness in your own special way.  Maybe some interesting facial hair, a wild hairstyle, or glasses would help you stand out.  If you're too cool for school, have a super hip look with hairstyle and clothes to match.  If you've got a great bod, make sure you're in tip top shape and show it off.  If your incredible acting is your selling point, have the credits, reviews, and awards to show it.  If you don't have them, get them.  At the very least, be prepared to be so great at your auditions that the fact that you're unknown doesn't matter.  If you're funny, be showcasing that and perfecting it at the comedy and improv clubs. 

Know what kinds of actors are being cast on TV and be aware of where you can best fit in.  If they're looking for it, make sure everyone knows you got it and are proud of it!

The importance of the look and type can't be overestimated.  Often if you've got that perfect something for what they're casting (and, of course, if there aren't that many other actors with better credits who also have that perfect something), they'll call you in and pray you can act.  However, I do firmly believe that it's your acting and auditioning skill that will win out in the end and provide for a long-lasting career.  The look comes first, the acting second. 

Some of the comments I've received from casting when discussing actors have been:

Not hot enough!
She just doesn't have that MTV look...
They want someone who looks really charactery.
They want a name.
They want to go ethnic.
He's not ethnic enough!
Not hot enough!
We're looking to go into the stratosphere on this one (meaning they want a big star).
Must have strong comedy credits.
She looks too much like another series regular...
We're making an offer to a big star.  Who have you got?
I love love LOVE her but she's just not right for this. 
NOT HOT ENOUGH!

And as much as you try to convince them that your client can do it, if their bosses, the producers and the network, want someone drop dead gorgeous, it's difficult for casting directors to waste their bosses' time bringing them anything but....unless, of course, it's an actor with a NAME!

When you get a pilot audition, show them what you got instead of what you think they want.  Show them that what you got can bring their show to life.  Show them that you know the character better than they do, because you ARE the character. 

Then it's out of your hands. 

IF they decide you're not what they're looking for this time but they really liked what you did, they WILL remember you and bring you in when you are spot-on-the-money right.  CDs remember the actors who, during pilot season, impressed them with their confidence, talent, and personality and they will bring them back during episodic season.

If you get called back to producers, and then test for the studio, and then for the network, and then get the job, congratulations!

Either way, enjoy the ride!

This is something my acting teacher in New York (Suzanne Shepherd) used to say often.  What does it mean?  It means that your performance isn't about the words, it's about the human experience that you're having right there in the room and in front of the camera. 

Sure, you should know the words and say them so they can be understood.  But CDs, producers, and audiences are looking for more.  If it were only about the words they'd just have Siri do the role for a lot cheaper. 

Don't act the words.  For example, don't say the line, "I'm worried," showing that you're worried.  Find what's really happening.  Discover what you want from the other character and how you're using the lines to get that.  People generally don't say exactly what they're thinking or feeling.  There's something else going on.  Sometimes even the opposite of what you're saying. 

Have an experience...and let the words ride on that experience!

So you got a callback.  Congratulations!  But for many actors, getting a callback is a mixed blessing.  Yes, it's great to know you "made the cut."  But many actors start feeling more pressure. 

At the first audition, it's easy to not want it so badly.  The carrot at the end of the stick seems very far away.  You can go in, relax, and have fun. 

But as you get closer to booking the job, the stakes seem higher, the pressure mounts.  You walk into the waiting room and you see your competition, sometimes even recognize their faces or their names on the sign-in list.  Then you walk into the audition room and instead being with one casting director (who you might have already have a great relationship with), you're in a room that may be filled with producers, writers, and god knows who else.  The tendency is to allow the callback to become a more stressful and difficult situation.  But the opposite has to be true.  The closer you get to booking the job it has to appear that it's easier and easier for you.  That way they know that when you eventually do get the job it'll be a piece of cake...or as easy as pie!

How do you achieve this enlightened state of mind?

Know that a callback means they like you, they really really like you.  Don't think the casting director made a mistake or is calling you back in the hopes that you can pull it together with a bit more time.  He thinks you have a great chance of booking the job and wants to show you off to his bosses (the producers and director).  If that isn't a great vote of confidence, I don't know what is! 

You've had a bit more time with the material, so you know it better and perhaps even got a bit of helpful direction from the CD.  However, resist the temptation to drastically change your performance at the callback.  The casting director will be very miffed if she has to explain to the producers (after you've left the room) that what they saw was nothing like what she saw at the pre-read.  Wear what you wore to the first audition, or something very much like it, unless you got a note to wear something different.

You have much less competition once you've reached the callback.  Maybe you've now got a 1 in 6 chance of getting the job rather than a 1 in 30!  Look at your competition and, instead of feeling intimidated, decide who's going to be second choice to your first choice.  Nobody has what you have.  Nobody can play the role the way that you're going to play it.  Play the audition as if the role is already yours.

And don't forget that even though you've now had more time with the material it has to seem like it's the very first time you're saying those words.  Don't let it get stale.  Use the excitement of the callback situation to keep it fresh.  

I talk about ways to approach audition scenes and suggest work you can do when preparing.  But the most important thing to remember is that you have to throw away all that work when you walk into the audition room.  You aren't there to work; you are there to play.

This isn't as easy as it seems.  After doing all that work, you want to be acknowledged for all the work you have done.  You want the casting director to see all your beats and transitions and choices.  As crazy as it sounds, the best way to show off your work is by not showing it!  You want to fool them into thinking you are so much like the character that you just have it naturally without having to work it.  Just like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers made their dances look easy as if they didn't even have to rehearse them, you need to make your audition look just as easy. 

How do you do that?  Have confidence and trust that after you've done the work you can throw it away and it'll stay with you.  Whatever was good work will stay with you.  Whatever wasn't good, well, good riddance. Strive for simplicity.  Listen and react.  Don't push.  Relax, have fun and enjoy not knowing what comes next. 

Do the work, then throw it away.