El Blog de HOLA

Bochinche refers to “gossip”. In this sense, we use it to mention HOLA members or Friends of HOLA who are getting acting, performance or similarly artistic gigs and/or recognition in the media. The names of HOLA members and Friends of HOLA are listed below in boldface. To see what other HOLA members are doing currently, click here.

Juan Carlos Pinedo, shown at right, will star in Roberto Cossa's La nona. Directed by Christina Rodríguez de Conte, the play is being produced in April by Escena Latina Teatro at the Boston School of Modern Languages in the Roslindale area of Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, click here or here.

Zu Ralat and Juan Villarreal star in Entre quien, cual y sea. Written by IrA and directed by Gama Valle, the play is produced by LATEA and Los QuienSea, also stars Karla Mayté, Zahydé Pietri and Gabriel Leyva and will have performances in April at Teatro LATEA, located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information about the production, click here.

Sonia Manzano and Yainis Ynoa star in Missing Grandma. Written and directed by Adel L. Morales (and produced by Frankie Villanueva, Edwin Pagán and Morales), the film will screen in April at the Hispanicize Film Festival. For more information, click here.

The team behind the Rubén Rodríguez film The Death of April has announced that the film has secured domestic and international distribution by ITN Distribution. The horror/thriller, produced by César G. Orellana, Brit Godish, Dan LeFante, Lucio Fernández and Humberto Guzmán, stars Katarina Hughes, RayMartell Moore, Adam Christian Lowder, Chelsea Clark, NIck Uhas and Travis Peters. For more information about the film, click here.

Suni Reyes wrote, produced, directed and stars in the satirical viral video "Latinos Don't Exist". Created in part due to the fact there in its 39-year history, there has never been a Latina performer or writer on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (and only two male Latino performers), it epitomizes the mission of HOLA's succinctly by host "Teresa Williams" at the end of the current events debate program "The Truth". To see the video (which also stars Greta Quispe, Ralf Jean-Pierre, Iliana Inocencio and Brad Stuart), click on the link below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

David Zayas and Olga Merediz, shown above from left to right, were interviewed by Latina magazine, where they spoke of being series regulars of the FX television series "Saint George" (also starring George López and Danny Trejo). To read the article, click here.

John Leguizamo, shown at right, was profiled in the Hollywood Reporter, where it was announced that he has signed on to join the cast of the Gonzalo López Gallego film The Man on Carrion Road. The film also stars Jim Belushi and Lynn Collins. To read the article, click here.

María Fontanals and Pablo Andrade acted in the Karen Valecillos play Cuentos de guerra para dormir en paz. Directed by Jim Boerlin, the play was presented in March as part of the IV Festival de Teatro Hispano del Comisionado at El Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood. For more information, click here.

María Hinojosa, shown at left, was selected as one of the Latinovator Award recipients by Hispanicize 2014. The Latinovator Awards recognize Latinos who have done something notable or remarkable. Hispanicize 2014 is an annual Latino trends event that takes place in April in Miami, Florida. For more information, click here.

Vivienne Jurado is starring in the film Dirty Shield (directed by Edgar Jimz). The film continues to hit the film festival circuit– its most recent stop is on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 as part of the New Filmmakers Showcase at the Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan's East Village. For more information, click here or here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

John Leguizamo, shown at right, is on the cover of Latin Trends magazine. In the magazine, he talks about the HBO screening of his self-penned solo show Ghetto Klown (directed by Fisher Stevens), and his upcoming films Chef (written and directed by Jon Favreau and also starring Favreau; Scarlett Johansson; Robert Downey, Jr.; Dustin Hoffman; Bobby Cannavale; Amy Sedaris and Garry Shandling), Cymbeline (written by William Shakespeare and directed by Michael Almereyda and also starring Dakota Johnson, Milla Jovovich, Ethan Hawke and Ed Harris), Stealing Cars (written by Will Aldis and Steve Mackall, directed by Bradley Kaplan and also starring William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman) and Fugly! (written by Kathy DeMarco and Leguizamo, directed by Alfredo De Villa and also starring Radha Mitchell, Rosie Pérez, Olga Merediz, Griffin Dunne, Felix Solis, Frank Rodríguez, Ally Sheedy and Yul Vásquez). For more information, click here or here.

Raquel Almazán's new play Dar A Luz will be produced by Theater Masters as part of Take Ten: 2014 National MFA Playwrights Festival, taking place in April at the American Theater of Actors in the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton area of Manhattan. The plays in the festival will be directed by Stephen Cedars, Daisy Walker and Joseph Ward. For more information, click here.

Mel Nieves booked a role on "The Leftovers" (HBO).

Omar Pérez was interviewed by Rhina Valentín for the talk show "Open" (BronxNet), where he previewed a piece of his self-penned solo show Rhapsodia (directed by Mino Lora), which will premiere in April at the Fourth Street Theater in Manhattan's East Village as part of The ONE Festival. For more information on the artist, click here. For more information on the production, click here. To see the interview and preview (complete with additional performance by Valentín), click on the video below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

From the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP):

The NALIP 2014 Latino Media Market™ (LMM) is designed to bring funders, studio executives, distributors, dealmakers, agents, mentors and employers together with NALIP members and their projects.

Now in its tenth year, the LMM consists of a meeting series for up to 24 selected projects. Filmmakers meet one-on-one with industry representatives who provide sound advice on how to advance their project to the next level. If your project meets the specific needs of the company, this can potentially open a window for your project to grow into a commissioned pilot, obtain broadcast licenses or completion funds.

You can apply here. Deadline for e-mail submissions is Sunday, April 13, 2014. (THERE ARE NO EXTENSIONS). Selected projects will be notified by Thursday, May 8, 2014.

Kiki Meléndez, shown at right, was profiled in Indiewire where her film Journey of a Female Comic was highlighted. It was produced by Latin Hollywood Films in association with Lion's Kill Productions, written by Lyn McCullough and Meléndez and directed by Erick M. Crespo and Meléndez. The "documentary comedy" stars Meléndez and features appearances by Edward James Olmos, Esaí Morales, Nadine Velázquez, Lupe Ontiveros, María Conchita Alonso, Johnny Ray Rodríguez, Jacob Vargas, Guy Ecker and Susan Rybin. The film will be distributed to AMC Theaters in Los Angeles and San Diego on May 2, 2014, with other major markets to follow. To read the article, click here.

Idalmis García, shown at left, was interviewed in the AM New York newspaper where she spoke about the film Conducta (directed by Ernesto Daranas), which had it United States debut in April at the Havana Film Festival of New York after becoming a huge hit in Cuba. To read the article, click here.

Andrea Navedo is starring opposite Paul Sorvino, Michael Rappaport, Renée Props, Andrea Nittoli, Lev Gorn, Steven Bauer and Chazz Palminteri in the film Last I Heard (written and directed by David Rodríguez). The film is screening at the Florida Film Festival in Maitland, Florida in April. The feature was acquired by Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment.

Natalia Ivana Escobar is one of the performers in a site-specific production of Medea. Adapted from the Euripides play of the same name and directed by Patricia Coleman, the production is a collaboration of theater and glass-blowing art and sound. Produced by Disembodied Voices, the production will premiere in April at Brooklyn Glass, located in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood. For more information, click here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Jay Rodríguez, shown at right, just wrapped filming on the film short I Was Sent To Get You (written and directed by Soleidy Méndez).

Yolanny Rodríguez stars in the solo show Penélope. Written by Jorge Dávila Vázquez and directed by Iván L. Argudo, the play will be presented in April as part of the IV Festival Internacional de Monólogos Don Iván García Guerra at the Broadway Black Box Theater, located in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

Héctor Luis Rivera completed work on the film short Pissin' (written by Saulo Díaz and directed by Lucio Fernández).

Before she takes her self-penned solo show Dancing With My Demons to New York, Ruthy Otero is doing a preview performance on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at The Lounge Theatre in Hollywood, California. For more information, click here.

Olga Merediz will be co-starring opposite Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, James Earl Jones and Melissa Leo in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson and written by Daniel Taplitz, the feature film will have limited release in U.S. movie theaters on Friday, May 23, 2014. For more information (and to see the movie trailer), click here. Or one can see the trailer by clicking on the video below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Jennifer López.

Check out this blog from Andy Fixmer and Stephanie Ruhle of Bloomberg on how NuvoTV (which currently reaches 32 million households in the U.S.) and its Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer López, outbid several people (including former paramour Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs) to buy Fuse TV (which currently reaches 73 million households in the U.S.) from MSG Network by clicking here.

Nadine Velázquez, shown at right, has joined of the cast of the horror-thriller Crawlspace. The film, was written by Gary Dauberman and directed by Phil Clayton and also stars Michael Vartan and Erin Moriarty. To read more information on the film, check out this article in Variety by clicking here.

José Roldán, Jr. is continuing his tour of his self-penned, award-winning solo show Father Forgive Me For I Have Sinned (directed by Dante Albertie). The next stop on the tour is Monday, April 28, 2014 at the State University of New York-College at Geneseo in Geneseo, New York. For more information, click here.

A.B. Lugo, Sofía Rodríguez, Carolina Ravassa and Tommy5000 star in Adrian Manzano's film short The Audition. The film will be screened on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Tribeca Cinemas, in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood (natch).

Tony Plana can be seen in the recurring role of Benito "Benny" López in the Garry Trudeau political satire series "Alpha House" (Amazon).

Daphne Rubin-Vega is starring in the film Fall to Rise (written and directed by Jayce Bartok).

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

We are thrilled to announce that the POV Call for Entries is now open! Films submitted to this open call will be considered for the 2015 broadcast season and beyond. The deadline for submission is Monday, June 30, 2014.

POV continues to accept digital content delivery via download-enabled links or content on flash drives. It is not required but we strongly encourage every filmmaker who can deliver digitally to do so. Why? About 1,000 entries will be considered in this submission round and digital submissions help us be more efficient. Digital submissions allow us to work with pre-screeners across the country and around the world, and enables the programming team to travel a bit lighter.

If you submit a link, the video MUST BE DOWNLOAD ENABLED. If you don’t feel comfortable enabling download, then please submit your film on a DVD. You can password protect to ensure the privacy of your link, but don’t forget to send POV the password (look for the password field on the form).

Our updated Call For Entries Guidelines explain everything you need to know about how to submit to POV, no matter what format you choose. POV will still accept DVDs and flash drives this year for those who can’t make the jump to streaming video.

Please don’t send us a fancy thumb drive, because it will not be returned. Additionally we cannot accept uncompressed, full HD files for submission. Our digital specs are similar to DVD specs in order to keep the playing field (and our servers) level.

We are excited to see what filmmakers from around the world have been working on! The full Call For Entries cycle at POV begins with the June 30, 2014 deadline and lasts about six months — thanks in advance for your patience!

Have questions? Please send an email to cfe[at]pov.org and thanks, as always, for your interest in POV.

If you want better idea of whether the film you’ve made is a good fit for POV and to learn more about what POV looks for in a film during our selection process, check out a past blog post from 2007, “For Filmmakers: What Does POV Look For in a Film?”. If you want to inquire with someone who is currently in our programming department, drop us a line at cfe[at]pov.org or call 212-989-8121 x380.

Go to the POV Call for Entries online submission system »

For specific tips on how to navigate our online form, read on…

Standard: Finished films, or films that are at rough/fine cut stage. (Will be ready for broadcast in 2015.)
Shorts: Finished films, or films that are at rough/fine cut stage AND whose final running time is 30 minutes or less. (Will be ready for broadcast in 2015.)
Early Introduction: This category is exclusively for projects that are either too early in development or production to be considered in POV’s highly competitive selection process. If you plan on submitting to our open call in the future but would like to introduce your project to POV’s programming team now, this is the way to do it.

If you’re ready to begin your application please visit http://cfe.pov.org, read the guidelines, then follow the instructions to complete the entry form. Please note, if you are a previous applicant you will need to register again.
Here is a quick primer on how to use the online POV submission form:

Add cfe[at]pov.org to your email address book so that none of our correspondence to you is lost in a spam folder.
Make sure your browser will accept pop-up windows, and visit http://cfe.pov.org.
Click either of the two “Register” links (at the top and middle of the page) and complete the registration page.
Check your email for your registration confirmation. The confirmation email will usually arrive instantly, but may take up to 24 hours. Check your spam folder as well.
Click on the link within the confirmation email to activate your account. This is an obvious, but important step.
Once you’ve activated your account, log in at http://cfe.pov.org to complete your application. Enter your film’s title and click the button that says “Create New Call for Entries form.”
And that’s it! You’ve started a new entry! The rest of the form is pretty self-explanatory.

All films must be submitted through our online submission system. The arrival deadline is June 30, 2014. We grant extensions on a case-by-case basis. If you need an extension please email cfe[at]pov[dot]org with the subject line “Extension.”

[HOLAwave represents a series of guest blogs by industry insiders giving informative and educational tidbits for the Latino performer. They can range from acting and auditioning advice, tech tips, legal advice, marketing, producing tips, and so on. Get caught up in the wave– the HOLAwave.]

On auditioning, be rehearsed and focused before meetings. If you are just starting out, learn from every encounter, observe, listen. I learned a whole lot from casting directors, they will teach you the way but listen. Take everything you can learn from the notes casting directors give. Very often, they have to do the same with actors who have studied too.

More importantly is to do an amazing job, that is your goal, even if starting out. They will see your passion and help you, but give intelligent performances... again consider all the circumstances in the script. Don't be an idiot and ignore the script and just act like a nut. Do your investigative work on all the subtext, character motivation and feelings involved.

Work hard on a realistic portrayal, whatever you don't know, research it. On the day prior to and day of the audition, have no distractions. Avoid negative people at all costs– don't tell them your business. When in the audition waiting area be quiet and respectful of others. Some commercial auditions are fun and might be more easygoing then you can relax a little but never be that obnoxious person in the room– carry yourself with class.

Focus on the task at hand and be in the moment. Above all, do your best. When it's over, be grateful, count your blessings and don't obsess about hearing back. If you're already good, you know you will not get most of what you go for but have fun and make an unforgettable impression your goal... this way you will get booked as much as possible. Be well, and may the force be with you.

Renoly Santiago was born in Lajas, Puerto Rico and he spent his childhood in Union City, New Jersey. He currently resides in New York City. He made his film debut co-starring in the blockbuster hitDangerous Minds alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. Other rfilm credits include Hackers with Angelina Jolie, Daylight with Sylvester Stallone, and Con Air with Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich; and the indie filmsPunks (Sundance Film Festival selection), The Street King, Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy and Lavoe: The Untold Story(where he played Latin music legend Johnny Pacheco). Among his episodic television appearances are guest leads in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", "Touched by an Angel", "Big Apple" and "Stand Up".

He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award by the press as Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical in his Broadway debut The Capeman, composed by Paul Simon, and in which he starred alongside Marc Anthony, Ednita Nazario and Rubén Blades. He has appeared in many off-Broadway productions under such notable directors as Liz Swados in Lincoln Center and in workshops with Graciela Daniele in Blood Wedding and Gabriel Barre in the Kander & Ebb musical Skin of Our Teeth with Audra McDonald and Sara Ramirez.

His writing credits include the Emmy-nominated television series "City Kids", in which he was also a lead character and the book to the musical Bring in the Morning… A Wake-Up Call at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York starring Lauryn Hill.

As a singer, he can be heard singing backup for recording artist India on her album Latin Songbird, duetting with Danny Rivera and Marc Anthony amongst others, having performed with many artists of international renown. He is currently developing new acting, writing and production ventures across some exciting genres at home and abroad, also community arts projects. He is writing new songs in English and Spanish and is presently recording music for his debut album. His next feature film is Grand Street with Kelly McGillis, currently in post-production.

For more information about Renoly Santiago, click here.

Ana Grosse will star (with Sean Carvajal, Jojo Gonzalez, Pia Haddad and Gil Pérez Abraham) in the Mohamed Kacimi play Holy Land. Translated by Chantal Bilodeau and directed by Tracy Cameron Francis, the 3rd Kulture Kids production will be presented in April and May at HERE Arts Center in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Flor Bromley, Rafael Fuentes and Mauricio Pita are in the cast of Los desertores (The Dropouts). Written by Radamés Gavé, Manuel Morán, and Richard Marino and directed by Morán, the musical also features Sean Carvajal, Alan González, Louis Vetter, Adrián García, Jacelyn Ramos and Indra Palomo and starts a run of performances in May at Teatro SEA, located in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (home to HOLA) in Manhattan's Loísaida neighborhood. For more information, click here.

Kiki Meléndez will guest star on an upcoming webisode of "East Los High" (Hulu).

Caridad del Valle, Agar García, Elena Mohedano, Xiomara Cintrón and Yvette Quintero headline the cast of Las cenizas de Troya. Based on Euripides'The Trojan Woman, the play is adapted and directed by J. Edgar Mozoub, produced by TEBA and will have a June production at the Broadway Blackbox Theater in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

Allison Strong can be seen in the upcoming series "Back Home" (Fusion), produced by Diego Luna, and also featuring other artists such as Alexis Bledel, Michael Peña and Robert Rodríguez. A trailer for the series (featuring Strong) can be seen below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Mauricio Pita and Basílica Bliachas, shown above from left to right, are shooting the film short Mi vida (written and directed by Abraham Rozenbaum). They were cast after reading about the casting notice in the daily e-mail announcements that HOLA sends to its members and self-submitting.

Mario Golden and Andreas Robertz are co-directing the Nancy Ferragallo play Charlotte's Song. The experimental movement-theater piece will featured choreography by Ferragallo and Celeste Hastings and will be presented in April and May Theater for the New City, located in Manhattan's East Village. The cast includes Golden, Yvette Quintero and Hastings. For more information, click here, here or here.

Idalmis García, shown at right, is one of the stars of the movie Conducta (Behavior). Directed by Ernesto Daranas, the film won the Best Feature Film at the Havana Film Festival - New York.

Raquel Almazán's play Café is having a workshop production by the Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Department. Directed by Elena Araoz, the cast features Matthew Acevedo, Claudia Acosta, Sebastián Martínez, José Antonio Melián, Tauriq Jenkins, Cliff Rivera and Adriana Sananes. It will be presented in April at Columbia University's Schapiro Theatre in the Manhattanville/West Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. For more information on the production, click here or here. In addition, Almazán's one-act play Dar a Luzwill be produced by Theater Masters as part of Take Ten: 2014 National MFA Playwrights Festival, taking place in April at the American Theater of Actors in the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton area of Manhattan. The play will be directed by Daisy Walker and feature Dacyl Acevedo, Sarah Stockton and Beth Glover. For more information, click here.

Luis Salgado, shown at left, was featured in a photo article in Broadway World, showing what Broadway actors do during intermission. In it, he is featured both alone and with some of the other cast members of Rocky: The Musical (written by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens and Thomas Meehan, based on the screenplay of the Academy Award-winning film by Sylvester Stallone). The musical is directed by Alex Timbers (with choreography by Kelly Devine and boxing choreography by Stephen Hoggett) and is performing at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. To see the photo article, click here.

José Yenque was interviewed for the program "La revista semanal" (CNN Latino NY and hosted by Ramón Hierro, Tony Rodríguez and Peter Dubó), where he spoke on his acting career, his inspiration (his mother, actress Teresa Yenque), and his humanitarian work with the international youth outreach foundation Arts For A Better Tomorrow (ABT). To see the interview (which is in Spanish), click on the video below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Here is a really quick, very basic primer on what contracts are and what you should know about them. I provide this information for educational purposes on behalf of HOLA. Nothing in this blog is to be construed as specific legal advice. You and I do not have an Attorney-Client relationship by virtue of you reading this blog.

First things first: if you are a member of the performer unions SAG-AFTRA or Actors' Equity Association, then you are represented and the baseline terms of any agreement that you will have with a producer has been negotiated (assuming it is a union production). The union has your back, so refer any questions to them. They know what they are doing.

WHAT IS A CONTRACT?

A contract is an exchange of promises for which all parties involved receive consideration.

In Court to prove that there is a contract between individuals the elements are as follows:

Offer: I will hire you for a play that will run 2 weeks for 15 shows and pay you X amount of money.

Acceptance: I accept your offer.

Consideration: Actor works/producer pays.

Mutuality: Both parties understand the offer and what each has to do under those terms.

The first thing that most people will notice after reading the above is that I didn’t mention anything about a signature or even that it has to be written. That’s because technically it doesn’t.

An Oral Contract is every bit as valid as a 20-page written contract that has been signed and notarized by the Pope.

HOWEVER, if it is not written, proving the exact terms in a Court of Law then becomes much more complicated and can make the difference between getting justice and getting had. You want your contracts written, that way you don’t have to rely on the memory of the person paying you as to what the exact terms are. If your agreement is not written and the other person doesn’t pay you, it doesn’t mean that you can’t collect or sue, it just makes it much harder, and most lawyers avoid hard cases so you may have trouble holding the other party responsible.

So basically don’t do Oral, so moving on....

READ YOUR CONTRACT!

Whether you are brand new and up for your first gig, or whether you are a vet, READ THE DAMN CONTRACT. If only to get a read on the kind of people with whom you are doing business. I know what you are thinking. “I am not an attorney. I barely understand anything in here. Reading this is just some pantomime.”

If that’s the case then make it the best damn pantomime ever. But seriously, if you want to be a treated like a professional actor, you have to carry yourself like a professional. That means politely asking if you can read it over before you sign it.

The first time I read any kind of contract that I haven’t seen before, I am almost as lost as you are, but that’s the point. I have become an expert at reading contracts how? BY READING CONTRACTS. There is no reason why you can’t become an expert at reading actor-performer contracts.

If you see a clause in the contract that you don’t understand, ask a question. Remember it’s much better to look like a rookie then to look like a dummy. Signing a contract without reading it makes you look like a dummy.

I hope these really basic concepts either enlightened you or reinforced some good habits that you have already developed. I will be posting a few more blogs about some general legal topics that may interest or educate you, however, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me via e-mail here and I will help you in any way I can. Chances are your questions or problems are ones that many other actors want answers to, and I can in the future use a blog post to answer a few common questions that I get.

Juan C. Restrepo Rodríguez, Esq., is a civil litigation attorney at Pellegrini & Associates in New York, specializing in commercial litigation, labor and employment law, as well as entertainment law. He serves as both Treasurer on the Executive Board of HOLA and General Counsel. He has been a guest lecturer at several local colleges on legal topics and volunteers his time in various political and social campaigns. He was born in Medellín, Colombia and has been a proud New Yorker for over 30 years. He can be reached via e-mail by clicking here.

Víctor Cruz, shown at right, booked a guest starring role on "The Blacklist" (NBC).

Emmanuelle Bordas booked a role in the film Cassanova Was A Woman. Written by Jezabel Montero (and based on her play of the same name), the film is directed by Kevin Arbouet and starring Montero, Margo Singaliese, Paolo Andino, Mônica Steuer, Liza Colón-Zayas, Chaz Mena, Zully Montero and Carolann Valentino. Production has commenced in New York City.

Eduardo Leáñez and Patrick E. Horrigan are presenting their latest installment in the performance series Actors With Accents. It will take place on Friday May 2, 2014 at Teatro Círculo, located in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood and will feature the talents of Iris Rose, John Sannuto, Rosalie Purvis; as well as a staged reading of a new play by Mssrs Leáñez and Horrigan featuring the talents of Inma Heredia, Reggie Street, Mague Brewer, Erik Schjerven, Basil Horn and Priyank Rastogi. For more information, click here.

Julián Juaquín, shown at left, can be seen in the feature film Pain: A Revenge Story. Written and directed by Steve Rahaman, the film is having its NYC premiere screening on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Anthology Film Archives, located in Manhattan's East Village. The film also stars Daniel Girace, David Francis Calderazzo, Kim Parshley, Sid O'Connell and Neyssan Falahi. For more information, click here.

Due to popular demand, Thalía Spanish Theatre is remounting its solo production of Nosotras lo hacemos mejor/We Women Do It Better. Directed, produced and designed by Ángel Gil Orrios, the play is written by Roberto Ramos Perea and stars Soledad López performing the show in Spanish and Kathy Tejada performing the show in English (in a translation by Charles Philip Thomas). The shows will run in repertory in May and June at Thalía's eponymous theater located in the Sunnyside area of Queens. For more information, click here.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

The original cast and creative team of the musical Fun Home, a 2014 Pulitzer Prize finalist based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, will reunite for two special concert stagings at the College of Charleston in South Carolina in April to protest the attempts of South Carolina lawmakers to withdraw funding from the school for including the source material in its curriculum, due to its LGBTQ content. The musical, written by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, recorded a cast album and finished its run off-Broadway at the Public Theater/NYSF, where it is rumored to be eying a possible Broadway run. Directed by Sam Gold, the production also stars Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone, Sydney Lucas, Alexandra Socha, Joel Pérez (shown at right), Griffin Birney, Roberta Colindrez and Noah Hinsdale in the cast. For more information, read the Adam Hetrick article in Playbill Online by clicking here.

Ruthy Otero, shown at left, was highlighted in Broadway World, where her self-penned solo show Dancing With My Demons (directed by Kim Ima with additional direction by Loren E. Chadima). The show is being presented in April at the 4th Street Theater in Manhattan's East Village as part of The ONE Festival. To read the article, click here.

Edison Carrera can be seen starring in Mo Zapata's short film Empanadas. The film will be screened on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at The Producers Club Theaters in the theater district of midtown Manhattan. For more information, click here.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez booked some voiceover work for The Cartoon Network.

Alfonso Rey is starring in Cuba: Punto X. Written and directed by Iván Acosta, the play also stars Hannia Guillén and Sandor Juan and will have a run in May at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium's Blackbox Onstage Theater in Miami, Florida.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Cynthia López, Commissioner of the
Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and
Broadcasting of New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has named Cynthia López as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting. She will start immediately, replacing Katherine Oliver, who stepped down in January 2014 with outgoing mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

López is executive vice president and co-executive producer of PBS documentary series “POV.” She joined American Documentary, the nonprofit organization that produces “POV,” in 2000.

For more information, check out the article by Ramin Setoodeh and Gordon Cox in Variety by clicking here.

SPANISH LANGUAGE VOICEOVER WORKSHOP with Manuel Herrera

May 6-22, 2014
Six (6) sessions on
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 6:30pm sharp to 8pm

$200 for HOLA members
$325 for non-HOLA members
(HOLA membership will be included with admittance into workshop for non-members)

HOLA Office, located @ Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Suite 302

Workshop will be conducted in Spanish.
(El taller será conducido en español.)

LISTEN TO THE BELOW PROMO FROM MANUEL HERRERA

Manuel Herrera's Spanish Language Voiceover Workshop was instrumental in my career development. Since I took this workshop, I have booked a number of Spanish-language commercials, industrials, dubbing, and special projects. In the past year alone, based only on my voiceover demo (which is on file at a commercial media company), I was offered a television campaign and was brought back three times. As a result I earned over $30,000. Take this workshop. Manuel is an excellent teacher, and you can be sure to increase your skills and earning capacity. –Actor, playwright, director, producer and voiceover artist MARIO GOLDEN

Manuel Herrera, HOLA Special Projects Director, actor, director and voiceover artist, will direct an advanced voiceover technique workshop for the experienced actor who wishes to fine-tune his/her technique. The workshop covers: diction and voicing in Spanish; interpretation and rhythm; character voices, and narration; professional audition and quick study techniques. Previous HOLA voiceover workshop students invited. Applicants should supply blank CD to record work progress. Optional production of demo tape available at additional cost. Actual voiceover copy will be used for this series. Small classes. Spanish-language voiceover jobs provide the greatest income potential for the Spanish speaking actor.

Workshop held at HOLA using the "WhisperRoom". Register early as there is limited enrollment. Registration confirmed upon payment.

Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center,
located at 107 Suffolk Street
(between Rivington and Delancey streets), Lower East Side, NYC.
(F to Delancey / J M Z to Essex /
M9, M14A buses)
Visa, Mastercard and
American Express cards accepted.
Call HOLA at (212) 253-1015 to register.

# # # #

Here is a really quick, very basic primer on negotiation and what you should know about it. I provide this information for educational purposes on behalf of HOLA. Nothing in this blog is to be construed as specific legal advice. You and I do not have an Attorney-Client relationship by virtue of you reading this blog.

NEGOTIATING

Negotiating is communicating for the purpose of coming to an agreement, preferably one that achieves all the expectations you have for the work you want to do, and the remuneration (financial payment or other benefit, for example) you want for it.

The key to all effective communication is knowing your audience.

If you are a background performer ("an extra") and they are a big budget studio, your audience has little if any time for you and you are a plentiful commodity. In order to get what you want in an agreement you have to have leverage. If you are a background performer, you have little to no leverage– recognize that, do your work in a respectful professional manner and create a positive impression of who you are.

Especially early on, you as a performer, will not have much leverage, so understand that any concessions that you get from a producer on the terms or language of an agreement will largely come from their goodwill and interest in fairness and not from their fear that you will walk away. You can get concessions as a polite, professional, respectful little guy, but are not likely to get it as an entitled, brash, nobody.

Whether it be pay, hours or food, you are likely to get concessions if you appeal to their better angels and their sense of fairness, rather than acting insulted by the terms as they have been set out in the first contract they prepare for you. Most producers are not looking to "screw" you and if something seems wrong about a contract it may, in fact, be an error they didn’t know or think about.

Which individual below is a "Goofus" and which is a "Gallant"? (In the examples below, "XYZ" refers to a particular clause in a contract, whereas "ABC" refers to an additional work duty of some type.)

Example 1: "Can I ask a question? Here where it says XYZ. Does that mean I may have to ABC? That might mean more work, right? Is there any extra compensation for that?"

Example 2: "HOLD UP! It says here I have to ABC, but it doesn’t say anything about paying me more for it? That’s Crazy!"

Clearly the Gallant (example 1) is more likely to get a concession than the Goofus (example 2). The idea it to be a Gallant and not a Goofus.

I hope this blog either enlightened you or reinforced some good habits that you have already developed. I will be posting a few more blogs about some general legal topics that may interest or educate you, however, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me via e-mail here and I will help you in any way I can. Chances are your questions or problems are ones that many other actors want answers to, and I can in the future use a blog post to answer a few common questions that I get.

Luis Salgado, shown at right, was profiled on the Puerto Rico Sun blog where he spoke on his role as Kid Rizzo in Rocky: The Musical (written by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens and Thomas Meehan, based on the screenplay of the Academy Award-winning film by Sylvester Stallone). The musical is directed by Alex Timbers (with choreography by Kelly Devine and boxing choreography by Stephen Hoggett) and is currently performing at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. To read the interview, click here. In addition, he was interviewed by Luis Jiménez and Company for the New York radio program "The Luis Jiménez Show", where he spoke on his experience as a choreographer, Broadway performer and producer. To hear the interview (which is in Spanglish), click here.

Ramón Hierro and Gustavo Peña will star in the Teatro del Arte production of Jairo Aníbal Niño's La madriguera. Directed by Juan Carlos Mañón, the play will be presented in April at El Comisionado Dominicano de Cultura en EEUU in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

Susan Rybin will be hosting a showcase from The Big Apple Indie Music Series (TBAIMS) on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at Toshi's Living Room, located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. Performers for the evening include Tachyon, Giant Flying Turtles, Sariah, Dante Blakeley and Joshua Kobak.

Mónica Delgado can be seen in the New York Lottery commercial below.

Eduardo Ramos can be seen in a viral video (directed by Liz Lanteri) from Cosmopolitan magazine, which extols the pleasures of petting felines and ripped midsections... all to a Dirty South-style hip hop beat (lyrics written by Ramos and CJ Richards, also in the video). To see the viral video "Cats + Abs", click on the video below.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

Eduardo Ramos, Víctor Cruz and Jorge Pupo can be seen in a national Spanish-language commercial for ACE Detergent, which spoofs telenovelas (the name of the telenovela in the commercial is "El Gran Final") and stars television and film star Sofía Vergara. (Ramos, shown at right, who plays Vergara's love interest and another role, booked the gig after the casting director saw his headshot in the HOLA online directory of talent and called him in to audition.) To see the commercial, click on the video below.

Sebastián Stimman, shown at left, stars in the Diana Sunder play With Love. Directed by Chris Manetakis, the play will be presented in May at the Manhattan Repertory (MRT), located in the theater district of midtown Manhattan, as part of the MRT Spring One-Act Competition. For more information, click here.

Emmanuelle Bordas booked a voiceover for Avon.

Olga Merediz completed work on the film Like Sunday, Like Rain (written and directed by Frank Whaley). The film also stars Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Billie Joe Armstrong, J. Smith Cameron and Alfredo Narciso.

If you are an HOLA member or a Friend of HOLA and want to submit a bochinche item, send us an e-mail. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, why not join? If you live outside the New York metropolitan area and want to be an HOLA member, you can find out more information on how to do so, by clicking here. If you are not a Friend of HOLA, why not become one?

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