Acting lab puts locals in the movies

Since the creation of production tax incentives in the Bay State, lights, camera, action has become an all too familiar phrase in Massachusetts. With nine films shot in the Bay State in the past month alone, there's no doubt the region is slowly becoming the new Hollywood East.

For the star struck, it's cool. For aspiring actors, it’s opportunity to land roles in big budget films whether it's playing an extra or even a principal role.

“It is beyond my wildest dreams, it really is,” says Erica McDermott, a proud mother of two. It is a role she cherishes, but now she can add acting to her resume after landing a big role in the movie, “The Fighter”.

“I play Cindy 'Tar' Ackland, I am the sister of, one of the sisters of Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg,” McDermott says.

The pay? It’s pretty good for a stay-at-home mom. For this film, she pocketed a Screen Actors Guild base salary of $3,000 a week, plus overtime. While she certainly has talent, she didn’t do it alone.

Erica’s the star student at this acting lab offered by the Rock Educational Cooperative , a non-profit organization born out of Plymouth Rock Studios. The planned $550 million movie studio and sound stage facility which recently made headlines. The groundbreaking, now on hold after major financing fell through for the project.

“It hasn’t affected the classes at all. The good thin is as a non-profit, we’re a separate organization, and my focus is on the classes and the workshops and the programs,” says Kate Ayson, the Executive Director of the Rock Educational Cooperative.

The class is two hours a week for a six week course and costs $90, a lot less than popular courses offered in Boston. “It’s a great opportunity to create that community of artists on the south shore and the cape and to give that training and skills needed to get positions in the entertainment industry,” Ayson says.

The class’ instructor, Kevin Lasit, has taught over 600 students the important skills needed to get through competitive auditions, whether it’s for commercial work, or big budget movies. In the business, connections are key, and Lasit also puts his students in touch with reputable casting directors.

“I can’t stress that enough to my students, how important it is to let go of your stress from the day when you audition. You’ve got to be totally focused and you can’t get in the head of yourself and try to anticipate what the casting director wants, because you’ll never figure it out,” Lasit says.

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"In front of 40 students, I was asked to perform a "Visa" commercial which included singing and dancing to "Superfreak." Deep down, I felt like THE total Superfreak."

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In the class of forty, there are students from every walk of life. Rehearsing everything from credit card commercials, to ads for an attorney’s website. While the students make it easy, it’s because of the training they’re getting. From music videos, to background work, the class has turned some average joe’s into working actors.

Since wrapping up “The Fighter”, Erica McDermott has been cast as a bridesmaid in the Tom Cruise movie, “Knight and Day”, and play an extra in “The Zookeeper”, and she says as long as these classes are still offered, she will keep signing up.

“I would love to work more. That’s really what I want. I want to keep at this. This whole experience has been beyond my wildest dreams, and just really want it to continue,” McDermott says.

As long as tax breaks are around for movie makers, there will be actors waiting for their big breaks as well.