Good day to you all.. Wow, it's been a crazy last few months. A lot, surrounding the business side of things. A common question is derived from this.."What do you mean business side of things?" Well, that's just it. Acting is a business. Actors have to treat their job as a business. It's those actors who do treat their job as a business that have a one up on the rest.
There are many different ways in which you could increase your chances of being noticed as an actor. But the most important thing is dedication, passion, and also very importantly, INVESTING in yourself. A lot of actors do not invest in themselves, and it leaves the question to be answered.."How serious are you really about your career?" It's amazing to hear all the excuses and reasons and explanations behind why an actor can't invest in themselves. Sometimes it's actually quite funny actually.
It's the little things that make the HUGE difference. What do you do when you have had an audition? Do you follow up? A nice little touch would be to send the casting director a little note saying thank you. A postcard is usually the best way to go about it..Obviously with your picture on the back. What about if you book with a job. Do you thank the casting director? Send them a little gift to show your gratitude. These personal touches really make a difference. And trust me, you will definitely stand out from the rest. The whole point of marketing yourself is by keeping yourself in the casting directors mind.
Marketing materials are absolutely vital to an actor. Headshots, COLOUR ONLY!!! Forget the black and white nonsense. Make sure you tell your photographers that you only want colour before booking your session. A reel. Now this is the best topic for excuses. "I haven't got footage yet" "It didn't come out with very good quality" Here's the thing..Don't cheapen your brand constantly doing free work of very poor quality. The are new directors that just don't have the experience to really capture moments from you. Rather than putting together a compilation of free work you've done, actually film something specifically for you reel, or in fact, shoot a reel from start to finish. Get together with 3 or 4 actors and choose your scenes carefully showing as much diversity as possible. And have a good quality director shoot for you. It can be done in one day and doesn't necessarily need to cost too much. Of course if you have good quality footage from work you've done, it doesn't apply in this case.
Business cards are another essential marketing material you should have on you. Nice little colour picture on it with essential details. Name, telephone number and email address. And finally, as I mentioned earlier, postcards. All essential to an actors business. A lot of questions arise regarding websites. The best thing with websites is to keep it simple. Having spoken to a lot of casting directors and agents about this, the general response is to have your headshots and cv on there as well as a reel. No need to write essays about yourself and who you are etc. Just have on there the essentials that casting look for.
Well, that's enough from me this time. Feel free to add comments and ask questions regarding this post. I'll be happy to respond.
Have a great weekend all.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Friday, April 20, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
An Actor's Mentality
Most people would be able to tell you that actors are crazy, and in some part, yes, this is true..We are a little strange..definitely don't have the 9-5 type mentality and are a little discombobulated at times. It's amazing how those outside our industry just can't get their head around who we are and what we do. There are amazing questions that are asked, and yes, whilst I admire their wish to remove their ignorance, sometimes it's just a case of wondering whether it's actually them that are crazy.
We've all had it, those absolutely ridiculous questions. "How's the acting going?". "Go on then, what have you been in?". "Is it working?". I mean seriously, what on earth does that mean? "Is it working?" Is what working exactly? I wouldn't even know how to begin to answer that question. I don't even know if it's a legitimate, or uneducated question. I mean, my PROFESSION, is an actor. That's my job. It's how I make a living. You don't see me going up to a teacher or a banker and asking them, "Is it working?" They'd probably look at me and wonder if I need to see a psychotherapist. Or better yet, wonder if I am actually in therapy at the moment.
I would definitely much rather hear, if it's necessary to ask a question anyway, "How's work?". I'm sure most actors would agree. Actors are much more likely to be less defensive and less closed off when asked this question.
But here's the funny thing..And something that amuses me the most..Those people who call themselves an actor that don't even train. I think this may be the funniest, most common occurrence within the entertainment business. Notice how I use the word, 'business'? That's exactly what it is, A BUSINESS. One can't run a business without having the knowledge and constantly learning, or at least looking to learn from those that are most successful. When it comes to acting, the most successful ones are those that fine tune their craft. They know what's going on out there and who's doing what.
I'm sorry to say, but 3 years in a drama school does not make you an actor. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will not be stuck in the situation you're in. You need to continue to train all the time. Unless of course you're working and your schedule doesn't allow it. If you keep doing the same thing again and again, don't expect to get different results. You'll get the same outcome every time. Why do we see less and less new faces in movies, TV etc. Quite simply, it's because the new are not doing what the old do. Do your research. Know everything there is to know about the person that inspires you the most. Find out what they did to separate themselves from the rest..and yes, there are cases where your inspiration happened to be in the right place at the right time, but don't rest on that and think it will happen to you. Most likely, it wont. Ask yourself why the actors that won Oscars this past weekend, did win.
What are YOU going to do TODAY in order to get a DIFFERENT result tomorrow?
Think about it... :)
We've all had it, those absolutely ridiculous questions. "How's the acting going?". "Go on then, what have you been in?". "Is it working?". I mean seriously, what on earth does that mean? "Is it working?" Is what working exactly? I wouldn't even know how to begin to answer that question. I don't even know if it's a legitimate, or uneducated question. I mean, my PROFESSION, is an actor. That's my job. It's how I make a living. You don't see me going up to a teacher or a banker and asking them, "Is it working?" They'd probably look at me and wonder if I need to see a psychotherapist. Or better yet, wonder if I am actually in therapy at the moment.
I would definitely much rather hear, if it's necessary to ask a question anyway, "How's work?". I'm sure most actors would agree. Actors are much more likely to be less defensive and less closed off when asked this question.
But here's the funny thing..And something that amuses me the most..Those people who call themselves an actor that don't even train. I think this may be the funniest, most common occurrence within the entertainment business. Notice how I use the word, 'business'? That's exactly what it is, A BUSINESS. One can't run a business without having the knowledge and constantly learning, or at least looking to learn from those that are most successful. When it comes to acting, the most successful ones are those that fine tune their craft. They know what's going on out there and who's doing what.
I'm sorry to say, but 3 years in a drama school does not make you an actor. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will not be stuck in the situation you're in. You need to continue to train all the time. Unless of course you're working and your schedule doesn't allow it. If you keep doing the same thing again and again, don't expect to get different results. You'll get the same outcome every time. Why do we see less and less new faces in movies, TV etc. Quite simply, it's because the new are not doing what the old do. Do your research. Know everything there is to know about the person that inspires you the most. Find out what they did to separate themselves from the rest..and yes, there are cases where your inspiration happened to be in the right place at the right time, but don't rest on that and think it will happen to you. Most likely, it wont. Ask yourself why the actors that won Oscars this past weekend, did win.
What are YOU going to do TODAY in order to get a DIFFERENT result tomorrow?
Think about it... :)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Actor Restrictions
This week has been a bit of a strange one. I tend to surround myself with as many industry folk as possible and there are always trending topics that come up. One that struck me this week was that of the restrictions faced by an actor trying to get themselves out there.
Now, we all know that acting is a business first, and art second. Those that don't understand that, should understand it and never forget it. You are a product that you need to promote, and without this, it's death to an actor. The first thing that everyone wants, is and agent. And yes, this is quite important, but the amount of agents out there that don't give actors a look in, is astonishing. It's that funny saying, "All the bad actors out there have agents, but the good ones are stuck in the bin."
How does the good actor grab the attention of that agent? Why are they not getting noticed? A lot of the time it's because they're not business savvy and aren't using the right tools to help themselves. Head shots (COLOUR, NOT BLACK AND WHITE), a reel, business cards, maybe even post cards. These are all essential for an actor, to send out to agents and even to casting directors. I'm a firm believer in that if you keep knocking, sooner or later, someone will open the door.
Yes, there are those that just refuse, but don't stop trying. Never give up. Get yourself into a good acting class, casting director workshops, somewhere where you will have the opportunity to be seen or noticed. Never think that you are good enough and should be working all the time. An actor improves everyday and should persist in choosing to do so rather than thinking it will come because they're good enough.
As difficult as it may seem, due to the fact a lot of casting directors refuse to stray away from what they know, ie. actors with names, or actors they've seen previously, continuing to pursue with what you believe in is essential. Sooner or later, you will get seen. Just make sure you're ready. And I mean ready by being properly trained. Knowing what producers/directors are looking for and showing them exactly that.
And if it comes down to it, film your own stuff..Get a team together that you can trust and make shorts or anything of that sort. Send them out to festivals. GET SEEN!!!
Well, it's time for me to say goodbye..Enjoy your weekend, and be sure to share this blog with your friends and loved ones!! Remember, you can subscribe here to the left of the screen, that way you don't miss out when a new post is up.
Now, we all know that acting is a business first, and art second. Those that don't understand that, should understand it and never forget it. You are a product that you need to promote, and without this, it's death to an actor. The first thing that everyone wants, is and agent. And yes, this is quite important, but the amount of agents out there that don't give actors a look in, is astonishing. It's that funny saying, "All the bad actors out there have agents, but the good ones are stuck in the bin."
How does the good actor grab the attention of that agent? Why are they not getting noticed? A lot of the time it's because they're not business savvy and aren't using the right tools to help themselves. Head shots (COLOUR, NOT BLACK AND WHITE), a reel, business cards, maybe even post cards. These are all essential for an actor, to send out to agents and even to casting directors. I'm a firm believer in that if you keep knocking, sooner or later, someone will open the door.
Yes, there are those that just refuse, but don't stop trying. Never give up. Get yourself into a good acting class, casting director workshops, somewhere where you will have the opportunity to be seen or noticed. Never think that you are good enough and should be working all the time. An actor improves everyday and should persist in choosing to do so rather than thinking it will come because they're good enough.
As difficult as it may seem, due to the fact a lot of casting directors refuse to stray away from what they know, ie. actors with names, or actors they've seen previously, continuing to pursue with what you believe in is essential. Sooner or later, you will get seen. Just make sure you're ready. And I mean ready by being properly trained. Knowing what producers/directors are looking for and showing them exactly that.
And if it comes down to it, film your own stuff..Get a team together that you can trust and make shorts or anything of that sort. Send them out to festivals. GET SEEN!!!
Well, it's time for me to say goodbye..Enjoy your weekend, and be sure to share this blog with your friends and loved ones!! Remember, you can subscribe here to the left of the screen, that way you don't miss out when a new post is up.
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