A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with my own life/career coach who challenged me to stop “beating around the bush” with you and really challenge you to either get serious about your career or “go home.”
So my question to you is this: Are you lying to yourself about how serious and committed you are to your career? Truth be told, I have no doubt that you think you want to be an actor. However, when it comes to the actual work involved in pursuing your career, I’m going to challenge you to be honest with yourself about how much you really want this.
Why do I say this? Because based on what I’ve experienced in working with my coaching clients over the past five years, as well as the five years I spent as a Hollywood agent, ninety-percent of them [actors] say they want this, but only ten-percent of them actually get down to business and do the work they need to do to make things happen.
If you are someone who calls yourself an actor but has nothing to show for it, here are just a few ways you may be sabotaging your career:
1) You don’t market yourself on a daily basis
2) You don’t take any acting classes
3) You don’t network with other actors
4) You don’t attend any industry events
5) You don’t go on any auditions
6) You don’t read the trades
7) You don’t have current headshots
8) You don’t have a professionally formatted resume
9) You don’t use Facebook
If you want to succeed in this business, you need to get serious about your career … Otherwise, go home and do something else with your life.
Now I’m sure I really ticked some of you off by that last sentence. But let’s get real: you HAVE to be doing all of the things I’ve listed above if you expect to have any success in this business. Here’s why:
1) Sending out headshots every couple of weeks isn’t going to cut it in this business. You need to be marketing yourself on a daily basis, otherwise you’re living in a dream world if you think one headshot submission is going to get you the audition or the job.
2) In order to be honing your craft, you need to be in class on a regular basis. It may take you a while to find the right class for you (i.e. the one you “click” with), but even celebrities go back to class on a regular basis just to tune up their skills.
3) Taking class will also enable you to network with other actors, and quite honestly, this business is less about how talented you are and more about whom you know.
4) Along those lines, you need to be attending industry events (like Actor Fest) on a regular basis. Join organizations like Women in Film so you can get out there and meet people. Again, this business is all about whom you know!
5) Go on auditions! I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen actors pass on audition, thinking that they should just be offered the part. However, unless you’re a very well known actor, or one with celebrity status, you need to be auditioning on a regular basis. Not only does it give you the chance to showcase your talent but you also never know what other projects a casting director is working on, for which you may be right.
6) The next thing you need to do is read the trades on a regular basis, because this is where you’ll be able to find our what projects are coming up, what shows have been canceled and the like. Reading the trades is the best way for you to know what’s really happening in the industry.
7) My next question for you is this: How current are your headshots? Honestly, there’s nothing that ticks a casting director off more than an actor who walks into an audition looking nothing like their picture!
8) Your next responsibility is to make sure that your resume is formatted to industry standards, and that you have one resume for theatre and one for film and television. The thing to remember here is that a professionally done resume makes you look like the professional that you profess to be, not an amateur with stars in their eyes.
9) Finally, get on Facebook and utilize it to let people know what you’re up to! Thank God for social media, as it’s a great way to connect with other industry professionals that you can’t meet in person. Casting Directors, Studio and Network executives, agents and managers are all on Facebook, so do yourself a favor and start utilizing this great tool!
Food for Thought: Pursuing a career in the entertainment industry involves a lot of hard work. Remember, this is a business and as such, you need to treat it that way. So, unless your commitment level is 200%, I would encourage you to be honest with yourself about how much you really want to do this. Honestly, it’s okay to quit this business if your heart really isn’t in it. I can’t tell you the number of actors I’ve worked with who, once they were honest with themselves, discovered that the happiness and fulfillment they thought they would get from being an actor was just not there, and so they left the business to pursue different careers and they couldn’t be happier!
Remember: Life is short, so make every moment of yours count!
P.S. Based on all of the requests I’ve received asking for help with the marketing piece of pursuing an acting career, I’ve decided to put together a very affordable program ($9.97/month) to help you, so stay tuned because I’ll be telling you more about it in the very near future!
Copyright © 2010 Sharon Moist, The Industry Coach. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Quote for the Day
"Only by coming to grips with difficulty can you realize your full potential."
-- Charles de Gaulle, president of France
-- Charles de Gaulle, president of France
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Dare to be Yourself
I recently received an email from a business colleague that really annoyed me. The problem wasn't that he sent me an email. The problem was that his email was "pitching" a seminar that he was attending, and he hadn't even written the email himself - someone else wrote it! (The reason I knew that is because I received duplicate copies of the same email from other business colleagues who travel in the same business circle.)
When I asked him about it, he told me that he just wanted to let me know what he was doing with his business. The problem with that is that the email he sent me had absolutely no personalization in it whatsoever. The opening line said "Hey There!" (as opposed to Hi Sharon, Dear Sharon, etc.), and after that it was nothing more than a generic sales pitch, with a personalized link that I could use to register for a seminar (from which he would then earn a commission).
In life, people seem to fall into two categories: leaders and followers. Leaders dare to be different and pave the way for change. Followers don't make waves; maintain the status quo and support the leaders whose visions they subscribe to. You can't have one without the other. However, there are also times when leaders need to maintain the status quo and followers need to make waves. The challenge often comes in discerning which time is which.
Each one of us was born with our own unique gifts and talents, so why are we so eager to be like everyone else?
When it comes to your career, there are times when you do need to conform to industry standards. For example: your headshot and resume need to be 8x10; you need to look like your picture and your website needs to be very easy for casting directors, agents and others to navigate. Beyond that, however, your look is your look, your audition is your audition; your talent is your talent; and so on and so on.
As I said earlier, the fact that this gentleman sent me an email wasn't the issue. The issue was that there wasn't one ounce of him in it!
For the next week, I would like to offer you a challenge, and my challenge is this: I dare you to be yourself every single day, no matter what! Are you up for it? I hope so!
And, for those of you who take me up on my challenge, drop me a note and let me know how it goes!
When I asked him about it, he told me that he just wanted to let me know what he was doing with his business. The problem with that is that the email he sent me had absolutely no personalization in it whatsoever. The opening line said "Hey There!" (as opposed to Hi Sharon, Dear Sharon, etc.), and after that it was nothing more than a generic sales pitch, with a personalized link that I could use to register for a seminar (from which he would then earn a commission).
In life, people seem to fall into two categories: leaders and followers. Leaders dare to be different and pave the way for change. Followers don't make waves; maintain the status quo and support the leaders whose visions they subscribe to. You can't have one without the other. However, there are also times when leaders need to maintain the status quo and followers need to make waves. The challenge often comes in discerning which time is which.
Each one of us was born with our own unique gifts and talents, so why are we so eager to be like everyone else?
When it comes to your career, there are times when you do need to conform to industry standards. For example: your headshot and resume need to be 8x10; you need to look like your picture and your website needs to be very easy for casting directors, agents and others to navigate. Beyond that, however, your look is your look, your audition is your audition; your talent is your talent; and so on and so on.
As I said earlier, the fact that this gentleman sent me an email wasn't the issue. The issue was that there wasn't one ounce of him in it!
For the next week, I would like to offer you a challenge, and my challenge is this: I dare you to be yourself every single day, no matter what! Are you up for it? I hope so!
And, for those of you who take me up on my challenge, drop me a note and let me know how it goes!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Quote of the Day
"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition."
-- Indira Gandhi, Indian prime minister
-- Indira Gandhi, Indian prime minister
Monday, August 23, 2010
Acting Success Tip
101 Tips for Actors:
Secrets for Success Every Actor Must Know
Designed to provide you with practical information for pursuing your acting career, 101 Tips for Actors gives you an insider's look at how to be successful in this business. To learn more, go to: 101 Tips For Actors
Tip #43. Less Isn't Always More
Have you ever gone on an audition and watched the casting director dig through a pile of headshots as you walk in, before looking up at you and asking you if you have an extra headshot and resume with you?
All of a sudden, your heart stops and you find yourself with a lump in your throat as you shake your head "no," and lose all of your focus before you even say your first line.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, a casting director ends up not having your headshot in front of them before you audition. It's not the ideal situation, but it does happen and it could even happen to you.
That doesn't mean that you don't have a chance to get cast in the part. It just means that during your particular audition, both you and the casting director are at a disadvantage because he or she cannot refer to your resume if a question arises. And if they take notes, they cannot put them on the back of your picture for future reference.
Your goal as an actor is to give yourself every advantage you possibly can and to be prepared at all times. This means always taking 2 or 3 extra headshots and resumes with you to every meeting or audition ... no matter what!
BREAKDOWN: Remember to always take 2 or 3 extra headshots and resumes with you to every meeting or audition, no matter what. You'll feel good in knowing that you're prepared!
Secrets for Success Every Actor Must Know
Designed to provide you with practical information for pursuing your acting career, 101 Tips for Actors gives you an insider's look at how to be successful in this business. To learn more, go to: 101 Tips For Actors
Tip #43. Less Isn't Always More
Have you ever gone on an audition and watched the casting director dig through a pile of headshots as you walk in, before looking up at you and asking you if you have an extra headshot and resume with you?
All of a sudden, your heart stops and you find yourself with a lump in your throat as you shake your head "no," and lose all of your focus before you even say your first line.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, a casting director ends up not having your headshot in front of them before you audition. It's not the ideal situation, but it does happen and it could even happen to you.
That doesn't mean that you don't have a chance to get cast in the part. It just means that during your particular audition, both you and the casting director are at a disadvantage because he or she cannot refer to your resume if a question arises. And if they take notes, they cannot put them on the back of your picture for future reference.
Your goal as an actor is to give yourself every advantage you possibly can and to be prepared at all times. This means always taking 2 or 3 extra headshots and resumes with you to every meeting or audition ... no matter what!
BREAKDOWN: Remember to always take 2 or 3 extra headshots and resumes with you to every meeting or audition, no matter what. You'll feel good in knowing that you're prepared!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lucille Ball Quote
"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."
-- Lucille Ball, actress
-- Lucille Ball, actress
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