Having your marketing materials in good condition is one thing you can control as the talent in an industry with so many subjective variables. Another variable the talent can control is being timely and helping casting stay on schedule. Again, Mercedes Rose, blogger for Backstage Unscripted, shares her experience from the perspective of casting.
A
pro actor shows up on time, prepared. We saw over 75 actors total
from beginning to end. But we had 95 scheduled. You do the math. Wait- you
might be as bad at math as I am... according to my handy calculator, that is
about 20 actors that didn't show up. 4 contacted their agent to let us know.
The rest? We call those "no shows". The producer asked me to make a
list for him of all the names of those that were a no-show. He posted it above
his desk under sign reading "don't accept checks from". He has a
funny sense of humor. About half of all the actors were late to their scheduled
time. The two that finally booked the spot were early. Coincidence? Maybe.
Be Timely. Get Booked.
How do you ensure you are early to all of your professional commitments?
Social media becomes a bigger factor in booking on almost a daily basis. Repeatedly in the past few months, I have heard producers, directors, and photographers say things like, "I wanted to know more about [insert your name here], so I checked out his/her facebook page and saw . . . " That lead in has ended with some really positive statements and translated into a booking for the named talent. It has also sometimes began a displeasurable rant about politics, sexuality, religion, and other topics.
Social medias are a new front for marketing, entertainment, and communication. Like most new things, we are going to have to learn some lessons the hard way before the younger generations are coached on how to use them effectively. Since most of us are already adults and making an effort to join the technological era, these words from BackStage blogger Mercedes Rose are well-timed.
Social
media does make a difference. A producer in the room for
final callbacks recalled a recent very negative Facebook posting
one of the actor had recently done. The producer immediately said he wasn't
"overly excited" about the prospect of that negative energy coming to
set. Now, I totally understand that one negative FB status does not a negative
actor make. The point is: this producer didn't want to take that chance. And
that is his right as the one doing the hiring.
In his new book, Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide To Raising Kids in the Digital Age,
Steyer explores some of the effects of digital media and
outlines strategies for avoiding what he calls
RAP — relationship issues, attention/addiction problems and privacy
pitfalls — while navigating the digital world. "Young people in particular often self-reveal before they self-reflect," Steyer tells Fresh Air'sDave Davies. "There is no eraser button today for indiscretion."
There is a place for personal discussions in life - it is between those involved and in private. There is also a time for venting and bouncing ideas off of trusted sources - it is again, between those involved and in private. Social medias are too easily accessible, too quickly completed, and too likely to not be filtered based on statistical analysis noted in the book, Talking Back to Facebook.
There are ways to make certain posts visible to a specific group of friends; say, your family of origin, for example. Keep in mind, though, that the information you posted may only be immediately visible to those you choose, but it is still accessible out there on the worldwide web. No need to have haunting things pop up later when you make it big, right?
How are you using your social media positively? What results have you seen?
Open any major fashion magazine this month and you will see the face of
The Avenue's Meghan Wiggins in Guess' latest campaign. Elle Magazine
features a full spread in the front cover! Watch for more Meghan in future weeks on your local billboards and store campaigns.
These days it isn't necessarily what you know, it's who you know. With that being said, networking is one of the most important things in the entertainment industry. It can actually make or break your career! Having trouble finding ways to network? Think about volunteering! Lisa Dempsey from AuditionArt.com writes about how volunteering can actually get you cast.
A great way to make those connections and become a familiar face is volunteering. Every show, every theatre, every company could use another body helping out. Whether that be in the box office, ushering, painting, or building sets, if you’re there meeting people and networking, then you are helping yourself get cast in their next production.
By bringing up in conversation that you are an actor, maybe mentioning names of people or theatres you’ve worked with, and by being a joy to be around, you’re marketing yourself and getting your foot in the door. If they like you, can rely on you and know that you are a credited actor looking to work, they will most likely think of you if they have last minute auditions or need a replacement.
Volunteering can also just make you a “familiar face”. Being recognizable is incredibly important in the audition room as it can spark the question: “Where have I seen you before?” This conversation starter can allow you the opportunity to let your sparkling personality shine! Win them over; tell them you’re volunteering for them, maybe even mention how you’ve become good friends with the producer or house manager. They’ll be flattered and impressed that you are so active and involved, and will also have a person to connect you to and remember you by.
Taking one night out of the week to volunteer at a theatre, local festival or even on a low budget movie set can really improve your chances in this industry and build your long term network. Its not free work if you enjoy doing it and make new relationships out of it, right? Volunteering can be fun, it's all what you make out of it!
Have you ever volunteered or done a project without pay and then watched those connections turn into paying work later? Tell me your story. We all need inspiration!
Ever find yourself overwhelmed by the abundance of social media outlets that are available today? Ever wonder what the do's and don'ts of social media are? As a model or actor, it's extremely important to know that you (maybe more than most people) are always in the public eye. Agents, casting directors, and managers have free reign of the internet so lets just say they have a little free time during the day and they decide to search for you on twitter, would your tweets be appropriate? You don't want them basing a casting decision off of your tweets or facebook posts, so its time to learn some social media etiquette. Below is a simple guide to social media etiquette from NAACT.
1. Don’t bash other people on your social media accounts. It doesn’t matter whether you refer to them by name; it makes you look petty. Once in a blue moon, people will forgive and forget. Do it all the time, and you’re [labelled] a whiner.
2. Be considerate when you decide whether to post, Tweet or share. I hear people saying “it’s my account, I’ll post what I want” all the time. To a certain extent, that’s true. You should be yourself. But you should also remember that other people have to sift through five million YouTube videos to see what their other friends said – just because you were in a Metallica kind of mood. Bombarding people’s news feeds with anything (whether it be videos or game updates) just isn’t polite.
3. Engage other people in conversation. Don’t just post updates and have conversations on your own wall, comment on your friends’ pictures and status updates, retweet their tweets and share their news stories. That’s the whole point of social media: to be social.
4. Don’t post embarrassing pictures and videos of your friends and then tag them. That’s just mean. Sure, sometimes they deserve it, but you can be the better person, can’t you? On the same token, don’t post embarrassing pictures of yourself either. Eager to show off a new tattoo in an inconspicuous place? Social media is not the venue.
5. Don’t share uber-personal details about your life. Remember that you’re sharing this info with people you used to work with or went to high school with and haven’t seen in 15 years. I don’t know you like that, and no offence, but I don’t want to know you like that.
In the video below, casting director Michael Cassara, currently casting a movie in our market, gives his opinion on how actors should use today's social media.
Hopefully these tips will make you think twice about what you post on your social media pages. What Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter posts do you enjoy seeing most? Are you posting things like that?
Huge SAG-AFTRA news regarding commercial and music videoresiduals. "What residuals," you ask? Keep reading to find out more . . .
“This agreement . . . delivers good terms for dancers and other performers who work in music videos (and) sets the first industry-wide standard for wages and working conditions in music video production,” said negotiating committee member and dancer Sharon Ferguson, who has worked with music video artists including Prince and No Doubt.
“That’s huge!” she added.
On the commercials front, rather than begin negotiations in October as previously planned, SAG-AFTRA and the advertising industry will “pursue a ‘Clearinghouse Project’ designed to address some of the data challenges encountered during the (GRP) Pilot Project,” according to the union.
The GRP concept, which has been under study for over three years, could result in a large change to the way commercials residuals are calculated. It would have no effect on the calculation of the entertainment residuals that are more familiar to Hollywood.
It takes the right kind of attitude, persistance, hard work and maybe even a little luck to pursue your goals. Sometimes they can be hard to find; sometimes they're just handed to you. The one thing to remember is that if you're motivated enough, you can and will achieve them! Below are some tips on how to create, commit and stick to your goals.
Creating Goals
Goals are a dream – be free to imagine
Goals create excitement about ourselves and the future we can create
Goals are specific, realistic and achievable
Goals should be set slightly beyond your grasp so you personally stretch and grow
Commit To Your Goals!
Write down your goals for the next six days, six weeks and six years
Write down why you want to achieve these goals
Prioritize your goals – put your daily efforts in order
Write down the hurdles you will encounter while working toward these goals. How will you handle the hurdles?
Discuss your goals with your family and friends. This is optional but it always helps to have a support group or person to cheer you toward your goals.
Stick to your Commitment!
Visualize daily the completion of your goals
Allow for flexibility and re-evaluation of your goals
Prepare how to respond to disappointments and setbacks. It’s not what happens to us but how we handle it!
Review your progress and alter your plans but not your goals!
What goals did you set early in the year that have been achieved? What are some of your current goals for the coming weeks or months?
Everybody has, or should have, a brand that they live by. If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what would they be? Do you portray your brand to the people that you come across, especially in your career? Who else has a similar brand to you? How can you develop your brand? Erin Cronican, acting coach, has some advice as to how to create and develop your brand:
•Start by thinking about what kind of medium(s) you want to work in: film, TV, theater, musical theater, commercials, industrials, etc... What are the similarities between the actors in this medium? What are the differences? Where do you fit in?
• What kind of genre(s) are you interested in: comedy, drama, horror, thriller, romance, etc... Again, look at the main players and then see how you compare. Is there anything lacking that you think would be useful?
• Who are some of the people who have the career you could easily step into? What do they have going for them that you could add to your arsenal? How are you different and, thus, will be able to stand out?
Ignoring typecasting is not going to make your career any easier - the more you can take control over your career and present yourself in a clear, unique, and easy to understand fashion, the easier it will be for you to do the kind of work that inspires you.
Think about what direction you want your career to go in, and try to create a brand for yourself. What does your brand say?
A common word thrown around the industry is “branding”. You probably hear it in passing conversations with your agent, casting directors, etc. But what exactly is branding? Erin Cronican breaks it down for us.
Branding, or “the brand” is the company's message to its customers/clients. What are they trying to say? What is their position in the industry? What do they have to offer? For many companies, this includes their logo, the colors on their website, the slogans they use, and how they choose to position themselves. Think of one of your favorite products, and then think about all of the things that make you love it. What do you think/feel when you see their logo? How do you describe the product to your friends? This is their brand - and their job is to a) make sure it always stays positive and favorable, and b) to communicate this to their customers.
As an actor, your job is to figure out what it is that you have to offer that is unique and valuable, and then communicate that to the industry. Your brand is not just your talent, but also your point of view, your connections, your tenacity, your willingness to try anything. It includes the roles you choose to play, the clothing you wear to auditions, what wording you use on your website, how you choose to answer questions in interviews... all of these things reflect your brand. And like all other businesses, in order to be effective in the market your brand needs to be developed and honed before you take your message to your audiences.
If you didn’t create a brand before jumping into talent work, it’s not too late! Start now by sitting down and answering these questions. Then review them before you put yourself in any entertainment situations (castings, bookings, networking events,etc.) to be sure you are focused on building your brand moving forward. How do people view you now? How would you like them to view you differently?
Make sure to check back on monday for more specific ways to go about building your brand but if you want to start now, check out this website:http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/your-personal-branding-worksheet/. Provided for you is a personal branding worksheet to guide you through the process of creating your brand!
What goes through your head right before you walk into an audition? You probably experience some sort of excitement, nervousness, and maybe for some, even nausea. I’ve heard talent even call themselves a failure if they don’t end up booking the job. Acting coach Erin Cronican has a different perspective that you should think about.
When I coach actors on setting goals, I teach them how to look for results that are manageable and empowering. Instead of "My goal is to be cast" (which you cannot control) I encourage actors to strive to be put in the “YES pile." YES means that you have what it takes to compete, and they'll keep giving you chances until something connects perfectly.
As someone who has cast a fair number of shows, I can tell you that getting into my YES pile is ultimately more important than getting cast. If I like your work and your spirit in the audition room, I will do whatever I can to get you cast in my projects because you are going to make me look good- bringing in good actors impresses the producers and means job security for the casting director. So I would bring you in every time a role is right for you until something clicks.
So, strive to be in that YES pile - go into the audition prepared, listen to what is being asked of you and act accordingly, be respectful and HAVE FUN! You'll find that if you show up to auditions using these principles you will be a much happier actor and you'll quiet that little negative voice inside you!
Instead of treating an audition as a make-it-or-break-it move for your career, focus on making the casting director’s job easy. I’ve seen casting directors go out of their way to audition the same talent they obviously like over and over until they are booked . . . and even then continuing to bring that talent back in again. A talented individual is worth a lot, but a friend in the casting room is priceless. What will you do to make it into the “YES” pile at your next audition?
