The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

WHO IS TO BLAME?

The answer is simply "no one".  There is responsibility to be had on all sides!

The second common industry mistake made by talent according to our long term actress friend, Colleen, brings up some good questions!  Have you handed over the authority to move your career forward to the hands of fate?

No, you don't have your own TV network or movie studio. (Arguably, that's a good thing these days.) You cannot just create yourself a lead role or series regular gig with a wave of your hand, and no matter how much better you think life used to be (e.g. under the studio system or some other mythical golden age), you never could.

There is certainly some luck involved in having a long and successful career in the arts. But if you look at most of the people who made it, there's a lot of hustle involved. They didn't have some agent ride in on a winged unicorn, nor did they land ONE magical role that made them.  It took work to get the right pieces in place.  Or they landed several roles after a lot of busting hump.

Control what you can. Pick a month—any month—and get cracking on something. And never stop. Ever.

(For those too young to recognize She-ra, catch up on your vintage cartoons, please.)

As a talent, there are things you cannot control, but focusing on those things will keep you right where you are now.  Move forward -- and grasp the things that you can control.  What are those things?  Well, this blog has already answered that question many times over.  Check out these posts for more ideas and then think outside of the box and create your own.

Innovation and creativity are the things that draw you to being a talent, so tap into them for the longevity and sake of your career!

ARE YOU IN YOUR OWN WAY?

Everyone agrees that choosing to live and work in a completely subjective industry is at the least daunting (and most often entirely overwhelming).  Few people sympathize with talent moreso than actress Colleen Wainwright, has been hitting the payment for over three decades.  Colleen would tell you that over that time she has seen talent make the same five mistakes to the detriment of their careers. 

Desperation is an extreme state and we can all smell it from a mile away.  Talent can smell it on other talent, so of course we as industry professionals sense it coming, too.  There are few things listed as a bigger turn off than coming across as needy.  (Take dating for example.  The good guy rarely gets the girl not because he isn't as wonderful as the bad boy, but because the bad boy just does his thing, regardless of whether or not the girl ends up being "his".  When it comes to human nature, being chased is always better than chasing!)

Here, Colleen shares the #1 mistake all too common for the well-meaning talent . . . being needy.

It's no secret that many of us gravitate to this business because we're a little bit wonky inside. For whatever reason, we need more love, approval, and attention than the average civilian, and we think that waves of love from strangers will fill that big, black hole inside.

Well, relax, because I'm not going to try to talk you out of this one. Chances are good you already know it's nuts, and are in some state of working through it. What I'm talking about, need-wise, is the stuff that gets between you and getting the job.

Need is a gigantic turnoff when it comes to moving your career forward. Yes, you need/want the gig, no matter how poorly paying it is. But while that need might fuel you, it gets in the way in the room.

So do what you can to address it. Financially, it may mean a Stupid Day Job that pays well enough or reducing expenses. Physically, it means making sure your body is in good working order. Emotionally—well, that's kind of up to you and your particular mess. Be gentle as you work on this, but work on it.

 

The one thing that makes my heart sink when I hear a talent say it -- "I really want to get this one!"  In a decade of booking, I have yet to see a talent who really wanted a gig, get booked on it.  I'm sure one day it will happen, but the reason why a talented model or actor wouldn't book a job they really want is simple.  Those nerves that keep you focused and on par in the casting room go on overdrive and then you come across as desperate.  They can smell you coming!  Learning to approach each opportunity from a level perspective is not something learned overnight.  But the bottom line is that you should put the same amount of effort into auditioning for local director Joe Blow's music video as you do when going to read for Steven Spielberg or meet with Tommy Hilfiger.

After all, you may know their name, but they are still just people like you who have worries, fears, and challenges, and are just doing their best to make it through the day and do their job, right?

 

 

Are you getting in your own way?

DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY OR A CAREER?

 

The building blocks to a career in entertainment may not be clearly lined out by our business-oriented society, but they are nontheless clear stair steps to reach your full potential, the same as you would build on your knowledge, training, and natural skills in the corporate office environment.  Are you building a career or mistakenly spinning your wheels with a hobby?

A well-known Casting Director in New York recently confided that many actors she runs across treat acting as a hobby rather than as a career. Just to make sure you're not really treating acting as a hobby and not realizing it, take this little test. Write down succinct answers; be honest; no cheating. And no just looking over the blanks.  You have to fill them in using pen or pencil, so print this out and get to work!
 
Are you always reachable within 30 minutes, if not immediately?     _______________
Do you currently have representation?     _______________
Are you known to show up on time?  Do you always?    ______________
Are your headshots professional?  Do you regularly recieve compliments on them from industry people?  _______________
Do you have a competitive nature?    _______________
Are you knowledgeable about the industry, industry contacts, and current events?   __________
Do you keep your skills honed and continuously growing?    _______________
Can industry professionals expect you to go the extra mile?  Are you considered low maintenance?  (Hint:  If you haven't been told directly by one of your industry contacts that you are "low maintenance," you cannot say yes to this question.)  _____________
Have you ever given an excuse?      _______________
Is your résumé growing, changing, and updated with your agent and online profiles?    _______________
Do you have an attitude that makes people smile when they see you coming?   _______________
Are you actively following up on your industry pursuits?  _______________
How many hours each week are devoted to career?  ______________
 
Now you know what to do. So make sure you do it, not just think it!

And who benefits?  YOU DO!

And what benefits?  YOUR career!

Hobby actors can benefit from knowing answers to these questions as well.  The main idea in this blog is to send a wake up call to talent who are pursuing the industry as a career and dropping the ball in one or two of these places.  However, when utilized properly, hobby actors can have great success in the industry without pursuing a career, too, of course!

So, do you have a hobby or a career?

CHANGE

There's this change . . .

. . . and a different kind of change.

In the words of CD Scott Powers:

We had the pleasure of having two very different actors in our office today.  One was an established actor who has made his living acting for many years. He even qualified for insurance through his union!  His personality lit up the room; his acting was well-crafted; great headshots; very knowledgeable about the industry. He was a winner all around and when he left, you felt energized for his being here. The "essence" he left was palpable. We felt great!
 
Another "actor" also came in later that day. He darkened our doorstep; a thundercloud over his head, complete with a permanent bolt of lightning. He shuffled in and slumped in a chair, absorbing all light and energy that came his way. He was obviously unhappy.  We already knew in advance he was high maintenance.  In the course of the conversation, he told us that he was a professional; he said he knew the business; he said he was serious about his career; he even told us that he had "great" headshots (because the photographer told him so).  (That made everyone's eyes invisibly roll!)  He never stopped complaining or challenging everything around him, blaming everything and everybody. And when he left, we felt drained.  No wonder he had no representation.  Still at square one after all these years.
 
The point is this sad sack had been told by a number of respected industry professionals what to do to get his career off the ground. He ignored all wisdom.   Either he didn't believe the sage advice of his mentors or he didn't want to change his behavior.
 
Bingo.
 
Everything the industry tries to instill in an actor to be better -- i.e., more successful -- requires some degree of behavior modification. Even taking a class is all about change, right?  This all requires continuous effort and cannot be done overnight.  A tough assignment in today's climate of expecting instant everything (the old star by Friday expectation).
 
Want to be successful?  Learn to change.   Enjoy the journey. Think of yourself as an athlete in training, because you are!  There are many qualified professionals who strive to help make you successful.  They earnestly want you to succeed. Part of your job is to let them tell you what to change.  The other part of your job is to implement their recommendations. It will take time. But it is guaranteed that you and your career will benefit for the rest of your life.

Even working in a small market I hear talent tell me how professional they are and how skilled they are, but then their actions don't match their talk.  It's human nature to think the best of ourselves.  If you hear industry people give the same or similar advice more than once, it's golden - take note!  Consider yourself a good listener?  Perhaps you are, but even good listeners need a reminder to follow through with action.  Good intent is just as distructive as a lack of personal effort in the entertainment business.

What kind of change have you been needing to make?  When are you going to do it?

THE DECISION MAKER?

Many talent fear the audition process -- and those along the way -- only because they lack understanding.  At least once a week, I hear a talent tell me that a certain casting director never books them.  It's a conclusion that makes perfect sense from where the talent sits; but that perspective doesn't make it fact.  Here, casting director Ken Lazer, spells it out for you in his words.

In today’s casting session, I had an actor say to me after the audition: “Thanks, I hope you’ll consider me for the job!”

I wanted to remind everyone that it’s not up to Casting Directors  whether or not you book the job. It’s up to my client and their client  as well.

My job as a casting director is to present the best talent choices  that fit the description of what my client’s needs for their project  are.

So the next time you look fearfully at your agent . . . at the casting director . . . at the ad agent sitting in during callbacks . . . stop and remind yourself that they don't make the decisions.  They are there to support you as a possibility that will please the person who is signing everyone's paychecks!

That said, it's not a bad idea to thank them for seeing you.  It is their room and time, after all!

SET YOUR SIGHTS: THE MENTOR

Who is helping you fly?

Tip 7 - get a coach or mentor or both

One of the biggest differences between the Olympian who succeeds and the one who doesn't even make it to the Olympics is often the difference in quality of his/her coach or mentor. The coach/mentor is outside of the day-to-day activity and can provide a cool outsider's perspective about what needs to be done and/or can bring to the table ideas and concepts outside the athlete's awareness or current level of experience.

The resources and coaches available to you depending on your market will vary greatly.  If no coach in your market is challenging you -- or better yet, if you become too comfortable working with one individual -- branch out.  Some coaches are willing to work with talent via Skype.  Or ask your agent for a referral; their network may be more developed.  Working with several different coaches is imperative to your success, but the key here is that the outside perspective will keep you moving forward and build not only your skill set, but also your confidence!

The same is true for business. When selecting a coach/mentor, ,it's important to be sure you choose the right one.  If you aren't familiar with their work, ask questions about their specific expertise, ask for names of other talent in your industry area, check their availability in relation to responding to problems or issues you may encounter, and lastly, determine what is and what is not included in their fee structures (if you are paying them).

Even as a coach/mentor myself, I regularly liaise and work with others to advise and assist me on a variety of aspects about my business and in fact owe many successes to their timely and sage advice.

And likewise, as an agent, I have mentors from whom I can seek advice.  No matter your business, having a team of trusted advisors is the only sure way of overcoming the hurdles that are inevitable in life.

Who is advising you?  I hope you have more than one name in your answer!

SET YOUR SIGHTS: MANAGING THIS BUSINESS

Let's face it.  Creative minds want to be creative -- not spend time crunching numbers, keeping records, or dealing with collections when a client drags their feet on payments.  Hiring a manager is a great way to stay focused on what you love as a talent.  But before you can afford to hire someone to manage your career, it's important to know how to do it yourself without letting the details get you down.

 

[Ok, so the video doesn't really have any key point here other than to make you laugh.  It releases endorphins and should get your day off to a great start!  Read into it what you will for the purpose of this post.]

Not everybody manages to succeed.  Where most business owners (remember as a talent that you are one yourself) are too busy managing to avoid failure rather than managing for success.

So what's the difference?

Tip 6 - manage for success

Managing to avoid failure involves knee-jerk reactions to financial pressures and/or people dramas, whereas managing for success relates to constantly knowing what HAS to happen in your business, analyzing constantly and tweaking the bits that are not working effectively.

Obviously specific aspects of what applies to each person varies; however, there are some common elements of successful businesses that are worth emulating, like having clear boundaries and consistent procedures heading into each casting, committing to a consistent mode of operation, allowing yourself effective training, and as stated earlier in this blog, understanding the statistics discussed in tip #1 and managing your business around them.

Take the fear out of auditioning.  Having a plan to follow each time gives you room to be creative.  The consistency of working a plan automatically calms the nerves, which leaves space in the mind to focus on creativity instead of potential fears.

Set clear boundaries.  What are you willing or not willing to do within your career.  Know these boundaries long before you go on your first casting (or if you already are started, define them before you go on your next casting).  Common boundaries might be where you draw the line with nudity on set; tobacco and alcohol use may be contrary to your personal or religious beliefs; and sometimes it can be as simple as a conflict with your day job (for example, an insurance agent may not want to do a commercial for a competitor's company).  Be clear so that you don't find yourself in a place where you are forced to make a decision under pressure that you might regret later.  And keep in mind that what may be a respectable boundary for one person, doesn't mean you are not respectable if you don't have similar boundaries.  These are personal choices that will vary widely.

Boost your confidence and booking-power!  Get to work with a coach if it's been a few months since you did so.  Confidence is one of the #1 reasons talent book work.  Being confident in the casting room sends an unspoken message to the client and CD that you are the person for the gig.  Our human nature does not question confidence (although it will be averse to over-inflated egos, which are actually a form of insecurity).  In fact, we are naturally drawn to it, and one of the easiest ways to build confidence is to get out of yoru comfort zone and strive to overcome the challenges that you will get when working with an encouraging coach.

As for the statistics in tip #1, perhaps you forgot to start working on those.  Are you keeping track of your opportunities so you can answer these important questions about your business?  Success depends on it!

SETTING YOUR SIGHTS: TELL THE WORLD!

 

OK, so we know where we are, know where we are headed and have decided our income. All we have to do now is make ourselves available to be seen by the industry's decision makers.  But WHO are these people and WHERE are we going to find them?

Tip 5 - tell the world

 Sadly, many entertainers work on the "Field of Dreams" basis -- build it and they will come -- and while there is much truth in the belief, the reality usually plans on "them" giving you your big break before you run out of drive, energy, momentum and money.

Marketing is a big topic in its own right, so we are not going into any great depth here other than to highlight some of the key ingredients to be considered BEFORE launching into the ever-growing and competitive talent pool. It's important to remember an overall marketing strategy has to combine your decisions about who the people are that are most likely to book what you have on offer, what these potential customers expect about the quality/service/budget relating to what you have to offer, how and where you can most appropriately communicate to/with those decision makers and lastly, what messages are important for THEM to hear.

Talent can streamline their marketing by careful placement and wording on their resume; by highlighting their unique or sought after physical features in their headshot and comp cards; by completing profile options within database profiles used by your agency; and by taking the time to research and understand what the given client's needs are before casting (and, of course, then showcasing that you can fill those needs). 

For example, we recently had a client request a serious kung fu artist within a certain demographic.  The important thing to note here, is that when the agency database was searched, what came up were talent who had "martial arts" listed.  By generalizing their skill, these talent had not focused in on a potential need and could have missed the opportunity altogether.  (They didn't only because they were quick to respond - good for them!).  Honing in on the skill and using their resume to work to their advantage and present the client with what they needed was the key.  What they should have listed was:

Martial Arts:  Ju Jitsu, Kung Fu, Taekwondo

Take a look at your marketing materials and ask yourself what they are showcasing.  Does your headshot highlight the features most likely to get booked in your market?  Does your resume have specific wording that will catch a busy CD's eye?

Are you telling people what they need to see or hear in order to be the one booked?

SETTING YOUR SIGHTS: DECIDE YOUR INCOME!

I love the thought of you reading this blog and your eyes bugging out as you think, "She has seriously lost it this time.  I knew she was weird, but this is quack!"

Perhaps your right, but keep in mind that this isn't advice coming from me directly -- it's advice coming from what successful business owners are taught in every advanced economics program in the world.  Your business is not different and you don't need to get an MBA to run a successful shop.

Tip 4 - decide your income

Yes I did say it correctly--decide YOUR income. [What would you look for when purchasing a business?]. For most, this would be the ability for the business to pay its bills, pay lifestyle wages and generate profits to grow the business.

Determine HOW much money the business has to generate to pay its way, provide wages for the owners AND create profits with which to grow. This latter point is crucial for success. After all, if you don't plan to create profit for growth, how is your growth going to be funded?

Your manager or a business advisor can help you figure out these hard and fast numbers.  But without any one of these categories, your business will surely sink!  Too many actors struggle to survive day to day when all it takes is a change in perspective and game plan to make acting their lifestyle. 

And the last of those three responsibilities is by FAR the most important!  You can only make money as long as your business grows and has something to offer.  Did you make enough money to pay your bills, feed your family, and put gas in the car last year?  If you want another year struggling to make ends meet, continue doing what you're doing.   If you want to build a business and see it prosper without duress, reinvest back into it with part of the income you're earning!  Every business has overhead, but the business squandering their profits instead of reinvesting are the reason why so many talent end up leaving the world of entertainment.  The school of hard knocks hits the hardest for those who aren't wise enough to build a good foundation and walls to protect their endeavor!

Are you reinvesting to protect your business?

SETTING YOUR SIGHTS: WHY SOME TALENT SUCCEED AND OTHERS DON'T

You like this world of acting or modeling.  It's fun.  It's exciting.  It's potential is uncapped in many ways, including financially.  All these things make you feel good about being an entreprenuer and about running your own business.  That said, it's time to talk about that dreaded idea:  being a business person.

According to research done on small businesses (which is what you are as an individual), owners start their small business because they think they can do something better themselves; or they have substantial cash flow for an idea or fall upon a large sum of income; or they are chasing a dream.  As talent, you could fit in any or all of these categories, which again, confirms that you are running a small business.  Irrespective of your motivation, I doubt you're going into business with a desire for failure and I suspect you might welcome the tips to follow in this next set of blogs that can help you achieve long term success.

As a business owner, the first thing you need to understand is why most small businesses fail.  It's not because a certain percentage of them are doomed from the start, so breathe easy that you aren't fighting Fate! (Business Tips in red courtesy of Anthony M Turner)

Tip 1 - understand why most businesses fail to reach their full potential.

Yes, there are a multitude of reasons/excuses why business owners fail to reach their full potential -- but the two most common REAL reasons are that business owners are unclear about their goals (or have lost sight of their original goals as to what they want to get out of their business) OR business owners don't really know what's going on in their business.

Talent find themselves in the same quandary.  Setting goals for your new year is crucial, but having short term and long term goals are just as important.  Take five minutes right now to stop and write down your short term and long term goals.  Second, ask yourself if you really know what is happening with your business.  Do you know and feel good about what you did last year when it comes to marketing, networking, studying, and working on set?  If you dropped the ball in one or more of these aspects of your business, what can you do to start improving?

We're no longer shocked by the blank faces of business owners when we ask them why they are in business. After talking for a while, they start to remember their original reason for starting. A balanced lifestyle is one of the most popular reasons but often hard to believe when we see them (the business owners) working incredibly long hours for little return and often feeling trapped like those hamsters on a wheel who keep running faster and faster whilst getting nowhere.

Working on set for long hours is part of the business, so we can consider the balance in overall time spent since you aren't on set every day.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't be working at least 40 hours a week on your career, though.  If you spend 10 hours on set one day, you should have 30 more hours of committed work time toward your craft.  But committed work time is only beneficial if it is focused in the right areas where you can earn a return in the future.  Off set, how are you spending your time?  Telling yourself as you read is not enough.  Stop and write down what you are doing so you can see it on paper and then honestly assess how many hours each week you spend doing those things you wrote down.

Not knowing what's going on in the business is also extremely common and relates to knowing your KPI's (key performance indicators) e.g. how many people you have to connect with to get the right percentage to walk through your door and the right percentage of those to purchase and the right percentage of those who purchase to become loyal clients and/or referrers of others to your business.

Talent work, like sales, is a numbers business.  Smart talent can you tell right now exactly what their casting to booking ratio is.  This business thought can be difficult to follow, but what they are saying is . . . do you know how many times your headshot has to be submitted before you get called in to audition?  Do you know how many auditions you have to attend before you will book a job?  Do you know how many times you have to work with a new client before they start asking for you by name and become a repeat customer?  The numbers build only as fast as the statistics show, which is why the more proactive talent build successful businesses faster!

If you haven't hired a manager (which talent working in secondary markets don't need to do or spend the overhead usually), these are all things you will have to do yourself.  More tips to follow, but for now, you should have a list of short term and long term goals; an idea of what you did last year for your business and how your time was spent; and a way to track your numbers for the future. 

Of these ideas, what aspects did you do well last year?