It's that time of year again… When graduates of conservatory programs from all over the country come to LA and New York to kick off their careers by performing scenes and monologues for rooms full of casting directors, agents, and managers… And then standing around awkwardly at the catered reception like teenagers at their first school dance.
That awkwardness isn't unique to showcases. It happens again and again throughout our careers, at plays, workshops, panels, and all kinds of events that present the opportunity to establish valuable professional relationships. Yet we stand there, forgetting all of our charm and social savvy, letting precious opportunities pass us by… Because we don't know how to network.
Read MoreIt's often said that audition decision-makers know whether or not you're a contender for the role within 10 seconds of you walking in the room. You may also have noticed that the first 10 seconds usually consist of greetings, where to stand, and preliminary chitchat. So does that really mean they're making their minds up about you before you do any actual acting?
Yes it does.
Before you get frustrated by that, let's admit that we do it all the time. Like on a first date; As soon as the person walks in, you've formed a basic impression… Either 'yeah, this could work' or 'CHECK PLEASE.' You might learn something later that alters that impression a bit, but it's rare that you'll do a complete reversal. Same goes for auditions; The acting absolutely counts, but only if it strengthens a good first impression. If they've already checked out, there's little you can do to get them back.
So what's the basis of that 10-second impression? Your attitude. And here's the good news… 'Attitude' falls into the category of Things You Can Control.
Read MoreIf there's one piece of advice I would give younger me upon arriving in LA, it would be GET INTO VOICEOVER.
At the time, I thought it was a small, ultra-competitive community, tough to break into, required technical skills and equipment I didn't have, and was a different kind of acting than I'd ever done before. And all of that was, to some extent, true.
What's also true is: there is a TON of voice work out there; an actor's range is way broader in voice work because what you look like doesn't matter; the field is flooded with people with great voices and no acting training so they really need good actors; the technical stuff has become way more affordable and user-friendly in recent years; and much of the work involves hanging out at home in soft, stretchy, comfortable clothes. Sure beats driving across town at 4 o'clock on a Friday in a bridesmaid's dress for a commercial audition (which I have done).
Read MoreTalking about the value of target lists last week reminded me of something. Every time I book out with my agents & manager ("book out" is industry-speak for telling them I'm going to be out of town and therefore unavailable for auditions) I say, "… but if Spielberg calls, I'm available." For actors of a certain generation (ahem), 'Spielberg' is code for 'someone I would do anything to work with.'
We all have people on that list. People we respect and admire so much, we'd go to almost any length to work with them if the opportunity presents itself. You know the old actor cliche that the best way to book work is to buy non-refundable plane tickets… These are the people you'd fly back for, and they should be on your target list too.
Read MoreI don't know about you, but more than once I've ended up in a discussion about workshops that got so heated I had to remind myself we weren't talking about national politics. People tend to fall into one of two camps; they think they're either an actor's only hope, or a predatory scam. I think - as is the case with most things - the reality is somewhere in the middle, and it's up to us as actors to make sure we're spending our time, money, and energy wisely when it comes to workshops.
Read MoreHave you ever had any of these thoughts?:
What am I doing with my life?
Shouldn't I have more to show for myself by now?
Am I completely delusional thinking I can do this?
Is it time (or way past time) to just give up already?
Has everyone around me been waiting for me to finally realize it's time to quit?
If so, congratulations. You're an actor.
That sounds glib, but I'm serious. Thinking about quitting is a 100% natural - even integral - part of the lifecycle of being an actor. It is our psyche's way of putting us through what other professions call a 'performance review'; an opportunity to take a conscious inventory of where we've come from, where we're at, and where we want to go next.
Read MoreWelcome to Part 3 of our 2-part series on how to get good representation. (Turns out it's a juicer topic than I anticipated.) We've covered how to set yourself up for success with an agent/manager and how to figure out which reps to pursue. So you've done all of that brilliantly and you've got yourself a meeting! Now what?
Read MoreLast week, we cleared up a bunch of common issues actors have around representation, to help you make the most of your relationships with your reps. This week, we're getting into the nuts and bolts of how to find not just an agent or manager, but the right agent or manager.
It's tempting to just ask your actor friends to refer you to their reps - and that's the extent of what most actors do when looking for new representation. There are two problems with that approach: whether the agent or manager who is right for your friend is also right for you is a total crapshoot, and a referral from another actor carries very little weight. So what can you do instead?
Read MoreThis week's topic comes to you by request from reader Krystal…
I would love to know more about seeking representation - i know you've covered a little bit with following up and being consistent, but seems many of my actor friends are either dissatisfied with their representation or don't know how to go about seeking it in the first place.
How to get representation. On the pie chart of 'What Actors Think About,' this topic would take up... a lotta pie. As Krystal points out, actors at all levels of experience can be unhappy with their representation situation, from seasoned pros to those tackling representation for the first time.
I'm breaking the answer to this question into two parts, because most actors bring a lot of hidden assumptions and baggage to the question of representation, and it's important to get that stuff out in the open and dealt with before you get anywhere near signing on the proverbial - or actual - dotted line. (You know that friend who keeps having terrible romantic relationships and can't figure out why, when it's obvious to everyone but them that it's because they're sabotaging themselves with bad choices, unreasonable expectations, screwy boundaries, etc.? Same thing.)
Read MoreOne of your biggest jobs as an actor is to master the art of auditioning. That includes basic skills like being a great cold reader and knowing how to work with a camera, and more advanced techniques like using script analysis to transform your read from good to great. This week, we're talking about one of those advanced techniques.
Page numbers.
Read MoreCan we just talk for a sec about Lupita Nyong'o?
Yes, she's fantastic in '12 Years a Slave' and ridiculously poised and articulate and beautiful and how does she already have such exquisite fashion sense and boy do I hope she has a great therapist… But none of that is why I want to talk about her.
I want to talk about her because the story of how we all came to know her name is hugely relevant to your career.
Read MorePilot season is underway, and… What's that? You're not going on five auditions a day like you're supposed to!?
I'll tell you a big ol' secret… Neither are 99% of us - including working actors. And it's totally ok.
Read MoreI subscribe to a lot of email newsletters for actors, and almost every week, one of them is about "knowing your type" (or "brand.") They tell you to ask everyone you know how they see you and to make lists of projects you think you're "right" for. They promise to help you figure out your "type" or "brand" (for hundreds of dollars.) Early in my career, I forked over the cash - more than once - hoping to learn something that would help me book work. Now, I would do anything to go back and spend that money on something - anything - else. Here's why.
Read MoreFile this post under 'Good Problems that can Make you Crazy.' (You have a folder for that, right?) You've auditioned for something, maybe had a callback, and then you get a call from your representation (or directly from casting, if you're unrepresented) saying something like 'you're on avail' (common for commercials) or 'you're pinned' (common for tv/film.) Hooray! Now what does that mean, exactly?
Read MoreWe've all heard it. Success as an actor is all about who you know. We tend to interpret that to mean that unless Steven Spielberg is our uncle, we're screwed. Happily, we're wrong :)
Here's what it really means - your acting career is all about relationships. You already know (I hope) that the notion of being 'discovered' is a fantasy. But so is the notion of being called in by a casting director you've never met for a great big role that opens the door to fame and fortune. The reality is that a career is built role by role over time, and the vast majority of those roles will come by way of people who have known your work for years.
Which brings us to where we left off last week… You're ready to do one thing every day for your career that connects you to a person who can bring you closer to your goals, and you know what those things are and which you can do without anyone else's cooperation. So now you need to know whom you're supposed to be sending all these things to. The answer comes in three parts:
Read MoreLast week, we identified the single most important thing you can do to move your acting career forward:
Do one thing every day for your career that connects you to a person who can bring you closer to your goals.
(To keep things short & sweet, we're going to shorten 'person who can bring you closer to your goals' to 'decision-maker.' Ok? Cool.)
We talked about a whole bunch of actor-work things that don't meet that criteria (like headshots, reels, classes, rehearsals, etc.) They're important and we have to do them, but they don't count as your 'one thing every day,' because you could do them forever without ever taking the scary step of putting yourself in front of a decision-maker.
Now let's talk about things that DO count as doing 'one thing every day for your career' - mailings, phone calls, emails, (some) social media, workshops, auditions, meetings, and jobs.
Read MoreYou know how one of the best parts of a vacation is waking up after your first night back in your own bed? Same goes for the entertainment industry. As of this week, vacation is over, bags are unpacked, laundry is done, and everyone ready to hit the ground running.
Last week, we did an exercise to get clear about what you want from 2014, purge old obstacles standing in your way, and start a fresh new wave of momentum. (Did you skip that exercise? I know, it was New Years Day, you were tired, it was still the holidays, I totally get it. But you're not off the hook. Do it now. It'll make what comes next work way better.)
Ok, ok, you'll do the exercise - get to the point! What's "The #1 Key to Success as an Actor"!? Here is is.
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