Build Your Acting Career Over The Next Few Weeks
As of the time of this writing, there are roughly 7 weeks left in the year. What are you going to do with them?
The truth is that most of your colleagues have already mentally checked out. In fact most of the industry has been in holiday mode since the first.
If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you already know what I’m going to say next...
Doing what everyone else does in the industry is usually a recipe for getting stuck in your career, just like everyone else.
See, “most of the industry” doesn’t include the top tier of the industry.
They never stop working towards their goals and neither should you. That’s something professional actors learn very early on in their career and it’s a big reason for why they are able to make progress so quickly.
This time of year can yield some of the biggest opportunities for actors that are ready to take advantage of them.
If you want to be one of them, here’s where to start...
Most people in the industry don’t know they’ve checked out so it’s important to understand why they have.
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is a great excuse for actors to focus on other things and that starts long before the holiday season is upon us.
There are relatives and friends to visit, shopping to do, and 100 other things that pull your attention.
It’s not that those other things should be completely ignored. Everyone deserves a break and celebrations are extremely important, but the problem is that many actors let themselves be completely consumed with them and they end up ignoring their career until the industry “wakes up” sometime early next year.
That’s far too long to be idle in the industry.
The good news is that, everyone else being idle, can create a big opportunity for you, if you know how to seize it.
The key to making progress during this time is building relationships. I know you hear this all the time and I’m sure you know just how important it is to build industry relationships, but here’s how that can be more impactful during this time of year...
Not only are there far fewer actors vying for attention from CDs and decision makers, the reliability of actors to stick with their commitments drops off dramatically.
I know, since you are reading this, you are probably not the type of actor that would cancel a booking just because your third cousin dropped in for a visit.
But, you would be incredibly surprised at how many actors have conflicts arise.
Those slots need to be filled, because production won’t stop and you can build relationships that help you be the one to fill the void.
That’s one small, albeit very real opportunity that exists during this time.
Also, people are just a lot more open to connecting during times of celebration, so your efforts tend to be better received now than they would have been over the summer.
Take some time each day to reach out to CDs, directors, producers, and anyone else that could be in a position to help you move your career forward.
Reach out to them with a compliment about their work and wish them a happy holiday. Tailor your messages individually based on whatever holiday is close and appropriate.
Everyone gets flooded with generic, mass messages during this time of year so your personal message will stand out from the rest.
It’s also a great time to send out holiday cards and catch up with anyone you have previously worked with.
Do it in the same way. Don’t leave a “P.S. keep me in mind next time you are casting...” message. All you are trying to do at this point is open the door to making contact.
From there, you can move the relationship along in a few different ways. We’ll talk more about that next week.
For now, start thinking about what we talked about today and who you want to get in touch with or back in touch with.
The odds of you making an impression with casting directors and industry decision makers are much higher when there are fewer actors competing for their attention, and the timing for that is perfect right now.
You may not get a frantic phone call asking you to be on set in an hour, but like I said a moment ago, you will be working towards opening the door to communicating further.
The people you reach out to will typically do some research, to figure out who you are, prior to responding. That’s why having a stellar industry is incredibly important and can help you open many doors.
Building relationships during this time of year can be one of the most impactful things you do for your career.
After all, the industry is driven by relationships...
There’s no doubt that the activity in the industry does slow down a bit overall, as the year draws to an end.
That means that you will be reaching out when the people you are trying to reach have fewer things going on to pull their attention.
Whether you decide to double down or take it easy during this time of year, is up to you of course.
The industry will still be around when you are ready to get back into the swing of things. I just wanted to present you with an opportunity that is time sensitive.
However, this is really something that you should do year round, because it is part of the foundation your career is built on.
When you are visible, you are much more likely to be presented with opportunities, because if no one knows you they can’t hire you.
When they do know you, you atleast have a higher chance of catching their attention.
You can do this more purposefully and we’ll talk about that in more detail over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, consider what we talked about today. Put some thought into whether you want to check out like everyone else, or whether you want to keep driving towards your goals.
If you decide you want to continue moving forward, I’ll be here to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott