You can’t be in the industry and not study classic shows like Seinfeld, Friends, or more recently The Office.

Long running shows like this are what make the entire industry possible, since for every Seinfeld that sells distribution rights, for a half billion dollars, 3 decades after wrapping production there are 100 other shows that don’t make a single dollar in profit.

More on that in a sec. It actually has a lot to do with whether or not you will be successful as an actor, but we have to cover some other factors first.

Let’s first talk about why these shows are so successful, how to spot them, and most importantly how to get on casting’s radar so you have an opportunity to be cast on the show.

First and foremost...

You have to be choosy about which opportunities to focus on in which ones to push to the back burner.

That means you need to have a trained eye for which productions are more likely to be successful. Here’s an easy, albeit counterintuitive way to do that.

In general, the less specific a show’s story line is, the more likely it is to be a long running, successful show.

That brings us back to Seinfeld being a show about “nothing” as it was called.
When you think of other successful shows, the same trend emerges. What was Friends about?

Even The Office or Orange is The New Black, are really shows about nothing. At most, they are shows about “not much” when compared to others like 24 (which had a very specific plot line).

What makes or breaks a production is the character set and whether those characters are relatable. Of course, the characters behind those actors are of huge importance as well.

I’ll come to why this presents a huge opportunity for you as an actor, in just a moment.

Even if you are not on anyone’s radar, there are still ways you can identify and prioritize these opportunities.

The great thing about the industry is that productions are not a secret and they are announced very early on in the process.

For a series, like the ones we are talked about, the networks have used a similar formula for decades. They announce the show early in the production cycle, usually when a “keystone” actor has been attached to the show.

This is normally an actor that has some degree of recognition but that is removed enough from the mainstream that their presence will not detract from the shows realism.

For Modern Family this was Ed O’Neal and Sofia Vergara. The Office had Steve Carrell and Seinfeld had Jerry Seinfeld of course.

To spot a production with potential, identify who those keystone actors are and whether they fit the description. If they recently wrapped a blockbuster film in which they played a lead, chances are the show will not have longevity.

Stick with me for a sec, when the human mind does not recognize a face we subconsciously superimpose ourselves and the people around us in that person’s place.

This helps us make sense of the world around us. It’s also why everyone, except for the keystone actor, is unknown in the industry.

Do this: watch an episode of Friends or The Office and see how many of the characters you can relate your own friends or family.

Do the same when evaluating which opportunities to focus on. If the characters are not relatable in some way, chances are the production will have a short shelf life.

What’s great about productions like this is that, because the cast is made up of actors that are unknown in the industry, the door is wide open for you, even if you don’t have a lot credits right now.

Most of the shows will be announced in Variety or Backstage. From there, you can have your agent submit you for consideration.

A quick note about that. Even though, they are casting unknown actors, CDs still need to be able to trust you so make sure your industry reputation will stand up to their scrutiny.

If you have struggled to make career progress, this could be the what is hindering you.

While they are typically part of the dailies, you have to make sure your agent doesn’t gloss over them. If you identify a production that you think is a good fit, make sure your agent has submitted you!

They are easy to miss because they tend to not sound like the most exciting projects, and they typically don’t have very specific actor-types they are searching for.

While this is great for you, it poses a problem for an agent’s workflow, since they are trained to look for opportunities where you will be a fit, rather than fitting you into an opportunity.

If you are self representing or if you are in between agents and find a production that could be a fit, don’t hesitate to submit yourself.

Google search the production office and you will easily find their contact info.

The most important part of building an acting career, is taking the initiative. Literally, half the battle is in simply showing up and putting your best foot forward.

Although there are dozens of ways to go full time and become a professional actor with a long and rewarding career, the path that is the most attractive for actors is typically the network series route.

I think it’s because it provides a degree of stability in an otherwise unpredictable and highly volatile profession.

When you sign up as a lead in a network series, the standard contract is written up for 7 years, and when you have bounced around from one set to the next, as all actors do, having a set to call “home”and a cast and crew that you will work with for years to come is very comforting.

However, it’s not the only route. You can perform the same process for films too.

The reason for their longevity is still rooted in the same principles. The Goonies, for example, reminds us of our childhood friends and we can superimpose them in place of the characters in the film.

They also become timeless, not because there was a star studded cast, but because of the quality of the cast.

There are typically a couple of breakout actors that go on to have incredible careers, like Abigail Breslin after Little Miss Sunshine.

Just like for a series, the same open nature of casting applies, so look up the production office and submit yourself if you have to.

When I go through this process with actors, they typically want to know about the little things like“which headshot style should I go with?”

While things like that are important, they are secondary to what we’ve talked about today. A “perfect”headshot (which by the way doesn’t exist) sent out to imperfect productions won’t do you any good.

Focus instead on the big picture things that move the needle for your career.
Form there, after you have had a degree of success, you can start to calibrate with the smaller things.

One thing that will never change about the industry and about the nature of casting is that, it will always be about people.

A terrific actor who turns out to be a horrible person, will have a very short career, whereas an actor who is good enough but is a wonderful person, will have a career beyond their expectations if they make the right career choices.

Earlier, I mentioned that your industry reputation was highly important during the casting process. Here’s why.

Imagine that you are walking, minding your own business and all of a sudden a stranger extends their hand and says “hi.”

Dozens of things go through your mind in an instant. You immediately try to asses whether the other person poses some kind of danger to you, you start to wonder why they are talking to you at all, you look for an escape route in case they are a danger, and a lot more.

The same thing happens when your headshot lands on a CD’s desk, except you are the stranger with an outstretched hand.

So, you need to do whatever you possibly can to quiet the conversation going on in the CDs head. It’s not unlike what happens in real life, except it’s more situational.

More like “if I call this person to read, will everyone think I’ve lost my mind because he’s not a direct fit”or “is she going to show up to production perpetually late and be a diva?”

That’s why your industry reputation is so important and why I built this to help you with that.

When you cover yourself on this front, you don’t come across as a risky stranger to a CD, you come across as an industry professional that can be trusted.

IMDb wouldn’t exist, if it wasn’t of use to the industry.

It wouldn’t have been bought by Amazon (also owner of Amazon Studios) if they didn’t have big plans for how to use IMDb in the future.

Consider it your digital status meter, as it’s how the industry views you.

It’s an imperfect system and many actors, the shortsighted ones, wish it would simply go away. That’s only because they haven’t learned how you can use it boost your acting career.

Check that out first and then shoot me an email if you have any questions about how to put what we talked about today into practice.

I’m always happy to help an actor who is willing to take their career destiny into their own hands. It makes it much more likely that I will...

See you at the top,
Scott