Lately, we've been talking a lot about all of the pieces you have to put in place to build your acting career.

You know that I absolutely love going over the training side of things and what it takes to deliver a world class performance on set.

Aside from actually being on set, it’s one of the most satisfying things actors do.

The problem is that this is only one of several things that have to come together to build a successful acting career, but most actors only focus on this one piece.

Unfortunately it’s not even the most effective piece to be focused on.

I know that sounds a bit crazy and it probably goes against most of what you’ve been told about making it in the industry. There’s a lot more to that, so we’ll come back to it in a bit...

So, look past it for now because if you want to be a professional actor, you will have to put all of the pieces together and you have to focus on the most effective things first.

Here’s what those are...

It goes without saying, but we’ll be looking at this in a whole new way. One of the most important pieces you need to have in place to build a successful acting career is quality representation and an agent that understands your goals.

Here’s what I mean...

What happens when you and your agent are not on the same page is that your efforts will work against each other at times. There may be times when you go out and make a focused effort to meet decision makers and set up meetings.

If you and your agent are not on the same page about that, you could end up with meetings that don’t go anywhere.

You could even end up in a situation where your agent doesn’t want to accompany you to those meetings. That’s not a very good look and it happens more often than you would think.

It happens when an agent feels blindsided and in some ways, out worked and out maneuvered by your efforts. It’s nonsensical of course and it only happens when you and your agent are not on the same page.

When you and your agent work well together, you can take both of your careers to the next level. You will both be trying to succeed in the industry, without waiting around for the other person to bring things to the table.

You will both be working to make things happen. That’s why it’s important that you find an agent who is also trying to find their way in the industry.

So, sit down with your agent and come up with a game plan for your career. Plan how you will reach out to industry decision makers (outside of auditions), how you will create opportunities to grow your fanbase, and how you will take your career to the next level.

You will likely have to coach your current agent through any changes you want to make in the direction your career is going. If you have a good working relationship but just need a few strategic tweaks, this process may still be a little bit bumpy.

But, when you get through it you and your agent will be working phenomenally together and have a plan for how you will build your acting career.

You might also find that you and your agent can’t really get on the same page about how to build your career.

It sounds crazy, but a lot of agents are comfortable just submitting you to whatever they come across and hoping for the best.

Of course that’s not the kind of agent you want to be signed with, so what if you can't salvage that relationship for one reason or another?

Then, it’s time to go agent shopping...

When searching for an agent, most actors make a big mistake. They automatically try to set up meetings with agents that are at the top levels of the industry.

While that can absolutely work, it shouldn't be the only kind of agent you approach.

The agents that are already at the top levels of the industry, tend to sign actors that are also at the top levels or nearly there.

Instead, search for an agent that is also trying to get to the next level in their own career. That way they will be as eager as you are to make things happen.

Agents have to build their careers in much the same way that you do, as an actor. So, it makes sense that you work with someone that is at a similar level and that is very driven to get to the next one.

Look at it from the agent’s perspective. When they are already at the top levels of the industry, how would they benefit from signing someone who isn’t there yet?

When you have made it to the top levels of the industry, how eager would you be to sign with an agent that is still trying to get their own career off the ground?

You wouldn’t be very eager to do that, and it goes both ways. However, when you find an agent that is driven to make things happen in their own career, it is an absolute game changer, since the way they make things happen in their career is to make things happen in your career.

That’s why an agent is an incredibly important part of building your career.

They will impact your career tremendously, but any agent can only be as effective as everything else you put in place for your acting career. You need to give them the tools to help you be successful. That's why I created this.

I want to be clear on something, when things are not working out the way they should, it’s easy to look to your agent and point to them as being the root of the problem.

It’s important that you examine everything and make sure that you don’t stop at just one thing that could be the cause for a lack of progress.

Here’s what I mean...

See, you can upgrade everything in your career, but you still have to make sure that you are visible to the industry. This will help...

Why?

If you're not visible then your efforts could go to waste, even if everything else that you have put in place is just as it should be.

When an actor’s career stalls, it could be a combination of many factors and fixing one, won’t fix the rest. For example, what I see often is a combination of not having a solid plan for making yourself visible to industry decision makers and not having a solid industry reputation.

A new agent can potentially help with visibility if they are well connected and put you in front of decision makers, but the other problem would remain.

Typically, an actor either needs to have an extensive body of work that they can point to or show up in the best way possible, where industry decision makers are looking. That’s why this can be such a big difference maker.

When you have that in place, a good agent can help you take your career to the next level, because they will have the necessary tools available to help build your career.

So, what is your status with your agent now? Do you feel like you can work with your current agent to come up with a solid plan, or is it time to find a new one?

Shoot me an email or let me know in the comments below. I’m always happy to provide another perspective and help however I can, because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott