Last week was one of the most important weeks for actors and it presented incredible opportunities, if you paid attention and took action.
You probably didn’t even hear a word about it around town.
I’m not referring to pilot or episodic season, so most actors have no idea what I’m talking about...and that’s why most will never make any significant career progress.
Before we dive in, I have to be honest. You may actually want to skip this report.
I deliver some inconvenient, if not harsh truths and it’s definitely not a “fluff” piece full of motivational platitudes.
Instead, this report contains real world strategies about what is working right now to make it as an actor.
So, if you are ready to finally make real progress in your acting career, there’s something you should know...
Most of what you have been told about the industry is completely wrong. The reason I created Boost My Star was that, as I looked around at the information that was available to up and coming actors about making it in the industry, I realized it was outdated at best and mostly just plain wrong.
Your acting coach will tell you to keep working on your skills and you will eventually be noticed.
If you turn to your agent for advice, you will be told that it takes time to build a successful career and to just keep plugging away.
While that’s actually ok advice, it’s still not the best course of action.
If you turn to your industry friends, you will probably hear motivational talking points.
So where do you turn?
Always go to the source. Look at the actors you admire, and breakdown their careers. Determine why they made the career moves they made and how the opportunities present themselves.
Did they stick with their first agent, or did they go through agents every few months until they found one they clicked with?
What kind of support did their agent provide?
Though the show is a work of fiction, I always recommend that you watch and study the show Entourage. It’s a fairly accurate, albeit dramatized, version of the inner workings of the industry.
Find your Ari Gold.
I do career breakdowns at least once per week, and without fail, every actor that has built a successful career had someone in their corner that went to incredible lengths to support them.
In fact, this extends to every corner of the entertainment industry and just about every profession out there.
There is always someone that takes you under their wing and helps you get off the ground.
Today, the dynamics are a bit different and it’s easier than ever to open doors. More on this in a moment.
First, I want to clear something up. Doing what everyone else does gets you the results that everyone else gets. That’s why it’s important for you to go against the grain.
Try this: go to Instagram and search #actor or #actorslife and look around for a bit.
How fast did you scroll through the posts? Chances are you scrolled pretty fast. Everything and everyone sort of blends into the background because no one wants to stand out.
We all want to be noticed, but we are afraid to stand out. That is a career killing paradox.
If you want to make it in the industry it is important that you differentiate yourself. That’s why last week was one of the most important weeks for actors, and not for the reasons you might think.
See, the industry model has changed. Whereas, you used to need someone in your corner to open doors for you and introduce you to the “right people,” you can now use a few simple tools to build the wind beneath your wings.
Here’s what I mean by that...
We’ve seen YouTubers, Instagrammers and Influencers crossover to the mainstream industry in droves over the last few years.
It’s because they came with a built in audience and what the industry refers to as Proof of Marketability. Basically, they sell tickets and draw people to the box office.
That audience is the wind beneath their wings. I’m not saying that you have to build a huge following with millions of fans.
What I’m saying is that your destiny is yours to shape. With a solid industry reputation and a small group of people that know, like, and trust you, the sky is the limit.
Think of what happens when you discover a new actor that you admire. The first thing you do is probably check out their IMDb to see what other credits they have and scroll through their social feeds to see what they are all about.
That’s why last week presented such a big opportunity. It was Shark Week! The shows boast some of the highest ratings on Television, and the fans are die hard fans!
Joining the Shark Week conversation for example, is one of the things you can to differentiate yourself.
See, audiences don’t just want to watch an actor, they connect with the person behind the characters they play.
It’s why actors do the late night talk show circuit and press junkets before a big release. Today, you no longer need to go on the late show to connect with just as many people.
Instead of tuning in like everyone else, look for opportunities to join conversations and connect with others.
Don’t throw an Academy Awards watch party, just for the sake of it. What if you livestreamed your commentary about whether or not you feel the award went to the right person.
Some will disagree with you, but the ones that do will love you for it.
In today’s environment you first have to connect with someone in order to earn their attention for your projects.
This is why, when everyone else tunes out, that’s a good indication that you should be looking for the opportunity to get to work.
That doesn’t mean you have to “roll up your sleeves” every day. I created a way where you can put this on autopilot, so you can be confident that’s it’s always getting done.
When everyone else is focused on their tan and “taking it easy” you should be looking for ways to give your career a boost.
he real industry decision makers are never completely checked out, and you shouldn’t be either.
The number one thing you should be focused on at all times, is differentiating yourself. Actors come a dime a dozen, so ask yourself how you can go beyond being just another actor and make yourself a commodity.
If Casting Directors and other decision makers don’t know you, they can’t hire you, so you have to do something everyday to grab their attention.
Just be sure that your industry reputation is aligned with your goals.
This can make you lose credibility faster than almost anything else. Anyone can say they are an actor, but there is a big difference between being an actor and in being a working actor.
If you want to be a working actor, your industry reputation must reflect that, so you don’t get put in the same category as all the other hobbyists that call themselves actors.
That’s the recipe for building an acting career.
If you have questions about any part of this, let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I read and respond to every one that comes through because my goal is to...
See you at the top,
Scott