Grasshopper, it can be the best of times or it can be the worst of times. It’s just about Halloween. After this, everyone in the industry goes into holiday mode.
They start thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Passover, etc.
However, the people you most need to get in touch with are in a completely different mode.
They will double down on their efforts as they try to close in on their year end goals. Big time people set big time goals and they will do everything they can to achieve them.
Here’s what that means to you as an actor…
You now have a window of time wherein you can make more progress in the next few weeks than you have all year.
Here’s why…
All the actors that are about to go on a mental, if not physical, vacation are doing it at the worst possible time!
So, you must do the opposite.
This is a time when industry decision makers are pushing towards their goals and are less distracted by the day to day happenings of the industry.
This is a perfect storm for opportunity.
Grasshopper, I think it’s time that we talk about time collapsing…
See, time is a construct of society but it really means very little.
Sure, we need to know what time to show up at for an audition, but in the grand scheme of things, time itself is irrelevant. Yet, we give it so much power.
We think it will take years to work our way “up the ladder” or get in touch with and so and so, but where does that really come from?
After all, it takes the same amount of time to order a pizza as it does to call up the head of a major studio.
This is what top actors know and it’s one of the reasons they are highly successful.
If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you know that I very much believe in leveraging the power of a good mentor. You would be surprised at who you can get to act as your mentor if you simply ask.
Most people think that industry decision makers are simply out of reach and never ask them about this.
That actually makes them prime mentor candidates, if you know how to ask them properly.
No one wants to spend a dozen hours a month helping you get your career off the ground. They would rather spend that time helping you to pour fuel on the fire because that makes it a two way street.
They get access to world class talent that is on the rise (you) and you get access to world class productions.
This is how you make yourself available to them…
Be visible!
If they don’t know you, they won’t hire you!
That means you have to get on their radar and I have created one of the best ways in the world to do this quickly and easily.
Executives and Casting Directors want to be the ones to discover the next big talent. They spend much of their time actively searching for you.
However, most actors simply don’t put in the effort to make themselves visible to the industry.
You have to actively seek to build an online audience that will follow you to the box office or tune in to any shows you are working on.
After all, that’s what really matters.
“It’s not show friends, it’s show business.”
Create a category for yourself that you can dominate and the industry will come knocking at your door.
Rather than just being an actor, you have to build a reputation for being an actor that dominates an entire category.
Think of it this way…
Bradley Cooper played the frat-boy who refused to grow up, masterfully for a few years. After he dominated that category, he was able to expand into roles in other genres.
Jerry Seinfeld was the comedian turned actor until the show was cancelled, and he created an entirely new brand of television (the sitcom).
Ask yourself what category you can dominate.
This is how you can get into big auditions even if you have very little experience and no industry contacts.
When you dominate a category, the industry will start to seek you out.
Over time, entire productions can be built around you, but only if you build your career by design.
That begs the question: where do you want your career to end up?
See, most actors are afraid to state their goals, and that’s ok you don’t have to state them here. If you’re after an Oscar or a Golden Globe, I admire you!
So many actors in our community shy away from actually saying that. They do so out of fear. Fear that they won’t actually get it…
But who cares?...
If you went all in 1000% to get a trophy and all you did was to be nominated, you still would have out worked, out lived, and out acted most actors.
The beauty of going all in these days is that it’s easier than ever. You used to have to force the industry to take note of you during a production. Today you can literally force the industry to notice you, because of all the distribution that is available.
So don’t hold anything back! Go all in.
Set high goals and then chip away at them one day at a time.
One brick after another, build your career and get some help where you need it.
What does your career look like a year from now?
Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I read every one that comes through. Because my goal is to…
See you at the top,
Scott