Another year has come and gone, and as we reach the final report of 2021 I want to ask you something...
Career-wise, did this year live up to your expectations? How close did you come to accomplishing what you set out to?
If you know that you could have made much more progress and you want to set yourself up for a more productive 2022 then this could be the most important few minutes you spend on your career.
I had something completely different planned for you today, but instead I dug through the conversations I’ve had with successful actors over the past year and I pulled together their most powerful strategies.
I wanted to bring you what’s working right now to build an acting career, so here's what helped actors make big career moves in 2021...
Fair warning, as we go through the list you will probably identify a few things that are common sense. Don't just shrug them off!
Stop and think about how well you are doing with that point. A big part of building a successful acting career is stuff actors already know they should do but are putting off for one reason or another.
For example, one of the most powerful things actors did in 2021, to build their careers, was reaching out and making connections with CDs and decision makers. The trend that started almost two years ago that had everyone going digital, really picked up steam in 2021 and there is no sign of it slowing down.
An unintended consequence to this was that Casting Directors and industry decision makers became a lot more active and a lot more accessible on social media.
That's something many actors used to move their career forward.
Actors that used social media, with purpose, put themselves in a very good position to make big career moves.
In an environment where CDs and decision makers were actively looking for and connecting with talent on social media, the actors that used it to show themselves as true professionals were able to differentiate themselves and stand out from the crowd.
We talked about this quite a bit over the year and I’ll continue to bring you more strategies around this in 2022.
Something else that successful actors did was narrow their focus to a single category. This is also something we talked about extensively over the last year, because it's that powerful!
Think of your career kind of like a magnifying glass. When it's focused, it can light a forest fire, but when the light source is scattered and unfocused nothing out of the ordinary happens.
Stop and think about how well you focused on a single category over the last year. It’s one of the building blocks of your career and a lot builds on this.
For example, having headshots that make you shine. This is something all successful actors have in common and I'm always surprised at just how many actors have headshots that don't serve them.
Even though most actors keep them updated, few ever really plan out how to take headshots that help casting directors see them in the roles they are casting for and it’s hard to do that when you are not focused on a single category.
So, actors often take their headshots with the goal of "looking good" but to get the most out of your headshots, your goal should be to embody a character type. That's why focusing your category is so important.
It’s as important as having an effective reel. This is similar to your headshots. An effective reel, one that will help you move your career forward, will be focused on helping CDs see you as a particular character.
Actors that did this in 2021 found their reels to be better received and were a lot more effective than actors who just cut all of their scenes together in a reel that "showed their range."
Something else the successful actors had in common was being consistent.
When it comes to building your acting career, doing things one time or doing them every now and then when you get around to it, won't usually cut it.
For example, when it comes to putting yourself in front of CDs and decision makers, doing it consistently is usually better than doing it “right.”
Most actors think they have to wait until they have everything lined up correctly and perfectly before they start to pursue opportunities. Successful actors start from where they are and improve things as they go.
The actors who were able to make big career moves in 2021 just started working consistently towards their goals.
There will always be some things that just have to get done and being consistent with them is key, even if they are not the most fun parts of the industry. It’s what I created Boost My Star and why I built this to help you with that, so you can focus on what you do best.
Over the last year...
The industry has changed and it will never fully go back to the way things were. Successful actors have been able to adapt to the changes, instead of letting themselves get left behind while waiting for things to go back to normal.
Most actors have done the opposite. They have continued to do things the same way they always have or they are continuing to sit on the sidelines waiting for things to go back.
The truth is, I’ve been sounding the alarm on these changes for a long time now. Things just ended up changing faster than anyone expected.
One of the few things about the industry that remained the same is that your reputation as an actor is extremely important. In fact, that has probably become even more important and successful actors made sure that their industry reputation was always in top shape. Here’s how I can help...
As we wrap up 2021 I want to be clear on something. It may sound harsh but as always it comes from a place of wanting to see you reach your goals.
When it comes to Casting Directors and industry decision makers, if they don't know you they can't hire you. Don’t mistake being seen with being known.
Here’s what I mean...
If you read for a casting director, you’re being seen but that doesn’t mean they “know you.” If a CD asks you to come in and read for them, that’s being known.
Here's how I can help you show up in a place where they are already looking for talent.
Everything changes when this happens, and we’ll open up 2022 with a game plan for doing just that.
For now, get started on what we went over today and remember you can always reach out through the comments below or by shooting me an email. I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott