At this point in the year, I usually start to hear from many actors that are waking up to the realization that this year will probably turn out exactly the way last year turned out for them.
I hear from actors that are concerned about the lack of progress they made so far this year, even though they were “doing everything they could.”
It is an appropriate time to reflect on how things have gone this year, because it’s not too late to turn things around.
The actors I hear from are the exception. The truth is that most actors will simply continue to do the same things as they always do and hope something changes.
Professional actors don’t do that at all.
They know that building an acting career can’t be done passively. You have to actively try new things and stop doing what doesn’t work.
To do that effectively, you have to periodically evaluate the progress you have been making and there’s not a better time to do it than right now.
So if you want to make the most of the second half of the year, here’s where to start...
It’s important to take some time and celebrate what you have been able to accomplish so far this year.
That helps you get into positivity and it helps you establish some patterns for what has worked well.
Think about any bookings you were able to secure, any roles that got to the screen test stage, and any callbacks you were able to get.
Then think of what led to those opportunities and consider how you can leverage that to generate more.
If you were diligent about your networking and met someone that introduced you to a CD that asked you to read for them, then it would be a good idea to continue being diligent with your networking and to do it in the same manner as before.
What I often see is that many actors don’t have enough information to make that determination. Here’s what I mean...
In order to determine if something works, there has to be repetition. Most actors don’t do things long enough for patterns to emerge.
They will try to network and give up after a few days, thinking it doesn’t work because nobody was receptive.
They will start the search for a new agent only to abandon the pursuit after the first few decide they’re not the right fit. So, they just stick with their old agent and hope that things work out.
Doing something until it works is difficult. Nobody likes to have the door slammed in their face, much less to have it done repeatedly.
If things don’t work out, try something different but make sure that you have done it enough to give it a real chance to work.
Also, think about your goals and the progress you have made towards accomplishing them.
Over the years, I have seen that most actors simply don’t set goals beyond just wanting to have a lot of bookings.
To build an acting career, you have to clearly define what you want your career to look like and then break down that vision into periodic goals.
Otherwise, tracking your career progress is difficult to do.
The number of bookings you are able to achieve is a big part of building your career, but only to a certain point.
Then, it becomes about much more than that because a single good booking can help you build your career much more than five random bookings.
Setting your career goals also helps you identify what you need to work on to achieve them. Many actors just do things randomly.
They take acting classes, go to workshops, and try to network without really having a plan for doing any of it.
Instead of doing that, sit down and think of what you want your career to look like. Then, set some goals for achieving the things that will help you get there.
For example, if you want to win some main line awards, you will need to be sure that you are part of the organizations that host the awards.
Look up the criteria and work towards becoming eligible.
If you couldn’t care less about winning awards and you just want to book things consistently enough to make acting your sole focus, sit down and do the math on what it would take.
Chances are, it’s a lot less than you would think. Then, you can move forward with planning to go after the kinds of roles that would allow you to do that.
That’s why setting goals is so important. Without doing it you are just going through the motions, and it makes measuring your career progress almost impossible.
Regardless of where you are in your career, you should check in on your progress periodically so you know if you are staying on track, and halfway through the year is a great time to do that.
It gives you enough time to salvage the second half of the year, if you have not been making the kind of progress you should be.
Wherever you are in your acting career will dictate what you should do next. However, there are a few things that almost always apply.
Whatever stage you want to build your career to, you will need to make yourself highly visible to Casting Directors and industry decision makers.
Relying on your agent’s submissions alone is not as impactful as actively building your industry reputation.
Casting Directors and industry decision makers put a lot of trust in the actors they choose to move forward with. That’s why you should always make sure that your industry reputation shows that you are a professional actor and not a hobbyist. Here’s how I can help with that.
CDs only know what is on your resume. Who they move forward with is a big decision so they tend to do some research before making that decision.
As you are going through the process of measuring your career progress and setting goals for what to do next, feel free to get in touch.
Leave me a comment below or feel free to shoot me and let me know if you are having trouble figuring things out.
I’m always happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott