All the talent in the world will not guarantee an actor’s success in the industry.
Over the years I have seen incredibly talented actors fail to live up to their potential simply because they relied on talent alone to get their career on track.
While talent is important it’s not the only thing that is required to succeed. In a perfect world it would be and the “best actor” would book the job.
Unfortunately the industry is far from perfect.
Some actors agree with it, others don’t. Where you stand on the issue doesn’t really matter because it is not going to change anytime soon.
I know that sounds harsh but I have seen way too many actors get stuck in their careers for believing things that ultimately don’t serve them.
Professional actors are able to build their careers largely because they are able to get past the emotions and stop wishing that things were different.
They embrace the industry, even with all its flaws, and they learn how to work within it to build their careers.
If you want to build your own career as a professional actor, especially in these changing times, this is something you should do too.
Here’s where to start...
First, you have to be open to the idea that most of what you have learned about the industry and what it takes to build a career is simply flawed at best.
Think about your industry friends and how they continue going from one audition to the next hoping that something changes, even though they aren’t really doing anything differently than anyone else.
You may even be supportive in their endeavors even if things don’t quite feel right.
On some level, you probably understand that things are not going as they should. The reason that so many actors end up getting stuck in their career is that they don’t understand how to market themselves as actors.
I know it sounds strange and that’s precisely why most actors ignore the concept.
If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you know that doing the opposite of what everyone else does is usually a good idea.
So if most actors are ignoring the responsibilities of marketing themselves, that’s probably something you should focus on.
It’s not unlike any other product. A restaurant may serve the best and most delicious food but if no one knows about them, they won’t last very long.
A clothing company might sell the most comfortable, high quality, environmentally responsible clothing but if no one knows about them, how many products will they actually sell?
You may be the most talented actor for a given role, but if no one knows you are then how can you expect to book?
When I talk about this with actors they usually say things like “my agent is supposed to get my auditions, or CDs can recognize my talent and work ethic when I read, etc.:
Those are valid points but they don’t address the root cause of the problem.
You have to spread the word about your talent and the fact that you are a professional actor.
We have been laying the foundation for this over the last few weeks, talking about developing your brand, and choosing the category you will focus on.
Now, with those in place you can begin the process of marketing yourself as an actor. I know the term sounds intimidating but it’s actually quite simple.
Your goal is simply to get as many people as possible to know you and your talent, and you need to have a structured way of doing so.
There are many different ways you could go about it. You could do mailing campaigns letting CDs and industry decision makers know that you are available.
I’ve seen those work, but it’s very time consuming and the frequency at which you mail the same person repeatedly greatly affects the results.
You could start a blog or an Instagram account chronicling your journey as an actor. That is by far one of the most effective things you can do.
If done correctly, that can be a complete game changer for your career. The problem with that is that it requires a lot of work and you also need to develop a ton of different skills to do it effectively.
The answer to what the most effective thing for you to do is different for everybody.
If you already have all the skills required to become an influencer, great! That would be a great place to start.
However, if you don’t then it may not be the best path for you at this point.
For most actors, it will require some trial and error to figure out what works best for them and the career they are hoping to build.
Some actors have built great careers simply getting out and “shaking hands” twice a week, consistently.
Others have been successful by posting TikToks reenacting scenes from popular shows and getting those scenes in front of CDs and industry decision makers.
Some actors have been successful by approaching casting directors directly and building a relationship without “asking for an opportunity” immediately.
Whatever you choose to do, think about how comfortable you will be doing it and whether you can set aside time to do it consistently.
That is often one of the most important factors because whatever you choose will have to be done consistently in order for it to work.
Neither a single TikTok nor a single handshake will make the difference.
Whatever you choose to do, there are some things that can help to make it more effective. For example, if you are reaching out to Casting Directors and industry decision makers directly then you should be sure that industry reputation is always in top shape. Here’s how I can help.
They will often do a bit of research before deciding whether or not to connect. The same will be true as you continue to build your career.
As you move from one career stage to the next, Casting Directors are likely to do some research on actors they are considering. Be sure that what they find about you is always up to their standards.
They do so because when they decide to move forward with an actor, that actor’s performance and work ethic will reflect on the Casting Director.
They also want to be sure that the cast they are building is going to be a good, cohesive work group.
When you are thinking about building your marketing plan as an actor keep in mind that the goal is to make yourself highly visible to the industry.
If they don’t know you, they can’t hire you so you want to make as many people aware of you and your profession as possible.
It is so important to building an acting career that I created Boost My Star to help you increase your visibility where Casting Directors and industry decision makers are looking for talent. You can get the details on that here.
Take some time over the next few days to think about your marketing plan as an actor because next time we will be talking about how to turn your marketing plan into bookings.
If this is the first time you have thought about any of this, you will probably have some questions. It’s always a good idea to reach out to your agent and get their feedback and ideas on what to do next.
Also, if you need someone to bounce ideas with, shoot me an email or leave a comment below. I’m always happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top
Scott