WHICH VIVIAN ARE YOU?

You know I’m not one to review movies. I kind of feel like, in our business, the saying should be “those who can do, those who can’t review.” 

So, this release is not a synopsis or a review of Pretty Woman. It’s more of an unlikely case study of how to succeed as an actor. 

In the unlikely event that you haven’t seen the movie, I highly suggest you watch…just be sure and read this release first and take the steps outlined at the end. Then you can relax and watch the movie with an entirely new paradigm. 

One of the most iconic scenes of the movie speaks volumes and depicts the way that casting directors see you. Peel the onion with me and you’ll see what I mean… 

The scene where Vivian is strolling sheepishly down Rodeo Drive is telling. She is noticeably excited as she peers in the store windows. 

Because of her (ahem) attire, people are staring daggers at her. 

She darts into a store, almost as if to escape the stares, only to find more of them inside. The workers immediately take note of her and make a snap judgement. 

Now let’s peel the onion and get to what this has to do with your acting career. 

The Casting Directors are the shopkeepers, and you are Vivian. They are what is standing between you and the things you want. 

In her case, that was an evening dress. In your case, that would be bookings. How are CDs perceiving you when you walk into their shop (the audition)? 

Stick with me for a sec, because I’m NOT talking about the clothes you are wearing to the audition… 

See, in the movie, Vivian later comes back wearing the right clothes. She is meticulously outfitted from head to heels. The stares coming her way are now those of admiration, instead of disdain. 

She returns to the shop that asked her to leave and they spring into action, almost as if simply being in her presence is an honor. Vivian’s appearance now says something totally different. 

She belongs, she is a member of the club. 

Ask yourself this question: do Casting Directors spring into action, begging to help you like a shopkeeper? 

Do they rush through your audition, as if you are unworthy of their time, or worst of all, are they friendly but indifferent? 

In this scene, the clothes are a central theme. 

That begs the question, if you are Vivian and the shopkeepers are the Casting Directors, what are you wearing? 

Which Vivian are you? I don’t mean that literally or in reference to the clothes that are on your back. 

Your marketability, in particular your social media presence, is the outfit you dawn as an actor. So what does it say about you? Do you appear to belong or is your “outfit” safety pinned together like the outfit that got Vivian bounced from Rodeo Drive? 

If you want Casting Directors to spring into action, you must give them the impression that you are a member of the club. 

You are seeing so much crossover of social media stars, going into main stream media because of this. 

Doors are swinging open for them, before they even approach because they have the air of belonging. 

In just a sec, we’ll go over how to fix your “outfit” and give everyone you meet the impression that you belong. 

First, there is another iconic scene that shows an incredibly important point. 

In this scene Vivian and Edward (the Billionaire) are going shopping. As they enter the store she says to him “The stores are not nice to me.” 

His response was amazing “Stores are never nice to people. They’re nice to credit cards.” 

Let’s peel that onion again. In a very real sense, credit cards represent your reputation. An American Express Black Card holder can shut down the store. 

A first premier bank card holder (hey I’ve been there too!) is probably not allowed anywhere near that same store. 

So what’s in your actor’s wallet? Again I don’t mean that literally. Thinking of your actor’s toolbox, what represents your reputation? 

The measure of your industry reputation is your IMDb profile. What does your STARmeter say about you? 

So if the stores and shopkeepers are the casting director and studios, and stores are not nice to people (actors) they’re nice to credit cards (reputation which is your STARmeter), what are you presenting them with? 

Does your STARmeter (your reputation) match your potential? Does your outfit (your social media following) open doors for you or does it work against you? 

Knowing that you would not be reading this if you didn’t wish for better in at least one, if not both, of these areas here’s, how to fix both of them once and for all.

See, when she wasn’t wearing the right outfit, it didn’t matter that Vivian had giant wads of cash in her purse, in everyone’s mind she didn’t belong. 

This is just like you. You may truly be the best in the world to the play the role you are going after, but it doesn’t matter if no one thinks you even belong in the room. 

So make sure that doors are never shut for you.

Make sure that your reputation opens doors for you. 

I got an email a few months ago from an actor who spent a few paragraphs ranting about how no one had ever called him to read because of his IMDb profile. 

I looked him up and sure enough, his STARmeter (industry reputation) was horrible! I took a look at his reel and honestly, he had skills! Frankly, he was passionate and natural, and had a better reel than a lot of actors I see being cast every day. 

The difference is that their industry reputation precedes them. Their social media standing shows that they belong. 

So if you want more out of your career than you are currently getting, here’s an easy fix.

There are few certainties in life (3 if you read my release about that) but here’s something you can count on: if you keep doing the same as you’ve always done, you will continue to get more of what you have always gotten. 

So try something different. It doesn’t have to be this, but what else would be easier, faster, and more effective at moving your career forward?

At the end of the day, my ultimate goal is to… 

See you at the top, 
Scott 

Dare Take The Actor’s Success Quiz?

You were born this way Grasshopper. Lady Gaga said so and it must be true…right? 

In all seriousness, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and to have some incredible people in my life. From industry A listers, to the movers and shakers of this town, and even high performing entrepreneurs. 

Over the years I’ve surrounded myself with mentors that are much wiser than I am and I’ve noticed something. 

The effects that simply knowing what you’re about to learn, can have on your acting career could be monumental. 

See, every high performing person that I’ve ever met has resonated with versions of the same ideals. 

I have distilled them down into the Actor’s Success Miniquiz, which I have included for you here in this release. 

Before you take it, you need to have a little background on what it’s all about. 

Simply stated: Success leaves clues. I have designed this miniquiz to be a tool that will help you recognize the most common career roadblocks that most actors face. 

The actors that we look up to are the ones that have recognized these things and have gotten past them. 

The ones that we’ve never heard of, are the ones that may have had the best intentions but never could get past them. 

Sadly, most of them never even knew about them and will retire with a career that never did match their potential. 

We are constantly told that if we work hard enough, we’ll eventually succeed. Though, we quickly realize that this is not the case, little information (outside of Boost My Star) exists for actors about what actually works to get ahead in our careers. 

So, we tend to just kind of go with the flow of what everyone else is doing and end up going where everyone else goes: nowhere fast. 

When I first started my career, I spent 6 months just going with the flow and I realized that there had to be a better way. I looked at actors like Leo and Meryl Streep and knew that it wasn’t simply about the struggle and “paying your dues.” 

That’s when I started compliling the clues of success that the most successful people in our industry were leaving. 

This miniquiz is about seeing if you have what it takes to make it in this business or whether you should hang up your “acting shoes.” 

So without further ado, here’s the actor’s success miniquiz. Keep track of your answers (how many As, Bs, or Cs) and no peeking below at the answer key. Be cool! 

1. Do you have a structured marketing plan in place, to make yourself more visible to the industry? 

a. Yes, it’s written down and I implement it everyday 

b. No, I have an agent for that 

c. Actors don’t need marketing 

2. How many times per week do you meet someone that can make a difference in your career? 

a. All day Err’day 

b. 3 times a week 

c. Uhhh…Next question please 

3. Of the people you are around most often, how many of them have achieved the career success you want to achieve. 

a. 2+ 

b. 1 

c. I’m the most successful in our bunch 

4. Close your eyes and imagine your life in 35 years. What do you see 

a. It’s hard to even explain, because it’s beyond my wildest imagination 

b. I’m content and satisfied with what I achieved, even though I fell short of my goals 

c. HELP! Get me out of here! 

5. What are you willing to trade in order to be successful? 

a. Comfort, pride, and security 

b. I don’t understand the question 

c. No trades necessary. I’m all set! 

If you noticed the trend, give yourself a Gold star. 

Here’s the deal. While successful actors have a degree of innate talent, it usually starts as raw and unrefined and gets better and better over the years, but that’s not the part of success that you’re born with. 

The part of success that cannot be taught is the drive. That part comes from deep within. More on this in a sec. 

See, virtually anyone with enough drive can learn to act good enough to get by. It’s not about how many dialects you can convincingly perform, how much experience you have with stage combat, or that you can go from stage cry to stage laugh in a single beat, without a problem. 

The part of success that has to come from you, is the will to do it. 

So here’s the answer key. 

Questions 1-5 A. 

If you answered A) 5 times, your success is virtually guaranteed. 

If you answered B) or C) one or two times. There’s still hope! You now know what areas to focus on. 

If you answered B) or C) 3 or more times…acting is a great hobby to have! 

Because you’re still reading this, I’m assuming you’re part of the bunch for which there is still hope. 

Being successful in the industry is going to require that you get out of your comfort zone and do something differently. 

You also need to have a structured marketing plan in place and work on it daily. Expecting to get results by sheer chance, is not how you build the career you’re ultimately after. 

Do that and surround yourself with people that think big and that have already gotten to where you want to go. You will see that your thinking will start to expand and match theirs and then you will be unstoppable. 

The universe will start to bend to your will. 

That’s the recipe for success. It’s not flashy, and there’s certainly not an easy button but there is an easier way.

We are coming into the greatest time to be in the industry, ever! It is quickly turning into a meritocracy where success comes to those that are willing to work for it and have the talent to match the opportunities presented. 

With the right plan in place, you can force the industry to take notice of you. Most actors either can’t get their head around how to do this, or overcomplicate it by a long shot! 

So start here.

As your career continues to unfold, the strategy for continuing success will stay the same. The scale at which you do things will be different but you must never lose sight of the foundation. 

So make sure you build your career on an unshakeable foundation.

Keep at it and before long we’ll: 

See you at the top, 
Scott 

P.S. Though theirs is not an easy button, that doesn’t mean you have to make things hard on yourself. Here’s a way to fast track your success.

How to Get on A Talk Show for $1.80

As actors we all love the spectacle (self included). It’s just our nature. When you start to think of it in terms of what this might do for your career, it’s kind of a double edged sword. 

There’s a time and a place for everything, of course. 

When I first heard of what we’re talking about today, I have to admit. I brushed it aside for a while. It made sense. I knew that it could work for actors but there was no “spectacle.” The creative side of me just let it go. 

Recently, I started hearing about this again from fellow actors and other people in the public eye. My interest was piqued when I saw it happening in real time, with my own two eyes. 

Before I reveal what the strategy is, let it be known that it is devoid of spectacle and flash…and therein lies it’s true power. You will see why in a moment… 

See, we all get caught up in the search for the magic button. Some of us are looking for a phone number we can call that will lead us to producers just handing out roles. Others are looking for a secret audition room where the CDs congregate, waiting to cast the next person that walks through the door. 

The truth is the only way you can manifest an easy button for your career is to wield massive attention. Only then, will you force casting directors and the powers that be to take notice. 

The way you do that is to dominate social media. 

And in fact, it’s easier than you may have thought to this point. So many actors just manage their social media by accident and wonder why not much is happening. When you make the switch to managing your social media on purpose, you create the narrative, and can dictate where things go. 

I’ll show you how to leverage this for your acting carrer in a sec but first, you have to understand the way to grow your social following and community. 

Gary Vaynerchuck, social media architect to superstars and the Fortune 500 calls it the $1.80 strategy. 

Typically, the way actors manage their social media is to post about their hopes, goals, quotes, Sunday brunch, etc. They add a few hashtags and call it day. While that’s ok, it’s a really long shot that people will discover you, follow you and join your circle. 

Instead, what the $1.80 strategy does is create the conversation. See, people will follow you because of who you are, not what you post. 

Boom! Think about that one… 

This is evidenced by the fact that no single piece of content will make or break you. You can have a post go viral and gain a following but if they don’t like who you are after that, it’s game over. 

However, if you build a following of people that have truly bought into you and your movement, they will be around for the long haul. 

This is the reason that actors go on the talk show circuit when they have a new project coming out. That environment provides a platform for the audience to bond with the actor and go see the movie or tune in to the show, simply because they like who is in it. 

The $1.80 strategy takes this online, in a way. 

Here’s how it works. People will follow you because of who you are, remember? So, show them who you are. 

You do this by giving them your 2 cents. Find the top trending topics (hashtags) and join the conversation. Create your own post about the topics and then visit other people’s pages and post a comment about their post. 

Don’t do it in a spammy way, just be genuine. This is where most people go wrong. They will post a comment and follow it with “check out my reel.” Instead just pretend you’re adding your 2 cents in a conversation with a friend. 

People will click through to your profile for more and those are the followers that will be with you to the end. They will support your projects and share your stuff. That’s what makes this so powerful; their followers will be similar to them and become your followers too. 

Once you gain some traction, the growth becomes exponential. 

Give away $1.80 of yourself every day, 2 cents at a time. Full disclosure: the payoff will not be immediate. You may start with 2 or 3 new followers a day, but that will soon become 20-30 new followers a day and then 200-300 a day soon after. 

As an actor, you can then leverage this attention and use your platform to get to the people you most want to reach. The people you want to work with all have social media accounts too. Use the $1.80 strategy to get to them. 

A fellow actor used this to get on the daytime talk shows radar and ended up being invited on over a half dozen shows as an “industry expert” even though you probably have more credits than she did at the time. 

This made her industry credibility and reputation go through the roof and shortly thereafter, the big time offers came rolling in. 

There is absolutely nothing stopping you from doing the same. While studying the accounts of other actors that have used this strategy to make big things happen, I noticed a couple things. 

The most important was that attention gets attention, so having a following that is growing helped them get going faster. Here’s how to “get the party started” so to speak. 

I studied an actor that used this strategy as a reputation management tool. He ended up getting a bad name in town a few years ago when he was “young and dumb” in his own words. It did effectively help to change the public narrative about who he truly is, but the industry’s perception of him was still damaged. 

Be sure that your industry reputation and credibility are in good standing and match your potential. Here’s how to get a massive boost in industry credibility.

And that’s it grasshopper. 

Like I said, there’s no spectacle, nor frills or fluff but don’t let that distract from the power of this strategy. Try it out yourself instead, before making a judgement. 

Take the road less traveled by and see what kind of a difference it makes. Remember that I’m always only a comment or an email away. 

My biggest goal in life is to: 

See you at the top, 
Scott 

The Audacity of…

There is a guy that most of you have never heard of. Get this… 

He founded and runs a company that claims to be able to land on the moon and will begin rare earth mineral mining operations (plentiful on the moon) by 2019. 

Whether you think he’s nuts or you admire the will to be bold, there’s something to note. 

Here’s the thing: his company is the only one in the world with an international permit to land on the moon. The permits to launch have long been secured and the technology is like 97% of the way there. 

Wondering what this has to with your acting career? 

Grasshopper, it’s undeniable that our beloved industry is going through a transition. Most of us can agree that it was long overdue. When an industry, or any part of society goes through this, it can either come out gloriously on the other side or whither and be forgotten to the sands of time. 

Our industry will be markedly different in the next 12 months and in 24 months it will be almost unrecognizable to the unseasoned observer. 

Here’s the part that everyone is missing, yet it’s what producers and CDs are scrambling for… 

To get a better of understanding of where this is going, here’s a bit of trivia. Do you know who once consumed the most lobster? 

Jailed inmates! 

Lobsters were considered to be the poor man’s protein and fed to inmates and house pets. It wasn’t until a clever bit of marketing and a decrease in the availability of lobster, that its reputation began to change. 

Stick with me for a sec, as we break this down. 

Whereas, the audiences we love to entertain once looked up to actors that were larger than life, the tides are shifting. 

What is most appealing to audiences today, and what producers and CDs can’t get enough of are actors with feel good stories. What the industry needs more than anything else, to come out of this transitional period more gloriously than ever before, is people like you that will drive audiences to the box office because they like you, not because you’re “a rock star from Mars with tiger blood running through your veins.” 

Mark my words, that’s the next clever marketing angle that the industry is actively looking for. 

Here’s why they don’t have enough actors in this capacity yet. 

Most of us are stuck in the old mentality and feel like we still need to be larger than life, when in fact it’s time to peel the onion. There always comes a time when “that’s the way it’s always been” becomes the way it once was. 

The next wave to hit the industry will be the feel good story, there’s no doubt about that. Everywhere you look, you will see a new project starring an actor who was a teen mom and put her dreams on hold until her kids were old enough to be unaffected by her absence. 

You will see the new series starring the foster kid who was never supposed to amount to anything and had to prove everyone wrong, or the old man who was in and out of a juvenile detention center as a kid and fought off cancer before taking a leap of faith and chasing his heart’s real desire at 61. 

So grasshopper, it’s time to tell your story with pride. See, most people shy away from the very thing that could be your rocket fuel. When you transcend the circumstance, it becomes your why. 

When your why is big enough, you can accomplish anything. Even something out of this world, as is planned by our ambitious entrepreneur from above, Naveen Jain. 

See, it’s not just about going to the moon and bringing back rocks. It’s about creating a self-funding program that will yield the research and personnel needed to evolve into a space tourism venture. 

You’ve probably heard that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes, right?... 

But there’s actually a third and it’s the big why behind things like the moon mission: regret. That’s the third certainty. 

The avoidance of regret is the secret used by the top 1% of the industry and the future 1% percenters. 

If they see an industry titan across the restaurant they don’t simply watch from afar, because approaching them might be improper. 

They weigh the chances that they will regret not introducing themselves and go for it. 

So that begs the question… 

What would you do? 

1. A) Keep your distance out of respect 
2. B) Approach boldly (yet respectfully) and introduce yourself 

If you answered A, you’re in for a long, tough road. 

Whether you live your dreams or not, largely relies on having the audacity to do it. So what’s it going to be grasshopper? 

If you choose to be bold and go for it, I’ve laid out a strategy for you to get yourself in high demand: peel the onion. 

I’ll leave you with words of wisdom from someone much wiser than I: be prepared. Here’s what that means. That moon mining company we’ve been talking about was actually prepared and ready to launch their moon mission way back in 2015. 

Why didn’t they do it then? They were basically pulled off the launch pad for lacking a permit. So be sure that you are 100% prepared when you’re ready to launch your acting career. 

Here’s how to do that.

This will serve as your permit in a way, as it will open doors that were once closed and make it easier for you to get into rooms where you were once an outsider. 

So what’s your story and your next move? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I read every one that comes through. 

See you at the top, 
Scott

P.S. Everyone needs someone in their corner at some point. Here’s how I can help:

How to Get A Listers To Contact You

Dear Grasshopper, 

If I didn’t witness it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. 

It was so simple that I had a head-slapper “why didn’t I think of that” moment. 

Usually when someone stumbles on something like this, it is human nature to want to keep it all to yourself, especially when dealing in such an ego driven and competitive field as the one we’re in. 

Not you though! This is why I love our tribe so much. 

The creator of what I’m about to share with you, actually told me what he was up to and begged me to share it with you guys ASAP. 

Before I did that, I put this strategy through its paces on my own and I was absolutely blown away. 

We’re talking meetings with Hollywood power brokers, elite agents, managers, directors, writers, casting directors, producers, and even media coverage! 

Best of all, this strategy took about 15 minutes to put into action across the board. 

Here’s why it worked it so well and how you can put this to use today… 

About a week ago Facebook announced a major change to their platform that will change the way social media functions, and it has far reaching implications for actors like you. 

Keep in mind that Facebook also owns and operates Instagram. 

Here’s a little bit of prologue, to get you caught up. When a new social media platform emerges, it’s kind of a free for all. This is necessary to encourage user engagement, community growth, etc. 

Stick with me for a sec, because it’s about to get real. 

If you’ve been around Facebook for more than a couple of years, you might remember the days when you could post a pic and 400 of your 500 friends would give it a thumbs up. 

Today, you might struggle to get 100 of your 1,000 friends to even see the pic, much less react to it. In fact, if you could consistently get 10% of people to interact with stuff on social media, there’s a lavish Madison Avenue corner office with your name on it. 

See, there used to be a lot more community centric functionality to FB than there is now, and the Facebook algorithms used to actually let you see what you wanted to see. 

Today it’s a pay to play model that puts advertisers before anything else and Facebook openly admits to curating content they want you to see (because it could mean more bottom line dollars for them if they can sway new advertisers). 

If you’re an advertiser this is the best news ever, because you are no longer competing against organic content. 100% of the people that you want to see your ad, will see your ad and Facebook will make sure of it. 

Cue the drumroll! … 

See most ads you see on Facebook are for clothes, jewelry, health care stuff, restaurants, etc. 

What if you could advertise a product that everyone of you reading this has in stock right now? 

Yourself! 

In and of itself that is genius, but this is the part where my mind was blown. Remember that Facebook is now a 100% pay to play model, which means that Facebook will force people to see your ad about you. 

You may not have known this, but since we tell Facebook everything about ourselves through our posts, advertisers can literally choose to display an ad to (for example) single women, that are devoted vegetarians, between the ages of 29 and 35, that live in the 90046 zip code, work in fashion, went to UCLA, enjoy action movies, secretly love Kid Rock’s music, and can’t go a day without a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, on rye nonetheless. 

Instagram is the same the way, and the same company. 

So, if you create a list of people you want to see or meet with, whether it’s agents, managers, CDs, producers, studio execs, etc. you can target them specifically and hone in on them just like in the example above and Facebook will force their eyeballs onto your ad. 

Not only that, they will also then seek out people like them and suggest your content to them. 

This means that you would be getting your targets attention, along with people just like them that you probably never would have thought of. 

The entire process goes like this. 

1. Build the profile of the people you want to target. Get as detailed as you can, like in the example above. 
2. Post to your Facebook Page 
3. Turn that post into ad that targets the people that fit the profile you built in step 1.
    

That’s it. Don’t overcomplicate it. It’s really that simple. If you want to get super bold with it, you can even call out the people that you are hoping to see your ad, by name. 

This strategy is so radical that it doesn’t fit into to what behavioral psychologists call “reality boxes.” 

Because it probably doesn’t fit into your paradigm, right about now the brain is scrambling to fit this new info into one of your reality boxes. Since it does not fit neatly anywhere, it will then move on to try and discredit and destroy the information. It’s your brains way of trying to keep you sane 

You might be thinking that this won’t work because no one you want to get in touch with has time for Facebook (or Instagram), even if they did see it they would never reach out to you, etc. You might even be thinking that it takes loads of cash to pull this off. 

Step back, quiet your mind and realize that nearly 90% of the developed world uses social media including the people you want to reach, Facebook will do everything in its enormous power to ensure they see your post (and collect that ad money), and because you are only trying to reach a few dozen people not a few million people you can literally get started with $5 bucks. 

There is no excuse not to give it a shot and see what happens. I have seen lives changed in the last few months. 

Just complete steps 1-3 above, lather, rinse, and repeat until you get to everyone you want to get to. 

Side note: once they see your ad, they will likely get curious about you so just make your industry reputation and your social media standing are up to par. 

Here’s a shortcut for that.

This strategy was modeled using similar methods to those used to by average teens to get big celebrities as prom dates. 

It works because it uses the conduit by which we can all connect to even the most inaccessible people in the world. 

So just give it a shot. Be bold and do the things that everyone else is unwilling to do. That’s how you reach success. 

If you’re like most actors, you have probably spent many hours and probably tossed and turned at night scheming and thinking about how your career would take off if you could just get into a room with the right people. 

This is your foot in the door strategy. Just be sure not to overlook this because it will help you close the deal once you’re in.

That’s it grasshopper. I have always vowed to bring you the latest strategies that are working right now for actors just like you. This special report is me staying true to my word. 

So who are you going to go after first? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I read every one that comes through. 

Lastly, I want to leave you with the famous words of the infamous Wayne Gretzsky “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” 

So take the shot.

See you at the top, 
Scott 

Worst Audition Ever!

Listen to your Spidey senses grasshopper! 

Have you ever had that feeling? You know the kind you get when a black cat jumps in front of you while you’re on a jog, or the one you get when you realize it’s a full moon on Friday the 13th at 3 a.m. 

The worst thing that ever happened to me as an actor, started with a day that was chocked full of those feelings. 

The entire day was a comedy of errors and an all around cluster… 

I was new in town and by a stroke of sheer luck, which in retrospect was most likely a clerical error (they called in the wrong Scott to audition), I got an opportunity to read for one of the biggest CDs in town. 

The part was for a 3rd lead in a studio feature alongside a great first and second lead that had already been attached to the movie. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time so that opportunity gave me the ego boost I never needed. 

I spent the week leading up to the audition, in the zone. 

I built my character a dozen times, did real world research talking to people that worked in the character’s profession, lived in his supposed neighborhood, had the character’s habits, etc. Nothing, not even the minor earthquake could pull my attention away from the mission. 

Thinking I was a bit too lean for the role, I even went on a few weight gainer supplements to pack on a few lbs. before the big day. 

When it finally arrived, I was stoked! I overdosed on melatonin the night before in an effort to get some sleep. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but I still had to do the cold-cucumber-eye thing in the morning. 

I wanted to be in a good headspace that day so I stayed off email, stayed offline and spent the morning getting ready while humming along to a mix of Beethoven and Mingus. 

I hopped out of the shower, still conducting an imaginary orchestra, and put on my lucky robe just as the music hit a crescendo and proceeded to knock my body spray into the sink (this was at a time when men’s body spray was the thing). 

The top flew off and the aerosol can began to empty uncontrollably and nailed me right in the left eye! 

The stinging I was OK with, but I looked like a had just been in a mean brawl. That’s when the panic started to set in. 

I loaded up on Visine, packed on some cucumbers, and brewed some tea to relax. I had picked out my audition day outfit a few days before. 

This is a good time to say that the character I was reading for was kind of a not cool guy, trying to be cool…I went with leather-like pants. On a warm, southern California day, they were a bit snug. Especially after a week of packing on a few pounds. 

Fast forward and I’m now in the car. My Spidey senses are tingling like crazy! 

The key goes into the ignition and… 

Nothing. 

It wouldn’t turn! 

Turns out, I had locked the wheel by pulling on it when I got out of the car the night before, but I didn’t know it at the time. I spent ten minutes trying to turn the key, stomping on the gas pedal, and I even popped the hood as if I knew what I was looking at LOL! 

Out of desperation, I flagged down a guy on a Harley (figuring he was probably more mechanically inclined than I was). He helped me unlock the wheel, in 3 seconds and was nice enough to not call me a moron LOL! 

By this time I’m running a few minutes late and the redness is starting to creep back into my left eye. 

I get to the audition, check in with my sunglasses still on, and wait to be called. I paced around the room, because my pants were a bit too snug to sit in comfortably. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I get called to read. As I walked towards the open door, I noticed she was holding a headshot. She flipped it over as if doing a double take and watched with some confusion as I entered. 

There I was, finally in the room that I was certain was going to change my life forever, nervous as ever. I greeted everyone, while avoiding eye contact and tilting my head to the right in an effort to hide my obviously irritated left eye. 

The CD and whomever was next to her, whispered as they looked at the headshot, looked up at me, and then back down at my headshot. Even from across the room and with only one good eye, I could see… 

It wasn’t my headshot! 

They politely proceeded as usual and let me read anyway. 

I started the scene seated in a chair and as the energy of the scene got more intense, I leaped out of the chair (showing strong emotion) and… 

Riiiiiiip! 

My leather-like pants ripped from zipper to cuff and I stood there with a bare leg, a red eye, and what felt like cardiac arrest as the collective gasp sucked the air out of the room. 

Not knowing what to do or say, all I could muster was a weird shrug and “Well that just happened.” 

I even finished the scene, after the laughter had subsided. 

As horrible as that was, I must say, this room was full of complete professionals. They didn’t ridicule me, and they even knew some kind of mishap had occurred but let me read anyway. 

After awkward pleasantries at the end I left, knowing I was not going to get the part. I knew that I had just wasted an entire week of my life preparing for this disaster. 

I emailed my agent that night and told him that I would be out of town until further notice. 

A couple weeks later, I ran into the ACD at dinner. I tried to duck and avoid her, but she instantly recognized me. After recanting what happened, she said something that stuck with me. 

“We could tell you were super prepared and aside from basically dropping your trousers, very professional.” 

The first part of that is what’s important. Initially, I thought that I wasted a week preparing for the audition that I blew on a legendary level! 

What really happened was that I learned how to prepare for an audition with laser focus. I learned how to build a character, and tear it down to uncover every conceivable angle. 

That focus and dedication helped me build new routines and habits that I still use to this day. They have probably been the single most important part of my career. 

See, there’s no shortcut to success. Preparation has to meet opportunity. That’s where success is. 

But… 

While there may not be a shortcut, there is an easy button.

The reality is that hard work and preparation are not enough to take you all the way. It may get you into the room, but in order to close the deal and land the role, you will need two other things. You can get them here.

So grasshopper what’s your audition horror story? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I read every one that comes through. 

See you at the top, 
Scott 

P.S. To dramatically increase your bookings, check this out.

DOMINATE PILOT SEASON

Grasshopper we’re going back to basics…

Except we’re doing it Boost My Star Style and going deep on stuff that no one else talks about.

I tend to stay away from “basic” topics like getting ready for pilot season because there is so much content about it that it tends to fall on deaf ears.

However, I had a few questions about this recently from actors that “couldn’t find anything about it anywhere.”

So, I spent some time browsing and Googling trying to find some real advice on this (just as you might have been doing) and I found nothing!

Let me rephrase that. I found nothing of value!

It was all regurgitated platitudes as if everyone read a stale article in Variety and decided to reword it. Everywhere I looked it was more “get in touch with your agent and figure out a plan, be sure your skills are at their best…”

If you’re not already doing that on a daily basis, you probably fall into the “actor” category we often joke about around here.

Take a deep breath and get ready for what no one will tell you about pilot season…

It’s not your time!

Here’s what I mean. If you go back and read just a few of the industry press releases as far back as September-October of last year, you will see that tons of actors have already committed to shows that are in the pilot stage.

What most actors hope for is that pilot season will be their big break.

They think that they will be cast in a show like Friends or Modern Family, that ends up defining a generation and gets picked up for a decade.

In short, they’re hopes and dreams hinge on pilot season being their big break.

A few things about that…

1. Is it possible? Yes!
2. Is it likely? No!
3. Will you have to be lucky for it to happen like that? Yes!
    

The flip side of that is: luck happens when talent, meets opportunity.

You make your own luck and pilot season can provide that opportunity that your talent is searching for.

The reason that pilot season is never as big as it could be for actors is that there is no ramp time. You wake up, it’s pilot season, and you go to work.

Sounds good on paper but think about it this way. Does a marathon runner wake up on race day and run the 26.2 miles without any ramp time?

No! They have spent months, and in some cases years, building up the stamina to cross the finish line. Pilot season is no different than this.

You have to make sure that you tools in your actor toolbox are ready. Of course your reel should be up to date and top notch, yes you should brush up on your auditioning skills, etc…

But the most important part of ramping up for pilot season is what almost everyone ignores, to their detriment.

This is because it is actually the hidden power that you have during pilot season. Many actors use this throughout the year but during pilot season it is the ultimate leverage!

Here’s why…

During pilot season, producers are sitting on an idea that they hope to sell and get into production. Selling a pilot has little to do with production value and it has everything to do with monetization.

This is why, pilots are increasingly coming to the table with big advertisers attached and committed to advertising on the show, if it is picked up. That begs the question…

What brings the big advertisers to a pilot?

Attention!

Advertisers are in the attention game and will attach to projects for this reason only. Here’s an example…

I’m a big Don Cheadle fan, so I’ll probably be tuning into Ballstreet if it’s picked up. Every time I’m tuned in, I will see the official coffee of Ballstreet via product placement throughout the show.

Would I tune into Ballstreet without Don Cheadle? Probably not.

So that hidden power that you have during pilot season is attention. If you want to have the best shot at being cast in a role that could change your career trajectory, you have to come into pilot season wielding the power of attention.

This doesn’t mean that you need to have the star power of a Don Cheadle.

Today, a great social media presence can make all the difference. You have to put yourself in the producer’s mind frame, and the CD’s chair.

You have to walk into the audition and relieve them of their unspoken burden. They are not looking for the person that is the most talented and that can play the role better than anyone else.

They are looking for the actor that will bring the most viewers (attention) to show. This opens up more opportunities for them with advertisers, and gives their show an edge over the other pilots they are competing against.

The attention that you bring is always a big deal, but it’s ultimate power during pilot season. The stakes are not quite as high once the show has already been picked up.

So, this pilot season, make sure that you ramp up by putting focus on your social media. Back it up by ensuring that your industry reputation is stellar, and then do the routine things like take a class or two, recut your reel, etc.

That’s it grasshopper. You now have the formula for dominating pilot season. What is your next move going to be?

Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email.

Remember, I always have your back, so here’s how I can help you get ready for pilot season.

See you at the top,
Scott

The Way of The Eagles

The dawn of a new year is upon us, dear grasshopper. 

Last week I told you about something that one of my mentors says pretty often: 

“Next year you will be another year older. What will be different?” 

This year, I want you to start the year with that in mind, because by the time 2018 is over it will be too late. 

You have to start off right to finish strong. 

Lupe Fiasco says “I’m forward looking. While you’re thinking Valentines, I’m thinking Christmas Trees.” If you want to capitalize on opportunities, you have to see them coming. Look at it this way… 

Have you ever seen an eagle catch a fish? If you haven’t, stop reading and YouTube it, and you will notice something crazy… 

The eagle doesn’t catch the fish by swooping down where the fish is. It swoops in to where the fish is going. Get it? 

While you’re on YouTube, assuming you didn’t go out to the lake with a pair of binoculars hoping to catch an eagle on the hunt, check out Logan Paul. 

This kid, is killing it! 

You can’t discount him as being just a vlogger. You don’t even have to like him, but you should learn from him. He has made himself into a Celebrity, with a lot of industry leverage starting to come his way. 

Just this year, his channel was named the fastest to ever hit 10 million subscribers. In less than 2 years on YouTube, he hit upwards of 3 Billion views on that channel. 

Here’s the first point I want to make. 

He started at 0. I often go deep on this subject, because I know that a lot of our tribe members are either doing YouTube or want to do it. 

Most actors don’t get started because they’re afraid that no body will watch. So what if they don’t?! Just get started. Gary Vaynerchuck, social media architect to the stars and the Fortune 500 launched his career on YouTube. 

He started a show about wine. Everyday he reviewed wines, gave his honest thoughts in plain language instead of “sommelier speak” and here’s what he said about the starting point: 

“No one watched the first 88 episodes…” 

But he kept at it and today sits at the head of a $100 million dollar company that can trace its roots to that wine channel that nobody watched at first. 

If you’re thinking that you’ll start doing something when you have more followers, when you can get some new equipment to film, or when you can find some time to edit your stuff, you will end up doing the same things you’ve always done. 

A year from now, when you’re a year older. What will be different? 

When I started doing shorts with my buddies in school we were doing it on a VHS camera that weighed about 13 pounds. We didn’t even have PCs to edit on because the technology wasn’t quite there yet. We had to hit pause and record on a connected VCR. 

Today, it’s all in an app and some of you reading this have never even heard of VHS tapes. 

What people that are leveraging social media understand is that money doesn’t make the world go ‘round anymore…now it’s attention and that’s what they’re able to capture using social media. 

She who can command the most attention, can trade that attention for anything in the world. Logan Paul leveraged that attention into what is becoming an increasingly successful acting career. He didn’t have a single industry credit to his name until 2017 but the projects that he has slated, are the type that actors (using conventional methods) take a decade to get to. 

The attention that he’s been able to build and that he can now leverage into an acting career is something anyone can duplicate. 

More importantly, it’s something that you should actively be working to build, daily. You should never walk into an audition and say “Hi, I’m honored to be here reading for you…” 

One of the boldest moves I’ve ever heard came from one of our tribe members. He was reading for a speaking role in a studio feature and really wanted the part, so he “presold” some tickets. 

He took to his social media accounts, told everyone he was going to be in the movie and asked them to post if they would be going to see it. 

He then walked into the audition, introduced himself and said “I just sold 29,000 tickets for you” and showed them the post. This made it impossible for them to cast someone else. 

This is the kind of tenacity that will push your career to levels you were once afraid to even think of seriously.

Early in my acting career, I was fortunate enough to see the winds shifting and the trend of social media coming. I then made it my mission to master it and later to create a way for anyone to master it. 

I had an actor friend die suddenly and tragically, with the music still inside, as they say. He was a class act and losing him is what put me on the path I’m on today. 

I don’t want to take my final breath with the music still in me, nor do I want anyone else to. That’s why I created Boost My Star. It’s a way to help you leverage the career you want, faster and easier than ever before.

Think of it like the Staples easy button. 

I’m not saying you have to do this, but you do have to do something this year that you’ve never done, if you want to move your career to places it’s never been. 

Make this your year to dominate. My grandfather used to tell me “Shoot for the stars kid, you just might hit one.” 

Here’s something that took me way too long to realize. I once heard a speaker at a seminar say, “Success is a ladder and the higher you reach, the higher you’ll climb, but no one said you couldn’t take the elevator.” 

So, grasshopper here’s the elevator.

Take it as I raise a digital glass in the new year and toast while I hope to… 

See you at the top, 
Scott