How To Build Your Acting Career Through Summer Blockbuster Films

I don’t think I’m the only one that totally geeks out on seasonal retail displays! Over the last several years. It’s become a bit problematic though. 

Sometimes I wish things would just slow down a bit. When I was growing up, everything ran “on time.” 

Today, it’s like the ball drops at midnight on NYE and you walk into a store the next morning and the aisles are covered in a mix of valentine’s decorations, and “Spring is here” signage is everywhere. 

However, the entertainment industry has always been this way out of necessity. 

They start promoting the summer blockbusters heavily over the spring and carefully plan it so the anticipation hits a fever pitch by the time the film is actually released. 

For actors trying to breakthrough to the next level, remarkable acting careers can be made during this time, even if you had nothing at all to do with those summer releases. 

Here’s how… 

The Night That Changed Everything

Grasshopper, I don’t need all of the fingers on one hand to count the number of times I have told this story. 

Honestly, if there were some sort of “secret sauce” that would help you make it in the industry this is probably it. 

You know that we do here at Boost My Star is pull the curtain back and reveal everything about the industry that no one else dares talk about. This time, I guess I’m pulling the curtain back on myself? 

In retrospect, it ended up being one of the most important nights of my career for many reasons, but what’s even more important is that I was not alone in that. 

It was completely crazy and I still have to pinch myself to wrap my mind around everything we were able to pull off. 

The great thing about this was that, anyone could do it. It wasn’t difficult at all and all you would need is to put in a little bit of “elbow grease” and think outside the box and in just one night, your career could literally shoot towards the moon. 

Here’s why… 

How To Get Featured in the Press and Book Acting Jobs

Consider this to be the official pulling back of the curtain on one of the best kept secrets of the industry. 

We’ve all heard that making it in the industry is all about “who you know.” In reality it’s about who knows you. 

Most actors get it and know that the tides have shifted, however hardly any of them know how to actually pursue this. 

I’m inundated by requests to follow someone on Instagram or to give feedback on what they could be doing better. 

So, I end up reviewing tons of profiles and I what I usually find are duck faces and cocktail selfies. There’s nothing wrong with that, let me be clear, but there is a difference between entertaining your followers and growing your follower count. 

The right action taken at the wrong time will not produce the desired result. I learned this from one of the highest level strategic minds at WME, arguably the most effective agency in the world at launching talent. 

What is contained in this report is straight out of their playbook.

A Michael Keaton Character Breakdown and How to Succeed as a Professional Actor

Because I’m touch with so many actors on a daily basis, I have a unique perspective of which way sentiments of the industry are going. 

Recently it seems that many actors are becoming increasingly concerned with not being “good enough” to land the roles they desire. 

Last week, we talked about how being a successful actor has little to do with talent. However, part of the insecurity of not being “good enough” stems from not being totally confident in your ability to perform. 

It’s been a while since we’ve done a case study and I watched a film a few days ago that was really impactful. Not only was the acting great, there were several lessons that if you apply them to your acting career will send your career skyrocketing. 

I’ve compiled a couple of my favorite scenes from the movie so we can breakdown what makes the performance stellar. 

Fair warning! It will not be what you think…

The Secret Language and Science of Casting

People in charge of making decisions all have a similar quality that has a lot to do with how they landed that position. It doesn’t have anything to do with their circle of friends and acquaintances, and it even has little to do with how good they are performing their job. 

Shocking but true! 

Casting Directors fall into this group. It’s not only helpful if you think of how they got to be a CD, it’s necessary, if you want to build a long and satisfying acting career. 

See there’s something called A Castability Index, that largely determines whether or not you will be booked for a role. 

Few actors have ever even heard of the castability index and even fewer of them know what goes into it. 

Since it basically determines whether you have a career or not, shouldn’t you learn what it is inside and out? 

This is what the Castability Index is and how CDs use it to determine whether or not to book you…

The New Standard for Auditioning

It’s not surprising that this type of audition is becoming the most common one so quickly. 

Honestly, I’m a little bit shocked that it didn’t happen a few years ago. It has been a long time coming and since there hasn’t been much resistance to this, it’s about to hit the point of no return. 

I’m talking the self taped audition. 

What comes to mind when you get a call from your agent telling you that you have to do one of these? I get emails from actors everyday. 

Many want to know the latest tips and tricks they can use to stand out in audition and ultimately book more jobs. 

While that’s certainly something you should devote time to, you have to notice where the industry is going and adapt. 

In terms of casting, the industry is quickly moving towards the self taped audition, as the audition method of choice. It’s happening so fast that, the next generation of actors to enter the industry will find the traditional audition and casting approach somewhat unbelievable. 

There is such momentum behind this, that it can’t be stopped. Even with its inherent flaws, here’s why the industry is adopting this so quickly and how you can be miles ahead of everyone else.

Important Industry Changes

The only constant that exists in life over the long term is change. The industry is not different. It has traditionally been an industry of slow and gradual change, but that’s no longer true. 

The Entertainment industry is by standards, on it’s proverbial deathbed…at least in the old model, but what’s alarming is that almost everyone is still acting as if the old model still rules the industry. 

The industry isn’t just changing. It has already changed and those that haven’t embraced the new model fully are quickly being left behind. 

That begs the question: what is the new industry model and how do we as actors fit into it so that we can build rewarding careers. 

How to Stake Your Claim in The Modern Hollywood Gold Rush

Levi Strauss, the guy behind the popularization of blue jeans, became one of the wealthiest people in the world during the great American gold rush. 

However, he never discovered a single nugget of gold. More on this in a bit, because it’s incredibly important to your acting career. 

There’s a second great gold rush underway right now, except that this one is taking place in the entertainment industry and it has nothing to do with shiny metal. Yet, there are some incredible similarities between this gold rush (involving actors) and the original one. 

During this first gold rush, everyone with a dream and a few bucks in their pocket headed west in the hopes of striking it rich. 

With a pick axe and a shovel, they went to work, drilling holes and trenches across what we now know as the Hollywood Hills, among other places. 

Most found that prospecting for gold was not an easy way to strike it rich and soon quit, broke and with broken dreams. A few of them however, made it big time! 

They were not the ones swinging a pick axe. They were the ones selling those pick axes, shovels, wheel barrels and everything else the prospectors needed to dig for gold. 

The same thing is happening in the new Hollywood gold rush. This time around it’s us actors that are the prospectors. 

Here’s how you can make it big time, as actor in the modern gold rush…