How To Get Verified on Instagram and Use It To Skyrocket Your Acting Career

I speak to and interact with a ton of actors and industry people every day. One of the most common questions I get is not what you might think.

Some want to know about the “best” acting classes and coaches in town.

Others want to know about landing a top tier agent, and a few are even bold enough to ask for introductions to Casting Directors and industry decision makers.

However, almost all of them want to know the same thing.
“How do I get verified on Instagram” is a questions I am asked all day everyday.

See, getting verified and having that prized blue check mark on your profile, can do wonders for your acting career.

It will open doors and unlock new opportunities for you to make giant career leaps, if you leverage it properly.

That is something almost nobody has a clue how to do.

There are so many actors with verification badges that are still going to open calls and that are not making any meaningful career progress, because getting verified on Instagram is the easy part.

Let me walk you through it step by step...

Everyone thinks that you need to have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers to get verified, but that’s not the case at all.

I’ve seen accounts with under 1,000 followers get verified, because Instagram does not formally have a minimum requirement.

Going through verification is a process, but most actors don’t follow any kind of progression nor do they have a rhyme or reason to how they use their account. More on this in a sec.

In reality, getting verified is simple and everyone makes it much harder than it needs to be.

To be eligible for the badge, your profile must be public. If you are using Instagram as a career building tool, it should be public anyway so that you can have as much attention coming to your posts as possible.

As I mentioned a moment ago, Instagram likes to see that your account has some kind of reason for existing.

Here’s what I mean by that.

If your account exists solely for the purpose of staying in touch with friends and family, that’s ok butyour page will not be “verification worthy.”

There has to be a compelling reason for why you need a badge.

Think of it this way. A badge signals to other Instagram users that you are the real you and not an imposter.

If the only users coming to your profile are your friends and family, they already know you are who you say you are.

Because of this, they also don’t issue badges to general or reposting pages, unless you have a massive following.

If all you are doing is finding and reposting other user’s content on your own page, does it really matter who is behind your page?

Of course not, so there is no compelling reason for Instagram to issue a badge in this case either.

So, if you are in the process of preparing your profile for verification, you should be posting personal and original content that shows you are a real human being sharing your life story, rather than just posting whatever, whenever in the hopes of being verified.

Beyond this, there are a few ways to increase your chances of being verified.

Remember that your Instagram name cannot be changed when you are verified and it could even hurt your chances of being verified.

For example, if your Instagram name is @TheRealTomCruize, it is too close to @TheRealTomCruise. It runs the risk of being mistaken for the official Tom Cruise account would never pass verification.

Even though it is rumored that changing your Instagram handle can hurt your chances of being verified, in this case it would be wise of you to change your handle before applying.

Instagram keeps a log of all (literally all of your activity) so they will be able to see that you changed your handle just a bit prior to applying for verification. However, seeing a change from @TheRealTomCruize to @TheOtherTomCruize or @NotThatTomCruize would be justifiable.

The applications are processed by humans that make the final determination on whether or not to approve your application and issue you a bade.

They want to see that your profile is being used and not just randomly and hastily put together to chase the checkmark

Post, post, post and seek engagement on your posts. When people leave a comment on your post, reply to their comment and then go to their page and leave a comment on their content as well.

Leaving thoughtful and insightful comments goes a long way. Not only will it build good will with your followers, it also shows the people processing your application that you are a real person.

Simple leaving an emoji or “This post was 🔥 🔥 🔥” is a big red flag.

Whether you are starting this process form scratch, or if you have an already established account with tens of thousands of followers, you will need to set aside at least 30 days to prepare your profile.

This includes, reviewing your bio to reflect that you are a professional actor.

A common mistake I see people make is describing themselves as “performing artist, dog lover, and world traveler.”

Consider whether your bio would nudge Instagram in the direction of issuing you a badge or not.

Instead, your bio should say something like “Professional Actor best known for...” and then lost your top2 or 3 credits.

Spend the next 30 days diligently posting content, seeking engagement and engaging with others as well.

When your profile is ready, open your Instagram app. Go to settings, account, and request verification.

The application is super simple.

The link is sometimes removed to clear a backlog, if Instagram is swamped with requests.

Most applications are processed within 48 hours under normal conditions, so if it is removed, check back frequently.

If you have submitted an application and are denied, don’t worry about it!

You can submit an application every 30 days, if you are not approved. Take an objective look at your profile and ask yourself if there is a compelling reason for why you should be awarded a verification badge.

If you are after verification because you are an actor, then having an IMDb reputation that reflects you are a professional actor, rather than a hobbyist, will go a long way.

Earning your verification badge is only part of the process.

When used properly, it can absolutely skyrocket your career because it is an instant credibility boost.

CDs look to social media as a major deciding factor during the casting process and having a badge on your profile is something that will make you stand out above the rest.

Also, what it will most help you with is increasing your visibility to the industry.

Consider it from a Casting Director’s perspective. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine them looking at your IMDb and then scrolling through your Instagram page. Here’s how I can help with both, because what they find will either give you an edge or simply throw you in with everyone else.

In the next report, we’ll discuss how to use your badge to get in touch with virtually anyone.

What you need to start doing right now is lay the groundwork. Start getting your profile ready for the verification process.

Think of it as though it were an audition and make sure that your industry reputation matches your goals.

In the same way that you should feel confident and be 100% prepared when you walk into an audition, you should also feel confident and 100% prepared when you submit your application for verification, so feel free to shoot me an email or ask your questions in the comment section below.

I’ll help you in any way I can because my goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

The #1 Thing Your Agent Should Be Telling You But Probably Isn’t

I have the incredible privilege to interact with tons of actors and industry decision makers every day. This gives me an incredible insight into what’s going on in the industry.

The same pattern emerges over and over again.

Actors are either looking for their first agent or looking for a new agent.

It’s almost as if having “the right agent” is considered the magic pill that will solve the problems inherent to being an actor.

They will get you into those exclusive auditions that you have never been able to get into before. They will introduce you to the movers and shakers in town, and your career will take off like a rocket overnight.

In reality, whether you are signed to WME or Buddy Joe The Talent Agent, your agent is only part of the equation and there are things that 99.99% of them will never tell you.

In many cases, having an agent could even end up hurting your career more than anything else.

Here’s why...

When an actor signs with an agent, it’s usually an incredible relief.

As actors, we are creatives and want to work on our craft, perfect our skills, and spend as much time as possible pursuing our passion.

So, when we get to off load the “boring stuff” to someone else, it is incredibly liberating.

Now that we have an agent, they will take care of sourcing auditions, market us to the industry, negotiate our rates, introduce us around town and do everything else that we want no part of.

All we have to do is sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Nearly actor I have ever known, has done this.

Think back to the agent (or agents) you signed with and it will seem as if they almost encourage you to do this.

At the end of the day, if an agent wants to take you on as a client, they will want to make it seem as if you can just put your trust in them and hand over the proverbial keys to your career. They’ll take it from here, while you just come along for the ride and show up on set to do your thing.

This can actually kill your career before it even has a chance to get off the ground.

The reason is that, no matter how well intended your agent’s actions may be, at the end of the day they have dozens of clients and careers to manage and there is always a fresh face at their door wanting to be signed.

It’s not entirely their fault. The agent-actor model is simply broken. You have one career and one chance to fulfill your dreams.

They have an almost unlimited number of chances, because they simply sign another client, then another, then another.

There are far too many flaws in the system to go into here. Besides, it would be much more productive to talk about the solution.

The #1 thing your agent is NOT telling you, but that is absolutely crucial to your success as an actor is: they need your help.

Times have changed and having a powerful, connected agent doesn’t mean what it used to.

Your career and your destiny are in your hands...and that is a very good thing if you play your cards right.

More on this in a sec.

I’ve known actors signed to elite agents that never opened a single door for them.

Casting Directors are looking for more than just talent. Today, it’s about being a well rounded and marketable person off set too.

Audiences will show up at the box office or tune in to a show for actors they genuinely like as real people.

Your agent could be submitting you to everything you are a fit for, but if you are a polarizing personality or if there are other red flags that come up when casting does their due diligence on you, chances are, you won’t be getting called in as often as you should be.

Not to mention, your bookings will be inexplicably few and far between.

I get emails everyday from actors that are dumbfounded at how other actors with far less experience are being selected for roles they also went out for.

Invariably, it’s because the other actor was more visible to the industry and that makes them more relatable and more likeable.

I built this to help you out with that.

The old way of “fake it ‘til you make it” is long gone and what CDs are dying for are actors that are genuine.

In the age of social media, that’s what really matters because a façade will only stand for so long before the truth comes out.

If you are difficult to work with, all it takes is a tweet from a costar to get the public and the industry to turn their backs on you.

Luckily the opposite is also true, and careers have been made from a single post.

This is the way in which you should be helping your agent.

They may be submitting you to projects that you are a perfect fit for, but hundreds of other agents are doing the same thing for their own clients too.

If you don’t have a way to differentiate yourself, you are likely to get lost in a sea of submissions. Come up with ways that you can stand out and rise above the crowd.

Meet with agent as often as possible to strategize this. Everyone’s career goes through stages, and it’s important that you and your agent are on the same page and working together to keep your career moving from one stage to the next.

You and your agent are partners and it’s important that you carve out time to strategize on your next steps.

It can be difficult for your agent to make the time to do this, since they tend to have dozens of clients to service.

Even so, if they can’t make time to do this with you at least every 3 months, it may be time to find a new one.

If you feel like you and your agent could be a great team, then communicate with them and let them know that you need this. If they agree that you two can work great together, then they will make the time.

Regardless, whether it’s your current agent or your next agent, remember to help them!

Give them the tools they need to make you a success.

This is by far the most powerful tool you can have on your side as an actor, and it will help your agent open many doors for you.

When your industry reputation matches your goals, and you have the ability to deliver stellar performances on set, all while being highly visible to the industry, the sky does not even begin to describe the limit.

Our mission at Boost My Star is to top level the entire industry by giving hard working, dedicated actors like you every possible advantage to help you succeed.

When you succeed, the entire industry wins. That’s why I hope to...

See you at the top,
Scott

The #1 Thing Casting Directors Look For That Almost No One Talks About

We all focus so much energy on the spoken word. In fact, a poll conducted by one of the industry’s leading acting coaches revealed that actors spend about 75% of their time running lines, and only about 25% of their time working on facial expressions and body language.

If you want to be a fulltime actor and deliver world class performances that will have directors, CDs and even your castmates wanting to work with you over and over again, then spending your time this way is a big problem.

See, in reality, nonverbal communication accounts for about 93% of the impact you have on people. This is something that, as an actor, you have to portray in the characters you play.

The audience picks up on this on screen in the same way they do in the “real world.”

There is an absolute science and a formula for how to use nonverbal communication (body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice) properly.

It’s not limited to just the characters you play. Your body language could be the reason you are not getting as many callbacks as you should, and why you are not booking as many roles as you should.

CDs are trained to look beyond just how you perform at an audition. They are trained to look to your body language to determine whether or not you have what it takes to play the role.

Here’s how to communicate to Casting Directors know that you can deliver a world class performance, without even saying a word about it, and practically force them to book you...

One of the biggest factors that will determine whether or not you get a callback and ultimately whether or not you will get booked is your level of confidence.

You may deliver the lines perfectly, but if the casting team picks up on anxiety or insecurity they will think twice before giving you a callback.

You have to project confidence in yourself and in your talent as an actor.

There are a few ways to “hack” projecting confidence, which you can also use on screen. Stillness is a powerful way to show confidence.

Imagine someone who is nervous. What do they do? You probably picture someone whose eyes dart around the room. Someone with a nervous energy will fidget with their hands and jewelry, play with hair, and stumble over their words, all while speaking with a blank expression on their face.

Someone who is confident will be still, make eye contact while speaking, and speak clearly.

To subtly project confidence, roll your shoulders back gently and puff out your chest slightly. Placing your hands on your hips is a great way to expand your personal space. The ancient “reptilian” part of our human brains pick up on these as clues of someone who is confident.

When a CD asks you questions after you have finished reading, it’s a sign of a great audition. They want to get to know you and your methods better, to better determine whether there may be a mutual fit.

Leaning in slightly will communicate that you are highly interested in what the CD is saying and that you listen while others are talking, rather than simply waiting for your turn to speak (which is what most people do).

You can take it a step further by leaning towards the CD, or the other character in the scene if you are using this tactic on set, and ever so slightly pivoting your head so that your dominant ear is towards the other person.

Your dominant ear should mirror your dominant hand. If you are right handed, then you would pivot your head to the left so that your right ear is more exposed.

If you are left handed, you would pivot to the right so that your left ear is more exposed. There may be times when the opposite is called for.

If you find yourself playing a soldier for example, then you would want to do the opposite. A right handed soldier would fire a weapon with their right hand and expose their right ear to loud, damaging noises, over and over again.

In that case, exposing their left ear to hear better would make a lot more sense.

You should also determine whether or not your character should pivot at all. An elderly character, for example, would lean in more than a younger character and is not likely to have a dominant ear.

They would lean in to hear better but would do it from a neutral angle.

Even the way your character crosses their legs can either be an enhancement to the character, or it can be character-breaking.

Crossing your legs at the ankles gives a much different body language cue, than crossing them knee over knee.

This is true for guys too. Does your character cross his legs knee over knee to minimize his stance and shrink his personal space, or would crossing his legs ankle over knee to expand his space be more appropriate?

These are the subtleties that will supercharge and layer every character you play, making directors and CDs absolutely love you and want to work with you over and over again!

Directors are focused on the big picture. They are charged with driving the story forward and keeping the actors on track, on a macro level.

When you take personal responsibility for using your body and facial expressions to enhance your character, they may not even pick up on what you are doing because it all happens on a subconscious level.

They will just know that there is “something about you” and that is more than enough to build a solid rapport.

That’s why you see many actors and directors team up and work together over and over again.

Doing this can even have you take a small role and get the production team to give you more screen time.

I’ve seen actors go from playing Girl in Bar#11 to being featured in several shots. I have even seen one of our fellow tribe members be recast on the spot and go from background player to delivering a handful of lines.

Not too long ago, I received an email from someone who went in to read for a bit role and was completely shocked when she received a callback for the 3rd lead in the production!

So, spend more time focusing on the 93% that counts. You will find that when you start with body language, the way you deliver your lines will take care of itself.

It will completely change the course of your career.

Just be sure that your industry reputation matches your goals.

Casting teams will look into you when making casting decisions, so clean up your social profiles and remove anything that is unprofessional, offensive or polarizing.

Put effort into growing your following, because that adds legitimacy profile. I can actually help you get the ball rolling on that. Here are the details.

You probably became an actor because you have a creative calling that nothing else can fulfill. At times I’m sure you get frustrated of being passed over for parts you should have booked, or by not making the progress you should be making.

Take what we talked about in this report to heart and use it to power up your career.

I can help you to be highly visible to the industry, so you can focus on refining your talents while I help you get the industry’s attention.

I’m all about giving you every advantage possible so that I can...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Use Social Media To Build Your Acting Career

Being on social media, as an actor, is simply not a choice anymore. You have to be on social if you want to grow a community that supports your work, and industry decision makers are looking to social media to influence their casting decisions.

Unfortunately, nearly all actors are doing social media the wrong way!

They are making mistakes that are actually repelling industry decision makers.

See, there are a few specific things you must be doing on social media, if you want to use it as a tool to grow your career and generate opportunities.

When used correctly, social media can skyrocket your industry status quickly, and put you in front of CDs, directors, and tons of industry decision makers.

Here’s how...

You can’t simply take a random approach to what you post.

That’s ok to do if you are using social to communicate with friends or stay in touch with family, but when you are using it to build your career you have to be more methodical in your approach.

Have you ever wondered why some accounts take off like wildfire, while others putter along struggling to get any kind of meaningful following?

Have you ever looked at the big influencers, and tried to post similar content only to have it fall flat?

You first have to decide what mode you are going be in, because not everyone you are trying to reach is on the same wavelength.

Are you in growth mode or engagement mode.

The big influencers are in engagement mode. They have already built a sizeable following and are now maintaining their community and keeping everybody engaged.

Of course they still make an effort to continue growing their follower count, but the content is focused on engaging the community they already have.

This is why you can post the exact same kind of content as one of the big influencers and not see any results.

Unless your follower count is well into the multiple six figures, you are going to be in “growth” mode.

This means your content has to be geared towards people that have no idea who you are and it should communicate what you are about.

In this case, selfies at brunch won’t cut it. Save that for the engagement mode. Instead, be genuine and document your journey as an actor.

If you had a bad audition, post about it. If you had a great audition, post about it.

Ask questions, ask for recommendations and take charge of your community. You might find that doing something like “motivation Mondays” will be a big help to both you and your following.

That’s really what CDs and Directors want to see from you online.

They want to see your personality shining through and a growing fan base that adores that personality.

It translates to you being a big help when it comes to promoting the project. It also gives them an idea of whether or not you will be easy to work with.

Have you ever been on a set where people were at each other’s throats.

Behind the scenes drama, ultimately lands on the CD’s shoulders. They are charged with, not only building a talented cast, but also building a cast that will work well together.

So, if you are constantly posting photos about your diva-like behavior, you are repelling the very people you are trying to attract.

Switch gears and post about your desire to be a working actor and most importantly, post about what you are doing to accomplish that.

CDs want to see that you are a professional and not a hobbyist. Professional actors will constantly work on their craft and refine their talent, so post about it!

When you are in growth mode, you want make sure to add text on your photos and put some thought into your captions.

When someone is scrolling through content, looking for something or someone interesting, words on the photo is an immediate attention grabber.

Use it as a way to grab attention rather than as a narration tool.

Your captions should also be thoughtful and include hashtags that will put your content in front of interested people. Don’t just go for the big, trending tags. Also use smaller ones because your posts will have a longer lifespan there.

Nearly everyone in growth mode misses those 2 elements in their posts and it severely limits the reach of their content.

There is a specific content theme you should be highly focused on, because it can skyrocket your industry status and have CDs, directors and other industry decision makers see you as an in demand actor.

If you want to be seen as an industry force, you have to weave yourself into the fabric of the industry.

Take a journalistic approach to posting about industry events, news, releases, other actors, etc.

Start conversations about those topics. Add your own commentary and you will start to pick up followers who also think like you.

That’s how bonds are formed in the real world and it’s the same way online.

Not only does this strategy serve to build your following and community, it also has the power to skyrocket your industry status if you approach it correctly.

The reason is that, if you are constantly covering industry events, you will be seen as an industry insider, even if no one has ever heard of you.

If you are posting your commentary about other actors, you will be seen as someone who knows a lot about acting.

In turn, as you prepare to give your commentary on different subjects, you will also become better versed in those subjects. It’s a great way to spend your time, because you accomplish multiple things.

Over time, as your influence grows, you may even be asked to attend and cover events or premieres.

Now that you have an effective strategy for how to use social media to build your acting career, you need the other half of the equation.

Being an actor comes with an unfair connotation, so you need to make sure your professional reputation is in good standing.

This will separate you from those that have chosen acting as a hobby and professional actors like you.

That’s why I created a tool to ensure that your professional reputation matches your goals.

So, when CDs look into your background (whether it’s after an audition or if they stumble on your profile), they will find that you are a professional actor with a reputation to prove it.

Having a stellar reputation also opens you up to opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have.

Many agents won’t even see actors below a certain threshold and many productions are choosing only to see actors within an acceptable reputation range.

In the industry, you need to give yourself every possible advantage. That’s one major reason to pursue building a community on social media. It’s something you can leverage to your advantage for casting decisions.

Before a casting decision can be made in your favor, 3 things must happen. The CD has to know you. Social media has the power to take care of this.

They also have to like you. Social media and your audition will handle that part.

Lastly, they have to trust you. Here’s how I can help with that.

Combine everything in this report and the sky doesn’t even begin to describe the limit. The destiny of your career will be fully in your hands and there will be no stopping you.

If you have questions about any of this, shoot me an email or let me know in the comments below. I’m always happy to help, because my goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

Learning To Be a Better Comedic Actor

It’s super easy to find yourself lost in a YouTube binge, pick up your phone and see that two and a half hours passed.

YouTube has teams of behavioral and computer scientists to figure out exactly how to keep you on the app as long as possible.

You’ll see this relates to your acting career in just a moment.

They have giant supercomputers tracking your every move and preference and over time the computer learns what you like...and it gives it to you, which in turn makes you happy.

That same concept is how you deliver a great comedic performance, or really any genre of performance.

It starts with something every great actor throughout time has done...

When you are training as an actor, you go through different levels of training and mastery. The surface level is the mechanics of how to be an actor.

That evolves into building a character and stepping into their shoes so to speak. This is where 99% of actors stop. They stop at trying to make character decisions.

The greatest actors, go way beyond that and study the behavioral psychology behind making those choices.

These are basically, reasons behind why people do what they do. Stick with me a for a sec.

When deciding how you are going to deliver a line, rather than thinking from the perspective of “what would my character do” you take it from perspective of what would someone who is in this person’s position do.

It sounds backwards but that’s how you really layer a performance and add the subtle nuances.

That’s what helps someone like Meryl Streep achieve such deep facial expressions and rich characters.

That’s where the behavioral psychology comes into play. Earlier, when I said “stick with me for a sec”that’s called opening a loop, because as humans we are wired to “close loops.”

You can then do the same with your character choices. An ever so slightly cunning smile, at an unexpected time for example.

You could pick a really heavy, dark monologue and throw in some laughter at different points and see what kind of a reaction you get. It will make the audience think it’s going in a strange direction and pull them right back into the story.

It’s a very subtle thing but it’s the same reason everyone rubbernecks when they see a car crash on the highway.

They have to get to the answer of what is happening next…

TV shows do this perfectly by opening a huge loop that makes you watch the next episode.

The question to ask yourself as an actor is: how do you insert as much of this into your scenes, so the audience is completely enthralled in the story.

That doesn’t mean you have to pull them from the emotion of the moment, simply add depth and layers to that emotion.

Watch your favorite movies and note what the actors are doing. You can do it with stand up comedy routines too.

For example, Joe Rogan has a terrific cadence. So, when I watch I notice a pattern of when he does it, noting when he slows down and when he speeds up as well as the tone of voice used.

Then, when you are stuck on the same subject matter, you will have data to help you make a character choice.

Make a list of bullet points for the ideas you gather during your research and keep it in your pocket.

When you’re on set, and reviewing the take you just completed, you will have your checklist of potential things you can try.

Watch your film with that perspective in mind.

As you do the next take, you will have a game plan of what to do. Over time this becomes muscle memory and you will realize what you want to try on your next take.

Have you ever watched back a project you worked on and cringe a little bit, thinking about everything you could have done differently.

We all have, but when you make these small adjustments in the moment, they add up and all those small improvements will layer your performance. It’s what makes your characters rich and dynamic, and pull at the viewer’s deepest psychological patterns and create an absolutely rich character and dynamite performance.

To illustrate just how powerful those little moments add up to be, do a google search for movie memes and you will see how 1 simple moment can be the icon of an entire production.

The next question is then, how do you get on to those next productions.

Really spend some time working on what’s in this report. Schedule time to do your research on behavioral psyche and watch movies with your favorite actors.

While you work on that, we can make you highly visible to the Industry. I built a tool that will do this for you on IMDb, which is the benchmark for measuring an actor’s industry reputation.

There are big plans for the future of how technology is used in casting decision. Because they are in the very early stages of implementing them and get an early start of what is going to be such a radical shift in the way it is used industry wide.

Some agents won’t even consider a client with a rating that is not up to their standards. In this industry you need every advantage you can get. Here’s how I can help with that.

See you at the top,
Scott

Getting Past The Guardians at the Gate And What An Audition Is Really About

And What An Audition Is Really AboutI wish we could just watch Netflix and chill, but that’s not the life of an actor.

We meticulously compare ourselves to every actor we see on screen. “Are they better than us? Are they worse?” that is what typically runs through our minds when we try to Netflix and chill.

See, there is a lot to learn from watching those that have made it to the silver screen.

For example, I have been binging Designated Survivor on Netflix. Not only is this not something I normally do (I put it on my watchlist for later), it attacks at the heart of why I normally don’t do not do it!

And, that’s exactly why every actor should be tuning in...

We all dream about being cast in roles that show our range because, let’s face it, otherwise the role gets boring pretty quickly.

When you watch this show (and don’t worry it’s heavy on wheeling and dealing in D.C. but not so much on the politics of it) you get to experience an incredible amount of range from the actors that are on screen.

In a split second they from “I’m the secretary of such and such” to “oh that means my old friend is gone.”

It happens to everyone on screen and you should watch for that reason alone. I realize that other shows have tried to do this, but this one absolutely nailed it!

This is not a promo for the show Designated Survivor.

This show is intended to wake you up to the fact that you need to have a big range...within your character.

It’s not always about switching from one character to the next: your character type also needs it’s own range.

That is what L.A. is not telling new actors.

They are actively looking for it, though they only see things through rose colored glasses. When you go in to read for a role, the CD tries to imagine whether or not you will be able to flex with the role you are reading for.

So, it’s ultimately about the piece you are reading. It’s about whether or not you had enough range within that piece.

Casting Directors will not recommend you to see the director, the studio and anyone else involved in the production, based solely on your reading of the piece you were delivered.

It is but a microcosm in the bigger picture.
What they want to see is how you adapt your character and why.

Casting Directors are the gatekeepers to everything you want to achieve in the industry, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend enormous energy trying to impress them.

Instead, focus on how to display your range of skills to them. That might mean delivering a line subtly out of the way you normally would.

That brings us back, full circle, to why you need to do a Designated Survivor binge.

All of the roles take you through this journey of one second being somber and the very next second being joyful.

One in particular is the leading character (the lead actor). He plays the role of President masterfully, but the vulnerability of someone being thrust into the role at a moments notice is frankly missing.

Study how he could show this throughout the series.

His lines are always delivered deliberately and powerfully.

It doesn’t mean that his performance is bad. Not at all!

I said he delivers a masterful performance. What I want you to study is the contrast and the range in the characters.

When you approach an audition this way, Casting Directors will literally be salivating over you.

This is where actors get it wrong. Rather than focusing on how the character would react 5 steps down the line, they focus on the here and now: which is the piece you are reading.

However, if you think 5 steps down the line, then you will be putting your steps in the character’s shoes and that’s what every CD, director, producer, etc. dreams of.

Even if you deliver an audition that is stellar beyond their highest expectations, the casting office will still want to look into you and determine if there are any red flags that would come up.

It’s called your “Castability Index” and part of it is here.

That’s why I created a way for you to always be the most well rounded actor, with a stellar history to back up your work.

Some actors go from 0 to 100. Most never get off the starting line. I created Boost My Star for those of you that are already running but could the help of a tailwind behind you so that I can..

See you at the top,
Scott

Uncomfortable Truth About How To Make It As an Actor

Being an actor requires you to be put in some very uncomfortable situations. 

Sometimes this might mean, pushing the boundaries on your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be put in situations you may not otherwise find yourself in. 

Think Tom Cruise hanging off the side of a cliff (it was not CGI!), other times it’s much simpler but still highly uncomfortable. 

As an actor you are judged constantly and you are judged on everything. 

Whether it’s at auditions, acting class, or at Thanksgiving, you are always under a microscope, so it’s no surprise that actors tend to look for a comfortable support system anywhere they can. 

Unfortunately this often leaves us vulnerable because we sometimes do need to hear those harsh truths. It is important that we don’t just pat each other on the back but instead deliver the nitty gritty things that would be as uncomfortable to deliver as it would be to hear them. 

Because I get to speak with so many actors, I have a unique perspective on what is working right now. 

I also have a unique perspective on what is not working and I have come to realize that 99.99 of all actors are simply spinning their wheels and don’t have much hope of ever making significant career progress. 

It’s easy to figure out which group you belong to. Here’s how… 

Actors that end up “making it” in the industry realize that talent is not enough. 

They know that at the end of the day, Hollywood is a business and they seek to surround themselves with people that know this too. 

Your entire team has to be onboard with this concept. Your agent, your manager, even your acting instructors should all be on the same page. 

If everyone around you is on different pages and never they never communicate with each other, that is a sign of a weak team. You should get everyone in the same room at least once a year, if not more often, to strategize your next steps. 

Actors that make significant career progress understand the importance of having a good team in place and they put a lot of energy into finding the right agent, because a good agent is essential to your success. 

Almost all actors go about this the wrong way. 

When they go out to look for a new agent, they try to find one with the biggest client list, at the biggest agency and think that it will solve all their problems if they can make that happen. 

You have to give them tools to work with, and this is by far one of the most effective I have seen.

Agents are resourceful and a good agent, doesn’t have to be at one of the big agencies. They don’t even need to have a list of celebrity clients. 

What they must have is tremendous belief in you and a passion for seeing you succeed. Many, many elite actors are still with the same agent that they signed with early on in their careers, because a good agent will grow with you. 

Actors will never be recruited for work, simply because of who they are being represented by. However, agents will be recruited to work for the big agencies because of who is on their client roster. 

So, when you see that an actor is being represented by WME, 9 times out of 10 the agent was brought into WME because of their successful clients. 

Successful actors stand for something, but it’s not what you might think. 

We exist in sort of a bubble, where our friends, our coworkers, and just about everyone else we spend time with are on the same page and have a similar background and set of beliefs. 

This becomes sort of a sounding board that echoes our ideas. 

This is such a hot topic that is extremely polarizing, so I want to be clear that my only interest is in seeing you succeed. What your beliefs are, that’s completely your business. 

Because we live in a time when the political spectrum is so divided, the voices on both sides of the isle are incredibly loud. 

As I said, I have zero interest in what your own beliefs are, but what I want you to notice is who those loud voices are coming from. 

This is only important because so many actors look up to and emulate the wrong people, simply because they are one of the “loud voices.” 

The perpetual D-Listers that you see on the evening news shouting about whatever made them angry that day, speaking at rallies, etc. are not the ones you should be emulating. 

On the other hand, notice that the established actors are not among those loud voices. They are the ones that have found a positive (that’s the keyword) movement to associate themselves with that is much bigger than themselves. 

For some, they use their celebrity to dig water wells in 3rd world countries so people can have access to clean drinking water. Others partner with organizations that build schools, or homes for children orphaned by war. 

Successful actors attach themselves to causes like this out of a sense of duty and a wanting to “give back.” 

It’s also good business and that’s ultimately what the industry is. 

See, it used to be cool to drive a Rolls Royce and be wrapped in a Chinchilla coat. That used to be the mark of a movie star. 

Today, you will see actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Beckinsale driving a Prius with a bumper sticker that shows off their pledge to the World Wildlife Fund. 

Successful actors find a positive cause and support it with their time, energy, and influence. 

This is a great strategy for you to use, no matter what career stage you find yourself in right now. 

Instead of opening yourself up to disagreements with people who could otherwise be your fans, you can open yourself up to other people that will support your mission of doing good in the world. 

Then, there’s an element of reciprocity when you have a new project to promote. 

When you approach building a career this way, you tap into the power of the 7 layers of human relationships. That’s something we’ll get into over the coming weeks, because understanding that adds so many layers to your performances. 

First, I want you to be on the right track with the mechanics of your career. If you have that right, everything else will fall into place more easily. 

If you don’t have the right team on board, start looking to make changes. 

Polish up your packaging and start looking around for new representation. Many agents recruit actors straight from IMDb because it’s such an incredible tool for them to leverage. 

It’s why I built this, so that you can be seen in the best possible light.

The final piece of the puzzle is to get out in front of as many industry decision makers as possible. This will require you to step out of your comfort zone, search them out, and make contact. 

Because you can only be so many places at once, the better strategy would be to make it easy for them to find you.

Lastly, don’t leave the site of having learned something and say that you will get around to it later. Do something right now, that will move you closer to your goal. 

Look for that cause that is bigger than you, start compiling a list of possible agents to interview, do something to move you closer to your goal and I will… 

See you at the top,
Scott

What You Must Focus On To Become a Professional Actor

How many fellow actors have you seen come into the industry with high hopes, a gung ho attitude, and all the talent in the world, only to leave the industry within a few years? 

Most of them never even come close to reaching their goals. 

After getting to know so many actors over all these years, I have come to realize that there is always a pattern of behavior and a chain of events that leads them to leave the industry. 

Even if quitting the industry is nowhere near being on your mind, stick with me, because there 1 simple thing you can do to skyrocket your career. 

If you are in a place where you are considering whether or not you made the right choice in becoming an actor, then pay close attention. 

Being an actor is unlike anything else on the planet. 

Once you are an actor, you are an actor forever! 

There are two types of actors. 

Type 1 does this as a hobby. Type 2 does this as a profession (or at least they aspire to). 

Which one are you and are you behaving in accordance with the type of actor you are? 

Type 1 actors will perform in community theatre productions, do the student film circuit and go to improv for years because it’s fun. 

Sometimes they find themselves in an audition for a bit role or commercial ad. They tend to do tons of background work too. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and if that describes you, more power to you! 

However, if you want more out of this career…if you want to see your name lights and star in films and television shows, and leave a legacy that lasts decades if not longer, then you are likely a Type 2 actor. 

Type 2 actors are professionals. They are in it for the long haul and can’t even imagine doing anything besides acting. 

To be honest, most actors (nearly all of them) fall into the Type 2 category, yet so many of us leave the industry in droves everyday. 

They stop acting because the life of an actor doesn’t usually turn out the way they hoped. Most of them had pretty “realistic” expectations but they where doomed from day 1. 

See, everyone in the industry talks about paying your dues and will go on and on about the “struggle” of being an actor. 

Because we have those expectations going into the industry, it sets us on a pattern of activity that is incredibly difficult to break out of. It seems like it’s the way things are supposed to work. 

When I speak to actors that have left the industry, they talk about things like their favorite acting classes, all the times they showed up to an open call and nervously went over their 2 lines for hours, waiting to read. 

They mention all the agents they sorted through, and the times they thought they were finally going to make progress only to end up in another open call, only this time they didn’t have any lines to deliver. 

They only had an expression in that role and spent hours trying to get it just right. 

When you feel like this is the way things are supposed to work, you don’t get an internal nudge letting you know that something is off. 

Actors tend to fall into a pattern of behavior that is pretty much the road out of the industry. 

They give themselves timelines to accomplish lofty goals. I’m not saying that having a timeline for your goals is a bad thing, not at all! 

However, you want to be wary of a timeline that has a dramatic consequence. For example, if you tell yourself that you will be a series regular within 1 year, or you will pack it up and go home, that’s not the type of thing that you want hanging over your head. 

In your mind, you have already quit the industry. You just need a good story to tell everyone else. 

The actors that see long term success, knew that they were going to be an actor for the rest of their lives. 

They didn’t have arbitrary goals like that. Instead they put their heads down and worked toward milestones and that is the shift you need to make if you want to be a successful professional actor. 

Rather than paying your dues, work your way from one milestone to the next. 

Work you way from background work, to speaking roles, to supporting roles, to featured roles. 

It’s subtle, but when you approach the industry this way you are always making progress. You are either adding to your resume in your current state, or you are moving up in the industry. 

Something I see actors doing constantly is attempting to do a thousand things, which means they end up accomplishing none. 

The recipe for success as an actor is simple. 

Making yourself visible to the industry, so they know you exist, is step 1. 

I’ve developed something that makes this step incredibly easy for you. Here are the details.

Then you have to make sure that your reputation as an actor, matches your goals. 

Think about it. 

When you are on set, there are tons of moving pieces. Those pieces all have to move in synchronicity in order for the production to work. 

If you are a new, unproven actor, it’s a big risk to cast you in a big production. 

That’s why the industry developed a way to track an actors reputation. On the surface, it seems like it’s mostly about finding credits that actors have, award nominations, etc. 

In reality, it is so much more. That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface and it’s why I have dedicated several years to making sure you stand above the rest here.

Anything that moves your focus from those areas tends to be a waste of time and effort. 

Of course, you still need to work on your craft. 

You still have to find the right agent who believes in your talent and will go to the ends of the earth for you. 

You still have to work on projects that are outside of the scope of the kind of work you want to do, but that will keep you busy and on set. 

This is all completely fine, as long as your primary focus is on making progress within the industry, making yourself visible, or building your reputation as a professional actor.

Beyond that, forget everything else. Don’t edit your reel for the hundredth time, don’t redo your headshots, etc. 

Just focus on what I mentioned a moment ago and everything else will fall into place and before long, I just may… 

See you at the top,
Scott