The Most Common Pitfalls of Being an Actor and How To Avoid Them

So, it’s that time of year again. We're starting March which means most of us have given up on those New Year's resolutions.

This includes actors

At the same time every year, I am completely inundated with questions from actors who create a resolution, to get really serious about their career, on January 1st. it was going to be their time!

They were finally going to make the move to LA or New York and were going to pursue their acting career fully, but things didn't exactly go their way...

Unfortunately this isn't limited to only new actors.

I also receive tons and tons of emails from actors who’ve been in the industry for some time and set a similar new year's resolution that this pilot season was going to be it! It was going to be the pilot season that finally takes them to the next level.

For most of them things haven't gone as planned either and they are looking for answers about what to do next.

I want better for you!

Acting can be one of the most unpredictable, unreliable and most heartbreaking professions anyone can undertake...

Unless you know how to avoid the pitfalls that trap most actors...

So, whether you find that your career has stalled recently or your new to the industry and looking to get your first few credits, the roadblocks are the same. What's stopping someone from reaching the next level in their career, whatever that next level might be, typically boils down to just a couple of things.

If 2020 is when you want to finally make the progress in your acting career that you deserve these are the pitfalls that you need to avoid.

Especially when you're new in town it's very tempting to want to meet and everyone.

While that's not necessarily a bad thing, don’t mistake socializing with networking. As you meet more and more people in the industry, and you’re around them longer, you will notice that many actors in the industry are hobbyists rather than professional actors.

There's a big difference!

Hobbyists go on one, two, maybe three auditions a year book and use acting as a crutch that helps them feel like they're reaching for something better in life. I know that sounds harsh but after all we're talking about you becoming a professional actor so this is important.

While getting out and meeting people is important,not just for your sanity but also for your career progress, you want to make sure that you're getting out and shaking hands with people in the industry that matter.

If you're going to devote your precious time and effort to networking, don't just go out to happy hours for actors that you see posted on​ ​meetup.com​. Instead, make a concentrated effort to network with actors that have achieved a level of success that you aspire to achieve and focus on meeting industry decision makers.

Otherwise you just might end up with a bunch of friends hoping you will be the one to make it big, so that you can lift everyone else up with you.

It's also easy to get into a cycle of overtraining. While it is incredibly important that you put time and effort into improving your acting skills don't become one-track minded about it. In the industry being an incredibly talented actor will only get you so far.

It should not be that way, but what actors ignore is that the industry is a business.

Not only is it a business, it is an international multibillion-dollar business. This means that office politics, popularity, focus groups and a host of other things besides just having talent come into play during casting decisions.

That’s where using tools like the one I created for you can ​help you stand out during the casting process.

So if you truly want to become a professional actor understand that your talent is a product.

Honestly most actors are doomed from the start, because they don't understand their place in the industry and how they fit into it.

Frankly, almost no one in the industry gets it. It's why you see so many agents, managers, directors, writers, etc. leave the industry in droves, without having accomplished what they set out to do.

For example your agent's job is to sell your talent. At its very core the job of an agent is to be a salesperson but hardly any of them see it this way.

By and large, they will simply submit their talent roster to whatever comes across their desk and hope that things work out in the end.

Is that really the agent client relationship be involved in?

Of course not!

This is why one of the most important things you have to do is sign with the right agent.

That doesn't mean you have to sign with WME or any of the majors. Just like there are many undiscovered yet incredibly talented actors, there are also plenty undiscovered or underestimated yet incredibly talented agents who understand the industry.

Make it a priority to find and sign with one of them. They will have a screening process of course, ​so make sure you are prepared to meet their expectations. Here’s how I can help.

Whether you are searching for your first agent or your next agent, remember that the client-agent relationship is a partnership. Help them, help you and don't expect that they can magically open doors for you and land you big opportunities out of nowhere.

This is why networking and meeting the right people and Industry decision-makers is so important. When your agent submits you to a project and you have already met the casting director elsewhere, things tend to go much better for you.

You are then a familiar face rather than just another headshot.

Every action in the industry has a counteraction. Skipping your third improv class for the week and instead going on a CD meeting mission could mean that you miss out on an hour of training.

It could also mean that you find yourself face to face with the person casting Scorcese’s next project.

I’ve seen it happen!
I’m not saying that things will always go your way. They won’t!

However, the actors who persevere when things don’t go their way are the ones that advance in the industry.

The industry is largely about reputation and most actors have a good idea of just how important it is when building an acting career. However, they don’t always understand what goes into it.

Your reputation is much more than your resume and reel, and it needs to always be at its best.

Just like you polish your acting skills, you should always polish your reputation too.

So what do you feel has been stalling your career progress more than anything else? Let me in the comments below or shoot me an email anytime. I’m always happy to help, because my goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

The Secret Audition You Should Have Been At

I’m going to start with the bad news first...

While I can’t say too much about the project, there is an incredible feature in the works that held “secret” auditions on Valentine’s Day.

Everyone in town is talking about this one.

It’s a big budget, studio picture with a great ensemble of characters and all of the leading roles were up for grabs in what was basically an open call. Neither the heads of production nor the studio have anyone in mind for the ensemble.

If you are reading this, chances are you weren’t there but you should have been! For a moment, let’s forget about what the audition was for.

What’s more important is that there are tons of them that happen without you every day and your career is (at best) stalling because of it.

Now for the good news...

You can change this almost instantly and send your career skyrocketing!

When you are out of the loop, your career is out of your hands.

When you’re in the loop, the sky is the limit and getting access to those closed auditions is simple.

You might be thinking that your agent can take care of this for you and get you into them. Here’s why that’s not a reliable strategy...

I literally can’t count how many times I’ve talked to an actor that was misguided or misinformed about what their agents are able to do and what they can’t do.

By and large, their access to the industry isn’t much different than your own level of access. Some agents are insiders and others are not.

Sure, they have access to auditions that most actors don’t, but that access comes in varying degrees.

There are the listings that everyone gets and anyone and everyone can submit their talent to those projects.

Then there are the “secret” auditions. These tend to be the best projects and have little competition, due to their secretive nature.

They are reserved for industry insiders, talent and agents alike, because the decision makers prefer to work only with those that are proven.

Even though all actors hit the audition circuit totally gung-ho, the average career span for actors is actually quite short.

Agents tend to have careers that are somewhat longer, but not by much.

Because of the high turnover, the real industry decision makers prefer to build relationships after someone has been in the industry, working consistently for some time.

That’s where we get the “chicken or the egg” scenario as it relates to actors. How can you advance in your career, if industry decision makers want you to already be somewhat advanced before building a relationship with you?

I’ll give you the formula for that in a sec.

First you have to decide on whether or not your agent is in the know.

So, how can you tell?

Well, ff you are out of the loop, so is your agent and that can pose a major risk to your career, so you need to get with a good one ASAP.

The industry has brushed up against antitrust laws in the past, for not letting outsiders into the inner circles. In fact, there was a time when those outside of the union were lobbying for auditions to be open to everybody.

Even some union members attempted to bring this change to the industry, though it ultimately failed several times.

But let me be clear, what I’m referring to is not as simple as union VS nonunion actors and their varying levels of access.

There exists a network of highly connected power brokers in the industry that dominate things. They pull strings to advance one actor over another and they are typically tied into every aspect of the industry: form financiers, to writers, actors and nearly everything else that goes into a production.

I won’t dare to name any of them here, but if you think for a moment you can probably think of a couple, if not more.

Stick with me for a sec.

Everyone has known about this existing at the very top of the industry, since the modern Hollywood came to be.

It’s an open secret around town.

What almost everyone misses is how this same system filters down to every layer of the industry, making it extremely difficult for actors to get their foot in the door.

Until now...

See, what has happened in the age of social media is that the power has been put squarely into the hands of actors. If they know how to wield it, then the industry’s inner circle will come knocking.

I could write an entire book on this, but rather than giving you a dissertation, I’d rather give you something that will help you advance in your acting career.

Actors get into the industry to flex their creative muscle. Unfortunately, there are industry politics to deal with and other things that actors tend to be uninterested in.

That’s why it’s important for you to build a team around you that will help you deal with those other factors, while you focus on doing what you do best.

Here’s one way I can help you with that.

Ultimately, what will make the difference for you in the industry is whether you are able to connect with the top-level decision makers and their delegates.

The key to doing this is stop chasing them “looking for an opportunity.”

Instead, focus on building your career in a way that makes them come to you. Remember, the reason they like to work with proven talent is that they know what they are getting into.

They know the actor’s work ethic, their strong points, what needs improvement and they can even build cast synergy without having everyone read together. CDs have it down to a science, and everything boils down to reputation.

So, if you want to advance in the industry you have to make sure that your reputation reflects your goals.

That’s the simple formula that can skyrocket your acting career.
Take care of that and you will be in a better position to make it into the industry’s inner circles.

That’s what I want for you, so you can have a long and successful acting career.

It’s also why I carve out time everyday to support actors like you, so remember I’m always only an email or a comment away. I’ll help however I can, because my goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Have More Effective Auditions

I had something completely different planned for this week’s report, but since we’re in the height of pilot season and I’m seeing something come up over and over again, I thought it was important to bring you this instead.

Being a part of the Boost My Star tribe has its perks.

In today’s report, we are going over something it is negatively impacting actors in droves, and because you will be in the know going forward, you can completely side step the obstacle and increase the effectiveness of your auditions.

This phenomenon has been steadily increasing for the past few years and I have beens sounding the alarm on it, at every opportunity.

Now, with pilot season 2020 in full swing, it has finally hit critical mass so it’s more important than ever before, for you to be in the know.

If you feel like you should be booking more often than you currently are, this just might be the culprit.

If you are having good auditions, but you are not getting as many callbacks as you feel you deserve, this might be the reason for that too.

And, if you are wondering how actors with less experience and varying levels of talent can book much more often, this is probably why...

If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you know that I’m a big advocate of developing your talent and refining your skill set.

You should also know that, it’s only half the equation, at best.

In fact I would state that, in most scenarios, it’s only about a third of what matters. So what makes up the rest?

A number of things.

Today, actors have to be much more than just “actors” and they have to bring other things to the table in order to move forward in the casting process.

I could literally write a book on all of that, but there is one thing in particular that Casting Directors are so desperate to find, they sort through hundreds upon hundreds of actors to try and find it.

And, while you should absolutely nail your audition, you should also focus on giving CDs what they want.

Increasingly, over the last few years they are in search of actors who can deliver on set but that are also genuine. They are desperate to find feel good stories from real people, and they are hard to come by.

More on that in a sec.

See, it’s not that they don’t exist. It’s that 99.9999999% of actors are operating under the old industry model. Before Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram the image of a “movie star” was quite different.

Now, because audiences demand so much more insight into the personal lives of their favorite actors, you must be more relatable and likable.

You can and should be doing this through social media because, these days, your social media presence precedes you. In fact, it’s so important, ​I’ve created a way to help you get the ball rolling on social media. The details are here.

What I find in almost every case, is that actors have no clue what to do on social and they resort to brunch selfies and try to emulate what other (much more established accounts) are doing.

Instead just be yourself and forge real connections with your audience.

Go through and clean up your Instagram feed. Remember, your social media precedes you. So, if all you have are duck face, cocktail selfies, go through and clean up your feed and start posting more relatable content.

If you have a bad audition, post about it. If you have a great audition, post about it. Your audience wants to follow along in your journey however winding that road may be, and Casting Directors love to see the ups and downs.

It shows that you are progressing in your career and ultimately, they want and need to forge a connection with you too.

When it comes to doing this during an audition, your body language and the general way in which you carry yourself speaks volumes.

Relax, roll your soldiers back and pay attention to your tone of voice. Most actors go into an audition wearing their nerves on their sleeve.
Treat Casting Directors as peers and colleagues to give yourself the best chance of booking.

Even the most seasoned actors give in to nerves when interacting with CDs. When this happens, they resort to trying to impress CDs and that is the all too common audition killer

Take a deep breath and act like you belong there. Being nervous gives an air of pleading for an opportunity, rather than reading for something you deserve and should be trusted with.

You and the CD are industry colleagues. Act as such. They are not your superior and they don’t want to be seen or treated that way.

Being nervous during your audition and treating Casting Directors as superiors speaks to your headspace and it correlates to how you perform on set.

I’ve seen so many actors who fit that description, get a small taste of success and turn into absolute prima donnas.

CDs know it too and they are abundantly cautious when it comes to looking for the warning signs.

After all, when they move you forward in the casting process Casting Directors are putting their stamp of approval on you. Their name, reputation, and jobs are always on the line.

This is why the industry today is so focused on reputation. What many actors don’t realize is that ​you can have a stellar industry reputation, even if you don’t have a lot of credits right now.

Being castable is about much more than just being talented. You have to put CDs at ease and casting builds a profile on you before making casting decisions.

When the stakes are high for the role you are reading for, it happens even before moving into the callback stage.

There are several factors that go into determining an actors “castability.” We’ll go over them in detail at another time.

For now, I want you to focus on building an industry reputation that matches your goals. While it’s far from being a perfect set up, the industry has chosen to use IMDb as the benchmark for this and it cannot be ignored by anyone who is looking to become a professional actor.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “show my your friends and I’ll show you your future.” For actors this is becoming ​“show me your STArmeter and I’ll show you your future.”

This is how you give yourself the best chance of booking. Start putting things in motion before your next audition and you will notice the difference it makes.

Remember, I’m only an email or a comment away. I’m always happy to help however I can because my goal is to...

See you at top,
Scott

How to Make Progress in Your Acting Career Quickly

Hello from February!

At the time of this writing, we are already a couple of days into February...That’s already the second month of 2020 and so many of the actors I’m hearing from are already falling behind on their career progress.

They set big goals on the first of the year, went all in and then, crickets. 2020 is already soaring by and if plans are not put in place right now, they will find themselves right back where they started.

On the flip side, we have the actors that are brand new to the industry making incredible strides. They are literally leapfrogging actors that have been in the industry for many years.

So what makes the difference? What is the difference between someone who is a complete industry newcomer, but is able to go on a handful of auditions and land the second lead in a big studio picture?

What about those that are cast as part of a star studded ensemble, effectively making them the 3rd lead in a promising pilot?

How is it that they are able to accomplish, in weeks, what so many actors spend years trying to do?

Remember, these are industry newcomers we are talking about. They didn’t “know someone” to get ahead in the industry.

After seeing it happen time and time again, there is definitely a pattern and a formula you can follow.

Whether you are looking to get your first few credits or looking to hit the next level in your career, you can do it quickly and a lot easier than you probably ever thought possible.

Here’s how...

You have to stop thinking of yourself as an actor and realize that you are much more than that. The industry has changed dramatically over the last several years and it’s more important than ever that you see yourself as an entertainer.

Here’s what I mean by that.
An actor will show up on set, perform their lines and call it a day.

On the other hand, an entertainer realizes that their performance is irrelevant if no one watches it. So, they have a vested interest in attracting attention to themselves, which will in turn get attention to their project.

Don’t mistake this kind of “attention getting” for simply chasing vanity numbers in terms of likes and views on social media.

Entertainers, know that they have to curate their audience in order to have a great performance.

After all, if you put a phenomenal intellectual thriller in front of an audience who was expecting an Adam Sandler type of comedy, it will fall flat.

This is what those actors who become sensations almost instantly are able to d: they expose their projects, performances and talents to the right audiences.

Think of it this way....
If you have a leaky faucet do you call a mechanic? Of course not!

However, almost every actor does this when it comes to the industry, not realizing that just like anything else, Casting Directors specialize.

A CD that constantly casts for horror projects, is not going to be effective in casting romantic comedies and vice versa.

The same is true for screenwriters, directors, and just about everyone else in the industry.

Yet, as actors, we tend to be scatterbrained when it comes to our work and we chase anything and everything.

When you do this, it becomes extremely difficult to gain traction.

So what does this have to do with being an “entertainer” VS being an actor?

Remember, as an entertainer you would be going beyond just the screen and building an audience that is interested in the roles you play.

This requires you to “specialize” in a certain type of role as well. Look at any successful actor and you will see that they tend to stick to the types of roles they do best.

Jennifer Aniston has been playing the same role since the mid 90s when you think about it. Even those that don’t appear to have specialized in a category, really have done so, when you dig a little bit deeper.

Take Robert Downey Jr. for example. Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark have a lot more in common than it may seem. When you start to peel back the character’s layers and identify their core traits, the similarities are plentiful.

Actros tend to resist doing this because, as creatives, we want to be all over the place. It’s understandable.

However, to be a working actor, you have to specialize first. After all, there’s a reason that passion projects are called that. They are the exception.

When you do this, you will build a body of work that shows your talent in the best light. You will also start to network with other industry decision makers that also specialize in your same category.

This makes it so much easier to be recognizable, and the more familiar you seem to a CD, the easier it is for them to feel comfortable in casting you.

This is how those outliers are able to make such incredible progress very quickly.

Rather than casting a wide net, they go deep in one category. Also, they put a lot of effort into building a quality support team.

A key part of that is signing with a good agent. That doesn’t mean you have to sign WME to get ahead.

In fact, you will find some of the most talented agents elsewhere.

You need to make sure that they believe in you and your talent and see you as a partner, rather than just another name on their client roster.

If they do, then they will go to work for you. Instead of just submitting you for projects randomly, they will actively seek out opportunities that you are well suited for.

Client-agent relationships work really well when they are built as a solid partnership. Make it clear, when you are interviewing agents that you see it this way.

Any good agent (one that you want to sign with) will have criteria that their talent must meet before signing.

They look at your body of work, study your materials and of course they dig into your industry reputation. ​Most of the top tier agents won’t even consider talent whose reputation falls below an acceptable rating, so be sure that your reputation matches your goals.

A good agent doesn’t want to be tasked with doing all the heavy lifting, because they know this is a recipe for disaster.

They will already be versed in the actor VS entertainer dynamic that is at work in the industry and will ask you to do your part.

One of the most important things for you to do is to put work into your social media. This shows them that you are serious about having a long term career, and it gives you the chance to build an audience that wants to see you be successful.

Click here to get the ball rolling on that too.

Putting the pieces in place to make quick progress in the industry is all about putting forth a focused effort and it’s what allows an actor to go from zero to the silver screen in the blink of an eye.

This is an overview of what you need to do and next week we’ll dive deeper into all of the concepts.

If you have any questions about how it all works, shoot me an email or let me know if the comments below. I’m always happy to help however I can because the goal I don’t want to fall behind on is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

Why The SAG Awards Matter to Your Acting Career

Few things are as polarizing as award season. No matter who wins in a category, there is always disagreement, particularly among actors and industry people.

The SAG awards were no exception this year, and personally I’m still trying to wrap my head around some of the winners.

Some loved the winners and agreed with them pretty much across the board. Others...not so much.

I don’t want to get into the specifics of whether a particular actor and their performance deserved to win or not.

What’s more important than my opinion, is why any of it is relevant to you and your acting career.

You may not have recognized it until now, but awards season has a lot to do with your acting career, but not in the ways you might think.

Ignoring this could be one of the biggest mistakes of your acting career...

See, after everything is said and done, when you look at an award winner’s performance and their body of work, you are witnessing what industry decision makers consider to be greatness.

What so many actors don’t realize is that you can reverse engineer this.

As actors, we get so caught up in our own creative process, that we often ignore the creative expressions and processes of others.

This is kind of unique to the industry.

In almost anything else, people are very comfortable with drawing inspiration from others. But this almost seen as taboo when it comes to almost anything artistic, and we tend to shy away from it.

In fact, we are often even discouraged from doing this, as many acting coaches steer us away from using the performances of others as inspiration for our own.

Their explanation is usually that you shouldn’t try to emulate someone else.

While this is good and valid advice, emulating someone and getting inspiration from someone’s performance are completely different things.

When you study another actor, you can reverse engineer their success and create vivid, multidimensional characters that jump off the screen.

Don’t try to do what they do.

Instead pay attention to the choices they made. Why do they slightly squint while concentrating?

How and why did their speech patterns change when they were interacting with different characters?

Did their characters have any unique “quirks,” speech patterns, facial expressions, etc. Why did they make these character choices or why did the actor you are studying decide against it?

Go deep with this and way beyond the surface.

After you draw inspiration from a fellow actor, you then need to run what you have learned through your own character development model.

A word of caution: be discerning about who you choose to study. That’s why I mentioned the award winners earlier.

When you do this, you want to learn and gather inspiration from the best of the best.

Everyone has their favorite actors of all time, and while there is a lot you can learn from them, you should be focusing on what’s happening right now.

Production styles have changed dramatically and effective character choices are very different now, compared to the days of a single camera still shot set up.

Most actors will not take the time to do this. They simply show up on set and deliver their lines how they feel it in the moment.

With enough talent, that may be good enough, but even seasoned “one take” actors will do tons of preparation to get to that point. They don’t simply show up and hope for the best.

They prepare for it!

When he was building an alcoholic character, Nicolas Cage would get extremely drunk and film himself. He would then go back and watch what he did and why he did it. This made for an Oscar winning performance.

DeNiro drove a taxi 12 hours a day, for a month in preparation for his role in Taxi Driver.

There are countless examples of actors going above and beyond to build multidimensional, dynamic and memorable characters.

When you do this it becomes easy to turn 1 acting job into 2, then 3 and more as directors, producers, and even your fellow castmates will be dying to work with you over and over again.

You will always be at your best and be easy to direct.

Your costars will love doing scenes with you because the depth of your characters, will empower their performances as well.

I’ve seen screenwriters pulled onto a set just to expand a character that was played masterfully, because the director thought the character (and hence the actor) deserved more screen time.

That’s how you build a long and rewarding career as a professional actor.

This kind of preparation is why the votes went to some actors over others. In some cases they went to the “underdog.”

When someone wins an award, it’s because there was an industry consensus that their interpretation of a character and their ability to communicate that to the audience was spot on.

Recognizing their talent is important, but what precedes that is getting to a place where opportunities come to you.

That’s why making the industry aware of who you are is so important.

No matter how you create a character, you have to put consistent effort into marketing your talents and making sure that the industry knows about you. If they don’t know you, they can’t hire you.

Success as an actor comes in two parts. Sometimes you have to focus on the artistic side. Other times, you have to ​focus on doing the things that make the artistic side possible. Here’s how I can help with that.

There are plenty of actors that sizzle for a little while, then quickly fade. If you want to have long term success as a professional actor, you need to have real talent so you can tackle the opportunities that come your way.

But, it will always be a balancing act.

At times, you will have to choose between working on your craft or going out and shaking hands, making connections, and ensuring that you are visible to the industry decision makers.

Everyone’s path toward building a successful acting career will be a little bit different but the recipe for success in the industry will always remain the same.

Whatever path you are going down, this should be your next step.

So, do you have any characters you are working on, while waiting on your next big project to come around? Shoot me an email or tell me about it in the comments below. I always read and respond to every one because my ultimate goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Become SAG Eligible Quickly

Awards season is awesome for many reasons. Many actors use it as a way to gauge the industry’s temperament and see whether or not their predictions about who would win will come true.

Others simply like to check out the fancy dresses and designer wardrobes on their favorite stars. Admittedly, I do both LOL!

However, there is one show in particular that gets under my skin and always has. I’m talking about The SAG Awards, and I’m far from being the only one who feels this way.

Most actors won’t speak up on this, even though there are some very valid concerns. The reason that The SAG Awards gets under our skin, is that there are some inherent problems with SAG itself.

Whether you agree with them or not is mostly irrelevant. What’s important is that, if you don’t navigate the SAG organization correctly, your career will likely never get off the ground.

However, if you do navigate SAG correctly, you can put yourself on the road to having a career that exceeds your wildest dreams and even maybe even be at the SAG Awards Show itself.

First let’s talk about how to get your SAG card...

If you have been in the industry for any length of time, you should have already come to the realization that doing what everyone else in the industry does, is a sure fire way to never reach your goals.

Why?

Because most actors never come anywhere close to accomplishing their goals, so doing what they do, will get you to where they got.

While I have a love-hate relationship with SAG, I want to back up for a second and clarify something.

All things considered, I do believe in SAG and I think it’s an indispensable part of the industry. At its core, it provides better opportunities for its members and it ensures that actors are compensated fairly for their efforts, and have a safe work environment.

However, I don’t think it should be so difficult for actors to become SAG eligible and join the union.

On one hand, I understand the reason for making actors jump through hoops to get in. It ensures that only serious actors who truly want to build a career are allowed into the union.

More on that in a sec...

On the other hand, it shouldn’t be so difficult for aspiring actors to become eligible.

See, SAG productions are allowed to hire non SAG actors but they have to jump through several hoops to do it.

On top of that, they have to pay a fine, and pay the nonunion actors at SAG rate which makes it more expensive to hire them.

Because of this, most productions go the simpler and more economical route by sticking with hiring union actors

That’s where the problem is. You need union credits to become SAG eligible but no one wants to hire nonunion actors.

So how in the world are you supposed to get your SAG card?

It does take a bit of work but there is a faster and simpler way to do it. Thanks to the increasing amount of content being distributed online and through other “nontraditional” forms, SAG was forced to create the New Media division, to keep up with the times.

This has created an opportunity for you to basically grant yourself SAG eligibility, even if you don’t have any SAG credits to your name.

See, if you produce a series that is to be distributed on the web, and you abide by all of the SAG guidelines you can grant yourself a Taft-Hartley voucher and make yourself eligible to join the union.

The process is simple and you can tap your network of friends and industry contacts to help you put it all together.

When you go through this process you will also learn a ton about how productions actually come together which is valuable experience that will serve you well in building your career.

A word of caution: SAG does have a “Legitimacy of Application” clause which is intended to prevent people from abusing this method of becoming eligible.

So, don’t think you can get away with filming 30 second monologue and calling it a day.

You have to put together a real production with real artistic value to make the cut, but if you are serious about becoming a professional actor that’s what you should be doing anyway.

You will need to either write a script or partner with a screenwriter. Either way, you will learn a ton about storytelling and character building through that.

You will need to ensure that you are following SAG guidelines, which will give you intimate knowledge of the “business” side of the industry and how it works.

If you choose to direct the series, then you will learn how to pull an actor’s best performance out of them, and in turn become better at pulling your own best performance from yourself too.

Even by planning the shots, you will learn so much about cinematography and staying in frame. This is experience you can’t get anywhere else.

The rules for making your production SAG compliant do change often, so reach out to them early on in your planning phase, and check again before you start filming to make sure nothing has changed.

You will first have to sign up as a SAG signatory production, which only takes a few minutes and can be done online.

After completing your application, SAG will send you a production packet to fill out and they will assign you a SAG representative.

Once you have wrapped, you can take your production contract and your pay stub into a SAG office to begin the process of becoming SAG eligible.

Doing this is simple, but hardly anyone goes through the steps required. Remember, doing what everyone else does will get you what everyone else gets.

So, deciding to go down this road will mean that you will be going above and beyond.

There’s a reason that most reputable agents won’t sign non union talent. When you become a member of the union, you will open up many doors that were previously closed to you.

Of course ​they will still want to look into your history and make sure that your industry reputation is top notch.

Many actors make the mistake of thinking that joining the union will solve all their career problems.

While it is a big part of transitioning from aspiring actor to professional actor, it will only get your foot in the door.

Casting directors will of course be more receptive to calling you in, when you are a member of the union, but they will still look into you and your background before making a casting decision.

Here’s how you can show that you are a true professional during the casting process.

Whether or not you decide to get started on this now, you should always focus on building a solid industry reputation.

Union productions aside, all casting directors have a set of criteria by which they measure an actors “castability” and talent is only one of many factors.

If you truly want to become a professional actor, you will have to join the union somehow, at some point.

Whether that’s now or in the future, this is your logical next step.

Take at least that step now, so I can one day...

See you at the top,
Scott

How to Rock Pilot Season 2020

The smell of Golden Statues is in the air! It’s award season.

I always found it interesting that it happens at the same time that pilot season kicks off. As actors all over town are scrambling to get their foot in the door, you also have actors who have reached the pinnacle of their career, being recognized for their achievments.

The thing is, they started right where you are today, and their journey wasn’t all that different from the journey you are on right now.

What has fascinated me for a long, long time is what makes the difference.

Where along the winding path to success do those who end up at the awards shows go the right way, and the rest take the wrong path?

Many actors will say things like “they got lucky” or “they knew XYZ person.” Sure there is some of that, but when you start to really break down a successful actor’s career and get to the root of where everything started to change for them, you find many common threads.

In other words, they are all doing many of the same things at the same time (on the timeline of their careers) to achieve the kind of success every actor is after.

This means, that becoming a successful actor has a method. It’s not just about knowing someone or being “discovered.”

Pilot Season 2020 is incredibly important, if you want to have be a successful actor. You have to make the most of it!

The industry is going throught a perfect storm in 2020. An opportunity like this hasn’t come along in a really long time and who knows when it will happen again..

Here’s how to make this the pilot season that changes everything...

I sat and thought about this one for a long time. In fact, I wrote and rewrote this about a dozen times trying to make it sound...nice.

None if really got to the point of what I wanted to say, and this is to important to worry about sugarcoating it for you.

As you go from one audition to the next, this pilot season (and really any time) you have to leave the desperation at the door.

I know! I know! It sounds harsh, but I meant it with love and respect. Sometimes, being direct is the best thing for everyone.

When you go on an audition, certain that you are going to get booked you must let that confidence shine through. Casting Directors love it!

But, there is a fine line between coming off as confident and coming off as desperate. It’s difficult to stay calm and collected, particularly this time of year when you have several things you are waiting to hear back about.

Isolate each audition and don’t let your mind do the thinking for you. Act and perform with your instincts to let your talent shine through without being clouded by nerves.

When you interact with CDs and decision makers, treat them as an equal. Most actors are quick to place them on a pedastol, but that’s the exact opposite of what they want from you.

Treat them with respect, but keep your composure. Subtle things like saying “it was a pleasure to come in and read” rather than cheerily saying “thank you for your time” have a profound impact.

Look at it this way. When Scorcese sends Leo a script, how does he respond?

When interacting with decision makers, actors have a tendency to put them (the decision makers) on a pedastol and as if they have something you want.

While this is true in a sense, you don’t want to build a relationship with them, having this paradigm. It simply won’t work.

Instead come from a place of service and look for ways you can help and what gaps you can fill. This is how you get on their good side.

You can be the nicest person in the world to them, but if they don’t have a need for an actor like you, then there’s nothing you can do.

That brings me to the next part of how you can crush pilot season 2020.

Don’t go out on random auditions just to see what you can “get.” Go out and fill a need.

Do your homework and see what projects are casting and what kind of actors are needed. I’ve seen the right actors pitch themselves the wrong way so many times.

If your headshot is currently a glamour-style shot, but you see that productions are leaning mostly towards girl or guy next door type of characters, you might be the right actor for the job but in the worng packaging, so to speak.

There is always an underlying them or trend to pilot season. Get with your agent and plan out what you are going to be submitted to, then make sure your materials all align with those choices.

You may not have evrything in 1 category, but you should atleast have a majority direction to go in.

This is how you move from going on auditions to being booked: by giving CDs and decision makers what they want.

Most actors think that what they are looking for is “the best actor” for a given role. In reality, they are looking for the most saeable actor in that role. They need audiences to fall in love with the actors and tune in over and over again.

Talent plays a big part in this of course but it’s not the entire equation. That’s why 2020 is so important and why this pilot season presents an opportunity like no other.

The industry is at a crossroads where they are using technology in just about the right balance as human intuition.

I’ve talked about this before and it’s coming to fruition right now. ​The industry is using technology and tapping places like IMDb to discover and vet talent.

In the not so old days, CDs would sit at a table and flip through headshots. There would be a “yes” pile where they place the headshots of the actors they definitely wanted to see.

There would also be a maybe pile for the actors that they would see if there was time or if too many of the yesses became unavailable.

Lastly there was the trash bin.

Today “the pile” is laragely digital and to even make it to a CD, actors are being preemptively screened and prequalified.

The specifics are a topic for another time, for now suffice it to say that ​if your online presence doesn’t match your talent and goals, it will get much harder to even get in the room.

My inbox goes crazy this time of year with actors quietly freaking out about pilot season. My response is almost always to step bakc, take a deep breath and focus on the right things.

Everything else will fall into place.

What you can’t do, is repeat last year’s efforts. ​Here’s how I can help you make a crucial move right now that can help you open more doors and unlock new opportunities.

Leave me a comment or shoot me an email and let me know how things are going so far. I’m always happy to help however i can because my goal is to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How to Be a Successful Actor in 2020 and Beyond

First and foremost Happy 2020!

A new decade is upon us and the energy in the air is amazing. I haven’t felt like this since we rang in the year 2000.

If you were anywhere near the industry at that time, then you might remember just how dramatically everything changed back then.

It was the start of a huge power shift from the studios and production houses to you: the talent.

Most actors, however, don’t remember the industry of the time. They don’t remember and didn’t experience the pre-social media age either. More on that in a sec.

I want to touch on this really quick because at the time (2000) there was a real fear in many, many people that the world as we knew it would end.

Some saw it as a time for progress, others let fear paralyze them and they hunkered down in a doomsday bunker.

What I witnessed then, is what I’m seeing again as we move into 2020.

The most successful actors have been living like there will be no tomorrow, but they are riding the wave of change in a positive way.

Here’s what this has to do with your acting career.

If you want to be successful in the industry in 2020 and beyond...

You have to live like the sun may not rise tomorrow.

If you went after something and fell flat on your face, but there was no tomorrow, what would it matter?

The industry moves so fast, that if you make a mistake, by the time someone realizes everyone has moved on to the next thing.

In 2000 we were looking at the dawn of streaming services. In 2020, with streaming services overtaking traditional content distribution channels, there is literally not enough content to go around.

This means there is more work available for actors than ever before. The catch is that, there is less attention to go around.

See, the reason that the studios and production houses have lost their grip on the industry is that they no longer control the attention of the consumer.

There are too many options available now.

In turn, they need you (the actors) to bring the attention to their projects. That puts the control back in your hands.

This also means that we are in an entirely new industry and that’s not an exaggeration by any means.

So, if you feel like you should be making progress and getting ahead in the industry but you keep spinning your wheels, you may be right on the edge of having a career that exceeds your wildest dreams, but you just need to modify a few things.

You could be making all the right moves, you might just be a decade behind the rest of the industry, which may actually be holding you back.

In, let’s call them the old days even though they really weren’t that long ago, the art was at the forefront of casting decisions.

As much as we all hate to admit it, that’s not the case anymore.

For the reasons I mentioned a moment ago, we have come to a point where the actor who is best suited for a role, doesn’t always win.

The actor who can command and bring the most attention to a project now has a much better chance of being cast.

That begs the questions: which one are you focusing on?

See, in the “old days” the best thing for you to do was to focus on refining your talent and getting out there as much as possible.

Today, you have to focus on your talent of course, because you do have to be “good enough” but more importantly you have to focus on making yourself visible to the industry.

That holds true whether you are a complete newcomer, or whether you have been in the industry for some time and are looking to reach the next level in your career.

What the most successful actors understand better than anyone is that there are 2 sides to the industry.

There is the artistic side and the business side. At the end of the day, projects have to turn a profit or the industry would cease to exist.

So, to have real, long term success as a professional actor you have to make yourself an indispensable cog in the industry machine and the best way to do that is by becoming a marketing powerhouse.

Actors tend to think that their agent’s job is to get them auditions. That’s true in a sense, but your agents real job when you dig into the core, is to sell you and your talent as being a viable product.

They have to sell industry decision makers on that and when they do it successfully, you get called in for auditions, call backs, and book the part.

I could go on for days about the intricacies of that because it is that complex, but suffice it to say that actors come a dime a dozen, but actors who can attract attention to a project will always be in demand.

The problem is that actors are creatives and that’s very much a right brain activity. Dealing with the attention getting and the business side of the industry is a job for the left brain.

That’s why I created a solution that would allow you to focus on your craft, while we help you with the rest.

I have to warn you though, as it was in the “old days” the time to get started on this is now.

Competition in the industry will only increase with time, and carving out your space in the industry and maintaining it is a lot easier than clawing your way to the top once everyone else has caught on to this concept.

The first movers will always have the advantage, so seize the opportunity while you can.

Think of it kind of like beating traffic on the 405. You will never beat it once you are already in it, but you can preempt it.

So, let’s get you on the highway before it’s too late.

Because I want to help as many actors as possible, I have kept the virtual doors open to this for a long time.

However, we are now nearing capacity and we may have to shut it down to new members soon.

The last thing we want is to get bogged down and I want to make sure that we have plenty of staff and resources to provide you with what some have called the best customer support in town.

BoostMyStar was created by actors specifically for actors, so we deeply understand how important this is to your career.

We also know how important it is to have people you trust in your corner. So, let us be a part of your support system and feel free to get in touch anytime.

After all we do share a common goal, and that’s to...

See you at the top,
Scott