The Industry Has Reopened...or Has It?

Unless you have been living under a rock and have completely isolated yourself from anything industry related, you have probably heard that it has finally happened!

Effective June 12th, 2020 the industry has finally been given the green light to “resume productions.”

I’ve been flooded with tons of emails and communications from actors that are besides themselves and incredibly eager to get back on set.

While this is great news, especially considering that just a couple weeks ago people were speculating that the industry shut down would extend until at least 2021.

If you have been around Boost My Star throughout this time, then you know that the term “shutdown” is used loosely.

See, the top tier talent and industry decision makers never really went into shut down mode. Of course, they did have to adapt to the new conditions but by and large, the wheels of the industry kept turning.

What that means for most actors right now is that they haven fallen way behind the rest of the industry who continued operating.

The good news is that whether you need to play catch up, or if you are looking to make big career moves quickly, now is the perfect time...

The past few months are something the industry hasn’t ever really gone through and almost everyone, except for the very top of the industry was severely mistaken about what was really happening.

Here’s why....

While productions were put on hold for the most part, how many productions did you see that got creative and found new and innovative ways to finish their seasons?

For example, The Blacklist turned to animation to wrap up its season. It’s a must watch for its originality as well as, well, just for being a great show.

Reality shows also resorted to virtual shoots to wrap up the storylines they started and they also held reunions this way too.

Even entire shows were created that had zero person to person interaction. In other words, they were filmed completely virtual.

See there are 2 sides to the industry, and only 1 of those sides was interrupted. Even so, it was only a partial interruption.

The industry has a business side and it also has a creative side.

The business side was able to conduct its work virtually through email, phone, etc. Most actors never give a second thought to the business of the industry on any given day, and the time we just went through showed just how important that side of the industry is.

If you want to be a successful, full time actor you can’t ignore the business side and it’s a big part of what makes the top tier actors so successful. They have a good understanding of the business works.

They also surround themselves with people that are on the same page.

For example, when you understand the role that a platform and social media plays in your career, you build and use them with a purpose in mind.

However, most actors are understandably stuck in creative mode and don’t fully grasp the connection between the two.

More on that in a bit...

See, without seeing the big picture, it’s easy to miss a lot of very important industry activity and what it means to you as an actor.

While the box office has been closed, that hasn’t been a true measure of a production’s success since the dawn of the streaming age.

It’s kind of like comparing traditional ratings with the success of a series, while leaving out the streaming numbers.

Distributors have also now been given a chance to test the waters on direct to consumer streaming solutions that bypass the box office altogether.

Mark my words, this will be a game changer for the industry and it’s not going to only affect the big studios. It will also give smaller productions a chance to compete because, unlike a brick and mortar movie theatre, the online space is pretty much unlimited.

So, while smaller productions may not be able to attract enough attention to grab 1 of the 24 screens available at a theatre, they can and will have access to “premium” streaming space where they can generate significantly more revenue than they can now. This leads to more productions getting a green light and essentially creating an entirely new category.

The industry has been moving in this direction for a while.

I have been sounding the alarm on these changes for a long time.

What has happened now is that over a decade’s worth of changes has been forced on the industry over just the past few weeks and only the actors that can adapt to it will thrive.

Most won’t.

Most have been using this time to catch up on Netflix and they haven’t continued to put forth an effort into growing their career. If you’re reading this, I don’t think that’s you.

If you are reading this, I don’t think that’s you.

You have probably been waiting on pins and needles to get back on set, because that’s what actors who are truly serious and committed to their careers have been doing.

Most of them, however, have been ​struggling to figure exactly what to do to move their career forward. Start here first.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be walking you through the exact steps you need to take right now to fully seize on the coming opportunities.

Even though the industry didn’t fully “shut down” there is still a flurry of activity that will affect the industry in the coming weeks.

You need to be fully prepared to take advantage of what’s coming by making sure that Casting Directors and industry decision makers consider you to be a full time, professional actor and not just a hobbyist.

When it comes down to it, that’s​ a huge distinguishing factor, and it has a big impact on whether you are cast or passed over.

We just went over why top tier actors surround themselves with people that truly understand how the industry works and have a good grasp on the connection between the creative side and the business side of the industry.

If you want to be ready for when productions fully ramp up again, you need to have people like this in your corner.

Over the next few weeks, that’s exactly what I will be for you.

Before we get to the nuts and bolts of things, ​you need to have this in place. ​Otherwise, you risk putting in the effort to make things happen, only to still be passed over because your industry reputation didn’t match your goals.

So stay tuned as I walk you through this step by step. It will be a great way to make progress in your acting career, so I can...

See you at the top,
Scott

The Fastest Way to Get Set Ready

I read an article about a guy that was on a mountain retreat for the last few months. During that time he was completely unplugged, no electronics, no internet, and no contact with the world outside of his campground.

When he returned home his jaw hit the floor when he realized everything he had missed and the state of the world right now.

It’s no secret that there is an insane amount of upheaval all around us right now. I try to keep it at arms length for the most part, because Boost My Star is about you and what you need to do to make huge progress as an actor.

In light of that, I wanted to take today to point something out.

See, I get tons of emails and messages from actors. Recently, I’ve seen the same topic come up over and over again.

There is a huge amount of uncertainty about what’s going to come next for the industry: what it’s going to look like to be on set, how auditions will change, and even if the box office experience will ever go back to the way it was.

Those are all valid concerns and no one, no matter how plugged into the industry they are, has all of the answers at this point, and that’s what is nerve racking for so many.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been bringing you details about the decisions that are being made for how to reopen the industry, the box office, etc.

For you as an actor, that’s not what your focus should be on.

Regardless of what “the reopening” is going to be like, you have to be prepared for the role you play in it so that you are ready, not rusty.

For most actors, this has been the longest period of inactivity (or at least it should have been) they’ve ever gone through.

The actors at the highest levels of the industry, have found ways to stay engaged and keep their skills sharp.

If you have stayed on the sidelines, in terms of working on your craft, now is the time to get back on the proverbial horse, and this time we’re going through is affording you some incredible opportunities to work on your talent and even to dramatically improve your career...

For many actors I’ve spoken to this entire year has been like a giant exercise in method acting.

Many actors fall short in their performances when they can’t put themselves into their characters shoes. Sometimes that’s because they don’t resonate with the character on a personal level and so they don’t have a bank of experiences and emotions to pull from.

That’s where method acting can be a big game changer, when it comes to putting together an effective performance.

In some ways, all acting is method acting, but what makes the difference is the level of commitment to the character.

When you are engaged in method acting, you don’t “get into character.” You and the character are one in the same.

There is no breaking character when the director calls cut, and for many actors that even extends for the entirety of a production.

That’s kind of an extreme, and not everyone is built for that...in fact, I’d say that almost no one is built to handle something like that, but nearly every actor can benefit from method acting.

Some choose to practice a “watered down” version of it and practice what is more like enhanced character research.

Take Johnny Depp, for example. As part of his preparation for Pirates of the Carribean he asked himself what it would be like to be hot and sweaty and draped head to toe in pirate gear.

To find out, he put himself in a similar situation, using a sauna and pirate gear of course.

The result was the rather disoriented, if not delirious nature of his character’s speech patterns and coordination.

He ended up delivering an iconic performance, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

Rainn Wilson did the same thing when auditioning for The Office. He built the character, then embodied it with every move. During the screen tests, he didn’t break character in between takes and his future castmates were rather put off in the moment.

They thought he was a weirdo because, well, Dwight Schrute (his character) was a weirdo and Rainn Wilson was committed. So, in between takes he didn’t participate in the typical small talk.

It wasn’t something Dwight would do, so Rainn didn’t do it either. He stuck to bears, beets, and Battlestar Galactica.
There are so many ways to approach method acting and it is the fastest and most effective way to brush yourself off, polish your skills and get yourself set-ready.

Think of some characters and challenge yourself to go all in on them for an extended period of time. Depending on what you’re doing, you could challenge yourself to do it for as little as an hour or even several hours.

The key is to jump into the character fully and unapologetically.

Put yourself in situations that the character would find himself in. Order a coffee, pick up some take out, call a friend, etc.

Even going for a jog can give you some insights. How would your character carry themselves while running? Are they the disciplined, slow and steady type or do they swing their arms wildly while huffing and puffing along?

Thinking back to the Johnny Depp example, consider how you would enter a room. His character stumbled with practically every step, as he was on the edge of heat induced delirium.

Dwight hardly ever smiles, because in his own words “chimps show their teeth as a sign of submission.” So, when meeting someone new, his character greets them with intense eye contact instead of a smile.

Do this now and have fun with it, so you are fully prepared to get back on set. If you feel yourself pulling out of character, recommit. Don’t acknowledge it, just slip right back into character seamlessly.

Sometimes, this happens because of something unexpected.

Maybe you’re fighting traffic, get cut off by an 18 wheeler, and narrowly avoid an accident. In the moment you might respond with an expletive at the top of your lung (understandably). Would your character react the same way?

Part of what helps top actors perform their best is being able to offload as much as they can to other people, so they can focus on their characters and showing up to the fullest every day.

Getting or rid of as much monotony and stress as possible is really key to delivering stand out performances.

They are driven to set, not as a luxury, but as a way to manage their state. Fighting LA traffic for an hour and a half, doesn’t typically provide much of a benefit when it comes to getting into character.

While I can’t drive you to set, ​here’s a way that I can help take some of the pressure off so you can make career progress, by focusing what you do best.

We’ve all had some downtime recently in one form or another, but your talent is like a muscle and you have to flex and exercise it.

World class athletes don’t have an “off season” because falling out of their routine, even for just a day or two, causes them to lose a bit of their edge. When the stakes are high, that edge is the difference between winning or losing.

The industry is no different and your edge can be the difference between being booked solid and constantly hoping that something comes your way.

So take some time and polish your skills and also make sure your reputation matches what you want to accomplish on the other side of all of this. The process starts with delivering a great audition but after that, casting will still into you and your reputation before moving you along in the process.

It impacts your castability quite a lot and I’ve seen so many actors who were incredibly talented, never make the progress they should have made because of this.

Here’s how I can help you avoid that and make sure you are on the right track.

Just like world class athletes never stop, the top levels of the industry haven’t completely stopped during this time. Show industry decision makers that you haven’t stopped either.

You can do this by putting your best foot forward in auditions of course, but also by making sure that what they find about you when they look into you is ​up to the standards of an actor that deserves to be making big progress in the industry.

So plan out your next steps now and let me how I can help. You know I’m always happy to lend a hand however I can because my fulfillment comes from your success, and I can’t wait to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How Space Force Can Impact Your Acting Career

It’s not The Office, and to compare Steve Carell’s latest project, Space Force, against it would be doing a huge disservice to both. 

If you have been around Boost My Star for any amount of time, you know that I am a mega fan of The Office, and as such I was on pins and needles, awaiting the premier of Space Force. 

The reviews have been…mostly mixed but that’s not what I want to focus on. 

Whether you love the show, hate it, or if this is the first you are even hearing about it is irrelevant in the grand scheme. 

However, there is genius is Steve Carell’s performance and there are some very important factors that you have to pay attention to, if you want to create complex characters that come alive. 

See, Steve Carell’s performance seems shallow on the surface and that’s kind of the point. 

Underneath the simplistic façade, his character is highly layered but the very nature of the type of person he is playing, demands that he is seen as cool, calm and collected regardless of what’s going on around him. 

That kind of contradiction is present in many well written characters. If you want to play dynamic characters throughout your career, play close attention…

When you start to build a character, most actors go through some basic exercises they picked up in acting class and don’t go much further than “what motivates them.” 

This is why most fall flat and leave audiences wanting more. 

The reason that Steve Carell’s performance in Space Force is masterful is that the nuances of his character make sense. 

Even though the show is a comedy, Steve Carell’s character choices as General Mark Naird are very fitting for someone in his position, which makes for a terrific balance between a comedic character that also passes a military leader. 

It would be way too easy for the character to pulled to one extreme or the other, but Steve Carell delivers a standout performance that keeps it all in balance. 

For example, when he climbs out of bed in the morning, he makes his side of bed in a traditional military fashion, even though his wife is still laying on the other side. 

Why? 

After decades, some habits are hard to break. The manner in which one climbs out of bed is something that most actors wouldn’t pay attention to, and there is nothing in the scene that would suggest you would. 

The fact that this behavior wasn’t out of place for his character, shows that the balance between realism and comedy is just right. 

When playing a complicated character such as this, you should also look for signs of something going to far or not far enough. 

For example, had he made the entire bed instead of just the side he was occupying, the character would have gone to slapstick. It would have been too far because of how Naird treats the people around him. 

It’s a big part of his character choices. 

Naird, while at home, also turns to enter the room as military personnel would, rather than walking as a civilian. 

These are some of the subtle nuances that make a character believable. These are the nuances that make characters explode off the screen and stick with the viewer. 

It’s not unlike a career dancer, who after years of training, stands with her feet at point. Naird has spent a lifetime in the military and the way he carries himself makes that very believable. 

In another scene, Naird is running across the base because he is 1 minute late for a meeting. Punctuality is very important in the military of course, so this is unacceptable to Naird. 

While running across the base is uncharacteristic of someone in Naird’s position, Steve Carell played the scene very well and did not break believability of his character. 

Here’s how… 

While running his posture is maintained very well, to avoid being seen as someone in a panic. Also, he takes the time to salute other soldiers along the way. 

The reasoning for this becomes evident later on, as we get a glimpse into how Naird feels about losing someone under his command and the sense of duty he feels to his service members, who are trained to stop and salute a superior officer regardless of the situation. 

Things like this are very easy to miss but they are extremely important when layering your character. 

Suppose he were to dash across the base in a panic and ignore everyone in his path, rather than saluting them. Naird would have had to carry that emotion through to the following scene: the meeting. 

Automatically switching from a panicked run, to calm and collected is too harsh and jerks the audience out of the scene. By maintaining a level of composure, Naird flows into the next scene without missing a beat. 

There is another scene that is quite touching and adds quite a bit to Naird’s character. 

After being at work and awake for 2 days straight, Naird arrives home extremely tired and finds his daughter passed out, asleep over the trigonometry homework he was supposed to help her with the night before. 

Instead of letting her fail the assignment, Naird insists that they work on it. His daughter tells him that it’s ok and that he should go to bed. 

Naird’s responds by stating that Chinese or Indian fathers (competitors in the space race) wouldn’t be too tired to help with a little homework. 

He also adds, that by getting good at math, she might invent something that could save the world. 

That’s what drives Steve Carell’s character in the end: a sense of duty. Leading Space Force is not the job he wanted, but it’s the job he was appointed to and Steve Carell walks that line perfectly. 

He shows the sense of duty to humanity and to his country, and he balances that with his character’s other ambitions along with the duty to his family. 

He often juggling them all simultaneously and even though he fails fantastically at times, he never drops the ball. 

One big thing is missing from the series. Someone in the real world that would occupy Naird’s position would be surrounded by an entourage. Nothing is left to chance because everything is so important. 

The series lightly touches on this through the use of a communications director who is highly focused on Naird’s (Steve Carell’s) social media statements. 

This makes sense, because a single misstep could mean that the entire Space Force, along with Naird’s career, is put on the chopping block. 

As an actor, you experience the same kind of implications so let me ask you a question… 

Are you treating your career with the same kind of focused effort when it comes to your public presence? 

In the industry, just like with anything else, perception is reality. So, ask yourself if the way industry decision makers perceive you matches your goals.

Going back to the series and how art imitates life, Naird doesn’t quite grasp this and there is an exchange between him and his communications director that ends with him being fired. 

He is played by the incredibly talented Ben Schwartz, who has a phenomenal use of vocal volume and tonality. We’ll go over that another time. 

I bring up that scene because it actually contains an important point for you, as you build an acting career. 

During the exchange, the two are discussing Naird’s social media statement for the day. The communications guy has conjured up what he believes to be the perfect statement, which has something to do with Star Wars and a Wendy’s hamburger. 

Naird, played by Steve Carell, asks him “what does a hamburger have to do with the mission?” 

One of the questions I get from actors over and over is about what to do on social media. Some of them treat social the same way they always did. 

They post pictures of themselves at brunch, lounging by the pool, etc. While that may get your friends to like and engage with your posts, it has nothing to do with “your mission” of building an acting career. 

That is something we’ll be going over in much more detail over the coming weeks. For now, let me help you get the ball rolling on social media.

Whether you want to build a career that is along the lines of what Steve Carell has accomplished, or if you would be satisfied by simply working consistently and making a decent living doing what you love, social media is going to play a factor in that. 

It requires a well thought out strategy, to really make a positive impact on your career. It goes hand in hand with your industry reputation, so before we go down that path in the coming weeks, start with this.

There has been a ton of uncertainty in the industry with everything that has been going on lately, but things are coming together. 

Don’t get caught off guard or unprepared for what’s to come. 

Remember, I’m always only a comment or an email away. Let me know how I can help you get to the next level in your career. After all, my goal is to… 

See you at the top,
Scott 

The Tsunami That Hit The Industry and What It Means For Actors

If you’ve been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you should already know a couple things and this should come as no surprise to you.

The Tsunami of industry activity that I have been talking about for years, has officially made landfall. In case you haven’t heard, Joe Rogan has signed a deal with Spotify for over $100 Million Dollars!

Whether you love Joe, whether you hate him, or even if you have no idea who he is, that deal has huge implications for you as an actor.

You have to look at the big picture and what this means for the entertainment industry as a whole.

Joe Rogan is only the first of the industry professionals/online content creators to be directly bought out and in doing so, it set off a flurry of industry activity.

More on that in a bit.
First, let’s break down what this means for you and your acting career, and how you can capitalize on

this to make huge career moves with your acting career right now...

I interact with tons of actors on a daily basis and what I’ve seen has been a bit disappointing.

By and large, most of them don’t really understand why this is such a big deal. If you are feeling the same way, then pay close attention as we connect the dots.

See Joe Rogan is the epitome of how someone can build a career out of nothing.

He started as a UFC fighter, then went into comedy, hosted a few things (Fear Factor being one of them) and most of us now know him as the host of The Joe Rogan Experience which is by most metrics the #1 podcast.

Being the #1 podcast would be admirable at any time, but when you consider that today it means he gets more listeners (and viewers through the YouTube video version) than all of Prime Time combined, you can’t ignore that things have changed in the industry.

The lesson to be learned from Joe is that he leveraged one form of attention and industry credibility to open doors for himself in other places.

That’s a skill you need to learn, if you want to build an acting career in the new industry environment.

It’s where the opportunity is, and John Krasinski is another perfect example. Just days after news broke about the Spotify deal, John Krasinski signed a deal to sell his SGN YouTube show to CBS.

See, these deals can contain literally anything you want. He has a terrific agent and management team in place, which is important if you want to get the most out of things like this.

While the terms of the SGN sale are confidential, it wouldn’t surprise me if part of the deal included X amount of financing for John Krasinski’s future projects or even a guaranteed greenlight on a few of them.

As an actor, even on a much smaller scale, you can apply this kind of leverage with Casting Directors and advance your career quickly.

It’s not about having the rights to your content being acquired or getting a bunch of sponsored posts on Instagram.

It’s about generating enough buzz and interest in you and the talent you offer to be able to leverage that into something else, namely career opportunities.

CDs care just as much, if not more, about the attention you can bring to a project as they do about your level of talent.

Start from where you are.

You don’t have to launch a new podcast or start a web series to make things happen. You can and should leverage those down the road, but for now work with what you already have.

If what you are working on right now is your social media, great! Let us help you get the ball rolling.

The time to do it is now. Don’t wait until you have everything ready and perfectly in place before you get started.

Both Joe Rogan and John Krasinski were just guys in a room with a microphone and a camera. What started with them will have a trickle down effect that will impact the rest of the industry.

I’ve talked to many actors about this since the news broke a few days ago and just about all of them responded with “sure Joe Rogan can do it because he has a huge audience and John Krasinski can do it because he’s already an A list actor...”

The only difference between you and them is the body of work they can point to.

Here’s why...

At the end of the day, humans are risk averse.

Since casting hasn’t yet been completely delegated to Artificial Intelligence (that’s a subject for another time) Casting Directors are humans too, so you have to put them at ease.

CDs, along with studio and network executives have access to teams of data scientists that assess the risk versus reward ratio of everything from the projects that get a greenlight to the impact of casting decisions on the probability of success for those projects.

This is why Instagrammers, YouTubers, and other content creators are being recruited by the mainstream industry in droves. The attention they bring with them, can have a huge effect on the whether the project is successful.

So, if you want to be on the right side of the risk versus reward calculations that happen during casting decisions. Here’s how I can help.

For an actor, your body of work follows the same path as the age old question about whether the chicken or the egg came first.

If you need a strong body of work to generate better and more career opportunities, then how are you supposed to build a strong body of work in the first place if you don’t already have one?

Most actors take the “slow and steady” approach and try to work their way up from working as an extra to “featured extra”, then one liners, etc.

That’s why most never achieve what they hoped to achieve. The shortcut is to do the opposite.

While you work on building out your body of work, make sure that your industry credibility is in good standing, since that’s what Casting Directors will look towards when your body of work is taking shape.

That’s how you can shave years off the time it would take to achieve your goals.

The road to success as an actor has its twists and turns and it almost never goes as planned. One thing you always have to be prepared to do is go with the flow and adapt to the changes in the industry.

Remember, I’m always only an email or a comment away and I’m always happy to help. I’ll do everything possible so I can...

See you at the top,
Scott

What Will Happen to Actors After the Lockdown Ends

Everyone in the industry is itching to go back to work. From craft services to actors. directors and everyone else involved in production, we all miss being on set!

It’s a labor of love, after all.

Though the timing of when that might happen depends on who you're talking to, one thing is for sure. Life on set won't be the same for a very long time.

For the foreseeable future, scenes of large crowds will probably move to being added in post, rather being filmed as live action.

Principal actors will probably work around skeleton crews, and most actors and production staff will be wearing some sort of protective equipment around the set.

I've talked to industry professionals that are drawing up the plans and protocols for how to safely conduct a set going forward and that's really the minimum of what we can expect.

However, what you should be focusing on as an actor right now is putting yourself in a position to where you are in demand as an actor, so you have the opportunity to find work and book more acting jobs.

Otherwise none of that matters.

I get emails and messages every day from actors who are looking at things completely backwards. They are wondering how things will change on set while completely ignoring the things they need to put in place in order to have the opportunities to perform in the first place.

Here's what you need to do right now to make sure that you have ample opportunities as an actor on the other side of this crisis...

Since the start of this situation, it has been far too easy for actors (and really for anyone who had their daily routine upended) to get sidetracked.

The Netflix servers are still teetering at the time of this writing, and it’s not because things are returning to “normal.”

Even some of the most disciplined people have started to get into routines that are less than productive.

Instead of heading to the gym and then acting class, many have resorted to Netflix and microwave pizza, day after day.

It’s important that you put in a good effort towards keeping your skills sharp during this time. Otherwise you will get rusty. It’s only a matter of time.

You have probably heard people referring to creativity as a muscle. That’s very accurate! The more you exercise your creativity and work on your talents, the stronger you will become in relation to them.

Think of the difference between a table read and a performance after weeks of rehearsals (during which you flexed your creative muscle).

Remember, muscles atrophy without use and so do your acting skills. So, if it has been weeks since you flexed your creative muscle, it’s time to get back “out” there.

There are many ways you can do this and still respect and comply with whatever regulations exist.

It just requires a bit of, well, creativity.

Message your industry friends and set up a Zoom call. You can work on your auditioning skills together, as you all take turns between acting as the CD and reading.

It’s important to simulate the entire audition experience as closely as possible, to get the most benefit out of this. Walk out of the frame and simulate entering the room and greeting the CD just as you would during a real audition.

You can also just get a zoom call organized and do some improv together. Not only will this environment provide you with a unique set of challenges, compared to a traditional setting, how long do you think it will be before this situation ends up in scripts and storylines?

You are already seeing the very beginning of this on primetime shows that were forced to wrap just before finishing up the current season.

If you have fallen out of the habit of working on your talent regularly, get back into it as soon as possible.

If improv is not your thing, record a few scenes and host a zoom watch party. Ask your industry friends to critique your performance and then tap the next person in the group to record scenes for the group to critique.

A couple weeks ago I saw some clips posted by a company that had to cancel their West Side Story performances, so instead, they did a few socially distant scenes on the sidewalks and balconies.

Unless acting is only a hobby for you, not getting to indulge your passion as an actor has been torturous.

During times like this, you need to pivot and use your innate creativity to come up with new ways to work on your talent, if you want acting to be more than just a hobby.

If you want to become a full time, professional actor then you have to put the proper pieces in place ​to advance your career. Here's a great place to start.

Remember talent is only half the equation.

If casting directors and industry decision makers have no idea who you are, you have to get on their radar.

That goes beyond just showing up, whenever you are asked to audition. You also have to build relationships with them, so that they get to know your skill set and consider you for projects, before they even call anyone else in to read.

Doing that starts with​ increasing your visibility to the industry. Here’s how I can help with that.

As an actor you have a million and one things to do so focus on the things that matter most.

Executives refer to this as leveraging your time. Basically it comes down to using your time wisely and only working on your most productive and impactful tasks.

It’s one of the reasons A listers come with an entourage. What’s more important for an A list actor: doing their own hair and makeup, or memorizing lines and building a character, while someone else does that for them?

This alone can add hours of productivity to their day, and it’s only one example. In your own experience, think of how much easier things would be if you could just walk into an audition after being chauffeured to the door, rather than battling LA traffic for an hour and parking 6 blocks away?

The most successful people in any industry (including actors) work on the most impactful tasks and offload everything else as soon as possible.

Building Boost My Star was one way that I intended to help with that, since the core of what we do here is centered on managing your industry visibility and reputation.

A good friend of mine always says “if they don’t know you, they can’t hire you.” We took it one step further by ​ensuring that what Casting Directors know about you is up to their standards.

Most have been taking it easy (relatively speaking of course) for a while. Now, it’s time to kick things into gear. Do what I recommended just a moment ago, because it’s a precursor for what’s coming next week.

It will only make sense and work for you if you lay the groundwork, by doing what mentioned here, so don’t put it off. The sooner you get to it, the sooner I will....

See you at the top,
Scott

What No One Is Telling You About Being An Actor in 2020

Saying that we’re living in uncertain times would be a huge understatement.

Because I interact with so many actors on a daily basis, what I’ve realized is that most actors are feeling anxious about what’s coming for the industry and what it all means for their acting career in 2020.

It’s not really a surprise, since useful, actionable information about this is hard to come by.

Being in touch with actors that are going it through it first hand, along with being in touch with the production and business side of the industry gives me a unique vantage point from which I bring you only what is working and getting results for actors right now.

We’ll get to that in a moment.

When it comes to what’s going on with actors, I can tell you there are two distinct groups of actors. Some are just waiting for things to get back to “normal.”

Others have realized that “normal” probably won’t exist for quite some time and have continued to move forward. Those are the actors that are literally getting booked right this moment.

Order comes from chaos and success often comes from a world thrown into chaos as well.

We are going through the perfect storm of opportunity in so many ways, and it is likely (and hopefully) going to be a once in a lifetime event.

Entire industries, ours included, have been forced to adapt decades of change in weeks just to survive.

So, if you want to thrive on the other side of this event and make more progress in your acting career than you ever thought possible, here’s what you need to do now...

Let me first be clear on a particularly important point. I respect the current state of affairs and I do not intend to downplay it in any way. Quite the opposite actually!

However, Boost My Star exists for one reason: to help you achieve the goals you have for your acting career.

So, rather than preaching about social distancing and hand washing (which of course are great things to do) I want to focus on the health of your career and that starts with adapting to the changing audition environment.

We’re not going to go back to having 70 actors sitting shoulder to shoulder for hours waiting to read. Mark my words, that will forever be a thing of past, and rightfully so for multiple reasons.

I’ve been sounding the alarm about self taping and how it is shaping the industry and would eventually replace the traditional audition.

That’s where we are today.

All over town, Casting Directors, are going about their work. Projects still need to be produced and that involves casting of course.

This is typically when the other group of actors I mentioned a moment ago typically chimes in with something along the lines of “but productions are being delayed indefinitely!”

True, and while that could be worrisome if you isolated that piece of information, you have to look at the big picture.

Remember, the media is sensationalized on purpose. It has to be, in order to compete for attention.

The other side of the story shows that slates are actually expanding amidst all this. Along every category, you are seeing an increase in the number of projects moving into preproduction.

Streaming networks are experiencing an unprecedented and unplanned consumption rate of content. That needs to be replaced, in order to keep subscribers.

Financiers are also sitting on literal piles of cash they need to deploy, or they risk losing access to it, or being taxed on it. That means they are putting money into projects they may have sidelined or passed on before.

Even the indie market is being flooded with access to funds like they have never seen.

A close friend of mine who has completed about a dozen independent projects ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 budgets received 3 calls from financiers this week, asking what he has in the works.

That alone would be an indication of what’s to come, but what’s even more surprising is that they were now looking to fund a project of his in the range of $5,000,000...10X more than anything he’s ever done.

He’s not the only one getting calls like this, and it’s not limited to producers. It’s the entire industry!

Granted, with the current state of affairs, things look more than a bit uncertain for this year. However, 2021, 2022, and even 2023 are shaping up to be banner years for the industry.

Actors are being booked that far in advance right now.

If you haven’t received a request for a self taped audition recently, take an honest look at the status of your career and which group of actors you identify with at this point.

Are you part of the group that is making things happen and adapting to the way the industry is going, or are you with the group that is waiting for things to go back to “normal?”

If you are reading this, you probably identify with the first group, but you are not getting the opportunities you should be getting.

This comes down to having the drive and the wherewithal to know that you need to do something different, but not having the right “things” to do.

The great part about that is, it’s a simple fix.

If you have a passion for the industry and if you have a burning desire to build a career that exceeds your wildest expectations, then you only need to make sure you have the right mechanics in place.

Here’s what I mean.

We know that the industry is just as much if not more about exposure than talent. This means that you need to make yourself highly visible to the industry. I built this to help you with that.

Simply being talented doesn’t cut it anymore. There is too much competition for you to get by on talent alone. I don’t fully agree with the way the industry works in that respect, but I do understand why it is the way it is.

Rather than trying to beat the system or change the entire industry, use your knowledge of the current system to advance within it and then work to change things from the inside.

Personally, I think it would be a great thing to have SAG mandate that big productions see actors that don’t have mainline credits. They should be guaranteed an opportunity to read for 2nd and 3rd leads in mainstream productions.

While I think we will get some form of that in the future, it’s not something you should be waiting on.

The current system is going to be around for a longs time, even though the industry has undergone a decade’s worth of changes in just weeks.

However, that doesn’t mean we’re starting from scratch.

Artificial Intelligence hasn’t replaced Casting Directors and CGI hasn’t replaced live actors. We can indulge my predictions on that another time.

For now, what’s important is to realize what’s happening right now. While the overwhelming majority of actors have hunkered down and pulled back on building their careers, the industry is very much leaving them behind.

If you don’t make your move now or you could be shut out for the next year or two. Here’s where to start.

Opportunity finds those that make themselves available to it. So, in this time of uncertainty, look for the positives, and focus on what you can control.

Instead of binging on Netflix, your time would be better spent by putting forth an effort to expand your presence on social media, since it’s a great way to make yourself even more visible to the industry.

With so many people looking for distractions, it’s also a great time to get around to starting or growing a YouTube channel, which I can help with as well.

Whatever you do, should be centered on improving your reputation in the industry, because that’s what will help you build a long and prosperous career more than anything else.

Remember, it’s the top level CDs and industry decision makers that are still at it, so if you work on your career now too, you will build a reputation that is second to none. Here’s how I can help you make it official so I can....

See you at the top,
Scott

TikTok for Actors

Before bringing you the information on this, I wanted to be sure that it would be worth your effort. Even moreso, I wanted to bring you only what’s working right now specifically for actors.

Something that I’ve been getting a lot of questions about since the start of the year, is TikTok.

Most actors, perhaps rightfully so, ignored it for a long time, seeing it as just another app that would have its 15 minutes in the spotlight and be gone before long.

However, it’s morphed into so much more than that. It’s taken on a life of it’s own and that presents a huge opportunity for you as an actor.

In fact, when it comes to building your acting career, I would go as far as to say that TikTok is probably the most powerful of all the social media channels.

This current situation we’re in has served TikTok well and it’s introduced many, many new users to the app, most of whom wouldn’t have bothered with it just a few months ago.

You might think TikTok is for teens, but the biggest user base is the industry’s coveted 18-24 year old demographic. This is why studios are going in on TikTok big time.

The thing is, if you want to be successful on TikTok as an actor and use it to build your career, you can’t just approach it like every other social media channel.

You have to do a few specific things very differently, if you want to skyrocket your acting career using TikTok.

You have to get in on it now, because I’m watching (in real time) as CDs and other industry decision makers are joining TikTok specifically to search for talent.

Here’s how...

First, you have to understand the nature of the beast so to speak.

TikTok isn’t Vine (RIP Vine), it’s not Facebook, instagram, or even it’s close cousin Snapchat.

That means the nature of your TIkTok content has to be different too. However, that doesn’t mean that you are now going to be bogged down with another social media channel to create content for, but we’ll go over that in a moment.

What has made TikTok so successful so quickly is that it is built for viral content and it takes the best features from all of the other social media channels and puts them into one app.

It has a sophisticated search system that is built to discover content you would be interested in and puts it right onto your feed, much like YouTube.

Facebook and Instagram try to do this too, but you have to go a little bit of the way to find it. TikTok puts it right in front of the user. That seamless content discovery makes it super simple for users to find new creators (like you) to follow.

Perhaps, the biggest advantage that TikTok has over the other channels is that it’s an incredibly easy “ask.”

Here’s what I mean by that. Consider that, whenever you are putting out content (regardless of the platform) what you are essentially doing is asking the viewer for some of their time.

TikTok strikes the right balance of that “ask” with the most intimate form of content (video) and forcibly puts it into short-form.

Think about it, when was the last time you clicked on a 15 second YouTube video? It doesn’t happen often because YouTube is built for long form content, multiple minutes in length.

What almost everyone gets wrong about TikTok is that they use it as a one stop shop. In reality, TikTok is an introduction and you should use it to draw viewers to your other content where they can get to know you better.

This is what I was talking about earlier in this report.

Your content doesn’t have to be unique to TikTok. If you’re putting out videos on Instagram or YouTube, use TikTok to promote those videos.

Think of it kind of as a place where you can showcase trailers for your other content.

This is also a great place for your reel. I get so many messages from actors who want their reel to go viral on YouTube.

It’s not likely to happen. Instead, what would be more effective is to draw the viewers in with the most exciting 15 seconds of your reel and move them over to YouTube to watch the rest. Then from YouTube, you can move them to Instagram to get some behind scenes content for example so they can continue getting to know you.

This is actually a trust building exercise very rightfully called “bouncing.”

Steve Jobs was famous for taking staff on walks around the Apple Campus as a way to build trust.

Don’t start with TikTok in mind, if you want to be successful there and build your acting career. Instead start by getting clear on where you ultimately want viewers to end up and then reverse engineer your strategy with TikTok as the first point of contact.

Casting Directors tend to be very early adopters of new social media channels. They use them because they are always looking to discover the next big thing.

Just posting dance videos isn’t going to cut it though, because you have to showcase your talent also. You have to make the CDs want to see more.

Of course, getting more views and interaction from the general audience will help you immensely when ​attracting a Casting Director’s attention. Here’s how I can help with that.

It works as social proof and makes industry decision makers feel much more comfortable about bringing you into a production.

In their mind, popular actors will lead to a popular (successful) production. That’s why you see so many Instagrammers and YouTubers crossing over into mainstream productions also.

Remember, because you want your social media channels, along with YouTube, to feed one another, ​I created a way for you to boost all of them at the same time. Click here to get the details on that.

Most importantly, don’t overthink it!

Content on social media in general has a short shelf life and content on TikTok probably has the shortest, so just get started.

In the coming weeks we’ll talk more about how to pivot your channel even more towards your acting career. Things will be changing big time, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, make sure your industry reputation matches your goals. If it doesn’t, ​CDs and industry decision makers won’t take the next step with you and you’ll have a much harder time building your acting career.

Things are changing really fast on TikTok, so I know you’ll have questions. Leave them in the comments below or shoot me an email. I am always eager to lend a hand however I can, so that I can...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Get Your SAG Card During the Lockdown

This is probably the most important thing you could be doing right now, grasshopper.

Unless, acting is your hobby, you are already well aware of all of the benefits that come with becoming a member of SAG.

If you are reading this, I don’t think you are a hobbyist. Chances are, you want to be a professional, full time actor. If so, getting your SAG card is something you need to do at some point in your career.

But when is the right time to get your SAG card?

If you want to build your acting career slowly, then you should not focus on becoming SAG eligible.

On the other hand, if you would rather open up opportunities for yourself sooner rather than later, then getting your SAG card is of the up most importance.

After being in some sort lockdown for what genuinely seems like forever, I think I can safely say that most actors are chomping at the bit to get back on set.

However, while most people are sitting at home, binging on Netflix and walking the dog to get their minimum 20 minutes of sunshine once a day, there are also actors who are taking the opportunity to build their careers.

They don’t just want to go back to business as usual, they want to skyrocket their career.

If you want to make big career strides, after everything is said and done, here’s what you can do during this time, to become SAG eligible and get your SAG card...

Full disclosure: while you won’t catch me calling for the abolishment of SAG anytime soon, let’s just say, I have my issues with it.

For one, it is the embodiment of the old Hollywood guard clinging to power and putting in place obstacles that limit competition for themselves. In a way, it’s how they screen someone before letting them into the “club.”

That’s not an understatement, and there are all kinds of barriers to entry.

Most “mainstream” productions are going to be SAG productions. That means they have to jump through one hoop after another in order to hire a nonunion actor.

Not only do they have to fill out tons of paperwork and pay a fine for hiring a nonunion actor, the process isn’t black and white. There are some requirements that are open for

interpretation, which means that a production could go through the entire process only to be told they didn’t meet the subjective requirements.

Maybe, whomever processed the paperwork at SAG doesn’t think production searched long enough for an adequate SAG performer. Maybe, they have a few friends they feel should have been called in to audition for that part.

Anything can happen when things are left open to interpretation like this, so productions that are willing to undertake this are unbelievably rare.

That’s were the problem lies for most actors!

It’s necessary for you to get SAG credits in order to become a member, but you pretty much have to be a member in order to get SAG credits (at least the credits that count towards your eligibility).

That’s not to say it’s impossible, but improbable is just a small step above being impossible.

For example, you can book jobs and get 3 vouchers for your work as a background actor and that would make you SAG eligible.

On the surface that sounds easy enough and it sounds like just about anyone could accomplish it...and that’s kind of the point.

In reality, how many times have you been on set and heard rumors about production handing out vouchers?

How many times, have you taken a job with the understanding that part of the deal was for you to receive a SAG voucher, only to be sent home empty handed?

Most actors I’ve spoken to, lost count a long time ago.

That’s what my big problem is when it comes to SAG. There is too much red tape for actors and productions to cut through, and it’s far too easy for someone to get caught up in industry politics.

However, the internet upended nearly everything in existence. The industry wasn’t spared either.

When it became evident that content streaming was going to be the new normal, SAG created the “new media” division. Its goal was to regulate nontraditional forms of content.

In doing so, they kind of overplayed their hand and left the door wide open for nearly anyone to become SAG eligible, without having to be cast as a lead in union production, and without having to play the “voucher lottery” all over town.

It’s not a loophole or even a grey area. It’s just that, when it comes to just about anything online, the rules change.

Because the internet is as some would put it, the great equalizer, a project that qualifies as new media under SAG guidelines, can be anything that ranges from Stranger Things on Netflix, to you and a couple friends with an iPhone.

What the rules of the new media division allow you to do is create a project that is going to be distributed online, rather that through traditional ways such as broadcast TV or cinemas. You can then Taft-Hartley yourself in the process.

That, in and of itself, would make you SAG eligible.

Of course, you do have to be sure that you adhere to SAG rules, regulations, and guidelines in order for it to work.

What’s great about this is that, because the internet changes so quickly, things are a lot more straightforward when you’re dealing with the new media division.

It’s a simple 4 step process, that you can accomplish before the lockdowns are even over (mostly).

You will probably have to go back and complete some steps retroactively, but you will be 90% of the way there.

Your first step is to sign up as SAG signatory production. You can do this online and it only takes a few minutes.

After they have received and processed your application, SAG will send you a production information packet to fill out. This is the part you may have to complete retroactively, since you probably won’t be receiving the packet anytime soon.

That’s ok! Technically, because the packet is considered to be proprietary information, I can’t provide you with one here. However, let’s just say, search engines are your friend.

The packet is a bit lengthy but don’t let that deter you. It comes down to just filling in the blanks and providing SAG with information that you should already have readily available.

When you are producing your project, you will have to follow all SAG guidelines, even though you are not technically a SAG production yet. You will have some help with this, since you are going to be assigned a SAG representative.

If you are unsure of something, ask!

There are many reasons why SAG wants to expand their new media division. That gives you some leverage and it also means they will help you along the way.

There are some things to keep in mind as you consider what kind of project you want to pursue.

You have to pay everyone in accordance with SAG scale rates. While you can’t just have your friends volunteer to help you out, SAG does allow for smaller productions and even deferred payment, so you don’t have to come out of pocket for this.

There is also a “Legitimacy of Application” clause that establishes a threshold your production must meet. It’s only there to prevent abuse and as long as you put forth a real, good faith effort with your project, you won’t have problems with this.

Believe it or not, it is possible to film 10 second short that meets all of the new media

requirements that would force SAG to give the project a stamp of approval. That’s what they are trying to prevent with this clause.

I’m sure you have tons of ideas for a project so let this be the time when you indulge those ideas and bring one of them to life.

Taking something from an idea, through the production process is incredibly rewarding and you will become so much better for having done it.

You will gain a level of experience that you can’t get anywhere else. Not to mention you will also be a producer with a SAG credit. That can go a long way if you play your cards right!

So, work on a project you are excited about but keep your production simple.

You don’t want to try and tackle a stunt driven action project for this. You’ll be adding a layer of safety regulations that will bog down your production.

Pick something that you can easily film, without having to use specialized equipment, exotic locations, and that doesn’t require a long and expensive postproduction.

While you don’t want to rush it, you should want to get this done as fast as possible. When you have notified your SAG representative that you have wrapped your project, you will be sent a post-production packet.

This is your admission ticket!

You will take this, your check stub from the production, and your SAG initiation dues into a SAG office to finish things up.

Some of you reading this will roll your eyes and complain about how hard this is going to be. That’s ok!

Being a successful actor is not for everyone. It’s only meant for those that are willing to work hard, go the extra mile, and do whatever it takes.

Do you have to do it this way? No.

You could continue doing what everyone else in the industry does, and continue going all over town searching for those coveted vouchers and hoping that you somehow catch a break and find someone that is willing to go through the bureaucratic hoops to hire you on as a nonunion actor, and that all the stars align so you are allowed to perform.

Or...

You can take your destiny back into your own hands.

Most actors are sitting at home right now, wallowing in some kind of self pity, complaining about the opportunities they lost during the lockdown and how things just aren’t fair.

There’s also a group of actors that have deliberately chosen to use this time to prepare for what’s to come. They have used this time to build their career.

They are reaching out to contacts and making themselves highly visible to industry decision makers.

If you are reading this, you know that having a SAG card will open up incredible opportunities for you and it’s how you can immediately upgrade your career and get access to better projects.

It’s how you can get access to better agents and representatives.

It’s how you can go full time and build a career that exceeds your wildest dreams.

Of course, that’s not to say that it’s a magic want you can wave and manifest a career out of thin air. You will still have to do everything else necessary to succeed as an actor. A huge part of that is ensuring that your industry reputation matches your goals.

I get emails all the time, from actors who had fantastic auditions, had great rapport with the Casting Director and the process stopped after casting looked into them and their background.

Before moving on in the casting process, CDs build on actors. The actors whose reputation doesn’t measure up to their acceptable standards, will get passed over.

If you are not booking as much as you should be, this would be a great place to start.

Let me know how I can help, in the comments below or shoot me an email. Use this time to move your career forward. I’m with you every step of the way because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott