Recently we talked about how having social media influence can impact your acting career and why Instagrammers and Youtubers are crossing over into the mainstream industry.

It’s not something that actors can ignore any longer and having a strong social media is quickly becoming a necessity for anyone trying to build a successful acting career.

Here’s why...

It’s not difficult to see that social media is much more powerful and has a much bigger reach than traditional channels.

See, before social media became what it is today, studios relied on traditional methods of advertising to get the word out about their new project. The problem was that it was expensive and inefficient.

Now through social media, they can get the same or better results, at a lower cost, by simply having the cast post about their involvement in the project.

This is why Casting Directors often ask for your follower count before you speak a single word in an audition

There is a big benefit that comes with social media and actors hardly ever take advantage of it properly, even though it can be one of the biggests boosts to your acting career...

Have you ever watched a movie or a tv show and thought to yourself “how in the world did this get the green light?”

Creativity falls under the category of being art and art is subjective.

What may be genius to one person may be considered a complete atrocity to someone else, so there is not a single formula that studios and networks follow when it comes to what projects are green lit.

They do have some guidelines so to speak, and if you want to be a professional actor it’s important that you know them.

For example, the industry tries to find a middle ground for their projects so that they appeal to a wide audience, and they tend to green light projects that fit right in the middle of a given category.

It gives the project a bigger chance of being successful when it appeals to a large number of people. That’s why the biggest box office hits might have some violence but not gratuitous violence.

They may have some profanity, but they will lean towards playing it safe when it comes to language. So on and so forth.

In the early stages of development, production tries to pull the project into the middle and away from any extremes that may be called for in the project.

The goal throughout the entire process is to produce a project that parents and their teenagers could watch together.

That’s what makes the biggest box office hits.

If you want to build a successful acting career you have to know how you, as an actor fit into that big picture...

It happens every year. Starting at about the second week of January, my inbox starts to flood with emails from actors with a similar question.

It may even be something that is currently running through your mind, or that at least crossed your mind over the last few months.

Actors tend to have one of two “philosophies.”

They are either the type that never quits or the type that gets discouraged when things don’t go as planned.

It goes without saying, that the second type tend to have rather short and uneventful careers.

What’s troubling and pretty unique to the industry is that the first type, the ones that never quit, tend to have longer but still uneventful and unfulfilling careers.

So, what do you do if you want to have a long and prosperous acting career?

Flipping the page on a calendar is always an exciting time, but it’s nothing like flipping over to an entirely new calendar.

There’s such great energy in the air. Everyone’s desire to leave the past in the past and move on to creating greener pastures is palpable.

Actors are no exception, except that I’ve noticed something after talking with so many actors over the years.

The ones that go on to build successfully acting careers are the ones who always have a sense of urgency.

Whether they are flipping the page on a calendar month, or crossing off a single day, they always act as if time is running out.

It has always served them well, but especially after the year we just went through.

Some of them made incredible career progress while everyone else sat back and wondered what was going on.

If you didn’t make the kind of progress you should have made over the last year, close out the distractions and give this your full attention.

Consider this a special message for aspiring actors who want to make 2021 the year that changes everything

If you truly want to be a successful actor there is something you have to do, no matter what...

Well Grasshopper, we are finally in the last few days of 2020. While it has been a year full of unique challenges, and certainly one we will never forget, it’s time to look ahead to what’s coming in 2021.

Just a few short months ago, the industry was very different, but many actors haven’t really adapted to the changing times.

After speaking with many of them, I can see why...

There is so much confusion swirling around the industry and what’s going on, that most actors don’t really know what to do next. So, they have simply gone back to doing the same things they were before.

However, times have changed and if you want to be a successful actor, you have to change with them.

To help simplify things, I put together a list of the best strategies that worked in 2020. If they could advance an acting career during these times, imagine what they could do during "normal" times.

Let’s start with something that is incredibly powerful and very effective at moving an acting career forward quickly...

Let’s cut to the chase and close out 2020 by focusing on the most important thing you can be doing right now to make it in the industry.

Looking at production slates and taking into consideration all that has changed in the industry over the last few months, something has become incredibly clear, to those that were paying attention.

Some of the changes have been production related. Other changes have been around the industry culture as a whole.

What most actors have missed, is that industry has also changed artistically, out of a necessity to evolve with the times.

That’s why this one skill is so important. If you want to succeed as an actor, you must be working on it right now.

Even though it’s something every actor learns, very early in their career, it tends to be tossed aside soon after.

But, like all things, it has come full circle and if you want to be a professional, full time actor, you have to become world class at it.

Otherwise, you could end up being passed over simply for not having polished this skill.

Here’s why...

Have you ever wondered how some actors go from zero to being everywhere seemingly overnight?

Why is it that some actors get their pick of the best projects while everyone else struggles to book a few lines every now and then?

What makes the difference?

The ones that succeed at the highest levels of the industry do something counterintuitive.

Even though it may go against what you have probably been told, if you want to be successful as an actor you have to follow the clues that success leaves behind.

You have to follow in the footsteps of those that came before you and paved the way. Doing otherwise opens you up to making all kinds of unnecessary mistakes.

That’s where so many actors go wrong. They are told that things like “paying your dues” are just part of being in the industry and building an acting career.

In reality, you can side step most of that by simply looking to what successful actors have done and doing the same.

Before we dive in, I have to warn you...

What we are about to go through is not for everyone and it will definitely ruffle more than a few feathers.

But, If you would rather succeed quickly, instead of struggling to get ahead in the industry here’s where to start...

When I talk to actors about their favorite types of characters to play, I always get a multitude of answers.

However, there is always a common thread. Just about everyone likes to step outside of their comfort zone and play a character that goes against their nature and against their “type.”

It’s fun and provides variety, the spice of life.

What most actors fail to realize is that playing against type can actually be a death sentence to your acting career.

But, if you play your cards just right, it can quickly send your career skyrocketing to levels you never imagined.

So, while it’s a lot of fun and most actors pursue roles that go against type daily, you have to be sure to do a few key things so it doesn’t backfire on you.

If you want to be a professional actor and go to the next level in your career, this could be the thing that gets you to where you want to go faster than just about anything else.

Here’s why...