Using Social Media to Improve Your Acting Career

If you go into an audition and the Casting Director doesn’t ask you about your social media presence, it’s usually not a very good sign.

Even if you are brand new to the industry, you should already know how important social media is to a professional actor.

Some actors owe their entire career to social media. Without having a powerful presence on social, they never would have been able to create the kinds of opportunities that helped them get ahead in the industry.

It’s something that you have to take seriously now, if you want to become a professional actor.

Every actor knows this, but only a few of them actually know what to do on social media to improve their career.

I’m going to change that for you today. Using social media to help your acting career can actually be pretty simple.

The problem is that, today, there is so much content competing for people’s attention, so it’s easier than ever to have your stuff fade into the background and never even be seen.

What worked even just a few months ago, doesn't work as well today and sometimes it may not even work at all.

Social media has changed and if you want to use it to become a professional actor you have to change with it. Here’s where to start...

Most actors do social media without a plan. First you have to realize why your social media is important to CDs

Casting Directors don’t want to know about your social media so they can congratulate you about the number of likes you’re getting and how many followers you have.

What they are looking for is an actor that will draw an audience. Social media is a huge part of that.

There’s a show on primetime right now that has an ensemble cast of really strong actors. I love the premise of the show and it’s something I would usually tune into, but for some reason I didn’t pay much attention to it.

I didn’t put it on my watchlist until I noticed a particular actor was part of the cast. I knew of this actor from social media and they are the only reason I actually tuned in.

That’s exactly why Casting Directors care so much about your social media.

Here’s how to grow your social following...

First of all you have to post content that people are interested in.

Most actors post just to put something out there, you should be posting to connect with your audience because that’s what will help you with your acting career.

Before you connect with them, you have to get your audience’s attention. So what is content that captures people’s attention?

It has to be more than just a pretty picture.
A simple way to get someone’s attention is to give them something they can interact with.

An easy way to do that is to use the Instagram carousel. Just having to swipe to see the next photo in a series of photos can do wonders.

It shows the algorithms that people are interacting with your content, which is exactly what they want. In turn, they will put your content in front of even more people.

The key to that is to give people a reason to swipe to the next photo.

If you have a set of 3 photos, think of it as a story. The first photo should grab the audience, the second one should keep their attention and give them a reason to take the final swipe.

Just having your photo listed as 1 of 3, triggers the viewer's curiosity. That will help you in the beginning, but you have to deliver interesting content if you want people to continue interacting with your posts.
Most actors think about this and understand it’s a good idea, but then they post a series 3 selfies each with a slightly different pose.

That won’t keep your audience interested. So what will? Here’s how to create interesting and highly engaging content...

The reason people end up with a bunch of food photos and selfies on their social media, is that there is never a plan.

Instead, sit down for a few hours and plan out your content for the next 4 weeks. It doesn’t take a lot of time and you don’t have to start from scratch.

Look at what other people are doing and see what kind of content catches people’s attention.

Your feed doesn’t have to be completely about acting. If you are interested in fitness, for example, use that too! It will help you connect with a new audience and you will find all kinds of ways to relate it back to your acting career.

When you do social media like this it can help you​ get in the room, and stand out from the hundreds of other actors auditioning for the same roles.

Most actors can deliver on set. Where they fall short is in doing the things that will help them get on set. ​That’s why I built this, to help take one of those things off your plate.

There are a number of things you have to be able to do consistently, if you want to become a professional actor. Most actors get overwhelmed because they have to do it all themselves.

So, over the coming weeks, we’ll be talking about how to build a team around you that can help you on your journey to becoming a professional actor.​ Here’s how I can be on your team.

Get started on what we went over today so you can be ready to take the next steps. We’ll be moving fast because I truly want to help you on your journey and I can’t wait to...

See you at the top,
Scott

What Actors Almost Always Forget...

There’s something that most actors underestimate and they almost never work on it, even though it makes a huge difference in whether or not you will be a successful actor.

If they want to make it in the industry, there are a lot of things professional actors have to get really good at,

Most only focus on a few of them, at most.

What I’m about to share with you is one of the most powerful things you can work on as an actor.

Usually, when someone gets stuck in their acting career, they start to work on the wrong things.

They try to sign with a new agent, they try to get into the best acting classes, edit their reel, redo headshots, etc.

While all of that may be helpful, focusing on this one thing could have a much bigger impact on your acting career.

So, if you truly want to be a professional actor pay close attention to what I’m about to tell you...

Stick with me, because by all accounts this shouldn’t be the case for actors.

I’m talking about confidence. Don’t roll your eyes and declare that you are the most confident person you know. I’m talking about a particular type of confidence, the kind that only a professional actor has.

You might be totally secure in yourself, and have no fear but that doesn’t necessarily come across when you are in character.

So what does it mean to be confident as an actor and where does it come from?

It comes from knowing that you can deliver a powerful performance on set, that is well received by an audience.

It also comes from booking acting jobs consistently. When you are able to book consistently, auditioning isn’t such a big deal. The nerves sort of go away over time and you are able to relax, perform your best, and your interactions with Casting Directors change too.

More on that in a bit...

See, without developing your confidence as an actor there will always be something that makes you seem green to CDs and even to your castmates.

Think about it this way, how can you deliver a powerful performance if you are always second guessing yourself on set.

You will always wonder if you are making the right character choices. This is a big part of what makes actors appear distracted on set and makes their performance fall flat.

That’s if you can actually move through auditions and actually get booked. That likely won’t happen consistently because falling short in confidence as an actor is something Casting Directors can easily pick up on.

So, how do you develop your confidence as an actor?

A big part of it is simply to start going after jobs that are a perfect fit for you. When you know that you can knock something out of the park, it shows and CDs love it!

Then, when you are on set, make character choices and run with them. You will be surprised what can happen when you just let things flow. Most actors don’t have the confidence to do this.

They are usually afraid to go too far.

Don’t let that worry you. The director will pull you back if you go too far. Just focus on connecting with the character and let everything else flow naturally.

Confident actors make suggestions if they feel something can play out differently than the way it is written. If it makes sense, directors love it because the smallest things can end up being huge in the editing room!

Some actors are afraid that they will get a reputation for changing things up too much. Don’t let that concern you. If you are confident in the way you are sharing your ideas, no one will have a problem with it.

You may even be encouraged to do it.

Being an actor is about what you bring to the character, so don’t hold back. When you have a solid industry reputation, decision makers respect your ideas. That’s especially true, if you can share your ideas and communicate them confidently.

We’re kind of getting ahead of ourselves, because this only matters if you can get on set.

Moving through the audition process successfully is the first step.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be talking more about that and we will discuss how you can set yourself up to be successful as an actor.

Everything we’ll be talking about will build from here, so get started on this now and prepare for what’s coming. Remember, I’m always only a comment or an email away and I’m always happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Sign With a Top Tier Acting Agent

Something that most actors obsess over is how to get an agent. Both new actors, looking to get their first agent, and seasoned actors looking to sign with a new agent that can take them to the next level, approach getting an agent the wrong way.

They follow the same steps as everyone else and they end up getting stuck, usually signing with the first (or next) agent that gives them the time of day.

However, if you play your cards just right you can actually land a top quality agent, even if you don’t have a lot of credits yet.

So whether you are pretty new to the industry, or a seasoned actor wanting to send your acting career skyrocketing by signing with a top tier agent, there’s something you need to know...

Unless you happen to already be well connected in the industry and you already “know somebody” that owes you one, you probably won’t get the right agent at first.

Most actors know that and they avoid trying to sign with WME.

But, that doesn’t mean you have to settle. You can actually sign with a terrific, top tier agent even if you don’t have many industry connections right now.

See, agents typically like to hire actors with a good amount of experience because (just like you) they want to be seen as industry professionals. So, they avoid signing new and unproven talent that may drop the ball on set and make them bad.

Agents and actors are judged by their industry reputation. That’s why you need to make sure that ​your industry reputation is always in good shape.

When actors begin searching for an agent, they typically look for an agent that will accept them, instead of looking for agents that are a good fit.

That makes a huge difference!

Your agent should be willing to work hard for you and be invested in your success.

Instead of just searching for a random agents, target the agents that are right for you. Your agent can only help you build your acting career if you are a good fit with each other.

Think about what kind of an agent would be the right fit.

In order to do this, you also have to know what kind of actor you are. This means that you have to know what kinds of projects you want to work on and in what categories.

If you are just going after anything and everything that might come your way, you will end up with an agent that does the same. That’s how you end up spinning your wheels and getting stuck in your career.

As you start your search for an agent, or a new agent, take a step back and think about your acting career. Consider what kind of a career you would like to build. A career in comedy, a career in drama, action, etc?

Whichever way you decide to go, ultimately doesn’t matter. Just decide and start with one category. You can expand into other categories over time, so just pick a starting point.

This will help with your search for an agent, because you can narrow it down to agents who do well with actors that also specialize in your same category.

Log into your IMDb Pro account and look up some of your favorite movies and shows. Then, look through the cast list. Pick out some actors that are at a similar career stage as you and see who is representing them.

If a particular agent comes up over and over again, that’s definitely someone you should put on your target list. This may take some time, but it will be time well spent.

Then you just have to get on their radar.

A big mistake that actors make is going after an agency, instead of an individual agent. You always want to start your search as narrowly targeted as possible. Otherwise, you will just end up getting lost in the shuffle with the countless other submissions.

However, if you can approach an agent that has a roster of talent that works in your chosen category and you can demonstrate that you would be a perfect addition to their client roster, why wouldn’t they sign you?

Coming to them in this way completely changes everything. Actors usually approach agents with a “please sign me” attitude. Instead, what you want is for them to jump at the chance of signing you, before anyone else does.

As you build your career and body of work, you will start to grab the attention of top tier agents that are actively looking to sign up and coming actors.

However, that only happens if ​you can be visible where agents are actively looking for new talent. Here’s how I can help you with that.

In the beginning you will be the one reaching out to them and you have to do it in a way that will actually get them to listen.

You can’t just get in touch with them out of the blue and expect to get their attention.

No one wants to sign an actor who desperately needs an agent, just like you wouldn’t want to sign with an agent who desperately needed to sign you.

It goes both ways.

To get the attention of higher tier agents, it’s not enough to just be talented, you need to have some kind of an x factor that they can't find anywhere else and you have to fit into their client roster.

You also have to show them that you have a bright future. We’ll go into the specifics of that over the coming weeks.

Remember, agents don't earn a living if you don't, so they don't want to waste time on actors that don't have something special to bring to the table.

If you are simply another actor that will easily get lost in the crowd, it’s going to be difficult to find a top tier agent that will take you seriously. At least not without having ​an extensive body of work and a great industry reputation. That’s why I built this.

As you start your search, things are bound to come up so remember I’m always just a comment or an email away if you have any questions. I’m always happy to help however I can, because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Be A Great Dramatic Actor

“You’re so dramatic!” That may be something you’ve heard a time or two. Off stage, actors tend to be animated because it’s kind of part of being an actor.

So, it’s no wonder that most actors like to play this type of role on set as well. It tends to be animated and plays well with an actor’s nature.

Last week we talked about how to be a comedic actor.

This week we are going to be switching gears and talking about how to be a dramatic actor, which is incredibly important, even if you have no interest in ever playing a dramatic character.

When you do this, along with what we went over last week, you can have an incredible acting range. That’s something you can bring to any character you ever play.

If you truly want to be a professional actor it can be a game changer for you. You won’t believe what can happen in your career when you master this category. Here’s why...

Great dramatic actors are in really high demand. In fact, if you can deliver a great performance for a dramatic role you can have Casting Directors wanting to cast you over and over again.

It won’t stop with just CDs either. Directors, industry decision makers and even your fellow castmates will also want to work with you over and over again too, and that’s how you truly build an acting career.

More on that in a bit...

Most actors love to play dramatic roles but few are able to knock it out of the park. They tend to either overplay the role or underplay the role.

Unlike other categories, when an actor overplays or underplays in a scene, it’s more difficult for a director to step in, while still maintaining the realism in the scene.

Here’s why.

Dramatic characters are a lot like characters in any other genre, but with a few key differences.

Just like any other character you play, you have to Identify what’s going on in the scene. You also have to connect what’s going on in the scene with your character’s backstory and make your character choices.

However, when you are playing a dramatic character you have to plan your level of intensity. Drama requires relief at some point. That can come in a number of ways.

The scene can switch from dramatic to suspenseful. That’s a subtle difference but the underlying emotions of your character would change quite a bit.

That’s what everyone gets wrong about being a dramatic actor and just this one simple tweak can be a complete game changer.

So, when you are preparing for a dramatic role look for the places where you can change things up. When you are on set, look for places in the script where the mood changes and the dialogue shifts.

Then, you can change your character's choices and add another dimension to your performance.

It sounds trickier than it actually is and we’ll go over this more in depth in the coming weeks.

Start with this for now and get comfortable with the idea of switching things up. It can make a huge difference in every character you play, because you will be adding to your acting range.

If you choose to go down this path and start focusing on being a dramatic actor it can either be the best career path or it can be the worst career path.

It can be the best if you specialise in that category and put the majority of your efforts into it. When you decide to do this, a couple things happen.

You will meet people that also specialize in the same category. True industry professionals almost always specialize in a particular category, so they end up working with a similar group of people from one project to the next.

That’s not limited to just actors.
Think of it like this...When was the last time M. Night Shyamalan did a romantic comedy?

He specialised in a category and has stuck with it. Others do branch out and take on different kinds of projects but they do so after having established themselves in a single category.

When you truly master a category you become the only logical choice to be cast. ​When a CD is deciding who to move forward in the casting process, they look at things like this.

If they are casting for a dramatic role, someone who is focused in that category will almost always have a big advantage over someone that jumps from one category to the next.

Also, Casting Directors are always looking for someone who can bring something to the production, beyond just their talent.

This is where specializing in a given category comes in handy again. Everyone has a favorite genre. So, as you do more and more projects in a category, you will start to become recognizable to that category’s audience.

If you can bring that kind of attention to a production, ​it can give you an incredible advantage during the casting process. Here's how I can help with that.

See, regardless of how talented you are if you don't have this in place, your career progress could be much slower.

So make things easier on yourself and​ give yourself every advantage possible to succeed.

We just went over some really high level concepts, so take some time to let everything sink in. If you have questions about any of it or even if you just want to bounce ideas, remember I’m always only a comment or an email away.

I’m always happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Be a Great Comedic Actor

Have you ever watched an actor perform a comedic role and wondered how they were able to play the role so well, when it appeared that they were just being themselves?

It happens all the time because great comedic actors make it look easy!

That’s what causes many actors to think comedy is easy and either brush it off or focus their training on something more “difficult.”

Whether or not you see yourself as a comedic actor, it is something you have to master so you can be well rounded.

After all, even dramatic projects require some kind of relief from time to time.

Given everything that has been going on over the last couple years, slates are shifting and more comedic projects are moving through the production process.

So, if you want to build a professional acting career you may not be able to ignore comedy much longer.

Here’s how to approach comedy and use it to further your acting career...

I’ve seen actors under prepare for comedic roles so many times over the years. I’ve even seen actors who audition really well, move through the casting process only to drop the ball on set.

Comedy takes a lot of preparation and approaching it cold is a huge mistake.
Comed is often written to be over the top but your character still needs to be believable and identifiable as a real person.

That’s what great comedic actors are able to do. They can keep even the most ridiculous characters real.

Will Ferrell has played some of the most over the top characters but because he strikes the right balance with his character choices, they still seem real to the audience.

You want them to feel what the character feels and identify with them, otherwise the viewer will tune out. That’s when a performance will fall flat.

Most actors tend to either go over the top, thinking that the more extreme their character is, the more laughs it will get. Some actors fall short and don’t go far enough with their characters.

EIther one causes the audience to disconnect.

To make sure that you are not making this mistake, watch yourself perform. Every character plays out differently, so whether you are preparing for an audition or preparing for your next scene, take some time to record yourself in character and watch it.

Be brutally honest about the choices you made in the scene. Then, make adjustments to your performance and record yourself again.

Do this until you feel completely confident in your performance.

If your performance just doesn’t feel right and you are having trouble identifying what it is, start by looking at your timing.

Comedy is all about timing your delivery, and being able to identify the punch line and emphasize it accordingly.

There are a few different ways you can do this.

Sometimes it will be physical. If your character leans toward slapstick, then it could be the fall or injury that is the punchline.

It could also be a verbal punchline. Usually, that would require you to put additional inflection in your voice.

Something that all the great comedic actors are able to do really well, is going from one vocal extreme to the other.

As you are working through your character choices, think outside the box. Can the punchline be delivered at the top of your lungs?

Can it be delivered in a whisper, even if it was written that way?

If it’s too far out of character, the director or CD (if you’re auditioning) will pull you back so don’t worry about making the wrong choice.

Casting directors in particular are looking for someone who gets the character. That doesn’t mean you have to make every choice perfectly.

Build a solid foundation and then worry about the rest on set or in the audition room.

I spoke with an actor that couldn’t book a job to save his life. He really had a passion for comedy and it was what he wanted to focus his career on but he just wasn’t making any progress.

He changed up just a few things in his delivery and everything changed for him. His characters were much more effective and he actually started to book jobs consistently.

The only things he worked on were what we talked about a moment ago.

He worked on his inflection and timing his delivery. That was it but the difference it made in his performance was incredible.

Before this, his characters were over the top and they didn’t connect well with an audience. He was unrecognizable as an actor afterwards.

Often, actors are really close to making huge progress and they only need to change a few things to become world class.

If you feel like you have been stuck in your career, what you need to do to get unstuck is often very simple.

The hardest part is usually just picking what to focus on.

I’ve given you some direction for comedy here but it really applies, regardless of what category you are working in.

The most important thing is to do things differently. We’re looking at March already and we’re well into 2021. If you want your career path to be different this year, than it was last year you have to change things up.

Here’s a great place to start.

Regardless of how talented you are, it will only take you so far. There’s a lot more to industry. We’ll talk more about it over the coming weeks.

For now, get started on what we went over today and ​make sure that you are building your career on a solid foundation.

Next week, we’ll take a step back and talk about how to get in the room.

Almost everything actors do is focused on what to do during the audition and how to deliver an effective performance on set.

All of that is great, but you also have to focus on getting in the room. You can’t just sit around and wait for your phone to ring. You have to ​make yourself visible to the industry. Here’s how I can help.

So, get started on this now and remember I’m always only a comment or an email away. I’ll always help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

A Cautionary Tale for Actors

I’m going to tell you a story about an incredibly successful actor who almost threw away her entire career and everything she worked for, just because she no longer wanted to be associated with something that we are talking about today.

No matter how hard she fought it, the industry kept trying to pull her back into it.

Looking at it from the outside, it didn’t make much sense and to anyone who didn’t know what was going on “behind the scenes” it just seemed like she had a little bit of a breakdown.

The thing is, just about every actor reading this right now would have switched careers with her in heartbeat.

When you break down what it was that she was trying to move away from, it doesn’t make any sense but only because she was successful already.

Hardly anyone gets into this category by choice, even though it’s growing quickly and has plenty of opportunities available.

If you want to build a professional acting career, you can’t ignore this any longer...

I’m talking about voice overs!

You might be thinking that you don’t really have much of an interest in doing voice over work. If that’s the case you wouldn’t be alone and in the industry that doesn’t usually turn out very well...

See most actors don’t actively seek out voice over work for one reason...ego.
They want to be seen, not just heard. They want to be recognized walking down the street or in the Whole Foods checkout line.

That can become a career killer very quickly. I’m generalizing here and of course not everyone falls into that category, especially not the ones that go on and build successful acting careers.

Voice acting sometimes carries a little of a stigma, as if it were acting for those that can’t make it on screen. That’s where a big opportunity is for you, since building an acting career requires you to do things other actors are unwilling to do.

Plus, that couldn’t be further from the truth...

There are countless opportunities in voice overs now. Many of them didn’t exist until just a few years ago. Talented voice actors are needed for everything from video games, to animated films and even mixed reality projects.

That’s a big category already and it is set to become even bigger. We’ll talk more about that in a bit...

I often talk to actors about why starting an acting career by first concentrating on voice overs can be a great move.

Using only your voice helps with delivering lines more naturally, so you will be working on your acting skills and getting career experience in a way that is unmatched anywhere else in the industry.

It takes away your ability to reinforce your words with facial expressions, so you really get to focus on your tonality and it makes you communicate using only words, which is a very challenging thing to do for actors.

When actors start to think about going down this road, they tend to get hung up on something that is actually quite simple. Making voice over demos.

All you need is a sound recorder app for your phone and a microphone you can pick up for a few bucks on Amazon.

Of course, there will come a time when it makes sense to increase the quality of your demo but when you are getting started the people that will be listening are the ones that are looking for potential, not perfection.

Don’t overthink it. Keep it simple and keep moving forward.

Depending on where you are in your acting career, you may need a new agent or a second agent. Don’t count on a single agent being able to do it all.

Just like actors specialize, or should specialize, so do agents and you want to have an agent that knows the ins and outs of voice over. That doesn’t mean you will have to leave your current agency. You would just be adding someone new to your representation team.

Actors do it all the time and your current agency shouldn’t have any problem with it all, as long as you keep them in the loop about your plans.

A big concern for actors is that they will be seen as voice actors instead of being seen as actors. Almost everybody overthinks this!

I won’t name her here, but there is a fairly well known and very accomplished voice actor that started to transition her career a couple years ago.

She started to make some pretty decent progress in this but because she had accomplished so much through her voice work it was a little bit of a double edged sword.

The harder she tried to shake the image of her previous voice over work, the more she actually reminded the industry of just how great she was at it and that’s what kept coming her way.

She ended up getting a few big roles in films that did pretty well, and she was then offered even more opportunities for on screen work.

That’s what happens when you have a body of work to point to and when you ​build a reputation for being involved in great projects. Here’s how I can help with the second part.

I’m being vague on purpose because I respect her very, very much and she’s an incredibly talented actor. You can probably already deduce who I am referring to so let’s say that just when she was about to fully make the transition to on screen work, she dropped the ball and accidentally reminded everyone of her incredible voice over work yet again.

The actor I’m referring to did almost everything right, but she made a big mistake.

If you’ve been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you know that I’m a big believer in learning from other people.

What you can learn from her is that, when you have some accomplishments to point to (whether it’s voice over work or anything else) don’t shy away from it.

Embrace it and let it become a part of ​what makes you unique to the industry and it will open doors for you.

The actor we’ve been talking about could have used her success doing voice over work, as the foundation to build her on screen career, instead of trying to leave it behind.

Something that won’t change regardless of what you plan to do in the industry, is that ​you will need to have a reputation that matches your goals. Here’s how I can help with that.

If this is something you want to do don’t wait until late. Get started on this now and let me know how I can help. I’m always only a comment or an email away and I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

Most actors have a dirty little secret

It doesn’t matter if you're brand new to the industry or if you have been acting for many years, chances are, you’ve probably had this secret too.

It’s something that nearly everyone in the industry hates to admit, because they feel like their industry colleagues will think less of them.

See, when someone hears that you are an actor, their mind immediately jumps to “she wants to be famous and win an Oscar.”

The truth is that not everyone wants to be a superstar. Before we go any further, I want to be clear on something...

If that’s what you want for yourself, more power to you! Go for it and don’t let anything get in your way.

In some ways, the career path that could lead you to being in the top levels of the industry is in some ways easier. That might sound crazy, and if you want to be a professional actor, this is something you have to wrap your mind around...

When it comes to the industry, doing things the “easy way” will usually make things harder. Doing what no else does, is usually the way to go.

Here’s what I mean by that...

If you truly set your sights high and want to be at the top 1% of the top 1% of the industry, your competition will be nearly nonexistent.

Practically everyone is only thinking about today and they only focus on getting the next booking.

This keeps them locked into wherever they are in their career.

If they are currently doing commercials, actors tend to focus on getting their next commercial and that severely limits their career potential.

So, an actor that is truly striving to make it to the top and is actually doing the things that could get them there, will pass those other actors in a heartbeat.

What most actors will do insteadvis aim lower, thinking that the road to get there will be easier.

Actually, if you don’t approach it the right way, this can be the hardest career path.

Here’s why...

Going down this road would put you in the “everyday people” category. Even though this is the biggest category and there is plenty of work to go around, breaking into it can be really difficult.

Even though you would be playing everyday people, there’s a balance that you need to strike.

You can’t simply blend in and be one of a hundred other actors that could fit the role, because casting would simply look over you.

So, even in this category you still need some kind of an X factor, because that’s what makes CDs watch your audition and say “that’s the one.”

Many actors have an X factor in their back pocket, they just don’t know how to leverage it.

Here’s how to find yours...

Start by taking an inventory of your talents and of yourself overall.

Do you have some kind of special talent? It could be anything from horseback riding to playing an instrument. Think of anything that might set you apart in an audition.

Do you have a certain look?

The rock is a giant man but he mostly plays “everyday people” that just happen to be large. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have Joe Pesci, the small Italian guy. Both of them leveraged their look to carve out a place for themselves in the industry.

Do you have a signature way of delivering your lines? This could also be your X factor.

For example, Matthew Mcconaughey’s southern drawl is immediately recognizable and carries such a charm, that it sometimes doesn’t matter if it’s out of character.

When you go through this exercise, you might come up with a couple things. You then have to figure out how to make your X factor matter to casting.

They have to see it as something that only you can bring to the production.

Sometimes your X factor may not exist in the character that was written but it can be added. In fact, it’s often added when you are the only logical choice to fill the role.

If you have a phenomenal singing voice, it could be something as simple as adding a scene of your character singing in the shower.

I’ve seen characters evolve and take an entirely different tone, because an actor was bold enough to take a risk and play it differently than everyone else.

I spoke to an actor that was auditioning for a character that was written as a guitarist. Every actor that auditioned for the part went in, read the scene and strummed an air guitar.

However, she took it upon herself to show off her singing voice instead. When everything was said and done, the character was rewritten as a singer.

Directors and CDs love to help pull the best out of talented people and help them show it off, so if you show them you have something that you are truly great at (besides your acting), it’s in their nature to help you put it on display.

By definition your X factor will set you apart from other actors, but it can also bring a lot of attention to the projects you are involved in.

For example, if you were able to shatter wine glasses by hitting a high note, it would be a talking point for every project you did it in...and of course you would somehow be doing it in everything you were ever cast in.

Of course, this is how you can set yourself apart and make yourself memorable once you are already in the audition but ​you can also differentiate yourself, before you even step foot in the room.

So much of what actors do is designed to improve their acting skills and it’s all about what happens after being cast.

However, even if you knocked the audition way out of the park, it’s easy to fade into the background.

Before moving you through the casting process, casting will look into you and the other actors they are considering. When they do this what will they find?​ Will your industry reputation make you stand out from everyone else? Here’s how I can help with that.

We talked a little about the different levels of success you can strive for as an actor and how taking what should be the easier route, could be making things more difficult. We’ll talk about this more in depth in the coming weeks.

For now, find your X factor because it will help you regardless of whatever level of success you are reaching for as an actor, ​as long as you are building your career on a solid foundation.

Don’t be shy about reaching out and letting me know how I can help. I’m always only a comment or an email away and I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Build Your Industry Network

Everyone loves a good story about making it in the industry, especially people that work in the industry. It’s kind of human nature.

The most powerful stories about “making it” are the ones where those that make it did it against all odds.

Take Sylvester Stalone for example, at one point he sold his dog because he was completely out of money and he literally couldn’t feed himself.

After Rocky, he was able to go back and find the guy he sold the dog to and buy him back. His story had all the necessary components of a great screenplay and the media at the time ate it up.

In some ways, a lot of the success of the Rocky franchise can be attributed to the struggles he underwent to make it happen and the attention brought to the movies because of it.

We’ll come back to just how powerful that attention can be...

What people love just as much as a good story about “making it” is a story about those who made it together.

True friends are rare as it is. True ​industry ​friends are even harder to come by and anyone that has been in the industry, knows this first hand.

So, seeing actors come up together is incredibly inspiring.

If you want to be a truly successful actor, it pays to have friends in the right places. Here’s how to make some...

First, I want to clear something up. Having friends in the right places doesn’t mean you have to go out and befriend A listers. In fact, that could actually end up hurting your career. More on that in a bit.

You have to build a network of actors and other industry professionals that are at a similar level as you, or no more than a few steps ahead.

Why?

When you are all at a similar level you will be going after the same types of projects, so you can actually help each other.

You can climb the industry ladder in lockstep. If one of you is far ahead, then it actually becomes harder for them to lift you up.

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s careers would have been completely different if they weren’t peers when they started working together. They both saw the commitment the other one had and they continued working together on similar projects.

See, there is not a single actor that can make it on their own.

Others have to be invested in your success too. Managers, agents, and other on screen and even behind the scenes talent must believe in you too.

You may have every CD in town sold on you, but if you can’t get a director to believe in you too, your career will go nowhere.

Ideally, you want to connect with people that perform different functions in the industry because your efforts become exponential when there’s someone at each level pulling for you.

If a director, producer, writer, and other actors attached to a project are all vouching for you, how can you not be cast?

Also,working with the same team over and over again creates synergy and the quality of the work gets better and better each time.

Most actors I speak to know they have to do this, but almost all of them get it wrong. They end up partnering with the wrong people.

Don’t just go to acting class and tap the person next to you.

Instead, look where industry decision makers are looking as well and reach out to actors and industry people that you could see yourself working with.

Search social media and YouTube and look at who is putting out quality content that showcases their talent well. If it catches your attention, chances are, it will catch a decision maker’s attention also.

You will undoubtedly come across some actors who may seem like they have it together but end up being all talk.

To keep from wasting your time with people like this, take an honest assessment of their careers.

Ask yourself if they have made any real traction in their career or are they trying to “fake it til they make it?”

Have they been trying to make things happen or are they waiting for them to happen?

You can tell pretty easily on social media media. If they have more brunch selfies than stories about going to auditions or meeting up with industry friends to try and put something together, they are probably not someone you want to spend time with.

If instead of sitting idly waiting for their phone to ring, they are actively trying to put something together, ask how you can be a part of that and value.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon did it and earned themselves an Oscar in the process. ​The actors who will end up making it in the industry are the ones who take an active role in their success.

So, if you have trouble successfully navigating the industry and striking partnerships with actors who have some career momentum, take an honest look at your own career.

Many actors mistakenly think partnering with other actors could lead to them being passed over for roles. There’s a simple way to make sure this becomes a partnership where everyone benefits.

Team up with people who have talents that are complementary to yours. That way, there’s not two of you that Casting Directors have to choose from.

While you shouldn’t be competing for the same roles, you should be trying to build careers in the same category.

Here’s why...

Projects that call for strong comedic performers won’t typically require strong dramatic performers.

The same goes for anyone that may be behind the scenes. If you are building a career in comedy, team up with writers and directors that also specialize in comedy.

Everyone has their strengths in the industry. Mine is helping ​ensure that you always have a solid reputation you can point to, so let me partner with you on building your industry reputation.

It’s sometimes difficult to grasp how much of a difference maker that can be.

As you are doing what we just talked about ask yourself why it is that you are choosing not to seek out some people to partner with and why you are hoping to partner with others.

A big factor is likely that the ones you do want to partner with have an industry reputation that speaks for itself.

So, what do you think happens when a casting director is sorting through actors for a particular role? They look to your industry reputation as well.

See, it’s difficult to find actors that are as ambitious as you. A lot of people in the industry talk a good talk but it’s difficult to find the ones that can actually follow through.

That’s one reason the industry created a way to separate the professionals from the hobbyists. Make sure that you are seen as a professional actor.

The company you keep will also say a lot about who you are and how driven you are to succeed as an actor, so start building your network today.

If you’re having trouble with how to get started on this, or even if you just need to bounce some ideas on how to go about it, shoot me an email or let me know in the comments below.

I’m always happy to help because I would truly love to...

See you at the top,
Scott