How Professional Actors Deliver Great Auditions
Every actor knows that audition skills are extremely important and play a central role in whether or not they will succeed in building a career as a professional actor.
I’ve seen actors dedicate several years to learning “the proper audition procedures” just to end up stuck in their careers like everyone else.
I’ve also seen other actors skip that step almost entirely and build incredibly successful careers, consistently being booked over actors that focused on “the proper audition procedures.”
Why does that happen?
Common sense would tell you that, all things being equal, it should be the other way around. The truth is that many actors don’t truly understand the audition process.
I’m not talking about it in a technical sense. By and large, most actors know how to audition or they figure it out very quickly.
I’m talking about it on a strategic level. Not many actors really understand the overall purpose behind the audition process, so it’s almost impossible for them to truly grasp how they fit into it.
If you want to build your career as a professional actor, this is something you have to master quickly. Here’s where to start...
Every actor knows that audition skills are extremely important and play a central role in whether or not they will succeed in building a career as a professional actor.
I’ve seen actors dedicate several years to learning “the proper audition procedures” just to end up stuck in their careers like everyone else.
I’ve also seen other actors skip that step almost entirely and build incredibly successful careers, consistently being booked over actors that focused on “the proper audition procedures.”
Why does that happen?
Common sense would tell you that, all things being equal, it should be the other way around. The truth is that many actors don’t truly understand the audition process.
I’m not talking about it in a technical sense. By and large, most actors know how to audition or they figure it out very quickly.
I’m talking about it on a strategic level. Not many actors really understand the overall purpose behind the audition process, so it’s almost impossible for them to truly grasp how they fit into it.
If you want to build your career as a professional actor, this is something you have to master quickly. Here’s where to start...
First, let’s talk about something most actors get completely wrong about auditions.
Few of them really understand what an audition is. An audition is not about impressing casting with your talent.
In fact, auditions are not something you should even approach the same way every time. Here’s what I mean...
Your initial audition is an opportunity to catch a CD’s attention. Nothing more! If you fail to do that, everything else becomes irrelevant.
Contrary to what most actors believe, it’s not your opportunity to book. I know that sounds backwards and that’s precisely why most actors fail at auditions much more often than they succeed.
Again, I don’t mean that in the sense of skipping the remainder of the process and booking things on the spot.
What I mean is that your only goal during the initial audition is catching the Casting Directors attention.
Being able to catch their attention will almost always yield a callback audition.
That’s the goal of the first audition, but most actors treat this audition as an opportunity to showcase their talent range and wow the CD.
You would be better served by taking things one step at a time.
Instead most actors make the mistake of treating every audition the same, when each step of the process is uniquely different from the others, and you can’t progress to the next step, without first mastering the current one.
In a general sense, if the first auditions are about standing out from everyone else and catching a CDs attention, what is the step after that?
Typically, that’s the callback audition.
Callbacks are more about CDs getting to know your angle on the character you are reading for.
This is where showcasing your talent really comes into play. That’s why you treat the first audition completely differently from this one.
At this stage, they are starting to focus more on finding the actor that will be able to deliver a stellar performance on set.
What this means is that, during your initial audition, your angle on the character and your character choices can be completely different from what production originally had in mind and you can still progress to callbacks.
In fact, many actors do that purposely, just to catch the Casting Directors attention. That’s an incredibly effective strategy when done correctly. We’ll talk about how to do that in a bit...
What’s most important during the callback stage is showing casting that you can be effective on set and proving that you will be up to the task, creatively.
If you can do that, you are likely to continue moving through the audition process.
Beyond callbacks, Casting Directors and industry decision makers will be trying to gauge how well you fit with the rest of the cast and how your character choices, thus far, match with what production has in mind for the project.
It’s at this point that they will give you direction to move you closer to how the character was written, if you made choices that were different from that.
Sometimes, your character choices will end up working out and production will move towards reorienting the character in the way you portrayed it.
Either way, subsequent auditions are more about getting to know you on a personal level, getting to see how well you interact with other actors, and how you take direction.
Of course, there are a ton of nuances and we’ll spend the coming weeks going deeper into those.
What we talked about today is helpful when you have enough opportunities to get in the room and put it to use. If you don’t currently have enough auditions lined up, this could help.
See, actors tend to focus almost entirely on the creative side of the industry. After all, it’s much more fun to take an acting class than it is to work on your auditioning strategies.
However, that creates a situation where actors end up ignoring some of the most important parts of building their career.
There’s also a very common negative feedback loop that a lot of talented actors fall into. They feel that because they may be going on a lot of auditions, they just have to keep playing the numbers game until something works out.
They feel that because they are “busy” then things are bound to go their way eventually.
If you do have enough opportunities to audition but you are not booking as often as you should, it could be that you are not treating the initial audition properly or it could be that there is a disconnect when CDs dig deeper, after your initial audition.
It’s important that what they find about you shows that you are a professional and not a hobbyist.
Them not being able to find much about you can also be at the root of why you may not be booking as often as you should.
After all, if they don’t know you, they can’t cast you so it always helps to make yourself highly visible to Casting Directors and industry decision makers where they are already looking for talent. That’s why I created this.
It helps you take care of what could be an important factor in casting decisions, while you focus on the creative side that helps you move through the audition and casting process.
I know that we went over a lot of complex strategies today and as you start putting it to use, you will probably have a ton of questions about how it actually works.
Remember I’m always only a comment or an email away. Feel free to get in touch anytime, even if you just want to bounce ideas about what we went over.
As always, I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
Build Your Acting Career Over The Next Few Weeks
As of the time of this writing, there are roughly 7 weeks left in the year. What are you going to do with them?
The truth is that most of your colleagues have already mentally checked out. In fact most of the industry has been in holiday mode since the first.
If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you already know what I’m going to say next...
Doing what everyone else does in the industry is usually a recipe for getting stuck in your career, just like everyone else.
See, “most of the industry” doesn’t include the top tier of the industry.
They never stop working towards their goals and neither should you. That’s something professional actors learn very early on in their career and it’s a big reason for why they are able to make progress so quickly.
This time of year can yield some of the biggest opportunities for actors that are ready to take advantage of them.
If you want to be one of them, here’s where to start...
As of the time of this writing, there are roughly 7 weeks left in the year. What are you going to do with them?
The truth is that most of your colleagues have already mentally checked out. In fact most of the industry has been in holiday mode since the first.
If you have been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you already know what I’m going to say next...
Doing what everyone else does in the industry is usually a recipe for getting stuck in your career, just like everyone else.
See, “most of the industry” doesn’t include the top tier of the industry.
They never stop working towards their goals and neither should you. That’s something professional actors learn very early on in their career and it’s a big reason for why they are able to make progress so quickly.
This time of year can yield some of the biggest opportunities for actors that are ready to take advantage of them.
If you want to be one of them, here’s where to start...
Most people in the industry don’t know they’ve checked out so it’s important to understand why they have.
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is a great excuse for actors to focus on other things and that starts long before the holiday season is upon us.
There are relatives and friends to visit, shopping to do, and 100 other things that pull your attention.
It’s not that those other things should be completely ignored. Everyone deserves a break and celebrations are extremely important, but the problem is that many actors let themselves be completely consumed with them and they end up ignoring their career until the industry “wakes up” sometime early next year.
That’s far too long to be idle in the industry.
The good news is that, everyone else being idle, can create a big opportunity for you, if you know how to seize it.
The key to making progress during this time is building relationships. I know you hear this all the time and I’m sure you know just how important it is to build industry relationships, but here’s how that can be more impactful during this time of year...
Not only are there far fewer actors vying for attention from CDs and decision makers, the reliability of actors to stick with their commitments drops off dramatically.
I know, since you are reading this, you are probably not the type of actor that would cancel a booking just because your third cousin dropped in for a visit.
But, you would be incredibly surprised at how many actors have conflicts arise.
Those slots need to be filled, because production won’t stop and you can build relationships that help you be the one to fill the void.
That’s one small, albeit very real opportunity that exists during this time.
Also, people are just a lot more open to connecting during times of celebration, so your efforts tend to be better received now than they would have been over the summer.
Take some time each day to reach out to CDs, directors, producers, and anyone else that could be in a position to help you move your career forward.
Reach out to them with a compliment about their work and wish them a happy holiday. Tailor your messages individually based on whatever holiday is close and appropriate.
Everyone gets flooded with generic, mass messages during this time of year so your personal message will stand out from the rest.
It’s also a great time to send out holiday cards and catch up with anyone you have previously worked with.
Do it in the same way. Don’t leave a “P.S. keep me in mind next time you are casting...” message. All you are trying to do at this point is open the door to making contact.
From there, you can move the relationship along in a few different ways. We’ll talk more about that next week.
For now, start thinking about what we talked about today and who you want to get in touch with or back in touch with.
The odds of you making an impression with casting directors and industry decision makers are much higher when there are fewer actors competing for their attention, and the timing for that is perfect right now.
You may not get a frantic phone call asking you to be on set in an hour, but like I said a moment ago, you will be working towards opening the door to communicating further.
The people you reach out to will typically do some research, to figure out who you are, prior to responding. That’s why having a stellar industry is incredibly important and can help you open many doors.
Building relationships during this time of year can be one of the most impactful things you do for your career.
After all, the industry is driven by relationships...
There’s no doubt that the activity in the industry does slow down a bit overall, as the year draws to an end.
That means that you will be reaching out when the people you are trying to reach have fewer things going on to pull their attention.
Whether you decide to double down or take it easy during this time of year, is up to you of course.
The industry will still be around when you are ready to get back into the swing of things. I just wanted to present you with an opportunity that is time sensitive.
However, this is really something that you should do year round, because it is part of the foundation your career is built on.
When you are visible, you are much more likely to be presented with opportunities, because if no one knows you they can’t hire you.
When they do know you, you atleast have a higher chance of catching their attention.
You can do this more purposefully and we’ll talk about that in more detail over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, consider what we talked about today. Put some thought into whether you want to check out like everyone else, or whether you want to keep driving towards your goals.
If you decide you want to continue moving forward, I’ll be here to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
How To Work With Directors To Build Your Acting Career
Most actors misunderstand what directors want from them on set, and that has a huge impact on how they build their career.
When you know what directors want, and you are able to deliver it, they want to work with you again.
That’s why many of the most successful actors have built their career alongside some of the most successful directors.
It happens because they make a good team, so they are able to deliver excellent results together.
The opposite is also true.
If you don’t deliver what they want, directors will remember that too and that can impact whether you get to work with them again.
Finding a director that likes to work with you is one of the most impactful things you can do for your acting career.
Otherwise, it’s almost like building your career from scratch every time.
Professional actors know that, so they put a lot of effort into maximizing every opportunity.
Working well with directors goes way beyond just memorizing your lines and delivering a good performance.
Most actors don’t have a clue about what directors really want, but if you want to build your career as a professional actor this is something you have to figure out quickly...
Most actors misunderstand what directors want from them on set, and that has a huge impact on how they build their career.
When you know what directors want, and you are able to deliver it, they want to work with you again.
That’s why many of the most successful actors have built their career alongside some of the most successful directors.
It happens because they make a good team, so they are able to deliver excellent results together.
The opposite is also true.
If you don’t deliver what they want, directors will remember that too and that can impact whether you get to work with them again.
Finding a director that likes to work with you is one of the most impactful things you can do for your acting career.
Otherwise, it’s almost like building your career from scratch every time.
Professional actors know that, so they put a lot of effort into maximizing every opportunity.
Working well with directors goes way beyond just memorizing your lines and delivering a good performance.
Most actors don’t have a clue about what directors really want, but if you want to build your career as a professional actor this is something you have to figure out quickly...
You have to understand that there are different kinds of directors. Some directors are highly analytical and detail oriented.
Others are kind of scatterbrained and focus solely on what’s happening in the moment.
Some directors are all about the visuals, while others gravitate more towards the audio and how it shapes the scene, leaving the visuals to the DP.
Wherever they fall on the spectrum, that’s where you have to meet them, if you want to have a good experience and hopefully work with them again.
Most actors treat every director the same way, but what works with one of them may be completely off putting to someone else.
Here’s what I mean...
A director that wants their actors to take the lead would find it tedious to work with an actor that is constantly asking for feedback on what to try next.
However, a director that wants to mold the action on set into what they have in mind, would welcome it. They may even find it insulting if you don’t ask them for reassurance that you are on the right track.
That’s why it’s important that you work with directors in the way they operate.
At first, that can be a little bit tricky because directors won’t exactly express it. It will be up to you to decipher what their preferences are.
When you are working with a director for the first time, it’s important to pay attention to the language they use.
If they are asking you a lot of questions about your character choices, that tends to be a sign that they want you to take the lead and then they’ll shape their vision around you.
However, if they are saying things like “why don’t we try it this way” or “I think your character would be more like...” then the director is trying to get your actions to fit into their vision.
Once you figure that out, you can then work with the director much more effectively.
You can offer different perspectives, without seeming combative or without sounding like you distrust the director’s vision for your character.
Directors love working with actors that push the limits of their creativity, so they will always be open to new ideas and they will be very excited about trying things differently than what they may have originally had in mind, provided that you can clearly communicate with each other.
That starts with understanding the director’s preferences, when it comes to the way they work with actors.
We could get deep into the nuances but what we went over will actually get you ninety percent of the way there and it will put you head and shoulders above other actors that don’t ever put this kind of effort into working with directors.
We can dive into the details another time.
For now, think about the directors you have worked with recently and try to decipher what their preferences were.
What language did they use? What were they most focused on when giving you direction? How did you leave things when you wrapped production?
This simple exercise will help you find some patterns that you can identify in the next director you work with.
What we talked about today can do wonders for your career but it only matters if you have enough opportunities to get on set and work with directors often.
Most actors focus solely on what happens on set, because it’s the more fun and creative side of the industry, but there are many other things that go into building your acting career.
If the building blocks of your career aren’t in place, things can be very tough, regardless of how well you perform on set.
Like I mentioned a moment ago, how well you perform on set doesn’t matter until you have the opportunity to get on set and there are many other things to do before that happens.
Auditions can be very tough without a few key things in place, but things can happen quickly when you are highly visible to casting directors and industry decision makers, and you have a stellar industry reputation. That’s why I built this to help...
So, get started on what we talked about today and we’ll talk more about the rest over the coming weeks.
If you have questions about any of it or if you just want to bounce ideas, send me an email or leave a comment below.
I’m happy to help however I can, because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
How To Build A Successful Acting Career Quickly
You can take over the industry starting tomorrow...
Seriously! It happens all the time. Think about any marquee actor and you will see that one day, they were suddenly everywhere. They showed up and took the industry by storm.
Something that most actors don’t quite understand is that success in the industry can happen very quickly.
They tend to believe that you have to “pay your dues” before you can succeed as an actor, but that’s just not the case.
Of course, there are actors that spend years stuck in a career that doesn’t ever get off the ground. However, if they are able to take their career to the next level, it almost always happens quickly and then it’s just a matter of keeping the momentum going.
The industry needs successful actors, so it is better for everyone if you succeed sooner rather than later.
Actors that build their career the traditional way, will almost always get stuck in, believing that they are just “paying your dues” when in reality, they’re just spinning their wheels.
If you would rather do what successful actors do, and build your career quickly, here’s where to start...
You can take over the industry starting tomorrow...
Seriously! It happens all the time. Think about any marquee actor and you will see that one day, they were suddenly everywhere. They showed up and took the industry by storm.
Something that most actors don’t quite understand is that success in the industry can happen very quickly.
They tend to believe that you have to “pay your dues” before you can succeed as an actor, but that’s just not the case.
Of course, there are actors that spend years stuck in a career that doesn’t ever get off the ground. However, if they are able to take their career to the next level, it almost always happens quickly and then it’s just a matter of keeping the momentum going.
The industry needs successful actors, so it is better for everyone if you succeed sooner rather than later.
Actors that build their career the traditional way, will almost always get stuck in, believing that they are just “paying your dues” when in reality, they’re just spinning their wheels.
If you would rather do what successful actors do, and build your career quickly, here’s where to start...
First, you have to understand that building your career happens when you do a few things right and you do those things consistently.
If you don’t, then it doesn’t matter if you have a powerful agent and tons of industry connections with the “right people.” None of it will substitute for having the building blocks of your career in place and building on them consistently.
One of those building blocks is having a differentiating factor that Casting Directors and industry decision makers cannot ignore.
When you are in an audition situation, your goal is to catch the CDs attention and make them want to see more of you. That’s what your differentiating factor is all about.
If even you don’t deliver a stellar performance, but you come across differently than everyone else, Casting Directors will still be inclined to give you a callback audition.
That builds familiarity and gives you more “face time” with CDs, which is an important part of building an acting career. We’ll come back to that in a bit...
Most actors are overly concerned with building the right character, so they end up building the same character as everyone else.
Put yourself in the Casting Director’s shoes. How would you feel if you sat through 50 auditions, that were largely all the same character, just paced a little bit differently or with slight changes in vocal inflection?
How refreshing would it be if audition 51 broke the mold and did things differently?
Even if their interpretation of the character was somewhat different from what production had in mind, wouldn’t you at least be curious enough to give them some feedback and then have them come back in again?
Of course you would!
As an actor, that’s what you want to accomplish during the initial audition. Little else matters.
If you are in a place in your acting career where you are not getting very many callbacks, chances are, you’re blending in with everyone else, and CDs don’t have a compelling reason to see more.
It won’t happen every single time, but you don’t need it to.
A few good bookings can completely change the trajectory of your career. Think of your current booking ratio.
Let’s keep things simple and say that for every 10 auditions you go on, you get a callback. I know it’s much, much lower than that for most actors but let’s keep things as simple as possible.
What if you could increase that ratio by 1. Now, for every 5 auditions you go on, you can expect to get a callback.
Your career would then be moving twice as fast.
If you increased your callback ratio by 2, your career would be moving 3 times as fast.
That’s why successful actors come out of nowhere and take the industry by storm overnight. They figure out how to quickly build on their success and the most impactful way to do that is determining your differentiator.
So put some thought into what that can be for you.
It might be something physical, like Dwayne Johnson’s muscular physique or it could be a special talent that few others can bring to the table.
Whatever you decide is right for you, stick with it for a while and see the difference it makes in your career.
If you don’t see much improvement, try something else. You might try out a few things before landing on the one that works.
However, something that will never fail you is having a stellar industry reputation.
Most actors don’t give it much thought but CDs often look to your industry reputation when deciding whether to move forward with you in the casting process. Here’s how you can make sure yours is always in top shape.
Put yourself in a CD’s shoes again.
If you come across an actor that reads well for a role you are casting, and they also have a stellar industry reputation, why wouldn’t you want to see more of them?
There wouldn’t be a reason not to see them again.
Your reputation can play a role in casting decisions but it can also be a factor when it comes to getting audition opportunities.
It can set you apart from other actors, before you even get in the room. That’s why it’s so important for you to show up where Casting Directors and industry decision makers are already looking for talent. Here’s how I can help with that.
Combining that kind of visibility with a stellar industry reputation can be a complete game changer for your career.
Things like this are what help successful actors build careers quickly.
It can make a huge impact so this truly is one of the building blocks of your acting career.
We’ll talk about the other building blocks over the next few weeks. For now, start with what we talked about today, because it is the cornerstone.
If you want to bounce ideas about it, feel free to get in touch. Leave me a comment below or shoot me an email.
I’ll be happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top, Scott
The Best Way To Build Your Acting Career
Fair warning...this one might hurt a little bit.
Most actors try to build their acting career in the most inefficient and ineffective way possible.
They spend their time going from one thing to the next, never really stopping to think about whether what they are doing will have an effect on their acting career.
What most of them end up doing is taking acting classes haphazardly, redoing their headshots without being strategic about it, and basically securing their place on the audition hamster wheel.
That’s usually a best case scenario...
You might think that this is something you would never do, but I challenge you to be honest about how strategic you have been with the way you build your career.
Look, most actors don’t succeed. They usually don’t come anywhere close to accomplishing the goals they set when they first got into the industry.
So, at some point you have to decide whether you will follow the crowd or whether you will figure out how successful actors are able to make it.
The actors that do succeed do things differently and I have broken down what they do into a step by step path you can follow, regardless of where you are in your career. Here’s where to start...
Fair warning...this one might hurt a little bit.
Most actors try to build their acting career in the most inefficient and ineffective way possible.
They spend their time going from one thing to the next, never really stopping to think about whether what they are doing will have an effect on their acting career.
What most of them end up doing is taking acting classes haphazardly, redoing their headshots without being strategic about it, and basically securing their place on the audition hamster wheel.
That’s usually a best case scenario...
You might think that this is something you would never do, but I challenge you to be honest about how strategic you have been with the way you build your career.
Look, most actors don’t succeed. They usually don’t come anywhere close to accomplishing the goals they set when they first got into the industry.
So, at some point you have to decide whether you will follow the crowd or whether you will figure out how successful actors are able to make it.
The actors that do succeed do things differently and I have broken down what they do into a step by step path you can follow, regardless of where you are in your career. Here’s where to start...
Step 1 is to get your first few credits out of the way.
When you are just starting out, you want to first get your first credits, any credits will do. You just want to get some on set experience.
However, you have to move beyond that and start to think strategically about the types of project you want to be involved in.
Even if you already have several credits, stop and think about whether those credits have been acquired strategically.
That brings us to step 2. In this step, you will be at a place in your career where you will be choosing the category you want to focus on for the long term.
Most actors get stuck in step 1 and they never really move on from just going after anything and everything they might remotely be a fit for.
When you choose the category you want to focus on, you start to work with others that are also focusing on that category.
That gives you the opportunity to make more meaningful industry connections, since you would be working with the same people over and over again, instead of working with them once.
Once you settle on your category, you can then move to step 3 and find an agent that specializes in that category also, or work with your current agent to pursue that chosen category.
If you have an agent that is already getting you a lot of quality auditions then you may want to stick with them.
You would just work together to make sure that your industry persona matches the category you want to specialize in. More on that in a sec...
If you decide that it's time for you to find a new agent, then you want to be sure that you sign with someone whose client roster has a lot of clients that are also successfully booking in the category you have chosen.
That means that the agent likely has good working relationships with CDs and decision makers that specialize in the same category you are hoping to focus on.
Step 4 applies whether you choose to sign with a new agent or stay with your current one.
You have to work with your agent to ensure that your headshots and your reel match your chosen category.
When those things are not in alignment actors struggle to book.
They either get passed over because their headshots don’t match the category, so CDs don’t often ask them to read, or they get passed over after the audition because they didn’t match what CDs had in mind, based on their headshot.
That’s why this is such a crucial step.
Step 5 is all about making industry connections with others that also specialize in your chosen category.
Spend a few minutes and reach out to make connections with people you haven’t worked with yet. Do this frequently and see how quickly you can expand your network.
Don’t neglect the people you have already worked with. Follow up with them afterwards to stay top of mind. Those can end up being some of the most meaningful industry connections.
Things get easier when you walk into a room and CDs already know you. Here’s how you can increase your visibility in a place where Casting Directors and industry decision makers are already looking for talent.
Whether they know you because you have worked with them before or they know you because you have made yourself visible to the industry, the dynamics change.
It pulls you out of the crowd and gives you an immediate differentiator.
That can be a huge advantage, when it comes time to decide who they will move forward with during the audition and booking process.
We went over a lot today. If you feel conflicted when thinking of your next step, that’s completely understandable.
We have only begun to scratch the surface and we’ll go further into each step over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, if you need to bounce ideas, I’m always only a comment or an email away and I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
What To Do When The Industry Throws You A Curveball
Building your acting career is not a linear journey. There are ups, there are downs and sometimes your career just kind of spins around in circles.
There will be many unexpected events throughout your career and what makes a big difference in how your acting career turns out is what you do when the unexpected happens.
Most actors freeze and rely on the counsel of their agents and industry friends to figure out what to do.
While that sounds like a good idea, it only works if you are surrounded by people that are much farther along in their career than you are.
It also only applies if they happen to be with you at the time, which is highly unlikely.
Because professional actors have learned to expect the unexpected, they have a way of turning what others would perceive as setbacks, into something that can actually move their acting career forward.
They don’t rely on others because they develop an ability to turn those proverbial lemons into lemonade.
If you want to be a professional actor, and finally start making progress towards building the career you always envisioned, this is something you have to get really good at too.
First I want to be clear about something that most actors don’t quite get...
Building your acting career is not a linear journey. There are ups, there are downs and sometimes your career just kind of spins around in circles.
There will be many unexpected events throughout your career and what makes a big difference in how your acting career turns out is what you do when the unexpected happens.
Most actors freeze and rely on the counsel of their agents and industry friends to figure out what to do.
While that sounds like a good idea, it only works if you are surrounded by people that are much farther along in their career than you are.
It also only applies if they happen to be with you at the time, which is highly unlikely.
Because professional actors have learned to expect the unexpected, they have a way of turning what others would perceive as setbacks, into something that can actually move their acting career forward.
They don’t rely on others because they develop an ability to turn those proverbial lemons into lemonade.
If you want to be a professional actor, and finally start making progress towards building the career you always envisioned, this is something you have to get really good at too.
First I want to be clear about something that most actors don’t quite get...
Notice that we have so far been talking about “the unexpected.” That can mean a lot of things.
It can mean that you are passed over for another actor, when you were sure that you were going to be booked. Your agent told you that the audition was basically a formality and the Casting Director gave you a “wink and a nod” when you read.
It can also mean that you were accidentally given the wrong sides for an audition.
Either one of those events would be seen as a setback by just about anyone in the industry, but a professional actor will always make the most out of whatever situation they find themselves in.
They would see it as an unexpected event and nothing more.
See, when you look at it that way, you can then start looking for the opportunity instead of focusing on what happened.
Let’s say you were given the wrong sides for an audition. That would be a devastating thing for most actors.
What would you actually do in that situation? Seriously, stop and think about that for a second. Would you point the finger at your agent?
Would you just ask for the correct sides and try to reschedule?
I heard from an actor recently who was in this exact situation. She was sent the wrong sides and of course she didn’t find out until it was too late. Not only was it the incorrect scene, it was also the wrong character.
What she did then, earned her a ton of respect from the Casting Director.
She maintained her composure and expressed how she really felt like she built a great connection with the character from the incorrect piece, and asked if it would be ok if she read for that role instead.
It showed casting that she would be ready for anything and it was a great opportunity to display her professionalism.
Not many actors would do that...
Keep in mind that, during your audition, a big part of what Casting Directors try to find out is how you respond under pressure.
Being on set can be grueling sometimes and it can be a high pressure environment. CDs want to know that if they move forward with you, you will be able to handle it.
That’s why having a solid industry reputation is so important to your acting career. I built this to help you ensure yours is always in top shape. HYPERLINK TO SALES PAGE
This is a simple concept but over the years, I’ve seen that many actors struggle with putting it into practice.
See, the thing about unexpected things happening is that you are not expecting them so they catch you off guard.
That’s why most actors would point the finger at their agent while they searched for the nearest exit, instead of asking to read for the role they prepared for, thereby missing an opportunity.
So, practice looking for the opportunity in everything.
It won’t always work out in your favor, but you don’t need it to. Only a handful of unexpected events turned into opportunities can make a huge impact on your acting career.
The actor we talked about wasn’t booked for the role, but she ended up making an incredible impression and Casting Directors always remember things like that.
A few months after that audition, she was asked to come in and read for another project that the CD was now working on.
It went great and that CD has now booked this actor twice and has also referred them to other Casting Directors.
That’s how you turn a bad or unexpected situation into a positive thing.
Turning unexpected events into opportunities can have a huge impact on anything you choose to do. This is particularly true in the industry.
Whether it’s an unexpected opportunity or a run of the mill audition, CDs will look into you during the casting process, and a stellar industry reputation can go a long way.
You want to be sure that what Casting Directors find about you is up to their standards.
Of course, this only applies if you have enough exposure to the industry. That’s what many actors struggle with so I created a tool to help you increase your visibility where CDs and industry decision makers are looking for talent. Get the details here.
I’ll admit that what we talked about today is going to be a little bit tricky to implement, since we are dealing with things that haven’t happened.
There also isn’t a clear indication of what might come your way because it could be a number of things.
So, get in the habit of looking for the opportunity in everything that unexpectedly comes your way, regardless of whether it's related to your acting career or not.
It will help you get in the habit and it will then extend to your acting career.
Of course, if you want to bounce ideas about this and go over a few scenarios, feel free to get in touch. Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.
I’ll always respond and I’m happy to help however I can, because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
The Career Making Character And How To Play It
There is a type of character that can help you take your career to the next level, like nothing else.
They are an integral part of nearly every successful project, so there is a huge demand for actors that play the character type well.
Unfortunately, most actors overlook this type because it's a little bit tricky to pull it off convincingly.
However, it doesn't have to be and making just a few character adjustments can make a world of difference in how well the character is played.
And, that's incredibly important...
See, not all characters are created equally and most actors are so busy just trying to book whatever comes their way, that they don't often think of how different characters can affect their career.
Professional actors don't do that. They create their careers on purpose and a certain type of character is often at the forefront.
If you want to be a professional actor too, playing this character type really well is something that can make things easier on you.
Here's where to start...
There is a type of character that can help you take your career to the next level, like nothing else.
They are an integral part of nearly every successful project, so there is a huge demand for actors that play the character type well.
Unfortunately, most actors overlook this type because it's a little bit tricky to pull it off convincingly.
However, it doesn't have to be and making just a few character adjustments can make a world of difference in how well the character is played.
And, that's incredibly important...
See, not all characters are created equally and most actors are so busy just trying to book whatever comes their way, that they don't often think of how different characters can affect their career.
Professional actors don't do that. They create their careers on purpose and a certain type of character is often at the forefront.
If you want to be a professional actor too, playing this character type really well is something that can make things easier on you.
Here's where to start...
First, let's unravel the mystery of what type of character we're talking about. It's the charming type.
I know, that's a really broad category and that's why there's such a huge demand for actors who can play it well.
It's rare to see a project be successful without at least one charming character.
Typically, charming characters are characters that are liked by everyone and they pull stories forward because of that.
Not only does that allow for a lot of screen time, but it also allows for you to display your range through a single project.
Here's what I mean...
Charming characters are often the glue between different sets of characters in a project and they help to tie together different storylines.
Because of their place in the story, charming characters are often the ones that become iconic and take on a life of their own.
Entire franchises have been spun out of characters that wouldn't have been the most obvious choice, but their charm and ability to connect with the audience gave them an x factor that is incredibly important to a franchise.
Charming characters often pull situations out of the norm but in a good way.
That shift in the social dynamics can be written into a script, but you also have to be able to recognize when it isn't written into the script.
For example, if a scene calls for your character to ask someone to meet for coffee, it might be too common a scenario.
A charming person might be more inclined to suggest meeting in a pop up food rave to talk things over instead.
They might be the type to ask to settle a disagreement at the go kart track, where the winner takes all.
Think of what feels right to your character and don't be afraid to speak up when things don't quite fit.
It's difficult to have a set of rules on when to do this because every character is different, but if it doesn't feel right to you it won't feel genuine to the audience either.
Work with your director to come up with something that makes sense.
Aside from being unpredictable, charming characters are very good at active listening. When others are talking to them, they have your character's undivided attention.
They will do things like repeating phrases to assure the other person that they are paying attention.
They will nod along and mirror the other person's body language too.
All of this helps to reaffirm that the conversation is on the right track. It can also help you when you are not on set, but we'll get into that another time...
Something else that helps with creating charming characters is eye contact.
When done correctly, it makes people listen, especially in a time when there are countless things pulling your attention.
Seriously! Think of the last time you had lunch with a friend and neither of you touched your phone every 30 seconds.
Most people listen half heartedly when others are talking. They are simultaneously thinking of what to say when it's "their turn" to speak.
Eye contact makes this much more difficult because it makes the person you are talking to be much more attentive.
It's natural to follow people's line of sight. If you walk into a room and everyone is looking at the ceiling. You will also look at the ceiling to see what everyone else was looking at.
Use this principle to develop your character's charm and command of conventional skills.
You can also add layers to your character by rounding them out with different, more complex emotions.
Think of what drives your character and their choices. Is their charm natural or is it something they had to develop?
Answering that question alone can go a long way in your character development. This is one that really takes some practice, because there are so many nuances.
So start practicing! Watch a few movies or shows and take notes on what the actors playing the charming characters do.
Think of what you loved about their performance and what you would do differently. Pick a few scenes and record yourself acting them out.
There is nothing like real world practice when it comes to playing charming characters and this is a great way to start.
At the same time, focus on getting yourself more opportunities to play charming characters.
If you don't have very many auditions coming up, try this. It can help improve your industry reputation which can also help open more doors for you.
Just like there is nothing quite like real world practice when it comes to building charming characters, there isn't a substitute for getting in the room with casting directors and industry decision makers. To do that, you have to be highly visible to the industry where they are already looking for talent. Here's how I can help...
Casting directors do their best to find out as much as they can about you before moving you forward in the audition process.
This means that if you are getting auditions but you're just not booking very often, there could be something in what they find that isn't up to what they would expect.
Be sure that what Casting Directors find about you is up to their standards.
When it is, CDs are much more comfortable moving forward with you.
When that happens and you also become incomparable in the way you play charming characters, great things can happen quickly in your career.
As you start working on what we talked about today, feel free to get in touch. You might need a second opinion on something.
Even if you just want to bounce ideas, I'm happy to help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott
The Surefire Way To Deliver A World Class Performance Every Time
The best actors don’t want to be seen as actors at all.
Here’s what I mean by that...
If you are watching something and you think to yourself “that’s a pretty good actor” they have missed the mark.
Maybe they haven’t missed it by much but they have missed something that didn’t allow you to be fully present.
As an actor you want the audience to laugh with you. You want them to cry with you.
You want them to be fully present and you want them to feel your character's pain, frustration, and whatever else your character is experiencing.
That's what makes watching you worthwhile to the audience.
World class actors don’t seem to be actors at all. They have an incredible ability to bring characters to life.
If you want to have a long career as a successful actor, this is something you have to master The good news is that it’s not as difficult as you might think...
The best actors don’t want to be seen as actors at all.
Here’s what I mean by that...
If you are watching something and you think to yourself “that’s a pretty good actor” they have missed the mark.
Maybe they haven’t missed it by much but they have missed something that didn’t allow you to be fully present.
As an actor you want the audience to laugh with you. You want them to cry with you.
You want them to be fully present and you want them to feel your character's pain, frustration, and whatever else your character is experiencing.
That's what makes watching you worthwhile to the audience.
World class actors don’t seem to be actors at all. They have an incredible ability to bring characters to life.
If you want to have a long career as a successful actor, this is something you have to master The good news is that it’s not as difficult as you might think...
I know that’s an insane thing to say but I fully stand by it.
It all comes down to the intensity at which you deliver your performance and how committed you are to every moment.
That starts with your proper character research and development.
Most actors barely touch on this because, honestly, hardly anyone knows the proper way to do it.
In fact, if you take 5 different acting classes, you will probably end up with 15 different answers on how to research and develop your characters.
You will get one way from each of the instructors, another from a class mate that thinks the instructor is wrong and a 3rd way from someone else who thinks both of them are completely wrong.
When you are building your character you have to figure out what drives them to do the things they are doing, on a deep level.
That goes beyond just what is given to you in the script and character descriptions.
World class actors take that and develop complex back stories and scenarios for the characters they play.
Some instructors will start with this idea and take it in the wrong direction or simply take it too far.
If you ever find yourself working out what your character had for breakfast and you can’t identify where that information ties into any of your scenes, you're on the wrong track.
Focus only on information that helps you define the character and their motives.
For example, if your character gets disproportionately triggered when someone doesn’t say “excuse me” it probably doesn’t have anything to do with their diet.
It’s more likely that it comes from being bullied in school or some other adolescent trauma. Develop that scenario and see where it leads you.
If something doesn’t deepen your understanding of the character, get rid of it and refocus on the things that do.
When you build a character like this, it can have a tremendous impact on your performances, whether they’re on set or during an audition.
Because you will be building characters through your unique understanding of them, you won’t make the same character choices that everyone else makes.
This makes it easier to stand out to casting directors during auditions because you are doing something different than what everyone else is doing.
You can get the details here on something else that will help you stand out to casting directors.
Most actors I’ve met and talked to over the years are, in some way, convinced that they need to blend in.
It may not seem like it when you think about it, but then you show up to a traditional audition and see everyone wearing a variation of the same outfit.
If you then watch audition tapes, you will see that everyone also does a variation of the same scene.
Their inflection points are the same, their facial expressions are the same and even their reactions are similar to everyone else’s.
What this proves is that everyone knows you need to stand out to catch a CDs attention, but they’re afraid to step outside of the norm.
It is easier to do that when you have a track record that supports your character choices.
Think about it, who would question Meryll Streep’s character choices?
I can’t give you a track record like hers, obviously.
What I can help you with is making sure that your industry reputation is always in top shape.
That can go a long way towards showing Casting Directors and industry decision makers that you are a true professional.
When you have that going for you and you combine it with what we talked about today to deliver a world class performance, the effect on your career can be unlike anything else.
Don’t take my word for it.
Try it for yourself. Get started with us and prepare for your next audition or your next project using what we talked about today.
Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time building a character this way, chances are that you will want to get some feedback on whether or not you’re on the right track.
Shoot me an email or leave a comment below, if you do. I’m always happy to bounce ideas and help however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott