HERE I YAM
November 1, 2014
Self-Promotion & Marketing
You can be the best actor in the world but if nobody knows you exist, what's the point?
Sure. Your cats can enjoy your monologue from GlenGarry Glen Ross but are they your target audience? Will they get you work? Do they know anybody who can get you work? The answer is no. No they will not and no they do not.
They're cats. All they care is about is what you are going to feed them, when you're going to feed them and how deep is your devotion to them. They could care less about your acting career.
So who, besides your mother, and everyone she talks to, knows you're an actor looking for work?
At some point you have to promote yourself. You are, after all, a business.
You must treat yourself like a business,which, as unappealing as it sounds, means there will be paperwork involved.
The horror. The horror.
Self-promotion is something I am good at. I have owned my own businesses and have promoted each one. I have a graphic design background and can design and create my own promotional materials.
Promoting yourself isn't really that difficult. When it comes right down to it, it's just talking about yourself and seriously, what actor doesn't like to talk about themselves?
Some of the things you have to consider to when you are going to promote yourself as an actor are:
~ A professional website
~ An IMDb page
~ A Facebook page
~ Business cards
~ Your REPUTATION
That's right. I said your reputation. Your reputation is an intangible business card that potentially get you more work than all the above.
How you act on set and during auditions speaks volumes about you as a person and an actor.
If you act like a diva or a jerk, trust me, people talk about you. Word travels fast in this industry, especially if you are in a smaller market, let's say, than New York or Los Angeles. People will talk about you and when I say people I mean casting directors.
The best mind-set to have is that all casting directors know each other and they all talk to one another.
I'm not saying be someone other than who you really are, I'm saying be on your best behavior. People don't want to work with assholes unless said assholes are celebrity assholes.
If you are a celebrity, have won awards and own your own jet, people will thank you for being an asshole.
If you're just starting out? Not so much.
You need to consider your reputation.
I like to have a good time on set and enjoy the experience but not at the expense of the production. I will never jeopardize the job or my reputation because I want to have a good time.
I don't have time for those individuals who showed up for a lark. That's still one of the most irritating things another background artist as said to me. After pointing out to this individual they were conducting themselves unprofessionally and basically irritating everyone on set, I was told it was okay. They were just doing it for a lark. Then they added they really didn't care if they came back or not.
Grrrrrrr.
So reputation is just as important as your headshot and resume. The latter might get you in the door, but a good or bad reputation will be the deciding factor in whether or not you stay once your inside.
Just keeping it reel.
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved
Self-Promotion & Marketing
You can be the best actor in the world but if nobody knows you exist, what's the point?
Sure. Your cats can enjoy your monologue from GlenGarry Glen Ross but are they your target audience? Will they get you work? Do they know anybody who can get you work? The answer is no. No they will not and no they do not.
They're cats. All they care is about is what you are going to feed them, when you're going to feed them and how deep is your devotion to them. They could care less about your acting career.
So who, besides your mother, and everyone she talks to, knows you're an actor looking for work?
At some point you have to promote yourself. You are, after all, a business.
You must treat yourself like a business,which, as unappealing as it sounds, means there will be paperwork involved.
The horror. The horror.
Self-promotion is something I am good at. I have owned my own businesses and have promoted each one. I have a graphic design background and can design and create my own promotional materials.
Promoting yourself isn't really that difficult. When it comes right down to it, it's just talking about yourself and seriously, what actor doesn't like to talk about themselves?
Some of the things you have to consider to when you are going to promote yourself as an actor are:
~ A professional website
~ An IMDb page
~ A Facebook page
~ Business cards
~ Your REPUTATION
That's right. I said your reputation. Your reputation is an intangible business card that potentially get you more work than all the above.
How you act on set and during auditions speaks volumes about you as a person and an actor.
If you act like a diva or a jerk, trust me, people talk about you. Word travels fast in this industry, especially if you are in a smaller market, let's say, than New York or Los Angeles. People will talk about you and when I say people I mean casting directors.
The best mind-set to have is that all casting directors know each other and they all talk to one another.
I'm not saying be someone other than who you really are, I'm saying be on your best behavior. People don't want to work with assholes unless said assholes are celebrity assholes.
If you are a celebrity, have won awards and own your own jet, people will thank you for being an asshole.
If you're just starting out? Not so much.
You need to consider your reputation.
I like to have a good time on set and enjoy the experience but not at the expense of the production. I will never jeopardize the job or my reputation because I want to have a good time.
I don't have time for those individuals who showed up for a lark. That's still one of the most irritating things another background artist as said to me. After pointing out to this individual they were conducting themselves unprofessionally and basically irritating everyone on set, I was told it was okay. They were just doing it for a lark. Then they added they really didn't care if they came back or not.
Grrrrrrr.
So reputation is just as important as your headshot and resume. The latter might get you in the door, but a good or bad reputation will be the deciding factor in whether or not you stay once your inside.
Just keeping it reel.
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved
Comments
Post a Comment