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Why I Love Working With Actors
Throughout my twenties, I was frantic. Obsessive. Crazy. All I wanted was success. I wanted to become known.
I wanted a small amount of fame and a big amount of money. Or a big amount of fame and a BIGGER amount of money! Maybe that's just the millennial in me speaking?
Anyway, as a photographer, I lived a life outside the boundaries and expectations of, how should I say... "normal" society. I could press snooze as many times as I wanted and binge watch Breaking Bad whenever there were no clients around.
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Although I shot headshots I also loved helping my clients come up with strategies to move their acting careers forward. I didn't just shoot headshots – I wanted to help actors use them effectively!
And like Walter White from Breaking Bad, I had dreams of one day building my own empire (not a meth lab). A famous headshot studio that would change the industry forever! And I tried everything to reach that goal. For ten years, I blogged. I posted on social media. I sent out newsletters. I read business and marketing books. I asked anyone I knew for advice. I tried to get my website found on Google. I even sold my soul attending networking events. Every single week for TWO YEARS. Well, it worked! |
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Or so I thought...
Here's the thing... Don't you hate it when you're feeling stressed about something and everyone around you says, "Hey, you're doing well, you should be happy!"
No. Stop talking to me. YOU DON'T GET IT!
Deep down I knew I could be doing more.
I stayed at that level for a year, doing the same kinds of projects, over and over again. And then came two years. And before I knew it, I realized I had been stuck at a plateau for over FIVE YEARS, lying to myself about my success, and trying to convince myself that I was some amazing business owner, when in reality I was still doing exactly the same work and earning the same money, but with more staff to pay!!!
I was angry. Why was it so hard? Was there some secret formula out there that could get me out of this trap? Or is it actually not possible to become wealthy, successful, and famous unless you're one of the lucky few born into it?
No. Stop talking to me. YOU DON'T GET IT!
Deep down I knew I could be doing more.
I stayed at that level for a year, doing the same kinds of projects, over and over again. And then came two years. And before I knew it, I realized I had been stuck at a plateau for over FIVE YEARS, lying to myself about my success, and trying to convince myself that I was some amazing business owner, when in reality I was still doing exactly the same work and earning the same money, but with more staff to pay!!!
I was angry. Why was it so hard? Was there some secret formula out there that could get me out of this trap? Or is it actually not possible to become wealthy, successful, and famous unless you're one of the lucky few born into it?
Hmmmm...
I realized something needed to change.
So I asked myself... "Was becoming famous what I really wanted?" What kind of absurd, unspecific, and quite frankly, selfish goal was that?
I thought about it and realized that wanting fame would never get me there. Wanting fame was exactly what was keeping me stuck. Wanting success for its own sake is useless because it's not sustainable and it's self-focused.
If there's one lesson I've learned over the past decade of running my business, it's this: The only way to move beyond the realm of "good enough" is to ask yourself the following question:
So I asked myself... "Was becoming famous what I really wanted?" What kind of absurd, unspecific, and quite frankly, selfish goal was that?
I thought about it and realized that wanting fame would never get me there. Wanting fame was exactly what was keeping me stuck. Wanting success for its own sake is useless because it's not sustainable and it's self-focused.
If there's one lesson I've learned over the past decade of running my business, it's this: The only way to move beyond the realm of "good enough" is to ask yourself the following question:
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"How can I go about helping and serving others at the deepest level and in a way that will truly change their lives?"
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Many of the actors I shot headshots for would remark how helpful I'd been, and how the "outside-the-industry" marketing strategies I suggested helped them land an agent or book a role faster than they expected.
And that's when I realized exactly what needed to change: I needed to turn what I loved doing most - helping actors move their careers forward - into a business. And so I've done that now. It took me ten years to figure it out. But I'm passionate about my work again. I'm staying up late into the night answering all kinds of cool emails from actors who read and engage with my emails. My business is growing. I'm waking up extremely early without my alarm again! And best of all, I'm actually having a genuine impact on the lives of the actors I work with. |
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So here's my invitation:
I've had the opportunity to interview successful actors, agents, filmmakers, and industry gatekeepers to find out what really works and what doesn't, and I've found that a large amount of the information out there is misleading.
Everyone writes articles and content these days just to get their pages found on Google, yet none of the info is truly "valuable," in the sense that you'll never use it. Why? Because there's just TOO DANG MUCH.
Most actors get so inundated with ideas, advertisements, and casting calls that they try to do everything at once, which results in them actually accomplishing nothing.
There are only a few KEY things you need to focus on to get booked with steady work. Everything else is noise. So let's simplify it down to five simple steps:
Everyone writes articles and content these days just to get their pages found on Google, yet none of the info is truly "valuable," in the sense that you'll never use it. Why? Because there's just TOO DANG MUCH.
Most actors get so inundated with ideas, advertisements, and casting calls that they try to do everything at once, which results in them actually accomplishing nothing.
There are only a few KEY things you need to focus on to get booked with steady work. Everything else is noise. So let's simplify it down to five simple steps:
The ONLY Five Steps to Book More Work
Here are the exact steps that the successful actors I've interviewed have taken to book themselves solid:
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First, you'll want to check each of your Level 1 marketing materials. I call these "Level 1" because they are the most basic and simple things you'll need to be able to market yourself. Even brand new actors starting out need them: A professional headshot (that you ideally spend at least $400 on), a professional resume (that is formatted properly and shows you in the best light possible), and business cards (with your headshot and contact info).
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Next, you'll want to make sure your Level 2 marketing materials are up to date: These should be created by actors who have at least 3-6 months of experience. Create a high-quality demo reel (under 2 minutes and engaging to watch, and includes at least one professional scene), write a great bio (which shows your personality so casting directors can connect with you as a person), and build a professional website (which can be made for free even if you have no web design experience).
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Then, you'll want to find your brand. As you begin booking work (by responding to casting calls online and performing in projects for free or low day-rates, you'll want to figure out your exact brand/type so you can refine your marketing materials to focus on those specific roles. The goal is that casting directors see you as the exact person they are looking for so you'll have a higher chance of being called in and booking the job.
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After discovering your brand, it will be time to start connecting with people in the industry. I recommend networking with successful actors, agents, managers, casting directors, filmmakers, and even teachers & professors. There are great free systems you can set up that will help you keep in touch with everyone automatically (without you having to remember to send emails out), this way you'll stay on everyone's radar so they don't forget you. Getting a manager and/or agent at this point will help.
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Finally, you'll want to set very specific goals and strategise on how to reach them. After you've begun networking and all your marketing materials are in place and you have a well-defined brand, you'll need to start setting goals for exactly what shows and projects you want to be in, and what roles you want. You'll then hyper-target your outreach to the exact casting directors, agents, and producers that can connect you with those projects so you exponentially increase your chances of landing the role of your dreams. At that point, the sky's the limit.
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So What to Do Next?
I recommend checking out this free in-depth guide I've created that covers some key steps you can take right now to start getting ahead, especially if you don't have a reel:
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