November 10th, 2020

Brand Yourself to Get Consistent Work

If you’re thinking about getting headshots done, I thought it might be helpful to send you some information on the importance of a headshot within the context of personal branding as an actor.

Did you know?

• According to SAG-AFTRA, as of 2017 the unemployment rate for actors had been hovering at 87%.
• For the 2014-2015 season the median earnings for an Actors’ Equity member was just $7,548. Per year!
• On average, actors are rejected from roles 96% of the time.
• According to numerous articles on Backstage, the number one reason for failed acting careers has been attributed to inconsistency in marketing and branding efforts.

These statistics can seem pretty overwhelming, and a little disheartening.


But what if you took this information and instead of letting it discourage you, used it to your advantage? 
Well let’s take a moment to discuss your brand, since it’s one of the key factors that contributes to failed acting careers.


First, check out this audio clip - Brand Yourself & Find Your Type. It’s included in our Get Cast online marketing course for actors (believe it or not I used to teach these classes live at NYU, Actor’s Green Room, and Actor’s Connection - but it took so much time that I had to eventually turn it into an online course).
Be sure to take a look at this branding tool we use for headshot shoots. Combined with the audio segment above, it should help you uncover your brand which will virtually guarantee you start getting more consistent work if you begin trying out for those types of auditions.


But here is the thing you MUST know:


The more you want to play EVERY character, the more you’ll find yourself playing NO characters. Even if you’re just starting out!
Think about it this way: the more you get casting directors to think, “This actor is perfect for this part,” the more parts you’ll start to get. But if you're too generalized, you won't be perfect for ANY parts, and so very few people will hire you.
Hone in on one particular character type and once you're able to dominate that specific role and you’re working consistently, you can start to widen your range and target your marketing onto a second brand if you want to.
Think about some mega-famous actors like Hugh Jackman or Ryan Reynolds. They both started by playing very specific roles, and then slowly expanded to other brands. Jackman started out in action films, and now plays a wide variety of roles in both film and theater. Reynolds started his career in rom-coms, and now is a major action star.
What is your brand? What characters do you want to play? What does that character look like? Take this knowledge into your headshot session!


Knowing this, what images come to mind? Think about the following marketing tools you have (or should have soon):

• Website
• Business Cards
• Casting Profiles
• Resume
• Reel
• Headshot

With each of these, what actions can you take to have them tell your brand story more effectively? Can your website be re-designed to show more photos of you in cop outfits while laughing? Can your business card be changed from it’s dark colors to something a bit brighter and happier? Should your headshot be re-done to give off the “funny cop” vibe?
Take five minutes and write down all the actions you can think of to make each of the marketing tools above effectively tell your brand story. And if you don’t already have one of the marketing items above created, your action item is clear - create it!