The enterprise of performing is a severe one, certainly. We regularly speak about tax write offs, union dues, agent charges, and a lot extra. However what should you aren’t ‘there’ but? What are you able to do to assist your new enterprise develop and succeed? I work with numerous new actors who’re making an attempt to get themselves prepped for audition seasons. What they don’t notice is that they’ll rehearse their monologues and songs till they’re blue within the face, but when they don’t correctly handle their actor enterprise aspect of all of it, they’re setting themselves up for failure. By now, you might have realized this trade is extremely demanding and might transfer on the pace of sunshine. This unrelenting tempo and the sensation that “all the pieces is due yesterday” may cause numerous anxiousness and self-doubt. We don’t want any further helpings of both of these items!
HELP YOURSELF by working forward and controlling the stuff you DO have management over.
- Provides, Information, and Tech-BE READY AHEAD OF TIME
Have you ever ever gotten an audition and thought “HELL YEAH!!”, after which, “….oooohhh nooooo”? That sudden discovery that certainly one of your fancy self-tape lights has burned out, you haven’t up to date your resume on actor’s entry since 2017, or you might have run out of HARD COPIES of your headshot and resume (YES, HARD COPIES ARE STILL A THING)?
Scrambling to rectify these forgotten particulars is not going to solely waste valuable audition prep time, but in addition create unneeded anxiousness. Beginning right this moment, you may full this simple starter guidelines to make sure you gained’t undergo from the “audition oh no’s”, (please forgive me, I’m nonetheless workshopping this catch phrase)…
- Replace that resume- in your laptop, on actor’s entry, on casting networks, on any platform you may use to seek out work. Learn useful resume formatting recommendation right here!
- Make a single PDF file with 2 pages: 1st web page is your headshot, 2nd web page is your up to date resume. That is the file you ship once you submit electronically. By no means ship casting administrators multiple file. They work hard- do your greatest to make their job simpler.
- Hold this PDF within the cloud. Be sure to can entry it in your cellphone. Are you out and about and also you meet somebody who needs to see your resume? Voila! There it’s, at your fingertips. Ship it immediately!
- Examine your self-tape arrange! Are your lights in working situation? Do you might have the correct house in your house accessible the place you may arrange in simply a few minutes? Are you aware what gentle settings are greatest? The place must you stand? What top is marked in your digicam tripod so you already know it’s custom-tailored to you? You will discover cheap self-tape merchandise at Theatrix, run by Kate McCoy a member and supporter of the Chicago performing group!
- In the event you don’t have arduous copies of headshots, you want them. They need to be one 8” x 10” piece- headshot on entrance and resume trimmed to suit the again and stapled neatly in 4 corners. As a director, I can not let you know what number of instances a number of pages in varied sizes have been handed to me throughout the desk…this causes confusion and chaos. Have 2 or 3 able to go right this moment.
2. Price range- Are you due for brand new headshots? Will your IMDbPro account renew quickly? In the event you stay in Chicago however record your self as a Detroit native rent, do you might have the journey and lodging funds accessible? Your actor enterprise prices cash to run. Attempt to do a forecast for the primary quarter of the 12 months. If you’ll want to get a few of these issues paid for, what’s your plan to get that finished? When you begin getting extra work and have further enterprise bills (that you’ll finally write off, however must fork over money for up entrance), I like to recommend setting a brand new price range on the primary of each month. Overview the previous month, take a look at the month arising, and modify accordingly. Overview this price range on the 15th of the month to be sure to are on monitor.
3. Targets- what are your targets for your self this 12 months? Write all of them down, even when they appear unattainable at this time second. Writing them makes them actual. After that, refine them to objects you suppose you might have management over sooner reasonably than later. Make a 12 months aim, a 6-month aim, a 3-month, a subsequent month, a subsequent week. Write down your plan. In case your aim is to ebook a co-star position within the subsequent 6 months, what are the actions you could possibly take to assist that occur? Take that plan and stick it on the fridge, in a each day reminder in your cellphone, or no matter may seize your consideration each. Single. Day.
Many individuals in all totally different industries want a well-thought-out plan written out in entrance of them to get issues finished! Creating this plan is now a part of your self-discipline. You will have extra management over your profession than you suppose you do. As an actor, you might be your personal enterprise. Your agent is simply accountable for a lot. In the event you owned a espresso store or a hair salon you’ll unlock the door daily and have a tendency to your online business and shoppers with love and care. Your actor enterprise calls for no much less. Welcome to the brand new 12 months, you glowing, proficient CEO. We consider in you and your actor enterprise!
Sarafina Vecchio is an actor, director and teacher at Performing Studio Chicago. She is passionate concerning the artwork, the craft and the enterprise of performing!
