Preparation.
December 20, 2020
Friends, I know how hard it is to stay motivated these days. I know the funk this pandemic has put us all in.
I want to continue to encourage everyone though - in the importance of getting ready NOW.
I'm about to give you some tough love, but it's advice that I was once given that has changed my career and how I book work for the better.
Take this down time to film and have several different song and monologue choices at the ready. Take this time to film all those special skills (dialects, ice skating, juggling, roller blading, skateboarding, tik-toking, etc!) Take this time to prep your audition book- don't scramble to film or find materials when a last minute callback or submission comes in - that wont be your best work and is going to STRESS. YOU. OUT.
My former film/tv agent always told me that you want to be within the first 1-30 people to submit for an audition/submission. Just think - you submit and are number 50 in submissions, but the casting director has already pretty much seen someone else he was happy with 10 submissions before yours. They may be accepting 150 submissions, but what if they find what they want within the first 15? We can only control so much in this business, but staying on top of our game is one thing that is within our control! Being proactive in this business is so important! Just because there is a deadline - doesnt mean you should wait 5 minutes before it hits to submit your materials.
I had two unexpected last minute callbacks come in this week, and let me tell you - I was so glad that I had already had materials filmed, so that all I had to do was edit and push send. Of course this doesnt apply when the casting team wants to see something specific like a side reading or materials from the show, BUT for a general, show us your best 16 bars and monologue kind of submission, how much easier would it be to already have that at the ready?!
Definition of Proactive: acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.
Being proactive means doing the things you need to do before you need to do them—like regularly changing the oil in your car instead of waiting for it to start sputtering and spewing smoke. When you're proactive, you keep your car running smoothly and prevent costly repairs.
For those of you that have or will register for UPTA, they put out a video at the end of the registration process on their website that is an interview between Michael Detroit, President of UPTA, and Courtney Oliver, Audition Coordinator. In this video, they both express the importance of actors having their reels, websites, and resumes up to date and ready for casting directors right now- because they WILL be looking! As soon as you submit for anything, (and sometimes even when you aren't submitting!) casting directors will come across your social media prescense - whether that's your personal website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, you name it. It's a great idea to have content of what you do best online that is easy for a casting director to find, but even more important that that content is up to date. (Don't do what I used to do and leave content from your 2008 talent show up online and have that be the ONLY thing coming up in a Google search!Save yourself some stress, and start putting your work on film now, in the quiet time. I can't predict the future, but I can almost certainly guarantee that when 2021 rolls around, auditions are going to be flying in like crazy. Will you be ready?
If you have no clue where to start or pick back up from where you last left off, reach out to me! That is what I am here for - we will build you a custom audition package that is specific and personal to you - showing you off at your best!
If you need some advice on how to take your auditions to the next level, shoot me an email, I'd be happy to chat with you!
Take care!
Alyssa
No Sweat Rep Owner