Acting is indeed a serious matter. We often talk about tax breaks, union dues, agency fees, and more. But what if you’re not “there” yet? What can you do to help your new business grow and succeed? I work with a lot of new actors who are trying to get ready for audition season. What they don’t realize is that they can rehearse their monologues and songs until they’re blue in the face, but if they don’t manage their acting business properly, they’re setting themselves up for failure. By now, you’ve realized that this industry is very demanding and can move at the speed of light. This relentless pace and feeling that “everything was due yesterday” can lead to a lot of anxiety and self-doubt. We don’t need any extra help!
Help yourself by working ahead and controlling the things you do have control over.
- Supplies, Documents, and Techniques – Prepare in Advance
Have you ever been in an audition and thought “OMG!!” and then “…oh no”? Suddenly find that one of your nice self-tape lights has burned out, you haven’t updated your resume on Actor’s Access since 2017, or you’ve run out of hard copies of your headshot and resume (yes , hard copies are still a thing)?
Scrambling to correct these forgotten details not only wastes valuable audition preparation time, but also creates unnecessary anxiety. Starting today, you can complete this simple starter checklist to ensure you don’t suffer from “audition oh no,” (forgive me, I’m still working on that catchphrase) …
- Update your resume—on your computer, on Actors Access, on casting networks, on any platform you might be using to find work. Read helpful resume formatting advice here!
- Create a 2-page PDF file: 1Yingshi The page is your avatar, 2ND The page is your updated resume. This is the document sent when you file electronically. Never send multiple files to a casting director. They work hard – doing their best to make their jobs easier.
- Save this PDF in the cloud. Make sure you can access it on your phone. Have you ever been out and about and met someone who wanted to see your resume? Look! It’s there, within reach. Send it now!
- Check your self-tape settings! Are your lights in working order? Do you have enough space in your home to install it in just a few minutes? Do you know what lighting settings are best? Where should you stand? What height is marked on your camera tripod so you know it’s custom made for you? You can find cheap self-tape products at Theatrix, a theater run by Kate McCoy, a member and supporter of the Chicago acting community!
- If you don’t have hard copies of your headshots, you’ll need them. They should be an 8″ x 10″ piece – front head, then trimmed to fit the back and neatly pinned at the 4 corners. As a director, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been handed multiple pages of different sizes…which can lead to chaos and confusion. 2 or 3 people are ready to go today.
2. Budget- Is it time for a new profile photo? Will your IMDbPro account be renewed soon? If you live in Chicago but list yourself as a local employee in Detroit, do you have funds available for travel and lodging? Your acting business costs money to run. Try making predictions for the first quarter of this year. If you need to pay some of these fees, how do you plan to do it? Once you start doing more work and have additional business expenses (which you’ll eventually write off, but need cash up front), I recommend creating a new budget on the first of each month. Look back on the past month, look forward to the next month, and adjust accordingly. Review this budget on the 15thth dates this month to make sure you’re on track.
3. Goal- What goals have you set for yourself this year? Write them all down, even if they seem out of reach right now. Writing them down makes them real. After that, refine them into items you think you can control as quickly as possible. Set goals for one year, six months, three months, next month, and next week. Write down your plan. If your goal is to book a co-starring role within the next 6 months, what actions can you take to help achieve that goal? Post this plan on your refrigerator, in a daily reminder on your phone, or anywhere else it might catch your attention. single. sky.
Many people in all walks of life need a well-thought-out plan in front of them to get the job done! Making this plan now becomes part of your discipline. You have more control over your career than you think. As an actor, you are your own thing. Your agent is only responsible for so much. If you own a coffee shop or hair salon, you open the door every day and take care of your business and customers with love and care. The same goes for your acting business requirements. Welcome to the new year, you are a talented and talented CEO. We believe in you and your career as an actor!
Sarafina Vecchio is an actor, director and instructor at the Chicago Acting Studio. She has a passion for arts, crafts and Show business!
