BUILD YOUR RESUME AND REEL

If you search the profiles on my website, you’ll see that some members have lots of experience, while others have very little or none. If you’re a new actor, it can be very frustrating the first time you sit down to create your resume. How do you create a resume if you don’t really have anything to put on it?

A great way to get experience that you can add to your resume is to audition for student projects. Student filmmakers are required to produce and direct several projects over the course of their program and they actively search for actors they can cast in various roles. While playing a role in a student-directed production may not sound glamorous there are several reasons why it could help your career.

Booking student-directed projects is a great way to build your resume. Have you ever compared your resume to samples you’ve seen on the internet and wondered if you’ll ever get that many credits? By submitting yourself for student projects, you have a great opportunity to play a variety of parts while getting valuable experience, and continually building your resume.

Secondly, it’s a great way to start building a reel. A reel is a collection of clips of your past work that you or your agent can create. A reel can be useful in many situations. You can send it to agents as an alternative to just sending a cover letter and headshot. Also if you want to audition for a part that’s out of state and you’re unable to travel, a reel can be a great way to get the attention of a casting director.

And lastly, participating in student-directed projects is a great way to network. You get to work with other creative individuals with an interest in your craft. And you never know which student director could be the next Scorsese or Coppola. Imagine being able to say that you knew an Academy award winning director when he was just starting his career. Not to mention that by keeping in touch you can establish great relationships that could very well benefit you later in your career.

We have tons of casting notices for student productions on our site. Take a look and start building your resume today. Another great way to land opportunities and start building your resume is The Best Talent Awards, Hollywood’s premier talent showcase. Join Star Search Casting and apply for a scholarship to attend this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Tomorrow I’ll share more information about The Best Talent Awards. It’s an amazing opportunity you won’t want to miss.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

While landing a gig in the entertainment industry is one of the most fun and exciting opportunities one can have, it’s still important to treat it like any other job. Whether you’re an actor, dancer, singer or model, there are still valuable business strategies that must be applied to your chosen profession. One of those strategies is networking. I’ve met so many people in the industry over the course of my career. Establishing valuable relationships with other professionals in my industry has greatly contributed to my own professional success. If you’re determined to have a successful career in the entertainment industry, it’s important that you really get out there and network with others who can help you get your foot in the door.

Networking is defined several ways. One definition is the exchange of information and services between different individuals or businesses. Another is connecting with people with similar interests to uncover opportunities. Both of these are great definitions, and both describe actions you should be engaged in regularly in order to further your career.

If you’ve never networked before, it’s easy to do. If you’re an aspiring model, dancer, actor or singer, here are some great networking tips that will serve you well in your career:

-Meet and keep in touch with as many people in the industry as possible
-Find as many organizations and events as you can that are related to your chosen career. Be sure to attend them regularly.
-When you meet others in the industry, ask lots of questions. You never know what you’ll learn.
-Be able to communicate what types of opportunities you’re looking for so that others will know how to help you.
-Learn the art of following up. If someone gives you a business card, contact them the next day. -Never wait days or weeks, giving them the opportunity to forget who you are.
-Share information you’ve learned with others. When you help others, they are likely to help you when they know of opportunities that would benefit you.

If you’re not sure how to meet people in the industry or find information on opportunities and events that would be great for networking, visit our site for more information. Star Search Casting is a great resource for uncovering helpful information and maintaining a dialog with others in the industry with similar career goals and interests. And don’t forget to visit the message boards. You never know who you could meet!

How To Ace Your Audition

So many members on our website are getting the opportunity to go out on auditions. And what’s more exciting is that they’re booking them! Thousands of Star Search Casting members are getting incredible results, many within the first month of joining the site.

Whether it’s your first audition or your fifteenth, it’s always exciting to be on the brink of a new job. However, one of the biggest barriers to succeeding in an audition is nerves. While going on an audition is exciting, it can also be nerve wracking. Will they like you? Will you be able to perform as well as you’ve rehearsed once you get in the room? Tons of questions and insecurities begin to take over and can cause you to lose focus. And we all know that if your nerves get the best of you, it’s very possible that you might ruin your chances of getting a role that you’re perfect for.

So how do you get over your audition jitters so that you’re able to shine? One of the best ways to get rid of nervous energy is by being prepared, and knowing the secrets to a great audition. One working actor who’s been on lots of auditions and who’s booked roles on shows like Monk, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Sleeper Cell offers the following advice:

-Try to memorize your lines so. It’s okay to keep your sides* in your hand, but don’t be held hostage by the script.

(Note: “Sides” is an industry term that refers to the 2 or 3 pages of the script that you will be asked to read from during your audition.)

-ALWAYS read over your lines with another ACTOR before you go to your audition.

-Try wearing clothing that suggests the character, but don’t over do it. If you’re playing a cop don’t audition in a police uniform, but something like a blue polo shirt might do the trick.

-While in the waiting room, don’t feel obliged to chat. If you need time to study your lines or take a few deep breaths to prepare, feel comfortable doing that.

-Engage the casting director when you enter the room. Often the conversation that you have with the casting director before you do your scene is what gets you the part.

-Once you leave your audition, let it go. Don’t overanalyze how you could have done it better. Celebrate your efforts!

Ready to practice some of these tips and book your next job? Log on to http://www.starsearchcasting.com today for upcoming auditions near you!

And be sure to visit my blog tomorrow for advice on choosing the best photographer for your headshots!