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.

LOOK THE PART

One of our Star Search Casting members recently wrote in:

"I love this website! I just signed up, and in an hour I had found 10 auditions that would be perfect for me. Thanks, SSC!!!!!!!!"

Brianna Redding, Pennsylvania

I love that we can provide so many opportunities for talented people from so many different regions. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the auditions on our site, be sure to visit us today. There are lots of new opportunities posted.

While many of our members get an opportunity to audition for a variety of productions, quite a few are new to the industry and aren’t really sure what to expect on their first audition. Lots of people have questions like, What should I wear? Or How should I wear my hair?

If you’ve been called in by a casting director who’s seen your headshot (as opposed to an open call), try to look as much like your photo as possible. Don’t send in a picture and then change your hair color and hairstyle.

Be professional and neat in appearance. An audition is very much like an interview. You don’t want to wear anything that might be considered sloppy or inappropriate.

Make sure you’re age appropriate. If you’re auditioning for a Disney role, be sure to look fresh and youthful. If you’re going after a more mature role, make sure your hair, makeup and outfit reflect that.

Be trendy and fashionable, but don’t over do it. You don’t want to show up in anything that will distract from your audition.

Make sure you’re comfortable. You don’t want to inhibit your ability to perform because you’re insecure about what you’re wearing, or because your feet hurt.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. So one of the most important things you’ll need to wear is a winning, confident smile.

Check back on Monday for tips on how to launch your career as a singer. If you have questions about any topics in my blog, or any other questions about the entertainment industry, feel free to submit them in the comments section and I’ll be happy to address them.

TURN YOUR NEW ROLE INTO REPRESENTATION

Guess what! I’ve got some really exciting news to report. We’ve done the math and you won’t believe how many members on our site have been contacted by casting directors and agents.

381,373 members were contacted in the last year
22,164 members were contacted in the last 30 days
7,074 members were contacted in the last 7 days

And our members shared some really great success stories. I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate everyone who got an audition or booked a job this past month! I’m really happy for you guys. Please keep sharing your success stories. They truly make my day!

Now on to today’s blog…

So you’ve been scouring the internet and industry publications for auditions and it’s finally paid off! Congratulations! But guess what? You’ve still got work to do. Your hard work has landed you a job, but now’s the time to leverage your new role and get representation.

Whether you’ll be featured in a live stage, television or film production, it’s important to get the word out to the people who can help you take your career to even greater heights. Now’s the time to let agents and managers know that you’re a bankable talent and you’re ready to take the industry by storm.

How do you do this? It’s actually quite easy. Most people send mass mailings to agents and managers when they are looking for representation. You can apply the same principle when you’ve landed a role. Sending a simple postcard to announce your new role to agents and managers can greatly improve your odds of getting representation, compared to simply sending a headshot and a cover letter that may or may not be opened or given substantial consideration.

The front of the postcard should be a full color headshot with your name and the role you’re appearing in. On the back, you can include more information about yourself and about your new role. Be sure the info is short and concise and that your photo is engaging. If it’s a live performance, invite the agent or manager to attend. If it’s a television or film role, invite them to tune in or check it out.

Be advised that the manager or agent will probably not come to your live performance. However, what’s most important is that they 1) See your face, and identify you as someone they may want to work with, 2) See that you’re able to book work, and that a relationship with you could be a profitable one and 3) Call you to schedule an appointment for you to come in and meet with them.

So what are you waiting for? Start sending out those postcards today! Not sure where to send your postcards? Visit our site today for a list of agents and managers in your area!

Remember to check back on Monday for information on how networking can help to boost your career. Have a great weekend!