Last week’s Your Turn was about solutions for record-keeping in the entertainment industry. I shared a few options that I’ve tried out, and then asked readers to share their systems with us. The best advice on the topic came from Chris Forsyth. Here ’tis!
Hey Bon. I’ve tried half a dozen contact management systems over the past four years (yes, I am a tech geek), and hands down the system that works the best for me is (and you already mentioned it) the BlackBerry married with Outlook (yes… I am a Windows guy).
I am surprised however, that none of the major providers (at least that I am aware of) have put together an easily downloadable (CD, agent, whatever) version of contact info for industry people that one could simply import into Outlook. Although I’d have to say, I probably wouldn’t use it anyway, because I have a specific system that works great for me.
With each audition, I have entered the CD’s info into outlook, including (in the notes field) likes, dislikes, comments, and current and past projects that I am familiar with (all gleaned from the “Casting Director Guide” from NowCasting.com purchased from Samuel French monthly). I carry this guide in my backpack everywhere I go also. After doing this for a while, I now only have to create a new contact every so often because I am seeing the same CDs again and again. BUT, each audition I do, I enter (in that CD’s contact notes field), what it was for, the character name, how it went, what I wore, comments from the CD, etc.). This becomes a journal of sorts tied to the specific CD contact page.
All of this is constantly synchronized with my BlackBerry. This way, as I become more and more “known” to a particular casting director, and I am on my way to an audition for Paul Weber for example, I can pull him up on my BlackBerry on the way to the audition, remind myself what I have auditioned for in the past with him, how it went, any of his comments, suggestions, etc. I can see what he himself has said his “likes” and “dislikes” are, etc. I also have a basis from which to carry on a “normal” conversation with him, should the opportunity to do that arise.
Information is knowledge, knowledge is power, and in today’s day and age, it is great to have it at your fingertips! And keep in mind, I have only been in LA for eight months, and just signed with both of my agents two to three months ago, so the curve to start all of this up was steep. But now that it is a system, it runs very smoothly.
Back to why I wouldn’t use the downloadable version of all CDs, all agents, etc. The info I want in my BlackBerry on each CD is the stuff that I have gleaned from my personal experience and interactions with them (the auditions, their likes, their dislikes, etc.). You’ve been in there for a while because of Showfax, but when I saw you for the part of NATE in Broken Windows, all that info went in your contact page. Having the CD’s basic contact info — address and phone number — is only really important when you need to know where to go today for the audition (and is easily gleaned from my handy “CD Guide” that goes everywhere with me). My next day is always Google-mapped out the night before, not to mention that all that info is provided in the audition notice from my agent anyway.
So in reality, there doesn’t seem to be an “easy” way around it. It takes some work, but the result is so well worth it!
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000662.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.