One of my actor friends mentioned that my columns had been heavy on the analogies lately. Yeah, that’s definitely true. We’ve had a little football, a little high school, and a little cereal. So, I pledged to make this week’s column very straightforward. I was going to enter an analogy-free zone. I promised myself. And then, as I drove to a speaking engagement the other night, I came up with another flippin’ actor analogy.

So I bounced it off a group of showcasers I was meeting with. Could I go against my plan to have an analogy-free column? Was this one worth it? Yes, they assured me. So, here it is. I’m going to write about the A-List Playlist. To get into the mindset where this will work, I ask that you hop in the car with me, as I drive to this speaking engagement. But first, you have to understand the lengths I will go to avoid crossing the 405. (Yes, I am a Westside snob. And it’s not because I think the Westside is better than anywhere else; it’s because I really, really, really love living and working by the beach and I find it to be a “day trip” any time I leave the 310.)

One of the ways I make the trip to Hollywood bearable is through listening to really outstanding music. But I don’t always start out with the iPod. I will generally give the six radio stations on my car stereo’s preset a shot… until I can’t handle the unpredictable, random, occasionally interesting but eventually less pleasing musical options coming through. And that’s exactly like casting. Eventually, we all go to our A-List Playlist.

And that’s not because we’re not interested in discovering new music. It’s not due to the fact that we’re stuck in a rut and haven’t updated our list of favorite bands since high school. It’s because we like what we like and, when given the chance to explore new music, we will do so only until the excitement of potential “new finds” no longer outweighs the hassle of so much unpredictability and off-the-markness.

So, as I was driving into Hollywood, I finally decided I was completely “over” the radio and went to my iPod. And then I enjoyed the traffic more. Why? Because I knew, even if I didn’t love love love the next song up in the shuffle, it was still something I liked a great deal. And if I wasn’t in the mood for it, I could hit “skip” and go to something more exciting to me at the moment. Ahh… really does make the drive more pleasant.

It’s just like prereads, really. I will always save a few audition slots for actors whose work is new to me. Because you never know! There could be someone amazing who walks right in and knocks my socks off. Casting directors are thrilled when that happens! But in the end, the likelihood of that happening is slim enough that we can’t really count on it. That, coupled with reaching our tolerance level of the unknown, random issues (be that flake factor, blacklist behavior, or just poorly-matched to the role actors) is why the number of slots might be so few. And that’s why, after listening to the radio for a few miles (and maybe noting a couple of great new finds we’d like to load up on the iPod for future use), eventually, we’re gonna go to the content we can count on. We’ve spent a long time developing our master list of “hits.” And it’s not all the same stuff! We have eclectic taste and can enjoy a bunch of various types of music (er… I mean actors).

The question then becomes: “How do I get on a casting director’s A-List Playlist? How do I become an actor she will call in again and again, because she knows what she’s gonna get and enjoys being able to count on what I deliver?” Well, part of the answer is in the question itself. By being consistent, you absolutely develop a fanbase of casting directors who know they can count on you when they need what it is that you consistently deliver.

The other part of the equation is getting on the radar in the first place. And how do you do that?

Well, let’s bring it back to music! Getting airplay is probably the most efficient way of landing on someone’s radar. Catch-22, of course, since you pretty much need to know someone who’s willing to give your song airtime in order for the most potential future buyers to hear it, and the reason you want it heard by potential future buyers is because you’re really keen on getting airtime. Yeah. Sound familiar? “How do I get seen for a studio feature film role without a studio feature film role already on my resumé?” Right.

But I end up downloading lots of songs I hear snippets of in commercials, TV shows, films, even as transition music in showcases or plays! I’ll hear a little something I like, Google some keywords, and find out what that catchy song might be called. Just like that, it’s become a part of my A-List Playlist. Same goes for hearing music on someone’s MySpace page or having some friends going on and on about the new such-and-such track. It all lands on the potential future buyers’ radar at some point.

So, what are you doing to get your best tracks out there? Plays? Showcases? Stand-up? Improv? Shooting your own short films and uploading them to YouTube? Create your own buzz. We’ll catch on.

And as for those CDs out there who get in the car and go straight to the iPod? Ack. Well, those CDs are going to be a little tougher to impress, as you’re being given less of a shot (without those few miles of channel-surfing going on). All the more reason to put your work to work for you. Get viral. Get people excited about your work. Start with those who know and love you (and then build from there). The industry will follow. It’s part of our job.

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/000773.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.