Hello!
First off, thank you so much for sharing all of your awesome insights on the business of acting. You’re so good at covering all of the details and explaining things in a way I can understand them. I reference the same articles again and again as I’m navigating through my career.
I just wanted to get your opinion on something. You critiqued my headshot and resumé when you did your Get Critiqued columns, which were SO helpful. I made all of the adjustments you suggested, but my husband also did a drastic redesign for me. I really love it, but I recently went to a workshop given by an older industry vet who reviled the new trend of branding. He made fun of a particular resumé he saw with bright colors and cutesy fonts, and I got worried that my resumé may look that way. I was wondering if you could take a look at it and tell me if you think it stands out in a good way or in an unprofessional way.
In an effort to honor your no email attachments policy, I haven’t attached it here, but with your permission I would love to send it to you for your feedback.
Thanks for your time! And thanks for being awesome!
Phyllis Jackson
Hi Phyllis,
Thank you for the email. Y’know what, I don’t even need to see your resumé to know how to answer your question, because this is exactly why I espouse the benefits of maintaining a show bible.
You’ve already said this guy is “an older industry vet” which means he may be anti-a LOT of trends that are really taking up steam (the evolving demo reel, self-taped auditions, self-produced work). And that doesn’t mean he’s wrong (or right). All it means is you’ve now figured out what NOT to send him! 🙂
What you need to do is send out what clicks for YOU and trust it’s conveying your brand correctly.
As I mentioned above, I’m in Orlando right now, and one of the actors I met with for a consulting session was talking about all the opinions she’d gathered on her haircolor, which was making her very confused about what color it should be. I asked her what haircolor she preferred and she proceeded to tell me about another handful of others’ opinions. “Great,” I said. “Let’s pretend all those folks are dead. Now what do YOU prefer?”
Once I got her to think about what she would do in a vacuum, it was clear what made her happiest, and then we could talk about in what ways an actor with that haircolor might be bookable, rather than trying to figure out how to adjust for the whims of folks who honestly couldn’t even agree on what to order for lunch, if they all came together for a meal.
So, let’s go back to your resumé, your headshot, your tools of all kind. Are they on-brand? Did you run them through the brand filter? Are they telling the story of how to cast you next? Do they FEEL good to you?
Great.
Then make a note that this particular guy is not in the “you” camp. He’s not feeling what you’re putting out there. Until he’s the only person in the world in charge of your future work, that’s not a problem. It’s just a data point. And it’s one that actually gives you more power than limitations.
Eliminating non-buyers from your list of potential buyers is a very powerful thing. It allows you to focus your attention on folks who are more likely to bring you in, bring you back, and help bring you to your next tier. That’s awesome.
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/001449.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.