Bonnie,
I am living in New York and am one year removed from college (drama ’11) and have made progress but am wondering what else I can do to further my career.
I am part of SAG-AFTRA (doing the required extra work); read and submit myself to all the auditions that are for my type on Actors Access, Backstage, CastIt; network and go to One on One and Actor’s Connection workshops (and have gotten great feedback and even been called into audition). I have had agent meetings and get some great initial interest but then never end up being signed and am wondering how I can change that.
I don’t have a solid reel yet, and I’m wondering how to get more SAG-AFTRA work (now that I am union) so I can build that up, or if there is something that I am missing completely.
I am a big fan of your column and any advice you could provide would be much appreciated! Thanks a lot!
Best,
Robbie Starr
Robbie, good for you! You are definitely doing a bunch of things that will help you, long-term. You are also totally missing one of the biggest things you can do for yourself, and it’s super easy to start doing: Self-Producing! That gets you your footage without waiting for it from someone else, for starters.
I’ve probably written so many articles here about self-producing that it’ll be an hours-long experience to dive down the rabbit hole and check out every tip I’ve shared. Do it anyway. Read it all. And read this amazing resource list from Helenna Santos Levy. Gosh, read every link I’ve shared in each of my archived columns on self-producing.
There’s a reason I celebrated self-produced clips for so long, here. It’s powerful stuff! So is all the Agent-Free Auditioning that’s out there. You’re already plugged in. That’s good. Be sure you’re staying as plugged in as you possibly can be!
Finally, remember that you’re in this for the long haul. You’re not retiring tomorrow, and that means you have decades ahead of you to experience the lovely magic of your chosen career. Build relationships. Add information to Your Show Bible. Read everything you can get your hands on and always remember that you’re choosing this career, daily, and that means some days are gonna be tougher than others (but it all beats the best day at a job you might hate).
Stay encouraged. Stay plugged in. Stay proactive. Stay filled with excitement for what you’re experiencing. How awesome is this creative career you’ve chosen!?! Yay!
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/001522.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.