Hey Bon, I’m totally on my “Hooray! It’s drop season” marketing pitch. I’ve narrowed down my target agent list and I’ve started my “market the heck out of them” plan, but I have a QUESTION….
Actor Stage Names
A friend and I were recently discussing the trend of soon-to-be first-time parents choosing baby names based on the availability of the name as a website. Yes, really. This is a thing. More unique spellings…
Long-Term Value of Show Bible Research
Bonnnniiieeeeeeeeee! Help! My target show got cancelled! I’m soooooo bummed! All that work I put into researching the team on the show, all that targeting, all that data entry for my show bible… dead, in…
The Queue Line
Ooh, I love it when patterns present themselves so clearly! Lately, I’ve been overrun with emails from, calls from, and coaching sessions with actors who left the business and are now coming back, ready to…
Nonexclusive Representation for Actors in Minor Markets
I am a union actor on the east coast jumping back into the business after a five-year hiatus. I want to go out as much as possible to rebuild my respectable but slightly musty film/TV…
Know Your Stuff
For the past few weeks, I’ve been casting some really specialized stuff. In addition to the reality show in which actors will team up with celebrity mentors (à la The Voice), I’m casting a series…
Agent Explains Why Actors Shouldn’t Put Their Phone Numbers on Their Resumes
The following exchange came about due to my advice that actors always keep their direct contact information on their resumes, profiles, websites, etc. My experience shows that those agents who *require* actors not share their…
The Lottery Ticket
You’re walking down the street. There’s one of those “scratcher” lottery tickets there on the ground. It has not been scratched off. You keep walking. WHAT?!? You keep walking? You don’t reach down and pick…
Do You Love Your Marketing Tools?
So, for this week’s Your Turn, I’d like to ask you to show off your goods. OFTEN, I am asked to help actors upgrade their resumé, retool their reel, pick their best headshot, proof their…
15 Years of Columns
In 1999, as a young actress, I showed up for my first day of work as a “floater temp” at the offices for what was then called Back Stage West. I had decided — after…