quote of the week (qotw) 2/13
Be Your Own CEO: Why You Should Keep A Spreadsheet
By Melodi Erdogan
Ahh, the spreadsheet. They may seem like an unlikely pairing, but spreadsheets and acting go together like peanut butter and jelly.
You're starting the year off with a clean slate. With every opportunity that comes your way in 2019, input every piece of information you can to keep yourself organized and track your progress.
For example, let's say you're a new actor trying to find an agent and also self-submitting yourself for projects wherever you can. Create two spreadsheets or documents (whatever floats your boat - both are free with Google Docs and a Google account, so no excuses), and begin gathering information you can find to create a record for yourself. Let's say you submit your materials to agencies - you would create a list of the agency, their primary TV/Film agent, the email you submitted your materials to, the date you submitted, which headshots you submitted, etc, etc. And for projects you self-submit for, you'd follow a similar pattern, also keeping track of dates, roles, projects, casting directors - any pertinent information you can find.
If you're a working actor, it's a similar process. Your resume outlines which projects you've shot and who has cast you in what, but auditions are a different ball game. Maybe you never realized you hadn't booked with a certain casting director until you kept track of how many times you've auditioned for them. Or maybe you never realized you hadn't booked a show on a certain network. OR maybe you never realized how many callbacks you actually attended with or without booking the gig.
All the information you have access to is vital to expanding your opportunities. Having it all organized in one spreadsheet can do wonders for achieving your goals and really focusing your career on attainable, realistic steps. When you get an audition, get excited to input all the information you have into your spreadsheet - the date you got it, what project and role it's for, which network it's on, who the casting director is, who the producers/directors are, when it shoots, and even the date/time you submitted your audition - and if you booked the job, the dates you worked (wardrobe fitting, rehearsals, shoot dates, everything) and your check numbers and payments. Not only will this give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on your craft, but it will also present you with a better overall view of your acting career and help attack areas you know you might be missing.
You thought that if you'd become an actor you wouldn't have to deal with spreadsheets. It's true, to a certain degree. But by utilizing what you have in front of you, staying organized with information, and tracking your progress, you truly become the CEO of your company, allowing yourself to focus on what you're really here for: acting.
quote of the week (qotw) 2/6
"Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths. ” - Drew Barrymore
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TIP TUESDAY: Stay Organized
BY MELODI ERDOGAN
Successful actors are smart actors. And smart actors stay organized. You're starting the year off with a clean slate, so enforce some personal organization guidelines for yourself to truly keep track of your career.
We'll expand on this next week, but we promise you'll be glad to keep track of all the information you're presented with.
quote of the week (qotw) 1/30
"We all want to escape our circumstances, don't we? Especially if you are an actor. ” - Benedict Cumberbatch
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Setting Goals For The Year Ahead
BY MELODI ERDOGAN
Set Realistic, Attainable Goals
This business is incredibly competitive and cutthroat. As to focus on your talent and not the competition, set realistic goals for the year that you know you can strive towards. If you're dying to audition for a specific series, create a demo reel and/or headshots to the style of that show. Desperate to get one-on-one time with a Casting Director? Follow them on social media and catch them at their next public event.
Becoming a series regular or lead in a film would be great, but don't set yourself up to fail. Focus on what you can actually do yourself to expand your opportunities and forward your career. Your team (agents, friends, taping studio, teachers) will all use that to help push you forward.
Focus On Your Goal
--Write it out, meditate on it, think of it often.
But don't get too specific since that can put you at a dead end. Let your overall career goal for 2019 be something like, "to get paid to act," or perhaps, "book a network gig," or even, "audition for everything." Save a few exceptions, stick to your goal. If you're an actor who wants to pursue acting full-time (and not just fame and fortune), these examples are key to staying focused.
quote of the week (qotw) 1/23
"You’re only human. You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damned red velvet cupcake.” - Emma Stone
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YOUR TOP 5 of 2018
It’s a new year and as always, there needs to be some reflection, some assessment.
How often do you go back and look at past auditions? I’m certainly not suggesting that you spend hours going over each one, but it is not a bad idea to do a little self-examination.
Think about all of the auditions that you did this past year. Which ones were you the most proud of? They may not necessarily be the ones that got you a booking. So choose your TOP 5. Go back and take a look at them. What worked really well? What did you like about them? Looking at them today, do you still believe the performances? Are there things that do not seem totally authentic as you view them with a little more perspective? Assess and analyze. This process will make you a better actor. By the same token, you can choose 5 auditions that you were not as crazy about. Maybe you will see some real positives when you watch them again. Or, this can be an opportunity to see how much you have grown as a performer. Use this exercise to help you evaluate and set goals for the new year.
Assessing your body of work is a pretty crucial step, so you can move forward in a positive new direction for 2019!
quote of the week (qotw) 1/2
"If we cannot see the possibility of greatness, how can we dream it?”
- Lee Strasberg
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Tip Tuesday: Happy New Year!
