New Year New Acting Opportunities

2017 is off to a roaring start!

We have chaos in Washington and piles of snow here in upstate New York. Tons of film projects are coming to our area and in the past two months, Hudson Valley Casting has already placed over 40 people in various projects.

Hudson Valley Casting and Acting Coaching with Wayne Pyle have also been working with a publisher at Hachette Audio who produces audiobooks right here in the Hudson Valley. We've booked people for fiction, non-fiction and even a fun children's book.

If your New Year's Resolution was to get more acting work, NOW is the time to take action. I have an agent and a manager and I still have to be on the lookout for opportunities and use all of the resources available to me to book work. If you don't have an agent or manager, don't despair. The work is there if you actively pursue it.

Here are some things I've found to be very helpful when looking for work. Give some of them a try and leave me a comment when you book a job!

1. ABIT (Always Being In Training) - no matter what experience level you are, being an actor means always being in training. What is training? Exercising your acting muscles so you stay in shape as an actor. It could mean taking a class, reading a script (out loud) and working on the acting questions in the script, following the trades to find out what is happening. Seeing film, theatre, television and analyzing what the actors are doing that make us pay attention. Listening to voiceover analytically to find out what makes us listen. Be a well-rounded actor by engaging in the actor's world as often as you can.
2. Networking - make sure you are getting out there in the world to meet with peers, mentors, and the people who are making the kind of work you want to make. You have to actively pursue this work, it is very rare for it to find you and make you a celebrity. You have to be around the people that make things happen. Go to mixers that Hudson Valley Casting posts on their Facebook page. Go to seminars. Reach out to people on social media and ask them questions. Don't pester, but throw out a question and see if an answer comes back.
3. Use the Internet Wisely - if you are using websites like Actors Access, Casting Networks and others, use them wisely. Some people just submit themselves for every job they see, whether they are right for the work or not. It's the carpet bomb method of finding work. I'm not sure that this is the best way to approach things because it can come across as too desperate. Be careful with this! Make sure you are following Hudson Valley Casting and Acting Coaching with Wayne Pyle on Facebook so you can see casting notices that come up on both of these pages. Follow this blog and keep up to date with the tips and techniques I'm sharing here.
4. Asking Questions - When you aren't sure how to do something, don't be afraid to ask! Questions are always good, you can live a whole life trying to find the answers. That being said, don't pester casting people with a lot of questions about when casting decisions will be made. It is often out of their hands. They get you the opportunity, you have to wait for decisions to be made. It's also not a good idea to ask casting directors a lot of actor questions that you should be searching for yourself. Casting directors don't have the time to do your homework. If the sides don't provide the information, MAKE A CHOICE. When you are in the room with the director, they would rather see you make a strong choice that they can direct, rather than making no choice at all.
5. Follow Through - if you've met someone at a mixer: a casting director, film producer, coach, etc., follow through with them in a few days with a quick note to remind them that they met you. Do not be pushy! Just drop a quick note saying what a pleasure it was to meet them (if that is true) and let them know you are available for work. You are making CONNECTIONS by following through. Follow Through also means that you show up for the auditions you sign up for and take jobs that you've auditioned for unless something else comes up that absolutely keeps you from taking the job. When you constantly cancel auditions or decline offers, you are cutting off your own opportunities to keep working, networking and growing as an actor.
6. Create Your Own Work - this one is difficult, but it is a great way to find more work. Work begets work, I always say. There is something about creation that generates energy to help you find more work. Create a YouTube video, start a podcast, write a script, make a small movie on your iPhone, take a class where you create new work for yourself, take a class where you audition for casting people, write a play, etc. Rather than waiting around for someone to give you a job, figure out a way to create work and opportunities for yourself.

Here are a few links to explore:

Backstage - 7 Ways to Create Your Own Work
NY Castings - 9 Must Know Facts About Creating Your Own Work
Actors & Performers - Make Your Own Hollywood
The Huffington Post - Actors Who Make Their Own Works
Daily Actor - Create Your Own Work "Okay...about what?"