Marketing Advice for Actors
How to market yourself as an Actor.
- Are you a professional performer or recent graduate?
Selling yourself is a tricky task for any actor but essential to your success.
So you need to find out the best ways you can do this, we have put together a quick check list to help you create the perfect marketing formula!
So let’s get started.
- CVs
Acting is a highly competitive business and your CV serves as textual proof of your abilities and achievements. If you have an agent, they may well sort out your CV for you.
If not, you’ll have to go at it alone!
There are some great templates online that can offer you a good guideline of an actors CV layout and style.
Just remember to keep it short, sharp and interesting. Add hyper links to Showreels and voice over files.
- Check list for your CV
Name and contact details
Equity/Spotlight
Height-Hair colour- Colour of eyes- Weight.
Playing age
Accents
Training
Credits-Split into:
Theatre
Film
TV
Commercials
Special skills
Horse riding ETC...
Musical skills.
Remember:
- Split up your credits into different media forms (i.e. film, theatre, TV etc.) in order to make it as easy as possible for casting Directors.
- Don’t forget to CHECK your spelling!
- Your Headshot.
Your headshot must be truthful and not a glorified version of yourself. After all Casting Directors will not be impressed if you walk in and don’t look anything like your picture!
Make sure your picture captures your personality and stands out.
A good headshot can clinch you a job especially if after recalls the decision is between just two actors.
Search on line for a good photographer Castingcall pro is a good site to use to do this, go to search actors put in your gender and age range and hit search. Then scroll through and look at the various headshots, once you find one you like, click and the name of the photographer will be there.
Contacts Directory available from Spotlight is also very useful for researching photographers. It is important to compare photographer’s portfolios to see which ones you prefer.
- Showreel
Showreels are quickly becoming a must for any actor.
If you can get a short piece of video or film footage of work that you have appeared in then all the better. However if you are yet to get work there are lots of companies out there offering great deals for actors to help build their showreels.
Another great way to build up a showreel is to apply for student films. There are lots of opportunities available so spend some time searching them out on various websites like castingcallpro and shooting people.
- Casting agents
Writing to Casting Directors is also another way to get your face out there. However casting directors are very busy people and though you may not get a reply it is still worth sending them your head shot and CV. Research Casting directors HERE
- Casting workshops.
If you haven’t done one already, I can really recommend casting director workshops.
It is an ideal way to get up close to well known working casting Directors and find out how they work and what is expected of you in an audition.
The Actors platform offer great value workshops.
You will get a chance to practise the audition process with a casting director and take part in a ‘questions and answer’ session at the end.
- Showcases
If you were not trained at one of the top drama schools you may not have taken part in a showcase.
Well don’t despair there are a few companies that stage these. This is such a good opportunity to get yourself out there and be seen by industry professionals. There is a cost attached but well worth doing it if you can.
The organisers not only help you choose a suitable piece but they invite industry along giving you a real chance of being seen by the people that matter. Actors Showcases London.
- Fringe Theatre
Fringe theatre is another option for you.
It is always difficult to find suitable fringe auditions but with determination and a lot of time spent researching you will be able to find some. Spotlight casting link, Equity Casting and Castingcallpro are a great place to start. Being in a fringe production will mean you can invite agents and casting directors along.
- Spotlight.
Spotlight is a real must have for Actors.
There is a criteria that you must meet to join but again if you are serious about the industry you need to get on there. You can upload your CV and there is a casting breakdown which is free to access for members.
- Finding an Agent.
Finding an agent is quite a difficult job but probably one of the most important. So it is worth spending time researching and finding the right agent.
- · Look to see who they represent,
- · The type of work they tend to get
- · Check to see if they represent any actors too similar to you.
- · Writing letters and inviting them to any Showcases or Fringe performances.
Hopefully you have found the above useful, remember Rome wasn’t built in day and it can take years to get a break but when you do all the hard work will have been worth it.
Advice on acting and acting schools in the UK or looking for a drop in class visit us at dramaclasses and we will do our best to help you.
Look out for ‘How to create your own work’ coming soon.
Author Lynn Beaumont. Dramaclasses.biz