GARY MASON

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Wisdom

Guest Blog – Karen Weeks: Ways to Make Money From Home in Arts and Entertainment

Finances, General, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This week we have a guest blogger, Karen Weeks.

Karen is a Senior Lifestyle blogger. After retirement, she struggled with finding a new sense of purpose which led to taking a computer course for her to learn a new skill. She created Elderwellness.net as a resource for seniors who want to keep their minds, bodies, and spirits well. In this week’s post Karen talks about how to make money from home.

Artists

Almost 2.5 million Americans are artists, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. If you work in arts and entertainment, creative income options let you earn money from home with a flexible schedule.

Teach Art

Turn your artistic talents into income by teaching others. Musicians might teach vocal or musical instrument lessons. Music lessons cost an average of $30 to $60 per hour, according to Musician Authority. Visual artists can hold in-person or online classes to teach various methods. You can also create self-paced online courses for passive income.

Share Online

Blogs and YouTube channels let you share your art online. You might cover projects or explain the processes you use. Ads and affiliate links are two common ways to monetize. In your blog post, you can use affiliate links to link to the art supplies you use.

You can also use blogs and YouTube to promote your artwork. You might link to the website where you sell your art or promote online courses you sell.

Write About Art and Entertainment

Freelance writing opportunities let you share your knowledge about art. The median pay for writers is $67,120 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earnings vary based on the per-piece or per-word rate and how many pieces you write. You can often have your byline or a link to your website included, which can get you more traffic.

Monetize Your Art

Your art can make you money in several ways whether you’re selling your original artwork, illustrating a book, or working as a graphic designer. Choose monetization methods that work for you. Some options include:

  • Licensing your work through stock agencies.
  • Selling prints of your artwork.
  • Selling your artwork on mugs, shirts, and other items.
  • Designing greeting cards.

Do Commissioned Work

When you work on commission, you create specific artwork based on clients’ requests for an agreed-upon amount. When setting your rates, consider how long it’ll take and your desired minimum hourly wage. Fine artists make a mean hourly wage of $31.26, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Multiply your desired hourly wage by how long it’ll take and add the cost of materials to calculate your minimum. Your rates can be higher for more complicated designs.

Start Your Own Business

If you create arts and crafts, you can start your own business. Research your target market, name your business, and choose a business structure. Many new business owners choose to form an LLC, or limited liability company. This type of business offers personal asset protection, flexible management structures, and tax benefits. Plus, forming an LLC is relatively simple and straightforward. However, it’s important to understand the process and requirements before getting started. Most formation services can help you with the filing paperwork and can even provide registered agent service to ensure your business remains in good standing. If you’re looking for a good formation service, be sure to look up BestLLCServices.com cheapest LLC formation info online before you make a decision.

SELL!

You’ll also need to determine where and how you’ll sell your products. Many artists choose to sell on Etsy as the platform allows for custom orders. However, you may discover other platforms that are more suited to the art you create, as well as the people who like it.

Freelance

You can also find one-off projects through freelance opportunities. You might do freelance illustrations for books, design e-book covers, write music for a radio ad, or create other visual designs. You can offer your services on sites like Upwork, which lets you create a profile for your artistic services. You can also find freelance jobs listed by companies on various job websites. Create a profile on those same sites, so people who need artists for freelance work can find you.

Make Money at Home

Diversifying how you sell your art helps you increase your income while working from home. The ideas above should give you some creative income options.

And there you have it!

Some outstanding suggestions for how to generate income from home! Thanks Karen for a great read and for bailing me out this week while I am away from home on set.

 

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

 

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

Financial Advice for Actors

Acting, Encouragement, Finances, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This week I’d like to spend some time talking about Money Management.

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

If you are independently wealthy…

Or, if you are married to someone who is…stop reading now and wait for next week’s post.  What we are about to talk about are ways to manage the scarce finances you have so that you can continue to:

  • Pursue your acting career
  • Avoid living out of your car
  • Eat regularly
  • Stay married (if you are)
  • Avoid bankruptcy

Actor Finances

It’s a touchy subject and nobody really likes to talk about money.  Well, they love to talk about what they’d do if they HAD money, but not how much they actually have. What this post aims to do is give you some common sense (which seems to be not so common actually) ways to manage what finances you have to counteract the hit-or-miss nature of this career and avoid the four decades break I took to have a 9-5 job before getting back into acting.

Seriously

All kidding aside, this industry can be brutal on your financial health and that leads to stress, which affects your performance and can reduce the number of paid gigs you actually book.  It’s like a self-licking lollipop, or a self-fulfilling prophecy or whatever euphemism you enjoy describing how much it can suck to not know where (or when) your next paycheck is coming. There ARE some steps you can take to reduce stress and help you continue to live through the lean times.

Survival job

I’ve talked about this (several times really) before, but nearly everyone, especially early in your career (like the first 10-15 years) is going to need some sort of survival job. If at all possible, stay away from corporate jobs especially ones that require a lot of travel.  Also, the military is probably not a good survival job (take it from me).  It needs to be something fairly flexible for the times you book work, or something that you can quit when you do and fairly quickly find another when you are between gigs.  Servers in a restaurant is popular, and (assuming you have a reliable vehicle) I like to recommend something like Lyft, Uber, DoorDash or Grubhub where you only work when you want to and don’t get demerits for missing several days. In any case, you definitely need some sort of regular, fairly reliable income.

Budgets

Yeah, I know, it sounds like a dirty word.  In actuality a budget is a necessary tool for everyone, but ESPECIALLY for actors who sometimes have periods of “unemployment”.  It’s a tool…but it’s NOT a tool for bludgeoning your spouse or SO with when they buy an unplanned happy meal.  It’s a tool to use to plan your spending in such a way that you can make sure all your bills are paid and you are setting aside some funds for the lean times.

It’s only as restrictive as YOU want

Your budget is…well…yours.  It’s not a restrictive tool, or at least it is only as restrictive as YOU want it to be.  This is all about helping you achieve your goals.  The assumption with your budget is that the goal you are reaching for is more important than whatever unplanned extravagance you are considering. A budget first helps you identify your “means” and then helps you live within them…or identify the fact you need to do something to increase those means.

But…how do you establish a budget?

Budgeting is a lot easier than most people think.  Honestly, it is ALL about balancing expenses with income.  The two primary steps to establishing a budget are to identify what your regular income is (you can average it by month if it is not consistent) and what your regular expenses are.  The first part is easy: Go back over the last 12 months and add up all your income, then divide by 12.  That should tell you your average monthly income.  Budget to that amount.

Determine average expenses

For three months, track everything you spend money on.  Yeah, I know that’s a pain, and you likely won’t capture 100%, but go for at least 99%.  Start with “The 4 Walls”: Housing, Utilities, Food and Transportation.  These are the bare minimum you’ll need to fund.  Then figure out how much your Starbucks, fast food and other incidental expenses are. Add them all up, average them (divide by three since you are tracking them for three months) and those are your expenses.  This step will also help you identify where financial “leaks” are.  Financial leaks are where you are spending more than you believe you are, you may be surprised.

Plug the leaks!

You may find that you are spending way more buying lunch every day, or on your daily coffee shop run or SOMEthing, than you think you are.  Then you just have to decide (for yourself) whether to continue those habits or stop them.  My guess is there are a number of things you are doing that could be curtailed and would help bring your expenses more in line with your income.  However you do it, it is imperative that your expenses come in lower than your income.  Either stop spending on some things or figure out how to bring in extra income.

Make sure…

When establishing your budget don’t forget to include funds for ongoing training/coaching and those items that only happen a couple times a year like car insurance and Christmas.  If you budget a small amount each month for those things, then don’t spend it on something else, you’ll have the money for them when they happen and won’t be stressed about them then either.

A quick word about Debt

Debt is the death of healthy finances, especially when your income is a bit sporadic like an actor’s.  I’m not going to berate you, but keep in mind that debt means you are dedicating money to someone that you have not yet earned, and you are paying to use your “future” money.  There is a reason a bank’s headquarters are a lot bigger than the average person’s house.  Other than a mortgage (if you have one) do everything you can to avoid debt.  If you have credit cards, spend only as much on them as you can pay off every month.  Get a copy of Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and follow it for a method to get out of debt and stay that way.

SAVE!

Once you have identified all of your income/expenses and have yourself living within your means, start putting aside 10% (minimum) or 15% toward an emergency fund (3-6 months of expenses set aside for those lean times).  And there WILL be lean times, but if you know your expenses can be covered your stress level will go WAY down. When your emergency fund is fully funded, take that same 10-15% and save it for retirement, or your kids college.  Saving is really the only way to BUILD wealth.

The message here is:

Take control of your finances and KEEP control of them.  It is PARTICULARLY important for actors whose income is not set and who will likely have periods of (acting) unemployment to manage their money properly.  But even when you book that dream gig and get paid big bucks don’t go wild and buy that yacht you are drooling over. Appearances to the contrary, there are number of celebrities who seem uber-wealthy but are actually broke.

Testimonial

Not bragging, but to give you an example, here is my financial story – take from it what you will.  My late wife and I earned in excess of $200,000.00 a year between us.  We were living paycheck-to-paycheck and had (besides our home) $75,000.00 in consumer debt. We decided to take control, followed Dave Ramsey’s advice and in 18 months we were debt free other than our mortgage.  Two years later we had more than $100,000.00 in savings and a fully funded emergency fund.  It’s a good thing too, because when she passed (with no life insurance) I would not have been able to keep up (and would have had to finance her funeral!); I would have had to declare bankruptcy.

Your situation is different

Everyone’s is.  We thought we were in a really good place financially, but we were one tragedy away from financial devastation.  Today I have a reasonably high net worth and can pursue my acting career without having to worry about paying the bills.  I believe that is at least partially responsible for whatever success I’ve experienced because I can just ACT in an audition and not worry about “getting a job”.  No matter where you are today financially, you can take control of your finances, change your financial position AND pursue your acting career without the stress of needing to book a gig.  You might be surprised how many more jobs you book after that!

NOTE: I am happy to help with setting up your budget or discussing ways to get control of your finances.  Feel free to reach out with any questions: gary@gary-mason.com.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

Looking for a great Non-Fiction read?  Check out the “Get Stuff Done!” promotion!

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

Motivation

Acting, Encouragement, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This week I’d like to spend some time talking about Motivation!

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

What is motivation?

Honestly, it is a little hard to pin down.  My old friend Miriam-Webster defines motivation as:

      1. a : the act or process of motivating

b : the condition of being motivated

Very unhelpful – So I went to Motivate:

: to provide with a motive : impel

OK, let’s check Motive:

: something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act

AH HA!  That’s closer.  So, motivation derives from the word motive which relates to WHY a person may do something. And there you have it, in a nutshell, motivation is WHY you do something.  In this case it is acting.  If the answer to WHY you act is to book gigs, make money, win awards or achieve fame then when those thigs don’t happen, or happen too slowly it is going to be impossible to maintain motivation.

It’s a crazy profession

Let’s face it, this career is not for the faint at heart.  Work can be sporadic; feedback is nearly non-existent, and it is filled with highs and lows.  Especially in the low periods, it is tough to stay motivated.  The truth is, an acting career is CHOCK full of uncertainty…so how in the world do you stay motivated!?

First things first…

To begin with, if you have periods in your acting career where you just don’t feel motivated…don’t despair because you are not alone.  As a matter of fact, if you DIDN’T lack motivation from time to time that’s when you would be all alone.  It is impossible to stay motivated 100% of the time, so if you feel unmotivated don’t beat yourself up.

If you are not feeling motivated…

During those periods where motivation is lacking it is perfectly acceptable to step away for a bit.  Take a break, do something else and then come back.  Now, I’m not talking about taking a FOUR DECADE break like I did…that was just stupid of me…but a day or two, or even a week, off doing something else may be just what you need.

The KEY is…

The key to taking a break is: It is a break, not the end.  Don’t quit.  Rest, relax, rejuvenate, find some other artistic outlet temporarily…and then get back to work on your career.  Just like you have to sleep at night, sometimes your career needs a little nap as well.   A LITTLE nap…not a hibernation like mine was.  It was tough to get back into this after 40 years (but here I am!).

Why do we lose motivation?

There are no studies I can find concerning actors and why we sometimes lose motivation, but IMHO one of the biggest factors is the uncertainty of it all.  We train and train and train, we submit and submit and submit…we audition and audition and audition…and no matter how much work we are doing, there is just no guarantee our careers will take off.  It is tough to stay motivated if there is not a clear path to success.  And yet, here we are.

Acceptance

I may have mentioned before (Once or Twice) that the only really good reason to pursue acting is because you love it.  With the level of uncertainty in this business any other reason would result in burnout quite quickly.  So one of the first things to help keep you motivated is to accept that this uncertainty exists, and that it exists IN SPITE of your talent, work ethic and determination.  Remember: even people like Robert DeNiro don’t get every role they go after.  Yeah, I know…he doesn’t really have to audition anymore, but you get the idea.  Uncertainty exists throughout the industry.

Then understand…

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  Your acting career is not going (or at least is very unlikely) to take off overnight.  Well, it might take off overnight some night in the future, just not TONIGHT.  Malcolm Gladwell tells us that it take 10,000 hours to become proficient at something and while that particular myth has been busted, the general idea still holds true:  You have to work at this to become proficient before you start seeing real results.

How do you get motivated?

Start by remembering that you do this work because YOU enjoy it. Even when other people don’t enjoy your work (although I admit that is a tough pill to swallow).  Also remember that just because ONE person (like the person making the casting decisions) doesn’t like your work, or more probably likes someone else’s work better, doesn’t mean there is NO ONE who likes it.  It’ not bad just because some individual isn’t impressed.  If you are enjoying yourself, whether you are getting hired or not, then you are successful…and that alone is a reason to keep going!

Enjoy auditions!?

Yep…there it is…the unvarnished truth.  You should enjoy doing auditions.  After all, you do this work because YOU enjoy it, and auditioning IS ACTING.  By being able to perform an audition, either in front of someone or at home and sending it to them, you ARE ACTING.  It’s what you love doing…so enjoy it!

The key to enjoying auditions

I had a coach once who told me: “We audition for a living and every once in a while, someone gives us money”.  In order to enjoy auditions, you have to remove “booking the job” from the act of auditioning.  You are performing, that’s what you love to do.  You also love booking work, I get that…but you get to enjoy that separately; It’s a completely different part of this career.  Adopt this mindset: Auditioning IS acting, and working a gig is just a different type of acting.  Don’t let booking work be the factor that robs you of the joy of acting when you audition.

Go see a movie…

Want to get excited about acting again?  Go see a movie or watch a TV show, listen to a musician perform, listen to radio or TV commercials.   Take a class.  Experience other people who are also performing even if not the genre you perform in.  Watching other people perform feeds that artistic nature within yourself.  It’s like plugging your phone into the charger when the battery is low.  Watching others perform recharges you.

And let’s not forget…

Make sure you have a survival job that supports your dream.  I worked for the government for 41 years and between long hours, deployments, and work-related travel it was impossible to pursue an acting career.  Don’t do what I did.  If your survival job doesn’t support both your lifestyle AND your acting…maybe you should find another survival job.  Yeah, I know…much easier said than done, but not impossible.

Identify something you are in control of…

We’ve talked before about how LITTLE we are actually in control of, but if you are feeling unmotivated identify something you ARE in control of and concentrate on that for a bit.  Doing that helps you feel like you have some control over your career (and you do, just not a lot).  That alone may help get you some motivation back.

How do you stay motivated?

The only way I know to stay motivated is to surround myself with people who both understand the industry and the struggles we face and who are encouraging.  There is nothing quite as nice as hearing a friend respond to my woes of not booking much work with “Man, I don’t know why…you are AWESOME.  I wish I was as talented as you”.  It’s BS (I’m not all that talented), I know, but it is STILL nice to hear even if they ARE blowing smoke.  When you start to feel discourage and are losing motivation – connect with a friend who will encourage you.  You probably want someone who’ll tell you the truth, though, not like my friends.

And then…

Keep working. Nothing motivates me quite so much as actually accomplishing something. Have 5 auditions due (if ONLY)? Do one.  Finish it and send it in.  You’ll feel so good you’ll want to do another…and another, and another.  For some reason I find that working (even when I don’t want to) tends to make me want to.  It’s a weird self-imposed reverse psychology but it works for me.  It might work for you too!

At the end of the day

When all is said and done, no matter how much fun this job is, this is a tough industry to be a part of.  There is so much uncertainty, so little feedback (positive OR negative) that it is hard to know if you are wasting your time.  Remembering WHY you do this (You LOVE IT, right!?) and not tying your satisfaction or success to how many roles you book should help prevent discouragement and not sap your motivation.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

Looking for a great Non-Fiction read?  Check out the “Get Stuff Done!” promotion!

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

You’re Not Getting the F&^%ing Job! (Series): Part 11: And still…You’re not getting the f*&^ing job!

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This is week 11, the final post in the series relating to the psychology of the business, particularly as it relates to auditions and booking work; And still…You’re not getting the f*&^ing job!

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

Yeah, I know…

I missed a week. If you care about that, sorry!  Between a sick grandchild, problems with the new RV and a bad back…I just couldn’t make it all work.  Back at it this week though, so read on!

So here we are..

At the end of the series!  My old boss, Rear Admiral (RET) Larry Creevy, after every “ALL HANDS” meeting would tell a Sea Story.  You always knew he was getting ready to tell a Sea Story because he would say: “So there we were…”.  Stories ranged from how he dropped anchor at 15 knots while headed directly for the pier in South America to turn the 17,000-ton ship and come to rest safely at his berth, or how he bought a million pallets of bottled water to fill his freshwater tanks so the crew could take a shower.  Almost all were tall tales that had some grain of truth to them. All were at least somewhat humorous.  I kind of miss that guy!

What follows

What follows here is not a Sea Story…but I thought what he did was fun, and I wanted to give him a shout out.  But still…Here we are.  At the end of a fairly long series of writings about acting and how difficult it is to book work.  I’d like to use THIS post to remind you of a few important things from the series, just to wrap it up.

Why?

Acting is a tough profession to be in.  It’s competitive to the extreme (although most actors are friendly and helpful), tough to break into and even tougher to be successful.  It’s hard work, sometimes grueling hours and can have long periods of unemployment between gigs. It has been reported that only 2% of actors make a living by acting, and only .01% become famous. So, if you want to be an actor you have to ask yourself; WHY?  If the answer to that question is anything but “I LOVE ACTING!” you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

They don’t “get” it

Odds are that as an actor you have people in your life who don’t get why you do what you do and encourage you to “get a real job”.  Given that only 2% of actors can support themselves with acting it’s a safe bet you already have a “real job” to support yourself and your acting.  As much as you can, try to distance yourself from, or completely remove, those people from your life. Believe it or not those people are taking away from your creativity, confidence, and your ability to book work!  If you can’t remove them or distance yourself…you are gonna need to develop a pretty thick skin. Know your talent, understand you are good enough and then ignore those people.

Technology

While developing that thick skin or while busy cutting negative people out of your life you are also going to need to get familiar with technology.  For VO you need a home recording setup, and for stage & screen acting you’ll need a small studio.  Make sure you are getting familiar enough with the equipment and software you need to be able to produce a professional self-tape audition.  Even if you are the GOAT, a self-tape where you can’t be seen and/or heard clearly is just going to be skipped.  Make sure you have the right equipment for the job and know how to use it well enough to ensure they will at least listen/watch it!

Training

Speaking of knowing how to operate your equipment, remember that YOU are also your equipment.  I know I harp on this, but really…no kidding…I mean it…get the training you need to be competitive in the marketplace!  Training can be expensive, I get it, but without training you are just not going to stand out in the crowd…even WITH training it is tough to stand out!  You may book some work, but you will not book enough work, or work that pays well enough to live on.  Seriously, get the training you need.

Confidence -vs- Desperation

They are not polar opposites, I know, but I can tell you that confidence is absolutely a vaccination against desperation.  Training will help build your confidence while also giving you the tools you need to be a good actor.  That combination will help to keep desperation at bay.  It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy: desperation as an actor KEEPS you from booking work you might otherwise have booked.  Build your confidence and stiff-arm desperation.  Remember, as Bryan Cranston says: You are not going to an audition to get a job! Present your character and walk away.  Have the confidence to create a compelling character and then know the rest is out of your control.

The Numbers

No matter what you do, the numbers are just not on your side.  For any given role, there can be upwards of 100 actors competing for it.  And they are only going to hire ONE person for the role.  The odds of that one person who is hired being YOU (in this example) are 1 in 100.  Even worse if there are more than 100 submissions.  Out of those submissions maybe 10 will get an audition request (for VO the submission IS the audition normally) so IF you get an audition request your odds are only 1 in 10.  I’m no mathematician, but I recognize I am oversimplifying here to make a point.  Hopefully you get it: Your odds of booking a role are low even before you submit for it!

Control

Here’s the thing: so MUCH of casting is out of the actor’s control.  Honestly, the ONLY things you can control are your ability (through training), preparation and your attitude. The simple truth is that nearly everything about casting decisions is out of the control of the actor.  And much of the decision itself has absolutely nothing to do with how good (or bad) of an actor you are!  A lot has to do with your essence, your look and how you appear with the other cast members. You may be too tall, too short, too young, too old, or just too “something” for a given role. Stop thinking you have control!

So…

Control what you can control (which is not much) and let go of everything else.  I realize that is much easier said than done, and I confess that, while I tell you to do it, I also still struggle with this myself.  I had a coach who would tell me: “We audition for a living, and every now and then people give us money”.  Try to remember that, for the most part, the audition IS the job.  Do your best there and before long you will actually book some work.

You are not alone…

And actually, you are in pretty good company when you audition and don’t get cast.  A quick Google search gets page after page of stars who wanted a role but didn’t get it for one reason or another.  Take a look at the links and do a search yourself…odds are you’ll feel better knowing these famous people don’t always get cast either.  You get the idea…it’s probably not YOU!

At the end of the day…

When all is said and done, even if you are doing everything you possibly can to be a great actor…the odds are not forever in your favor (to coin a phrase from Hunger Games).  It’s a tough career, but don’t let it crush your spirits!  You have the training (and continue training!), are on time, make connections and establish relationships…you do everything you possibly can…And Still…You’re Not Getting The F*&^ing Job!  If you love acting…that just doesn’t matter!

 If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over but Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

You’re Not Getting the F&^%ing Job! (Series): Part 7: Desperation

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This is week 7 in the series relating to the psychology of the business, particularly as it relates to auditions and booking work and we will be exploring: Desperation

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

Before we begin…

Their new home

I skipped last week’s post because I was in South Carolina visiting my daughter both for her Birthday and to see her new house.  She and her husband moved in during the first week of September and it is a BEAUTIFUL house.  While there we played golf (of COURSE!) took her out for a birthday dinner (she won’t let me share the video of her on the saddle at Texas Roadhouse) and bought a few things for the new house…plus…Karen and I began the process of looking for houses there for us.  Anyway, it was a very busy 5 days, so no blog last week.  But here we are and I’m BACK!

Ricky and Lolly in front of their home

Desperation

What is it exactly that makes some actors desperate for a job?  It likely has something to do with the desire to eat, have a roof over their heads and remain clothed.  But it is also likely more than that. But what exactly does it mean to be desperate?  Trusty Merriam-Webster defines desperation as:

1 : loss of hope and surrender to despair

2 : a state of hopelessness leading to rashness

And since they chose to define desperation with the root of the same word (despair) I can save you the time of clicking the link and tell you despair is defined as “utter loss of hope”.

A difference

I know I keep telling you that You’re not getting the f*&^ing job.  This is not the same as an “utter loss of hope”.  It is a recognition of the reality of the odds of booking a particular job.  It is not the same as You’re never getting another f*&^ing job again.  THAT is an utter loss of hope and would drive anyone to just give up.  Recognizing the odds actually helps you avoid desperation.  Bear with me here.

It’s not just fear or anxiety

Desperation goes well beyond fear or anxiety.  Everyone, but especially actors IMHO, experience fear and anxiety.  We move forward in spite of that, and eventually overcome it (to some degree), but the key is not losing hope.  Desperation flows from an accumulation of disappointments.  Surely, we can’t avoid all disappointments, but as I tell my kids all the time, if you set your expectations realistically, then you can avoid most disappointments.  Which is kind of the whole point of this series of blog posts!

Desperation is NOT attractive

This is true in all relationships (and I keep harping on the fact that this business is built on a foundation of relationship) but it is mostly noticed and talked about in the context of romantic relationships.  Everyone knows someone who is needy and clingy and so desperate for love that it actually alienates the person they desire.  Desperation manifests itself in neediness, and nobody wants to be around a needy person.  This is just as true in business relationships as it is in romantic relationships.

Desperation is self-defeating

It’s pretty easy to spot desperation. And being desperate is counterproductive and self-defeating.  It actually reduces your odds of booking a role because it is so easy to see.  Truth is, (it seems) the more you want something the less likely you are to get it.  I know, it’s counterintuitive.  You have to want something to be willing to do the work to get it, but you can’t want it too much or you torpedo your chances.

How do you spot desperation

We’ve all witnessed desperation at one time or another in our lives.  What follows are some signs that you may be (or are at least acting) desperate:

  1. You are too available:

    Yeah, we all want to work, I get it. I do too.  But we also have a life.  If you find yourself constantly agreeing to last minute work or cancelling plans with family/friends to auditions or even consistently working till 3AM then you may be acting desperately.

  2. You compromise your principles:

    If you consistently audition for or accept roles that go against your personal principles such as accepting nudity when you are against it, working for opposing political parties or accepting below scale wages and “in perpetuity” gigs…you may be acting desperate.

  3. Always looking for compliments or validation:

    Do you need constant positive feedback on your work?  Following up with a casting director or production to find out what they thought of your audition or work could come across as desperate.

  4. Getting “too close for comfort”:

    While relationship is the foundation of the business, constantly barraging producers and casting directors with calls, texts and emails is not the way to build a solid relationship.

It also shows in the auditions

Bryan Cranston says if you are going into an audition to get a job, you are doing it for the wrong reason  (See what he has to say HERE).  The simple truth is if you are desperate, it is going to show in the audition even if you aren’t doing the 4 things mentioned above.  There is no way to be grounded in the role you are playing if your mind is focused on booking the gig.  Desperation kills your performance!

So how do you combat desperation?

There are several ways to prevent or overcome desperation in your career (and some of these may work in your relationships as well).  First and foremost, you can’t let your ability to book a particular job define your sense of self-worth or how you view your talent.  A-list actors do not book every job they audition for but it doesn’t define them as an actor.  Neither should it define you as an actor.

Have a good survival gig

In order for you to relax and not be desperately trying to book jobs, you have to be secure in your personal life and that means making sure you can survive financially.  If booking a job means the difference between eating and starving or having a home or being homeless, then something is out of balance.  It is difficult, particularly early in your career, to support yourself wholly from acting.  Start with a good survival job that gives you enough flexibility to work as an actor while not being financially destitute.  Starving artists are not really attractive and desperate artists book a lot fewer jobs.

Walk away

No, not from acting altogether.  When you leave the audition room or send off your self-tape…walk away and forget about it.  You’ve done the work, you’ve given your best performance.  Now rest in the fact that you are good enough to book it, and wait for the casting folks to make their decision.  Audition and forget it.  Yeah, easier said than done, but it gets easier over time.

Have a healthy set of expectations

I’ve mentioned before that there are an awful lot of factors NOT related to you or your talent why you may not book a given role.  If you ever have the chance to be a “reader” for auditions, you’ll see what I mean.  Many very talented actors do a great job in an audition and still don’t book because they just don’t “fit” what casting is looking for. It could be as simple as your scene partner is a lot taller or shorter and there is no way to make the videography work, or the tenor of your voice just doesn’t “mesh” with the other actors.  If you expect to not book a given role, you won’t be disappointed when you don’t.  BUT you’ll be pleased when you do!

I’m not suggesting…

Just to be clear, I recognize there are sacrifices to be made when pursuing a career in acting.  Make sacrifices when you need to, but do so mindfully and make sure there is balance between your family, your survival gig, and your acting career as much as possible.

And just remember a few simple things

You are good enough to book a role.  You are worthy of the work.  You are the only you there is, and there is a role for everyone.  And above all, remember that acting is, in many ways, a numbers game. Because of that ALONE You’re not getting the f*&^ing job, so relax, do the best you can and have fun.  That’s why we do this, right?  We love it and it’s fun!

Tune in next week

When we’ll discuss “Confidence”.

 If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over But Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

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You’re Not Getting the F&^%ing Job! (Series): Part 6: Getting Discovered

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  This is week 6 in the series relating to the psychology of the business, particularly as it relates to auditions and booking work and we will be exploring Being “Discovered”

REMEMBER:

Just a reminder here that when I use the term “actor” I mean it to encompass all forms of acting including voice, stage, and screen.  What follows applies relatively equally to all of these forms of acting.

You’ve heard the stories

Everyone has heard the stories of some iconic actors who were suddenly “discovered”.  Johnny Depp was selling pens over the phone and wanted to be a rock star…Wes Craven noticed him and suggested he audition for Nightmare on Elm Street.  He got the part and that was that!  Harrison Ford was a Hollywood carpenter and aspiring actor.  He was hired to build a door for Lucas Movie Studio and George asked him to audition for Han Solo.  The rest is history.  What about Ted Williams, a homeless man who was featured in a short video by a 20-year news veteran that went viral, and he was suddenly getting national VO jobs?  True?  Not sure, but it sure makes for a great story.

We love these stories

We love to hear these stories because they are like people winning the lottery.  We like to think that these folks were just minding their own business going about their day to day lives when BAM…they were “discovered”.  We like them because it makes it feel like it could happen to us.  That’s also why we buy those lottery tickets. And it could.  But it probably won’t.

I can’t find data

I’d like to be able to tell exactly what your odds are of being discovered, but search as I may, I am unable to find any real data to back it up.  Based on previous numbers where we explored the odds of becoming rich and famous as an actor, I’d say the odds are pretty slim.  Truth is, very… VERY…few people get discovered who aren’t trying to get discovered.  Like, so close to zero it is not measurable.

Here’s the thing

The thing is, if you think you can put together a killer demo reel, or get signed by a big agency, or your uncle is Martin Scorsese and you’ll just “get discovered” …think again.  Well, OK, it’s a lot more likely if your uncle is Martin Scorsese…but he’s probably not.  However, there ARE ways you can get discovered.  It just takes a lot of work!

I hate to be a buzzkill

OK, maybe I don’t hate it as much as I think I do.  The simple truth is, even if you do suddenly get discovered in acting or VO, you have to have the talent to maintain it.  Sure, you could book a job that goes viral and become an overnight sensation…and then what?  Ever heard the term “One Hit Wonder”?  Yep, almost everyone can name a band that had ONE hit song and then sunk into oblivion.  You have to be able to follow through and maintain your “celebrity”.

Positioning

If you really want to be discovered, there are some things you can do to make your odds better.  Some of you may not want to hear this, but the truth is it is going to take a lot of work, determination, and intention.  Fact is, if you want to be discovered you need to position yourself in the industry to GET discovered.  And how do you do that?  Well…read on!

Location

I know, we love to hear about someone who gets discovered sitting in a diner in some Podunk town in Idaho.  I suppose it could happen, but what are the odds?  You are FAR more likely to be discovered if you live and work in an area where there is a concentration of industry professionals in the industry you are trying to be discovered in.  Remember, Harrison Ford was building a door for George Lucas in Hollywood…not Cleveland, OH when he was discovered.  Live where there are people looking to discover talent, and your odds are much better.

Work…HARD

These discovery stories all sound like lucky random happenings.  And some of them may be…but most are not.  You can’t discount the role luck plays in being discovered; what most people DO discount is the role hard work plays.  Believe it or not, almost everyone who gets discovered, does so while working.

What kind of work?

Yeah, Harrison Ford was a carpenter, but that was just his survival gig.  He was also a hard-working actor too.  He was lucky to be doing carpentry for George Lucas, but he ALSO had to audition for the role of Han Solo and do a good job.  As an actor, no matter what your survival job is, you need to be taking classes and applying for (and booking) as many jobs as you can.  You are far more likely to be noticed on set than in a diner.

Be professional

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: This industry is built on a foundation of relationships.  Build a good reputation as a reliable and consistent professional and those relationships will come.  Be the person everyone loves to work with because you are always on time, always prepared and always pleasant to be around. If casting agents, directors and producers get to know your name and think of you positively…you will eventually get discovered.

Apply to Casting Agencies

You want to work as much as possible.  The more you work, the more you are recognized in the industry and the more likely someone important will take notice.  Casting agencies (not talent agencies, these are different) are, many times, the gatekeepers to the lucrative work.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but the more “name recognition” you have with a casting agency, the more likely you are to get a booking from them.  It’s like a snowball rolling down a hill gaining mass and momentum as it goes.

Training

I know I sort of harp on training but hear me out.  Let’s say you land an audition for your dream job. AWESOME, right!?  Right!  If you are not prepared, the audition is where it ends (which is really the most common outcome anyway).  However, if you have the training you need, your odds of booking are increased tremendously!  You HAVE to be able to perform, and the way to be able to do that consistently is to get the training you need.  NEVER STOP TRAINING – no matter how “good” you are.

Networking/Marketing

Finally, make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who are in the industry and who are successful in it.  Networking and marketing are basic business skills and make no mistake acting is a business.  One caveat:  You are not doing these things to see what you can get from people, but what you can GIVE to them instead.  You want to be the solution to a problem they have.  That problem may just be a role they are having a tough time filling and it COULD include recommending another actor friend to them.  Remember: Networking and marketing is not about you – it’s about them.

At the end of the day

When all is said and done you are simply not going to be magically discovered and have a meteoric rise to fame and fortune.  The simple truth is getting discovered will take a lot of hard work on your part and it has to be intentional and directed toward getting discovered.  Be in the right place, with the right training and know the right people and your odds improve dramatically.  Getting discovered is up to YOU!

And yet…

Even if you do all the right things, you may STILL not get discovered.  That’s OK, because remember that we do this work because we love it, not because it’s a path to wealth or fame.  And remember: Even after you get discovered odds are You’re not getting the f*&^ing job anyway!

Tune in next week

When we’ll discuss “Desperation”.

 If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything – and as a thank you receive a free copy of my E-Book: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About getting Started in Voice Over But Didn’t Know Who to Ask!

Looking for a great non-fiction read?  Look no further!  Head on over to Time for Change where you can browse many free titles you can get JUST for subscribing to the author’s newsletter!