In reality, it is highly unlikely you will be able to land literary representation if you have no credits and no high profile accomplishments. (The one exception for this is if you are just out of college and you have achieved something there that shows you have promise.)

However, that’s not the case for most writers. But still you hear “You have to have an agent to get development executives and producers to read your script so you can sell it!” So then you try contact an agent or manager, and all you get is no response whatsoever from the agent or a rejection letter in such threatening and intimidating legalese — you feel like you might have ruined your chances forever just by sending it.

It’s a catch-22. Like the chicken and the egg.  No egg, no chicken. No chicken no agent.  So what’s a writer to do?

However, you still need to take action.  You can still target literary agents, literary, managers and producers, but you need to be strategic. 

It’s a question of which group your should target first and in what situations.

You have no other choice… if you still want to try to sell your script, especially if you live outside of Los Angeles.

Here’s guidance on the strategy of who to target, and it addresses all three groups and when to market to each of then.

The group you should market your screenplay to first — between producers, literary agents, and literary managers — is different based on where you are in your screenwriting career, and I’m going to lay out the guidelines in this article.

The following criteria gives you guidelines on the order in which to market to them. Although each writer’s situation varies some, the following strategies will be appropriate for 99% of all screenwriters.

Which category to you fit into?

Are you a “Newbie” Screenwriter?

You are a Newbie Screenwriter if you meet any of the following criteria:

1. You have only one screenplay completed that is ready to market.

2. You have less than two Target Industry Contacts who will read your next script and you have never sold or optioned any scripts.

3. You have only an idea, a concept, an outline or anything less that a completed script. If you have only one completed script. Go back to #1. You are still in this category.

The only exception is if you have, in fact, sold a script for “real” money, that could bump you into the next category on its own — as long as you have another project to market.

If you fit any of the criteria numbered above, then you should target producers first because they can just look at your script versus taking you on for representation in your career, so they are committing to less that a full-on relationship with you.

Agents and managers want to represent a writer who has at least two scripts ready to market, because if one of the scripts is well-received, they could potentially ride the momentum and get another one out there quickly. If there is not a second script, the momentum they worked to build for the first one is wasted.

Are you a “Beyond Newbie” Screenwriter?

You are a Beyond Newbie screenwriter if:

1. You have at least two completed screenplays which are polished and ready to go.

AND

2. You have marketed at least one of your scripts and gotten them read by at least 5 producers, agents, or managers.  Your feet are definitely wet but your ears are not.

AND

3. You have received very clearly positive feedback from at least two of the producers, agents, or managers who have read your material.

AND

4. You know that at least two of those people would read another script from you.

If this is the case, then approaching a manager is appropriate if you choose. Your chances are still better with producers, but managers are a possibility also since you have built some leverage and momentum and your work is on the right track.

You could also approach literary agents if you like, but you will most likely need more leverage to get their attention.

Are you “On the Verge of Being a Professional” Screenwriter?

You may be ‘”On the Verge of Being a Professional Screenwriter” if:

1. You have two or more screenplays ready to go to market.

2. You have had a script optioned or sold and been paid a real amount that is not just a token option price.

3. You have had a script produced that got theatrical distribution.

4. You have at least 5 to 10 target industry contacts who would read your next script because they know and like your work.

If you are “On the Verge,” then targeting Literary Agents is a definitely option. I would still also recommend to target Literary Managers.

Your marketing strategy should also incorporate connecting with your existing Target Industry Contacts.

A Note About the Exception Mentioned Above

The rumors remain true… Hollywood loves to find prospective young stars. If you are a young writer (let’s say 25 or younger), and you have managed to get some buzz around your screenplays for some reason or other, Hollywood may be willing to give you a chance at a big agency because you’re young enough they have time to build your career and monetize your talents.

This is not my rule, it’s the unspoken understanding. It’s not even a rule… it’s just how it is.

In other words, if you’re under 25, this business is still challenging, but you may be able to have age work in your favor. I’ll leave it at that.

The Professional Screenwriter

Of course, if you are already a Professional Screenwriter, then it’s definitely a good idea to approach Literary Agents since you need as much clout to promote you as possible. However, funny enough… I’ve found that if professional screenwriters are at the point they don’t have an agent, it’s because they basically have had bad experiences with them.

My suggestion for you is to go for the agent, if you’re so inclined, but if you’re not then definitely go for a literary manager. With a literary manager, you are more likely to be able to get a producer credit and work in partnership with them than with an agent.

WGA Status

If you’re a member of the WGA, you probably already know that he status of the relationship between Agents and Union Writers keeps changing every year. This is potentially another reason to work with a manager, if you know how to vet them.

Strategize On It

If you’re not sure what to do or you would like to strategize on your screenwriting career, you can choose one or more sessions at very reasonable rates.  You will meet on the phone with me (Dr. Melody Jackson) to discuss how to take maximum advantage of your specific situation, including professional work you’ve done (if any) and the scripts you have ready to go.

Go here to check out the strategy session  options.

If you are ready to market to producers and would like Smart Girls to support you in that, check out our Query Letter Marketing to Producers page.

If you want to do something, but you’re not sure what would be the best approach for you, then call us directly at (818) 907-6511 or email us at

sm********@sm****.com











and we can discuss your specific situation.  But only call us when you’re ready to do something within a week or so!

We look forward to working with you!

The post Should Screenwriters Target Agents or Producers First? appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

A few years ago, I was on my way back to Cincinnati to see my mom for Christmas, and as I stepped down off the bus at LAX, I fell and BROKE MY ANKLE in three places. I was taken to the hospital, of course. The next morning I flew back to Cincinnati with a temporary cast and crutches. Ultimately I had surgery to put a bunch of metal in to hold my ankle together. And a year later, I had it taken out.

The miracles of modern medicine! That’s a great thing! I also got the value of having health insurance, even with very high prices.

Another more important thing I got from this experience is that I really understand what it means that “in one second,” things can change… in a big way.

And I like to look on the bright side of that saying. Yes, a big challenge could arise in the next second…. but something GREAT could also happen in the next second… or hour… or day…. or week…. IN YOUR CAREER!

But that something great can happen only if we put ourselves and what we have to offer to the world OUT THERE!  Meaning out there to the people who we can help or be of service to — whether it’s having the script they’ve been looking for, being just the right actor for a part, or our ability to work as a team player.  

My question is:

What are YOU DOING to really PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE for your career?  

What are you doing to put yourself out there?

I often ask myself this question.  And I find myself telling me the same thing I’m sharing here.  We have to take action and do things that we are resisting if we want to reach our current goals.  

I can name several areas of my life that I hold myself back due to some kind of fear in my head.  Many actors and and screenwriters tell me they do too.

Holding yourself back is when you know certain actions you need to take to reach your goals, but there is some kind of fear or concern and you don’t allow yourself to do it.

For actors, it might be thinking something like, I know I need to get a new agent but I dread the whole process.  Or it could be being afraid to ask someone for an introduction or a referral to an agent or even for a role. 

For screenwriters, it’s being worried that someone will steal your idea, so holding back and keeping to to yourself indefinitely.

Many times, we hold ourselves back for fear of negative judgment. And we don’t want that negative judgment because it affects our image of ourselves.

If someone doesn’t like a new course I publish, I might feel like — oh, that means I’m shouldn’t be doing that.

If someone doesn’t like your script after you put all the hard work in, maybe you worry deep inside that you were crazy to waste the time writing it. Or as an actor, maybe the fear that you won’t find an agent feels like it means you should give up on acting.

The point is that our fears of judgment and what that judgement means is the very thing holding us back from achieving our goals — even when we haven’t even gotten the judgment we fear!

Or you might say… “But what if we were judged that way before and we fear that again?”

Ultimately, the fear of judgment goes back to our concern that that judgement will mean something about our identity and what we can or cannot do going forward. 

If someone tells you in one way or another that you’re not good enough to achieve your dream, you can take it to heart, believe them, and let the fear hold you back from trying again.

Or you can see if there’s any feedback you can take fromit that will help you move forward. Then you incorporate it if there is and ignore it if not.

Or you can ignore them and approach the next person on your journey toward your goal, whether it’s an agent, a producer, a fan, a subscriber, a customer, or a partner.

When we are striving to achieve a goal, there is one thing we can know for certain….

We must stretch ourselves beyond how we already relate to ourselves to achieve our goal, otherwise we would already have it.

We must stretch ourselves. 

This is a great time to get focused… and get in action.

What are YOU DOING to really PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE for your acting career or your screenwriting aspirations this year?  Or any other area of your life for that matter?

Share it with the world.  Declare it to the world….. Leave your comment below.

ACTORS! — Register here to get info about our upcoming Branding Bootcamp For Actors course

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The post Ready To Stretch Yourself? appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

You might have heard the story of the baby elephant who has a leg tied with a chain to a tree from an early age. It realizes it can’t leave that area, so later, even when it grows to be enormous in size, it thinks it can’t leave.

They can put a very small chain or rope that the large elephant could easily break, but because of its limiting belief, it doesn’t even try to get away…. poor elephant….

But poor humans, too! Because we do the SAME THING!

For example, as an actor, you may think that the reason that you can’t get an agent  or auditions is because you’re not attractive enough, you’re just too plain, don’t have enough personality, you’re too old, you weigh too much, or you’re not lucky enough to be born into a family with connections.

The truth is that many famous actors have “ordinary” faces and troubled personalities. They’re all ages, and many of them have had horrible ups and downs in their lives and don’t get along with their famous family members and so on.

Or as a screenwriter, you may believe what someone told you about how you MUST get a literary agent before you do anything else — but yet you can’t get through to any agent or literary manager or even any of the big production company  — and so you feel frustrated like you’re just out of luck, so then you give up or downplay your efforts because you figure it won’t work anyway.  But many screenwriters got their first agents after they worked with a production company to get their first film produced.

Succeeding doesn’t require any of those factors so many of us have limiting beliefs about.  But buying into those limiting beliefs and acting like they’re true simply hold you back.

For instance, it’s a fact that you’re unlikely to get a lit agent out of the gate, so you’ve lost before you start if you think that’s necessary — but for two, there are hundreds of smaller production companies you CAN get thru to!

Likewise, there are working actors of all types, ages, shapes, sizes, and colors — especially in our present day! Some of those things might limit you from being a professional football player, but those things alone won’t limit you from being a professional actor.

I think I think it’s fair to say we have limiting beliefs that are  obviously incomplete at best and, at worst, just plain wrong. And it’s sad that we let them hold us back.  And I do include myself in that.

So what can we do about it?

We first have to put these ideas to the side of our mind and not allow those thoughts to make the decision for us.

Then we have to change our state of mind to take a professional more objective approach to our goal, our intention. We must be authentic, and most importantly, be true to ourselves.

Belief plays a part in what you’re able to do as an actor, a screenwriter, and in every area of life.

And while belief is not the only thing that matters, it is the foundation of where you launch your actions from.

What are your limiting beliefs?

Sometimes they can be hard to identify because you believe them to be so true that you don’t even see them as beliefs, you just think it’s how it is so it doesn’t occur to you it could be different. Like a fish swimming in water…  You ask it “How do you like this water?” and it says, “What water?”

What actions are you not taking because of your limiting beliefs? And what beliefs might you let go of to be able to take your next steps forward?

If you’re an actor and you don’t have a great agent – it’s time to find an agent or manager who believes in you, champions you, and pitches you, so you can start getting the auditions you need to be a working actor.

If you’re a screenwriter who hasn’t been marketing your script because you’re worried it’s not good enough, then get a script critique to get feedback on where you are. Or if you’ve already done that and it’s just a matter of having the courage to go out to the market, then it’s time to start approaching smaller production companies (not the big ones) to partner up with them to shop your script.

For all of us, any time we are “trying” to move ourselves to the next level in any area of our life, we need to start by locating our limiting beliefs then dismantling them.

The dismantling happens when we recognize the limiting belief as being just that, then secondly, we decide what action we’ll take that we need to take that that belief has otherwise been stopping us from doing.

The post Dismantling Your Limiting Beliefs About a Career as an Actor or Screenwriter in Hollywood appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

The post How To Write More Authentic Characters In Your Screenplay appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

I had signed up to repeat a speech incorporating the feedback I had gotten from the previous time I did it.

But a funny thing happened. As I continued to practice the day of my speech, I kept feeling I was not ready. I kept thinking, “I should just cancel and do it when I’m really ready.”  But I kept pushing through.

Then about an hour before it was time to leave for my club meeting, I saw something online that threw me smack dab into the racket my head. Now that thought of postponing was racing in my head at the speed of sound… I kept thinking, “I should just cancel and do it when I’m really ready. In fact, I should not even go to the meeting!”  But I kept pushing through.

I went to the meeting.

During the first hour I kept thinking, “Really… just cancel your speech tonight.”  But another part of me kept telling myself:  “This is good practice for working under stress, duress, and anxiety. It’s good practice. I might be at a real public speaking event at some point and learn something upsetting just before I go on stage… it could happen. The show must go on. You need to push through this, Melody.”

And so it did. I did not cancel my speech. I got up there and did it.

And guess what?  I was ten times more stressed than any of the 15 or 20 speeches I had given before — and only because of the thoughts in my head.

As a matter of fact, I don’t really know how I got through it.  I could feel myself being on automatic pilot. I was saying the words and telling the stories, but my voice was tight and constricted… It seemed like my voice was “cutting out!”  But I kept going.

I had practiced enough that I had my speech memorized — for better or for worse — and that got me through. Later on, the person giving me feedback didn’t mention that I seemed nervous or that my voiced cracked, so I don’t know how noticeable it was.  But I do know that I pushed through and completed it. I didn’t give in and wait for a better time…a time when I would be more “comfortable.”I did it now.

The speech was not that great, but that’s beside the point. By pushing through the discomfort, I now know that I can do it. I can get through a speech even in the midst of noise going full blast in my head.

Why am I telling you this story?

I’m telling you this because my guess is that you too have faced situations where you felt like quitting when an obstacle came up — whether real or imagined. My thing was in my head. There was very little at stake. But the thoughts in my head took me back to a feeling I had decades ago.

In the past, I’m sure I have postponed some things here and there… waiting for a better time… a time when the self-defeating chatter in my head wasn’t so loud.

This time I purposefully confronted my fears and intentionally stuck with giving a speech under pressure. Getting through it helped me to see that I could survive. The speech itself was not impressive, but for me, the fact that I did it anyway… that was a personal victory.

Sometimes we want to quit or change directions when the pressure is on, but that’s when it’s so important to catch our brain doing its thing. That’s when we need to stop in our tracks and and consciously ask ourselves: “Am I feeling like retreating due to an authentic fear [such as if a bear is looking at you and licking his chops thinking that extra 10 pounds of fat looks delicious…] or is it a psychological fear whose time has come to face it?”

You might feel this way if you’re going to an agent meeting or an audition, if you’re an actor.  You might feel this way when it comes to pitching your script or submitting it to contests.  There are countless situations when we come face-to-face with old patterns and fears resurfacing. And each of those times is an opportunity to deal with it in a new way.

My story about this does not end with what I so often hear from others: “Oh, this and that happened and then I gave the best performance of my life.” I didn’t transform the feeling of anxiety before I spoke.  I might have… and I fully intend to next time. I have tools I can use to lessen my anxiety if I get that feeling in the future. But for me, it’s okay that I didn’t get past it, because I learned I can do it even when I am in a totally stressed space.

I also got a couple more practical lessons that I think are relevant for anyone who is trying to achieve their next big goal in life.

Lesson #1:  Being well-prepared is critical for doing your best work.

Each of us has our own process about what helps us do our best job when we’re on the spot. I see now that knowing my speech very well is important for me.

What process helps you do your best? Whether you’re preparing for an audition, a meeting, a pitch, or whatever it might be. What helps you do your best? I’ve heard that a certain celebrity requires that only a certain color of M&Ms be left in the candy jar when they stay at a hotel.  (If you’re curious, just email me, and I’ll tell you the details on that :)!)

This point is to know what supports you in doing your best work.

Lesson #2: Gaining experience and simply doing a thing over and over increases your capacity to deal with the unexpected without detracting from how you do that thing.

If you put yourself in a given situation over and over, you will become more comfortable because the situation will become increasingly familiar. Additionally, you get more and more opportunities for odd things to arise that you will learn how to deal with little by little.

When you have confronted a huge variety of situations, it continues to deepen your confidence in your ability to deal with other new things that might arise.

I would be comfortable speaking for hours on end about screenplays, various aspects of the craft, and marketing your script. I could do the same with any topic related to getting an agent or a manager for an actor. I know these topics well and I’ve been talking about them for years. I’ve done them over and over.

But when we’re learning new things and pushing ourselves, it’s natural that we are not great at it or not comfortable.

When you are expanding yourself and growing, it is not comfortable. I’m not one of those people who thinks the most noble thing you can do is make someone “comfortable.”  Not at all. If I am with someone who wants to grow, I want to support them through their discomfort. I want them to feel safe physically, yes.  But being comfortable is not how you live your dreams.

It is through commitment to getting to the other side of your discomfort and in the direction of your goal that you will find strength.

It is through persistence and practice over time that you will naturally become more comfortable and confident at doing that thing.

Whether you are improving your screenwriting by writing and writing and studying and writing or submitting yourself for projects and auditioning as much as possible, you will improve by doing the thing over and over again. Wax on, wax off.

Be tuned in for opportunities to expand yourself in the direction of your dreams.

When you expand yourself, by pushing though the stuff in your head and focusing on your commitment, you naturally move yourself closer to your goal and the life of your dreams.

If Smart Girls Productions services or Hollywood Business School training can be of service in helping you on your mission, please reach out to me at the contact info on this site.  Meanwhile, stretch in the direction of your dreams.

Melody Jackson, Ph.D.

The post Pushing Through the Stuff in Your Head, Focusing on Your Commitment appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

You’ll learn about the things to focus on in your career as well as get Melody’s take on current Hollywood issues that could affect your career.

The post Hollywood Business School Podcast appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

Whether you are an actor, screenwriter, producer, in some other aspect of film-making, or just living your life, for most of us, there are those moments when we doubt ourselves… and face disappointment. But…. sometimes we KNOW we’re making the right decision.

In 2010 the day I had to make the choice of when to put my miniature schnauzer, Rivers, to sleep, I prayed for clarity. “Please…  give me a sign.” And literally within one hour I got THREE SIGNS and I knew it was time — I was crystal clear. I called the vet to come to my house, and I held my dog as he gave her the two fatal shots. It was sad, but I was at peace with it

Since that time, I’ve believed in my heart-of-hearts that we CAN get to 100% clarity and be at peace about any decision we need to make. Whether it’s in our personal lives or in our careers.

That is, until yesterday I believed it.

Two days ago, a good friend of mine invited me to join her and a couple other friends on a tropical vacation. But I just wasn’t sure the time was right for me to go. I was recently away from my home for three months with a broken ankle… I’m still recovering… and a couple other things were on my mind.

As much as she wanted me to go, the special deal for the trip only lasted till the next day so I had to decide by early the next morning. The next morning she called, and my answer was: “No…. for now.”

However…. later in the day, one of my concerns had a solution — so I decided, “Why not!” So I called her back and said “YAY! I can go!”

But it was too late. She had already found another travel buddy.

I was left feeling guilty and sorry for myself, “Ya snooze, ya lose, ya jerk.” I asked myself “Why does it take me so long to make a decision?” — (Even though I only had 12 hours to make this decision)… and I wondered what other opportunities I might have missed out on in life that I don’t even know about!

BUT SOMETIMES LIFE IS LIKE THAT!

You have to make a decision FAST!

Circumstances show up and your choices are: 1) NOW. 2) NEVER.

At least it seems that way… like it’s your only chance to do this thing you would LOVE to do!

As a result of that, I had to add a corollary to my previous belief that it’s possible to get to 100% peace about any decision, so I added:  “If we  have some time to feel our way through it.”  Sometimes we do only get one chance at a particular thing, AND … we have limited time to decide and don’t have the time to “feel our way through it!”

But that’s not even my point for this message.

THIS IS:

One of the mantras I hear over and over from actors is: “I know I only get ONE CHANCE with that agent. Or that casting director…..ONE CHANCE! If I blow it…. it’s over.”

And with Screenwriters, I hear this mantra: “I just need an agent. I know my script can sell if I get AN AGENT TO READ MY SCRIPT.”

Whatever your negative mantra is, the question is: “Is it really true?”

Think about it.

In some cases, YES. It is true.

And in some cases, it’s not.

What if an agent reads your script and doesn’t like it? What if they like it but send it to a producer who really dislikes it?

It’s not very empowering to focus on getting one… and only one chance.  When you do that, you put pressure on yourself for there being only ONE WAY to have something happen that you want!

But for the sake of discussion, let’s say we are looking at a SINGULARLY UNIQUE opportunity.

If it is your only chance for that specific thing — like one audition for a specific film or your most desirable director reading your script — it’s not very empowering to focus on the fact that it’s your only chance.

When you do that, you not only put more pressure on yourself for that ONE THING to work out, and if you blow the audition or the director says no, now you’re more likely to worry it’s go poorly next time, too!

…. So what’s a better way to look at it?

A better way to look at it — a more powerful context — is to let go of this idea of SCARCITY and FOMO (fear of missing out) … And instead, create SOMETHING NEW!

If you blow an audition, then instead of sulking, sign up for another audition class. Or send out 10 more submissions on Actors Access. Put another video on your YouTube channel. Or reach out to three casting directors on Social Media in some fun way!

If you try to get an an agent to read your script and they just keep saying no, then find two dozen more agents to target.  Find 100 more production companies to submit to.

DON’T RETREAT like a turtle going back into its shell. Use that missed opportunity to propel you forward.

Do something to not only replace it, but replace it TENFOLD!

After missing my opportunity to go on that trip, I started pondering… “What really fulfills me deep down? What feeds my soul? And makes me feel happy and truly fulfilled?” 

I came up with about five different things that make me happy that I want to incorporate into my life on an ongoing basis… starting NOW!

Since I won’t be hanging out with friends by the hotel pool in Jamaica in July, how about I have friends come over to enjoy my pool three or four times this summer?

Last night it was cool enough to light up my fireplace… so I did.  I also turned on those fancy little lights on my mantle that my cousin gave me for Christmas. The ambience was beautiful. It made me happy and relaxed NOW.

The bottom-line is that sometimes we DO miss opportunities… and so be it. Move on. Look to what’s next.

And then… Take other actions to create something else, something different, TEN TIMES OVER! It’s not the same film, the same trip, no… but who knows what the future holds…. or what missing out on one thing makes possible in its place — IF you take other actions.

Maybe the perception that it was a “missed opportunity” is exactly what you need to crack open a whole new WORLD of Opportunities.

So I leave you with this question….

When you miss out on one thing… or blow one meeting…. Or just don’t get cast…. What new WORLD of opportunities can you open up… and create… to have your dreams come true and live a fulfilled life?

Whether you’re an actor or screenwriter or even focusing on another goal, just know that Missing out on one opportunity is an Opening to create something totally brand new in its place.

The post Let Missed Opportunities Motivate You To Your Next One appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

The Accident, The Reflection

In December just before Christmas a few years ago, I broke my ankle badly, in three places. I ended up staying at my Mom’s in Cincinnati for 3 months — no better care than at Mom’s — especially since she’s a nurse. Just to be clear, my ankles did not look like those in the photo above–but it is a picture of ankles! While sitting (a lot) during that three months and allowing my ankle to heal, I had time to really think about what’s next… my future… and my past. In my three months of being mostly stationary, one of the big things I realized as I reflected on what I had been doing with my time prior to that momentous occasion of stepping down off the Flyaway bus, breaking my ankle, and falling to the ground… was that a lot of what I had been doing was: busy work. So much of the time in my work, I did tasks that had some value and made things a little better, but most of the tasks weren’t things that would move the needle. I mean, did I really need to spend an hour trying to find just the right colors and combos of overlay and transparency for the images I was going to post online? Sure, the image DID look great in the end and branding is important, but the slight variation in those colors was not something that would grow my business and help my clients.

How I Run My Business Now

Once I really came to terms with how much time I spent on busy work instead of work that matters, I made a big change in how I run my business and what I do. I now run my business from a very specific set of guiding principles, objectives, and goals to make sure I’m doing things that move me toward my vision. It’s a specific process that’s too long to get into here, but the point is that doing BUSY work can FEEL like you’re working toward your goal but in reality be totally insufficient for moving you forward.

Are You Doing a Lot of Busy Work?

I couldn’t help but wonder, as an actor or a screenwriter or another type of creative or entrepreneur, is it possible you’re also doing a lot and “keeping busy” toward your goals and vision but not doing the things that would really move the needle? For instance, acting class is great — and you have to develop your talent — but if you’re in 5 or 6 hours of class a week and spending hundreds of dollars per month “getting ready,” how does that compare to how much time and cash you’re spending on promoting yourself to actually get paid acting gigs?  Training is great, but I’ve seen plenty of actors love class so much that they hardly try to pursue professional work. It’s just about being honest with yourself. If you’re a screenwriter, are you developing pitches for your slate of projects and reaching out to people to pitch your completed screenplay to?  Are you trying to contact people who might be able to do something with your screenplay?

Whatever your career vision is, at some point, you need to honestly identify the steps that will put you on a path to achieve your goals and fulfill your vision.

With this crazy Hollywood business, sometimes as an actor or screenwriter you feel like you’re not even sure what to do for the business side of your career since it’s not a straight-line kind of thing, let’s say like Amway or being a CPA is.

Actions That Are In Your Control and What the Serious Players Do

But there are actions that you CAN take and are in your control. Are you doing them? If you’re a screenwriter, you know you need to write your screenplay, rewrite it, get it analyzed, and make sure it’s great! Are you an actor?  Then you know you have to be able to audition well. Developing a coaching practice? You know you have to have a business model of what you offer to your clients. But no matter which of these careers we’re talking about, if you want to be successful, you also have to consistently take the actions that will get you your next gigs or clients. What actions can you take for getting real work? Every night in Hollywood, the serious “players” are going out to dinner or drinks with other players and people who are moving up.   Lots of people go to film festivals to meet other filmmakers and serious players. I could name 20 or 30 things related to the business that you could do…. But I also know that you may very well be one of the countless people who CANNOT BEAR to think about another networking event! One of the reasons I created Smart Girls Productions is to provide marketing services to help actors and writers do their marketing–because I saw that so many of them hate doing it all by themselves. I recently started this site, the Hollywood Business School, to help educate and train actors and screenwriters on the business of Hollywood in a way that is authentic for them, including how to network authentically and painlessly, how to follow up with industry people, and lots more. But my point for this article is:

You must do things that matter and make the difference for your career if you are truly serious about working as an actor or screenwriter… if you want to book gigs, sell your script get writing assignments, or get more clients.

When I thought about all the tedium I had kept myself busy with — literally for years — I felt bad about it. I thought about the enormous amount of time I had wasted. I thought of David Cassidy’s last words before he died … reportedly: “All that wasted time,” which I think was in reference to his alcoholism.  That moved me when I first heard it.  After this realization about all the tedium I had been doing, I had a new context for what he had said. I quickly gave up feeling bad about it and decided to look forward.  Feeling bad about my busy work in the past serves no purpose. I accept that I did whatever I did before. I changed my viewpoint to look forward and how I want to be. Now I see new actions to take, and I’m excited to take them. I see a light at the end of the tunnel that I am working toward.

The Three-Legged Mouse… and Turtle

Before getting the wake-up call of a broken ankle totally out of the blue, I was moving like a 3-legged turtle toward my goals, and now I can’t do it any more. Now don’t get me wrong, I like turtles, and I’m more the tortoise (steady) than the hare — but a three-legged turtle?  That’s too slow. Years ago, I found a three-legged mouse by my outdoor garbage can. I felt so bad for him. He was having trouble guiding himself with only three legs, but he was pushing and managing to move. I thought about killing him to put him out of his misery because I couldn’t see anything but a horrible death for him.  But I decided instead to let nature take it’s course and let the little three-legged mouse enjoy his life for as long as he could — before the neighborhood cat got the easy prey. That three-legged mouse would move very slowly and it would take a long time to get where he wanted to go, but he would make the best of the rest of his life. That’s fantastic to keep going when you’re down even if you’re super slow and it’s very hard. I admire that. But you and I are not three-legged turtles or mice.  We don’t have that excuse. We CAN do so much more. We don’t have to…. but I know I want to do more and live more of my potential! If you’re not where you want to be, you need to do more than you have been doing! If you are truly, authentically serious about working professionally…. it’s time to STEP UP YOUR GAME! It’s time to focus on taking the actions that move the needle forward toward your goals. What could you do? You could sit down and make a plan on your own or with someone else. You could have me work with you in a variety of ways. We could work together to create a custom plan for you by setting up a career coaching plan. If you’re an actor, we can work together on:

• Getting you an Agent or getting you a better agent
• Getting you a Manager
• You can get the first module of my upcoming Branding Course free
• Do a practice interview to help you learn to pitch yourself
• Creating a career strategy and plan for you
• and more…

If you’re a screenwriter, I can work with you to:

• Analyze your screenplay and give you feedback to get it ready to submit
• Proofread or type your screenplay to get ready to submit it.
• Research potential production companies for you to send to
• Create a Query Letter Mailing package for you
• Help you prepare a pitch of your screenplay for live events
• and more…

No matter what your goal is, there’s always more networking, following up, and pitching to be done. If you choose to… you can think of this as a wake-up call. This won’t apply to everyone who reads this…. But if you’ve been wanting to shake yourself awake to play bigger, consider this your alarm clock to wake up! Telling you it’s time to take the next action that matters for your career and your goals. Something that truly moves you forward toward fulfilling your vision. You don’t just need another happy class that challenges you and develops you personally if you’re already well-trained. It’s time to step out beyond the busy work and do something that you haven’t done. Of course it doesn’t have to be with me, but do something. Don’t wait till you break an ankle! Above I gave you a list of possible actions to take that can help you move forward, so there’s no excuse saying you can’t think of what to do. If none of those things sound right for you, think of something else. If you would like to discuss what a next good step might be for you, give me a call and let’s chat. The time to ACT is now!  Here. Right now. You can reach me at 818/907-6511 or by emailing me at sm********@sm****.com . Let’s do this thing!  And make this year FABULOUS!  And FAST!

Also, tell me what you think about these ideas.  Email me or post comments below. Let’s get your engine revving to its full potential!  

The post Are You Too Busy with Busy Work to Take Actions That Help Your Career? appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

When you have a strong actor brand, it can be a lot of fun as you find fun ways to express your brand.

If know exactly how you want to represent yourself, you really find your self-expression in it. Most importantly, you’re at ease and you have confidence knowing your branding is where it needs to be.

Most actors, however, are not 100% confident they’ve nailed their branding.  If that’s you, it might even be that you’re not exactly sure how to present your brand once you’ve identified what it is. In most cases, you get so many mixed messages about how you should present yourself that you can miss out on a huge opportunity to really set yourself apart.

In this content, I’m going to give you Five Questions that you can use as a starting point for assessing how your branding is coming along.

What is Branding For Actors?

To say it in just a few words, when it gets down to it, if you’ve done anything to promote your acting career, you have engaged in some type of branding activities.

Every way in which you present yourself or something related to you to the public, that image contributes to how other people perceive you…  meaning how they perceive your brand.

From your headshots — which is the first thing most actors think of when it comes to actor branding — to your email signature at the bottom of your emails, to your voice mail message, and the emojis you use in texting. All of these things add another impression to the overall picture of your brand.

Create a consistent Image!

Let’s do a brief assessment.

Five Questions to Assess the Overall State of Your Brand as an Actor

These questions will get you in the mindset of branding and thinking about the affect of it.

1. Are you getting auditions consistently?

If you’re not getting calls for auditions consistently, it could be for any number of reasons. You might need to find a strong, solid agent who really “gets you.”

You also need to have a professional-looking actor resume, good training, and great headshots. 

But even when you have all of these things, you still need a strong Actor Brand to to give a consistent message about who you are, what kind of roles you would be right for, and what you’re like as a person to work with.

All of these things mentioned above are part of your Actor Branding: from the type and length of training you have, to how your resume is laid out, to how professional and specific your headshots are.

If you want a solid agent who “gets you,” they have to have a clear picture about what your brand is.  If you’re not getting consistent auditions, one or more aspects of your branding could be improved.

2. Are you getting calls for the right kinds of roles?

It is as tough as ever to get legitimate good auditions in Hollywood. Even though there’s more content needed than ever.

That means it is even more exciting when you do get the auditions.  The problem is, too often actors tell me that when they finally do get auditions, it’s for roles they’re not right for, so it can be very discouraging.

One of the most critical factors in any kind of branding is consistency. If you’re getting auditions for the wrong type of role, there’s clearly an inconsistency in how you are being seen by yourself and others. Or even between two other people.

I had this problem arise before for myself when I was acting.  My commercial agent had me touch-up one particular headshot in a certain way — adding a shadow along my jawline. I don’t know if she thought it was a little too wide or what–but I did it! It wasn’t noticeable when I looked at the photo, and I thought it still looked exactly like me.

That photo got me call for a really good theatrical agent right away. I dressed up in exactly the same outfit and fixed my hair and makeup the same as in the headshot. I walked into the meeting, and within minutes, the female agent threw my headshot down on the desk (this was before digital!), and she said: “This is not you.  The girl I see in the photo is not the person in front of me.”

“This is not you.  The girl I see in the photo is not the person in front of me.”    —   A mean ol’ agent!

I was a bit surprised to hear this since my hair and outfit were the same as in the photo. But in reality… in my heart… I knew that it was because there was a different vibe now coming through the photo…. Hard to say exactly what struck her differently, but that’s not really the point.

For her there was something inconsistent about my VIBE in the photo and how I came across in person. And I wasted her time.  I actually didn’t feel like I wasted mine because I learned a valuable lesson!

There were other lessons I got from that meeting that day, but I’ll save those for other posts.

Back to Your Actor Branding

Bottomline, if you’re getting called in for the wrong roles, there is inconsistency in your branding.

You have to get at least your agent and manager and yourself on the same page regarding how you are presented. Otherwise, people are getting mixed messages and that always weakens your branding.

3. Does your website show all of your different talents to promote how multi-faceted you are? (It shouldn’t!)

I’ve worked with a lot of very talented and creative people. By nature, pursuing an acting career often requires you to have multiple skills and to be flexible and learn skills fast for jobs that are not your standard 9 to 5 gig.

Also by nature, actors are curious and creative and like to explore other skills and talents and lifestyle activities.

Because of this, actors often end up with a variety of skills, and end up promoting too many of their varied skills and talents on their website. That always ends up being distracting.

If your website tries to sell your skills in acting, singing, dancing, kids party clown, web design skills, baby-sitting, dog-walking, and Uber driver, then it is distracting from the main message of your Actor Brand.

Some skills complement acting, but some don’t.

Even being a great singer can be a distraction to promote on your actor’s website if it’s note done with a solid branding strategy.

It depends on your overall branding plan.  You may in fact have many different talents and that’s great in general, but sometimes it can be confusing and distracting for your branding, so you have to be very strategic in what you present.

When you’re branding yourself as an actor, or any kind of personal branding for that matter, you must lead your audience, your customers to see you a certain way.  If you present too many things, the 100% of the pie gets divided amongst them all and weakens the branding you might offer on your acting skills.

On to the next question in our assessment.

4. Does your main promo include headshots or demo tape of you from 10 or 15 years ago?

Have you ever heard the Hollywood saying, “You’re only as good as your last movie?” If you hadn’t heard it before…. you have now!  See all the good stuff you’re learning here?

Or maybe you’ve heard, “What have you done lately?”

Hollywood is about making money on the next project. An actor’s cache is only as good as the latest work they’ve done.  Having a couple of Guest Star credits from 10 or 12 years ago means very little today — whenever today is.

Twelve year old credits are never the main thing you should be promoting. You need to be actively engaged in your career RIGHT NOW.

I realize you might be someone who took time away from acting for any number of reasons — taking care of sick parents, tending to children, following the love of your life to Australia, or maybe you even just got burnt out on the whole business. That’s okay, that’s where you are. And it’s great that you want to get back to something you love!

However, you need to update your branding, get fresh headshots, get on Actors Access, and so on. Make the most of the time you’ve been gone.

If you’ve been gone for 10 or 15 years, you obviously have more life experience, so maybe a different vibe needs to come through your photos.

The point is, don’t create a grainy demo reel that has a clip from your one-liner on the TV sitcom Friends.  We need you to be CURRENT!

One final clue that your branding could be stronger.

5. Does your website or Actors Access have LOTS OF HEADSHOTS AND DEMO CLIPS… covering a full range of emotions and all the different roles you can play? (It shouldn’t!)

In the previous point, I mentioned the situation where an actor has taken time away and doesn’t have current branding; this point is the opposite.

If you’ve been going hard at your career for 5, 10, 15 years or more, then you might be on the opposite side and have lots of headshots of all different types you could use.

If you’re a consummate serious actor type and have done lots of plays, lots of headshot sessions, tons of low-budget independent films, and a few TV roles, then there’s a good chance you have dozens and even hundreds of different types of shots that you could post from over the years.

The problem is, if you use too many different styles of shots, it can be confusing for your brand.  If the role you’re most proud of is you dressed as a queen for a period piece in a play you did two years ago, and that’s your front and center shot, then your branding needs to be refined. Even if you won Best Actor in a Play for that year in L.A.

The point is… BRANDING.

Focus.

Clarify your branding to be what you want to promote.

Whatever your feelings might be about your branding, ask yourself these questions. If any of these are true, then it indicates an area that having a stronger Actor Brand will help.

Ultimately, no matter how much or how little branding you’ve done for your acting career, if it’s not working to help you reach your goals, there’s more work to do on your branding and promoting that brand. And you need to be crystal clear what it is.

Once you identify and clarify what your brand is and what you want it to stand for, then everything you do related to promoting yourself as an actor should be generated from that inner knowledge and understanding of your brand.

Your marketing. Your headshots. Your conversations. Everything should come from your branding design.

If you don’t know what your brand is or you are ready to fully develop it so you are confident about it and free to fully express it, then you might want to check out my upcoming online video course called Authentic Branding Bootcamp For Actors.

In it you will go create a brand you love and end up with your own Actor Brand Playbook so you’ll know exactly how to present your brand to the world in a way that shows the true awesome you.  You’ll also gain an incredible amount of confidence in the business of acting and how you present yourself.

Just put your name in here to learn more about the course as it will be released in January, 2019. Also, by putting your name in here before then, you will get an opportunity to get in the discounted Launch Price since it’s the first time it’s being presented.

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The post 5 Questions To Assess the The State Of Your Actor Branding appeared first on Hollywood Business School.

It’s time to Brand Yourself

Every year, as the business changes, and tens of thousands more actors come to Hollywood seeking to work as a professional actor, it becomes more competitive.

You must use every possible competitive advantage you can get, find, or create.

Creating an Authentic Brand for yourself is the process of defining who you are — in a unique way — to Hollywood, so that they can see how you are unique from other actors of your same type.

An Authentic Brand for you as an Actor also presents you as a real, live human being!  Not just an automaton, perfect looking cardboard cut-out of a type.

This video will give you a simple way to test whether you’re on the right track with the brand your working on and creating for yourself as an actor.

Enjoy! And leave me a comment below on whether this idea makes sense!

Cheers,

Melody Jackson

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