Tips for getting your movie career launched
Hollywood helps those who help themselves! In you want to get
your movie career fast tracked then here are three common sense
tips to help you on your way.
1. Borrow the Boy Scout's Motto: Be Prepared.
Once you start the ball rolling you never know when you're going
to get a casting call. When that call comes there isn't going to
be any time to get all of the basics covered so get them out of
the way right now.
Get your portfolio in order. Have plenty of copies of your
PROFESSIONALLY done publicity photo's on hand.
Have all of your stage and screen credits listed even if it's
only summer stock and school performances.
List any special skills you have, such as dancing, juggling,
yodelling, foreign languages, anything which might catch a
casting director's eye.
List any union memberships such as SAG, AEA or AFTRA.
Build a web site that contains everything that's included in
your portfolio and make sure that there is contact information
available. If you have an agent then list the agent's contact
information instead of yours. If you stink at building web sites
then pay a pro to do it for you. Hire a copywriter as well if
you have no writing talent. Register your name, if possible, and
make that your domain name.
2. Stay Connected
Join local theater groups, read the trades looking for casting
calls, hang out where other actors hang out so you can stay on
top of the local gossip and happenings. Sometimes you can pick
up a valuable tip or hear about a film crew that's coming to do
some local shooting. I know a girl who landed an extra role in
Robert Dinero's 'Meet the Parents' by "accidentally" showing up
at the train station in Oyster Bay, NY where a scene was being
shot. She picked up that juicy tip at an actor's workshop she
attended.
3. Make your own luck
The harder and smarter that you work the luckier you get.
Remember my friend from 'Meet the Parents'? What's the chances
that she'd have that screen credit if she didn't go out of her
way to "get lucky".
If you live in Podunk, and no one ever films in Podunk, then
move somewhere where they do film.
If your state or city has an agency that works with movie
companies to help scout locations and strip away red tape, call
them and see if they have a mailing list or any other way of
finding out IN ADVANCE when a film crew will be shooting. SHOW
UP on shooting days. Don't make a pest of yourself but be
"noticeable". Hey, you might just get noticed. If you have
enough advanced notice then find out who the casting director is
and fire off a copy of your portfolio. Sure, it's likely to get
"filed" but you never know when yours will show up and be the
right thing at the right time.
If you look like someone famous then make that work for you.
Now, I don't mean that you kind of resemble Julia Roberts if
only you lost 60 pounds, got a cut and dye, and had your teeth
capped. But if people come up to you in restaurants and ask for
your autograph then you could have an instant ticket to the
movies!
Get a recent publicity photo of Ms. Roberts and take it to the
hair salon. Have your stylist cut, style and color your hair to
exactly match the style and color in the photo. Then make your
way to the local boutique and buy something to wear which
matches as closely as possible what Ms. Roberts is wearing in
the photo and then get a professional photographer to shoot you
in the exact same pose.
Now, take the real photo of Julia and your own and fire it off
to her agent, your agent, any agent you can find. Send it to
casting directors, heck, send it to the local and national
newspapers. Write a letter asking: Can you tell which one is the
real Julia Roberts? Might not work for you; but I'll tell you
this -- It doesn't have any chance of working at all if you
don't at least try it.
The road to Hollywood can be long an never ending, or it could
be the next exit on your journey through this world. The fun
thing is: You never know!
For more info:
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