Orange Crates to Mercedes

Growing up in a small town in the Midwest one of the most exciting things about the approach of Spring was the beginning of “orange crate” race season. Kids would get free orange crates from a grocery story and with a little ingenuity, a hammer and some nails (plus some wheels and an axle) make orange crate “race cars”. They were pretty primitive but really exciting to a 7 year old. So, slap-dash- we built these frail devices and had downhill races…you had to drag your feet to stop. They didn’t last very long. The balsa wood fell apart. And they weren’t very useful for going anywhere but downhill but when you’re in the 2nd grade- it was very cool. My brothers and I had a riotous time.
As grownups, we now all have good cars-Mercedes and Jag’s. Obviously, an orange crate isn’t going to work …to get to work.

Sometimes when I look at actor’s marketing tools I’m reminded of the orange crate racing car days. Does this sound familiar? DO YOU HAVE:

 Headshots from a “friend” NOT a professional photographer ?
 No Demo reel or one shot by a student/Indie director –script full of
expletives, technical aspects-lighting, sound, make-up, set design less than professional? Or scattered “scenes” never edited?
 Resume self-designed without getting advice from a Career Coach?
 A Monologue from a monologue book that’s outdated or one you’ve
been performing for years ?
 No Website?

It’s so easy to think that your talent or theatre degree is all that’s important in order to market yourself as an actor. Believe me, I’ve done all the above in the name of saving money or because I was just too lazy to change things. The comment I hear most often? “I’m just not good at that…marketing, the business of the biz”… or “ I don’t know where to go or who to ask to get this done!”
(Ask me! I’m a Career Coach! I’d be glad to help! Career Coach )

Today’s market is so much more competitive, faster-paced, more high-tech…with on-line submissions, bi-coastal agencies, and multi-media projects. EVERYONE needs video of a high quality, a website on which to present everything from headshots and acting clips to voice-overs and personal blogs. Agents and Personal Managers simply won’t work with an actor who can’t provide them with these marketing tools.

I think the “light bulb” went off for me when a top agent –MY AGENT-asked me flat out where my demo reel was or “did I have a link to my website” he could forward to an Academy Award director who was interested in seeing my work?
“But I’m starring on a TV series-a Soap Opera! I said. “He could watch me next week on blah-blah ….and I’ve got all these scenes from hundreds of hours of different TV series, but it needs to be edited….”
My agent just looked at me pathetically. Too little, too late. Missed the interview, the audition and the starring role in a major film. THEN, I got my act together- LESSON learned. My advice?

Go for the Mercedes not the orange crate:

1- Hire the very best photographer-don’t just go to the one that everyone else is going to-DON’T FOLLOW THE HERD!

2- PAY to have your resume designed by a great graphic artist and get the advice of a Career Coach so the credits you DO have can be arranged to really sell YOU!

3- Find a professional company that can write original material FOR you and shoot a demo scene (Hey WE do that! @ sizzle-reels) if you don’t actually have real shows, TV series, and film clips.

4- Get the website up ASAP…there are soooo many companies on the Internet who can do this reasonably.

In short, move out of the slap-dash, “orange crate” level of marketing …unless, of course you want your career to go racing DOWNHILL.
(Just remember to drag your feet to STOP).

Meanwhile,

Successful marketing!

Gwyn