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There are so many people who come to Hollywood saying “They wanna be an actor”. I’ve been living here for four years now and I swear I meet a new person everyday that says they are an actor. The postal workers, police officers, car insurance agents, you name it, and more than likely their “real” job is an actor. But how many of these people are really actors? I believe if you:

  1. are not auditioning
  2. aren’t in class
  3. don’t have a reel
  4. don’t have an agent or manager
  5. aren’t a member of SAG or AFTRA

BONUS*** aren’t actively marketing or promoting yourself!

then you are not an actor. I hate to be harsh but there are too many people in this town claiming to be actors who aren’t doing anything except waiting for a career to be handed to them. Last week I talked about skill clips which can be useful for actors to get a few more auditions. This week I want to talk about the power of having a reel. Now granted, getting an agent or manager or casting director to actually sit down and watch your reel is a feat in itself. Shame on you though, if one day they ask to see it and you’re not prepared. I’m originally from New York and  I am very familiar with many of the casting directors there. Often times I will get a call or email with a request to see my reel. One awesome way I can show it to them immediately is through Actors Access. I have a profile which includes extra features like my resume, photos, and a reel. All I have to do is email the casting director my profile and they can view it.

Actors Access also has a feature for actors who don’t have a reel yet. It’s called an Actor’s Slate. It’s a short video of you talking about yourself. This gives a casting director an idea of your personality. An example of an effective Actor’s Slate is of Kurt Quinn. I have never met this guy but you know exactly who would be walking through the door if you called him in for an audition. The quality of the video isn’t bad. You can hear him clearly. He appears to be confident. He plays on his strengths. And he is kind of funny.

Even though actors rarely feel like they have any control of their careers, we are the only ones who have it. No one is going to care more about your career than you, so utilizing all of the tools available is key. New social media is changing the way we get seen. Explore what’s out there!

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