Everything You Need to Launch Your Acting Career
Everything You Need to Launch Your Acting Career
Joel A. Barker
Ben Whitehair
✅ Actor, director, and screenwriter
✅ Content producer for major brands
✅ Certified mindset coach
✅ Digital marketing strategist for startups & multi-million dollar companies
✅ Founding member & former communications director of Coeurage Theatre Company
✅ Launched a New York Times best seller (didn't write it)
✅ Ran multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns
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Denzel Washington
CHAPTER 1
Every kung fu master practices stances.
Every golf champion is consistently honing her swing.
The master of every craft is always working on the fundamentals. Acting is no exception.
In order to have a successful career, you must lay a strong foundation to build upon.
Imagine being dropped off in the wilderness with no map and no compass. That's what it's like to begin an acting career without direction or tools.
You might spend lots of time hiking through the wilderness, but you could be going in circles or headed in the wrong direction.
Mastering your mindset and choosing a direction for your career are critical steps to take before you ever set foot in a casting office.
Beyond that, a healthy mindset will be THE key to allowing you to stick with this career path long enough to achieve the results you desire.
Read the Mindset section, and revisit it often. It will likely take time to integrate these into your life.
Then set some Career Goals! Create clarity for yourself so that your journey actually takes you in the direction you want to go.
The truth is, you can have all the knowledge and hustle all day long, but if you don't have your mindset right and aren't living by your values, you're unlikely to succeed. And even if you do succeed without a healthy mindset, you'll be miserable. We don't want that.
In fact, we're both certified transformational leadership facilitators. Seriously. We've each spent thousands of hours coaching and supporting people into living their best lives and being their best selves.
From all that work, here are our Principles of Success.
We know your dreams are possible. Know how? Because other people have done it.
There are thousands of people making a living as an actor, telling stories for a living, shifting the culture through their work.
That's proof that it's possible.
Furthermore, if you're breathing then you have everything it takes to make your dreams a reality. It may take longer than you expect, more effort than you'd hoped, or repeatedly reinventing yourself, but it is possible.
Be a good person. Work really hard. Repeat over time.
Your dreams are possible and we're here to help you turn them into reality.
Look, life is too fucking short not to do what you love. If you didn't believe that you wouldn't be here.
So remember that. Especially on the days when it feels hard. When you're not where you think you "should" be. When you've been on 20 auditions in a row and haven't booked any of them.
Happiness really is a choice (science also indicates that gratitude and meditation make that choice easier...so do tacos). Choose it. Daily.
In an effort to make life longer, take care of yourself.
Nothing is worth sacrificing your health. And we never know when some random disease might take any one of us, so do everything you can do reduce the odds of that.
On that note, please get health insurance. The #1 reason Americans declare bankruptcy are because of medical emergencies.
No acting job, no imaginary day on set is worth long-term sickness or mental anguish.
It's so easy to get sucked into what we want, what we can get, or what others can give us.
Whether you believe in karma or not, even on a practical level who are the people in your life you're most likely to do a favor for? The friend who's always asking to bum $5 and never helping when you need it? Or the friend who buys you a taco just because. Mmm. Tacos.
☑️ Pro Tip: Focusing on adding value takes all the yuckiness out of networking. Next time you go to a networking event, practice on adding value to others, rather than needing to get anything.
Be interested in the person standing in front of you. Not in what they could do for your career.
Instead of thinking what you can get, focus on what you can GIVE.
It's been our repeated experience that when the people around us succeed, so do we. Heck, it's the reason we launched this site together.
There's a reason you see the same directors and actors working together—and often they've been doing so for a long, long time.
They're good people. They support each other. They all succeed together.
All business, but especially acting, is based on relationships. Hell, relationship is the foundation of any good acting scene.
Stick around long enough, and that random gal from acting class ten years ago will be producing a movie you're perfect for. The DP from that student film? Now they're making their own TV series. Your friend from high school? Now an assistant at CAA.
We're not saying to make relationships to get something. (Seriously, did you even read the sections above?) We're saying that relationships matter, and it's very much worth your time, energy, and money to develop good ones.
Our lives transformed when we started to live each day as if we are 100% responsible for everything. (Note: this is very different from things being your fault...especially tragic, horrible things that many of you have experienced.)
What we've discovered is that choosing to believe that we are the authors of our life is the most powerful come-from. It's also just a happier way to live. Blaming other people or circumstances is exhausting and depressing.
Remember, no one forced you to choose this life. The Universe doesn't owe you anything for choosing to be an actor. It's a gift! Embrace it.
No one—no agent, no manager, no significant other—is going to take your career more seriously than you. So grab the bull by the horns and take charge of your own destiny.
The days of sitting by the phone with a headshot and resume waiting for your agent to call are no more.
Which is also why we've created Working.Actor.
If you create. If you connect. If you express—you're an artist. No one can ever take that away from you.
However, if you want to get paid for that, then you're now also a business person.
We hate to break it to you, but your college probably failed you. If you want to make a living as an actor, then it's a business and you must embrace that.
You are now a CEO of your acting business! How exciting.
The people who are going to hire you definitely think of this as a business. Did you know that the average episode of a high-end cable or streaming drama television show is $5 million - $7 million an hour? Even a half-hour single-camera cable show costs $1.5 million to more than $3 million (source).
That's a lot of money! And it's just one episode.
Our goal is to help you embrace the business side of show biz, and find ways to remain creative and excited throughout.
Turns out the brain overestimates what's possible in a short period of time (I can totally get these 14 things done before dinner), but underestimates what can be accomplished over a long-period of time.
It's imperative to keep the big picture in mind. It may take decades to create the kind of career you dreamed of as a kid, so step back to appreciate and plan for a multi-decades career.
At the same time, effort pays off. Take small actions every day. The more intelligent effort you put in, the more rewards you will reap.
It's perhaps easier said than done, but embrace the idea that it may be decades before you accomplish your ultimate goals—but it could also happen tomorrow. Be comfortable with the possibility that you may not book a Series Regular until you're 70... but it could also happen tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the myth of a "big break" is perpetuated in the media. But the vast majority of working actors got there the same way other successful people created their careers—effort over time.
The thing is, even if you book some big role, that won't lead to a sustainable career without even more hard work.
Los Angeles is full of people who had a "big break" that never turned into anything else. So keep that in mind when you do book your first Series Regular—that's the time to kick in the afterburners, not sit on your laurels.
You see, all the Goal Setting you do really is great. But it's what your daily life looks like on the way to those goals that matters.
Here's the trap:
Actor: Once I get to LA then I'll be happy.
6 months later
Us: Now you're in LA, congrats! You must be happy.
Actor: No, it's so hard. Once I get an agent then I'll be happy.
6 months later
Us: You got an agent! You must be so happy!
Actor: Nyah, I'm not booking. Once I book a co-star then I'll be happy.
9 months later
Us: omg, you just booked your first co-star. That's freaking amazing!
Actor: Yeah, I guess. But my friend just booked a guest star. Once I book a guest star then I'll be happy...
And it goes on and on! There's always more. That's part of the gift of this profession. So embrace the journey.
Do yourself a favor. Never say you're a "starving artist" again. There are no bonus points if your daily life sucks while you're pursing an acting career.
Do you really think Meryl Streep struggles every day? No? Well, then does that make her less of an artist?
This idea that you need to suffer for your art is totally bogus.
Life throws enough challenges your way without adding your own. You're allowed to thrive, making excellent money, and live a wonderful life and still be an incredible best artist.
It's soooo easy to compare ourselves to other people. A friend who just got an agent, someone in your acting class who booked a role you auditioned for, someone else on TV.
First of all, you have NO idea what that person's life is like. It could be miserable, you don't know.
Pro Tip: The next time one of your friends books something, instead of feeling jealous, remind yourself that their success is proof that it's possible
Second, we are generally comparing someone else's highlight reel to our behind-the-scenes. Someone's life on social media may appear extravagant, but they could be broke and going through a divorce.
Come back to your goals, your values, your commitments. Focus on your art. Keep going.
Everyone's journey has a different timeline, and when you look back on it there's a very good chance you'll be delighted yours played out the way it did.
☑️ Be sure to check out our recommended books section for some of our favorite books on mindset.
Cat: Where are you going? Alice: Which way should I go? Cat: That depends on where you are going. Alice: I don’t know. Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
The world of acting and entertainment is a vast ocean of career options and paths. There is no one right way, no obvious path, and definitely not one approach that works for everyone.
Instead of trying to find the one true path, focus on the one that works for you. And while we're incredibly super super really extremely smart, we're not psychic. So you'll have to do some deep thinking here.
There are over a million accountants in the US. And while the companies they work for may be vastly different, the general day-to-day tasks of an accountant are generally the same.
With acting, however, you can be doing any number of different activities with different requirements that require different skill sets. Thankfully, nearly none of them require use of a spreadsheet.
Acting can include being a spokesperson in commercials, looking like a normal person as a background actor, playing any number of types of people (or zombies) in TV shows, bringing ad copy to life in voiceover, creating movement for a video game character using performance capture, fantastical storytelling in a theatre, interviewing celebrities on a red carpet, or whatever it is that people do in porn.
There. Are. So. Many. Options.
Why set a goal? You might be thinking, "I just want to be a working actor."
Great, but...that goal is BS. Also, it's not really a goal. Here's why...
If you earn $1/year that's technically makes you a working actor.
Is your goal to earn any money whatsoever from acting? Or is your goal to earn enough money to pay all your bills? That's another story entirely.
First of all, how much money do you actually need to not have any other work (don't forget that agents take 10%, managers take 10-15%, taxes matter, you might need a publicist, etc.)?
Now you have an income goal.
And what if you attained that income goal by doing industrial commercials and not film or television work? Would you still be happy?
Again, there is no right or wrong answer here. But it's imperative to identify what is actually important to you.
Lots of people may have a vague idea of where they'd like to be, their idyllic life. But there's no planning behind it. No plan or strategy. These people don't have a goal, my friends. They have a wish.
There is no genie in a bottle that will deliver these results. None that we know of, anyway. (Side note: If you do find a genie, PLEASE let us know. We have a few billion dollars worth of wishes that we'd like granted. And, uh, world peace.)
In order to set effective goals, start by creating a vision for your life.
Begin by imagining where you'd like to be in 5-10 years.
Assume everything goes better than expected...
As those questions suggest, your vision can be less tangible than your goals. It's the big picture, the kinds of things you'd put on your vision board.
Most importantly, how does your life FEEL? Do you experience excitement? Ease? What emotions do your life and career give you?
The emotional aspects of your vision are what you should focus on.
As an artist, this should come as good news.
Your path may twist and turn over time. The actions you take and the jobs you get can change over time. You might want to go into VO and find that Performance Capture becomes your main source of work. That's ok, it happens. So don't be attached to WHAT the career path is. Just focus on how the career path FEELS, and you will find the right path for you.
☑️ Spend 15 minutes journaling, doodling, or mind-mapping about 5-10 years in the future. Identify the feelings and emotional core of being successful.
Now that you're connected to your vision, you'll want to work backward and set your short-term goals. Where are you committed to being 3 months from now?
Then, what are the tasks in the coming months, weeks, and days that are most likely to move you towards that 3-month goal?
Some of you reading this are feeling stoked to dive in. You love setting goals and are already a results-oriented person.
Others of you are reading this and dreading what's next. You don't want to limit yourself, or feel like "going with the flow" is much more your style.
Either way, we recommend getting connected to where you want to go, the life you want, and what's important to you.
These goals are meant to guide, support, and assist you as you move forward.
But ultimately, what matters is that you're enjoying the journey along the way. Every day won't always be rainbows and unicorns, but this career is effing magical, and if you're not experiencing that regularly it's time to shift. (Maybe one of your goals is to take yourself on an artist date at least once/week.)
Julia Cameron coined the phrase "Artist Date" which she describes as: "a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly 'artistic' — think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration. When choosing an Artist Date, it is good to ask yourself, 'what sounds fun?' — and then allow yourself to try it."
The journey really is the destination.
We guarantee that no external result can bring you sustained happiness. Practice joy now, and it will be all the more amplified as you progress.
☑️ Spend 15 minutes journaling, doodling, or mind-mapping about 5-10 years in the future. Identify the feelings and emotional core of being successful.
Working.Actor is designed to help you create the career (and life) of your dreams. It all starts with having the proper Mindset. From there, each section has specific next steps to move you towards accomplishing your goals.
Our community is also a great place to discuss how to maximize your productivity.
CHAPTER 2
Branding. A dirty word to many actors.
Let's deconstruct and demystify what branding actually is and why it's important...
REALLY important.
In short, branding is simply a tool to support you in more effectively spending your time and money to book work. Understanding how "the industry" sees you allows you to hone your marketing materials and focus on your targets—which of the 450 shows on television you're going to focus on booking.
Even if you could play a role on all 450 shows (spoiler alert: you can't), it's impossible to effectively target each and every one of them.
When actors hear the word "branding" they often think of a specific job—like a nurse, soldier, or veterinary acupuncturist. Okay, maybe not that last one.
Branding is about essence, not a job title.
Your branding—how casting directors and producers see you—is much more about your energy, your essence, than it is the professions you might play.
Think about it this way—in a war movie with 20 different actors each playing soldiers, each soldier has their own unique branding. Their individual essence.
Their brand isn't "soldier," it's confident leader, bumbling idiot, strong woman in a man's world, whatever.
And, if you pay close attention, you will notice that almost every actor tends to play characters with a similar essence—even in different genres or type of project.
Your essence can live in many worlds.
It's a misconception that your type limits you to either comedy or drama.
For example, let's say your essence—and how you generally get cast—is as a confident, intelligent, upscale, fast-talking, leader. That kind of character could be on MODERN FAMILY, GREY'S ANATOMY, or NCIS.
Understanding and communicating your essence helps you book more roles, not less.
And in the Targeting section, we'll cover how to use this information to target the specific roles in a project you're best for.
"But guys, I'm an actor. I can play anything! I once played a geriatric Russian mobster in college! I DON'T WANT TO BE TYPECAST!"
Okay, first of all. Stop yelling. It's going to be okay, we'll get through this together. Second, guess what: If you're getting typecast, YOU'RE GETTING CAST! (You're right. We shouldn't have yelled either. We're sorry.)
Wouldn't you rather be on set getting paid to act than sitting on your couch complaining that no one gets your brilliance?! (If not, check out the Mindset section.)
The truth is, specific branding will actually help you book more,
not limit you.
It's a paradox, but the more specific your marketing materials are, the more jobs you can book.
Casting directors have a lot of actors to choose from. If you're 80% perfect for 5 different roles, you won't book it. If you're 100% right for one role, your chances are much greater.
Try this. Who do these breakdowns describe?
[CHARACTER 1] Male. Late 40's. A land baron who tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.
[CHARACTER 2] Male. Middle-aged. Veteran astronaut helming his last flight before retirement with an engineer when disaster strikes and they are stranded in space. As fear turns to panic, they realize that the only way home may be to venture further into space.
[CHARACTER 3] Male. 40's. Ex-con who wants to score the biggest heist in history.
Could be hundreds of people, right? Now imagine George Clooney as each of those roles. A lot more specific, and now you have a much clearer picture of those movies.
It's the difference between pitching "some dude reconnects with his family, struggles in space, or leads a heist" and "George Clooney reconnects with his family, struggles in space, or leads a heist."
Similarly, imagine those roles are now played by Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Jon Hamm, or Idris Elba. Changes how you think about the movie, doesn't it?
Our brains latch on to specifics, and it actually broadens how we can think about something.
The key to marketing is specificity.
Understanding your branding (also known as self-awareness) will become the basis of specific, effective Headshots and Demo Reels. Which, in turn, will serve as core ingredients in booking work.
Next, let us help you define your type. From there, you can choose what projects to target and begin researching who works on them so you can create relationships and ultimately book work.
CHAPTER 3
These are the essential items we use to promote ourselves as actors, and so people can find and hire us.
They really are the foundation of the business side of showbiz.
Further, every casting director, producer, and director is going to judge—fairly or not—what level of actor you are based on how professional your materials are.
So, what should we do about our marketing materials? Make them as gooder as they can be!
You might be the best actor on the planet, but if your headshot is poorly lit and looks like a high school senior portrait, no one will take you seriously.
Actor headshots are perhaps the most fundamental element of our marketing arsenal. They're often the very first impression a casting director has of us, and the difference between getting an audition or not.
We're not going to sugar coat it, taking excellent headshots can be extremely difficult. But our process is going to save you immense amounts of time, energy, and money.
Unless a casting director already knows you really well—that is, you're on the shortlist of actors they think of even if you don't get submitted—then an excellent headshot is crucial.
Once you've auditioned for and seen a casting director in-person, say, half a dozen or more times, your headshots matter less and less because casting already knows who you are. They've experienced your essence and what types of characters you might be right for.
But until that point, your headshot better be epic.
The end goal is that a headshot captures not just what you physically look like, but your essence. A great headshot is on brand (you went through the Branding content, right?), and stands out in a sea of thumbnails.
Remember, casting directors are often going through thousands of headshots in a few short minutes, so yours must capture their attention in an instant.
Casting directors often say "you need to look like your headshot!" You might think, well of course I look like my headshot, it's a shot of my head! What they mean is that your essence, your energy, your uniqueness is captured in the photo as well.
Remember, each individual CD or agent will have their own opinion about what makes a great headshot, and they may even disagree with each other about that. We recommend listening to the feedback about your headshots in a holistic and cumulative way. If only one person says they don't like a particular shot that's one thing, but if you get that feedback repeatedly you best pay attention.
You should also know that if a headshot is "fine" that's very unlikely to be enough to get you in the room. It needs to be excellent.
We discuss cost more in depth below, but because headshots are such an important part of booking work and getting reps, we urge you to think about it as a serious investment.
More than anything, this means spending significant preparation time up front so that you get excellent headshots and don't need new ones six months later. Needing multiple shoots is what gets really expensive.
Similarly, since so much work goes into taking headshots, we recommend doing your best to get everything you need in that one shoot. It almost always saves money down the road if you spend a little extra up front to get all the looks you need and the wardrobe that effectively communicates your brand.
Back in the day, theatrical shots were all super serious and commercial shots always had a big toothy smile.
Nowadays, though, these lines have blurred.
You don't need a giant, cheesy smile for commercial headshots. The main difference is that because commercials are selling something, almost always there is a lighter-hearted energy to them. So your commercial headshots should have a lighter energy.
The same headshots you would take for a more light-hearted sitcom will also work for your commercial headshots.
Now, your commercial agent may want you to have some sort of specific shot—like the Best Buy blue polo look—but generally you will be able to use the same look in a headshot session for both commercials and comedy.
If you survey every casting director and agent in town, you will likely be told you should take new headshots every 6 months to 5 years. Not very helpful, huh?
Well here are the reasons you might need new headshots:
⚠️ Black and white headshots have gone the way of the dodo. It's all color now.
Ok, so you need new headshots. We cannot stress enough the importance of preparation, which will ensure you get stellar shots and save you the money and headache of needing to shoot again and again.
In broad strokes, you're going to start by figuring out what looks you need, select (and possibly purchase) wardrobe for those looks, choose a photographer, and book the shoot.
Number of Looks (cont.)
The definition of a "look" may vary slightly between photographers, but generally it means a significant wardrobe, hair, or location change. Simply taking off a jacket and getting some additional shots without it is rarely considered a separate look.
Having unspecific clothing options often means you need to shoot headshots again, which is expensive af.
It can be really helpful to do a practice shoot with a friend weeks before your actual session. Ask someone who has a DSLR camera and practice taking some shots to see what angles work best for you, if your wardrobe choices work, practice feeling comfortable while looking into the camera, etc.
If you have an agent or manager, ask them for a list of the photographers they recommend. Reps will almost always have one.
⚠️ Agents should NOT get a kickback from photographers.
Generally, agents will have a list of preferred photographers and may request you shoot with a specific photographer. Nothing wrong with that at all, and often because they send lots of people you might get a discount because you were referred by your agent.
But if something feels fishy and you suspect your reps are getting a kickback, beware.
So how do you pick a photographer?! Here are some things to consider when picking one:
Feel free to ask for a 5-min phone consult with the photographer to get a sense of their personality before shooting with them.
The Cost
We also recommend asking the photographer to take a few shots throughout that could be used more specifically for Social Media Profiles or Postcards.
Get the most bang for your buck! Take a few fun/goofy/artistic shots during the shoot to be used on social media and other marketing materials!
⚠️ Do NOT let the headshot photographer bully you into wardrobe, looks, or choices you don't like. You're paying THEM! Speak up. Get what you need.
Further still, some reps will request you bring in 4x6 hard copy prints of your photos to their office to go through. You can go to any local CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, etc. with a thumb drive of your photos to print off.
Please follow the protocol your reps ask for, and do so as quickly as you can. You want to make their job as easy as possible and stand out as the kind of client who does what they ask for in a timely manner.
If You Don't Have Representation
In a way, this is a bit trickier because it's often exceedingly difficult to be objective about photos of ourselves.
If you are good enough friends with any casting directors who would be willing to support that would be great. However, know that asking someone to help pick out headshots is a BIG favor as it takes a lot of time.
⚠️ Don't waste a potential favor you have from a CD you only kinda know on reviewing your headshots.
As a baseline, you're going to want 1 headshot per look.
Our favorite way to get there is as follows:
Step 1: Weed Out the Crappy Ones
There are likely to be plenty of shots that caught a weird face, didn't have the lighting right yet, your wardrobe is way out of whack, or your eyes are slightly out of focus. Discard those shots immediately.
☑️ Save any weird/goofy/"terrible" headshots for postcards and social media! They can be especially fun in that context.
Step 2: Find 5-7 Pics That Best Match That Specific Look
The trap is that you end up picking 1 picture from each look that has the same facial expression. We see this often because that may be your "good side" or "best face." But if it's the same in every photo then you've wasted all that work you've done.
For example, look at the two shots below. Both are fine shots, but they're a nearly identical facial expression and head placement. Those are basically the same headshot just in different wardrobe. You do not want that.
⚠️ Don't pick two shots that look like all you did was change your shirt (as in the example below). You want each look to be unique!
Pull out your Headshot Prep Sheet from before, and refresh your memory as to what you were going for with each specific look. Now, with that in mind, pick out the 5-7 photos that best capture that specific essence. For example, if it's your "dark and gritty" look, find the 5-7 photos that capture "dark and gritty."
Do that for each look.
Step 3: Print 4x6's
Now, armed with 5-7 pictures per look, head to your local Walgreens and print off 4x6's of those photos.
You can now go home and on a big table—preferably with the support of some objective observers who understand the industry—lay out all the photos.
⚠️ Just because your friends and family think a headshot is great, doesn't mean it is. Often they're responding to the way you look your best, when in reality you might need something very different for the types of characters that headshot needs to portray.
Step 4: Make Final Selects
With the 30 - 60 options all laid out. You can start narrowing down any looks that don't pop, don't fit the character type, or aren't as captivating.
We often find that it's easier to narrow down 1 or 2 of your looks to a shot that best captures the essence of that look.
Once that happens, you can start narrowing the other looks based on the photos you already know you want to have. As in the example above, stay away from photos that look nearly identical just with different wardrobe.
You'll end up with somewhere between 3 and 7 or so final photos that show the variety of your range that we determined in your character breakdowns.
Congrats! Let's get these puppies online.
Can you even believe it? Time to print these suckers.
You really only need to print one main headshot, or perhaps 1 more serious shot and another that's more comedic/commercial.
⚠️ You do not need to get hard copy headshots of each and every final headshot you chose.
☑️ Always keep a headshot/resume in your car, just in case. ? (And check our our Car Kit page for what else you should keep in there.)
You'll want your photo to be a medium or medium-closeup shot. Something roughly about this framing or even a little closer in towards the face:
Actor's Access
You get two free headshots on your Actor's Access profile. Each additional shot is $10/upload.
If you have multiple representatives linked to your Actor's Access account, be sure to add the new headshots to each of their profiles so they have access to it. You can always double check this by going to "Manage Photos" and then clicking on the different, gray tabs just above your photos.
LA Casting/Casting Networks
For reference, these are essentially the same site. Agents in LA use "LA Casting," and outside of Los Angeles it's "Casting Networks." If you do have agents in multiple cities, unfortunately you will need separate profiles on each site. More on this in the Self-Submission section.
This site only allows file sizes 4MB or smaller, so you may need to slightly reduce the overall file size in order to upload them. Be sure when doing so that you're simply making the overall image smaller, not downgrading the resolution.
Be sure to upload all your photos at the same time on LA Casting, as the first photo is $25, but each additional photo is "only" $15 if you upload at the same time.
Note: You can upload a retouched version of an existing photo at no charge. Contact their support to assist with that.
Casting Frontier
Thankfully CF doesn't charge for each individual photo. Their "Premium" membership comes with 5 headshots on your profile at any given time, and "Premium Plus" allows unlimited headshots.
IMDb
Ideally, IMDb photos will just consist of red carpet photos, pictures of you on set, etc. "Publicity" type photos. However, as you're building that up it would be wise to have a headshot or two on your IMDb profile. No need to put all of them there, however.
There is no charge to upload photos to IMDb so long as you have an active IMDb Pro subscription.
iActor
If you're a SAG-AFTRA member, update the headshots on your iActor profile.
Your Website
Don't forget to update the headshot(s) on your Website!
Ahhhh, the actor resume. And you studied the arts so you wouldn't have to have a resume. Oops.
The goal of a resume is ultimately to establish your credibility in a variety of ways, at a glance.
In an audition the casting director is likely to look at your resume for maybe 10 seconds, probably less.
But that's ok! If you make your resume easy to read while highlighting your most impressive credits or attributes that will be all they need. (We make this VERY easy for you at the end of this section.)
NOOOOO!!!! It absolutely does not.
We repeat. Your resume does not need to be in chronological order.
Put your most impressive credits in each section first.
You no longer need to include your stats: height, weight, eye or hair color, or other physical stats.
These are mostly left over from before there were color headshots and online casting profiles with all of our information.
Beyond that, you want everything on your resume to help you get a job. Information like your height is unlikely to directly help you and might even hinder you getting a job.
Additionally, you don't need to have the "commercials, list available upon request" section. We know that most people have it, but why? What is it helping?
Your commercial agents are the ones managing your commercial conflicts, and casting already knows they can ask you about other commercials if they want to. It's a waste of valuable space.
You want the resume to be easy to skim, nothing under 10-point font (ideally 12 or larger), and include the appropriate sections outlined above.
Also, it needs to be 8x10, NOT 8.5 x 11. This is because headshots are always 8x10, and you'll be stapling this to the back of your headshot.
Pro Tip: Adjust the settings of your word document to make the document itself 8x10 so you can visually see where the margins will be, etc.
You want to look as impressive as possible. Director of your movie won an Oscar for their student film! Put "(Oscar-winner)" next to their name on your resume.
Web series you did has 2 million views? Put "(2M+ views)" next to that credit.
You were in a movie that has a recognizable actor in it? List that!
You get the idea—anything that is going to make a credit seem that much more impressive, list it. This is not about lying whatsoever, it's about shining the best possible light on each element of your resume.
You booked it, baby! Well done. Now it's time to put it into the appropriate section of your resume.
As for which sections to have, only include the sections where you've actually booked something. Never booked television? That's fine, nix that section.
People will often start with a combined "Film/Television" section, or a combined "Television/New Media" section until they have enough credits to round out both individually. That's perfectly fine.
The place that gets most confusing is the billing.
"Billing" refers to how one is credited—ya know,
how you show up in the actual credits.
In film, for example, agents will negotiate for "top billing" for their clients, meaning they're listed as early as possible in the film credits.
For television, billing denotes status but can also mean a lot more money. On network shows, for example, a Guest Star often makes 10x what a Co-star makes.
Film Billing
For films, we recommend simply listing "Lead" or "Supporting." Don't lie, but also be generous. If you had a major role in the movie, list it as a "Lead." No one is going to go watch your 2-hour movie, and say well, he had a big part but not the BIGGEST part. That's supporting not a lead. Never hire them!
Even if you only had one line, list Supporting.
As for extra roles, don't list those on your resume at all, unless those are the only credits you have. Then work on Booking Work so you can replace those credits ASAP.
⚠️ Do not list extra work on your resume unless it's literally the ONLY work you've done on-camera.
Television Billing
This was the area I got most confused when I was starting out. For union TV jobs billing is easy to discover, because it's literally in the contract. Your agent will negotiate the billing for you before you ever step on set.
There is no contractual definition of the size of a role, even for union projects. It's what your agent negotiates. You could only say 1 word, but if your agent negotiates you Guest Star billing, then that's a Guest Star.
Next time you watch an episode of television, pay attention to the credits. The Series Regular will have their names listed at the very start (top) of the show. Then, some Guest Stars may be listed. These are called "Top of Show" Guest Stars and are considered more impressive.
At the end of the episode everyone will be listed again. There will be a section that says "Guest Starring" that will list any of the Guest Stars, and then a following section that says "Co-starring" that will list all of the Co-stars on that episode.
In general, Co-stars are smaller roles. Often only a few lines, though sometimes they can even have a pretty significant amount of dialogue. Remember, billing is based on what your agent can negotiate for you.
Guest Stars, in general, are much more central to the plot and often have a lot more dialogue.
The main thing for your special skills section is to be as specific as possible. Which of these is more likely to grab your attention?
Option 1: Football
Option 2: Football (all-pro, D1 athlete of the year)
Whatever specifics you can add—number of years training, if you're a professional in that field, specific certifications, etc.—be sure to list those.
Also, especially if you're in a major market (LA, NY, Chicago), please don't list something that everyone can do like ride a bike. You can absolutely check that box on the appropriate section of your Self-Submission sites, but no need to list it here. Now, can you ride BMX at a high level? Then list that.
For a language, you don't have to be fluent to put it down, but once again be specific. If you speak conversational Spanish then list that. Just intermediate level, put that down accordingly.
Areas often covered by special skills: languages, dialects/accents, singing/music/instruments, dance, and/or athletics.
☑️ Brainstorm all the crazy experiences you've had in life.
Might some of those be interesting to list here?
The training section is relatively straightforward. List the training you've had.
Ideally, casting directors are going to want to see at least some recognizable studios on your resume. Check the Acting Classes section for recommendations on some great places to study in LA.
We like to list "(ongoing)" or "(current)" next to any classes you're currently taking. That shows casting that you're actively studying.
We also don't recommend listing every single class you took in college separately. Just put the degree you got and the school you went to. If there was an especially well-renowned teacher for a particular class then maybe just list that one specifically.
Some people have asked us if they should list online classes they've taken like the Master Class series. If you have enough training to adequately fill that section, then no you don't need to.
When you're just starting out, the more you can demonstrate that you're taking this career seriously the better. Go ahead and list it. You can always remove it as you get additional training under your belt.
Years ago, having one was a luxury. Today it's essential.
It's also easy to spend lots of money and not have a good reel.
Here's what you need to know to stand out!
Demo. Reels. Matter.
Us
Dear God, yes.
Your demo reel is the single most important marketing
tool to get hired for film and television.
Think about it, they're hiring you to act on camera, and a demo reel proves to them you can act (well, hopefully) on camera!
So put as much effort as possible into having a kick ass demo reel.
Demo reels can be as short as 30 seconds,
but shouldn't be longer than 2.5 minutes.
Once a demo reel is any longer than a couple minutes people will simply stop watching.
Casting directors are crazy busy, and they simply aren't going to watch 5 minutes of your footage.
More than that, if after 2 minutes you haven't shown off what a great actor you are, additional footage isn't going to do the trick.
True story: Ben watched over 100 demo reels when he first moved to LA. Do the same and we promise you'll realize why you can cut your demo reel shorter.
What you will discover is that after a few quick seconds you've already done your job—people get it. You really don't need much time to communicate a whole heckuva lot.
No, casting directors hate them. (Seriously. Ask them.) Maybe you can have a separate reel that has a montage in it for indie films, social media clips, etc. But for your standard demo reel that gets submitted on the Self-Submission sites, don't have a montage.
If you refuse to take this advice, then at least leave the montage until the end.
In short, it depends. If you don't have enough footage to do multiple different reels or clips don't sweat it. Start with what you have.
You will certainly need a full demo reel that has comedy, drama, and all your best work on the same reel if you're submitting to get an agent or manager. You can also use this reel as your general demo if someone just asks to see your work.
Increasingly, our view is that "comedy" and "drama" aren't so clear cut, and there is often drama in comedy (see: SHAMELESS) and comedy in drama (see: NCIS). As such, why not show off your range.
If you have enough comedy footage to have a separate 1-2 minute reel of just comedy, go for it!
It may not get used as often but could be very useful when submitting for comedies.
Clips can be great when submitting for a specific role. Think co-stars on television. If a show is casting a nurse, it would be very helpful if you have a short clip (think 60 seconds, maybe 90 seconds) of you playing a nurse.
Remember that casting directors are comparing your reel to the other thousands of actors who have legitimate film and TV credits on their reel.
Even if you're on a budget, always pay your sound guy.
If the sound is shitty, the viewer will have a VERY hard time getting past it. Less-than-exceptional cinematography can be forgiven, but crappy sound won't be.
⚠️ Do not include self-tape footage on the same video
you're calling your "demo reel."
You may, however, absolutely use self-tape footage as a separate clip!
This is actually the most affordable way to have footage of you being a great actor for practically free.
The goal, certainly, is to end up with high-quality, professional footage that is—or appears to be—from legit film and television. In the meantime, use a self-tape!
Note: Pick something that really shows off your acting.
And don't label your self-tape footage as "demo reel." You'll want the title of the video to mention it's a self-tape or audition to properly set the viewer's expectations of footage quality.
You can also use a self-tape to show a side of your acting not yet on your demo reel. For example, let's say you're really great with medical dialogue but don't have that on your demo reel and you're not in a position to create a full scene. In that instance, just film a really great self-tape of you rockin' some medical dialogue.
☑️ REVIEW our Self-Taping section for pointers on how to make self-tapes look incredible without spending more than a couple hundred bucks for an entire setup.
If the only thing you're doing is splicing together two scenes that are already ready-to-go you might be able to get away with iMovie, but it has some pretty severe limitations. So it depends on your needs.
How to have a kick ass demo reel.
Remember the Defining Your Type section? Are each of your character breakdown types represented on your demo reel?
Remember, we want our character types to match our headshots and those to match our demo reel.
Now, here's how we would cut that scene for Ben's demo reel:
Ben: Give me that taco, you coward!
Gedaly: ::Just a quick reaction shot of Gedaly looking defiant::
Ben: Aaaaggghhhhh!!!!
And here's how we would cut it if we were editing Gedaly's demo reel:
Gedaly: Mmmm, this taco is delicious. ::drools::
Ben: Give me that taco...
Gedaly: I shall never give up this taco!
Ben: ::Just a quick reaction shot of Ben looking ugly::
Gedaly: Aaaaarrrrrbgggbhhghg;!!!!!
Notice that all versions totally make sense! Each scene starts and ends on the face of the person whose demo reel it is.
Also notice that for Gedaly's version we cut out Ben's line "you coward!" That was a way to ensure Gedaly's reaction line made sense, and to have Ben be on screen as little as possible during Gedaly's demo reel.
Similar to the "no montage" rule above, you want to jump right in. No need for 5 seconds of your headshot and name at the start, anyone watching already has that information right next to them on their computer screen.
Open right into a scene at the top of your demo reel, and if you want you can have your name fade up and then out over the image, just like they do on a television show.
Okay. We don't know why 23 seconds, but it's true.
After spending waaaaayyyyy too much time editing his demo reel, Ben realized that every single scene can be cut down to 23 seconds or less without losing its oomph. Every. Single. Time.
If your scene is longer than 23 seconds, we promise there are parts you can cut out.
And even if you don't believe us, PLEASE don't have a scene longer than 30 seconds on your reel. Guaranteed you can cut it down and still show how great you are. Leave the audience wanting more.
Note: Full clips not part of the demo reel can be longer than 23 seconds.
It's sad but true that people may not get to the end of your reel. Put your best footage first.
Some professionals will say that means to put your most recognizable footage—from recognizable TV or with celebrities—at the start. Others will say to lead with the best acting even if that means putting the more well-known footage a little later.
The decision will depend on your specific footage, but focus on doing everything you can to get the best footage first.
Side note: The trap of scenes with recognizable actors or celebrities is that often it becomes about them. You don't want a scene that's 20 seconds of George Clooney and only 2 seconds of you.
Your demo reel is not a resume—that's what your Resume is for.
Your reel should demonstrate your acting chops, show people how to cast you next, and add a level of credibility that will give the industry confidence they can hire you for their project.
Are you trying to book that first TV gig? Make sure your demo proves you have the chops to do that.
Working on booking your first Guest Star? Be sure to have footage strong enough that a producer of GAME OF THRONES watching your demo is convinced you can handle that much dialogue, pressure, and storyline.
Trying to shift into more comedy? Well then you better have some epic comedy footage on your reel.
If your footage is from an actual television show, be sure the network logo is on the clip. Often you may get the footage without the logo. That's fine, just add the logo when editing.
☑️ Search for a version of the network's logo
with a transparent background.
Whether you love it or hate it, social media plays a crucial role in today's entertainment landscape. No matter your view, by the end of this section we're going to teach you how to embrace social media and leverage it to forward your career and impact.
Q: What's the difference between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page?
If you're not familiar with the difference between a personal Facebook profile and a professional Facebook page, just quit the business right now. We're kidding. It can be confusing.
The personal Facebook profile is what most people think of when they say "Facebook profile." It's what you have when you just sign up for Facebook.
Your Facebook profile is an excellent place to keep in touch with people you've already met and have a more intimate and personal connection with.
If you want to build a large fan base, we recommend you focus your energy on Instagram.
Best used for:
Twitter has a wealth of knowledge on it. The search feature is incredible, and simply following industry professionals and reading what they are paying attention to and care about can be an excellent way to edify yourself on this business.
Twitter has an especially high concentration of writers and comics on it.
Best used for:
LinkedIn is generally an underutilized resource. It may be useful for sending messages to specific filmmakers, producers you'd like to connect with, executive producers, or pretty much anyone who works in entertainment in an office.
Ultimately, casting doesn't happen here, so not a place to focus on generally. Something to revisit when you get deeper into Targeting.
Best used for:
IMDb is often the first place that people will search for you, especially casting directors. We strongly encourage you to sign up for IMDb Pro so that you can have a profile picture up, control (some of) what shows up on your profile, and—more importantly—so you can use it for Research.
IMDb Pro is invaluable when it comes to searching for agents, managers, and everyone involved in film and television projects.
If you don't yet have a membership, follow this link. On the next screen enter the promo code and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you're already a member but haven't applied the discount, sign in to your account, then on the upper-right click hover over where it says your name, and then on the drop down select “Account Settings.” This should take you to the "Membership" page.
In the Payment Plan section click the "promo code" button and enter SAGAFTRAdiscount
Best used for:
Best used for:
Reddit is useful for getting news, answers to questions, and connecting with people with similar interests. See https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/
The profile page of each social media page is extremely important. It's a way to give an excellent first impression, demonstrate your Branding, and show people that you're an actor.
A professional-looking social media profile immediately increases your credibility in the eyes of the industry.
Profile Checklist (cont.)
☑️ RESERVE your handle on ALL social media sites.
Great! Now your profiles look like a million bucks.
It's important that you update your profile on each site, ensuring that you clearly demonstrate you're an actor.
☑️ UPDATE your profile photo on all sites
☑️ UPDATE bio on all sites
☑️ UPDATE URL on sites
☑️ CREATE a Facebook Page (to at least reserve your name)
☑️ Now that you've got your profiles set up, check out the full Social Media Section to learn the most effective strategies for using it to advance your career.
Ahhh, the world wide web. Seems like just yesterday we were listening to that lovely dial-up sound while hacking into the school computer.
Oh, how the times have changed. Here we explain why you need a site, what to have on it, and how to actually get one online (no, you don't need to know how to code).
In short, yes. But with the advent of social media, a website has become less important.
Ben's personal view is that Instagram is replacing the job websites used to serve. Gedaly's personal view is that Ben knows what he's talking about.
That said, it is the easiest place to show off yourself and your marketing materials in an environment you control. It also helps when people google you.
If nothing else, your website serves as a virtual headshot and resume (and demo reel!). While IMDb or Actor's Access can serve this function, you have far less control over those sites and cannot add additional content.
Having a website is an important tool for the industry, while Instagram and your social media sites are for fans and relationships.
One of the most valuable things actors will get out of their website is referrals from their friends. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve been in the following situation:
Our Director Friend mentions that she’s filming a stellar short in two days but still needs a certain type of actor. We happen to know a certain type of actor and want to refer them to Director Friend. Director Friend is excited at the prospect, but wants to see a few headshots and a demo reel before reaching out. We dial up our modem to search the world wide web for said actor’s website. Said actor doesn’t have a website. We can’t refer them. We curl up in a corner and cry ourselves to sleep.
Almost every actor website we see that has a "recent news" section is...well, the opposite of recent. It just looks bad if the latest blog or update you have is the play you booked back in 2014.
First and foremost, keep it clean and simple.
Second, keep consistent navigation. No menus that change on each page. And know that the more you make people click to see new pages, the more likely they are to leave the site.
Third, your site should match your branding and feel like you! You're giving people a sense of who you are.
Also, you're not a design agency or an app, so don't make your website look like those.
Lastly, get rid of "this website is made with CRAPPYSITEBUILDER.COM, click here to get your free site" messages. This is your business website, it should look professional. Free site messages look ugly and don't give a sense that you have invested in your career. Fortunately there are insanely cheap tools that give you great looking results. See below.
Mobile-friendly is a must! Make sure to view the site on your phone. The majority of people who see your site will likely access it via mobile at some point.
☑️ MAKE SURE your site is mobile-friendly.
You also want to be sure you know how to update the site. Have a site coded in HTML and uploaded to some web host you don't know how to access?
What happens when your friend sends your link to a producer of an indie film that you'd be perfect for, and your site hasn't been updated in 2 years and you really need to get your new reel on there... and new headshots... and totally redesign it? Not ok.
You should have a quick and dependable way of updating the site. Whether it's an easy-to-use website builder that you can update yourself as needed, or a web designer who's available to do work regularly.
Let me guess—you grew up in Middle America, got the "acting bug" as a kid, performed some theatre in high school, just moved to LA, and are seeking representation!
Be memorable. Stand out. Give people a sense of who you are and a reason to remember you.
Part of the reason we recommend you keep your website simple, is so that updating it will be all that much easier.
Any time you have new marketing materials, make sure those get posted to your website along with the Self-Submission sites.
Similarly, if your contact information or Representation changes, make sure that gets updated on your website. Stat.
God forbid some indie film falls in love with you, reaches out on your website, and it goes to the AOL email address you don't check anymore.
Also, please stop using your AOL email address.
☑️ REVIEW your current website and ENSURE it's up-to-date.
If your .com is taken, many people get "iamname.com", "thefirstlast.com", or "firstlastactor.com." Depending on your preference, you could also get firstlast.actor or firstlast.tv or a different top-level domain. Do know that those tend to be a bit more expensive (in the neighborhood of $40, instead of $12 for a standard .com).
Register with Google Domains, or NameCheap if you don't have a google account like the rest of the world. And whatever you do, do NOT give GoDaddy your money.
⚠️ Stay away from GoDaddy.
It's cheap, it's easy, and totally possible to do yourself. It takes a little time to set up, but you can make something really nice looking in a day. These days, no tech skills are required to make something that looks good. Yay, innovation!
Options:
You really don't need to do this. There are easy DIY solutions listed above that will give you a basic site that looks good in only 1-3 hours of work.
This is coming from 2 guys who are both former web designers and would be happy to take your money. YOU DON'T NEED TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO THIS.
However, if you do...
Have your content already ready. A designer is going to immediately ask you for all the content you want on the site, what pages you need, etc. Have this ready to go.
Also, expect to spend $200-$1800 depending on the complexity of the site, experience of the designer, and frankly how much money they think you have.
Websites can be a time suck. Wanna make sure that doesn't happen? Be sure to spend zero time on the following:
SEO
Take it from Gedaly who has made money doing SEO for businesses big and small... Just don't do it for your actor website. Some actors' expectation is that they can spend time or money getting their site to rank for "musical theatre actor" so that a casting director will type that in google and hire them on the spot. That's not how Google works and that's not how casting works. The only thing your site should rank for is your full name. if you have a unique name, your name is listed on your site, you're done. Realistically, people will only visit your site when you link to it from emails and social media profiles, or other places you might link...so don't waste your time on SEO.
Things NOT to Spend Your Time On (cont.)
Analytics
Tracking your results is a great thing to do. What gets measured gets improved...and web traffic is not something you need to improve. It's not an end in itself. Track your number of auditions, meetings, self-tapes, and the like. Things that actually get you a chance of being cast. Web traffic is not one of those things. You can easily spend lots of time trying to drive traffic without affecting your booking rate at all, so don't waste your time.
Figuring out how hosting or web servers work
Your business is acting. Not IT. Not web marketing. If you're interested in that sort of thing, it's actually a very useful skill. But don't pretend that it's moving you closer to getting more auditions and bookings. Use easy DIY tools or hire someone to help if you really need it.
Ads
Facebook, Google, and Instagram ads are wonderful business tools for some businesses. Acting is not one of them. This is not how casting works. If you have a film you're promoting and you know what you're doing...that might be helpful. But promoting your personal site with headshot/resume/reel...NOPE. Don't do it.
Actors should be constantly working to demonstrate their professionalism and share their essence. For someone to cast you, they want to know exactly who they’re casting, and that it will be a pleasurable experience to work with you. Having a website that truly presents your personality accomplishes part of that, and having a clean, professionally-looking website goes the rest of the way.
Business Cards & Email Signatures
Business cards are fun to have and give out, right!?
But what can it do for you as an actor? Do you need it?
Well, maybe. Read on to find out more...
Wait! Guys. How come this isn't like the first thing on the list? Business cards are first step to being a pro, right!?
Fair question. We love them as much as the next guy, but one of our fundamental Principles of Success is to focus on what you can give, not what you can get. Most of the time when someone is handing out their business card, it's based on an assumption that the other person should then follow up—that's taking not giving.
Furthermore, we want you to have the power. When you give someone else your business card it's frankly very unlikely that you will ever hear from them again.
We care much more about you getting their card. That way you're in control of the followup.
Focus on getting the business cards of others and following up, instead of how many people you can give your business card to.
Better yet, exchange information right there in the moment and plan your followup.
All of that said, we both have business cards and there are times when it's handy to have, people legitimately ask you for them, and it can signal a higher level of professionalism.
Fanciest Option
Moo has some very fancy options, including their square cards and luxe options. They are definitely on the more expensive side, but if you want to stand out that's a way to do it.
We're fans of keeping it simple. Include:
School of Thought 1: Of course! Your picture will remind them who you are later and is another chance to show them your face.
School of Thought 2: Nyah, bro. A picture on a business card is weird and feels kinda spammy. No other profession does that, just have your deets on there.
So which school of thought is right? Whichever one feels more authentic to you.
What to Include (cont.)
☑️ CREATE your email signature.
☑️ While you're at it, make sure your actual email address is professional. Ideally something like [email protected] or [email protected].
If you want more guidance and actual coaching on getting agents, booking work, and becoming a working actor then become a member.
"I wish every actor on my sets knew this stuff. Working.Actor has all the information actors should know—in one place. I highly recommend."
~Mary Lou Belli
Multiple Emmy Award-winning Director
"Working.Actor is a must-have for every actor. Ben has always approached acting with both a creative and business instinct. He's managed to concisely communicate his strategies to his peers for years, and I'm thrilled Working.Actor is a platform that maximizes this information even further.
~Andrew Carlberg
Oscar-Winning Producer