Hey everyone,
I think this series of blogs over the next several weeks is extremely important information. It’s about the business of marketing and promoting yourselves as actors. Obviously I don’t need to tell you how competitive it is, right? And so whatever you can do to get your talent out there to buyers of talent: agents, casting directors, producers, etc., the better. So that’s what we’re going to talk about over the next several weeks.
So today let’s start with showcases, industry showcases. They are a cottage industry in Los Angeles and like anything, there are really good ones and there are complete rip-offs. And so first and foremost you have to do your research.
Yelp provides that service. I find Yelp to be a bit of a necessary evil, but it can be helpful. But more than just reading strangers’ reviews and taking their word for it, whatever you can do to reach out to people who you know.
Now this is for those of you who are in a major market right now: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, somewhere in Europe…but primarily in Los Angeles it’s just a proliferation of showcasing opportunities.
And so what does that mean? It means you pay some money and a group of you are presented and it’s either done by an agency or a manger or a group of actors gets together and they do a mailing and they do everything they can to get people there to see their work.
The real key to showcasing is getting your money’s worth, aligning yourself with either a quality group organization and if you’re paying to be showcased, then choosing somebody that really does this legitimately, professionally and has a solid reputation for doing it, so they can attract the highest caliber of people to attend the showcase.
As far as the material you select for the showcase you want it to be something that showcases your strengths, your talents, and your type and the marketability of your type. You may be able to play this wonderful drug addict gang banger person, but if your natural type, especially for marketing for television and film, is just more of the guy next door, you want to find a solid piece that showcases that strength.
So those are the two components really, we’re going to make this short and sweet today. It’s simple: finding material that showcases your talent well, finding a showcase where you’re getting good value for your dollar, that you’re going to be in a venue that is a quality venue, that it’s run professionally, that it’s a first class experience for the attendees.
So do your research and especially talk to people, actors who you know and respect who are already aligned with something positive who have had a positive showcase experience. That’s the best way to start so you don’t waste money.
 
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Alright, we’ll see you next week. We’ll see what we can advance for you. Thanks for joining us.