I absolutely love the opportunity to get in a room with a performer and dive inside their business with them. I always want them to take something away from a meeting; a new idea, a different way to look at their business, a new revenue stream to look at, a new contact, etc. But, I also try to always take something away myself. Usually this involves trying to get a slightly better understanding of a specific industry (theatre, comedy, variety, etc). Every meeting is an opportunity to learn….for both people.

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I recently sat down with a very unique individual who has exceptional talent on a few different levels. He has a long impressive history as a performer in the dance world and has built 3 or 4 original stage shows from scratch and taken them to a level of real touring. This type of genuine ambition inspires me. He hasn’t yet had a commercial success, but he is a performer living off his craft and he’s living a life full of great stories.

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What can I learn from him? Sitting across the table from him I learned that some people never go away. I mean this in a good way. Performers like him will be in the industry forever. These are usually the people who end up figuring out the right formula at some point, which leads them to great success, and when this happens for him I hope he still wants to have lunch with me. These are the people that you keep in touch with and you help out where you can. You refer these people to other contacts, you go see their latest project and give them your honest thoughts. These are also usually the people who have gained the full respect of other performers in their industry.  They are well connected.

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I took away from that meeting that sometimes meetings are just about the conversation. I have no idea where that relationship will lead (and neither does he I’m sure), but I’m interested to stay in touch and find out.

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If you take a minute during those opportunities you have with industry folks and just try to use the time to chat, ask questions and tell stories. Don’t worry about what this person can do for you or what deal you’d like to close today. Enjoy a conversation and see where it goes.

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- Justin Sudds – Gigsmacked.com

Instead of telling you about all the things I did right on my journey to Broadway I thought I’d dive a bit deeper and share some of my mistakes and regrets.

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You’ve probably guessed by now that the premise of this blog is ’stop waiting for someone to give you a career and go make it happen’.

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At GigSmacked.com we honestly believe that success in your career lies within your ability to take control and play to your strengths instead of waiting for some agent or producer to notice you.

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I feel pretty strongly about this because I lived it.  Audition after audition.  Meeting after meeting.  Sending headshots with no response.  Taking class after class feeling empty but obliged.  The decision to write my own show and take it to Broadway was a result of these frustrations.

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These are some of the missteps (limited room here) I made during the five years it took me to get my show from unknown commodity to Off Broadway success story:

• No Famous Man (or Woman) Is An Island:  Barry Josephson (Enchanted, Bones) was one of the biggest supporters of my talent and career and I’m eternally thankful for that.  But our strategy of putting it on his shoulders; thinking Barry could single-handedly take my show to Broadway on his own, was silly.  It’s just not humanly possible.  Recovery:  I took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 and it sold out.  As a result I found more producers to get the show to New York alongside Barry.  Lesson:  A star player can win any game.  A team can win every game.
• Don’t talk about it. Just do it!  It was May of 2004 that I got the first offer to take my show to Broadway.  As I toured Canada that year to critical acclaim I told every journalist who interviewed me about those plans and how imminent they were.  Had I known it would take until 2008 I would’ve never uttered a word.  Recovery:  There is no recovery.  I just looked like a boob for four years.  Lesson:  Shut up and work.
• Okay For Now.  There are several images and videos on the Internet that do not represent the quality or integrity that myself or my brand are known for.  I was presented these products at a time when I didn’t have the money to do anything better so I caved in and allowed them to be distributed for the Broadway run.  Bad idea.  The Internet is forever.  A whole lot of nothing is better than a handful of mediocrity.  Recovery:  I got a professional photo shoot done and I am replacing the mediocre with the awesome.  Lesson:  When it comes to quality there is no gray area.  Insist on the best because you hit what you aim at.

For a more in depth view of how a Broadway show is built and the risks involved I highly recommend renting ‘Show Business’ (excerpt above).  It’s a great fly-on-the-wall documentary for those of you who want to do full scale theatre whether it’s onstage or backstage.

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Was this info helpful?  Spread the word!  Leave us a comment, subscribe or hit me up at Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com.   Thanks!

In an earlier post, I started the conversation about what managers are looking for when meeting with potential clients. In that post I identified that choosing new clients is a process and the first step in that process is always to ask the question “is there value to the artist in having a manager?” To recap this quickly:

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The first thing I am trying to assess is whether you paying a manager (usually 15% of your gross income) is worth it for you. If I can’t see a way to increase your gross earnings by at least 15% in a reasonable amount of time, then there is NO VALUE for you in having me as your Manager.

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Some examples of where I can see value for you in working me would be:

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• I think we can increase your pricing by 50% (you’d be surprised how often acts are under-charging for themselves)

• I think you’re playing in the wrong venues and we can take steps towards venues with a higher payout

• I believe that you are missing a niche marketplace in the entertainment world (e.g. corporate gigs, colleges, cruise ships) and I think I can help you tap into it.

• You’re so busy managing your business that it is actually costing you money as you’re focus is being pulled in too many directions.

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If I am able to assess that there is some value for you in having a manager, the next thing I’m trying to determine is whether or not this is a project that fits with where I see my own personal business going. In other words, what is the value for me? Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a simple money conversation. Money is a factor of course, but value for me is determined by a variety of different factors. Here are a few of the questions that I will be asking myself:

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• Does this project fit with my business’ current short term and long term goals?

• Will this project allow me to expand my network in new and interesting ways for me?

• Will the amount of time I need to put into this project be worth the potential financial rewards within a reasonable amount of time?

• Do I have a list of contacts that could easily be helpful to this project in order to jump start it?

• Does success with this project lead to other projects that will be interesting to me?

• Am I good enough at the things this projects need me to be good at?

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It is important (really important) for performers who are seeking out agents and managers to really understand what the other side is looking for and more importantly, they should be aware of the things that agents and managers are evaluating to determine whether working with you makes sense.

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Spend time trying to find out what motivates the people you’re sitting across from. Ask about their clients. Ask them about projects that have them excited. Ask questions about how they got a particular client a specific gig. It won’t take you long to figure out that person’s motivations and what they like to look for in their clients. Use this information to find someone that is as motivated by your career as you are – don’t you deserve that?

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- Justin Sudds – gigsmacked.com

Whenever I go to an audition I can’t help but wonder:  If I don’t get this gig should I take more classes?

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Despite all the reviews and accolades about my performances around the world:  Am I really as good as I can be?

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I gotta be honest.  Part of me thinks taking classes is cheesy and benign.  It seems like the idea of taking classes and bragging about them is much more attractive than the act of taking them.  It just sounds better in conversation doesn’t it?

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‘I’m in class three times a week and I’m learning SO much’.

Does it help you get hired?   For every actor who says you don’t need classes there’s a DeNiro or Pacino who have obviously made it work for them.

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Jeffrey Tambor’s class (which I took while living in LA) was full of working actors you’d recognize from television and film but they were only taking class because they were between gigs.  I was taking the class because – well actually I couldn’t afford to take his class but he saw something in me and allowed me to take it anyway.  As a result of his class I wrote a one man show that gained worldwide recognition but kept me on the road so I didn’t have time to take class.

The other part of me thinks that there’s nothing better than sharpening your skills with fellow thespians but I can think of nothing more boring than talking about acting with actors.  Sorry if that sounds harsh (no offense fellow actors out there) but it’s something I do, not who I am.  But I digress.

What’s your take on this?  Feel free to comment below and take the poll.  This is one thing that needs more conversation.

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

Do Casting Directors really hold the key to your career in the film and television world?

Not nearly as much as you do. Hopefully this post will open your eyes to something that has helped me stand out and get noticed by numerous casting directors -creating a respectable online presence.
Casting Director Heidi Levitt said it best so I thought I’d let her share it with you. This same thinking process can also be applied to singers, musicians and bands. A big fat shout out to The Wrap for this info!

- Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot)com

The Real Deal.

Here’s the craziest thing about casting.

It’s not that I’ve met so many incredible actors at the very beginning of their careers and been able to see how much they have grown professionally. It’s not that actors simply don’t remember to staple their headshots to their resumes. And it’s certainly not that actors don’t look anything like their photos.

It’s that actors don’t get that they need to be their own advocates.

The craziest thing about casting is how many amazingly talented people there are in this town who are still not working. Still not breaking through. Still not getting that all-important second look. And I have met many of them.

If they stick with it and use every available resource, then they can succeed.

This is where technology comes into play. There are opportunities everywhere to be in web series that debut online. There are students everywhere creating short films for YouTube.

There is the opportunity for every struggling actor to make a name for themselves on Facebook and let their friends and family take part in their journey. Just make it relevant to your experience as an actor (not how you’re struggling from a hangover….).

When I’m casting, I do the search that I think everyone does before hiring someone. I research who’s out there, who’s new and who might be hidden below my radar. I call agents and managers. And when the role calls out for something truly unique, I go online and search for the unlikely and the undiscovered .

Fifteen years ago, I used to travel the world to cast the authentic, but today, the world is on my laptop or in the palm of my hand.

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For actors to be successful today, they need to become Digital Natives as well; they need to use the internet to research what is going on and also create online reels and profiles that are attractive and accessible.

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This is just as important as that headshot, which of course you’re going to remember to staple to your resume. … Right?

-Heidi Levitt

(check out Heidi’s AWESOME iPhone App for actors called ActorGenie)