By Sept 2002 I had lived in LA for over a year, had been to a crazy number of auditions, and I wasn’t getting anywhere.  I was working a desk job to ‘pay the bills’ and ‘fall back in case acting didn’t pan out’, but I reached a point where I realized I didn’t move to LA to hide behind mediocrity and everybody else’s expectations.  So I quit my secure, 9-5 well paying job.  Since then I’ve been working towards a future that I wasn’t sure about, never really knowing how it would unfold, nor how long it would take for me to realize my dreams.  I just knew I didn’t belong behind a desk.

This journey began with me facing my fears and inadequacies (I was a stand-up not a writer) by writing and staging the seminal scenes of my bare bones solo show Basic Training during acting classes, the first of which was taught by Jeffrey Tambor.

The success of Basic Training has taken me to more cities than I can remember, won more awards than I can name and sold more tickets than I care to count.

But it wasn’t an agent or a manager, nor was it some gatekeeper ‘discovering me’ that made the difference.  It started with me creating an opportunity for myself.  Broke and on the ropes, I had to create to survive.

People see the names attached to the recent Humanitas New Voices television development deal based on my show and they assume that these well heeled and famous television execs came on board early on and whisked me away to Hollywood board rooms and pitch sessions with the greatest of ease.  I won’t list the names of the execs here because the name dropping isn’t necessary, but suffice to say you know their work.  And that’s not the way it happened.  I had to build it, and build it…and build it.  And then I had to seek them out.  Yes, there were introductions along the way.

Here’s what I learned:  If you want a break, create it.

I had to get my ass kicked in acting class, take the show out on the road to Fringe festivals, go back to class, listen to countless agents and casting directors tell me that it was time to write something new, and then keep writing and rehearsing while working four shitty jobs like stocking shelves at Albertson’s Grocery Store on midnight shift with ex-cons, sometimes sleeping in my truck or wherever I could crash.

Whether you’re an actor or not, waiting for someone to give you a break is a dead end.  Will yourself to failure, seek out people smarter than you and listend to them but don’t worship them, and mediocrity won’t become your legacy.

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Pick yourself.

This is a guest post by TJ Dawe, an award winning (and published) writer/performer/director, whose solo credits include Totem Figures , The Slipknot and Tired Cliches, and whose credits as a collaborator include Toothpaste & Cigars (in development as the film The F Word), 52 Pick-up, The Power of Ignorance, Dishpig and The One Man Star Wars Trilogy.

Check out TJ’s presence in the world of podcasting, blogging,facebook, youtube and twitter.

Most artists I know work multiple projects. They might overlap, or you work them one after the other, but there are a few sitting around in your head most of the time, each calling for attention. So what do you do? Do some of them deserve more attention and effort than others? Should you give certain projects your best and coast through the ones less likely to make a splash?

I recently read an interview with comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis which addressed exactly this.

First, a bit of context. Bendis writes five superhero comics (all different titles) every month (a pretty incredible output). For the past handful of summers, Marvel has had a major cross-over event involving basically every character they have, the story playing out in individual titles but mostly in a miniseries (which Bendis usually writes too).

So a journalist asked him about “event fatigue” – fans getting overloaded with world-at-stake stories that shake up the whole Marvel Universe. He responded:

“I will tell you my philosophy that I have not wavered on one bit: every story is an event. Every one. Every story I write I feel has dramatic ramifications to the characters I’m writing for. I learned this the first year I was writing Ultimate Spider-Man. Every book matters. Every single one. These events are so much fun to write and market and get people wound up about. It’s so much fun. But every single book I write to me feels that important or I wouldn’t put it out. When people say they have event fatigue I say you have fatigue over awesome things happening in the books you spend money on?”

This philosophy has done Bendis well. He started out writing and drawing his own crime comics in Cleveland, then Marvel noticed him, picked him up, and now he’s the leading writer in the industry.

In addition to his Marvel stuff, he writes two creator owned titles (crime fiction), one of which (Powers) is being turned into a TV series at FX (he’s an executive producer). In February he put out an all ages graphic novel he cowrote with his daughter. These other comics are incredible too. He does dialogue and story like Aaron Sorkin (one of his idols) or David Mamet (another one).

He also answers emails and letters at the back of each issue, he tweets like Kevin Smith, and does endless interviews. And he teaches graphic novel writing at Portland State University.

He’s passionate. He loves what he’s doing. He throws himself into it. And it’s paying off. He’s won a shelf of awards, his books are all top-selling, and Hollywood’s been bringing him in to do story consulting on superhero movies. But he still commits himself to the small projects just as much as the big ones. And the book that’s being made into a TV series – he co-created it before he’d gained any mainstream following at Marvel. And he’s still writing it.

Anyone who wants to make a splash as an artist can (and should) adopt this approach. Every time you create something, you’re representing yourself. Who you are. What you have to offer. Every project you work on is important. Every single one. Why devote any of your energy to something you don’t believe in? Every chance at bat is an opportunity to hit a home run.

-TJ Dawe

My friend Angie Johnson has the world at her feet. An appearance on Ellen, a viral video on YouTube, and every major media outlet in the US fawning for her attention.  After seeing her YouTube video, Carson Daly got her a private audition for The Voice on NBC and Perez Hilton has blogged about her.

Here’s an excerpt from her website, where she describes how it happened:

‘…on August 8th, 2011, while I was deployed on my 7th tour performing for the troops in the Middle East, an audience member from one of our small acoustic shows posted a YouTube video that changed my life. (R.P. I believe God sent you from above!) Now here I am! Watching a wonderful, new path unfold before me. And I am so happy to be sharing it with YOU, the people who have made it all possible.’

Angie didn’t spend hours and hours in front of a camera, posting video after video, hoping somebody would give her a break.  She went out and did the only thing she loved, she performed.  She sang her heart out.

Artist Dan Dunn got 13 million hits on YouTube with this video and also appeared on Ellen.  His teenage daughter posted it without him knowing.  Dan is one of the most generous and talented people I know, and by his own admission, this father of five didn’t even know how to use YouTube when everything took off for him in August of 2007.  Since then he’s performed all over the world, from the Superbowl to Simon Cowell’s 50th birthday and now he has bigger things on the horizon.

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At first glance it would seem that YouTube was the catalyst for these people to ‘hit the big time’.  And that is partly true – it doesn’t hurt to have exposure.  But there are literally thousands of talented people posting videos every minute on YouTube with very different results.

If there was a formula to becoming a YouTube sensation, someone would have found it by now.  The fact is that by the time Angie posted her video on YouTube, she had put in a stupid amount of time in the decade before, honing her craft.  Dan Dunn had been a caricaturist and illustrator for 30 years before his daughter posted that video of him performing in a variety show in Atlantic City.

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Most of the artists I scout in my work at SL Feldman & Associates are looking for that magic bullet, that one thing that will help them get over.  The answer to becoming a YouTube sensation is the same answer that applies to becoming a sports sensation, a cooking sensation or any other.  It.Takes.Time.  DeBeers doesn’t flood the market with diamonds, so don’t flood the internet with your wares.  A few succinct and polished gems will do the trick.  And don’t forget, it takes at least 10,000 hours.

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

Carmen Electra & The Pussycat Dolls

Resumes are useless.  I don’t even know why they ask for resumes at auditions any more – they’re just going to Google you when you leave the room anyway.  And if you haven’t proven yourself in the room you’re not going to book the gig, regardless of how many times you’ve been a unicorn on Battlestar Galactica or ‘Cop 1′ on SmallVille.

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It used to be that singing, dancing and acting were the trifecta of the entertainment world.  If you could do all three of those you were considered a well rounded entertainer.  Michael Jackson. Sammy Davis Jr.  Tony Bennett.  Bette Midler.  The list goes on.

I’m not saying that there isn’t value in these skills.  The problem with the theory of ‘triple threat’ is two-fold.  First off, too many performers focus on trying to become all of these, when in reality, very few people can do three things well.  With the exception of the list of entertainers above and maybe a few more, a true triple threat comes along once or twice in a generation.  The rest are just mediocre.  Pick one thing that OTHER people (not family) recognize that you’re world class at and focus on it.  Focused time equals focused results.

Second thing is, the business of entertainment is no longer just on stage.  If you aren’t engaging or cultivating your audience through social media or if you don’t have some sort of web strategy, you’re not taking yourself seriously and you won’t be taken seriously.  Slapping up a MySpace page or a cheap website and then spending crazy money on extravagant head shots or equipment is backwards.  No brand, no stand.  It’s called show business for a reason and those who know the business will benefit most.

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Of course there’s always the exaggerated story of someone being discovered at a mall or being asked to model for Prada because of the way they licked their ice cream at a bar mitzvah.  There’s an exception to every rule and most of us are the rule.  The danger in this scenario is that you may get discovered but if you don’t know your business you’ll end up with a gig and not a career.

The decades I have spent on stage honing my craft have been truly blessed with many amazing successes and opportunities, but I have made more money as a result of these gigs than I have from these gigs.

Yesterday I sat in a rehearsal with Carmen Electra, Robin Antin and the Pussycat Dolls.  They heard about me through an agent who saw my show at the Vancouver Fringe Festival and after meeting with me realized that my business mind was something that had added value.  Since then this agent has sent me on the road with several major acts, asking me to re-tool their businesses both on stage and off.  I am touring with the Pussycat Dolls across Canada as they premiere their new Burlesque show and tweaking their business along the way.

So why does an actor with an award winning Off Broadway show, a national commercial and a television development deal continue to generate work as a tour manager and brand strategist?  Because the internet and social media have empowered performers to come off the stage and still perform.

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The new triple threat is:

1. Talent (what you do best, keep it up)

2. Business (creating opportunities for yourself)

3. Branding (knowing how to leverage 1 & 2 to make money)

How do you get there?  Visit my website and click on News for some recommended reading.

Now get off stage and go make some money.

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

I read this in New York Magazine and had to share it with you.  It’s a long article but stick with it…a sobering reminder that everything that glitters isn’t gold.

Click HERE to read.

‘If only an agent would discover me.  If only a record label would sign me.  If only that casting director would pick me.’

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You can’t put a band-aid on a gunshot wound, so let’s go deeper to the source and stop the bleeding.

Try this: stop looking for gigs and start building relationships.

With the onset of social media, the days of ‘please listen to my demo’ or  ’I'm going to send my headshot to every agent in Hollywood’ are over.   Now, more than ever, you have the power to stand out, to get eyeballs on your brand, for free.  Even theater and product reviews are subject to the madness of the mob.  If you do quality work, people are going to talk about you and the quality of those interactions will lead to tangible relationships.  How do you capitalize on those relationships using social media and leverage them for career success?  Read ‘Engage’ by Brian Solis, or follow Mashable, the most influential blog in the world when it comes to all things social media.

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How do you build relationships?

• If you come in contact with someone who is influential, don’t talk shop.  Allow them to get to know you as a person, give them a reason to care about you, not your resume.
• Play gigs for free, offer your services for free.  Unless you really suck you’re not going to get turned down, and it’s a chance to leverage that free gig with a referral or some contacts for future paying gigs.
• Find a business model and stick to it.  If you aim at nothing, you hit nothing.
• Go to networking events.  There’s nothing I hate more than a room full of people, but no one is an island.  Get out of the house.
• For every person who turns you down for a gig, ask them for three people that may be able to help you.
• Invite that casting director, author or marketing guru to your event or show.  They’ll probably blow you off – unless you’re persistent, and that builds respect as long as you know when to chill.  I think influential people are like super models:  they don’t get asked out as often as you think, because everyone thinks they’re always getting asked out, so nobody asks.
• If you’re fortunate enough to book a gig, finish by saying thank you and realize that entitlement is a one way ticket to mediocrity.  Check out Gary Vaynerchuk’s, new book The Thank You Economy.

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These aren’t things I read about on the Internet, they are things I’ve done and continue to do – and they work.

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I look forward to reading about you.

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Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

How bad do you want to ‘make it’?

From Dave Chappelle’s appearance on Inside The Actor’s Studio:

“My dad says, ‘to be an actor is a lonely life. Everybody wants to make it and you might not make it’. Then I said to my dad, it depends on what ‘making it’ is. He says, ‘what do you mean?’ I said, well you’re a teacher. If I can make a teacher’s salary doing comedy I think that’s better than being a teacher. And he started laughing.”   His father’s advice, though, grows in significance when considered alongside the backdrop of Chappelle’s latter successes:

“He said ‘Name your price in the beginning. If it ever gets more expensive than the price you named, get out of there’.

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In 2002 I landed an audition for a well funded independent film.  It was being helmed by a director you’ve heard of (I had to sign a confidentiality  agreement) and had already been accepted to Sundance.  The script was making waves in Hollywood and they hadn’t shot a single frame.  It was one of the best scripts I had ever read and I just knew it was going to be my big break.  The role was inspirational and the story was timeless.

My role was that of a homeless man, not a lead, but a character with a significant amount of influence in the story and  a decent amount of screen time.  It was one of those rare occasions where the producers were actually looking for a new face, an unknown.

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My audition was at 10am.  I dressed the part, arrived at 7am, parked a few blocks away and slept behind the dumpster in the corner of the casting office parking lot until the assistants arrived to open the office for the day.  They glanced at me with disgust, snickering and rolling their eyes as they emptied the garbage and sipped their Starbucks.  When the producers’ Bentleys and Benz’s started arriving the treatment continued, but I kept my composure.

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At 9:50am I walked into the office and placed my head-shot and resume on the desk and signed in.  The look of horror on the faces of the casting assistants was priceless.  ’This can’t possibly be the guy in the headshot’.   I was unshaven, unshowered, disheveled and I smelled like piss.  The other guys sitting in the waiting room who were also auditioning for the role had plucked eyebrows, bleached teeth, tight shirts with bulging muscles and dirty jeans on.  They were speechless.

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When it was my turn the producers immediately recognized me from the parking lot.  We went through the motions and did the lines and they offered me the role on the spot.  Not only was I the only actor who was off-book, they also feared that the level of commitment I showed didn’t exist anymore.  They offered me a handshake (and a shower) and told me I was a breath of fresh air.

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A week after that audition I got a phone call saying that due to a disagreement between the creative team and the financiers, the gig fell through.  It had literally vanished into thin air and they didn’t know when/if it would be filming in the future but they thanked me for being willing to ‘pay the price’.

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I hate ‘almost stories’ and I try very hard to forget them because ‘almost’ doesn’t count.  But the lesson I learned that day still gets me out of the bed in the morning.

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Whatever challenges lie ahead, I still take comfort in knowing that I don’t have any competition.  Because I believe that I’m the only one who’s willing to pay the price, and sleep behind the dumpster.

How about you?

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

During the time I performed at Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas (1997-2000), I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get the attention of agents, managers and anybody who could help me take my career to the next level.

After several failed attempts at getting big agencies like ICM or CAA to come see me perform, (Kah-who?) I turned my attention to the celebrities that were performing in the casinos adjacent to Caesar’s Palace.

I was performing in a show called Caesar’s Magical Empire, an extravagant dinner/magic/theater show that took guests back in time through the catacombs of Rome and into ornate dining chambers, which is where your personal wizard (me) would perform for you and the other guests.

For an unknown actor like me it was a great showcase, and I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But what good is performing in Vegas if the right people don’t see you?  I decided to use the pedigree of ‘having my own show at Caesar’s Palace’ to entice celebrities to come and see me perform.  Whoever was in town would hear from me.  Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, didn’t matter.

The most important thing was for me to sound like I owned the place, to speak with authority – fake it to make it.

My first call was to Luther Vandross, who was performing in the main room at Caesar’s Palace.  I called the Caesar’s Palace operator and asked for Luther Vandross.  ’Please hold while I connect you’.

‘Hello’

‘Yes, this is Kahlil calling for Luther Vandross.’

‘This is Luther’.

I nearly shit myself.  It’s HIM! But it was too late to turn back. Fake it to make it.

‘Hey Luther, it’s Kahlil, I have a show here at Caesar’s Palace and I’d like to leave a few comps for you and a guest to come check me out’.

‘Well, I would love to come support you young brotha, but they got too much air conditioning in this casino.  Bad for my voice.  I ain’t comin down

there unless they turn off all the air conditioning.’

‘Well, I don’t know if that’s possible sir, but…it would be great if you could just…’

‘Sorry Kahlil, can’t do it.  But good luck with your career, and thanks for calling.’

Wow.  That wasn’t so bad.

Now I was feeling myself.  My balls doubled in size. (figuratively)  I called Bill Cosby’s room at the Mirage.

‘This is Kahlil calling for Bill Cosby.  What? Yes, he is expecting my call.’

‘This is Bill’.

I nearly shit myself.

But I held it down, and Bill and I spoke for almost 30 minutes, and the conversation ended with him saying he was impressed with my courage

and he’d love to see my show.

I told him I’d leave two tickets at the box office for the next night.  When I hung up I ran to my General Manager and told him about it.  He didn’t believe me.

Bill never showed up.  He sent Cameron Cooper, his assistant, to see my show and I also got an autographed photo with my name spelled wrong.

Mr Cosby had to leave town abruptly for LA because the trial of the person who shot his son was beginning sooner than expected.

But I didn’t care.  I was one step closer to conquering my fear of picking up the phone and calling ANYBODY.  Agents, managers, whoever.

One of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned – I needed to stop scaring myself into being scared.  Success is simple – just believe.

All I had was a phone book and a little courage.  (and extra underwear just in case)

Now, it’s your turn.

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Who you gonna call?

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

Andy Nulman on The Craig Ferguson Show

This content originally appeared on POW! Right Between The Eyes! the blog of Entrepreneur, Business Guru and all around great guy Andy Nulman.

I’d normally list a bio here but Andy has done way too much cool stuff (he started the world famous Montreal Just For Laughs Festival). Read more about Andy Nulman here.

THE OVERHAULING OF SHOWBIZ (excerpt)

‘Tom Silverman, founder of Tommy Boy Records dropped this bomb at his 2010 New Music Seminar in New York:

• Of the some 100,000 albums released last year, 17,000 of them sold only one (!) copy
  
• More than 81,000 albums sold under 100 copies.
  
• Just 1,300 albums sold over 10,000 copies (an astonishing figure given that these numbers combine physical and digital album sales)

Yowtch!

But this type of paradigm shift (now there’s a term I’m sure you haven’t heard in a while!) is happening everywhere in the world of leisure:

• Amazon reported that digital ebooks are now outselling its hardcovers.
  
• The geeks have inherited the earth and now rule Hollywood’s roost thanks to Comic-Con.
  
• Other than tentpole events, more TV is timeshifted than watched live…and watched on devices other than TVs.
  
• Green Day is simultaneously appearing in huge outdoor concerts, on Broadway and in Rockband.

The Web is changing, and will continue to at a dizzying pace, the way people find out about shows, the way they buy tickets to them, the way they attend them, the way shows are marketed and–most notably–the content of the shows themselves.

Given AttentionSpan 3.0, how can I continue to shoot TV shows on a single-focused, old-Broadway-styled stage, and present them to an at-home audience with only one moving image on screen at a time?

So here’s this week’s brain-splattering lesson:

The music biz is just the canary in the coalmine; The Web is about to destroy and overhaul all of showbiz as we know it.

Them’s tough words, but they’re true.

The evidence is everywhere.’

-Andy Nulman

www.andynulman.com

Still don’t get it? Read this: Talent Isn’t Enough.

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com