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Acting isn’t working.

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By that I mean it takes more than auditioning and waiting for the phone to ring if you want to stand out in this industry.

Thanks to Weston McCready for saying this so succinctly in his guest post, below.

Be sure to follow Weston on Twitter @westonmccready and subscribe to his blog.

-Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

Weston’s Wisdom:

You will often hear the phrase “Right place, at the right time.” It can happen at any moment in the most unlikeliest of places. It is like getting struck by lightning. Some people find a job by talking to some random stranger who happens to own a company and is hiring. You find that perfect gift for a loved one while standing in line and someone puts it down and leaves and in that moment you were “In the right place, at the right time.” And some actors managed to launch their careers by being in the right place at the right time. But that doesn’t mean you should go through life with blinders on like a driven horse and accept what happens just hoping to one day be “In the right place, at the right time.” You can improve your chances.

What am I talking about? How can this happen? Okay, I’ll give you an example. I am sure most of you know Harrison Ford but do you know how he got the role of Han Solo? Well he was in the audition room…..as a script reader. He would sit there setting up actors for their lines by reading the opposite part in the scene. This ended up leading to Harrison getting an audition for Han Solo. The rest is history. He was “In the right place, at the right time.” He took the job as a reader and so put himself in a better position to meet producers, casting directors and even directors.

If you want to make it as an actor you need to focus on your career and try and put yourself in the right situation for success. There are very few actors who just happen to get discovered off the streets these days. Everyone knows someone. You need to stand out from the pack. So what do you do? Here’s some advice. Ask peers and fellow performers you have worked with, “What are my best attributes? What am I best at in your eyes?” It could be the stage, or comedy. Maybe you play a great straight man/woman. Figure it out. Then focus on that attribute and try to promote it. Make a video and post it on YouTube. Come up with a short play with some fellow actors and see what theater festivals run in your area and get in on the action. Check if casting houses in your region need readers.

If I have said this once, I will say it a thousand times. Talk to people. Network with people in your field. Attend screenings and plays and industry functions. Let people see your face. Get in the action. Improve any chance you might have of being “In the right place, at the right time.”

If you think that by just auditioning and doing nothing else that you will make it, good luck. It may happen. And you might get struck by lightning sitting in a lazy boy of your fifth floor apartment of a 20 story building while watching Chelsea Lately! eating Cheetosin your underwear. Or you can improve your chances and walk to the top of a hill in a thunderstorm holding a lightning rod screaming out lyrics to Ava Maria and your chances will be very conceivable. Although I do not recommend doing this.

I may not be household name or act for a living, but I can promise you every day I plan and ask myself, “what do I have to do to make my break?” I know one day I will be “In the right place, at the right time.” The only question is when.

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