Edit Your Work -- Literally

In today's digital age, you are bound to be asked to submit a demo reel (video compilation of your best work) over the Internet to a casting director, agent or manager. This will be expected to happen instantly and quickly -- so what do you do if you have all your work on VHS?! YIKES! Here are a couple of steps to get you caught up in the instant era of online reels:

1. Have all your VHS tapes transferred to DVD. You can pay to have an editor do this, but a cheaper way is to find a friend with a DVD/VHS machine and do it yourself! They can even be purchased for under $100 (which is more than likely cheaper than hiring an editor for the same job, depending on where you live).

2. Log all your digital media (list all the work you have on each DVD) and review it to choose the best scenes. Look for scenes that highlight YOUR skills and avoid including too many other people--after all, this is about YOU.

3. At this point, you can take your media to an editor or edit your reel yourself. If you are unfamiliar with how a reel should look, then view reels online until you get a sense of what they should look like (www.speedreels.com is a great resource). Before you go to an editor (or edit in iMovie or Final Cut), be sure to have a precise outline of which scenes you want, in what order and where they are on your media DVDs. This will save you time and more importantly, MONEY! If you don't do this, it may take 3 hours of editing time versus one hour (a difference of up to $150-200 or more).

NOTE: Even if you don't know how to edit, try it out in your spare time. If you have a Mac computer, play around with adding clips in iMovie. You can add titles, transitions and music easily and export it directly to a DVD. You can also use the "share" feature to convert it to a Quicktime movie that you can then upload to a website (like www.tinypic.com) that will allow you to send an instant link to your reel to casting directors, agents, etc. And best of all -- IT'S FREE!!!

Questions? Post them here and I'll answer them in my next entry.

Mimic Your Heroes

Who do you admire in the business? Tom Hanks? Halle Berry? Angelina Jolie? Meryl Streep? No matter who you admire, how big they are or what they do, it's important that you can identify with someone who has the type of career that you would like to have. Study everything that person has done and find out how you can set yourself on a similar path. While your fate will never be the same as the next person, you can bring yourself closer to success when you learn what makes the greats great. This may mean studying at an improv theatre, performing live on stage or trying standup comedy.... whatever it is -- do it with gusto. You have to be willing to risk it all to gain it all!

Jump Start the New Year!

It's 2009. It's a new year and time for new acting tools! Here are some ways to invigorate your career by focusing energy and time into your daily activities:

1. Re-edit your reel. Add all new work and try a different approach to your reel's format. If you don't have any new work, then shoot some monologues or sketches. Chances are, you know someone who has a camera and access to iMovie or some other basic editing program to help you do this for free.

2. Get new headshots! These are your calling card. They should be colorful, current and accurate. If you can't afford a professional photographer, find a photography student at a local school who wants to add to a portfolio.

3. Re-connect with your representation. Let them know in a brief email or phone call about your current projects and writing endeavors. Express interest in certain aspects of your career, such as hosting or voiceover work. This can help you diversify your opportunities for work.

4. Get a mentor. Find someone who's doing what you want to do and ask them to mentor you. This can be invaluable in helping you think of new ways to approach your career.

5. Update all resumes online (LA Casting, Now Casting, Actor's Access, iActor, etc.) and on your headshots. Remove old credits and streamline your resume with your only your best work. Casting directors don't want to sift through a bunch of credits that are no longer relevant.

Good Luck!