You’ve either noticed a dry spell in your audition requests, or you’re auditioning lots and can’t seem to land the gig. Either way – we know it’s discouraging. However, you shouldn’t worry. Many variables may influence your ability to book a role, and most of them have nothing to do with your acting!

Hence, if you are wondering what could be impacting your bookability – here’s the skinny!

1. You’re Not the Market Right Now

Look. In this industry – what’s hot is hot and what’s not is… well… not. Years ago, it was the ‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’ type. Aka, every girl that resembles the essence of Zooey Deschanel ever. Years before that? It was your picture-perfect looking Barbie and Ken that looked like they were delivered to the screen from a well of beauty.

But Today? The ‘hot look’ comes in all shapes, sizes, and colours. It’s raw, real, current. So if your headshots are not reflecting the realism of the industry, it’s time to find a way to cater to the market’s demand. Ensure your tapes reflect your new ‘brand and vibe.’ And learn to be a chameleon in today’s society. After all, you are an actor.

2. They Needed (X Quality Here)

The truth is… sometimes it comes down to little qualities about your physical appearance. No, that doesn’t mean you are ‘bad looking.’ It just means maybe they needed a redhead, and you’re a blonde. Or perhaps they needed someone between 5’1 to 5’5, and you’re 5’7. Unfortunately, these are often things you cannot control.

After a production narrows down its leads, they will often cast the supporting and principal characters around to diversify the film’s look and feel. So if you didn’t book because you weren’t the right ‘look’ they needed? Just know that your time will come, and you WILL be the right look they needed one day. It’s sometimes just a matter of luck and timing.

3. They Had a Different Vision for the Character

As an actor, it’s your job to bring an authentic, original performance to the characters you’re auditioning for! However, sometimes your rendition may just not be what they imagined for the role. Other times… it’s even more than what they pictured, and they’ll be blown away and totally shift how they viewed that Character.

Just remember… The only thing you can do is deliver a performance that you feel connected to and are proud of. The rest is out of your control. So own every performance, because as long as you give it your all – you’re doing something right. 

4. You Might Need to Upgrade Your Setup

Now… the last three reasons we’ve listed may be out of your control. However, there will always be a time where you will need to take ownership and then adjust.

Therefore, ask yourself… “What do I need to change?”

Maybe your lighting setup is dull, or your background isn’t exactly pristine. Or perhaps you just need a little tweaking and coaching on your performance! Whatever it is, sometimes making a little change can go a long way. Once you make that modification, you may notice a difference in what you end up booking. 

Do your homework. Do the work. And book the job. We believe in you. 

So now that you have some insight into why you’re not booking, hopefully, this helps ease some of your anxieties or gives you the inspiration to do something new and exciting during your next audition. 

Regardless, know that you are enough and you are valued as an actor. Your day for success will come. Just trust the process and keep going!

The post Why You’re Not Booking & Why You Shouldn’t Worry appeared first on BookIT Talent Agency.

Often we find that the actors that set their expectations to a realistic standard are the ones that will go far. Why? Because they have the right attitude, they stay humble and don’t think they will become Brad Pitt after one background gig.

Actors who believe they’re going to win the oscar after one booking or one ‘real’ job really have zero understanding of how the industry works. So we’re here to break it down for you…

1. Be a Professional

No one wants to work with an actor that talks the big talk but can’t walk their walk. That’s why it’s crucial to have proper headshots and materials ready for when you do get an opportunity to break into the industry! Even before you apply to get an agent, you should flesh out your acting toolbox, so it’s prepared for when someone does sign you.

Furthermore, you need to learn how to act and behave on set. There are plenty of training courses that you can find in your city that give you the ins and outs of onset protocol, and Google also has great resources if you search for the correct information. This is critical because how you present yourself in front of a professional film team can impact the industry connections you make that may have the ability to make or break your career in the future.

That’s why being professional and humble is so important.

2. Understand the Process

You can’t just show up at a casting room and say, “Hey! I’m ready for my close-up!”

It just doesn’t work that way. Instead, you either need to have an agent that gets you an audition for that show/project or applies to a casting call yourself and be one of the lucky few offered a spot to try out for the role. Furthermore, you often need to have the necessary skills/training/credits for anyone to take you seriously enough to be seen by a Casting Director. 

Most actors start out in this timeline:

• Starting out with education or training
• Work some background and/or student short films
• Start getting seen for small actor auditions in real projects
• Get booked in indie/non-union work
• Now being seen for more prominent principal/supporting roles
• Booking on union productions
• Building your resume
• Hopefully, securing a lead

If you can understand this process, you’ll be golden! All of this takes time, and it will not happen right away. So be patient and have fun throughout your acting journey. 

3. Maintain Good Connections

You’ll hear a lot of opinions on this, but here’s ours – talent lands you the role, connections get you in the door. 

Whether you like it or not, keeping up great connections is the best way to create opportunities for yourself in this business. Hence why it’s essential to be incredibly kind to everyone on set and always have a phenomenal attitude that will leave a positive lasting impression! You never know who will be working in what position one day. For example, guy working locations might end up being the next big Hollywood director. 

Also, if you ever have the chance to fill in for positions on set that go awry and save the day – this is a great way to get your foot in the door. Positions like stand-in are fantastic ways to get to know production teams, and being available when date changes occur never hurts!

4. Learn to Hurry Up and Wait

It’s a cliché in the industry, but it’s true. Often you will not hear from anyone until they need you or have updates for you. So if you’re feeling anxious if you haven’t heard from your agent in a while, know lots is occurring in the background that you are unaware of to get you an audition and book the job. Now, that’s not to say you can’t check-in, but don’t follow up every day asking for the 4-11. 

This goes for anyone in the industry. It’s hectic, so when production or someone needs you. You’ll be notified. If they don’t, just do your thang and keep working on your craft in the meantime. And don’t be alarmed if you reply to a request and you don’t hear back. Unless you receive an official booking, you will rarely ever be informed that the role you just auditioned for was already cast. Likewise, unless someone’s asked your agent to let you know that you’ve been released from a PIN or SHORTLIST – your agent probably won’t even be informed that you didn’t get the part.

So just get used to being comfortable with the unknown, and know that when someone has information for you… that’s often when you’ll be contacted.

5. Excuses Do Not Matter

We’re going to just be honest with you here – your agents may care about you (at BookIT we certainly do), but the reality is that no one else has time to listen to excuses. If you cancel your background booking last minute because something came up? Well… Accept the fact that that production may or may not book you again in the future. If you’re late to set? Apologize, own up to it and be prepared to get to work right away. Do not tell a long-winded story about how your cat threw up on your sweater and you had to pick one up from your friend’s house because you had nothing else to wear. 

Look. If you’re booked, you’re booked. Unless you are seriously ill or something tragic happens in your family – 9x out of 10, whatever excuse you have is not acceptable. 

If something does occur, always inform your agent to do their best to deliver the news in a strategic way to whoever needs to hear it. Or, if someone bullies you on set, always let your agent know so they can take the necessary precautions to have it handled. But do learn how to accept responsibility and take ownership of when something occurs that you could have prevented. Of course, this is a job like any other, so all the same rules apply.

So, if the above five truth bombs are not what you signed up for? This probably isn’t the industry for you. And that’s ok! 

Be realistic about your expectations. If you really want to do this, then all the time and patience it takes to make it into the biz will be no problem for you. It’s a wonderful world, and you can have a lot of fun as long as you approach it with the right attitude and humility that’s required.

The post Here’s How the Industry REALLY Works appeared first on BookIT Talent Agency.

Acting is like any other career. You need the proper training, materials, and commitment to make it. Think about it. You would never see a neuro-surgeon land a job at the top hospital if they didn’t endure the years of schooling and testing they need to become qualified. The same goes for being an actor. You must treat it like your job (even if it’s super fun). 

Now let’s address some common misconceptions:

Your Headshot Isn’t THAT Important

This is incorrect. In a very visually focused industry, your headshot is everything. Especially since so much of the casting process has been turned digital, you need a headshot that will stand out to Casting Directors that have to scroll through hundreds, if not thousands of faces a day. Why? Because the images that Casting gets to see are tiny thumbnail shots. So anything too low quality will be blurry, anything without proper lighting may not show your features off, and anything with distracting imagery will definitely be scrolled by. 

This is why you need proper, professional headshots. Casting must be able to see your eyes clearly, and your facial expressions should be able to tell a story. You also may need to look at getting “character shots” that allow your agent to market you in various looks for various project types and roles. Essentially, you want to sell yourself with impactful photos that can show Casting that you very well could be the right actor for the job. 

Remember – you don’t have to break the bank. But you do have to take this seriously and give yourself the best ‘shot’ (no pun intended).

Production & Casting Never Even Looks at Your Resumé

There are varying answers about the importance of having a professional actor resumé, but long-story-short – you need one. Whether they even pay attention to your resumé or not, having one is standard within the industry. Even if you have not a single credit to your name, you should have a resume formatted like an actor resumé with:

• Your Name
• Basic Stats
• Any Relevant Training
• Your Skills

For example, say a job you’re applying for asked you to wear black shoes with black slacks and a green dress shirt, and you only owned the black shoes and slacks. Suppose you went into that job interview without the green dress shirt. In that case, your potential employer will be thinking one of two things or both: (1) This person can’t even read basic instructions, so how could I trust hiring them for the actual job; (2) This person doesn’t care enough about the position to go out and get the required attire, so why would I pay them when I have 50 other candidates that do care. 

The above scenario is exactly how it looks to industry professionals if you don’t care to put together a resumé and format it the way an actor’s CV should look. So even if production and Casting do not analyze your resumé from top to bottom, at least they know you have one and that you can follow protocol within the industry.

Demo Reels are Overrated

Demo Reels are a standard practice that never dies but only gets revamped to suit the current modern-day demands that the industry sees. Nowadays, they’re crucial to pitch actors in an overwhelming sea of performers who want the job as bad as you do.

They’re a great way to push for actors starting out or actors that no longer fitting what the market’s demand but still deserve a shot at a role they’d be great for. That’s why finding student work or short films can be beneficial at the start of an actor’s career if they need various project types showing their range. Alternatively, some actors invest in curated demo scenes or reels to showcase specific sides that will help them be considered for the kind of projects they want to do!

Although you don’t need them right away, it certainly can help your career if you do find a way to provide those materials to your agent to do the best they can to get you in the room.

So, if we’re honest – yes. To be a professional actor, you need professional materials. How you get those materials together is up to you. But the actors that #bookIT are the ones that do the work, commit to the lifestyle and present themselves like seasoned performers from the start. 

The post Professional Materials: Useful or Useless? appeared first on BookIT Talent Agency.