As you might expect, much of what we talk about in acting class tends to be about, well, <\/span>acting<\/span><\/strong>. That probably comes as no surprise, there\u2019s a lot to talk about – exercises, scene work, relaxation, all that Method stuff. We do, however, get into some of the more mundane but nevertheless<\/span> important topics<\/span><\/em> like <\/span>representation<\/span><\/u> and <\/span>casting.<\/span><\/strong> Getting someone legitimate <\/span>to represent you i<\/span><\/em>s something that all actors have to contend with but what happens <\/span>if you don\u2019t have an agent or a manager? <\/span><\/strong>How do you get seen for roles in films or TV if you\u2019re not repped by ICM, Paradigm or CAA? <\/span>Does anyone even know you\u2019re alive if you\u2019re not with a \u201cBig Ten\u201d office? <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Honest answer?<\/span> <\/span><\/em>Maybe<\/span><\/u><\/em> but the odds aren\u2019t in your favor.<\/span><\/u> There are, however, things you can do <\/span>to improve those odds<\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>get seen <\/span><\/strong>by the folks who can give you a shot at stardom. Listen, I know lots of actors and more than a few who got all the way to the top of their game. Their success stories are all very different but <\/span>they also had a few things in common.<\/span><\/u> All the <\/span>successful actors<\/span><\/em> I\u2019ve known were <\/span>highly organized<\/span><\/strong>, had <\/span>actionable plans<\/span><\/strong> for their career and followed those plans religiously. They also had a magical thing in their favor called “luck” but I don’t mean the kind you pray for at the Black Jack table. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Actor\u2019s luck<\/span><\/span><\/strong> is something else because <\/span>you can improve your odds<\/span><\/span><\/strong> significantly if you follow one, simple formula. This is something I\u2019ve written about before and something I tell my students all the time, but here it is again. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Luck = Preparation Meets Opportunity. <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n What does it mean? Simply that if you\u2019re in the game long enough, you will be <\/span>in the right place, at the right time,<\/span><\/em> at least once in your life. At that moment, you\u2019ll have your shot and <\/span>if you\u2019ve done your homework<\/span><\/em> properly, <\/span>you\u2019ll be ready for it. <\/span><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n OK, fine, sounds reasonable but how do I get to that magical place? How do I get to a point that I\u2019m ready for that big shot? Like we already said, you make a strong plan and you follow through with it consistently. Now no plan is perfect but here are <\/span>five things<\/span><\/strong> that actors can do <\/span>to position themselves nicely for success.<\/span><\/strong> Follow this plan and your odds of hitting the jackpot are a lot better, even without a CAA sticker on your resume. <\/span> #1<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/strong> Have a <\/span>solid presence online<\/span><\/strong> and in Social Media. Actors need to be visible and that means a website. It doesn\u2019t have to be the Second Coming but it needs to be professional and represent you well. You should also be visible in social media, so have a LinkedIn account, Instagram & FB, and make sure those accounts are linked to your web site in a professional manner. Now will <\/span>having these things get you cast<\/span><\/u> in <\/span>Ron Howard\u2019s<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>next film? <\/span><\/em>Very unlikely but <\/span>it will raise your visibility<\/span><\/u><\/em> <\/span><\/em>in the professional world <\/span>in ways that add up<\/span><\/u><\/em>.<\/span><\/u> Back in the Old Days, actors paid a yearly fee to be included in <\/span>The Player\u2019s Guide<\/span><\/em> and every industry office had a copy. Sure, it was no guarantee of work but <\/span>it made you recognizable, look professional and these things count. <\/span><\/strong>The internet can do the same thing for you now and do it better, so use it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/2a87af_ad07052279564afaaf53ae083cc757e7~mv2.png\/v1\/fill\/w_123,h_125,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto\/2a87af_ad07052279564afaaf53ae083cc757e7~mv2.png\")
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