The technology wave is moving

My daughter had an audition the other day over a web cast.  Amazing…  we went, we shot it, and it streamed to the other end flawlessly, from the West Coast to the East Coast.  I also got a chance to chat with the Casting Director, and she was saying that if you do not have a web site and you are an actor… Good Luck… in the very negative way.  She says she spends hours per day searching the Net for new talent.

Hopefully that will show you that you need your very own web site, and again my favorite place is MyActingSite.com its just an amazing flat fee to handle it all!

Its funny to think that 10-12 years ago, there was none of this, and my cell phone weighed in at about 2 pounds.

Its a crazy world, but the people that stay ahead of the game seem to always do well!

Peace,

Frank

While in Italy | and advice on your reel

I was recognized a few times, so that is always fun especially when it happens all of never in my own Country…  I digress.

I was amazed to find out recently that Actors Access charges $50.00 per minute to upload your demo reel, and an amazing discount of $100.00 total for a whole 5 minute reel.  WOW, that is just absurd, I cannot believe they extort that kind of money from actors.

www.myactingsite.com allows for up to 3 demo reels FOR FREE!!! and they will even throw in a few extras and help with editing if you really need it… now that is the price it should be.  For the cost of getting your reel up at Actors Access you can have a full web site with your reel up for 1/2 the cost.  AMAZING!!!

I am so sick and tired of companies extorting money from actors, the normal actor is not a major celebrity and is just making ends meet, and probably working another one or two gigs on the side.

I only like companies that give a great price to actors, and really do something for them, thus my love for My Acting Site!

Back to you soon, with much Peace!

- Frank

Here is a great thing

A friend of mine booked two gigs, all because he had his very own website.  Two separate casting directors searched the Internet for the right guy for the part, and they found this lucky guy and booked him, just by seeing his pictures, and his demo reel!

Now that is the power of a web site if you are an actor!  The Technology is catching up to everything else, do not be left in the lurch, get a website if you do not have one!!!

-Frank

How many auditions per week should I have?

This is a great question!  If you agent is doing their job, and you are doing your job (of getting call backs, and booking a gig here and there, and are in good touch with your agent on a regular basis…) you should be getting out at least two times per week, and even more for commercials.

You need to be promoting yourself on a constant basis… via the web, your own web site, twitter, blogs, actors access, etc… and I would still suggest sending out no less than 25 hard copy head shots / resumes on a weekly basis to the casting directors.

If you are not getting out at least twice per week, you should take a deep look at what you are doing to assist in that.  Maybe you are sitting and waiting for the phone to ring… wrong… you need to make it ring.  No agent owes you anything at all.  You need to be an active participant in your acting career for absolute sure.

Your agent will bust their ass for you if you help them and keep in good contact with them.  If you are a “I’m waiting for the phone to ring kind of person” you will not have that agent for long.

Again this is just my two cents, but it has kept me from the need to get a day job for over twenty five years now…   And I’ve had the same agent the whole time!

-Frank

actor website template

Interesting topic…  here is the funny part… if you are an actor you need a web site… but you do not want your site to look like everyone else’s site?  OK… but you are an actor and you have a a head shot and a resume and guess what… it looks like everyone else’s, except for the data inside.

 A web site template is smart, why? because not only does it save you a ton of money and ton of time, but it has been well defined in the industry of what is exactly needed on an “Actors Website”.

The key elements of the site are the following:

A home page, which introduces you to the world.

A Bio page, which give s the nuts and bolts of who you are and why you are an actor.

A resume page, which shows all of your work, and can be EASILY printed right from your website.

A photo gallery page, which shows you off.

A demo reel page, which shows your demo reel to the world, but is big enough too be seen well, and downloads FAST.

And pages to get ahold of you and keep people interested in you. like a contact page, and a mailing list page.

The layout of the site should be EASY to navigate, and the color schemes should fit your look and feel.

I looked at all kinds of places for a web site before going to myactingsite.com but to be honest they are the absolute best, and have like 40-50 different overall looks or “Templates” for you to choose from, and if you decide to change it… its free…  And they add new ones all the time.

I had a quote from a good firm of $5500.00 to make this kind of site for me on a custom basis… well for that kind of money if you have it go for it, but for the rest of us $20.00 per month is kind of easy.

There is nothing cooler than having your own website, and showing yourself off to the world, and getting auditions as a result of having one.

The idea that your site will be the same as someone else is not a good idea… I hope this helps.

-Frank