11/09/2010
Everything has gone a bit quite on the professional front despite replying to many advertisements. I have had interest from a modelling agency and have replied to them, we will see whether that leads anywhere. I suppose I haven’t been pushing things as hard as I should have been, due to being very busy at work, but things have gone a bit quieter now, so I can pick up the pace again.
18/06/2010
I have spent today looking at castings and applying for consideration. I will wait to see if I get any response. I have also applied for a live touring production of Doctor Who! I have no chance of even getting an audition, however, it gets my CV and photograph seen by people who matter so it can’t be bad. I also have interest from an Agency which looks really good, however I cannot find them listed in Contacts so I am in a quandary over whether to join them or not. I will have to try to do some more research before I finally make my decision. It looks genuine enough.
16/06/2010
I have had a couple more responses from the requests for representation that I sent out a couple of months ago. Unfortunately they are negative responses and they are from some of my “special” Agencies. Never mind. It is not the end of the world if I cannot get an Agent and I will continue to apply for representation from further agencies. I have applied to a couple of “Casting Agencies” and I am hoping that something will come of those.
18/05/2010
I think that on the whole it is not a bad thing to apply for walk-ons and extra parts. At the end of the day it will get my face seen by the right sorts of people and agencies and you never know where it will lead. It will not do me any harm to have professional experience of this type added to my CV. I have applied to several casting companies who cover a range of television, film, commercial and modelling castings and hope that I can get some good work from this. I look forward to reading the replies.
13/05/2010
Everything had gone deathly quiet on the Agents front. I don’t know whether to be worried or not. One part of me says that my requests have been laughed at and ignored, another part of me says there are thousands of enquiries sent and mine is in the middle of it. I need to be patient I think. Some of my “Special” Agents are still to reply so I am ever hopeful.
On the plus side, I have had interest from a “supporting artists” company. I need to consider carefully whether I want to go down this road. Provided they are not exclusive and that I can get hold of some terms and conditions, it may be a good way to get some experience. It might also go some way to getting my Equity card.
01/05/2010
Another postal submission has come back to me today. One of my “special” agencies with a negative response unfortunately. Never mind, there are still a few more to hear from, however as the list reduces in size, I almost don’t want to know. I do of course, not knowing would not help at all, but then I have to decide where I need to go next. The rejection is disheartening though, I cannot deny that. It makes you start to wonder whether you have any chance at all. All you can do is look to the future and hope that a positive response or two arrives eventually.
28/04/2010
Well, it looks like I was too hasty with my follow-ups, some of them anyhow. I have just received an e-mail which seemed very curt in tone. Short and very to the point (negative again) just declaring that they are extremely busy. I know they are, and acknowledge this in all my correspondence. I just hope that there are not too many more agents that think I am doing this just to annoy and frustrate them. Please, if any Agents are reading this, I am sincere in my quest for work, my goal is not stardom, this is only attained by the very select few. I just want the opportunity to act and perform.
27/04/2010
The trail of replies from my e-mails seems to have dried up and has done for some time now. Maybe I am too impatient and the agencies will get back to me in due course. All advice I have read says make sure you follow up any letters and e-mails and that is what I am going to do. I just hope it is not too early to do so. I am also hoping that for some of the agencies “no news is good news” as there are some very “special” agencies that I would love to be a part of. I haven’t heard from any of these ones yet, probably because they are so busy.
23/04/2010
I have received a couple of my posted submissions back today. One had a lovely letter attached, a negative response, but a lovely letter all the same. It makes you feel like someone has actually looked at your application and taken time over it. The other one had no letter, no explanation and half of the contents missing. They may have been kept on file for future reference, you never know.
15/04/2010
I have finally posted the CVs and photos off to the Agents that take postal submissions. Who would have thought that it would be so difficult? I ordered a set of reprints from a local photographic shop and was told they would take about 5 days to arrive. I returned to collect them today only to find that the black and white print has been done, but the colour prints have not. Slightly inconvenient! After trying to get me to come back in a couple of days just in case they turn up, the assistant looks at the tracking on the order only to find that it hadn’t even been placed and that I would have to bring the originals back in to place another order which would take another five days! Not very satisfactory as I needed the photographs. I thought it would be a good idea to get the reprints done by a professional company rather than printing them off myself. I wish I had done it myself in the first place. I could have posted the letters of a week ago! I will know for next time. Back to the shop for a refund on Saturday.
10/04/2010
Another set of e-mails have been sent off today. I doubt I will get much response, but I will keep sending them out. I have had a couple of replies from my previous group, mostly to say the books are closed, but at least I know they have looked at my message.
06/04/2010
My first e-mails have been sent to agents requesting representation. I will send some more in a few days. I will organise my photograph reprints at the weekend for my postal submissions. I need to keep a note of the responses and follow them up. I am filled with a mix of excitement and dread. I am not afraid of rejection. I will be disappointed if nothing comes of this and I will try again until I have a result. I just have to wait now and see what occurs…..
30/03/2010
I have a big worry! I am sure that no-one will even consider me because I have no formal training. I do not think that my experience will be enough. But then my next worry comes with where can I get the training I need without going to Drama School, I certainly cannot afford to give up work and study full-time. I am going to have to look for local evening classes or weekend intensive. This won’t stop me applying for representation, but at least I have identified it as a weakness that I can try to do something about.
Another worry is the word ”amateur”. Just because I don’t get paid for doing something that I love doesn’t mean that I don’t put my heart and soul into it. I learn my part inside out, continually asking myself (and sometimes others) what is the character doing, feeling, thinking, why are they feeling this way, what affects their relationships to other characters, why do certain things affect them? What sort of life do they have outside of the acted story? Some of the answers are facts that can be found in the play itself, with others, you have to interpret what other actors are doing at the time and act on that, sometimes just make it up in your head. All of these thoughts and more can affect the way that I portray each character. It is not simply reciting lines and copying moves. You need to understand the depths of the character and the situation of the play before you represent them faithfully and sensitively.
I hope that an open-minded Agent will look at my credits and consider the impact they would have if I was already a member of Equity, and they had been performed in a professional Theatre. Whether that would encourage them to see me I don’t know but here’s hoping.
28/03/2010
My head hurts! I have spent the majority of the day looking at Agent’s websites. I have managed to write a list of who I would like to approach first with a few extra special companies earmarked. I know that I am not likely to be taken on by one of these big companies, but that won’t stop me trying, you never know where it will lead. Some of the sites I visited were fantastic, some were not so, but I have made my list with a few points in mind; namely good ethos, friendly and helpful website, the ability to e-mail details to them (although some of the special sites only wanted interest by post so I will have to send some out) not too many actors on the site that are of a similar description to myself and finding someone who I recognised – even better if they are currently in a television program that I enjoy watching, and lastly accessible i.e: London or locally based. It seems a lot to consider, but there are so many Agents that they have to be whittled down somehow. If I am unfortunate with this round of mailings, I will have to cast my net further……I do hope there is a little interest. Next I think I will have to research Casting Executives. Even if I don’t have an agent, my face may tick a few boxes for some project somewhere.
27/03/2010
I must work on putting together a list of who I am going to send my CV and headshots to. The sooner I can work this out, the sooner I can make a start on my covering letters. I think we will start with a small list and see how we get on. I am in no great rush at the moment but if I don’t make a start this will hang on forever. I need to find how many Agents will accept e-mail applications as this will make life easier (and cheaper) for me. Then I will have to look at how many photographs I need to copy and post.
I also need to look at finding other ways to market myself. I have joined the “StarNow” website so I can be seen and look at casting calls (although most of these are for very little if no money). I also need to try to find out who does the casting for our local pantomime as it seems that lots of companies are casting already. I may have missed the boat for this year.
25/03/2010
Well, the news of my intentions to break into the professional world of acting has started doing the rounds. I am now the subject of gossip! I don’t mind as it is not malicious. Oh well no publicity is bad publicity as they say!!
20/03/2010
My photographs seem to have received a very warm reception. Several people have commented kindly on them. The more I look at them the more I like them, which is good as I don’t generally like looking at myself in photographs. How daft! I now have my own page on the “StarNow” website and am actively scouring for auditions. My next step is to complete my CV and decide which of the hundreds of Casting Executives and Theatrical Agents to send it to. That is going to be a mammoth task. I just hope something comes of it.
18/03/2010
I am now in possession of my headshots. All I have to do now is decide which one to have as my main shot.
14/03/2010
The photographer is organised and I should have some decent promotional shots by the end of the week all being well. Getting the set won’t be too difficult, however finding just the right one to promote myself to Theatrical Agents and Casting Agencies is going to be tough. I am going to have to ask a lot of friends to choose their favourites and then work out which one comes out on top. Still, I haven’t got the shots yet, I may find that a couple stand out anyway.
13/03/2010
The decision has been made to become professional. Here you will find the small steps and giant leaps taken to achieve this. Share in the journey.
