Showing posts with label Entertainment Industry career. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment Industry career. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2011
entertainment industry coach question 752: Is it better to pursue multiple areas of entertainment or focus on just one?
That really depends on you, your talent, and your ability to manage your time. There are plenty of slashers ( / / / ) out there. People run into trouble when they become Jack of all trades, master of none. But look at how many talented people out there act, direct, write, produce, shoot, etc.
If they can do it, maybe you can too. Only you can tell if you are mastering the arts or spreading yourself too thin.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
entertainment industry coach question 740: With so many commitments, how do I manage my time?
I chose to answer this question today, because it's 11:30 pm. You see, I made a commitment to YOU, to answer a question per day, and guess what? For me, life showed up today. I didn't have time to blog because of my other priorities. Now, because this is a priority for me, I'm doing it before I go to bed.
I'm sharing this with you as an example of accountability and taking one small step.
You can manage your time by:
1. Making a list of what you WANT to accomplish
2. Making a list of what you MUST accomplish
3. Prioritizing both lists
Then # 4 is KEY:
4. Taking at least one action per day on that list
And # 5 will keep you emotionally stable:
5. Forgiving yourself if you can't
There will be days when I won't be able to post because life will happen, and I will choose to to de-prioritize this commitment because something or someone is more important. And that will be okay. I don't aim for perfection anymore. I aim for enjoying the journey. There are other specific time management techniques that I will offer in this blog. For now I want YOU to practice enjoying your journey until it is no longer something you practice it is who YOU ARE.
Friday, February 18, 2011
entertainment industry coach question 715: I've been in the biz for 35 yrs how can you coach when every thing's changed?
I imagine in your 35 years in the business you've seen many periods of change, including multiple strikes, runaway production, ever-changing technology. With all of these changes how can I not coach? You see, the new people breaking in, haven't been through what you have, so they are going after their careers like "this is the way it is." For them, I coach them on the basic business tools to grow their business that EVERYBODY needs, no matter the climate or changes of the industry.
I do my best to keep up with the changes by speaking to Centers of Influence in the Industry and communicating what I'm hearing and how you can prepare for changes. For people like you, who've been in the industry a long time, I must (pardon the expression) "teach old dogs new tricks." Most people don't like change and resist it too long, hoping that the "money-spenders" will come to their senses and keep things as they were. By the time they realize that's not going to happen, a new crop of ____________(insert your classification) have jumped on the "change" bandwagon, and are getting hired on the jobs that used to be yours.
So I coach people who want to embrace the changes, move with them, and keep working. I also coach people who are starting from right now, empowering them with tools that will help them through future changes which they will encounter. As a coach, I change with the times too. Do you think a decade ago I was coaching clients to market themselves with social media? No. The people who are resisting the change, "fighting joining Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, & YouTube" are losing out on massive opportunities and losing work because of it!
If you are resisting change, and frustrated that things aren't what they used to be, I suggest you change your attitude and start looking for ways to be a part of the change.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
entertainment industry coach question 714:How am I supposed to keep up with all the TV shows when they get cancelled so fast?
Actors are told to know ALL the shows because they need to know the tone when they audition (this was sent to me by an actor). Every classification that works in television needs to keep up with the shows so that you know the tone, the crew, the genre, etc.
How do you keep up? Bottom line is, if you watched every show you'd have no time to pursue a career. Watch the pilots. That will give you a pretty clear idea of the show. Don't get too caught up with keeping detailed notes on everything. Target 20 shows to begin with and if 2 get cancelled, add 2 more. Use resources like Hulu.com. YouTube, and the network websites to catch a show that you get called in for and may have missed. This applies to you non-actors for when you have a meeting with someone whose show you've never seen.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 500: Would you take a 500 day challenge that would change your career?
I don't know why the number 500 seems so meaningful. Maybe because I've never actively done anything for my career for 500 days straight. Have you? 500 days straight? No weekends off? What if you did? Choose one action from the following list that catches your attention:
1. Send a business email
2. Make a business call
3. Post a branding statement on a social media site
4. Blog on something that pertains to your career
5. Post a comment on an entertainment industry forum
After you make your choice, close your eyes and visualize the possibilities that can occur from you taking this one action for 500 days straight. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to visualize...
From my experience, taking an action for my business for 500 days straight has reaped tangible results like money, new contacts, and jobs (speaking engagements). It's also given me results that you can't measure like industry credibility, expert status, deeper connection with industry people, rewarding feedback from people I've helped, and a major sense of accomplishment and commitment to my business.
I invite you to take the 500 day challenge. For my question 1000, I will ask, "What have you done for 500 days straight and how has it affected your career?" I look forward to your answers as well as hearing about your journey along the way.
Feel free to add a comment about what your 500 day commitment is. Putting it out there in the public eye makes you accountable-- another great lesson I learned from this experience.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
www.twitter.com/GreenlightCoach FOLLOW ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Friday, July 16, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 499: How do I get my dog involved in entertainment?
Well, first you have to decide what area of entertainment your dog is interested in. Most likely his/her first choice will be craft services, but the studios may have a problem with your dog eating on the job. Dogs are supposedly color blind so cinematography is out. Very few dogs have the attention span to edit, though yours may be the exception.
Okay, seriously? Your dog has to be extremely well trained and like babies and toddlers, have an agent. Google pet agencies.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
www.twitter.com/GreenlightCoach FOLLOW ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 497: What does it mean to "build my list"?
This is a marketing term that some entertainment professionals are getting savvy to. If you are familiar with my tools, I have something I refer to as a contact list. This is a list of all of your contacts. I go into more details on it in seminars and such, but what's important for you to know now, is that "building a list" is the same as building your contacts. The only difference in the marketing world is that people are using different tools and methods to stay in contact with their list. If you are someone who has trouble managing your contacts (staying in touch, following up, coming up with reasons to contact them), finding new tools and methods to reach out to your list is definitely something to research.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
www.twitter.com/GreenlightCoach FOLLOW ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 490: how do I make the most of a trip to LA?
The question continued: "I'm trying to plan a trip to LA this summer to work on contacts and push the movie my production company made."
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
Most people plan a trip to LA, by figuring out how many airline points they have, where they're going to stay, and how much they have to save up to eat. Once they arrive, they try and figure out where to meet people.
Before you even consider the logistics of taking a trip LA, create a plan for your trip. Who do you want to meet? What companies do you want to screen your movie for? Have a target list. Once you have your target list, if you realize you have no idea how to get to any of the people or companies on the list, you have a lot more work to do before booking a trip.
If it's not necessary to you to be so specific about who you're meeting, at least research networking events and film festivals. If you can't fill your calendar with at least 5 events in a week, it's time to do more work before booking a trip.
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 480: Can I be a screenwriter if I don't live in Los Angeles?
In my opinion, it's probably the easiest classification to be, if you don't live in Los Angeles. Why? Because you can master your craft and build your script collection while living in a cheaper city/town, not get beaten down by the rejection that so many experience, be close to family & friends, and even have a fulfilling job as you write. You can also build mentor relationships from afar via email, phone, and/or social media.
Once you have a number of great quality scripts, and relationships that you've been nurturing, then you can plan a business trip to LA to take meetings.
The key is to never stop writing, because you always want to be current and you always want to be growing as a writer.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Friday, May 7, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 429:Is it possible to have a full time job and pursue a career in entertainment?
Is it possible? Of course. You definitely have to master the art of the 80/20 principle in that you want to be doing 20% of your work for your entertainment career and have 80% results coming from that focused work. I had a full time job for 11 years and wrote screenplays, auditioned, produced 1 pilot and 4 episodes of a television show, acted in projects, directed a short, and on and on.
It's about time management. When you get to the point that your entertainment career needs more time than your full time job permits, that's what I refer to as an A-list problem. Give me a call then and we'll work it out.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 427:Your newsletter on self sabotage was great! Can you explain Secondary Gains better?
Absolutely. In my newsletter, I first had you look at the obvious ways that you self-sabotage. What's not always obvious are the unconscious ways you self-sabotage. These may be the "secondary gains" you're getting from sabotaging yourself.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
For example:
Someone who can hire you, tells you to follow up with him in a month to see if he has anything available. A month goes by, you procrastinate (possibly telling yourself stories about why this isn't the right time to follow up). A month and a week goes by and finally, you call. He tells you that he's disappointed that you didn't call the week before because he had a job available. Now you beat yourself up but good.
But why didn't you follow up? The secondary gain is the "thing" that you are getting that feels better than the possibility of getting the job. Now you may be thinking, "but I really wanted the job." You can think and say that all you want, but if you didn't make that call, you sabotaged yourself, and there was something that was a stronger pull that you gained, by not making that call.
So dig deep. First you'll discover the fear: maybe it's rejection, or change, or success. Then you'll have to look at what's underneath the fear.
Why would someone be afraid of success? Perhaps he/she is worried about how personal relationships would change, or not having enough time for family, or not having it be everything he/she expected. The secondary gain, is keeping you status quo. You'll never know those answers because everything is staying the same.
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 412: How important is it for me to separate the different things I do (act, direct, produce, write, edit)?
It depends on the conversation you're having. If you're talking to a casting director whom you don't know very well, you want to present yourself as an actor. It's not important to them that you edit because that's not what they're hiring you for.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
If you're talking to a producer as a writer/director, be careful about mentioning that you're an actor because the first thing they'll be concerned about is that you want to connect yourself to the project and it will be a deal breaker.
If you are talking to someone about partnering on an independent film that you've written, want to direct, and have a small acting role in, it would be advantages to mention that you edit because so many projects fall apart in post.
The bottom line is, you have to assess the circumstances and the relationship with the person, before revealing all of your hats.
Whatever you do, make sure you have separate marketing materials. Any business card that has all of those slashes can make someone think that you do a little of everything but don't have fabulous talent in one area.
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Monday, April 19, 2010
entertainment industry coach Question 411: How do I use my film credits on my film resume when the producer/director is a shady user type...
"... and I can't trust him for a work reference. Do I add the film to my resume, but explain to the next prod exec the nature of the shady producer even though that can put them off on me?"
No, No, No, No.... and in case I wasn't clear.... NO! You put the credit on your resume but you DON'T list the producer as a reference. If they need a reference from the production, find someone who will sing your praises. In most cases, if they are looking over your resume and they don't recognize the production or the producer, they're not going to be asking for a reference anyway. It's up to you to create that relationship in the interview and prove why you're the one for the job. Bringing up negative working experiences will do just the opposite. It's a total turn off!
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at the top of the page and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Monday, March 29, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 390: How do I get into doing voiceovers?
I get this question from many actors and some non-actors with great voices. Voice over work is one of the more challenging areas of entertainment to break into. It's a tightly knit group and they try to keep it that way. Many working voice over artists own their own home studio so they can audition from their home and email it to their agent or a specific advertising agency. Some even do the jobs from home.
Voice over artists have marketing materials such as a website, and a voice over CD. There are different areas of work, such as commercials, cartoons, video games, greeting cards and animated movies.
I wish someone would re-do the voice on the awful garage ticket machines. That voice gives me the creeps.
Do your research on the voice over industry. Have informational interviews with successful voice over artists and agents who represent voice over artists.
While many think of it as a supplemental income job to their entertainment career, you will quickly learn that it is just as much a full-time business as anything else.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at www.TheGreenlightCoach.com and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 389:As a coach/industry person, what's a mistake you made that I can learn from?
I think all of our lessons are different, so I would have to know what you're doing to be able to advise you on what to continue and what's not as effective. But, you did ask me personally, so I'll tell you. Maybe it's just because I'm feeling nostalgic because I'm home and seeing friends whom I haven't seen in over a decade, but I'd say the biggest mistake I've made is putting TOO much emphasis on my work.
Follow up is the make or break of business relationships, so you can learn from that. I do a great job with following up with business contacts, however, when it comes to following up with personal relationships or taking the time out to vacation and see friends, I haven't done a good job at all.
The good news is, now that I see what I'm missing, I can change it. I've always taken relaxing spa-type vacations as opposed to coming back East to see my friends. I think we can mix the two. Once a year, plan a 4-day spa vacation (I can probably stay longer but they all have kids) so we can all see each other.
There is something SO special about being with old friends; reminiscing and sharing how everyone's lives have grown, the good the challenges... it's invaluable.
That's a mistake I made, and I plan to change it. You can learn from this, or you can apply it to your business by evaluating how you follow up with work friends/collegues.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoach.com
Follow up is the make or break of business relationships, so you can learn from that. I do a great job with following up with business contacts, however, when it comes to following up with personal relationships or taking the time out to vacation and see friends, I haven't done a good job at all.
The good news is, now that I see what I'm missing, I can change it. I've always taken relaxing spa-type vacations as opposed to coming back East to see my friends. I think we can mix the two. Once a year, plan a 4-day spa vacation (I can probably stay longer but they all have kids) so we can all see each other.
There is something SO special about being with old friends; reminiscing and sharing how everyone's lives have grown, the good the challenges... it's invaluable.
That's a mistake I made, and I plan to change it. You can learn from this, or you can apply it to your business by evaluating how you follow up with work friends/collegues.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoach.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 374: What's the best way to convince people to work low pay upfront & rest deferred for a 3 wk Indie Film shoot?
The best way is to create a win/win, be professional (have legal documents drawn up regarding the deferral pay), and most of all make it fun for them.
No one wants to work for free or for lower than their pay grade, but people will be willing to do it if:
1. They like and want to support the person whose project it is
2. They believe in the material
3. There is an opportunity for them (to work in a new genre, get a scene for their reel that's missing, play with new equipment they've never used before, get a celebrity on their reel, meet new people to network with, etc.)
4. They are being given the opportunity to move up in classification
5. They need to build their credits
The critical thing to remember when people are making sacrifices for your project is to treat them and feed them well!
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at www.TheGreenlightCoach.com and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 372: Favors Part 1
Question: As I become more successful, I find more people asking me for favors (I think you call it making requests). One question asked might seem small, but I recognize how much time it adds up to, with 20 people wanting things from me every day.
Requests are defined as:
1 : the act or an instance of asking for something
2 : something asked for
as opposed to:
Favors that are defined as:
1 : friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior
2 : gracious kindness; also : an act of such kindness
When asking for a favor it implies reciprocity… not with a request.
It is understood in the business world that the reply to a request can be to AGREE, REFUSE or OFFER ANOTHER POSSIBILITY. If you can’t accept “no” as an answer, you’re making a demand NOT a request!
Therefore, you have to determine if you are truly being asked for a favor. If so, should you choose to do the favor, you tell them what they can do for you as a favor in return. Then you can determine whether it's worth it. If not say no.
If it's business, though, then it's a request and you need to set boundaries. You have to decide WIIFY (what's in it for you). 20/day does add up and takes away from the advancement of your career. While saying NO may feel uncomfortable at first, eventually it will be very empowering and and send a message to your subconscious and the people in your life, that while you're an independent contractor, that doesn't mean that you don't have work to do and that you have time to do favors for everyone.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
To stay current on The Greenlight Coach's speaking engagements, recommendations, and work success articles, sign up for her free newsletter at www.TheGreenlightCoach.com and get a great bonus 1-hour MP3 on creating powerful business partnerships when you do!
Monday, March 8, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 371: How do you get to go to the Oscars if you're not nominated?
I assume you're not a star who would be a presenter either. There actually is a way to attend if you aren't invited. You can be a seat filler. Research it for next year.
For mote tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
Sunday, March 7, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 370: Is it fair for me to get a dog if I'm in the entertainment industry?
You're asking a dog lover so, here's what I'm going to say:
IF you are already working regularly, traveling all over the country/world where it is really impossible to bring a dog along, then no, it is not fair to get a dog.
However, IF you're still building your career, don't put your life on hold. No one knows what the future holds. Get a dog, get two, and when the time comes for you to travel for work, they'll have their routine and you will have people to take care of them.
My dogs, Barkley and Jake agree, giving this blog post 8 paws up!
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
entertainment industry coach question 317: My New Years resolution is to get a new agent. How do I do that?
I gave a seminar last night and the majority of the people had that same resolution. Well, some just wanted to get an agent. You saying you want a "new" one, implies you have one. I have posted on this topic before, I've also made a video about it that you can watch at:
Instead of repeating myself, I'll just give you a few tips:
1. Create buzz about yourself that an agent will take notice of
2. Know the timing of the industry (If you're an actor, agents who rep TV actors are headed into pilot season, so a better time to pursue an agent would be after pilot season when they've let go of their clients who didn't deliver)
3. Remember that agents get +10% for a reason. You are still 100% responsible for your success and an agent is icing on the cake.
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, the Greenlight Coach, visit www.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1280: I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language (cont'd)
"I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language. I am looking to improve my comprehension when I read my text book...
-
Because I can't ask you why you're turning down the work, if you want to work with this person, I'll address this question based...
-
I'm not 100% sure I get your question. I think what you're asking is if there's a difference between trying to send an unsolicit...