And...Action!

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Monday, March 28, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 753: Why doesn't talent count for anything?

This question was followed by:

"I'm sick of seeing people whose reels aren't as good as mine getting work when I'm not!"

So, to answer the question, yes, talent does count for something. To comment on the comment that followed:

This is an industry of relationships. People want to work with people they know, like and trust. They also want to work with people who lend credibility, money, and any assets such as equipment or locations, to their project.

There are numerous reasons why someone with less talent may be hired for a job. My question to you is, why are you focusing on on something negative that you have no control over? Instead of letting frustration and bitterness take over and therefore seep into everything you say and do (and before you try and tell me you "hide it" when it counts, I promise you, you're not hiding anything... explanation points speak volumes), focus on what you do well, and getting it out there.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

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.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Saturday, March 26, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 751: What's the best way to find out about jobs without an agent?

Here's what most people do: They look through the trades or online and "cold" submit. The problem with that is, the people who get the cold submissions are being bombarded, because if you found it, so did many others.

You've heard me say it over and over!!!! Contacts CONTACTS CONTACTS!!! You are going to get jobs through the people you know. An agent isn't the answer to getting you work. They get +10% because YOU are 100% responsible for your career. Research what jobs are out there and then do your 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon to figure out who you know who knows somone who is connected to that production.

Network, research, preparation, follow through, professionalism. All ways to get work without an agent.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Friday, March 25, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 750:I wrote & self published a book.I have been told it should be a Liftetime movie.how do I go about doing that

There are many ways to go about the process:

1. A literary agent can represent the project and take it to Lifetime

2. You can write a treatment and along with the book, pitch it to Lifetime

3. You can actually write the script and have it read by Lifetime

Sounds easy enough right? Except, that Lifetime won't read unsolicited material and unless you have an agent, or an entertainment attorney, there's "grass-roots" work that needs to be done.

My first question to you is: Is Lifetime the only network this book/movie is right for? If so, you're going to have to create relationships with people in development there, because they are literally the only people who would make your movie. Therefore, you may or may not want to spend the time going after an agent to rep the project.

It's difficult to answer this question more specifically, because I don't know your relationship to the industry (this question comes from Twitter). If you have no connections at all, I'd give you a very different answer than if I knew your self-published book had sold a million copies and you have interest from agents.

And then finally, there's a query letter that you can send. You can google how to write that, and research the right person to send it to at Lifetime. If they have an interest in the book and the synopsis of your story to be made into a screenplay, they'll ask for more.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 749: do you suggest living in one state and flying to LA to work?

I don't make any suggestions when it comes to people's personal lives. If you can easily make that commute (get to work on time, get flights when needed, not have flight delay problems) and have enough contacts that you get called to work in LA when you live somewhere else, then it's a decision for you to make.

There are union rules about living in one place and working in another, so be sure to research those. You also have to consider the types of projects you'll be working on; how long will they keep you away from home and where will you stay, how often might you have to commute, etc.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 748: What do I do if I have to leave a phone message?

When I first started coaching, I would tell people to call 3 times before leaving a message (because the point was to get them in). However, with today's technology, people are checking their caller ID, so if they see you're calling and not leaving a message, they may think it's strange. Then again, they may be curious about what you want and call you back. So, the "3 calls before leaving a message" is up to you.

Another obstacle is: if you're calling from a blocked number, they may never answer.

Here is what you want to do when leaving a BRIEF message:

1. State your name- CLEARLY

2. State your phone number- CLEARLY

*I can't tell you how many people have called me and left out one of the above. Usually #1 and then I have to do a google search of the number and hope to find a name to match. Most people are not as caring as me.

3. Give them a compelling reason to call you back. This, while having to be spoken CLEARLY, does not have to be as clear. This is what's called in the biz a "teaser" or a "cliffhanger."

If you just call, "to check in," "to tell me you're available," or "to see what I've been up to," you may never get a call back, or may fall to the bottom of my priority list. Nothing personal, I just have people calling me with urgent matters, questions only I can answer, and something really cool to share (these are all examples of #3).

Always know what you're going to say, should you go to voicemail, before you make the call.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 747: What should someone who is 12 and wants to be an actress do?

Well, if you don't live in Los Angeles (which I can tell she does not), use your "kid power." What's kid power? Most people LOVE to help a kid with drive. Make a list of actresses, actors, directors, and producers that you would like to one day work with. For example: Steven Spielberg often talks about how he was directing movies in his back yard as a kid. Find people like him and reach out to people in a letter. Tell them how old you are and what you're doing now to pursue your dream. Tell them where you live and ask them for advice on what more you can be doing right now. If you plan to go to college, ask them for advice on which colleges to consider and what you can be doing now for extra curricular activities to help you get in. If you don't plan to pursue an acting career immediately, explain that you don't plan to pursue acting as a job until you're finished with your education, but in the mean time would like to build relationships with mentors so when you do move to NY or LA, you'll be ready and educated on the business side of the industry. If you do plan to start as soon as possible, that's what you want to ask advice about, what steps to take now.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Monday, March 21, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 746:How do you leave NAB in Vegas in April with 50 Valuable Contacts?

You attend my free seminar!

For those of you who RSVP you'll also get a complimentary pre-NAB teleseminar to prepare you for the days prior to the live event.

See you in Vegas!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 745: I am meeting a director I would like to work with. I've researched him but I don't know what to say.

It sounds like your question is: How do I craft questions for a person I've researched? If I'm wrong and I haven't answered your question, please clarify with more specifics in the comments.

The key to creating a good first impression is to remember that the person you're meeting with is learning about you and if he/she wants to spend time with you on set. Therefore, steer the conversation toward subjects you're both passionate about and bring out both of your personalities.

Some tips:

1. Bring up any mutual connections you may have discovered in your research

2. Share personal and professional stories

3. Ask technical questions about the working relationship between him/her and your classification

4. Ask about his/her connection to the material if you are meeting on a specific project

Sincere compliments are always appreciated.

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

Saturday, March 19, 2011

entertainment industry coach question 744: Are there any no-nos for staying in touch with people?

I'll re-word that question to be: My lists of DONT'S when staying in touch.

1. Don't call someone everyday. This may seem obvious to you, but it's not to everyone. So, if I help one person, not to make this mistake, my job is done.

2. Don't forget to BCC when sending out a mass email about an accomplishment or an event! This mistake can get you blackballed. Seriously, privacy is a big deal in our industry. Don't be the person who shares everyone's contact info.

3. Don't call/email for no reason. It's transparent.

4. Don't be attached to your agenda. If you call someone and he/she says that it's a bad time, get off the phone. Don't say that you just need a minute or you just have a quick question. It's never a minute and the answers are never quick.

5. Don't send "good luck," "money angels," or any kind of emails that will make your business contacts feel like they are going to have bad luck forever or cause an angel to lose it's wings if they don't pass it on to 50 people they know within 15 minutes.

6. Don't forward a "warning" email about a guy who slashes peoples' feet from under SUVs, or sprays poison perfume, to your business contacts. In fact don't forward them to anyone without checking first on www.breakthechain.org. Most of these emails are fake.

7. Don't misspell names. Just don't. www.IMDB.com

These are all I can think of right now. If you have any doozies to share, please feel free to put them in the comments.