Shorter is Better – Statistically Speaking
As actors we love a good story so we tell them a lot. As a woman, I know I have the urge to tell all of the minor components that set up the actual point to what it is I really want to say before saying it. The POINT of it all. I'm not sure that's an entirely female quality but I've noticed it with my girlfriends where my guy friends seem to get to their point a little faster. I've even been told I talk too much. Whaaaat? Well now I'm told I write too much. In fact this first paragraph is not even needed to get to the point of what I'm writing today, but I'm keeping it in as an example!
The point I am trying to make here is that actors talk too much and write too much when submitting to agents and managers. I've seen it over and over and over and over again…and I'm here to tell you that less is more, shorter is better, and reps appreciate brevity in their faster-than-most paced world.
Why is shorter better? Because we live in a short-attention-span Universe these days. Twitter limits us to 140 characters and these days when you watch a video, if you're not inspired or intrigued in the first few seconds of the video, you're on to the next. A demo reel used to be 3 minutes, then two, and now one and a half minutes tops is recommended. But even better than that are shorter 10 to 15 second clips. Again why? Because we are all speeding through our day with content flying at us constantly. It's all about time, or lack there of.
The statistics are staggering. Regular people receive close to 100 emails a day, much of it spam, but also messages from people, products and services they actually enjoy. Yet most of these emails are deleted without them being read. As an actor you can probably count on triple that number and thus inundated with choices of what class to go to, what online product to buy, where to go to meet industry, plus all of your personal preferences of things and people you like. Delete, delete, delete, mostly not read.
Now imagine you're an agent. Really imagine what it must be like to submit actors already on your roster for auditions all day long on your computer and emailing back and forth with casting, on calls pitching, opening mail, answering your personal emails with friends and associates and deal with your own family, AND look at new talent…all clamoring for an agent. Their day is cluttered. And I haven't even mentioned social media yet. HUGE distraction.
What's an actor to do to clear through all of that clutter and get attention?
Shorter IS better, so in my next post I'll give you the guidelines on getting your message across quickly!
By the way, if you're one of the 15% of people on my email list that opened it up to a partial blog post inside, then one of the 6% of those who clicked on the (read more) link to the entire post, would you do me the honor of being one of the less than 1% of people who will leave a comment below? Now this should be interesting…



I see actors make a lot of mistakes that could totally be avoided. When it comes to figuring out your fit in the vast marketplace of actors, where there’s a large supply and you’re not yet in demand, distinguishing yourself, i.e. defining your product, is ESSENTIAL. Here are some mistakes to avoid:
What are you uniquely qualified to do as an actor that NO ONE else can do or be? Have you ever thought of that? What’s your brand, archetype, bread and butter niche range of characters that you’ll become known for and reliable and counted on to create time and time again? This is where the rubber meets the road. Having this down pat is not an option. It’s what will inform and feed the actions you take in advancing your career. Your actions determine your results. This is a big CLUE here so if you haven't taken this important step, this is your reminder to do it now!


Want to quicken the abracadabra of your career? The truth is, you already inherently know what to do. Before I move on to my next set of posts with the content “to-dos” of your career, you’ve first got to realize that trusting your own intuition is key. It won’t matter if I give you the Keys to the Kingdom if you don’t know how to unlock the door.
OK, OK, I hear ya. A few posts back I gave you the answer to how to stop struggling by creating inspiration. The answer was this: the minute you’ve recognized the thought that is creating the struggle, just let it go.
I’m glad you asked! The truth is, staying motivated is very difficult for most actors. We deal with on-going rejection, slow results, stretches of time without paying work and more. What’s the difference between the actors who are able to stay motivated and those who don’t? It comes down to one primary factor…
People often ask me, “what is the most effective technique for transforming my career quickly?” OK the truth is, they don’t really ask this exact question but the bottom line is that what they mostly want to know is how to get what they want in this biz faster and easier.
You‘ll be faced with a thousand obstacles in this career, many over which you have absolutely no control. Didn't get the agent you submitted to? Can’t seem to get a call back or haven’t gotten any auditions from your online submissions lately? None of those are under your control.
Having confidence in yourself and that the path you've chosen is the Golden Rule in your career. If you don’t have it, how can you expect your talent agent, a casting director or other industry players to have the confidence to hire and work with you?