Avoid These 7 Acting Career Mistakes & Book More Roles With Less Wasted Effort

by David Patrick Green

The special report you are about to read is the result over 10 years of major television and movie acting experience and my work mentoring thousands of actors across the world.

As a professional actor it breaks my heart to see the amount of misinformation out there on “how to have an acting career”.

In this report you’ll learn the 7 career-killing mistakes that are probably holding you back from having the rewarding professional acting career you’d like.

If you’re struggling and ‘spinning your wheels’ as an actor, I’ll tell you WHY it’s not your fault…

…And if you’re just a beginner that’s great, because I’ll show you the PROPER approach to take towards an acting career using proven strategies that will allow you to focus on your CRAFT and let you live the “actor-lifestyle” you’ve always dreamed of…

What this report reveals could make you famous.

I’m serious about that. The information you’re about to read has transformed actor’s lives from all over the world… including mine.

Regular people like you are now booking television and film roles simply by following my step-by-step instructions. (Just ask Joy Freeman – she went from being a complete newbie 6 months ago, to recently getting nominated for best actress at a film festival in San Antonio).

If at any moment you doubt what I’m writing, just check my Happy Clients page here. There are now close to 100 stories on that page from actors just like you. For your information: I could get in serious legal trouble if I “faked” any of this stuff, especially testimonials. I’d never sacrifice my reputation in the industry, my finances, or my freedom.

This might sound like hype. Trust me, I’m as skeptical as they come. But it was my skepticism of typical acting career advice that led me to create this report.

All I ask is that you hear me out, read this entire report and watch the videos and then decide if I what I say can’t help you build an easy, sustainable, and more profitable acting career.

Before we talk about the mistakes, you must understand that…

SECTION ONE:

1. Building your SKILLS.
2. Nurturing your RELATIONSHIPS.

Skills and relationships are the two most important building-blocks of ANY PROFESSION.

And acting is a career like any other… although it’s rarely perceived that way.

Many people believe that only the ‘stars’ and big celebrities make real money acting.

This is simply not true!

Here’s a good example: Have you seen my face before?

It’s possible, but it’s more likely that this is your first exposure to me. And…

Of course I’d love to be world-renowned and acclaimed for my acting work. But I’m content living my dream, making a stable, full-time income as an actor, and hanging out with the real stars like Renée Zellweger, Piper Perabo, and many others…

And now I’m able to give back and show other actors the truth about having a career.

As in other professional careers, the cream rises to the top — doctors, lawyers, consultants, etc. The best are rewarded accordingly and the rest are left to fill in the market demands.

Acting works the same way.

The truth of the matter is Hollywood (& acting industries everywhere) are looking for actors of all different types.

• Different heights
• Different ages
• Different hair color (I’m a red-head)
• Different weights

Heck, they even want UGLY people for certain roles.

The point is, the industry isn’t always looking for a star… But they’re always paying somebody.

And that somebody will be you if you stop following the herd of other actors out there doing everything wrong.

Most actors see becoming a professional as the equivalent of hitting the lotto…

… so they approach their careers like they would the lottery.

They do random things that they think could work, while doing little or none of things that are PROVEN to work.

I call these activities and ‘traps’ the Actor’s Lotto.

SECTION TWO:

The Actor’s Lotto is doing things that *might* work. You could get lucky but the chances of success are so small that you’re really wasting your time.

The Actor’s Lotto consists of the 7 acting career mistakes…

Watch this video I made for my Hack Hollywood website explaining some talent agent myths:

Agents can come in handy once you are working, but as you’ll soon find out, there’s not much negotiating going on outside of the highest levels of the business.

At the end of the day your agent can be likened to an assistant. They make and take calls for you, make appointments for you and serve as a buffer between you and the industry.

Third party negotiations rarely get as personal as 1st/2nd party negotations.

So your agent can make your ridiculous request and also receive the rejection to that request without cursing out the casting director or producers.

They shouldn’t replace any of the high value work you do like practice/performing/networking/etc.

That is and always will be our responsibilities. There’s a reason all those actors go to those Oscar parties…keeping it out there and keeping their names fresh on producer’s minds.

So agent or not, you’re the boss and best agent or worst agent, you can only ask them to take on a small portion of your responsibilities and just hope they represent you well.

Put about 10% of your stock in your agent once you get one and keep 90% of your stock in yourself.

“To postcard or not to postcard” is one of the great debates since the dawn of acting.

The most popular acting career marketing method is sending postcards. You’ll hear from many fellow actors and get advice in acting forums along the lines of, “Just send postcards out!”

To say “just send postcards” is like saying “just advertise” to a company.

If you just do it without a plan and a message that builds upon itself, then you are basically making random connections with your target, rather than creating a relationship with them.

You want your marketing recipients to feel like they know you (RELATIONSHIPS) and the more cards you send the more they should know you. So keep it consistent and be very specific with what you are saying.

To me, sending a postcard saying, “I booked a job,” or, “I have an agent,” is desperate actor code for, “Please call me in (emphasis on the please!)”.

It has to come off as confident, not desperate…

…So be more off-handed and less direct in your marketing.

Don’t come out and ask/beg for things…be subtle about it.

They know why you are sending the card…you don’t have to tell them.

Give them a reason why they should call you in…represent something, a feeling, a look, an emotion…you’re an actor so tell a freaking story, don’t beg for things.

Here’s another video explaining some headshot myths:

You’re likely spending way too much money on your headshots. I haven’t had new headshots in 5 years and I have top representation.

I do zero mass marketing (Actor’s Lotto) activies.

Get passable headshots done and then focus on SKILLS and getting credits. Your credits will do more talking than your headshots ever will.

You should get credits before you make a reel. Here’s another video with more details:

The only people who really benefit are the CD workshop companies.

They don’t have time for unproven actors unless you’re paying them. They say, “Good work,” so you pay them.

Look at it this way: A CD wont see you for audition because they don’t like your headshot or resume… but if you pay them they will see you?

That says it all.

ACTING CAREER MISTAKE #6: PUTTING ON SHOWCASES

There are at least three types of showcases.

1. Showcases put on by major acting schools/universities like Princton/Yale, etc.
2. Showcases put on by companies who organize them for actors for a fee.
3. Showcases put on by actors to showcase themselves.

Essentially they are all the same format. Actors perform scenes or monologues in front of industry guests in the hope that someone will like what they are doing and will hire/represent them.

They also vary in legitimacy…

The university showcases are regularly attended by high level industry people, at least if they are close to major acting centers like NYC, LA, Toronto. They want to grab these hot young actors before they hit the streets so to speak.

The paid for showcases are not usually as well attended or are attended by a varying quality of industry person.

The only thing for sure is that the company makes money. It is also possible that the company pays people to attend, so they may not even be looking for talent, but just being paid to look like they are scouting talent.

The actor-organized showcases are probably the worst attended because the actors have no clout and no contacts so they are just sending out mailers to agents/casting and crossing their fingers and offering free wine, etc.

They are often attended by industry parasites who like to hear themselves talk but don’t really offer anything the actors can’t do on their own and can often derail an actor by giving them a false sense of security that their career is now being managed, when in fact the agent has no clout or respect in the industry and therefore is at the bottom of the pile when casting is trying to fill audition spots.

Breakdowns are lists of all available roles that are currently being cast in a certain market. This includes the name of the production, studio, and list of all characters). You can find these on Actor’s Access, LA Casting, & Now Casting.

Breakdowns are for agents ONLY — they figure actors that are worthy of being called in have agents.

Getting your hands on breakdowns can make you feel empowered because you are looking at something illicit & reserved for ‘insiders’ but that’s about all they do.

The worst part about the Actor’s Lotto…

…is that these activities are often the ONLY thing most actors do to try to find work.

You play the lotto and you wonder why you don’t win!

Do you see how crazy that is?

Why are so many seemingly legit sources giving you bad information? Why do so many actor’s believe the Actor’s Lotto to be the ONLY way to approach getting work?

It’s not always the service provider’s fault. It’s natural in almost every industry, that certain myths & misconceptions get established — then that misinformation is passed down to the next generation of actors.

SECTION THREE:

Now, the great news about all of this is that when you ignore most of these activities, or shift 90% of your efforts into building SKILLS & RELATIONSHIPS, booking roles will not only be easier and faster, you’ll have much more CONTROL.

Those playing the Actor’s Lotto have NO CONTROL. They are in a weak position.

When you shift your efforts the competition suddenly fades away.

THEY focus on the lotto… YOU focus on the pillars of success: SKILLS & RELATIONSHIPS.

They focus on 90% of the activities that have very little real impact (unless they get lucky) on a career.

You focus on the other 10% of activities that produce 90% of the results for a real actor, looking to build a REAL, profitable and stable career.

By this point you’re probably thinking, “Great, I need to focus on skills & relationships. How do I do that EXACTLY?”

I’ve discovered that ALL successful acting careers follow a similar path.

There are 5 milestones you need to reach on your professional acting career journey in order to ‘make it’. If you trace the careers of most major successful actors, from De Niro to Depp to DiCaprio, you’ll find their careers closely follow these steps.

That’s what I talk about during my webinars. Click here to signup for free.

To your successful career!

David Patrick Green
Chief Hacktor at Hack Hollywood