Aaron Marcus got a callback for a CBS show and answers whether actors should submit headshots directly to casting directors. He recommends sending a printed headshot, resume, and cover letter instead of unsolicited emails, and explains the marketing value of direct mailings.
Hi, my name is Aaron Marcus, and here is your weekly acting and modeling video blog. Before I actually give you this information, I just wanted to share some information with you. I just traveled back and forth to New York the past 2 days for an audition and then a callback where I read for the director for a new CBS TV show. So actually, I should be finding out in a few hours whether I booked the job. If I don't hear anything, then that meant that the other person got it. And if I do hear from the agent, then that means I booked it, and I'll give you some more information about that as well. There's just a couple other business things that I wanted to share with you too before I get started. One is I'm going to be making a lot of changes with my online workshops and with a lot of things that I'll be doing online. So I wanted to ask you for some help. I'm going to be looking for a few different individuals to hire on a part-time basis. And if either you or somebody that you know fits these criteria, please email me at aaron@howtomodel.com and let me know. One of the things I'm going to be looking for is somebody who is a real expert in WordPress, somebody who can write code and can help me with that. Also, somebody who is really good with marketing and social media. And the other thing too is for my online workshops, I'm gonna be looking for someone to help me produce, somebody who knows how to create the actual online workshop, somebody who can help edit the online workshops and things like that. So if either you or somebody you know is great at this, shoot me an email and love to talk with you about it further. I'm just trying to spread the word and trying to talk with as many people as possible. The very last thing before I get started, in my last week's email, I asked you if you have any questions that you would like me to cover in a future online video blog. And so I did hear from some of you, and I decided to take your suggestion. And so this week, I'm going to be talking about, is it okay for an actor to submit themselves directly to a casting director? I thought that was a great question. So here, here's my take on that. Part of it depends on the market that you are living in. In major markets, I mean, typically if you're going to be auditioning or you want to audition for a TV series, for a feature film, for a commercial, I mean, most of the time it goes through an agent. Having said that, still, I would submit yourself directly to every casting director that you know about. Now, whether they spend the time to look at your headshot, that I don't know. I wouldn't do it online though, because people don't want to open up unsolicited emails, especially if there's a JPEG in there. So what I would do is I would spend the time and actually mail a hard copy of of your headshot and resume attached to it. Make sure your headshot is great. Make sure your resume is put together properly. And also put together a very short cover letter explaining exactly what you would like to be considered for. And absolutely send it in to all the casting directors that you know. The worst thing that can happen is They'll throw it out. That's the absolute worst thing. Chances are though, somebody in that office will open it up and look at it. And even if they don't store it, which they probably won't, still they will have seen your face. And who knows, maybe they're working on a project that you are perfect for and they could call you in. Maybe when they see you at some point in the future, they will think, boy, I've seen this person before, they must be working in the area. Well, the reason why they you look familiar to them is because they threw away your headshot. So, absolutely, that's one of the pieces of marketing that you definitely want to be doing is sending your headshot and resume and a short cover letter to casting directors. So, anyhow, I thought that was a great question. So, if you have a topic that you would like me to expand on and discuss and share my thoughts with, absolutely, just email it to me at aaron@howtomodel.com and I'd be more than happy to get back in touch with you and let you know if I'm going to be using it. Also, if you have any questions, go to my Facebook page. It's facebook.com/howtomodel, and I've built a community of people from around the world who are sharing information, industry information, with others. So that would be a great place to post your topic request as well. Please like the page, so that way every time I post new information there, it will automatically be sent to you. Anyhow, this was what I wanted to talk with you about this week. And like I said, if you know of somebody or if you have some of the skills for people that I'm looking for, please send it my way and get in touch with me. And I hope you have a great week, and I look forward to talking with you again soon. I'm Aaron Marcus.
