Effective Cold-Calling: A Blog About How Agents Find Contacts and Castings
A blog that informs readers on how to contact agents and castings directors.
I would like to start a blog about cold-calling. I will be interviewing agents, casting directors and my fellow actors as to how they make their calls. I have been in the industry for many years and know of some great ways to get a hold of people. You can either email me or post your comments or questions here.
So, this blog is a new one, and just in case you have no idea what you are doing, I will give you a quick little rundown. Effective Cold-Calling is a Blog that was created to help the men and women who are looking to get into the acting business. The purpose of this blog is to inform readers on all aspects of the entertainment industry. What are some of those aspects? Well, we will be covering everything from marketing yourself, how to find agents and casting directors, how to get started in the acting business, etc.
This Blog was created because I know that there are so many people out there who are interested in getting into the acting business but don’t know how to do it. So I figured that if I could create a place where all of these people could come together, they could share their experiences with each other. And then maybe someday these same people will become famous actors and actresses!
I hope that you enjoy reading this Blog as much as I enjoy writing it for you!
[Cold-Calling] is a great way for you, as an actor, to find new agents and casting directors. I’ve already talked about how you can use cold-calling to get into casting offices for workshops or classes.
But let’s take it one step further. Let’s talk about how you can use cold-calling to get in front of an agent or a casting director that doesn’t know you yet.
Cold-calling is a two step process: First you have to find the contact, and then once you have the contact, you have to call them. So let’s start with finding the contact:
Cold calling is a very effective way to get your name out there and will help you get more acting jobs. Cold calling is simply calling an agent or casting director about a job that you are not yet auditioning for.
A lot of actors are afraid to cold call because they think it is rude and a waste of time. This is not the case! If you do it right, cold calling can be very informative and helpful in getting your career rolling.
Cold Calling Tips
1) Find out who you should contact. Some people just look up an agency in the phone book and start calling, without knowing exactly whom they should speak to. Do your research! Look up the company on Google, or see if they have an About Us Page on their website, with employee names. If not, call anyway and politely ask for who is in charge of (insert job here).
2) Be polite! If you want someone to go out of their way to help you, be respectful and courteous towards them. Lastly, do not beg! Begging will get you nowhere and might even get you blacklisted by the company.
The most effective way to contact an agent or casting director is to research where the agent or casting director works and contact them in person. The second most effective way to reach an agent or casting director is to call them on the phone.
When you do reach the agent or casting director on the phone, you should be polite and respectful. You should ask how they are doing, say who you are and it’s nice talking to them. Make sure that your title reflects what kind of work you do and what you want from them. For example, if you are a singer, your title could be “Singer Looking for Representation”. If you are seeking employment with a specific production company, your title could be “Actor Seeking Role in XYZ Production”.
Make sure that in your message, you include something about yourself that will help the agent or casting director remember who you are and why they should contact you back; a positive experience they had with you at a previous audition, perhaps?
If this is your first time calling this particular agent or casting director (and it probably will be), then ask if there are any projects that they would like to see actors for. If so, offer to send them a copy of your resume/headshot combination. And don’t
Think Globally, Act Locally
The Problem
The problem with the typical cold call is that you have no connection to the casting director or agent. You don’t know them personally, you’ve never worked with them before, and they don’t know who you are or what your strengths are. And yet you’re calling them up and introducing yourself as if they should know who you are. Not only do they not want to talk to you, but they also think that you’re violating their privacy. Remember that with each phone call, there’s a real person on the other end of the line.
The Solution
If you think about it from their perspective, it would be much better for everyone if someone that they knew could introduce you to the agent or casting director that you’re interested in working with. Then the agent or casting director would have some reason to take your call and talk to you, and perhaps even give you an audition. Often people will say something like “I’m not really into networking”, but this is a misnomer. It’s not about glad-handing and schmoozing; it’s about getting to know people so that they can help each other out. So how do we get started?
Working from home has many advantages, but one of the biggest is that there’s much less pressure to be productive if you’re not going to be around anyone else. For example, if you have a large pile of bills to pay you can just do it in your PJs in front of the TV. That said, sometimes you need to look professional whether you’re going out or not.
Whether you’re working from home and need to get stuff done or just want to feel more productive lounging around, there are some easy ways to make yourself look more professional with minimal effort:
Don’t Go Makeup-Free
If you aren’t going out but still want to look put together for a workday at home, just splash some water on your face and put on a little makeup. It doesn’t have to be a full face—even mascara can take you from “I spent all morning in bed” to “I’m ready for business.”
Ditch the Hoodies
Sure, it isn’t technically against the rules to wear a hoodie while working from home, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sloven
