A few days ago, I had Thai food with a friend.  My fortune: You are soon going to change your present line of work.

Interesting timing, because recently I’ve been seriously considering just that.  Not a complete change, like giving up performing to return to corporate America, but a definite change of focus involving dropping one longtime pursuit and adding something new and different.  Should I?  Yes.  No.  Yes?

Change is scary.  Instead of putting ourselves out there, sometimes we stay in jobs, relationships or other situations we don’t love.  Because, as they say, “Better the devil you know.”  Taking risks can be uncomfortable and exciting at the same time.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained…but also perhaps, nothing failed.  

Change can be a lot of work.  You’ve become used to pursuing or doing one thing, and now need to create material you’re not sure how to create or even what it should consist of. Then you need to research markets and industry professionals, who’s already successful in that field, create proposals and materials, submit them…and hope your new project is well-received.  And that it’ll eventually produce some income.

Change is even more difficult on your own. I’m fortunate to have friends who’ll share information and a supportive advisor to run ideas and content by.  I need to believe I’m moving in the right direction, but validation and critiques are very helpful.    

Change can open new doors.

Time will tell. 

What makes you feel special?  Do you just know that you are?  Does it take an accomplishment like getting a promotion, sealing a big deal, winning an award?  Compliments or extra attention from someone you respect?  An unexpected gift, such as flowers?  Treating yourself to a mani/pedi or massage? 

Not comparing yourself to others, living with gratitude, taking physical, financial and emotional responsibility for your feelings rather than relying on others to shore you up are examples of advice offered in articles and self-help books.  Even so, at times it’s rewarding to let others know via words and deeds that they’re special to you.  It’s nice to receive external validation.

But as an actor, author and resident of a big city, sometimes it’s easy to feel like a number, not a person. For example, when you’re crammed amidst fellow phone-tapping, huge backpack wielding passengers on public transportation.  When you actually are a number: at a print looksee where they’re calling in different types.  You stop by a photographer’s studio any time during a designated period, hold a dry erase board with your number (and name) and smile for a few pictures that take less than a minute. 

The other day I was #210, and there were several hours to go.  Or course I’m glad for the opportunity.  Better odds than the lottery.  If you’re not in it, you can’t win it. There’s a slim chance if you don’t get this project, you may be called in for another.  Etc.

When industry professionals say they’ll get back to you within a certain time but don’t, even after you follow up as requested. An editor requested one of my manuscripts last April. And said in early January 2013 that I’d hear “very soon.”

Or I go to an audition where very specific wardrobe is required.  I need to remember the unique abilities I bring to the table when I see a room full of similarly aged women dressed just like me.  For some projects, selections may be based on physical characteristics alone.  “I need a tall blond…to go with the husband I already picked.” “I need someone older, younger, fatter, thinner, less attractive, more attractive…” 

On to the next opportunity.  Because pursuing your dreams, not giving up, is special.

But many say asking for help (as opposed to a handout or having someone complete whatever task for you) makes you stronger.  If truthful assistance encourages you to achieve more, and makes the work more enjoyable, why go it alone all the time?

A frustrating yet exciting aspect of being a feelancer is that you never know when the phone is going to ring or when an email will pop up inquiring about or offering work. It’s frustrating when a day or days go by with radio silence. It’s exciting when you get an opportunity–or opportunities–to audition or submit information. But after you hit send, you have to let each one go until actual work is offered.  Wasting energy and time wondering if that opportunity will come to fruition or counting chickens hinders productivity.

No matter how many irons we put in the fire, we can’t predict when or if returning or new clients or talent agent(s) will contact us, or if we’ll be fortunate enough to get referrals from colleagues or clients, or if someone will find us via our websites or previous work.  We can’t know when an ongoing project will end, if projects that are already running will earn additional usage fees/residuals, or if a spot I already did will be recut into another.  I woke up today to find my first international inquiry via my website about possible ongoing work.  🙂

At least when I was gainfully employed,  there’d be work on my plate every day, either standing appointments, previously scheduled training sessions or seminars, contract packages to put together, data to gather, things to discuss with local or home office colleagues, attending company meetings or learning about new products and features.  Sometimes, being in corporate sales, marketing and training, I did have to seek work out.  But my clients were provided to me, and since they already had my product and their firms encouraged them to learn how to use it efficiently, most people were predisposed to meet with me.  So filling my day was fairly easy.

Now, if there are no incoming items to follow up on, no auditions, sessions or shoots to go to, it’s incumbent on me to locate and research prospects.  I’m my own salesperson, marketer, and product.  During a slow week, keeping up momentum can be a challenge.  As can trusting that more auditions and work are on the way.
 

More and more often, I’m required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before auditioning for or working on a project.  Basically, an NDA says actors aren’t allowed to tell anyone (even family, friends or their agents, depending on the restrictions in the document signed) or post anywhere anything about the project. The language can be very broad, giving many rights to the issuer and few to the signer.  And some NDAs threaten legal action and may claim irreparable damage should it be discovered that any information was revealed.

The underlying principle makes sense in today’s tell-all/TMI world where you never know what may go viral.  Advertisers and casting agencies don’t want actors posting on social media things like, “I just had a great audition for X, and here’s the concept and copy word for word!”  Nor do they want an actor’s FB friend posting, “My friend (insert name) just got a national commercial for (insert product) and here’s exactly what she’ll be doing.” Competitors could see the posts, and might alter their strategies….perhaps even try to beat their competitor to the punch.  All the time, effort and money that went into coming up with the concept for and writing that commercial or entire campaign could be undermined.

On the other hand:
1) If you don’t get the copy until you arrive at the audition, preparing can be a challenge. 
2) I had a VO audition and callback. I surmised the product class, but I never knew any specifics.  Tone and approach should vary depending on the product.  If, for example, I knew it was high-end diamonds, I’d probably want to sound different than if the product was costume jewelry geared toward young adults. 
3) It’s definitely less fun.  When people ask what I’ve been working on, I’d like to say more than, “I had a great time shooting an on-camera project Monday,” or “I had an interesting audition.”
4) You can’t put the credit on your resume or get the footage/audio files for your demo reels.  You can ask for permission and a copy of the project at a later date, perhaps after it’s been released, but may not get it. Some agreements are boilerplate; you can ask, but may not be able, to have some of the verbiage changed. 

On a related note, some boilerplate documents say things such as, this project can be used in all media in perpetuity.  I have gotten that changed to fit what I was told about certain projects.  

And sometimes, colleagues, friends and family members request an NDA….can you/do you want to keep their secret(s)? 

On any given night, several friends and colleagues are performing in shows or appearing in movies, at storytelling events or book readings.   There are too many to support them all. Last weekend, I got to buy a successful artist friend’s new book at a fun signing (and am honored to be a picture of the event roaming the Internet).

I still prefer to use a Day-Timer for my calendaring.  Though I know things like Outlook and Google calendars can sync phone and computer, I like the ease of flipping open my little notebook and seeing a month at a glance instead of waiting for the computer screen to load and clicking around.

Because my schedule changes so frequently, and some days I have to check my calendar many times, I need quick access to upcoming business and social events. Auditions and callbacks pop up and require fast response.  Colleagues and friends may reschedule, or I might.  And sometimes more than once, depending on work conflicts that arise.   

This week I was on hold for a VO Monday morning, meaning the client was deciding between me and maybe one or two others, so I had to keep that time open.  Until I didn’t get it.  Late Monday I got a check avail for another VO to record Tuesday or Wednesday, meaning the client has chosen a few people and wants to know our availability.  I pencilled those times in, but found out Tuesday afternoon that the project had been postponed and there’d likely be another check avail next week.  I hope I find out before it’s too late to change a couple of routine doctor appointments and can avoid cancellation fees. 

And when it rains, it often pours.  A friend recently said after he’d booked a job, he couldn’t do another the same day that paid a lot more.  Recently I missed out on a huge audition because the 5 minute slot they had for me was in the middle of a VO job.  I was only 4 blocks away, but they couldn’t give me another time.  Once I had three on-camera auditions at three different places…in an hour and 45 minutes.  Other days, no work or auditions.

There are just so many people who can control the timing of and have to coordinate every step of any given project…the client, the ad agency, a casting agency, the production team, even the location.  For example, I had a job at a store, and we could only film after it closed.

We never know when the phone will ring/emails will pop up…for auditions, callbacks, check avails, holds or new work.  Or when or if any of those will change.   

Feelancers are often in waiting mode.  Our work flow is predicated on others wanting to hire us, and usually on their schedules, not ours.  We can’t know when the phone will ring or when opportunities will present themselves.  We can only control our output and how much waiting gets to us.

Additional information:  Sometimes we need additional information or answers to questions before we can move forward on a project.  For example, many VO jobs come without a pronunciation guide.  I send a list of terms with suggested pronunciations, but have to wait for them to reply.