During my tantric meditation retreat in Ojai with Charu last month I made a new commitment to myself to do my meditation practice every day. In the past, I've made similar "commitments" but the difference was, they were always negotiable...
"oh, I would meditate today but it's already midnight and I'm so tired, and I have to get up at 6am to be on set tomorrow. I'll just skip a day because this is a special circumstance."
Well, we all know how that goes... three weeks later you haven't done it at all and you said you were going to do it every day!
So this time, I made the commitment to myself to do it EVERY day, even if it means doing it at 1 am because the day "got away from me."
Having this non-negotiable is teaching me an important lesson about the true limitations of my time. I cannot do it all, as much as it pains me to realize that! But through the non-negotiable, I have become aware of how much time I really have, and I can consult my list of goals to assign priorities to things that come up.
"Hey, would you like to go to this film premiere on Wednesday night?" -Yeah, I'd love to. Let me consult my list of goals for the week, see how they serve my 1-year goals and my overall career goals, and decide whether that's enough of a priority. Sometimes the answer is no.
Anyone who knows me has heard me talk about FLYlady - she says that it takes a month to form a new habit, and that you should only add one habit at a time. I couldn't agree more. I'm only 3 weeks into this new habit so I'll be adding another habit in a week when this one is solid.
Are you trying to do it all at once? Trying to be everything to everyone (and least of all, yourself?) Commit to yourself with one non-negotiable and let me know how it goes!
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"Success in LA" - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Harmony Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box. If you enjoyed this column please share it, and become a follower over to the right... Here's to your success!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Think like an agent
Everyone in town seems to be talking about (dare I say "complaining"?) how hard it is to get an agent.
One actress friend of mine told me that she had mailed her headshot, resume and demo reel to her target list of agents four times, with not a single response. Not only was she questioning her marketing efforts, she was starting to feel pretty bad about herself as well.
Here's my response: think like an agent.
Let's say you come home, open up your mailbox and inside are marketing mailings from Bed Bath and Beyond, The Vitamin Shoppe, Sephora and (of course - this is LA!) the Church of Scientology. Well, last week you bought a new set of towels, so you toss the BB&B mailer. Just this morning you stocked up on multivitamins. And you're all set with your spiritual beliefs, thank you very much. But you might need a new eyeshadow. So the Sephora mailer doesn't quite make it into the recycling bin. Rather, you put it in a huge pile of other vague "to-do" items and proceed to forget about it.
This is what agents are experiencing every day. They are receiving dozens if not hundreds of unsolicited submissions from actors, and unless they have a specific need for you at the moment they open your envelope, you're headed for the recycling bin.
OK, now this seems pretty bleak. But here's why it's not: you have two options. You can hope to be the Sephora mailer, and keep mailing to them until they happen to need your type. Not a terrible idea - it worked for the eyeshadow =) Or, you can reach out. What if right after you tossed that BB&B mailer, a friend called you up and said, I know you just bought towels last week, but I just got the cutest little frog soap dish. You have to get one! You love frogs (doesn't everyone?) so you get right in your car and rush to get a cute frog soapdish before they're all gone. That's a referral.
Referrals, as we've all heard, are gold in this town, precisely because there's such a glut of marketing materials. Consult your network, and ask who would be willing to refer you to a new agent. Once you get the meeting, it's all up to you, but referrals definitely grease the wheels.
But wait, you say, I don't have a network! Hmmm... well, this may or may not be true. I can't say for sure unless you write in with your specific question. I will say that strengthening your network should be a top priority at all times. You see a listing that would help your friend the DP? Send it to him. Someone needs a make-up artist and you loved the one from the last student film you did? Give her a call. As I've said before, if you're in this game for a lifetime, it takes a village...
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If you enjoyed this column please share it with others, using this signature: Now What? Success in LA After Year One: Multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Harmony Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box. http://successinla.blogspot.com
One actress friend of mine told me that she had mailed her headshot, resume and demo reel to her target list of agents four times, with not a single response. Not only was she questioning her marketing efforts, she was starting to feel pretty bad about herself as well.
Here's my response: think like an agent.
Let's say you come home, open up your mailbox and inside are marketing mailings from Bed Bath and Beyond, The Vitamin Shoppe, Sephora and (of course - this is LA!) the Church of Scientology. Well, last week you bought a new set of towels, so you toss the BB&B mailer. Just this morning you stocked up on multivitamins. And you're all set with your spiritual beliefs, thank you very much. But you might need a new eyeshadow. So the Sephora mailer doesn't quite make it into the recycling bin. Rather, you put it in a huge pile of other vague "to-do" items and proceed to forget about it.
This is what agents are experiencing every day. They are receiving dozens if not hundreds of unsolicited submissions from actors, and unless they have a specific need for you at the moment they open your envelope, you're headed for the recycling bin.
OK, now this seems pretty bleak. But here's why it's not: you have two options. You can hope to be the Sephora mailer, and keep mailing to them until they happen to need your type. Not a terrible idea - it worked for the eyeshadow =) Or, you can reach out. What if right after you tossed that BB&B mailer, a friend called you up and said, I know you just bought towels last week, but I just got the cutest little frog soap dish. You have to get one! You love frogs (doesn't everyone?) so you get right in your car and rush to get a cute frog soapdish before they're all gone. That's a referral.
Referrals, as we've all heard, are gold in this town, precisely because there's such a glut of marketing materials. Consult your network, and ask who would be willing to refer you to a new agent. Once you get the meeting, it's all up to you, but referrals definitely grease the wheels.
But wait, you say, I don't have a network! Hmmm... well, this may or may not be true. I can't say for sure unless you write in with your specific question. I will say that strengthening your network should be a top priority at all times. You see a listing that would help your friend the DP? Send it to him. Someone needs a make-up artist and you loved the one from the last student film you did? Give her a call. As I've said before, if you're in this game for a lifetime, it takes a village...
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If you enjoyed this column please share it with others, using this signature: Now What? Success in LA After Year One: Multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Harmony Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box. http://successinla.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 12, 2010
It's all who you know
As an actor, the conventional wisdom is to send out postcards to market ourselves. I do this, as do many other actors.
But now that I'm also a producer and I get unsolicited resumes, emails, requests for jobs, etc., I see that there's an absurd element to this as well. Because there's such a limited amount of time available, and no one really wants to take a chance on a completely random person who might turn out to be a dud who wastes our time... which is why everyone cares so much about referrals. Many actors (and other members of the industry) bemoan the "it's who you know" state of affairs, but there's a reason for it... it's just too risky to spend time on a completely random person, especially when we have thousands of emails waiting in our inbox from real people we actually know and (hopefully) already like.
So what to do? Well, there are a couple of important strategies, and you're probably already doing them to a certain extent. If it's all about who you know, then get to know more people!
1. collaborate with others. sit down with some fun people, write something and either perform it, shoot it or otherwise produce it. get to know your network.
2. go to events, screenings, make coffee dates, and get to know more people. expand your network.
3. get in touch with the people you already know but haven't talked to in a while. as my friend and talented funny man Darin Toonder said, "the problem is the solution" - you haven't talked to someone in 6 years? there's your opener! "I know we haven't talked in 6 years, so I'm wondering - what's new?" strengthen your network.
But now that I'm also a producer and I get unsolicited resumes, emails, requests for jobs, etc., I see that there's an absurd element to this as well. Because there's such a limited amount of time available, and no one really wants to take a chance on a completely random person who might turn out to be a dud who wastes our time... which is why everyone cares so much about referrals. Many actors (and other members of the industry) bemoan the "it's who you know" state of affairs, but there's a reason for it... it's just too risky to spend time on a completely random person, especially when we have thousands of emails waiting in our inbox from real people we actually know and (hopefully) already like.
So what to do? Well, there are a couple of important strategies, and you're probably already doing them to a certain extent. If it's all about who you know, then get to know more people!
1. collaborate with others. sit down with some fun people, write something and either perform it, shoot it or otherwise produce it. get to know your network.
2. go to events, screenings, make coffee dates, and get to know more people. expand your network.
3. get in touch with the people you already know but haven't talked to in a while. as my friend and talented funny man Darin Toonder said, "the problem is the solution" - you haven't talked to someone in 6 years? there's your opener! "I know we haven't talked in 6 years, so I'm wondering - what's new?" strengthen your network.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Are you in it for the long haul?
Recently I spent time with a lovely writer friend of mine, who shared that her biggest challenge in the industry had to do with her "neediness". I probed a bit further, wondering what she meant by this. She explained that since she's currently looking for an agent, she knows that she comes across as needy when she asks people for referrals.
My response is to turn that neediness on its head - see whether there are ways you can give back (what Dallas Travers would call "adding value") to the people you are asking. She said, "well, these are not people who would want anything from me." And herein lies the crux of the issue. We are all unique individuals. We each have a unique set of gifts and often those gifts are also tied to our greatest challenges. But if we don't believe that we have something special to offer, why are we doing this at all? Sure, I get down sometimes and wonder whether I'll be able to "make it" in an industry full of beautiful, talented women. But if I didn't think I had something truly special and unique, I wouldn't stay here. You have to ask yourself whether you're in it for the long haul - do you have something to share with the world that absolutely MUST get out there? If the answer is yes (and I hope it is, if you're breathing the LA air) then see every interaction as the beginning of a long-term relationship. There are people you're going to meet this week who can't do anything for you yet, and you would just feel like a leech asking them for anything right now, but if you keep in touch with them, perhaps a few months or years from now, you'll end up working together.
My response is to turn that neediness on its head - see whether there are ways you can give back (what Dallas Travers would call "adding value") to the people you are asking. She said, "well, these are not people who would want anything from me." And herein lies the crux of the issue. We are all unique individuals. We each have a unique set of gifts and often those gifts are also tied to our greatest challenges. But if we don't believe that we have something special to offer, why are we doing this at all? Sure, I get down sometimes and wonder whether I'll be able to "make it" in an industry full of beautiful, talented women. But if I didn't think I had something truly special and unique, I wouldn't stay here. You have to ask yourself whether you're in it for the long haul - do you have something to share with the world that absolutely MUST get out there? If the answer is yes (and I hope it is, if you're breathing the LA air) then see every interaction as the beginning of a long-term relationship. There are people you're going to meet this week who can't do anything for you yet, and you would just feel like a leech asking them for anything right now, but if you keep in touch with them, perhaps a few months or years from now, you'll end up working together.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cannes Film Festival...or Whose First Phone Call Are *You*?
I recently returned from screening my film "All Dressed Up" at the Cannes Short Film Corner. It's an amazing opportunity that I recommend to anyone in the industry - making and screening a film on the festival circuit has opened my eyes, taught me a lot and clarified a lot of the confusion I had about how the industry works.
One of the most important lessons of Cannes for me was the international sales market. The majority of independent films are financed at least partially through "foreign pre-sales" which essentially means that distributors in Europe and elsewhere contribute to the budget of the film before it's actually made, and then once it's made, they'll get to screen it and make money off ticket sales. At this point, I know most actors out there have a glazed look in their eyes - sales, distribution, financing, blah, blah, blah... what does this have to do with me? I'm an actor, I just want to get hired on a film, do my thing and go home. And hopefully the film will make a splash and people will know my name and then I'll get to do it all again. True, that would be awesome. But how do you get hired on that film in the first place? Let's delve a little deeper into this world to see how it can help us.
What foreign sales agents want to tell potential distributors is that the "elements" of the film - the director, the actors, the script, locations, etc., are going to make a film that makes people want to buy tickets. Because if people don't buy tickets, the film can't make money, and then the distributor doesn't make back the investment.
So what kind of actor makes people buy a ticket to a movie? A name actor - someone they've heard of. Is that you? Well, probably not if you're reading this blog. It certainly isn't me. YET. So, it stands to reason that if you want to star (or be a major supporting role) in one of these films, you're going to need a name. How to get a name? Oh, the billion dollar question...
A while back I wrote a column called "Stop networking now." In it, I basically asked you what would happen if you could never meet another industry professional again in your life. What kind of career could you build just knowing the people you already know? A lot of people answered - not much of one. But now I want to push you further. I want to ask you - of the people you "know" in the industry, how many of them consider you their first phone call? When my 300 or so industry contacts need a funny young Caucasian actress, how many of them call me first? That number is pretty small. Maybe three of my contacts. So, I could:
(a) get a box of tissues and just start crying right now, because that's not very many, and my career is doomed. Or,
(b) I could cultivate relationships with those three people, collaborate on projects with them, while simultaneously strengthening the relationships I have with people for whom I'm *not* the first phone call, working toward being that first phone call and getting to the point where my name actually does mean something for foreign sales.
I think I'll choose option (b).
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Success in LA is a think-outside-the-box forum for actors, writers, producers or anyone who loves positive thinking and actual doing. If you enjoyed this column, please share it with someone!
-Rebecca Jupiter
One of the most important lessons of Cannes for me was the international sales market. The majority of independent films are financed at least partially through "foreign pre-sales" which essentially means that distributors in Europe and elsewhere contribute to the budget of the film before it's actually made, and then once it's made, they'll get to screen it and make money off ticket sales. At this point, I know most actors out there have a glazed look in their eyes - sales, distribution, financing, blah, blah, blah... what does this have to do with me? I'm an actor, I just want to get hired on a film, do my thing and go home. And hopefully the film will make a splash and people will know my name and then I'll get to do it all again. True, that would be awesome. But how do you get hired on that film in the first place? Let's delve a little deeper into this world to see how it can help us.
What foreign sales agents want to tell potential distributors is that the "elements" of the film - the director, the actors, the script, locations, etc., are going to make a film that makes people want to buy tickets. Because if people don't buy tickets, the film can't make money, and then the distributor doesn't make back the investment.
So what kind of actor makes people buy a ticket to a movie? A name actor - someone they've heard of. Is that you? Well, probably not if you're reading this blog. It certainly isn't me. YET. So, it stands to reason that if you want to star (or be a major supporting role) in one of these films, you're going to need a name. How to get a name? Oh, the billion dollar question...
A while back I wrote a column called "Stop networking now." In it, I basically asked you what would happen if you could never meet another industry professional again in your life. What kind of career could you build just knowing the people you already know? A lot of people answered - not much of one. But now I want to push you further. I want to ask you - of the people you "know" in the industry, how many of them consider you their first phone call? When my 300 or so industry contacts need a funny young Caucasian actress, how many of them call me first? That number is pretty small. Maybe three of my contacts. So, I could:
(a) get a box of tissues and just start crying right now, because that's not very many, and my career is doomed. Or,
(b) I could cultivate relationships with those three people, collaborate on projects with them, while simultaneously strengthening the relationships I have with people for whom I'm *not* the first phone call, working toward being that first phone call and getting to the point where my name actually does mean something for foreign sales.
I think I'll choose option (b).
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Success in LA is a think-outside-the-box forum for actors, writers, producers or anyone who loves positive thinking and actual doing. If you enjoyed this column, please share it with someone!
-Rebecca Jupiter
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Professional Concierge?
Actor. Writer. Producer. Concierge?
When you first got into this business, you probably didn't think two of the most important things about your career would be stapling headshots and driving all over town to auditions...but it couldn't be more true.
Coming in a close third to these necessary yet quotidian actions is becoming a professional concierge.
Recently, I was listening to iconic producer Jerry Weintraub's interview on NPR In it, he says that his job is "being a concierge" - for the first 30 or 40 minutes of his day, he responds to emails requesting favors. This ability to connect others is one of the key reasons Jerry Weintraub is so successful.
Stephen Meade, an amazing networker and founder of Big Bamboo, recommends finding out what others need and making an effort to help. This not only allows you to get to know someone better, it also connects you to them in a more meaningful way than just talking about yourself and your latest projects. Try "adding value" and let me know how it goes!
Here's to your success!
When you first got into this business, you probably didn't think two of the most important things about your career would be stapling headshots and driving all over town to auditions...but it couldn't be more true.
Coming in a close third to these necessary yet quotidian actions is becoming a professional concierge.
Recently, I was listening to iconic producer Jerry Weintraub's interview on NPR In it, he says that his job is "being a concierge" - for the first 30 or 40 minutes of his day, he responds to emails requesting favors. This ability to connect others is one of the key reasons Jerry Weintraub is so successful.
Stephen Meade, an amazing networker and founder of Big Bamboo, recommends finding out what others need and making an effort to help. This not only allows you to get to know someone better, it also connects you to them in a more meaningful way than just talking about yourself and your latest projects. Try "adding value" and let me know how it goes!
Here's to your success!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Facebook Etiquette for Actors
Facebook can be a wonderful tool for connecting with friends, fan and future contacts.
It can also be a place where you annoy the sh*t out of people and get a reputation for cyber-stalking. Here are some simple tips to make sure that doesn't happen.
1. Don't add someone as a friend if you haven't met them in person or corresponded in some other way. If you're trying to contact someone for the first time, send them a message explaining your interest. "I love your work" or "We have so-and-so as a mutual friend" are both great. Then, if they want to add you as a friend they probably will.
2. Don't post updates about what you ate, or other boring, self-indulgent topics.
3. Do post interesting links that others will find useful - articles of mutual interest, funny videos and weird factoids are all good.
4. Minimize the amount of complaining and negativity you project. The occasional incisive critique is fine, but if you're constantly whining, people are going to "hide" you from their feed or delete you as a friend.
5. Do create a fan page for yourself as an actor, and put the majority of your actor-related successes on there. That way strangers can become a fan of your work without you needing to share your personal information, and your friends don't need to hear weekly or daily updates of industry-related info. Yes, they love you, but they do have other things on their mind than what you star meter rating is.
6. The first five are pretty true for Twitter as well.
7. Don't post anyone's personal information on a wall. Use a direct message.
8. Under no circumstances should you "poke" a professional contact or invite them to help with your Lil' Green Patch.
Feel free to post more tips in the comments section!
It can also be a place where you annoy the sh*t out of people and get a reputation for cyber-stalking. Here are some simple tips to make sure that doesn't happen.
1. Don't add someone as a friend if you haven't met them in person or corresponded in some other way. If you're trying to contact someone for the first time, send them a message explaining your interest. "I love your work" or "We have so-and-so as a mutual friend" are both great. Then, if they want to add you as a friend they probably will.
2. Don't post updates about what you ate, or other boring, self-indulgent topics.
3. Do post interesting links that others will find useful - articles of mutual interest, funny videos and weird factoids are all good.
4. Minimize the amount of complaining and negativity you project. The occasional incisive critique is fine, but if you're constantly whining, people are going to "hide" you from their feed or delete you as a friend.
5. Do create a fan page for yourself as an actor, and put the majority of your actor-related successes on there. That way strangers can become a fan of your work without you needing to share your personal information, and your friends don't need to hear weekly or daily updates of industry-related info. Yes, they love you, but they do have other things on their mind than what you star meter rating is.
6. The first five are pretty true for Twitter as well.
7. Don't post anyone's personal information on a wall. Use a direct message.
8. Under no circumstances should you "poke" a professional contact or invite them to help with your Lil' Green Patch.
Feel free to post more tips in the comments section!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Stop networking now.
Stop networking now? But isn't networking the key to success in this industry?
OK. Let me explain.
What if you could never meet another industry contact and had to base your entire career on the people you know right now? How would you behave? Would you have a career?
Take a look at your contacts. How long has it been since you communicated with them? What added value are you bringing to the relationship? Now, I'm not saying be all things to all people. (I've tried - see last week's post - there's not enough *you* to go around). What I'm suggesting is offering what you can. A director I know needed a specific voiceover actress type. I found him 4 options and he hired one of them. Another person I know needed a male actor. I found 3 options and one of them got the job. (Now that we have email, facebook and twitter, this usually doesn't even require a phone call.) When I heard about a film festival that sounded cool, I volunteered to work in their office. Yeah, for free.
Bottom line is that when someone needs a position filled, are you going to be the first person that pops into their head? Are you going to be the first person they call or recommend? Just going to networking events, collecting business cards, or even having that one ubiquitous coffee date, is not going to get you jobs. Cultivate relationships with the people you already know by getting to know what THEY need and then looking for ways to either help them yourself or connect them with the people who can.
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Success in LA - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box - if you enjoyed this or any other post, please become a follower over on the right. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Thanks!
OK. Let me explain.
What if you could never meet another industry contact and had to base your entire career on the people you know right now? How would you behave? Would you have a career?
Take a look at your contacts. How long has it been since you communicated with them? What added value are you bringing to the relationship? Now, I'm not saying be all things to all people. (I've tried - see last week's post - there's not enough *you* to go around). What I'm suggesting is offering what you can. A director I know needed a specific voiceover actress type. I found him 4 options and he hired one of them. Another person I know needed a male actor. I found 3 options and one of them got the job. (Now that we have email, facebook and twitter, this usually doesn't even require a phone call.) When I heard about a film festival that sounded cool, I volunteered to work in their office. Yeah, for free.
Bottom line is that when someone needs a position filled, are you going to be the first person that pops into their head? Are you going to be the first person they call or recommend? Just going to networking events, collecting business cards, or even having that one ubiquitous coffee date, is not going to get you jobs. Cultivate relationships with the people you already know by getting to know what THEY need and then looking for ways to either help them yourself or connect them with the people who can.
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Success in LA - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box - if you enjoyed this or any other post, please become a follower over on the right. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Thanks!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Are you trying to please everybody?
Bill Cosby said "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
The other day I sent an email update to my contact list with news of my film going to Cannes and my other latest doings. I've gotten hundreds of positive responses, which is so wonderful and uplifting.
I've also gotten a few unsubscribes, since I use a mailing list provider, and I even got one person who wrote a one-line criticism of the fact that I didn't read his screenplay (he refused to write a treatment because "there are things that occur in the
process of reading a script that can never be captured on a treatment.")
At one time in my life, I would have been heartbroken about these few negative responses, even with the overwhelming number of positive ones. But my wonderful coach Dallas Travers has taught me that there are two kinds of people in your career and your life: your collaborators and your NYPs. Not Your People. These people don't like you, don't respect you, don't understand you, or just plain don't care about you. And the more time you spend worrying about them, the less time and energy you have to celebrate your unique contributions.
Many people put forth the dating analogies in this industry - either you click with someone or you don't, and if you do, you'll probably work together. If not, you probably won't. But there's no sense in beating yourself up over the ones who are NYPs.
My advice is this: when someone compliments your work or takes an interest in your career, don't stop there. Get to know them - what are they in need of right now? Maybe there is something you can help them with, someone you can connect them with, or a job lead you can hook them up with. In the process of helping them, you're also reminding yourself that you are generous and abundant, and that positive glow is one of the most valuable assets you have in attracting the work you want.
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Success in LA - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box - if you enjoyed this or any other post, please become a follower over on the right. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Thanks!
The other day I sent an email update to my contact list with news of my film going to Cannes and my other latest doings. I've gotten hundreds of positive responses, which is so wonderful and uplifting.
I've also gotten a few unsubscribes, since I use a mailing list provider, and I even got one person who wrote a one-line criticism of the fact that I didn't read his screenplay (he refused to write a treatment because "there are things that occur in the
process of reading a script that can never be captured on a treatment.")
At one time in my life, I would have been heartbroken about these few negative responses, even with the overwhelming number of positive ones. But my wonderful coach Dallas Travers has taught me that there are two kinds of people in your career and your life: your collaborators and your NYPs. Not Your People. These people don't like you, don't respect you, don't understand you, or just plain don't care about you. And the more time you spend worrying about them, the less time and energy you have to celebrate your unique contributions.
Many people put forth the dating analogies in this industry - either you click with someone or you don't, and if you do, you'll probably work together. If not, you probably won't. But there's no sense in beating yourself up over the ones who are NYPs.
My advice is this: when someone compliments your work or takes an interest in your career, don't stop there. Get to know them - what are they in need of right now? Maybe there is something you can help them with, someone you can connect them with, or a job lead you can hook them up with. In the process of helping them, you're also reminding yourself that you are generous and abundant, and that positive glow is one of the most valuable assets you have in attracting the work you want.
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Success in LA - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box - if you enjoyed this or any other post, please become a follower over on the right. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A slight adjustment
I've wanted to shoot a gun for quite a while now, and last night I *finally* got to do it. A friend and I arrived at the LA Gun Club and experimented with a .38 Special (revolver) and a 9mm.
Shooting the 9mm did not come easily for me - it kicked back so much that most of the time I completely missed my target. After getting so excited about shooting, that was pretty disappointing. Luckily, though, I found the revolver much easier to handle. Most of my shots were dead-on, and my hand didn't have to absorb all that force. Had I only tried the 9mm, I would have left the shooting gallery pretty discouraged about my marksmanship. Instead, I knew a bit more about handguns and could actually form an opinion about one of my favorites.
When I first arrived in LA, I borrowed a friend's car for a couple weeks while I got settled. Bless her heart, it was such a generous thing for her to lend it to me, but man, did that car drive me nuts. It was oddly shaped, noisy, and I just couldn't seem to park it correctly. One day on the freeway I thought to myself, "I can't live in LA. I hate all this driving and parking. I should have just stayed in New York." I went back to New York for a couple more months and had a realization - the problem wasn't LA and all the driving. It was the car. I resolved to go back to California and find a car that I LOVED driving. That slight adjustment made all the difference. On days when all I do is drive from one audition to the next, I can turn up the music, open the sun roof and bask in the glory of living in paradise.
Sometimes slight adjustments are more important than making drastic life changes. Every time we get a new piece of information, we can adjust our strategy and process to get closer to success. If we abandon everything we've learned because of challenging roadblocks, we lose all our momentum. Are you facing a challenge right now and considering a huge, drastic change? See whether a subtle adjustment can accomplish even more, allowing you to incorporate everything you learned about what didn't work from what you were already doing. One of the most important elements of success in this industry is the positive attitude we bring to each project, each meeting and each day. So it's important to have positive reinforcing experiences along the way, and those can't come from the despair of failing after the first try. Please feel free to share success stories (or challenges you're facing) in the comments section!
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Success in LA - multihyphenate actress-writer-producer Rebecca Jupiter thinks outside the box - if you enjoyed this or any other post, please become a follower over on the right. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Thanks!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Power To Say YES
Last night I went to The Actors Network to hear Joseph Middleton speak. He's an amazing casting director (just did a little movie called Twilight: New Moon. Heard of it?) and I felt so blessed to be able to listen and ask questions.
Given his amazing credits, Joseph might seem really powerful, but one of the most fascinating things he said might surprise some of us: casting directors have the power to say no. They don't usually have the power to say yes. What did he mean by this? Well, CDs work for producers. The producers are the ones hiring, so they can say yes to whatever and whomever they want. CDs make suggestions about who to hire, and producers can either listen or not.
And yet, many of us spend A TON of our time marketing to casting people and worrying that they will not know us and therefore we will not be hired. This is what Kevin is always telling us at the Actors Network, and it couldn't be more true. We can't spend all our time marketing to casting people and forget that producers are the ones with the power to hire us. But let's go a little deeper with the power to say yes...
Some people will say, great, I get that I should market to producers, but what should I say to them? Why should they hire me when they could hire Isla Fisher or Ginnifer Goodwin? This is when we have to go to our core as individuals. Who am I? Why am I an actor? What do I have to offer? Why did I give up everything in my hometown to sit in LA traffic on the way to auditions?
When you do a little personal soul-searching, the answers may surprise you. When I worked as an elementary school teacher on the upper west side of Manhattan, I loved my students, and I knew I was making a difference in their lives. But I felt a profound sense that my purpose was to effect bigger changes in the world. I realized that the way to do this, for me at least, was through media. I watched Will & Grace, and of course I laughed - it was hilarious. Millions of Americans laughed. And through that laughter, gay became more ok. (ha ha, I rhymed) The more I thought about it, the more I realized that movies and tv shows change us, open us up, expand our horizons and bring us together. I knew I wanted to be a part of that.
So the power to say yes is not just about who has the power to greenlight a project. It's about finding your own personal power - your passion - and then sharing that unique flavor of you with the world.
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If you enjoyed this post or any of my others, please become a follower over to the right - it's free and takes only a few seconds.
Also, please feel free to forward the link to this blog to anyone you think might be inspired or amused by it!
Given his amazing credits, Joseph might seem really powerful, but one of the most fascinating things he said might surprise some of us: casting directors have the power to say no. They don't usually have the power to say yes. What did he mean by this? Well, CDs work for producers. The producers are the ones hiring, so they can say yes to whatever and whomever they want. CDs make suggestions about who to hire, and producers can either listen or not.
And yet, many of us spend A TON of our time marketing to casting people and worrying that they will not know us and therefore we will not be hired. This is what Kevin is always telling us at the Actors Network, and it couldn't be more true. We can't spend all our time marketing to casting people and forget that producers are the ones with the power to hire us. But let's go a little deeper with the power to say yes...
Some people will say, great, I get that I should market to producers, but what should I say to them? Why should they hire me when they could hire Isla Fisher or Ginnifer Goodwin? This is when we have to go to our core as individuals. Who am I? Why am I an actor? What do I have to offer? Why did I give up everything in my hometown to sit in LA traffic on the way to auditions?
When you do a little personal soul-searching, the answers may surprise you. When I worked as an elementary school teacher on the upper west side of Manhattan, I loved my students, and I knew I was making a difference in their lives. But I felt a profound sense that my purpose was to effect bigger changes in the world. I realized that the way to do this, for me at least, was through media. I watched Will & Grace, and of course I laughed - it was hilarious. Millions of Americans laughed. And through that laughter, gay became more ok. (ha ha, I rhymed) The more I thought about it, the more I realized that movies and tv shows change us, open us up, expand our horizons and bring us together. I knew I wanted to be a part of that.
So the power to say yes is not just about who has the power to greenlight a project. It's about finding your own personal power - your passion - and then sharing that unique flavor of you with the world.
************************************
If you enjoyed this post or any of my others, please become a follower over to the right - it's free and takes only a few seconds.
Also, please feel free to forward the link to this blog to anyone you think might be inspired or amused by it!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wishes vs. Goals
Perhaps it doesn't come as a surprise to my fair readers that I spend a good deal of my time counseling others through their career (and personal) forests. Well, today was no different.
My dear friend, who for the purposes of this blogpost shall be named Sela, called me today - despondent about her job. She is not an actor (really? Someone who isn't an actor? I know, it's strange...) but her job is similar in one particular way: she has to market her product to others and get them to part with their hard-earned cash. That's her job. And you know what? She's pretty good at it. But she *feels* unsure of herself at every turn and constantly worries about getting a bad review or getting let go. So even when she does well, she has in effect failed on a personal level because she didn't enjoy the ride. She was stressing all the way through.
So I'm going to tell you what I told her: the journey *is* the destination. It can be so hard to accept this for us actors, thinking that success is down the road months or even years. "I'll be happy when I book a lead role in a studio feature." "I'll be happy when I'm a series regular on network television." "I'll be happy when..."
Now, I'm not saying I don't want those things or that you shouldn't. What I'm saying is that those are the motivators, NOT THE GOALS. (I call them the wishes.)
The GOALS, on the other hand, are manageable, doable actions:
Send 10 postcards to casting directors this week.
Make two coffee dates.
Write thank-you notes to people who spoke at The Actors Network last week.
Spend 4 hours this week writing my web series.
Warm up my voice every day.
At the end of a week, when I can check off these kinds of things from my list, I know I've done my best to move my career forward. When I daydream, I'm still thinking about that amazing, hilarious, well-written sitcom I'm going to star in, but when it's time to get down to business, I'm focused on things I have control over. That control comes from DOABLE actions, and it releases me from the anxiety that can creep up so easily in a career with no set path and no guarantees.
My dear friend, who for the purposes of this blogpost shall be named Sela, called me today - despondent about her job. She is not an actor (really? Someone who isn't an actor? I know, it's strange...) but her job is similar in one particular way: she has to market her product to others and get them to part with their hard-earned cash. That's her job. And you know what? She's pretty good at it. But she *feels* unsure of herself at every turn and constantly worries about getting a bad review or getting let go. So even when she does well, she has in effect failed on a personal level because she didn't enjoy the ride. She was stressing all the way through.
So I'm going to tell you what I told her: the journey *is* the destination. It can be so hard to accept this for us actors, thinking that success is down the road months or even years. "I'll be happy when I book a lead role in a studio feature." "I'll be happy when I'm a series regular on network television." "I'll be happy when..."
Now, I'm not saying I don't want those things or that you shouldn't. What I'm saying is that those are the motivators, NOT THE GOALS. (I call them the wishes.)
The GOALS, on the other hand, are manageable, doable actions:
Send 10 postcards to casting directors this week.
Make two coffee dates.
Write thank-you notes to people who spoke at The Actors Network last week.
Spend 4 hours this week writing my web series.
Warm up my voice every day.
At the end of a week, when I can check off these kinds of things from my list, I know I've done my best to move my career forward. When I daydream, I'm still thinking about that amazing, hilarious, well-written sitcom I'm going to star in, but when it's time to get down to business, I'm focused on things I have control over. That control comes from DOABLE actions, and it releases me from the anxiety that can creep up so easily in a career with no set path and no guarantees.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Have I Seen You in Anything?
The other day I sat on a plane next to a stranger who asked the inevitable actor question "So, have I seen you in anything?"
Many of us struggle with this question - feeling we must list our credits or explain why we aren't starring opposite Jude Law in his latest film - "I'm doing theater right now, I had a commercial on ESPN last year, I just starred in a short film that screened at a bunch of festivals, I have two films in post-production..." As actors actively involved in pursuing work, we know what accomplishments these are, and yet sometimes when faced with a stranger asking for a succinct verbal resume, we seem to come up short.
We have to be smart about these encounters, because as actors we're sensitive - a few too many demoralizing cross-examinations, and we may slip into the dreaded attitude that we are "just another actor trying to make it in LA." We know we are not this person - after all, we gave up everything in [New York, Chicago, Nashville, Duluth, fill in your city here] to come to LA because we knew we were SPECIAL. The way we feel about ourselves is the #1 tool we have for success, so we have to know we are special, and we have to know what makes us special.
So here's my suggestion: don't wait for someone else to give you a job or tell you how great you are or discover you. DISCOVER YOURSELF. In that blessed free time between shoots, write scripts you think are funny (or sharp drama if that's your thing). Invite your actor friends over and do a reading of your work. Get clear on what you want to do, who you want to meet. Develop a short "elevator pitch" of yourself, and when you meet someone who says "What do you do?" you can answer something like this:
I'm an Isla Fisher meets Megan Mullally type. I'm funny, sarcastic and quirky. I'm currently writing an original tv comedy pilot in the vein of Two and a Half Men. So I'd like to meet the producers of projects like Confessions of a Shopaholic and Will & Grace.
Sometimes people will go, Wow! That sounds exciting. And you'll feel great. And just sometimes, they'll say things like "Oh, really? My sister babysits for Steven Levitan's kids. I'll see if I can introduce you." And then you'll feel really great. The key is to get clear on what you want, then distill it to a simple pitch you can share with others. Because how you feel about yourself as an actor is going to be a huge part of not only how long you stay in LA, but how you do here.
Many of us struggle with this question - feeling we must list our credits or explain why we aren't starring opposite Jude Law in his latest film - "I'm doing theater right now, I had a commercial on ESPN last year, I just starred in a short film that screened at a bunch of festivals, I have two films in post-production..." As actors actively involved in pursuing work, we know what accomplishments these are, and yet sometimes when faced with a stranger asking for a succinct verbal resume, we seem to come up short.
We have to be smart about these encounters, because as actors we're sensitive - a few too many demoralizing cross-examinations, and we may slip into the dreaded attitude that we are "just another actor trying to make it in LA." We know we are not this person - after all, we gave up everything in [New York, Chicago, Nashville, Duluth, fill in your city here] to come to LA because we knew we were SPECIAL. The way we feel about ourselves is the #1 tool we have for success, so we have to know we are special, and we have to know what makes us special.
So here's my suggestion: don't wait for someone else to give you a job or tell you how great you are or discover you. DISCOVER YOURSELF. In that blessed free time between shoots, write scripts you think are funny (or sharp drama if that's your thing). Invite your actor friends over and do a reading of your work. Get clear on what you want to do, who you want to meet. Develop a short "elevator pitch" of yourself, and when you meet someone who says "What do you do?" you can answer something like this:
I'm an Isla Fisher meets Megan Mullally type. I'm funny, sarcastic and quirky. I'm currently writing an original tv comedy pilot in the vein of Two and a Half Men. So I'd like to meet the producers of projects like Confessions of a Shopaholic and Will & Grace.
Sometimes people will go, Wow! That sounds exciting. And you'll feel great. And just sometimes, they'll say things like "Oh, really? My sister babysits for Steven Levitan's kids. I'll see if I can introduce you." And then you'll feel really great. The key is to get clear on what you want, then distill it to a simple pitch you can share with others. Because how you feel about yourself as an actor is going to be a huge part of not only how long you stay in LA, but how you do here.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Booking Without Auditioning
Actors often tell me that one of their dreams is to get so successful that they no longer have to audition. After all, does Julia Roberts audition? Does Meryl Streep audition? Nope. The phone rings, someone asks their agents whether they are available, and soon, they're on set, doing what they love.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you too can be the recipient of this special treatment.
Why do Julia and Meryl get these phone calls? Because they are known. Their work is known. Well, you and your work can be known as well. When you build relationships, people naturally want to know more about you. Maybe Martin Scorsese will not be the first director to call you out of the blue to be in his film - you may be starting a bit smaller than that, but you'll still be on your way.
Case in point: when I first moved to Los Angeles, I wasn't sure what to do with all my free time. Since I had produced a film in New York, I figured, why don't I help out others on their films? I sifted through Craigslist ads for one that sounded low-budget but still interesting and professional. I sent my crew/production resume off and got a phone call right away. It was for an unpaid PA job, getting up early, shlepping stuff around and generally being at the bottom of the totem pole. I went to meet with the production team, and they asked me if I would instead be the Production Manager. Still unpaid, just more work =) Of course I said yes - why not learn how all those contracts work and how to put together a call sheet?
At the end of the shoot, I had learned a ton. (Not least of which was how to manage an actor who came to set still high on coke after being out partying all night, but that's another blogpost for another day!) It was pretty unglamorous work for me. But lo and behold, a couple months later, I had become friends with some of the production team members, and two of them asked me to work on two separate film projects as their lead actress. They had gotten to know me, and when they found out I was an actress, they watched my reel, and it fit with what they were looking for. Booking without auditioning.
Now what? is a forum for success, out-of-the-box thinking and joy through collaboration. Please send questions to successinla@gmail.com and share this blog with anyone you think might like it or benefit from it!
Here's to success in 2010!
Well, I'm here to tell you that you too can be the recipient of this special treatment.
Why do Julia and Meryl get these phone calls? Because they are known. Their work is known. Well, you and your work can be known as well. When you build relationships, people naturally want to know more about you. Maybe Martin Scorsese will not be the first director to call you out of the blue to be in his film - you may be starting a bit smaller than that, but you'll still be on your way.
Case in point: when I first moved to Los Angeles, I wasn't sure what to do with all my free time. Since I had produced a film in New York, I figured, why don't I help out others on their films? I sifted through Craigslist ads for one that sounded low-budget but still interesting and professional. I sent my crew/production resume off and got a phone call right away. It was for an unpaid PA job, getting up early, shlepping stuff around and generally being at the bottom of the totem pole. I went to meet with the production team, and they asked me if I would instead be the Production Manager. Still unpaid, just more work =) Of course I said yes - why not learn how all those contracts work and how to put together a call sheet?
At the end of the shoot, I had learned a ton. (Not least of which was how to manage an actor who came to set still high on coke after being out partying all night, but that's another blogpost for another day!) It was pretty unglamorous work for me. But lo and behold, a couple months later, I had become friends with some of the production team members, and two of them asked me to work on two separate film projects as their lead actress. They had gotten to know me, and when they found out I was an actress, they watched my reel, and it fit with what they were looking for. Booking without auditioning.
Now what? is a forum for success, out-of-the-box thinking and joy through collaboration. Please send questions to successinla@gmail.com and share this blog with anyone you think might like it or benefit from it!
Here's to success in 2010!
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