Actor Misconceptions - Part III
By Holdon Log, LLC

(Note: This article is Part Three of a Three Part Series. Click here if you missed Part One or click here if you missed Part Two.)

ACTOR MISCONCEPTION #3:
“It's too much work to log and track my career."

Aside from our programmers, everyone here at Holdon Log is a working actor or has been one and we can’t understand what “too much work” is.

In most any other professions, people go to college or technical school to train to be what they want to be. The equivalent “work” for actors would be acting classes, seminars & workshops, other classes to broaden their Special Skills, etc.

After they’ve graduated or received certification, people interview to procure a job. This is like the “work” performers do called “auditioning”.

Once they are finished interviewing, most likely these professionals will follow-up with a simple note to thank the interviewer for their time…actors can do that too…and should do that with an email, photo postcard, or via a call from their representation.

Once they are hired these career professionals keep track of their income, expenses, successes and failures. Whether in a courtroom, in an operating room or at a pitch meeting, people in the workforce only move forward in their chosen profession if they know what is and what is not working in their career .... so why wouldn’t an actor want to do the same? Why would and actor purposely want to bury their head in the sand and not be actively involved in the checks and balances of their own career?

An actor is truly the CEO of their own business and should run status reports monthly, quarterly and yearly on their career. Actors need to know such information as which headshot seems to get them in the door most often, do they have more bookings as a lead or supporting character, is money better spent on paid seminars or producing their own project to submit to festivals and promote to Industry folks....

It might be work, but is it really “too much” work? After all, isn’t acting something that you love to do? Find a way to strategize and maximize your career and go for it!