It has been the core marketing tool for performers since the creation of photography: headshots. That’s no secret to any actor who has spent 20 minutes in the industry.
Over the past seven years, technology has slowly integrated into the casting industry – where many professionals remain conservative and prefer the conventional methods of doing business. It has taken years for much of the casting industry to accept ‘online submissions’ from actors, and there are still many out there that do not accept this as a method of receiving submissions from actors. ActorsAccess.com has moved that benchmark along faster, because of the strong credibility associated with their company.
Several other casting websites, like BackStage.com, have also made the transition into ‘online submissions’ for actors over the past few years. Other casting websites have also been born out of this new strategy.
Having worked for one of the leading online casting websites in the New York market, I can tell you first-hand how they operate in a future blog. They are basically ‘collectors’ who spend all day making phone calls to industry contacts, and searching among the other competing casting services. They make sure that they at least try to get the same casting notices everyone else has (by keeping a membership on their competitors websites) and then they contact personal industry relationships to find out about a few other castings that are happening, in hopes of posting them before any other casting websites beat them to it.
Getting back to my point, with the integration of online casting over the past seven years – the main calling card of any performer is STILL the headshot. But now, more than ever, an actors website is almost a complete equivalent in terms of importance. The online presence of an actors website serves up an instant access point for reference by agents, managers, and casting professionals. They don’t need to open an envelope, file a headshot, or put a DVD into a DVD-player to view your reel. With a well-executed acting website, like Actor Artist Design websites, professionals can visit a link and it is literally a full marketing package giving them everything they need know about you…24/7.
Keeping this in mind, why would you spend anywhere from $99-$1500 (NY-rates) for a great headshot, and then put up a website without an investment in yourself? I have seen many websites for actors that have incredible photos and reels, but the websites are obviously short-changed. It just makes no sense to have such great shots, from a complete pro-photographer, and then post a website that obviously brings down your professional impact on a casting director, agent, or manager. It is comparable to purchasing a BMW, and then putting an old motor in it to drive around.
Many turn to a friend for a website, and are often left disappointed by the result. This is because having the skills to produce an actors website, doesn’t mean that the designer understands the industry and how/what/where to best execute an actors website. There are also website templates available for actors, and unfortunately this leaves hundreds, if not thousands, of actors with the exact same website as one another. You may never even see that another actor, possibly with the same or similar appearance as you, has the exact same website, because they used the same template. This is obviously bad news, because a casting professional sees so many faces, that they may instantly assume that they have seen you before – just because you look similar, and your websites are so close in appearance because of the website template you used.
The only way to be sure you are as original as your acting work, is to invest in a fully customized website. Not all web designers even know how to design a fully custom website. They secretly run-off and purchase a template, then try to work in your materials. Leaving you thinking you are ready-to-go, not knowing there are plenty of other websites out there – just like yours.
My point is this; it is just silly to not have a website – and even more silly to have a website you paid $10 for when you expect casting professionals, agents, and managers to view you as original, professional, and prepared. Whether you have a friend do it (be very cautious), purchase a template (there are very few out there that haven’t already been widely used and ‘customized’), or try to find a custom-website designer who specializes in actors, models, and all other performers (hint hint…Actor Artist Design) – be sure you are not sacrificing opportunities to save some money. At the end of the day, your marketing materials are an investment to make you money, and that investment is working for you everyday that you are getting yourself out there and generating interest.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jason C Small
Business Development Manager
Actor Artist Design, a division of Great Young Minds, LLC
*Jason has worked as an actor in New York City for seven years appearing on All My Children, As The World Turns (3 years as “Lou”), Guiding Light, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Good Morning America, at Radio City Music Hall, in the New York Fringe Festival, and in many more productions. He has more than 15 independent films to his credit, and has managed an acting studio for a celebrity in NYC, and served as Marketing Director for one of the top casting websites in the New York market. Jason owns and operates Great Young Minds, LLC, a graphic and web design company servicing the entertainment industry, with offices in New York City.
