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[0:00] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I've heard this statement from actors many times. I've tried doing whatever, and it doesn't seem to work. Or whenever I try to do whatever it is, something goes wrong. Many times actors make mistake after mistake because of their limited perspective of the situation. After all, no one teaches this stuff in acting school. We'll look at the marketing myths and mistakes actors make and how to avoid them on this episode of Casting Actors Cast.

[0:37] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Welcome to Casting Actors Cast, the podcast and video for actors. Each week, we provide practical, useful information to advance your craft and your career in the business of show. And now, here's your host, casting director Jeffrey Dreisbach.

[0:53] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Well, hello and welcome to today's episode of Casting Actors Cast. I'm casting director Jeffrey Dreisbach with McCorkle Casting, the McCorkle Group in New York. I'm a partner at McCorkle Casting. So nice to have you here today. Say, listen, if you haven't checked out the website of the podcast, please do so. It's CastingActorsCastAllOneWord.com. There you're gonna find all kinds of freebies if you fill out that form that says Dive into the Talent Pool. That'll bring you to, oh, it'll bring you to a free book on doing voiceover work called Conversation Pieces Out of the Studio, the voiceover workshop for professional actors. Additionally, it'll take you to a free video called Casting Secrets, What They Don't Tell You.

Um, also on the website, you're gonna find past episodes. You're also gonna find Jeff's Jots, and those are corresponding show notes to each of the episodes. So if there's a particular episode that you like that you think you could benefit even more from by having the information about the podcast, then by all means check out Jeff's Jots. Finally, just a shout out to my friends who have uh sent in and put up uh reviews, especially on iTunes of the podcast. I can't tell you how gratifying it is. Thousands and thousands of people are tuning into the podcast, and I couldn't be more delighted. So if you haven't done so already, won't you consider please leaving a like, a thumbs up, a review, check me out on YouTube because I'm simulcasting each of these episodes as well.

So uh that's all just available to you whenever you want it. And I am so so excited that this podcast continues to grow the way it has been continuing to grow. For those of you that are watching me on YouTube, I'm uh YouTube rather. I'm I'm wearing a different kind of outfit today. I just came from a casting session, and boy, are my arms tired. Sorry. Cracked myself up. Obscure reference. Sorry about that. So listen, let's talk about marketing. Let's talk about mistakes that I've seen actors make when they start trying to market themselves, especially newcomers to the industry. Let's say you've just had a showcase, or maybe you've just completed your training and now you're looking at turning into a full-time professional.

There are some marketing mistakes that I've seen, and a lot of this has to just simply do with psychology, just um understanding what is most helpful versus what is not that helpful at all. And so when you put a marketing plan together as an actor, there are certain elements that are extremely helpful to you. And then, of course, there are some that just don't really butter the bread if you know what I'm talking about.

[3:42] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So here's a common mistake. I think number one common mistake is trying to be all things to all people. The truth is you really can't aim your marketing plan to everyone. In other words, you're gonna send out uh emails to every agent and every manager and every casting director in New York and Los Angeles and hope for the best. Now, aside from being a lot of work assembling all of that information and putting it together, you've done yourself a disservice because that sort of um scatter shot uh uh attempt to get yourself known is really wasted energy because most people that receive this information from you are very aware that that's what you are doing. So it's not really that helpful to you.

So if you were to, for example, narrow your audience, narrow those folks that are in a position to help you based on the following. One, let's say you're a theater performer and you're interested in doing theater. Well, you know what? Sending out information to a casting director or to an agent that represents actors for theater might be a much, much better uh use of your energy and your time and your creativity. So simply narrowing your audience to those who are in a position to help you right now directly. Here's another suggestion. Um, if you're watching a television series and you say to yourself, oh my gosh, I could be in that series. I would love to be in that show. You know, why don't you go ahead and make sure you look up the name of the casting director?

And then why don't you search out and find out if that casting director is actually holding classes? Maybe they're doing a three or four session class. Maybe there's an opportunity to meet that particular casting director. You see, that narrowing of your marketing plan by those people who are in a position to help you now. Much, much better use of your time and your resources. So narrow your audience and increase the intensity of your brand to those people that can help you.

[6:04] Jeffrey Dreisbach: All right, marketing mistake number two that I've seen happen. Thinking that casting, the process of casting actors for projects is a rational endeavor. Do you know what? It's not rational. I'm here to tell you that there are so many variables that are out there for each and every project that we are casting right now, for example, is that it's just crazy that there are times when we're taken by surprise. Casting's taken by surprise because the producer or the director already has somebody in mind for that role. And so suddenly we're surprised by saying, Oh no, I already have somebody for that part. It's like well, I wish you would have told us that, then we wouldn't have included that on the breakdown.

So there are other reasons that you can't really spend time thinking that casting is a logical, progressive way of doing business. Another example would be that actors who are we're looking for that have very, very specific qualities that that producer or director is looking for. You may not be privy to that information. It might be information that we don't put out on the breakdown. So for you to try and think that this is just a logical sequence that I look and see that there's a role available, I submit my stuff, and then I get considered, and then I get an audition. The logical rationale for that sort of makes sense, and that's what you want to believe happens, but there are so many other variables.

So understand what you can control, and please also do yourself a favor. Embrace those things that you can't control. One thing's for sure, you don't need to convince casting. You don't need to convince us about your capabilities. You need to simply think about showing us why we should want to work with you instead. That's a much better approach. You see, we can't do our job without you, as I've said many times, and you can't do your job without us. So there's no convincing that you need to do with casting. What you need to do is think about showing them how you're going to play the part when an opportunity arises. But trying to be logical with the way casting works is just kind of a slippery slope, and I think a lot of wasted energy that casting is trying to figure out how it works. And there are as many different variables in the way that we cast as there are projects in front of us.

[8:45] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Mistake number three: telling everybody in the world your plan, your success model. In other words, you're saying, well, I'm looking to get a television series this year, and I want to get a feature film, and I want to fill in the blank. Sometimes I think actors get excited about their positivity, about their participation in the business. And I think they sometimes get over excited, and then they tell everybody what their plans are. Outside of your support system, honestly, no one really needs to hear your dream of winning an Oscar, a Tony, or an Emmy. Now, you can have the dream. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to win an Oscar. But no one necessarily needs to hear that from you.

I think a much better choice is to keep that to yourself. Keep that as a private dream that you can hang on to and you can speculate with and enjoy, but trying to broadcast all of your strategy for being successful or being famous or being applauded for your work. I think, well, see, let me say it this way. Can I? Aspirations are promises that you tell yourself. So you can aspire to do any number of goals in your mind. But those are things that you should keep to yourself.

[10:21] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Okay, let's move on from there. Mistake number four, this is a big one, I think, is approval seeking in your marketing plan. Meaning that you are trying to be right for everyone all the time for every project that there is out there. And that's not logical. That doesn't make sense. And I can tell you from a personal standpoint that that was a difficult issue for me. Here's why. When uh I started acting and I was acting over the first five years of my acting career, I had a resume that had musical theater, that had comedy, that had Shakespeare, that had drama, that had soap opera work.

[11:10] Jeffrey Dreisbach: And it was like this amazing kind of variety of things. My thinking at that time was that gosh, you know what? This makes me really versatile. And clearly I can show everybody how talented I am because I've done all of these really cool things. Well, that might be true. But part of that was trying to be all things to all people. I think in hindsight, and hindsight, you know, being what it is, I think if I had narrowed my resume to those areas that I was most interested in pursuing, not just employment, B, if I had targeted and had perhaps two or three different resumes where I didn't remove stuff, but I emphasized those things that I thought were appropriate to the submissions that were out there.

So be careful about just trying to seek approval. You need to make choices that are right for you and not try to please others. Understand that the choices you make in your acting career and in your marketing are unique. Please yourself, please, and don't try to please others. Understand that the way you brand yourself is not the same as how you type yourself. I don't use the word type, I don't like the word type, but I think that there is something to be said as you market yourself in the business of acting, that there is a brand. And your brand is your uniqueness. Your brand are the personality traits you bring to the work. That is what I think is the best focused marketing plan you can have.

[12:57] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Mistake number five. How do I say this? Number five, holding back the funds. Here's what I mean. I think it's important to have a reasonable percentage of your budget for your marketing. It's not just about a reasonable budget for taking acting classes, but really seriously investing in marketing yourself. Your resume, um, really evaluating your pictures. Do they represent the way you look now? Do they represent the kind of roles that you are looking or seeking now? If not, that's part of the marketing plan. The people that you were in contact with, are you targeting specific agents? Are you targeting specific casting directors that are working on specific projects that you are right for? You see, that time, that energy and those funds that you direct to those ends, in my opinion, are what really can strengthen your marketing plan.

Here's another thought. Maybe if you're confused about how to market yourself, because I don't think all actors understand what is at stake, maybe you could spend some time taking a marketing class. Maybe learn a little bit more about the business of how to promote yourself, how to promote yourself as an actor in the industry. And I think you're going to find that a confidence builder. And I think in addition to the classes, that you will feel much more successful, much more confident, and much more able to target those people that might be interested in your brand. So don't hold back those funds. Budget yourself appropriately, but really make sure that you are in a good place to let your work, let your ability, your talent be known to those people that can help.

[14:55] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Okay, moving on. This is now not a mistake as much as it is a myth. Here's a myth: an industry is going to respond quickly to your marketing. I think it's so funny how we think people are going to act more quickly in show business than in anywhere else. It's just not true. And suddenly now something comes up, and I say to myself, who was that actor that I really liked that I should I want to find out if I can bring them in. That happens more frequently than you know. So for you to put together your marketing plan and then assume that it's going to have a quick response is oftentimes a myth. Now, sometimes it might happen, but I would not suggest putting your eggs in the basket of, oh my gosh, I'll send out an email to the top 10 casting directors that are casting things I'm right for, and I'm sure to hear from them very, very shortly.

I think that is a fool's errand. So keep it in perspective. Keep the dream, keep the energy, keep the faith that the right thing is going to happen, but also just keep it realistic, that it doesn't happen more quickly than in any other business you find yourself in.

[16:22] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So not that you're going to find yourself in another business, but like for example, I'm thinking of my dad who was a car dealer, and he would put out promotional material all the time. He would send out flyers or he would have contests or he would do all of this stuff. And it really wasn't until he was consistent with his marketing that he started seeing a return on those investments. And so consistency and duration really do make a difference with your marketing plan. Consistency, I think is a really important marketing is a key. So I wouldn't suggest that you anticipate immediate results. That's what I'm trying to say.

[17:03] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Myth number seven: the fear of making a mistake with your marketing plan. The fear of making a mistake with your marketing plan. You know, many times I see actors come up with a really good idea about how they're going to market themselves in the business. They are taking a new class and so they want to do an email or a flyer saying, just started this new amazing class, or they booked something and they want to promote themselves. I'm going to be on Law and Order, SVU on this date. Please look for me. Or just booked a feature film. So I think many times the plan of getting the word out to those people in the industry stays on the page. It never sees the light of day. And I can certainly relate to that.

And here's my reasoning why. Whenever something wonderful, a booking, for example, happened to me when I was acting, I felt consumed by preparation for the job. And it almost seemed like a lot of extra energy had to go into promoting that I felt like at that time I didn't have. It's when those positive things happen and you have an opportunity to promote those positive things that you should really summon up that extra energy and really get your word out to the best of your ability. But don't just make plans, put them on the page, get excited, and then what? Crickets. That's not helpful. That's not really doing you any favors.

[18:42] Jeffrey Dreisbach: So the other thing I want to say about that is that anyone who believes or is afraid or concerned that their marketing is going to be perceived as obnoxious or pushy, almost usually they never are obnoxious or pushy. It's those people who don't question whether they're being obnoxious. I'll say that easily. Anyone who thinks they are being obnoxious usually never is being obnoxious or pushy. Wow, that was easy for me to say. So you see what I'm saying? Anyone who's aware that they might be pushing the envelope, probably never is pushing the envelope. It's those people who don't ask that question that I get concerned with, and those are the emails I receive that I really don't respond well to, to be quite honest.

[19:35] Jeffrey Dreisbach: Here's another myth. Never acting on your dreams. It's a myth because I believe the dreams are really important aspirationally. They are so useful, they strengthen your spirit. So I want you to dream big dreams. I want you to focus on one dream at a time. See ways to be motivated. Write your dreams down. You see, it's not about the myth of wishing for something and then being disappointed that it doesn't come true. The energy in formulating that dream, the energy in creating a world in which that dream can make sense to you is just a great place to be. So if you write those dreams down, and you'll find ways to stay motivated. If you keep that in your consciousness, you're gonna find that there's some value in that exercise. That you're not just spinning wheels, you're not just frivolously hoping to dream that something great is going to happen. Be very specific, be very aware of where you are in the industry and where you would end up in the industry.

[20:52] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I've often said this, but I'd love for you to behave like you will be in three years. So think about where you're gonna be your where your career is at in three years, and guess what? Act like that now. That's what I'm talking about. Ways to stay motivated. See, when there is a clean, purposeful strategy to your marketing and marketing yourself as an actor, what happens is you then implement the plan. You are well on your way to being the CEO of your own company. You see, keeping the emotional context of your talent separate from your business head will help you focus on one goal at a time and help you stay on track.

[21:45] Jeffrey Dreisbach: I hope this has been helpful for you today. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm casting director Jeffrey Dreisbach. We'll see you next time on Casting Actors Cast. It's been great having you in our talent pool today. Your support means the world to us. So please consider sharing, liking, and reviewing this episode wherever you jump in.

[22:03] Megan Grace Martinez: I'm Megan Grace Martinez. Thanks.