Artist Business Tips

Artist Business Tip: When you're communicating with an industry professional who can further your career, make sure that you 1. Get the person's correct name, pronunciation and spelling. If you're unsure, then ask them directly. Sounds basic, but you'd be amazed by how many folks don't know the names of folks that can employ them in NYC or give them a reference. Here's a perfect example of why acting has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with folks who's craft as well as their business skills are rock solid. Can you name the major CD's, agents, managers, network, coaches, teachers in NYC that can help you get where you want to be? Do you have relationships with them already? If not, you're behind the 8 ball.

Artist Tip: Somebody's getting paid and if it ain't you, you need to find out why and remedy the situation instead of pursuing a life long career in which you work for free or less than unemployment.If you cannot listen, read and then follow directions to the letter, then you can certainly be an actor, just not a very successful one. Acting is a business. Though there is an very personal, laid back atmosphere to the workplace, it is still a workplace. I strongly advise actors who have never held a job outside of the acting world, to make it a part of their actor training to get a job in the business world. Even if it's for a summer. An internship, a long-term temp job (3-6 months) in the corporate sector and committ to being successful at this job. It will give you a sense of working under pressure where decisions are based solely on the financial bottom line. Because even if artists never see it, this is what is happening on the other side of your acting work be it theatre/tv/film, there are folks working to meet that bottom line and decisions are being made that have nothing at all to do with talent or merit, but rather the bottom line. This experience will 1.) Help you value your artistic work. 2.) Teach you the importance of high stakes, professionalism and it will depersonalize moments when you went in and did your best work and didn't get the job. 3.) It will teach you to have everything that is within your control covered from showing up in the right suit, to working out, memorizing 10 pages of lines in 10 mins, to having your own production company producing or optioning work for you. It will make you smart and ultimately and artist who works more and on increasingly high profile projects.https://www.facebook.com/notes/coaching-with-april-yvette-thompson/if-you-want-to-be-a-working-artist-its-easy-and-luck-isnt-a-requirement/118760774960847


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