An
Actor
Seeking
Work
A
typical
day
for
me
while
seeking
work
as
an
actor
usually
starts
around
8:15am
with
a
good
breakfast
of
cereal,
toast,
yogurt,
a
big
bowl
of
mixed
fruit
and
green
or
white
tea.
While
I’m
enjoying
my
favorite
meal
of
the
day,
the
computer
is
connected
to
the
internet
and
I’m
checking
my
email
hoping
that
a
casting
director
or
someone
has
contacted
me
from
one
of
my
online
submissions
the
day
before
and
checking
out
the
three
casting
websites
I
subscribed
to,
seeing
if
anything
interesting
in
the
way
of
roles
for
productions,
films,
tv
shows
or
what
have
you,
came
through
that
I
should
submit
myself
for.
If
it
is
a
day
designated
for
mailings,
I
usually
use
the
time
to
write
cover
letters
to
new
contacts,
casting
directors
and
agents,
producers,
etc.
and
make
packets
together
with
my
headshot
and
résumé.
Since
my
headshot
is
horizontal
with
space
on
one
side,
I
downsized
my
cover
letter
and
stapled
it
to
the
front
of
the
headshot.
This
way,
whoever
receives
my
materials,
will
have
everything
at
the
grasp
of
one
hand,
because
in
addition
to
the
headshot
and
cover
letter,
the
résumé
is
always
cut
to
the
size
of
the
headshot
and
stapled
to
the
back
of
it.
That’s
industry
standard.
Another
reason
why
you
should
always
staple
them
altogether
is
because
if
they
get
separated
among
all
the
mail
that
comes
into
those
offices,
they
might
not
find
their
way
back
together
again
and
you
might
lose
out.
Worse
yet,
you
might
not
ever
know
it!
The
downsizing
of
the
cover
letter
was
just
one
of
the
little
tricks
of
the
trade
that
I
learned
from
Leslie
Becker
in
my
one
on
one
consultation
with
her.
Mailings
I
also
use
this
mailing
time
to
write
postcards
to
my
existing
contacts
to
keep
in
touch
and
report
any
jobs
I’ve
gotten
recently
or
even
close
calls
such
as
call-backs
or
on-holds
since
the
last
time
I
sent
correspondence
to
them.
On
that
note,
in
the
many
question
and
answer
sessions
I
have
participated
in
with
casting
directors
and
agents,
one
of
the
questions
that
frequently
arises
is,
“How
often
should
actors
keep
in
touch
with
agents
and
casting
directors?”
Almost
always,
the
answer
is,
whenever
you
have
something
to
say.
The
best
things
to
say,
as
far
as
I
have
learned
are
things
about
what
you
have
done
recently
in
the
way
of
acting;
shows
you
have
been
in,
movies,
tv
programs,
independent
films,
commercials,
or
whatever.
I’ve
been
taught
to
make
my
communication
count
and
not
send
cards
or
correspondence
just
to
say
hi!
Keeping
in
touch
this
way
is
professional
and
has
paid
off
in
that
even
the
close
call
reports
have
resulted
in
my
being
called
personally
by
casting
directors
to
come
in
and
audition.
Keeping
in
touch
with
industry
contacts
And
how
to
keep
in
touch
is
something
I
learned
from
Brian
O’Neil’s
seminar
and
book.
I
completely
transformed
the
way
I
approached
my
business
of
being
an
actor,
after
having
taken
several
forums,
during
which
I
met
with
casting
directors
and
agents.
Brian
O’Neil’s
book
Acting
As
A
Business
is
full
of
tips
and
valuable
info.
It’s
easy
to
see
why
it’s
one
of
the
most
read
books
in
the
Drama
Book
Shop
in
New
York.
I
read
it
twice!
After
putting
together
my
mail,
it’s
shower
time
and
off
to
the
first
commercial
audition
of
the
day,
which
usually
isn’t
before
11
–
11:30am.
The
first
could
be
an
on-camera
commercial
audition
at
House
Productions
downtown.
The
next
one
is
around
2pm,
for
an
industrial
at
Don
Case
Casting
and
then
another
around
3:30pm
for
an
on-camera
commercial
down
at
Liz
Lewis
Casting.
There’s
no
rhyme
or
reason
to
what
types
of
auditions.
Could
be
three
or
four
auditions
usually
either
commercials,
film,
industrial
or
go-see
(term
used
for
commercial
print
auditions/castings)
for
print
work.
In
the
next
article,
I'll
finish
the
story.
Or
the
day
rather.
