by: bobfraser
Total views: 7
Word Count: 915

One of the questions I get asked frequently relates to something that most actors face in their interviews with agents and casting directors. Here's how a typical letter reads; Dear Bob, I met with an agent yesterday and the first thing she said was "Tell me about yourself." So I told her what my credits were, where I went to school, people I knew in the business and so on. She didn't really listen. She said she'd let me know. I already know. She's not interested. What did I do wrong?" Q: What do I say when they say, 'Tell me about yourself?' Me: Whatever you do, do not recite your resume, where you went to school, and so on. Always keep in mind the kind of work you want to do ... story telling. In the case of an agent, you are interviewing a prospective salesperson for your business. It's your job to convince a thoroughly professional salesperson (an agent) that representing your product (you) is going to produce a lot of income. The agent's income depends on finding, representing and selling the best storytellers he can find. An agent learns quickly how to spot the 'comers' and ignore the 'wannabes.' The deciding factor is simple: "Is this actor a good story teller?" An observable reality is that an agent can't tell if you are a good storyteller unless she sees you telling a story. That opening gambit, "tell me about yourself" is an agent's way of saying, 'tell me a story.' If you don't comply with this request, agents become like five year olds; 'tell me a story, tell me a story, tell me a story.' These repetitive requests come in the guise of, "I see you went to Carnegie Tech." "So, you're from Connecticut." "Oh, you worked with Burt Reynolds." When you hear this kind of thing it's just the agent trying to get the 'test drive' started. They want you to tell them a story. Okay, now that you know what's really going on, it's time to discover what your response should be the next time you hear those words, "Tell me about yourself." What you should do is ... TELL A STORY. Go through your real life experiences and start creating narratives about yourself. If you have to bend the truth a bit to keep the interest up, then so be it. Fiction is our business. (Don't make up credits or relationships.) For instance, let us suppose that you have only one credit in a community theater production of "Sally Of The Sawdust" and you only had two lines as Cannonball Bill. The beginning of your story might be something along these lines: "Well, I made my first entrance on to a stage in an unusual way - I was shot from a cannon." (This is what we in the fiction business call a "grabber.") Now spin out a story where there's a little suspense, a little joke, a little pay-off of some kind; "One night we had an understudy who was supposed to say one line after I got shot onto the stage. He was supposed to say. 'Hark I hear the cannon roar!' He was pretty nervous because he'd never been on stage before. Anyway, when I got shot out of the cannon with a large bang, the understudy was startled and he said, 'What the hell was that?'" Don't forget the drama! This is a scene you are painting for the agent. Play it. Tell a story. A beginning. (The grabber) A middle. (An interesting thing happened) And then the end. Tell a story that keeps the agent interested in the outcome and you'll go a long ways toward convincing the agent that you are a 'comer.' By the way, when I say "create a narrative," I'm not talking about lying - I'm talking about taking the stories in your own experiences and making them memorable. Dramatic! Hilarious! Exciting! Suspenseful! Now practice telling your stories in such a way that the agent can't wait to hear the next line. Believe me, once you "hook" an agent with a well-told story, you will get what you came for ... representation. In other words, sell the salesman. The same advice goes for casting directors. They are the personnel department of the company you hope to work for. The same idea applies. Tell a story. 1. Get several good stories in your repertoire. 2. Practice telling them. This is basic, bottom-line preparation. If you don't have stories to tell, you are going to suffer through a lot of needless rejection. So the next time you hear, "Tell me about yourself." you know all you have to do is be prepared to tell a story. Make it a good story, practice telling it, listen for the cue line and go. Your positive results will soar. One more thing ... you can observe how other actors and performers "tell stories, by tuning in to the celebrity interview shows. Some are good at it and some are not so good. (I'm sure you'll see the difference.) But they're all trying ... to 'tell me a story.'

About the Author

Bob Fraser is an actor, writer, director and producer on the classic TV series Full House, Benson, The Love Boat - and others. Subscribe to Bob's free e-zine for performers, Show Biz How-To, by going here: http://www.showbizhowto.com Contact Bob at: bobfraser@youmustact.com

---

View PDF | Print View

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
Next Article - Interview The Way Your Mother Taught You
Previous Article - Helpful Tips For Tomorrow

More Related Articles In This Category

1: Electrical Retraining: Its Easier Than You Think
2: Want A Career In Plumbing?
3: How To Ace A Telephone Interview
4: How To Perfect Your "Soft" Skills
5: Are Happy With Your Career?
6: 3 Easy Steps To A Career Comeback
7: A Break Can Revitalize Your Career
8: Take Charge of Your Career
9: Three Travel Jobs As A Way To Tour The World
10: Top 10 Reasons to Give Your Boss the Pink Slip
11: Video Game Jobs - How To Become A Game Programmer
12: Why Not Start Training As A Plumber
13: How About Getting Some Career Training
14: How Hard Is Electrical Training?
15: Managing Your Career Effectively
16: Earn While You Learn
17: Leaving Your Job - Be Professional
18: How To Answer Difficult Interview Questions
19: 5 Hints That You Should Start Looking for a New Job
20: How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
21: Being Self Employed Is Not For Everyone
22: My Guide to Effective Resume Writing
23: How To Find A New Job Online
24: Video Game Jobs - How To Become A Game Designer
25: Choosing A New Business Opportunity

---

For WebMasters

Link This Article - HTML Code -

<a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/career/how-to-get-an-acting-agent.html" target=_blank>How To Get An Acting Agent</a>

Link This Article - BBcode -

[url=http://americanahost.com/articles/career/how-to-get-an-acting-agent.html]How To Get An Acting Agent[/url]

Copy This HTML Code To Put This Article In Your Web Site.

<h1>How To Get An Acting Agent</h1><br><br> <br><br> One of the questions I get asked frequently relates to something that most actors face in their interviews with agents and casting directors. Here's how a typical letter reads; Dear Bob, I met with an agent yesterday and the first thing she said was "Tell me about yourself." So I told her what my credits were, where I went to school, people I knew in the business and so on. She didn't really listen. She said she'd let me know. I already know. She's not interested. What did I do wrong?" Q: What do I say when they say, 'Tell me about yourself?' Me: Whatever you do, do not recite your resume, where you went to school, and so on. Always keep in mind the kind of work you want to do ... story telling. In the case of an agent, you are interviewing a prospective salesperson for your business. It's your job to convince a thoroughly professional salesperson (an agent) that representing your product (you) is going to produce a lot of income. The agent's income depends on finding, representing and selling the best storytellers he can find. An agent learns quickly how to spot the 'comers' and ignore the 'wannabes.' The deciding factor is simple: "Is this actor a good story teller?" An observable reality is that an agent can't tell if you are a good storyteller unless she sees you telling a story. That opening gambit, "tell me about yourself" is an agent's way of saying, 'tell me a story.' If you don't comply with this request, agents become like five year olds; 'tell me a story, tell me a story, tell me a story.' These repetitive requests come in the guise of, "I see you went to Carnegie Tech." "So, you're from Connecticut." "Oh, you worked with Burt Reynolds." When you hear this kind of thing it's just the agent trying to get the 'test drive' started. They want you to tell them a story. Okay, now that you know what's really going on, it's time to discover what your response should be the next time you hear those words, "Tell me about yourself." What you should do is ... TELL A STORY. Go through your real life experiences and start creating narratives about yourself. If you have to bend the truth a bit to keep the interest up, then so be it. Fiction is our business. (Don't make up credits or relationships.) For instance, let us suppose that you have only one credit in a community theater production of "Sally Of The Sawdust" and you only had two lines as Cannonball Bill. The beginning of your story might be something along these lines: "Well, I made my first entrance on to a stage in an unusual way - I was shot from a cannon." (This is what we in the fiction business call a "grabber.") Now spin out a story where there's a little suspense, a little joke, a little pay-off of some kind; "One night we had an understudy who was supposed to say one line after I got shot onto the stage. He was supposed to say. 'Hark I hear the cannon roar!' He was pretty nervous because he'd never been on stage before. Anyway, when I got shot out of the cannon with a large bang, the understudy was startled and he said, 'What the hell was that?'" Don't forget the drama! This is a scene you are painting for the agent. Play it. Tell a story. A beginning. (The grabber) A middle. (An interesting thing happened) And then the end. Tell a story that keeps the agent interested in the outcome and you'll go a long ways toward convincing the agent that you are a 'comer.' By the way, when I say "create a narrative," I'm not talking about lying - I'm talking about taking the stories in your own experiences and making them memorable. Dramatic! Hilarious! Exciting! Suspenseful! Now practice telling your stories in such a way that the agent can't wait to hear the next line. Believe me, once you "hook" an agent with a well-told story, you will get what you came for ... representation. In other words, sell the salesman. The same advice goes for casting directors. They are the personnel department of the company you hope to work for. The same idea applies. Tell a story. 1. Get several good stories in your repertoire. 2. Practice telling them. This is basic, bottom-line preparation. If you don't have stories to tell, you are going to suffer through a lot of needless rejection. So the next time you hear, "Tell me about yourself." you know all you have to do is be prepared to tell a story. Make it a good story, practice telling it, listen for the cue line and go. Your positive results will soar. One more thing ... you can observe how other actors and performers "tell stories, by tuning in to the celebrity interview shows. Some are good at it and some are not so good. (I'm sure you'll see the difference.) But they're all trying ... to 'tell me a story.'<br><br> <h3>About The Author</h3> Bob Fraser is an actor, writer, director and producer on the classic TV series Full House, Benson, The Love Boat - and others. Subscribe to Bob's free e-zine for performers, Show Biz How-To, by going here: http://www.showbizhowto.com Contact Bob at: bobfraser@youmustact.com<br><br> Keywords: <b>acting, actor, actress, talent agent, casting director</b> <br><br>Article Source : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles"><b>Articles Directory</b></a></br> Article URL : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/career/how-to-get-an-acting-agent.html" target=_blank>How To Get An Acting Agent</a></br> Article Category : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/career/">Career</a></br> Article Author : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/profile/bobfraser-1276.html">bobfraser</a>

---

Article URL : How To Get An Acting Agent
Article Category : Career
Article Author : bobfraser