WFA Covid Edition Tips
Oh no, this lock-down will last for quite a while. I have a strong feeling that it might last all the way until 2021, but knock on wood.
Well, that doesn't mean you should abandon everything you've been doing for your acting career, in fact, now it's time to focus on the things you couldn't focus on before.
1. Find free webinars and mentor-ships
Yes, I said "free" - you don't know how long we'll be in this situation, there's no point of throwing your money at every opportunity right now. Since we're "all in this together", that means casting directors and other gurus are also on lock down, and guess what, they don't know what to do with themselves either so they do free webinars on Zoom, Skype or whatever. Join them, make new connections, learn something you didn't know. Check out Eventbrite for keywords like "actor", "acting", "film", "filmmaker", "filmmaking" - there's always something coming up.
2. Did I say "make new connections"? Networking!
Ah yeah, of course it has to be here. Just because some people never had time to meet you in person before because they had so many meetings, now is time to hit them up online, whether it's via a forum, a social media website, or perhaps you have their email address. Hit them up, ask them what they're up to, maybe they have 15 minutes to chat over phone or via Zoom. Go on Stage 32, meet someone new. Sign up for a local Facebook Group for actors.
3. Expand your online presence
You know I had to throw this one into the mix. Not because this is what we do, but because this is what I strongly believe in. If you don't have a website yet, try a free website with us at webforactors.com and... look through all the options it allows. Yes, that means building your resume, expanding your skills, remastering your reels, getting press articles published, pulling in your credits from IMDb and more. Make sure you have a nice online business card ready so you can share it with others on forums and during Zoom chats.
4. Read Books. Read Scripts. Read Out Loud. Sing.
That goes ESPECIALLY to those of you living alone. If you live by yourself and only get to chat with your friends and family once or twice a day, you want to make sure you still use your voice daily. Download some free scripts for movies. Wanna watch Netflix? Fine. Turn on the subtitles and read along with the actors. Got a karaoke game? Sing your heart out. Be vocal.
5. Learns something new or improve your skill.
Now, it might be harder than ever to practice acting, but how about those other skills you've listed on your resume? Whatever it may be from A to Z, you can probably find a free tutorial on YouTube or if you have a few extra bucks, wait for a promotion on Udemy and pay $5 for a $200 course on how to... again, A to Z. If A is for "Acting", then go learn Beatboxing, Chearleading, Dialects, etc... Web is your oyster.
6. Stay healthy!
We know it's hard to be positive right now. There's a lot of people out there that are affected by this lock-down. All the productions have halted and we have no clue for how long. So it is extremely important that we all stay active and care for our health. Physically you can't go to the gym and many can't consider going outside for a run either, BUT, there are activities you can do at home. From curl ups, to push ups, from jumping jacks to burpies. Do yoga, get a jumping rope. If it's good for your physical health, it's good for your mental health as well.
