Does your system of contacting your network need a rethink? Could you send out a quarterly or semi-annually emails or newsletter out on your creative news, projects and any awards or places where people could see your work?
Earlier this year I finally bit the bullet and started my database afresh. My system of letting relevant people know my news was far too disorganised and I had resorted to looking at my Contact’s book (the list of casting directors & agents) and the notes I made in it each year along with odd notes in various address books and email lists. So in January I started a new database and have started plugging the information in as I go. I can still be pretty lax and I am not writing in everyone I work with, largely as it can get overwhelming with some cast and crew running to large numbers but I do feel more organised. I still haven’t thought on or done mass mail-outs though as I want the personal touch, notes on where I met them or a comment on our last conversation rather than sending many more standard emails.
What could you write to your colleagues and industry networks that is news that is interesting and worth mentioning.
It is much nicer to send an email saying
- Come to my live show
- I have just booked a venue and my dates are…
- See me on TV!
- I have been nominated for an award
- I have got funding!
rather than ‘here is my new headshot‘ or trying to scrap up non existent news!!
Day 4: Being my own personal assistant and secretary
I am having to do this email mailout today and tomorrow as I heard at the end of last week that an episode of a show I am in ’50 Ways To Kill Your Lover’ , directed by Jeremy Freeston is being screened this Friday so I want to let some people know that they can indeed see me on the television.
Friday May 9th @9pm my episode ‘Farmyard Murder’ in ’50 Ways To Kill Your Lover’ is screening on Crime & Investigation Channel (SKY 553/ Virgin 237) ’50 Ways to Kill Your Lover’ number #1 rated show on Investigation Discovery US and Crime and Investigation UK.
My family and friends are very excited, more than me to be honest as I guess I am used to being filmed, doing the work but there is always some legitimacy attached to being able to turn on your TV at a certain time and see someone you know there as opposed to me saying ‘oh I have just done a short film and it is being submitted to festivals‘ or ‘I am in this music video or commercial‘ which indeed I am, as with the yummy mummy at the end of this 15.5 million viewers and counting great music video from The Vamps directed by Nick Bartlett and produced by Pixelloft (I am only in the last 30 seconds!)
Or indeed this amazing commercial I did in February, narrated by Sir Ian McKellan and directed by the multi-award winning Joanna Bailey of Bare Films for Stonewall’s No Bystanders campaign
I am this at 0.39-0.42 seconds
If you want to get involved with this project of tracking the next 100 days of being an actor, singer, writer, film-maker, painter etc then here are the full details. 100 days of being a creative Or just start today, use the hashtag #100days So please do one thing for your creative career today and I’d love to hear comments and feedback.
hashtag #100days
Tags: 50 ways, Back Stage, Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, director, Existence, Film, Film director, Film festival, Ian McKellen, Jeremy Freeston, Joanna Bailey, Murder, Nick Bartlett, No Bystanders, personal assistant, Pixelloft, producer, secretary, Sir Ian McKellan, stonewall, Thumbs Up Productions, To Kill Your Lover, UK, Want, writer
Leave a Reply