{"id":2124,"date":"2023-08-21T16:15:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T16:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=2124"},"modified":"2025-01-17T17:10:34","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T17:10:34","slug":"how-to-network-as-a-performer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/how-to-network-as-a-performer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Network as an Actor"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Tips from casting directors for how to successfully network yourself as an actor and get connections in acting.<\/h2>\n<p>In the performing arts industry, who you know can be just as important as what you know. Casting directors have fantastic memories and will keep actors they&#8217;ve met in mind for future roles. Anyone you\u2019ve worked with previously could recommend you for future productions they\u2019re involved in &#8211; you never know when the relationships you\u2019ve built along the way will help you get a role.<\/p>\n<p>We asked casting directors what advice they would share with actors who are looking to network. These are their top tips:<\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveEmbed\">\n<div class=\"embededYoutube\"><iframe id=\"524511540\" title=\"How to Network as a Performer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZBqY95s0g28?rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspotlight.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-2257647_115=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-7=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-12=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-17=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Don\u2019t Just Talk About Acting<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s a fine balance when it comes to networking. You want to be memorable to other actors and casting professionals, but you also don\u2019t want to come off as networking with them purely for the benefits it may bring you in the future. So when you\u2019re meeting people at events and workshops, don\u2019t just talk about acting and the industry. Amanda Lenker Doyle CSA says, \u201cI like to just meet people and get to know the person as a person, and not necessarily as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you talk about things outside of your career, you\u2019re more likely to form a meaningful connection over a shared interest. Who would you remember more and want to work with in the future: someone who told you about all the roles they want to play, or the person who had the same love for a hobby or interest as you did? If nothing else, when thinking back on the event, they\u2019ll remember you as the \u2018crochet-loving person\u2019 instead of \u2018Actor #42\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Jeanne McCarthy CSA agrees, saying, \u201cI like to really be able to connect with somebody in a genuine way. Not in an actory way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Be Yourself<\/h3>\n<p>As actors, it\u2019s second-nature for us to transform ourselves into other people for the sake of a role. It may be tempting to do this for the sake of networking as well. We think casting directors are looking to interact with professional individuals who conduct themselves in a certain way, but this isn\u2019t true. Casting directors want actors to be themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Andy Brierley CDG says, \u201cI think any interaction with a casting director benefits from a real person being there rather than someone just trying to put on a professional appearance.\u201d Likewise, Patricia Vasconcelos believes, \u201c[It\u2019s] the most important thing: just be yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Authentic connections come from those behaving in an authentic way, so don\u2019t worry about what you think the casting director wants to see. Just be who you are and have the conversation you want to have with them.<\/p>\n<p>Even if putting on a certain persona did impress those you\u2019re networking with, you\u2019ve now committed yourself to having to act that way in their presence for the rest of your career, which will be exhausting in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>As Amy Hubbard CDG says: \u201cThe key to [networking] is just to be yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t be Nervous<\/h3>\n<p>Actors network because they want to make meaningful connections in the industry, and casting directors network because they\u2019re always looking to fill the roles they\u2019re casting for. Everyone is keen and excited to meet and talk to everyone else, so remember that if you\u2019re feeling nervous or want to be less awkward when networking.<\/p>\n<p>Chances are that the other actors you speak to may be feeling just as nervous as you are, so be friendly, ask them about themselves to put them at ease, and soon you\u2019ll be talking like old friends.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t forget that while you\u2019re networking and making connections for yourself, other people will also be looking to make connections with you. So ensure you\u2019re giving as well as taking from a networking event, and be nice to everyone you meet. You never know where, or who, your next role will come from.<\/p>\n<p>Find out more about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/how-to-fight-the-fear-of-networking\/\">how to fight the fear of networking<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Take a look at our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\">News &amp; Advice<\/a>\u00a0section for more\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/?tags=networking\">tips about networking<\/a>\u00a0and other advice.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tips from casting directors for how to successfully network yourself as an actor and get connections in acting. In the performing arts industry, who you know can be just as important as what you know. Casting directors have fantastic memories and will keep actors they&#8217;ve met in mind for future roles. Anyone you\u2019ve worked with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":3179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[64,95,149,109,44,52],"class_list":["post-2124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-essentials","tag-casting-directors","tag-interview","tag-networking","tag-soft-skills","tag-starting-out","tag-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Network as an Actor | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/how-to-network-as-a-performer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Network as an Actor | Spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tips from casting directors for how to successfully network yourself as an actor and get connections in acting. 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